Memorable Words Hebrew
Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV
I John 1:5 ESV
Deuteronomy 30:15-18 CEV
This particular passage of scripture is a difficult passage to understand and process. I was taught when that is the case it helps to “sit” with the text.
Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
Ouch.
Double ouch.
My first reaction years ago when I read this passage was ‘surely not!’
My reaction to that verse was that I thought of God’s long suffering love for His children.
I thought of God’s patience.
I thought of myself and how I can easily make mistakes.
I thought of my own children and wondered what I would be willing to do to help them even if the strayed.
I wondered what I would not be willing to do?
At the same time I knew as adults if they chose to walk down a path I would not choose for them I would not be able to stop them.
Our children are not our puppets.
I know if they chose a dark path I would suffer anguish for them. I do not think a day or even an hour would pass that I didn’t think of them. I would hurt for them. I’m not sure I would ever stop hurting for them and for the choice they made.
I think with my last breath I would hurt because of the choice they made to walk down a path to darkness.
I’m certain I would especially be in pain because I would not see them again in heaven. I would never see them again. Ever.
I remember the day my dad passed over into heaven. I hurt so much I thought my heart would burst but at the same time I knew our separation was temporary.
I knew I would see him again.
The women in my family have all lived well into their nineties…all of them on both sides of my family. I was 34 years old when my dad died. But even then I knew in light of eternity sixty plus years was nothing. I knew when my time came to pass over I would see my dad again.
But if one of my children made the deliberate choice to walk the path of darkness, I would not be able to force them to change their mind.
I would not have the ability to think for them.
It was their choice…it was not my choice but as difficult as it would be, I would have to let them choose their own path.
They have the right to choose.
And then I realized why God would not…could not make the choice for us.
By the very nature and character of our loving God, He will not force His will on us. We have a choice. God gives us a choice. He will not interfere with that choice. God WILL woo us with His love but if we choose to walk the dark road, He will not force us to turn to Him.
And so it is with Hebrews 6:4-6.
It is impossible for God to go against His living-kindness. God is good. God is light.
1 John 1:5 tells us, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
There is no darkness in God.
If we turn to the dark side we make that choice.
God will not force us to choose the light.
Just before the children of Israel were about to cross over into the Promised Land, Moses told them, “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful.On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the Lord and reject him. So I'm warning you that if you bow down and worship other gods, you won't have long to live (Deuteronomy 30:15-18).
They had a choice. They were told they could choose life or death.
Choose Light or Darkness. Through Moses God urged them to choose to walk toward the light, so they would walk in the light.
God wants us to choose to walk in the light…Jesus made the impossible possible.
Spiritual Practice: We have a choice.
God wants us to choose to walk toward the light. He wants us to choose life.
In God, Deborah
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