The warning passages of Hebrews are much debated. What is their purpose? Are they saying that someone who is truly saved can lose their salvation? If we can lose our salvation, does that undermine assurance? Is it a real warning or just hypothetical (“of course this wouldn’t happen to you”). We had many questions sent in via text message. Too many to address on the night. To get the ball rolling and for those interested in continuing to think about the issue more, I’ve listed all of the questions below. Over the coming weeks, I hope we can interact with them. Most importantly, I pray that we can hear what God’s word has to say.

Questions from 4/9/11

Tips

Practical tips for how we can encourage each other every day?

How do we practically exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Can you give some tips for encouraging each other in belief?

Perseverance as a work

If we need to persevere how is that not a work which saves us?

Why is perseverance viewed as a work?

Others falling away

Is it possible 4 someone who has heard and believed to be convinced otherwise, due to lack of knowledge or otherwise? Do u have any biblical evidence to support

Jonathon Edwards the British triple jumper was a famous Christian and defender of the faith. Now he does not believe but maintains his faith was very real for many years. I find this unsettling. How do we deal with examples like this? Just another false faith?

When friends have “fallen away” do we act treat them as an unbeliever or a believer who is yet to persevere? What might that look like practically?

Does the non believer who thinks they are a believer know or realise that they have faulty faith? Or are they living in denial? How would they know?

What about us?

If our faith is on shaky ground – what then? How…where does one in from there? It feels as if, for those of us who feel like this, there is on hope, and we should just give up?

Is there a way to concrete your faith?

When it seems too hard to keep following God’s word, or the world tempts us badly, how do we resist giving in everything wonderful that the world promises?

How is besetting and serious sin different? If David died before Nathan came to him, or I pumped a bullet through my head, would that affect salvation?

Is it possible to continue to call upon Jesus as Lord to our death, but not believe it?

God’s judgement

How does god commanding “his people” to go and take over the homes of others (by force) come across to us as a good thing? It doesnt seem to display love or justice…

Exegesis of Chapter 6 “once tasted” etc

How do you reconcile the faulty faith view with hebrews ch6?

Questions from 11/9/11 on perseverance

God keeping us

If you are truly a child of christ it says that god will not let you fall away, the holy spirit will guide you back. How does this fit in with the apostasy issue?

Hebrews 6:4-6

how does this reading understand the ‘ having shared in the spirit’ reference for the apostate?

In verse 4, there is mention of the holy spirit. Can a faulty faith have the holy spirit?

Matt 19:26 says (in a not dissimilar context) that “with God all things are possible”. Does the writer of Hebrews really mean in 6:4-6 that if a Jew (or a Christian) has once decided to reject Christ we can be certain that that Jew (or Christian) is forever lost? If not, what does “impossible” mean in the passage? Is the language more a textual device – absolute language as a form of emphasis rather than literal expression.

Do vv 5 and 6 mean god gives the holy spirit to non-believers?

What did Roy mean by precarious? Sounded a bit like if someone walked away then vs 4 would apply to them? I thought [you said] it was about Jewish people?

What about ”and have shared in the Holy Spirit” in 6:4?

Heb6:6 says “…to restore them AGAIN to repentance…” which seems to suggest a prior repentance. Comments?

If verse 4 is not talking about real christians, in what sense have they tasted/shared the holy spirit?

Loss of Salvation view

I would like to hear more about why roy doesn’t like the lost salvation view.

Obedience and Faith

Is the worker of lawlessness someone who disobeys Jesus, contrasting with those who obey Jesus (from Mt 7)?

How is faith not a work with regard to the chair illustration? Isn’t it faith and not works which saves?

Diagnosing a faulty faith

6:10 seems a little worksy -whats with that? Also, most who fall away once thought they were genuine Christians, with genuine faith -any advice 4us in diagnosing whether or not our faith might b genuine?

Week 1: A Prophet by God’s Grace. 1 Samuel 1-3.

The wicked sons of Eli

Let’s use this to discuss the book Know and Tell the Gospel by John Chapman. Just add your comments below.