One of the most unnerving experiences we’ve all had is knowing someone who once professed faith in Christ, took their vows and joined the Church, got involved, worshiped the Lord, and perhaps even served in some area of ministry, and then turned away from both the Savior and His people. It is always a painful thing when one who has confessed our Savior, worshiped side-by-side with us, and appeared to be genuine in their love for Christ, suddenly disappears, and even claims to no longer believe the Gospel we embrace and love.

I would imagine that virtually all of us have known someone like that. And not only do Christians in local churches experience such terrible things, we seem to frequently witness this sad reality more visibly in the broader world of evangelical Christianity. We read about a minister who abandons the Gospel and the Church, publicly renouncing His once-held faith. We see one of our spiritual heroes, perhaps a gifted preacher or defender of the faith, exposed as an immoral and wicked fraud. Then there are the celebrity Christian leaders who decline both in doctrine and in practice to the point that they no longer even call themselves Christians. And, if we are completely honest, we often wonder, ‘Could that happen to me? Could I walk away from Christ? Could I disassociate myself from His people and deny the very truth that I once said I believed?’

Well, it is this very thing that the inspired author of the Epistle to the Hebrews addresses head-on in Hebrews 6:4-6. These verses, blunt by anyone’s measurement, provide us with an answer as to why this happens and what it ultimately means. In the end, the author will reveal just how close one can come to truly knowing Christ and being transformed by God’s grace, and yet remain completely lost.

But, there is more here than just this ominous reality. For not only will we come to a fuller understanding of the grievous sin of apostasy, we will encounter a profound word of hope and assurance for our own souls that will richly nourish us as we continue to walk together in commitment to our Savior and His people.

Let me encourage you to read and mediate upon Hebrews 6:1-20 over the weekend. And then let’s get on our knees and ask our Lord to bless His people and build His Church through His mighty Word.