John 19:6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

Notice who said this. The Jews. Their chief priests cried, crucify him. The Jews said, We have a LAW, and by our LAW Jesus ought to DIE.

What law were they speaking of? Breaking the Sabbath. They had accused him several times of breaking their Sabbath. So now, they use this LAW, of Sabbath keeping, to have Jesus killed, according to their law. He broke their Sabbath, so he needs to be killed. (They had no other they could have used. They could not accuse him of breaking any other law. He had fulfilled it ALL.)

But, was this the end of that Sabbath law destroying the Lord? No, it was only the beginning. Watch:

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Hebrews six, is clearly speaking here about NT salvation. It speaks of the foundation of REPENTANCE, (not part of law)--; faith, (law is not of faith);--Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. NONE of these things were of LAW, but of the NT salvation. So, this is clearly speaking of those who have come into NT times.

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

There was no true enlightenment under that old law, for it blinds those who ‘read�?it, or hear it to live by it. They were never enlightened, nor did they ever taste the heavenly GIFT, for this GIFT is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, which was NEVER given to those under that old law. Neither did they ever taste the good Word of God or the powers of the world to come. So this is clearly speaking of those who came into the NT salvation. Watch now, what it says about these people who had done all of the above, which clearly could not be speaking about those under law, but those under Grace:

For it is impossible for these people, Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

What is meant by, if they shall FALL AWAY? Let Paul answer this:

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Paul is calling the NT this liberty and in this Christ hath made us FREE. He tells them not to be entangled AGAIN with the YOKE OF BONDAGE. Peter clearly calls the law this bondage, in Acts 15; no guess work about this!)

Ga 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. (Those telling the early Church they had to go back and keep the law of Moses, always linked it with this need to be circumcised, for this is the sign of LAW.)

Ga 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. (Notice, here, how Paul makes this unmistakably clear that he is tying being circumcised with the need to keep the whole law! Again, no guess work, here.)

Ga 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (So, there you have the meaning of ‘if they shall FALL AWAY�? If you think you must go back to keeping law, and being circumcised, then you FALL-- AWAY-- FROM--GRACE. And the result of this falling away, is that Christ is become of NO EFFECT unto you. You are thus lost. And according to Hebrews six, there is not hope of ever renewing you again to repentance. Why? Because by your LAW, YOU CRUCIFIED CHRIST AFRESH AND ANEW AND PUT HIM TO AN OPEN SHAME! That is exactly what your claiming you must needs go back to law, and keep some weekly Sabbath does to Christ, and to your own soul! And this is what is meant by the great falling away---so many denying Grace and going back to law.)

Ga 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (It is the Spirit, or the NT salvation, Holy Ghost, which gives us righteousness, by FAITH. THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH. Again, no guess work!)

Ga 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. (In Christ, this law thing avails NOTHING. Only FAITH which works by love. Law is not of Faith, and shows no love. Again, no guess work!)

Ga 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (These people started out well and ran well for a while. Who hindered them? And how were they HINDERED? By those who told them they had to go back to keeping that law of Moses, (Sabbath keeping), and to be circumcised. So this hindered these Christians in their walk with Christ. It made them guilty of CRUCIFYING Jesus all over again. WE HAVE A LAW. AND BY OUR LAW, HE OUGHT TO DIE. He broke their Sabbath!

Ga 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. (Paul tells them here that it is not of him or of Jesus, that they are led astray and hindered and deceived back into picking up that law again.)

Ga 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (Here Paul is saying that this little LEAVEN is their going back to law. That is the entire subject matter here. So going back to that law, by which Jesus had to die, breaking their Sabbath, is this leaven which has leavened their whole lump! Again, no guess work!)

By: Jo Smith --- July 9, 2008