In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for favor is "chen," which is often translated as grace. Favor is depicted as a divine blessing that results in prosperity, protection, and success. God is gracious and shows favor. One of the definitions of "grace" is "unmerited favor." Said Solomon: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD." (Prov. 18: 22 nkjv) This divine favor is a common grace, and makes us recall our mentioning Peter's words about husbands and wives being "heirs together of the grace of life." (I Peter 3: 7) Every good thing anyone possesses or enjoys in life is a divine favor and is an example of God's graciousness. Recall that Romans 2: 4 spoke of those depraved folk who "despise the riches of His goodness" (Rom. 2: 4), which goodness is an instance of common grace. James, the Lord's brother, wrote:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights..." (James 1: 17 (nkjv)
Similarly John the Baptist said:
"John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." (John 3: 27 (nkjv)
Every divine blessing is due to God's graciousness to the undeserving. So Christians sing - "Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below." We have seen that one of the purposes of these undeserved blessings was to lead lost sinners to repentance and to salvation and so common grace is intended to be a means of grace or prevenient grace. These good things that God gives to all, just and unjust, is because in doing this "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities." (Psa. 103: 10 nkjv)
In the preceding chapters we have seen where grace may be resisted, and we have also seen where it also may at times be irresistible. One of the objections some Calvinists make against the doctrine of prevenient grace is the assertion that whatever God begins to do with an intent that sinners be saved will never fail, or to affirm that grace is never resistible, but will always be successful. However, that is not true. Let us take a look at some scripture that shows this to be the case.
Grace May Be Resisted and Fail
"looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." (Heb. 12: 15 nkjv)
On this text John Gill wrote the following in his commentary:
"Lest any man fail of the grace of God; not the free favour and love of God in Christ, which is everlasting, unchangeable, and from whence there is no separation; nor the grace of God implanted in the heart in regeneration, which is incorruptible, never failing, but always remains, as do faith, hope, and love; but either the whole doctrine of the Gospel, which is a declaration of the grace of God; or particularly the doctrine of free justification by the righteousness of Christ, which men may receive in vain, and fall from, 2 Corinthians 6:1 to which these Hebrews might be prone..."
Concerning II Cor. 6: 1 we will have more to say shortly. Notice that Gill says that grace that has saved will never fail, which is true of God's special or abundant grace, for it always succeeds in its intended effects. But, he does acknowledge that "the whole doctrine of the Gospel" is a grace of God, to which we agree, having affirmed that "the grace of God" that has "appeared to all men" is the gospel. (Titus 2: 11) People "fail of the grace of God" when they resist it and are not saved by it. Every lost sinner who hears the gospel and rejects it is an instance of the grace of God failing, or of him "receiving the grace of God in vain." This failing of the grace of God brings a defilement, which is the height of irony seeing it was God's intention that his grace bring cleansing from sin.
As we will see, this passage in Hebrews must be compared with what is said later in Hebrews chapter ten where the same inspired writer speaks of "insulting the Spirit of grace" and who are eternally condemned for so doing. On that passage we will have somewhat to say shortly.
Vincent, in his word studies, says: "Rend. "fall back from," implying a previous attainment. The present participle marks something in progress: "lest any one be falling back." Others, however, disagree, saying that the falling back denotes failing to receive the grace of God to begin with. So Barnes writes in his commentary (emphasis mine):
"Fail of the grace of God - Margin, "fail from." The Greek is, "lest any one be wanting or lacking" - ὑστερῶν husterōn. There is no intimation in the words used here that they already had grace and might fall away - whatever might be true about that - but that there was danger that they might be found at last to be deficient in that religion which was necessary to save them."
The thing that must be ascertained about the text is what is the "grace of God" mentioned. Is it "saving grace," or is it the "grace" of the Gospel, a prevenient grace? If it is saving grace, does it mean failing to be saved by it or losing it after having been saved by it? I rather think it is talking about the grace of the gospel, being blessed to hear the good news, to have the means of salvation. In this case Vincent would be correct because everyone who hears the Gospel has obtained the grace of the means of salvation (a previous attainment) and those who reject it do fail of that prevenient grace.
We must also address the statement of the writer that says "by this (or it) become defiled." Does this imply that the ones who fail of the grace of God were previously undefiled (thus saved)? It might seem so. I rather think it is a further defilement of minds and consciences. It is like the "hardening" of the heart. Many people who have a hard heart, as Pharaoh, are said to harden their hearts over and over again. Every time a sinner rejects the grace of the gospel he is further defiling his conscience.
Insulting the Spirit of Grace
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10: 26-31 nkjv)
A thing that must be decided first about this text is what it means to have "received the knowledge of the truth." Are these words a description of those who are saved or simply of those who have heard the gospel or word of God preached? In the parable of the sower and the seed, or of the soils, all the four types of soils (signifying different people who hear the word of God) had received the seed of the word. However, not all of them were saved by merely hearing the word or receiving the seed. The first kind of hearer is described thusly:
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it...Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." (Luke 8: 5, 11-12 nkjv)
Matthew writes it this way:
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." (Matt. 13: 19 nkjv)
Note these things about the wayside hearers of the word. First, they had "received" the seed or word of God. Second, they were never saved by it. By "receiving" the seed of the word is meant the hearing of the gospel of the kingdom. So, by itself, the words in the Hebrew text, "after we have received a knowledge of the truth" do not in themselves denote a saved state. The greater difficulty for those who believe that a person once saved can never lose that salvation are the other descriptors in the text, which are "counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified" and "insulted the Spirit of grace" and "the Lord will judge his people."
We must first realize that several of the descriptors may be applicable 1) to people who hear the gospel but who never believe it, and 2) to people who initially believe the word, become professing Christians, but who were never truly saved, being what we call "hypocrites." The latter kind are described in the parable of the soils in this way:
"Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away....But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles." (Matt. 13: 5-6, 20-21 nkjv)
Luke describes these stony ground hearers in these words:
"But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 8: 13 nkjv)
The stony ground hearers are said to not only hear and receive the word but to believe it for a while. No doubt these are the ones Paul is describing in the Hebrews passage above. Many affirm that these shallow ground believers were genuine believers and had been truly saved. However, that is not what Christ intended to teach. The description of the shallow ground hearers forbids us believing that such were truly saved. First, they did not receive the word with an honest and good heart, the only one so doing was the one who had a good and honest heart styled "good ground." Second, the seed was received in shallow soil, and never took deep root, and never brought forth fruit, but soon perished because of that fact. Third, Jesus himself identified these shallow ground believers as not really being saved when he said:
"Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” (Luke 8: 18 nkjv)
These words tell us that it is important to "hear" the word rightly. It suggests that many will hear the word in a manner that does not truly save, and may be received superficially, accepted in the mind but not in the heart. They also tell us that those who receive the word or knowledge of the truth may only be seemingly saved, and that they may have taken away from them not what they really have, but what they only seemingly had. It is this kind of believer that Paul is likely referring to in the above passage from Hebrews chapter ten. That being so, then they only seemingly had been "sanctified" by the "blood of the covenant" and were only seemingly the Lord's people. With all that said, let us return now and notice that lost sinners may not be genuinely saved by prevenient grace, by the grace of the gospel. By having "insulted the Spirit of grace" and "counted" or judged the blood of Christ a common thing, they showed that their previous faith was not saving faith but a hypocritical or seeming one.
Are They The Real Thing?
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." (Heb. 6: 4-6 nkjv)
This text has not only divided Arminians and Calvinists on the question of whether a truly born again child of God can so sin so as to lose salvation, but it has also divided Calvinists who believe that all the truly saved will persevere in their allegiance to Christ. Some Calvinists say that the ones described as falling away are not genuine believers, but hypocrites and false professors. Others, as I do, affirm that the description given of the characters under consideration are indeed truly saved people, and contend that the "if" is an "if" of reason, like when Paul said "if the dead rise not, then..." (I Cor. 15: 16)
If you are a Calvinist who believes that the characters Paul describes are fake believers and you also deny any kind of prevenient grace or pre-regeneration work of God in a sinner, then how do you explain how these characters could be "enlightened"? Could have "tasted the heavenly gift" and "the good words of God" and "the powers of the age to come"? Could have "become partakers of the Holy Spirit"? Are these things not good? Are they not the result of God's working and of prevenient grace? If these things can be experienced by sinners, then you must agree that they preceded salvation.
Receiving the Grace of God in Vain
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain." (II Cor. 6: 1 nkjv)
On this passage Barnes in his commentary rightly says (emphasis mine):
"That ye receive not the grace of God in vain - The "grace of God" here means evidently the gracious offer of reconciliation and pardon. And the sense is, "We entreat you not to neglect or slight this offer of pardon, so as to lose the benefit of it, and be lost. It is offered freely and fully. It may be partaken of by all, and all may be saved. But it may also be slighted, and all the benefits of it will then be lost." The sense is, that it was possible that this offer might be made to them, they might hear of a Saviour, be told of the plan of reconciliation and have the offers of mercy pressed on their attention and acceptance, and yet all be in vain. They might notwithstanding all this be lost, for simply to hear of the plan of salvation or the offers of mercy, will no more save a sinner than to hear of medicine will save the sick. It must be embraced and applied, or it will be in vain. It is true that Paul probably addressed this to those who were professors of religion; and the sense is, that they should use all possible care and anxiety lest these offers should have been made in vain."
John Gill in his commentary wrote (emphasis mine):
"...that ye receive not the grace of God in vain: by "the grace of God", is not meant the grace of God in regeneration, and effectual calling, which can never be received in vain; for the grace of God never fails of producing a thorough work of conversion; nor is it ever lost, but is strictly connected with eternal, glory: but by it is meant either the doctrine of grace, the Gospel of Christ, so called, because it is a declaration of the love and grace of God to sinners, ascribes salvation in part, and in whole, to the free grace of God, and is a means of implanting and increasing grace in the hearts of men. Now this may be received in vain by ministers and people, when it is but notionally received, or received in word only: when it is abused and perverted to vile purposes, and when men drop, deny it, and fall off from it..."
Both these able theologians affirm that the gospel is a grace of God. They also acknowledge that it is what precedes being saved, and thus is an instance of prevenient grace. When it is rejected it is received in vain, which was the case of the shallow ground hearers/receivers of the word. When those who seemingly receive this grace later fall away from it, then they too had received the grace of God in vain.
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