We must be obedient to God’s Word because it is a fact that believers can ‘fall away.’ The Greek word is PARAPIPTO, pronounced pä-rä-pē'p-tō. This is the only place in scripture that it is used.
When a believer falls away he/she slips aside and deviates from the right path. He/she slips aside and goes to error, slips aside and falls away and turns aside from Christ.
There are believers who fall away and it is impossible to renew them to repentance because in their own minds they crucify Christ once again and shame Him openly. The scripture says they do this by doing four things:
“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, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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 6:4-6)
The statement “if they shall fall away,” in this scripture establishes beyond the shadow of doubt that believers can fall away. Furthermore, by saying that there are some who cannot be renewed to repentance if they fall away, the scripture implies there are some believers who fall away and can be renewed to repentance.
Falling away is slipping aside or deviating from the right path. It is something that believers choose to do therefore it is an act of their own will.
The scripture is very exhaustive here as it outlines the level of maturity of the believer who can fall away and never be renewed to repentance. According to scripture, those who cannot be renewed must have undergone four experiences:
• They must have been once enlightened.
• They must have tasted of the heavenly gift.
• They must have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost.
• They must have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come.
Please click THIS LINK to see the entire study, which goes into a detailed discussion about these four experiences. You will definitely be blessed.
