The Gospel - The Means of Grace XV

A Description of the Saved

"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 (tasted) 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." (Heb. 6: 4-6)

Who can deny that the saved are described in these verses? Who can deny that being made a "partaker of the Holy Ghost" is salvation? What other characteristics does the writer give for the salvation experience? He says that those who are partakers of the Spirit are also they who have "tasted the good word of God." These two things are joined together, yet the Hardshells divorce them, contending that only a few of those who have been made partakers of the Spirit have also tasted of the good word of God.

Not only does the apostle describe the saved as those who have become partakers of the Spirit and word, but as those who have been "renewed" by "repentance." Do the Hardshells teach that renewing (regeneration) comes via repentance? Do they not rather deny it? Do the scriptures not teach that "repentance" is "unto life"? (Acts 11: 18) Do the Hardshells not rather teach that life is unto repentance? That life is unto an optional repentance?

A Description of the Lost

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus." (Eph. 4: 17-21)

What Hardshell can deny that Paul describes the unregenerate state in these words? He speaks of the unsaved Gentiles as being "alienated from the life of God," as dead alien sinners. He speaks of them as being "beyond feeling," another characteristic of the "dead." But, this spiritual death is characterized by a darkened understanding, a lack of enlightenment, by blindness and ignorance. Conversely, spiritual life is characterized by enlightenment, by having understanding, by having "learned Christ," by having heard Christ and been taught by him. But, the Hardshells say that the regeneration experience is non-cognitive, an experience that imparts no knowledge. Paul, however, defines the regeneration experience as one in which sinners "learn Christ." Further, this learning of Christ Paul says comes by the gospel. "How shall they believe in him (learn about him) of whom they have not heard?" (Rom. 10: 14)

In the same epistle Paul had earlier spoken of their lost state before their conversion, before they came to "learn Christ." He wrote;

"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." (2: 11-13)

While they were in "ignorance" of Christ and the gospel, before they had "learned Christ," they were "strangers from the covenant of promise," and were "without hope," and "without God." Not only were they "aliens" from the "life of God," but "aliens" from the "commonwealth of Israel," aliens to Zion, aliens from the gospel truth. Before they had "learned Christ" and been given a saving understanding they were "uncircumcised," or unregenerate.

These descriptions of the saved and lost go contrary to the Hardshell descriptions and show how conversion and regeneration are spoken of as being the same thing by the apostle. Where does Paul make "conversion," or "learning Christ," to be a separate and distinct experience from partaking of the "life of God"? Does the description of the saving experience not show that the gospel is the means?

When Paul says "at that time" and "now," words alluding to two distinct periods of time, is he not referring to times well known by the Ephesians? To that time when they were converted to Christ by the gospel, when they came to know and love him, versus that time when they were ignorant of him?