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Escaping, then Returning to Sin
In Hebrews 6:1 the writer started out by saying this:
"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". (KJV) "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God". (NIV)
This scripture shows that the writer is first talking about true Christians. He expresses that we need to grow in Christ, that we might be sure not to fall back to faithlessness and works that lead to death. A person who has never placed their faith in God, and who lives after the dead works of the flesh, does not need to lay the foundation of repentance “again”. There never was true repentance or any foundation lain to begin with to need to lay it again. They have never really changed. Those who are warned of this possibility of falling away are those who have had the gospel message "brought to light" in their own lives, and then had become "partakers and sharers" of the blessings of the salvation experience. For to “crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:6), is something that can only be done by someone who has first experienced God's salvation, and then afterwards turned away. And then by their lifestyle they are telling others that what the world has to offer is better than what God can give them. Christ’s name is then brought to an open shame and He is mocked all over again. To say that these are people who never really got saved to begin with simply will not do. The writer would not instruct any Christian to “not laying again the foundation of repentance” if it were not something that was possible. If a Christian falls into sin that lead to death, then their only hope of eternal salvation would be to “lay again the foundation of repentance”. He is speaking here of sin that leads to death, which is obviously a concern that Christians might fall into such. Therefore, the warning and admonition is given to keep from such sin that will lead them to spiritual death. Although a few Calvinists have accepted the possibility that some of these scriptures are referring to Christians, they hold that these people could never again return to salvation, since the scripture says it is “impossible” for them to be renewed unto repentance.
The Greek word for “impossible” in Hebrews 6:4 is adunatos, which means "weak or unable". The word “impossible” is only one English word that could be used for the Greek word adunatos, which is used here, and makes a very harsh statement. But to be "weak or unable" could mean that it is very difficult to accomplish, because of weakness or lack of ability, to the point of impossibility, but yet not completely impossible. They are “unable” to turn I repentance as long as they continue in their sinful ways. They have put themselves in a position where their faith is too weak and they are unable to return to Christ through repentance. Why according to this scripture is it impossible for them to be renewed unto repentance? It is because they are crucifying the Son of God afresh (Present tense). If these are “unable” to be renewed unto repentance, it is because of their own doing, not Gods. After seeing many good Christian people fall, over the past several years, very few of them have been able to get back where they need to be in Christ. Those who did struggled for long periods of time before finding healing and restoration. I have noticed that if they have really had a tremendous experience with God, a complete turn around, then fall away, it is those who have a nearly impossible task to get back. It appears to be true, that the harder the fall, the harder it is to get back to where they were. It takes great humility to return from where they had fallen. Whereas those who may have been saved but never really had a full experience with God don't have nearly the struggle to come back again. But for many of those who fall, if they had completely experienced the gifts and calling of God in their lives, and then afterwards turn away, they would have to refuse the conviction of the Spirit of God, becoming reprobate. This resulted in their becoming worse than before they had come to Christ, because of their refusal to repent. For those who refuse to humble themselves and repent, they have put themselves in a situation that would be “impossible” to return. They are not capable of returning because of the position they have put themselves in.
2 Peter 2:20 "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning". 1 Timothy 4:1-2 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"
Paul is speaking here of those who will "depart from the faith" or "cease from having faith", in turn becoming reprobate and possibly committing the "blasphemy of the Holy Ghost", which Jesus said in Matthew 12:31 was the sin that would not be forgiven. It is not necessarily meant that they are not allowed by God to return unto salvation, but rather that they are not able to, because they have deceived themselves and have fallen so far away from God, after continually refusing the conviction by his Spirit in their lives. They have put themselves in a place in their lives where they are too spiritually “weak and unable” to return to salvation. There are some backsliders that think that they can't be forgiven because they believe that they have committed the unpardonable sin, the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. But as long as they can feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit in their lives and they can recognize their own faults and need to change, then they have most likely not committed such a sin. Their conscience has obviously not been seared or else they would not have any conviction of sin. O that they would only repent of their sin and clean out their temple so that the Holy Spirit could move back in. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are".
Only a true Christian can be the temple of the Spirit of God. The Bible says that God will not dwell in an unclean vessel. We know that any person that is not truly saved cannot be the temple of God. So the warning here is to the Christian to not allow sin to creep into their lives and defile them, which in turn would result in spiritual destruction. The Greek word for "destroy" is "phtheiro", which means, "to spoil, to ruin, self-corrupt, defile, or destroy". This shows that God will condemn those who will corrupt or defile their own lives, by choosing to allow sin in their lives. It is only we who can defile our own temple and not the devil, or any other person. It is when we choose to live after the desires of the flesh that we defile the temple of God and will be in danger of destroying our spiritual lives. No defiled or corrupt person will make it to heaven. But only one who has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God; Jesus!
Calvinism teaches that sin no longer condemns the Christian, even though
they may sin after coming to Christ. Sin no longer has power to condemn.
This suggests that in regeneration, God converts the sin, and not the
sinner. Sin is saved. Sin no longer condemns, and the wages of sin is
no longer death. The believer keeps on sinning, with imputation of Christ’s
holiness, because sin has been converted. People may not say this, but
this is what they really mean. But sin cannot be converted. If must be
overcome and forsaken through a Spirit filled life. Those who continue
in sin will be judged by their sin, sins they have not walked in the victory
the Christ won for them. There will be no excuse for sin when they stand
before God! 
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