Mission Venture Ministries

“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” (1 John 2:19) 

One of the most upsetting experiences in the life of a Bible-believing fellowship is when an allegedly Christian leader decides to abandon his faith and even to teach against it. Sadly, this sort of thing does happen all too often, and it obviously raises difficult questions. 

John is describing the traits of “antichrists” as those who “went out from us, but they were not of us.” These false teachers claimed to be believers, but were not. John explains why, since “if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” John uses the idea of “continuing” to refer to staying with us. Those who did not last in the faith, particularly those who claimed to be leaders in the church, but turned against God, were literally against Christ or as John refers are antichrists. 

John adds, “But their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” This abandonment of the faith offered evidence that these false teachers were not true believers (1 John 2:22–23). In contrast with those who had been anointed (1 John 2:20), these false teachers did not have God’s Spirit within them. They did not know the truth (1 John 2:21), denied that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22), and deceived others (1 John 2:26). 

Now the question is, can a true believer, a teacher of the Word, a soul-winner, actually lose their salvation? Can a born-again Christian go back to being unborn? Can one who has received everlasting life through faith in Christ not really have eternal life? 

If so, what about the many promises that have assured us that “you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13) and that a true born again believer “shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)? 

The answer to this difficult question is apparently in our text verse above. When such people, who once seemed to be genuine Christians, become apostates, denouncing the truth they once taught, it is because “they were not of us,” no matter what they professed at one time. They were not truly saved since if they had been they would not have departed from the faith. 

This fact implies a serious warning. When professing Christians fall away, assuming they have truly understood the facts and evidences of the Christian faith, “it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.” (Hebrews 6:4-6). 

This is one of the Bible’s most difficult passages to interpret, and one view holds that this passage is written not about Christians but about unbelievers who are convinced of the basic truths of the gospel but who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. They are intellectually influenced but spiritually uncommitted.

According to this understanding, the phrase once enlightened (Hebrews 6:4) refers to some level of instruction in biblical truth. However, understanding the words of Scripture is not the same as being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The people described in Hebrews 6:4–6 are unbelievers who have been exposed to God’s redemptive truth and perhaps have made a profession of faith, but who have not exercised genuine saving faith.

This brief experience can be related to the second and third soils in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:3–23, which describes people who receive the truth of the gospel but are not truly saved.

Finally, this interpretation sees that they “tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away” (Hebrews 6:5-6) as a reference to those who have tasted the truth but, not having come all the way to faith they depart from the revelation they have been given since the tasting of truth is not enough to keep them from leaving.   

To be truly born again they must come all the way to Christ in complete repentance and faith; otherwise, they in effect re-crucify Christ and treat Him contemptuously. Those who sin against Christ in such a way have no hope of restoration or forgiveness because they reject Him with full knowledge and conscious understanding. They have concluded that Jesus should have been crucified, and they stand with His enemies. It is impossible to renew them to repentance.

Therefore, it is important for all professing believers to “make every effort to confirm your calling and election” (2 Peter 1:10). We must be “rooted and built up in Him” (Colossians 2:7), “and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). 

It is vital that we teach people the true cost of following Christ; Jesus stated that anyone who wants to be His disciple must take up their cross and follow Him; that means being willing to be physically killed for their faith in Jesus (Matthew 16:24-26). 

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