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Can a true believer lose their salvation? That’s the question posed by the warning in v. 4-6 of Hebrews 6.

The answer is found by understanding the “who” of these verses. In almost every passage of Hebrews, the writer quotes or alludes to an Old Testament passage. What about here? Can you think of a time when the people of God were “enlightened”, literally, and literally “tasted of the heavenly gift,” and “shared in the Holy Spirit”?

All of these the wilderness generation experienced: they were led by a pillar of fire (Ex. 13:21), eating manna from heaven (Ex. 16:35), and at times being filled with the Spirit (Ex. 28:3, 31:3; Num. 11:25). And yet in the end, with most of them God was not pleased, and they did not enter the Promised Land (1 Cor. 10:5).

We conclude that it is possible to be attached to the people of God, and experience its blessings, and yet not, at the same time, be converted. Wheat and tares, in the same field (Matt. 24:13-30).

But the writer goes on, after the warning of v. 4-6, to express great confidence in the perseverance of the same people he just warned. That confidence is not based on their performance, but on Someone else’s (v. 9-20). His sheep hear his voice (John 10:27), in his warnings, and obey the warning, and by means of this are kept, until the end.