Christ loves you and gives you the good oil and joy of His Presence when you are first saved. There is honey in the rock for you. If you then go off into sin, kissing the demons on the mouth, you may find when you try to come back that you never again can find the same sweetness that you once knew. You are gambling with the one important aspect of your life when you fool around with sin.

I heard about a Christian in another country who told the Lord to wait for him while he went into a dwelling to visit a prostitute. When he came out of the house the Lord wasn't there. It took him five years to get back the joy of the Lord's Presence. He might never have gotten it back!

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation," David cried.

This is what Hebrews 6:6 is talking about. I wonder sometimes if those who write the commentaries have ever really known the Lord or is it all in their head? Have they never seen a backslider in agony at the altar, trying to get back into the Presence of the Lord?

When you are dancing with Christ and then turn away and dance with the demons, and then seek to come back to the Lord, you are crucifying Him all over again and bringing Him into public shame.

What I have just written is not to scare some weak Christian to death. The Lord is full of tender mercy toward all who look to Him. No, you haven't blasphemed the Holy Spirit.

But this is not what we have in Americaùweak little lambs who are afraid they have displeased the Lord because they aren't perfect. What we have is arrogant believers who are taking the position that no matter how they behave the Lord couldn't possibly rebuke them. Let me warn you that God is angry with the conduct of the Christians in America. If we do not repent we are in for it but good!

Let's move ahead in the Book of Hebrews and see if the following verses support our thesis:

* True Christians indeed are being referred to in Hebrews 6:4-6 and are being warned against falling away from Christ.

* The situation by no means is hypothetical. The writer is warning his readers that to fall away from Christ is inviting destruction.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:7,8)

I think the above passage is saying if Christian people press forward into the rest of God, into the center of God's will for their life so that the righteous Nature of Christ is being revealed in their personality, they will receive blessing from the Lord. Would you agree with this interpretation?

But if after having received the rain, the blessing from God, bad fruit appears, then the Christian is near to being cursed and his end will be the fire of Divine judgment.

To be continued.