Yeah, I'd like the conversation to move on from those verses too but for a different reason.
Those verses kept me in the wilderness for 15 years. I sinned knowingly and thought there was no way back for me. My self-condemnation, lack of understanding about God's grace and reliance on feelings prevented me from knowing my position in Him. I thought there was no way back, that I was a hypocrite who obviously didn't love God enough.
I was a Christian who although understood Jesus sacrifice thought I had to be perfect. I had smoked you see to try to stop my boyfriend from doing it and was then hooked. I couldn't quit and thought that meant I'd failed.
I tried many years to 'come back' to Christ. I thought there was no way back unless God called me back. Many times I tried to earn forgiveness through reading scripture and repenting all day. Fizzled out after a few weejs every time because I still couldn't feel forgiven.
I even ignored a miraculous healing. I was testifying to my husband that 'if I was a good Christian, if it was in His will and I believed 100% I would be healed'. Now I did believe whqt I was saying and in that instant I was healed. Despite this in my head I was still condemned.
This verse was a major stumbling block for me. It prevented me being able to learn the Truth for so many years. The only reason I didn't remain in the wilderness was because 3 years ago I decided to just remain humble and silent and asked the Holy Spirit to pray for me. I didn't want to make false promises to the Lord again. I immediately picked up my bible and read the parable where Jesus says 'Get up and walk'. I obeyed. I trusted in those words 'your sins are forgiven' and focussed on walking with Him. Since then God has shown me that it is only in Christ's righteousness that I can stand. That even if I lived as perfectly as possible I would still couldn't ever deserve eternal life. It is His gift and I obey Him out of love and because it is who I am now. My obedience is no longer because I try to be good enough.
I do wish the conversation would move on to protect other Christians with a poor understanding from enduring the possible bleakness that I had to. My heart yearned for God but I thought all was over.
Sister, sinning knowingly in HEBREWS 6:4-8 is in reference to UNREPENTANT SIN. It is not talking about REPENTANT SIN...
All through the bible we have examples of two classes of people who...
1. knowingly sinned and repented and returned to God and
2. those who knowingly sinned against God without repentance.
Let's have a look (not exhaustive)
1 Those who knowingly sinned and repented, confessed returned to God and were accepted by God
*Moses - NUMBERS 20:1-13
*King David’s repentance after his sin with Bathsheba – PSALMS 32 and 51;
*King David in numbering the people - 2 SAMUEL 24:10; 1 CHRONICLES 21:8;
*The prodigal son’s repentance – LUKE 15;
*Balaam - NUMBERS 22:31-35;
*King Ahab - 1 KINGS 21:27-29;
*The tax collector - LUKE 8:13;
*The people in the wilderness - NUMBERS 21:7;
*All of NINEVAH - JONAH 3:6-8
*Israel - JOEL 1:13 to JOEL 2:12 etc etc
*PETER - MARK 14:72; JOHN 21:15-17
This list is not comprehensive but are examples of those who sinned and repented and turned to God and God forgave them of their sins. See also PROVERBS 28:9-13; 1 JOHN 1:9; 1 JOHN 2:1-4.
2. Those who sinned and had no repentance (Unrepentant sin) and lost their salvation
*King Saul did evil and God's spirit departed - 1 CHRONICLES 10:13-14
*King Rehoboam's did evil - 2 CHRONICLES 12:14
*King Abijam did evil - 1 KINGS 15:1-3
*King Jehoram did evil - 2 KINGS 8:16-18
*King Ahaziah did evil - 2 KINGS 8:25-27
*Queen Athaliah did evil - 2 CHRONICLES 24:7
*King Ahaz did evil - 2 KINGS 16:2
*King Manasseh did evil - 2 KINGS 21:1
*King Amon did evil - 2 KINGS 21:19-20
*King Jehoahaz did evil - 2 KINGS 23:31-32
*King Jehoiakim did evil - 2 CHRONICLES 36:5, 8
*King Jehoiachin did evil - 2 KINGS 24:8-9
*King Zedekiah did evil - 2 KINGS 24:18-19
*King Jeroboam did evil - 1 KINGS 14:8-9; 1 KINGS 14:16; 2 KINGS 17:21
*King Nadab did evil - 1 KINGS 15:25
*King Baasha did evil - 1 KINGS 15:33-34
*King Elah did evil - 1 KINGS 16:13
*King Zimri did evil - 1 KINGS 16:18-19
*King Omri did evil - 1 KINGS 16:25-26
*King Ahab did evil - 1 KINGS 16:30
*King Ahaziah did evil - 1 KINGS 22:51-52
*King Jehoram did evil - 2 KINGS 3:1-3
*King Jehoahaz did evil - 2 KINGS 13:1-2
*King Joash did evil - 2 KINGS 13:10-11
*King Jeroboam (2) did evil - 2 KINGS 14:23-24
*King Zachariah did evil - 2 KINGS 15:8-9
*King Menahem did evil - 2 KINGS 15:17-18
*King Pekahiah did evil - 2 KINGS 15:23-24
*King Pekah did evil - 2 KINGS 15:27-28
*King Hoshea did evil - 2 KINGS 17:1-2
*Hymenaeus and Alexander - 1 TIMOTHY 1:18-20
*Those who fell away from believing and following God's Word - HEBREWS 6:4-8
*Those who return back to a life of sin without repentance - HEBREWS 10:26-31
Now as shown above all those kings did Evil in the sight of the Lord; Their legacy was that they did evil; there was no record of repentance; Evil according to Gods Word is breaking God's commandment *MATTHEW 15:19-20. The reason that the world was destroyed by a flood was because the imaginations of their heart was only evil continually *GENESIS 6:5-7 and the wages of sin is death.
What will be the fate of all those who do EVIL? The wages of sin (EVIL) is death to all those who reject the gift of God's dear son *ROMANS 8:13; ROMANS 6:23.
WITH REPENTANCE...
1 JOHN 1:9 []9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 JOHN 2:1 [1], My little children,
these things write I to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
[2], And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. [3], And
hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
[4],
He that said, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
WITHOUT REPENTANCE...
1 CHRONICLES 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: FOR THE LORD SEARCHES THE HEARTS, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts:
IF YOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL BE FOUND OF YOU; BUT IF YOU FORSAKE HIM, HE WILL CAST YOU OFF FOREVER.
ISAIAH 59:1-3 1, Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:2
, BUT YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOD, AND YOUR SINS HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR. 3, For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with
SIN; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness.
Seems Isaiah agrees with Peter, Paul and John that SIN separates us from GOD
EZEKIEL 3:17-21 17, Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18, When I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. 19, Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 20, AGAIN,
WHEN A RIGHTEOUS MAN DOES TURN FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND COMMIT INIQUITY, AND I LAY A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE HIM, HE SHALL DIE IN HIS SIN, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH HE HAS DONE SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED; but his blood I will require from your hand.
HEBREWS 6:4-8 [4], 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,
[5],
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, [6],
If they shall fall away,
to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. [7], For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes oft on it, and brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God: [8], But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is near to cursing;
whose end is to be burned.
HEBREWS 10:26-31; 38
[26], FOR IF WE SIN WILLFULLY
AFTER WE RECEIVE A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, THERE REMAINS NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS,
[27], BUT A FEARFUL LOOKING FORWARD FOR OF JUDGEMENT AND FIERY INDIGNATION, WHICH SHALL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES.
[28], He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
[29],
OF HOW MUCH MORE SORER PUNISHMENT, SUPPOSE YOU, SHALL HE BE THOUGHT WORTHY, WHO HAS TRODDEN UNDER FOOT THE SON OF GOD, AND HAS COUNTED THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WITH WHICH HE WAS SANCTIFIED AN UNHOLY THING AND HAS DONE DESPITE TO THE SPIRIT OF GRACE?
[30], For we know him that has said, Vengeance belongs to me, I will recompense, said the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
[31], IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD.
HEBREWS 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but
if any man draw back; my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Hope this is helpful,
God bless.