"4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned."
Hebrews 6:4-8
Another explanation of these words is that what is described is a 'spurious conversion'. Enlightenment is spoken of, it is true, but light in the mind is not the same as life in the soul. It speaks of 'tasting the heavenly gift and the good word of God', but to taste is one thing, to swallow another. We may remember in this connection our Lord's parable of the sower, and the seed which sprung up having all the evidence of true growth, then withered. But, convincing as this interpretation may be, it seems to make shipwreck of the phrase in 4, 'It is impossible'. Certainly when a man undergoes a spurious conversion, especially if, as is often the case, he has been swept off his feet by an emotional wave without having experienced a word of regeneration by the Spirit, it is subsequently far more difficult to reach him with the gospel. But can we say that it is now impossible to reach him? It is questionable whether, in the light of either Scripture or experience, we could venture so far as to say so. Nor can it refer to backsliding, deadly and dangerous as this can be, for backsliders have been known to be completely restored, and God promises in His Word to do so (Hosea 14:4). There remains only one more possible interpretation, and it is that the words refer to true believers falling away, not from salvation, but from their reward. That is to say, a believer can so trifle with eternal things that he becomes 'disqualified' in God's sight. To this we shall turn in detail in tomorrow's Note.