when traitors repent: One Year Bible Reading for November 4

 Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

Ezekiel 10:1-11:25
Hebrews 6:1-20
Psalm 105:16-36
Proverbs 27:1-2 

Let's look at Hebrews. Paul says something here that interesting theologically but doesn't play out exactly as he says in practice. He is talking about people who are Christians, and have "been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted of the goodness of the Word of God and of the powers of the coming age" and then have "fallen away" to return to the church. In his words, "To be brought back to repentance." And I can see why he would think that. Jesus did say that if we deny Him before men, He would deny us before His Father in heaven.

But we know that this actually DID and DOES happen in the church throughout history and today. People become Christians and then heavy persecution comes and they deny Jesus. But then they repent of their sin of being a traitor and come back and want to join the church again. This was a problem in the early church because they weren't sure what to do with these people, probably in light of what Paul says in our reading today. 

Here's the thing: Paul might be right in saying, "It's impossible" for that to happen. But with God, all things are possible, even "the impossible". We need to remember that today, too. There are people today who fall away or deny their faith, and then later come back and repent and want to rejoin us. We need to forgive them, just like God has forgiven us, not 7 times, but 70 times 7 times. 

God, thanks for reminding us that You can even do the impossible and bring back traitors to salvation.