Okay, this is one of those thoughts that I’m going to begin but I suspect I don’t where it’ll land. May not even land this morning.

I’m hovering over this troublesome passage in Hebrews 6.

For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.

(Hebrews 6:4-8 CSB)

You know this passage? The one that makes it sound like a believer can become an unbeliever. The one which, apart from the rest of Scriptures teaching on the eternal dynamics of being born again, might make you wonder if you can be “un-born again.” But I’m not chewing on it this morning because of that. For I’m confident that the bible teaches that those within whom God has begun the good work of salvation, God will complete the good work of salvation (Php. 1:6). That those whom the Son has come to give life, He has, in fact, given life and life to the full (Jn. 10:10). That those who have become children of God by faith through the Spirit will, each one, be those who mature as children of God by faith through the Spirit (Gal. 3:3). The fruit of God’s work in us being, at least in part, the fruit of faith and perseverance.

So, if I’m not chewing on it for that reason, then why? ‘Cause, as I read about those who have fallen away it sounds a lot like those who we seem to often refer to today as “deconstructing.”

They once seemed to walk according to light, had tasted something of grace, experienced in some manner the Spirit and received to some degree the Word. For a while, they even seemed to be living here and now in the reality of their hope in a there and then. But then, they fell away.

A few decades ago, the term used to describe such people was apostate. And we talked about the sin of apostasy. Now, we seem to talk about deconstructing. Hmm . . .

First, let me say that I think there’s a place for “deconstructing” if by that we mean taking things apart in order to put them back together, and if those things have to do with how we practice biblical, Christian faith and not biblical, Christian faith itself. Let’s examine our behaviors as the church and prune where pruning is needed — much to be repented of, I think. But when it comes down to our beliefs as the church: “What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Absolutely not! Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar” (Romans 3:3-4a CSB).

So, I guess I’m just feeling cautious this morning that we’ve started a conversation using language other than biblical language. Is our talk about “deconstructing” really about “examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith” (2Cor. 13:15), or are we really talking about apostasy in light of the warning that before Christ returns “the falling way comes first” (2Th. 2:3 NKJV)? The ESV and NIV call it “the rebellion.” Peterson calls it for what the original word say it is “The Apostasy” (MSG).

We should be talking about “deconstructing.” But we should do so, I think, with biblical language. We should address it as the writer to the Hebrews addresses it, with the warning that if “if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. As it is said:

Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

(Hebrews 3:12-15 CSB)

Participate in the deconstruction conversation? Yeah, I think we should. But “watch out” that being real about the church (Jesus’s bride, a work in progress, being prepared for glory) doesn’t lead to being hard-hearted about the faith. So let’s do so even as we “encourage each other daily.”

We don’t know a person’s heart, whether it’s apostate or not. But we can be on guard against the spirit of apostasy and contend for the faith in an age marked increasingly by rebellion.

Gonna stop here. Don’t know if I’ve made sense. More to chew on I think.

By His grace. For His glory.