To me, the scariest part of this scrpture is when it states "How can they be brought back to repent again?" It then goes on to say "It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame."
When I read somethig like that, it's absolutely terrifying, because it speaks as if there's absolutely no hope. So, again, this is one of the strongest, scariest warnings.
However, like I've said, it's then, followed by the most exteme of promises. In the second half of this scripture, it says "There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie." It's referring to, exclusively, two vows that God has made, by making a promise, to which, he attached his own name. One is the promise that he made to Abraham, in the Old Testament, and the other, is this promise that he has made to complete a person's salvation.
These extremes -- both an extreme warning, followed by an extreme promise -- indicates, to me, that this is something that we, as humans, shouldn't take lightly. After all, this chapter uses some serious, somber words! It offers great hope, if you're one who can look at your life, and see spiritual fruit; which is shown by obedience, in the face of trials, struggles and temptations. However, what do you do if you're one of those who have blown it? Worse yet, what do you do if you're an individual who went into full-blown rebellion? What if you went so far as to be one who chose to "deconstruct"?
Deconstruction is a term that I've learned about, while watching lots of YouTube videos. It isn't hard to find videos of former Christians, who are proud of abandoning their faith. The call this process "deconstruction".
If you're a person who has followed that path, is there any hope for you?
Before exploring this, I'd like to point out one additional portion of scripture, which talks about the extreme dangers of abandoning your faith. It's found in 2nd Peter 2:21-22, which reads as follows:
"If people have escaped from the corrupting forces of the world through their knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then are again caught and conquered by them, such people are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them."
-2nd Peter 2:21-22
Again, this is another one of those scary passeges, where it talks about it being better to have never known the truth, than to have known, but turned away from it. It's all very scary.
So, again, if this describes you, is there any hope? Are you now, destined for Hell, with no hope of going to Heaven?
Focusing on these extreme warnings is helpful, because it reminds us of the severity of our situation, as humans, and as Christians. However, if you find yourself in this situation, I'd recommend focusing on two portions of scripture.
The first is shown in John 6:66-69. This is a portion of scripture that describes a moment when many followers of Jesus, chose to stop following him. Many of them had claimed that Christ's teaching was too strange and difficult, and they wouldn't continue to follow. Jesus turned to his twelve disciples, and asked them if they were going to choose to stop following him, too. Peter responded with the same answer that I think every Christian, does best to give. He states the reality of our situation -- "to whom would we go?"
Here's what we read in John 6:66-69:
Because of this, many of Jesus' followers turned back and would not go with him any more. So he asked the twelve disciples, "And you --would you also like to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God."
-John 6:66-69
Peter's response is very wise, and accurate. If you find yourself in this impossible predicament, what's your alternative? Will you just choose to give up, and decide to go to Hell, or will you turn to the only one who is able to fix it, and who is able to save you? To whom else would you go?
This leads me to the second portion of scripture that is worth thinking about. It's, arguably, one of the most famous, cherished, and well-known parables, that Jesus ever spoke about. It's the parable of the prodigal son, and is given in Luke 15:11-32. It reads as follows:
Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger one said to him, 'Father, give me my share of the property now.' So the man divided his property between his two sons. After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. At last he came to his senses and said, 'All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! I will get up and go to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers."' So he got up and started back to his father.
"He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. 'Father,' the son said, 'I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.' But the father called to his servants. 'Hurry!' he said. 'Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.' And so the feasting began.
"In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him, 'What's going on?' 'Your brother has come back home,' the servant answered, 'and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.' The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in. But he spoke back to his father, 'Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!' 'My son,' the father answered, 'you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.'"
-Luke 15:11-32