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Don't forget about the thief on the cross. Why should we earn someone that we already have in the here and now

Not sure why term "earn" keeps getting thrown in here. There's absolutely nothing I can do to earn salvation. However if I choose to ignore, neglect, or reject my salvation that is my choice:

Hbr 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Hbr 6:5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Hbr 6:6 if they fall away,fn to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame

And this:

1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
1Ti 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
1Ti 4:16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Is Paul urging to Timothy to EARN his salvation...no...he's telling him don't neglect and in doing so he will save himself and those who preaches to.

" Hbr 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit "

Yup, that's another tried and true verse some pastors use to keep people in line and under their control in fear.

No where does it say in that verse that those people accepted, believed on, or even actually got saved.

It says, that they were " Enlighten "

You can have people to hear the Gospel and understand what it means, but never going all the way and get saved.
Remember ? these people came up from the Jewish traditions and culture and would have been mocked or thrown out of the Synagogues if they were to be found out to be Christians.
After all ? this book was written to the HEBREWS, but was written for our benefit.
These were in the mushy ground of the land of in between.
However ? if they totally and finally reject the Gospel of Christ and his Grace ? and the woowing of the Holy Spirit ? and go back in to Judaism ?
Then they can no ever be brought back to repentance ) a change of mind, or one's purpose, that's what the greek word metanoeó actually means ) onto the saving grace and salvation in Christ for they have totally and finally rejected it.

DouglasKC ?

I too ? when I first got saved was in a very legalistic Church and I too was a very zealous obnoxious self righteous Christian who would condemn and point fingers at people.
Hard to believe ? isn't it ?
I too was so hard up for the law and use to get in arguments with my family to the point I was threaten to be punched in the face.
But GOD !!!!

God had to put me on a forced diet of legalism and humble me.
God had to open my eyes of my ways.

The book of Hebrews ?

Got to take it as a whole.
What is the main theme of the whole book ?
The writer was writing to Jews, who were Hebrews who may have hung out with Christan's and heard their sermons and the writer is making a desperate attempt to tell them not to go back into Judaism after hearing the Gospel.
I would go on to say that the writer in some of the chapters is not writing to born again Christians who are already saved by those people who are thinking about go back.
The writer main theme is ? who Christ speaks of better things.
How Christ is much better than the old system.
That is the constant theme in the book of Hebrews, how Christ is better than the old system of Judaism.