no name joe

I do not believe a person can "fall from grace" and lose salvation. However, can a person renounce the decision to follow Christ? I have known a few people who have done so. One experienced salvation, and lived like it for awhile. However, after a number of terrible events in his life, he walked away and renounced his belief in Christ, and now lives as an athiest. Again, I am not talking about losing salvation due to a mere drifting away from faith or falling into sin. I am talking about a conscious decision to renounce Christ and their faith in him. What happens when people do this? Do they lose the salvation that they at one point in their lives accepted? If they renounce it, it is possible for this person to recover their faith? Hebrews 6:4-6, "4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." I have a few questions about this: 1. What does this verse mean by "fall away." At other places in the Bible, it is clear to me that merely backsliding or falling into sin, or becoming lazy in faith does not cause one to lose salvation. Does a person fall away when one consciously renounces their faith in their hearts, after having become enlightened and tasted the gift of salvation? I know Peter denied Christ, but that was a moment of weakness where I do not believe he renounced Christ in his heart. What is required for one to "Fall away?" In reconciling the doctorine of "once saved always saved" with my experience in watching people truly renouncing their faith, I tend to think this is what these verses are referring to. For the person who has "fallen away" has "crucified the Son of God afresh" and "put him to an open shame." this indicates a consiouce renouncemnt of faith. After receiving salvation, if a person walks away and renounces it, it will be impossible to renew them again unto repentence. In other words, a person does not lose salvation, they throw it away. They renounce it and walk away puting Jesus to an open shame. At that point, their heart becomes so hardened, that it is impossible for them to repent again. 2. If a person does "Fall away" as is meant in this verse, can they repent of their renouncement? Is this the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit? After receiving the Holy Spirit in salvation, in renouncing one's faith in Christ, does that so reject the Holy Spirit that it is not forgivable, and that they will never gain be able to repent? That certainly seems to be what this verse is saying. 3. If the above explanation is true, then what does it take for one to renounce salvation? Must it be only in their hearts and minds? Must they make an open profession to someone or in public that they renounced it? At what point does shaky faith become a revocation of one's profession of faith? The reason I ask is that I am sure we have all known people who accepted God's gift of salvation, who later renounced that gift. This seems to be at odds with my belief that once you accept the gift, you cannot lose it. However, I do not believe the two are at odds at all. To say you cannot lose salvation is vastly different than saying once can renounce salvation. saying one can lose salvation indicates that some external force can cause a person to stumble and fall from grace. The Bible is clear that no external force can do so or that no one can pluck you from the Father's hands. However, is it possible for a person to run out of the Father's hands of their own accord? Experience tells me yes, and seeing what I have seen people do and reading the passage in Hebrews, I think I have reconciled this in my mind.