For the past couple weeks, we have been looking at some troubling and difficult verses in the book of Hebrews which seem to indicate a concept that is not consistent with biblical doctrine…primarily the loss of salvation.
I hope that what I have shared with you from the Greek text has confirmed that for true believers salvation cannot be lost…it’s permanent…the difficulty in reading these verses is the somewhat misleading English translations…however the (Greek) aorist tense is defining what will continue as the result of being saved:
…you will continue to be a partaker of the Holy Spirit;
…you will continue to taste the good word of God;
…and you will forever experience the powers of the age to come.
There are numerous Bible passages that affirm the preservation of the saints… that teach true believers cannot lose their salvation [Jn 6:39 / Rom 8:28 / Eph 4:30 / Phil 1:6 / 1 Pet 1:3].
Notice the phrase in both 3:6 and 3:14… “If we hold fast!” we’ve talked about it before…I’m going to mention it again…it’s important…If we hold fast is conditional.
See this phrase used in the Old Testament…God told Moses to hold fast [Deut. 11:22] …He told Israel to hold fast…He told Joshua to hold fast [Jos. 22:5] …in numerous places throughout the Bible we are told to ‘hold fast’.
hold fast what you have till I come (Rev. 2:25).
I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have (Rev. 3:11).
hold fast that which is good (1 Thess.5:21)
hold fast the form of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13).
Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching (Titus 1:9).
Here in Hebrews the writer is telling us as Christians we are to hold fast to the assurance you had when you first came to Jesus and trusted Him as your Savior.
Despite those who would have you believe differently regarding your salvation the Greek wording validates that these people were genuine believers who will forever always be saved.
To emphasize the importance of remaining focused on God’s individual purpose for our lives the writer gives the analogy of two different kinds of fields:
…One is a field that is fruitful and blessed
…The other is a field that is barren and cursed
representing two kinds of Christians…one fruitful…the other fruitless.
The analogy is what God does to us…for us…when we ‘hold fast’ to the word of God He shapes our lives. We are like a field bringing forth useful vegetation …being a blessing to others.
BUT…when we are fruitless and produce no vegetation, we are like a field that is useless producing thorns and thistles…God scolds us…symbolically cursing the ground and burning the field referring to God’s chastisement…symbolic of how God deals with Christians.
Believers all produce the same kind of spiritual fruit…but not the same quality of spiritual fruit.
This passage is referring to the discipline God gives to Christians who are unfruitful…those who are experiencing a season where they have fallen out of fellowship with God.
A warning to us…because human judgment is flawed, we need to be careful to not make any judgments about someone’s salvation…Christians struggling in their spiritual walk are not necessarily showing signs of being lost.
When you look at verses [1-8] and [9-12] in chapter 6 they are explaining God’s restorative work in helping unfruitful Christians to become fruitful again…it’s like a football coach at half-time when you’re on the losing end of the score.
He systematically goes down and singles out everything done wrong by…those who missed blocks…who dropped passes…who tried to arm tackle…those who lacked hustle…effectively reprimanding the entire team for a lack of performance.
That’s what the writer of Hebrews is doing…the early parts of chapter 6 he was warning them that spiritual immaturity leads to God’s judgement… making reference to Christians who are lax in their Christian conduct calling them fields that yield thorns and thistles.
Then when he gets to verse 9, he switches from the ominous warning in verses 6-8 to a more reassuring tone…beginning the verse with the conjunction ‘but’ to counter what he previously mentioned.
Here he is saying…God has better things for you:
9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you
the things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 And we desire each of you to show this same diligence so to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end.
It’s like that football coach who after he scolds his team now tells them he expects better things from them…he’s seen how they play in practice…he knows they have the potential to play better…now get out there and show me.
The writer further addresses his readers calling them “beloved.” …in many ways the tenderest description possible of a believer…can almost hear the collective sigh of relief breathed by the readers as they hear this contrast.
The writer in essence is saying…I’m persuaded of better things concerning you. God does not overlook the good work you do in ministering to others…nor will He overlook the work you are still engaged in.
When we are like a field bringing forth useful vegetation…doing those things that accompany salvation [6:9] …doing good accompany salvation…it is not a requirement for salvation…being a blessing to others…being blessed by God.
What an assurance to be told that the eyes of the Lord will never miss any good deed we do for His glory…He is aware of any labor of love that is directed towards His people.
This should be an encouragement to those who are involved in doing good… knowing that the Lord is aware of the thoughts of our hearts…the words we speak…and the actions that we carry out…He is offering encouragement to us to not waver.
The Christian life is a test of endurance…humanly speaking…doing good is hard work…on the surface it doesn’t seem to be that hard… anyone who thinks living a Christian life is easy 1) hasn’t tried it 2) isn’t aware what’s involved.
Then to complicate that…it’s especially hard if you begin to doubt whether it matters…I’m not seeing any earthly benefit.
See people every day who aren’t living a Christian lifestyle…things seem to be going good for them…why do I want to continue in doing good…it’s hard work…that’s why for people who are Christians life is more difficult.
In Two Ways:
Paul’s life reflects how hard it is being a Christian.
…five times received 39 lashes
…three times was beaten with rods
…once stoned and left for dead
…was imprisoned numerous times
…and was always in danger of being killed.
Here’s how Paul described these…as light and momentary troubles [2 Cor.4:17]
and what he has to say about continuing to do good.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [Gal. 6:9]
Here’s a guy who had every reason to be weary in doing good…but instead says: ‘we will reap a harvest if we do not give up’ the writer of Hebrews is saying, ‘that what you hope for may be fully realized.’
What is it we’re hoping for? …if someone asked you what is the hope you’re hoping for in regard to your Christian faith…what would you tell them?
To the average person the word ‘hope’ is commonly used to mean a wish… “it’s cloudy today…I hope it rains”.
Biblical hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised He will do.
Abraham’s the example of hope…God promised him a son…he’s a hundred years old…still waiting…things aren’t looking real promising at this point… Sarah his wife isn’t faring much better, she’s 90.
In Scripture hope is an absolute certainty…Abraham grew strong in faith being fully assured that what God had promised He was able to perform…as a result… Abraham did not waver in his hope that God would do as He promised.
Let me share with you how this works in salvation: [Rom 8:24-25]
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope:
for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? 25 But if we
hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it
In the passage…what you hope for may be fully realized’ …is the hope believers have in being saved… when we see the word “saved” we should ask “being saved from…or being delivered from what” here it means being spiritually delivered from the corruption of sin.
The second reason why people who are Christian’s lives are more difficult goes back to the two-field analogy…when we are fruitless and produce no vegetation, we are like a field that is useless producing thorns and thistles…God will not allow us to remain in that condition…He scolds us…referring to the discipline God gives to Christians who are unfruitful.
For people who are not Christians…they receive no scolding…they do as they please…but because as a Christian God owns you, He does not permit you to do as you please.
You will experience the chastisement of God when you fall out of fellowship—again…God does not punish people…He will send trials in your life as a way to bring you back into obedience or often times use difficulties to open doors of opportunities for us…for Him.
That’s why becoming a Christian is not something to be taken lightly…God is at work in you—using you to carry out His plans [Philippians 2:13].
That’s what separates Christianity from every other cult or religion…the Bible presents Jesus as greater than all who ever lived before Him…Buddha lived 600 years before Jesus (623 B.C) …or will come after Him…Mohammad (570 AD) lived 600 years after Jesus.
Buddha…Gandhi…Mohammad…Jesus…Moses…could all be considered equally significant in what they offered…teachers who taught roughly the same thing…NO they didn’t.
Why do we consider Jesus to be above the others…in our pluralistic society where groups co-exist side by side with one another…not rejecting one another but showing tolerance for one another…accepting each other…why can’t we
just accept them all as having some importance?
Doesn’t sound all that bad…in other words why can’t we just coexist?
How should Christians, who worship only Jesus, respond to the pervasive notion that…Jesus…Buddha…Mohammad…and Moses…who were all enlightened people…who were all great spiritual masters…not all be on the same spiritual plane?
Honestly…isn’t that just a little arrogant of Christians to shut out other religions.
…what makes Jesus so special?
You come here every Sunday looking to me to give you reasons why you should continue to come here…to give of your hard-earned money.
Not understanding what made Jesus so special was the issue for those who had dabbled in Christianity and then decided to reject it…this goes back to those who tasted the good word of God and then fell away…people doing the same thing today…who are these people?
1) Those who had an intellectual knowledge of the facts of Christ…they had an awareness of who Jesus was…like people today…maybe not having all the intimate theological details of His birth, life, death and resurrection…but they have at least some awareness of what Christmas and Easter is…their understanding of Jesus consists in having some knowledge of a person in history named Jesus.
2) Then there’s a second category of people…those who also had a knowledge of Christ but flat out reject Him and any claims to His deity…in reality…there is no difference between either group.
Each group has an intellectual acceptance of who Jesus is…having a historical knowledge of who Jesus is but not a willingness to accept Him as their Savior.
That’s why the author of Hebrews…not wanting his listeners to be included in either group, sets out to show Jesus’ superiority over those who would equate themselves as being equal with Jesus.
BUT…to remove the idea that having a mere acknowledgement of who Jesus is…or that just doing good is salvation…he refers to the things that have to do with salvation… people then… people today often unaware of what is required:
1) You have to have faith that God exists:
Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to Him must believe that He exists [Hebrews 11:6]
2) You must ask for forgiveness…two reasons people don’t ask forgiveness of sin…1) I haven’t done anything wrong…you have…Bible says so…all have sinned [Rom. 3:23].
Repentance is not being sorry for what we’ve done…or being sorry for fear of punishment…repentance is a hatred of sin because I know it grieves God and I don’t want to do that any more.
The only way to remove sin from God’s mind is to confess it [1 John 1:9] and ask for God’s forgiveness…when we do that God promises to remember them no more…not hoping He doesn’t remember them…it’s a done deal.
That’s why the author of Hebrews…not wanting his listeners to be included in either group, sets out in the first four chapters of Hebrews emphasizing Jesus’ superiority over any person or religion.
–FIRST…as a human Jesus understands our human weaknesses because He has been tempted in all things just as every person who has ever lived has been (4:15).
–SECOND … is the statement that is the sole reason why Christianity is superior over every other religion or cult…what makes Jesus so special…as God’s high priest Jesus makes atonement for the sins of the people because He is sinless…no claim anywhere of…Buddha…Gandhi…Mohammad…or Moses being sinless.
No other person in the history of the world can make that claim…the reason why Christianity is superior and cannot coexist.
While different religions may offer similar positive benefits to society…only Christianity addresses the basic universal issue that dwells in every person living —sin.
On a personal level sin is the single reason for…death…sickness…and sorrow …sin is the result of killing, theft, and murders…the reason jails are filled.
On a worldwide level sin didn’t just affect humans…every part of God’s creation has been affected…it is because of sin that…trees…plants…flowers… animals…humans…every living thing dies…sin is the reason creation has been in “bondage to decay” [Rom. 8:21].
Only Christianity addresses the issue of sin…the reason why Christianity is superior to every other religion is because no other human in history can do or will ever be able to do what Jesus did…take away the sins of the world because He is the only person who is able to forgive sins.
In making these assertions the author of Hebrews affirms the dual reality of Jesus…that He is both 100% divine and 100% human…theological term…it’s called the hypostatic union…Jesus is the only person who is both man and God…the combination of having a divine nature and human nature in a single person.
The superiority of Jesus is why we can’t coexist:
…not because we’re arrogant…we shouldn’t be
…not because we’re unwilling to get along with others…because we should
…not that we’re better than them…because we’re not
It’s because no other person who has ever lived possesses the qualities of Jesus.
That is the reason hopefully you come here every Sunday morning…why you continue to support this church financially…because of your hope—the confident expectation that God will do as He has promised He will do.
That…he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him…and on that day you will receive the inheritance God has prepared for you before the foundations of the world.