Hebrews 3 -- Do They Have It Or Not?

Verse 12 says, “Be careful that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will turn you away from the living God.”  Also, in verse 14 we read, “We all share in Christ if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning.” 

It almost sounds like the writer of Hebrews was implying that we can lose our faith, despite the assurances God gives us through the New Testament to the contrary.

Here’s what I got from my commentary – First, we need to remember that Hebrews was written to Hebrews – Jews, not Gentiles, who had been raised to believe that following the Law would bring salvation.  So when the writer addresses the “brethren”, it is highly likely that not all were true Christians.  If they weren’t, then they never had salvation to lose in the first place.

Secondly, my commentary reminds us that, “We don’t hold fast in order to retain our salvation, but as proof that we have genuinely been saved.  Faith is the root of salvation; endurance is the fruit.”  We prove that we really belong to Him by our endurance.  There is no losing of our faith, only revealing that one was not born again to begin with.

Father, our thoughts are not Your thoughts, because Your thoughts are higher than ours.  In Your infinite wisdom, You fully know who is and isn’t saved after accepting Your Son’s sacrifice on the cross.  You also know, and have taught us, that no one, once saved, can ever slip out of Your hand.  Now, I pray that You enlighten those who YOU know are wrongly believing they are saved.  Show them what they don’t know, and lead them to believe and trust fully in Your Son, for You desire that none should perish but have eternal life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford