Sorry for the long delay. Still dealing with my heath issues. Parkinson's is giving me a little kick. Balance issues; trimmer worsening; over hot, though not as bad as it was. My new nuerologist upped my medication dosage, but trouble getting my new prescriptiion to the pharmacy. I used to take that same one and started with that. It is helping a lot. Pray I get my new script on Monday so I don't have a relapse. Now to today's Bible Insight!
After giving the severest of warnings, the writer of Hebrews gives a great promise. His hope and prayer was that the unbelievers among his readers would not fall away, but would fall on their knees and come to Christ. For those who do, and for all who believe, great things are in store.
After giving the severest of warnings, the writer of Hebrews gives a great promise. His hope and prayer was that the unbelievers among his readers would not fall away, but would fall on their knees and come to Christ. For those who do, and for all who believe, great things are in store.
You will note how the writer changes gears. Now he makes complete the contrast between unbelievers who have no hope and believers who are assured of their salvation in Christ. Having told the unbelievers that their only hope is in Christ and having warned them against falling away from the truth they know, he now turns to believers and speaks of the promise of assurance which they have in Christ. This makes his thought complete and further sets the stage for the unbelievers to come to Christ.
Only here does he call us "beloved" in the book of Hebrews (Heb. 6:9a). Throughout the New Testament, when it is not used of Christ, "beloved" always refers to bona fide, born again believers. He says to believers, "we are confident of better things concerning you" (v. 9a). If you truly believe, then you are not in danger of "falling away." Good things are in store for you. That is the promise.
What are these good things? They are "things that accompany salvation" (v. 9b). They are the solid food of righteousness in Christ, shown in our changed lives. They are your "work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister" (v. 10b). God will not "forget" (v. 10a). Those of you who believe have your name securely written in His book of life. Your salvation will not be lost. Your rewards will not be forgotten.
True believers keep on loving and serving. They keep on resting on the assurance of hope in Christ, a certain hope of spending all eternity with Him. That assurance of salvation is one intended result of this passage. The other is that the unbelievers would follow our example and trust Christ for their salvation, joining us in that blessed hope, experiencing the promises of God right alongside us.
And so, speaking again to unbelievers, our writer adds, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (vs. 11-12). He tells them to consider the life of the believers in their midst and to imitate them. That means trusting Christ unto salvation and being transformed by Him just as you and I have been changed. Then they too will experience that assurance that comes only from walking with God. Amen.
And so, speaking again to unbelievers, our writer adds, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (vs. 11-12). He tells them to consider the life of the believers in their midst and to imitate them. That means trusting Christ unto salvation and being transformed by Him just as you and I have been changed. Then they too will experience that assurance that comes only from walking with God. Amen.
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