Oct. 27, 2024

“LIVE BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT”

“ETERNAL SECURITY”

HEBREWS 6:13-20

The greatest encouragement to faith and patience is the confidence that God’s promises are trustworthy.

Romans 4:21 “And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”

Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 6:13 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”

Here God makes a promise to Abraham and confirms it by swearing an oath. Since God intends to keep His promises to His heirs of the promise.

Hebrews 6:17 “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath.”

*God is declared to be it’s co-signer.

Hebrews 6:13-20 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

All of us as believers are not making the spiritual progress we should, but we need never fear that God will condemn us.

*The Basis For Spiritual Maturity 

The author gives us three arguments for the certain salvation of true believer in Jesus Christ:

1.  God’s Promise-

Hebrews 6:13-15 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

God’s main promise to Abraham is recorded in:

Genesis 22:16-17 “And said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.”

The phrase “patiently endured” vs.15 is the exact opposite of “sluggish” in vs.12. The readers of this letter were about to give up, their endurance was running out.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We Christians today have more of God’s promises than Abraham had. What is keeping us from growing spiritually?

The believer who neglects church fellowship, ignores their Bible, and forgets to pray is not going to reap much of a harvest.

2.   God’s Oath

Hebrews 6:16-18 “For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”

Hebrews 11:9 “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.”

But all believers are included as Abraham’s spiritual seed.

Galatians 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

So our assurance of salvation is guaranteed by God’s promise and God’s oath.

Immutable-indicates both an unchangeable determination to do a thing and the power to bring it about. God is unchanging.

“the immutability of His counsel” vs.17. Counsel speaks of intentions or purposes based upon God’s deliberate reflection and decrees. “Counsel” is enforced by His “immutability” which is to say, what God resolves to do He also has power to bring it about.

Jeremiah 32:17,27 “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. 27“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

We also have “… strong consolation..” vs.18, an encouragement or admonition that strengthens a believer in their faith.

vs.18 “… fled for refuge..” Suggests the Old Testament “cities of refuge” described in Numbers 35:9, and Joshua 20.

We have fled to Jesus, and He is our eternal refuge. As our Great High Priest, He will never die.

Hebrews 7:23-25 “Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

We have eternal salvation “saved to the uttermost..” No avenger can touch us, because He has already died and rose from the dead.

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

3.   God’s Son

Hebrews 6:19-20 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Our “hope” in Christ is like an anchor for the soul.

Colossians 1:5 “Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.”

The best way to keep from drifting is to lay hold of the anchor. Anchored heavenward, how much more secure can you be?