Understanding

Perseverance & Salvation by Grace: If We Have it, Can We Lose it?

Russ McQueen, 10/18/11

The Book of Hebrews has much to say concerning perseverance in the faith, and the importance of persevering. It can bring up questions about the assurance of our faith – such as, does our salvation depend upon our perseverance? Must we do certain things to secure our own salvation?

There is considerable uncertainty and confusion over the meaning of “saved by grace and not by works” as opposed to “saved by faith AND works.” Some say, “Oh yes, we are saved solely by God’s grace. But if we do this, or we don’t do that, then we can lose our salvation.” The latter statement holds that we are saved by grace PLUS works, and the person speaking claims to hold two contradictory positions – (1) that we are saved by grace alone and not by our works, and (2) that we are saved not by grace alone, but also by our own works. Clearly, both positions cannot be correct.

There is a dubious position that we are INITIALLY saved by grace alone, but that it is a tentative salvation. It’s only a deposit of salvation, so to speak, and the rest is up to us. In other words, John 6:39 & 10:25-30, Romans 8:1 and numerous other passages are dismissed. This position is referred to as “semi-Pelagianism.” Pelagius was an early false teacher, whose views that the fall of man has no effect on us and that we are able to win and secure our own righteousness, were denied and pronounced heretical by the Church. The Roman Catholic Church to this day holds a "semi-Pelagian" view (we are initially saved by grace, but we are only really saved, in the end, depending on what we have done) since our baptism. The 16^th century Reformers, who launched the Protestant movement, re-established the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, and refuted Roman semi-Pelagianism. In the balance of this piece, I will not be addressing the semi-Pelagian view, as I consider it to be unsupportable scripturally, and because I am not an adherent to Roman Catholicism nor to any other church tradition holding this view.

I confess to having long been confused by contradictions and biblically questionable positions on salvation and perseverance. While I am still studying it out in scripture, the following expresses my conclusions so far, with some emphasis on Hebrews. If anyone has an opposing view, or something to offer that I have missed, please share it in “comments,” along with scriptural support. As I said, I am learning.

Saved by Grace Alone?

At one level, this is a simple matter. Christians are saved by grace and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9, and others.) Christ followers (believers, converts, disciples) are saved by the finished work of Christ, whose work and righteousness is credited to their account, while their sin is charged to His. We could not be righteous on our own account in the past, before conversion, and we still cannot. Christ died for our sins, and He alone was qualified to do so. When our faith is in Him, our sins are irrevocably pardoned. His resurrection brings about new life in us, and His life is credited to us for our justification. (“He died for our sins and was resurrected for our justification” – Romans 4:25.)

These seem to be incontrovertible, Biblical principles, yet we are easily perplexed with various passages of scripture. Some hold that once we are saved by grace, we cannot lose our salvation. Examples include John 10:28, 2 Cor. 5:17, Rom. 8:30, Jude 24-25, and many others. Various other passages, at first blush, SEEM to suggest otherwise, including some in Hebrews chapters 3, such as:

“And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” (Heb. 3:6);

“For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Heb. 3:14).

I do not advocate the study of single verses of scripture, because their meaning so often depends upon the context in which they are given. The context of the Book of Hebrews is perseverance in the faith, since the New Covenant in Christ is far superior and replaces the Old Covenant. We can look more at this in a moment. For now, consider the following from 1^st John:

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1^st John 2:19, speaking of the early Gnostic heretics and false teachers).

An Indicator of Salvation

Here is a key which I believe the Book of Hebrews, and 1^st John, and James, and indeed the entire New Testament makes abundant: Believers in Christ persevere in the faith. This is the consistent message and theme of Hebrews and much of the New Testament. The converse is also true: those who have not actually entered into saving grace and God’s enduring pardon do not persevere. “We HAVE COME TO [past tense] share in Christ, if we indeed hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Heb. 3:14) This is not saying that we will earn our share in Christ sometime in the future, if we can manage to hold on; it is saying, I believe, that if we NOW HAVE a share in Christ, we WILL hold on. This distinction is very important.

Consider Hebrews 3:6 - “And we ARE his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” This says we ARE [now] His house if we hold fast [into the future]; it does not say, “if we hold fast into the future, we will at some time in the future become His house.” There is a universe of difference between these two readings, and I would be interested in hearing about contrary views.

Perseverance itself is not what saves us, or else we would be “saved by our works,” which is unscriptural. Perseverance identifies and authenticates those who have already been converted, and are saved. Perseverance is in the category of “sanctification,” the process of growing in Christ, which requires, of course, that we be “in Christ.” That means perseverance. Works of all kinds, done in the process of sanctification following conversion, are the RESULTS of salvation, not the CAUSE of it. We stumble at times, we sin at times, and we are at all times within the grace of God as converted, saved people. Hebrews, along with the rest of the New Testament, emphasizes the theme of perseverance.

What are Christians?

Faith is the instrument through which we receive grace and are saved from sin and granted the righteousness of Christ. But what kind of faith is “saving faith?” Is ANY statement in favor of Christ a statement that is tantamount to saving faith? How about, “Christ is cool?” Or, “Christ is ok by me!”? How about “I accept a relationship with God?”

I submit that saving faith is Biblical faith in Christ and the Gospel, and it is faith that perseveres! If a so-called believer or follower of Christ does not know Christ or the Gospel beyond butterflies in the stomach, and/or does not persevere in the faith, then it is not saving faith, and it never was. I hasten to repeat here that this does not say temporary setbacks, discouragements or lapses mean a person is not saved; I am saying that the Bible says those who are His will persevere.

False conversions are rampant in America. That’s why most Americans identify themselves as “born again,” yet most Americans do not know what that means. The trouble with the question, “Can Christians lose their salvation?” is the word “Christians.” The modern church culture often lacks a consistent, Biblical definition of “Christians.” Some think Christians are those who have “asked Christ into their hearts” or “prayed the sinner’s prayer.” Some think they are those who attend church, volunteer, and keeps their noses clean. Others think people are “Christians” merely by virtue of living in America, a so-called “Christian nation.” There are many who believe Christians are those who keep the Ten Commandments (though most of them cannot recite all ten.) Some believe Christians are those who believe in God, or who are at least not atheists (see James 2:19, which by the way says nothing about demons believing in Christ or the Gospel.)

Christians may well have done (or strived to do) all of these things, but the Bible gives us a different definition of Christians, and of saving faith. Although the Bible gives us a different definition, we seem not to pay a lot of attention to that, opting instead for the popular, surface-level indicators and going with them. It is troubling that so many put their faith in such false indicators.

Scripturally, Christians are those who have put their faith and trust in the Biblical Christ and in the Gospel of Christ, and whose faith is the kind that perseveres. Christians abide “in Christ,” not in non-biblical, ear-tickling, false doctrines and ideas. Christians do not revert or sell out to paganism, social correctness, Americanism masquerading as Christianity, or religious and moral relativism. The Book of Hebrews calls those who have identified with the visible Church, or who may be considering it, to believe the authentic and true Gospel of Christ, and to persevere in it. If they truly do have that kind of faith, then they WILL persevere despite any amount of pressure to do otherwise. 

I do not believe anyone can be saved by grace and then “lose” their salvation. However, I also do not subscribe to the popular idea that “making a decision for Christ” or “accepting Jesus” or “raising one’s hand when no one is looking” or “praying the prayer” or “inviting Jesus into one’s heart” or “joining Church X” proves or constitutes conversion. We are saved by grace, through faith – believing in Christ and the Gospel. “Holding fast” then to the Gospel of grace and persevering in faith authenticates (but does not cause) conversion. Saved, converted people will commit sins, for which they will not be condemned (Rom. 8:1), but they will NOT renounce their faith, nor fail permanently to persevere in it. Such a person has an advocate with the Father and is forgiven. He or she also is an active disciple who is growing in Christ.  

Decision-ism

In modern times, we tend to act as if raising one’s hand or “going forward” seals the deal. Many think this is the end of the process. Millions of unsaved Americans self-identify as “born again,” because somewhere along the line they raised their hand. This kind of “decision-ism” is rampant, for we are zealous to count conversions; however, decision-ism is simply not scriptural. Please note that decisions are scriptural, but adding the “-ism” on the end creates a false doctrine. Where did Jesus or the Apostles ever say, “If you raise your hand in church, or if you ever prayed the prayer, you are saved!”?  All Christians make a decision, but that decision is not what saves them. Saved, converted people persevere in their faith in the truth of Christ and the Gospel, once the message is delivered to (taught, instilled in) them, and they have believed and trusted in it.

Continuous belief in Christ, abiding and persevering in Him, and becoming disciples (growing, persevering followers of Christ) in the Spirit of God is the mandate and the pervasive teaching of scripture. We are not expected to do it perfectly – if we were, we would not be in constant need of grace. We are perfect only because He is perfect. “Doing” things that other followers of Christ seem to endorse is NOT what saves us – in fact, the reverse is true: conversion by grace alone, through faith alone, is necessary for anyone to persevere and persist in following Christ. The trade-off here is “cheap”, “easy,” “shallow” faith (not really Biblical faith at all) vs. saving, persevering, growing faith as taught and exemplified by the apostles.

Disguised legalism

There is another trap between these two options of cheap faith and persevering faith, and that is the trap of legalism, whatever else it may be called by its practitioners. This is the teaching, in its various forms, that once a person has made a “commitment to Christ,” (not the greatest description of initial conversion), they have entered into salvation via their pledge to do good deeds, become active church members, serve others, stop all sinning, and obey God. We might even tell such a person that they now must “be the Gospel” or “do the Gospel,” and carry out the Great Commission.

Believing in Christ and the Gospel is not the same as “making a commitment” to Christ. Initially, we receive His complete forgiveness for sins and His free (to us, not Him) gift of eternal life. We receive grace this way precisely because our “commitment” wasn’t worth anything to begin with. We were malignant sinners, fallen and depraved. Rather than contributing anything (as if we had anything to offer), or promising to do so, we first receive His commitment and His gift to us. Baptism into Christ is the public demonstration of our death to the old life and resurrection with Him into new life. It celebrates what we have received, not what we have done or made a promise to do. Yes, of course we move in new directions, because as disciples we enter into the process of sanctification, in which we participate and persevere by God’s continuous grace.

As disciples, we continue learning more about our faith, the faith of our fathers, and the doctrines of the scriptures and the Church. For century after century, the formal part of this learning process of disciples was called “catechism,” and was supported by lifelong adherence to creeds and confessions that were learned, memorized and taught in both churches and homes. The Gospel was repeated and repeated, without ever being considered “old” or “a given” or being taken for granted. This is the “message that was given,” in which we are exhorted in scripture to persevere. If as we acquire this learning (assuming it is biblically correct learning) we do not really believe it, then we do not have faith in the truth of scripture, or in Christ, and we therefore cannot persevere in it. Merely saying, “Christ is in my heart,” without knowing who he was and is, what He did and is doing, how all of this affects us and our eternity, what it means about the path ahead, whether or not I am “saved,” whether I can lose my salvation, etc., is, by itself, not necessarily indicative of saving, persevering faith.

Perseverance in the faith of the apostles is indicative of saving faith. This is why we must continuously remind one another of that faith, and of the Gospel of Christ, and why we must continually encourage and exhort one another to endurance and perseverance.

Saying “I have made a commitment to Christ to live my life for Him” is a good thing, and part of the life of a disciple of Christ, but if we allow that to be our entire profession, we have fallen away from the message of the Gospel and smack into legalism. Our commitment to Him, in terms of good works and how we live, results from having received His grace; it does not earn or merit His grace. If our “doing” crowds out His doing, and if our supposed goodness is given more attention and priority than His, and if the message we were first given is crowded out by all of our “doing,” then perseverance in the faith is in jeopardy.

Closing Observations

Saving faith perseveres. It endures. Many early Christians, including some of those to whom Hebrews was written, endured all the way to the stake, the cross, the beasts, the chopping block, the sword, and the flaying knives. They persevered in their faith in Christ, because they were convinced of who He was, what He did, and the wonderful, eternal promises He personified. No other system could entice them, and no amount of popular pressure or physical and emotional torture could move them to recant. While none of this steadfastness saved them, their eternal salvation and security was very much in evidence through their enduring testimony.

All of this, by the way, has been very sobering to me. I have certainly not walked according to these truths (assuming for a moment that all I have shared is, in fact, true) all my life, nor has my experience been anything close to precise in these categories.  If you ask me when I was converted and saved by grace through faith in Christ, I cannot give you the date, time and place. I can tell you when I first made a public confession of faith in Christ, and when and where I was baptized, but perseverance in the faith has been, for me, less definite. My “sanctification graph” has been choppy to say the least, kind of like the stock market lately. It has gone “up” over time, but with lots of volatility. I can cite some of the milestones along the way, but if absolutely pressed for a salvation date, my very best and most honest answer is that it happened over a three-day period in about AD 33, on a Roman cross in Jerusalem, and at a rich man’s tomb nearby.

My testimony is not how effectively I “live the Gospel” or “obey God.” I strive to learn obedience, as best I can in Christ and the Holy Spirit, but my testimony is that God saved me when I could not save myself by any means, and He continuously grants me the unmerited, unearned favor to grow in Him when I could never do so on my own. We can draw encouragement from the scriptures, such as 2^nd Timothy 1:12 – “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.”

Finally, in very early church history, in the times of Roman persecution, some followers of Christ would recant their faith under pressure. These were typically newer converts. The believers  who remained would take these recanters back in, disciple (teach, catechize) them in the faith, and ensure that they had every chance to come to saving faith that perseveres. There were numerous cases in which the recanter came to saving faith, and then actually went to the Roman authorities and TOLD them they were Christians, then were arrested, tortured and martyred for their faith. This, it seems to me, should provide a rich and deep model for how we in today's Church should view perseverance, catechism, discipleship, doctrinal training, and sanctification.

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Jesus' Superiority: the Basis for Perseverance

The following are excerpts from “Hebrews 1:1-4:13- Jesus’ Superiority, the Basis for Christian Steadfastness” by Kenneth R. Cain, Teaching Pastor, Scottsdale Worship Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. I thank Ken for so freely and willingly sharing his work with me.

References by the author to “Lane” pertain to: Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8. Volume 47A of Word Biblical Commentary. Nashville, TN: Word Publishers (Thomas Nelson), 1991.

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Thesis Statement

In Hebrews 1:1-4:13, the writer utilizes ancient Jewish interpretive principles to demonstrate from carefully …Old Testament passages the revelatory supremacy of Christ over all previous means of God’s revelation, in order to persuade his hearers to remain faithful to Christ and loyal to the Christian community.

The Relevance of Hebrews to the Old Testament

Even a cursory reading of Hebrews reveals the extensive use of Old Testament scripture. There is, however, no definitive agreement on the number of citations used in the book. After researching the differing opinions of others such as Longenecker, Spicq, and O. Michel, Lane (1991) suggests the following in his commentary:

In this commentary it is proposed that there are thirty-one explicit quotations and four more implicit quotations, a minimum of thirty-seven allusions, nineteen instances where OT material is summarized, and thirteen more where a biblical name or topic is cited without reference to a specific context (cxvi).

…In keeping with his primary purpose, the author selectively uses numerous references to convince the readers of the incalculable benefits received through acceptance of and continuance in the Gospel of Christ. …By citing Old Testament scripture, the writer urges the readers to once and for all forsake the attractions of a pagan society and the fading glory of old covenant symbols and shadows and step into the full radiance of the glory of Christ’s provision in spite of opposition from their pagan and/or Jewish culture.

The Supremacy of Christ Over Prophets and Angels

The benefits enjoyed by the Hebrew believers are dependent upon a revelation that surpasses that given through the Old Testament prophets (1:1) and is, in fact, the fulfillment of their prophecies. Hebrews 1:1 alludes to Numbers 12:6-8 which speaks of the diverse methods (“dreams” and “visions”) used by God to speak to prophets.  Additionally, these verses exalt Moses above other prophets stating that “with him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles: he sees the form of the Lord” (8). Yet, Moses speaks of a coming prophet who would eclipse, even, his special status. Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22-23). Christ Jesus, God’s Son, is the embodiment of that superior revelation and the prophet referred to by the greatest of OT prophets, Moses…

From the beginning of the writer’s argument, he establishes Christ Jesus as the Son of God (1:1-3) through whom revelation is culminated. This designation as Son has great significance in the first century Greco/Roman patron society. Being the son of a wealthy father had great advantages not the least of which was access to the benefactor. As such, the son as mediator/broker could petition his father/benefactor on behalf of friends and others who were not so privileged and gain for them favors. The writer argues that as the Son of God, Jesus, who is exalted to the Father’s right hand (1:3, 13; Ps 110:1), has unlimited access to all the beneficence of the Father on behalf of those with whom He has identified through His incarnation, suffering, and atoning sacrifice.

Beyond the cultural implications, the writer uses …a chain of analogous Old Testament passages (Lane 1991, cxxii) that coalesce around the word “Son.” These include the following: Ps 2:7, 2 Sam. 7:14, Deut. 32:43, Ps 104:4, Ps 45:6-7; 102:25-27, and Ps 110:1. Through these ‘son-ship’ verses the writer demonstrates the supremacy of Christ over the angels (Heb 1:4) who, though powerful servants of God on behalf of humanity (7, 14), are, nevertheless, created beings and therefore inferior to the creator/sustainer Son (1:2-3) who is seated at the right hand of God (13)…”

Introduction and Background: The Book of Hebrews

Russ McQueen, 10/16/11

(see also John MacArthur's commentary, following this post; it goes into considerably more detail concerning the Old Covenant and its sacrificial system, contrasted against the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.)

 Author, Addressees and Dating

The Book of Hebrews was likely written between AD 61-67. The author is not identified, neither are the addressees. This seems to remove this book from the strict category of a “letter;” in fact, it reads more like an essay or a sermon.

Candidates for authorship most often mentioned are Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, Silas, Philip, or Aquila and Priscilla. The early Church father, Clement of Rome, quoted from Hebrews in his writings dated AD 95, and given acceptance of the Book of Hebrews by the early Church, there is no doubt that it is “apostolic” – that is, it was very likely written either by a direct apostle of Christ or by a close colleague or disciple thereof. All the above names meet this test, and they are all Jews, which would also seem to satisfy a probable condition of authorship.

Purpose

The original purpose of the Book of Hebrews was to exhort and encourage mid-1st century Jewish believers to persevere in the Christian faith, in the face of crushing pressure to recant faith in Christ and revert to (or remain in) the Jewish system, with its various laws, rites and authorities.

It may be difficult for 21st century Americans, living in a pluralistic and relatively shameless “it’s all good” culture, to imagine the pressures of an honor/shame system such as early Jewish Christians faced. Judgment and disapproval from family and community were harsh and excruciating, and at the time the book was written, terrible persecutions and martyrdom at the hands of the Roman governments were either beginning or well under way. The writer of Hebrews sought to present a strong, compelling case, in the face of such pressure and persecution, for the new and superior Covenant of Christ, and against reverting to (or remaining under) the old, more politically acceptable, Mosaic covenant and religious system. In other words, the Book of Hebrews is a call to perseverance in New Covenant doctrine and truth, and in Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and King, whatever the temporal cost.

It should be mentioned here that despite our shameless modern culture, there is nevertheless a significant amount of cultural pressure against the Christian faith, especially against any outward, Christian professions and manifestations. This does create a platform or foundation upon which today’s Christian believers can find traction, context and understanding in the Book of Hebrews.

Difficulty

In today’s Church, Hebrews must be one of the least read, least studied, and therefore seemingly least valued books of the New Testament. Like Romans, it is more often used for lifting isolated verses out of context, and for “proof texting,” than for its fuller, richer context and purpose. Reasons for this might include (1) Hebrews is perceived as one of the more “difficult” works in the New Testament, perhaps to the extent that many modern believers are just not interested in working through it, or do not believe they can do so; (2) since Hebrews basically was written to Jewish believers, and therefore contains many references to the Old Covenant system, modern Christian congregations might not think they can relate to it as readily as other books; and (3) when it is read piecemeal, out of context of itself and the rest of the Bible, Hebrews can (falsely) appear to contain confusing or even contradictory passages that can disturb or frustrate the casual reader.

Key verses:

Heb. 1:1-2 – “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Jesus is immeasurably superior to Old Testament prophets.)

Heb. 4:14-16 – “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Jesus is superior to all human priests; Jesus, the righteous and merciful, beckons us to His throne of grace. We can approach with confidence in His great mercy and grace, despite our sin; it is so important for us to “hold fast” our confession of faith.)

Heb. 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Faith in Christ is a step off the edge of all we have previously lived with, seen, and thought we understood. Faith is required to embrace the new and step away from the old. We may want to reach backwards and grab for what we think we have seen, and for what is familiar and feels more tangible, but faith in Christ and the Gospel are worth pressing on for.)

Heb. 12:1-2 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Since Jesus is superior in every possible way to the old system of laws and rituals, and since faith in God is superior to works, we have every reason to put our complete faith in Christ, laying our favorite sins and traditions aside, and persevering in the New Covenant of grace through faith in the Lord Jesus.)

Context and Relevance

Hebrews seems to have been written to people who had been believers for some time (Heb. 5:11-14.) It seems also to have been intended for a congregation of Jewish believers, possibly in Rome or in Jerusalem, and the recipients very likely included some who had been converted to Judaism prior to professing faith in Christ. Like the rest of the Bible, the letter to the Hebrews was not written “to us,” though it is certainly available to us, and was most definitely intended “for us.”

The Book of Hebrews continually highlights and explains the superiority and preeminence of the New Covenant over the old, of Christ over Moses and the prophets, and of Christ as High Priest over all other priests and priesthoods. These comparisons and contrasts are driven home in order to build and support the over-arching argument that it is fatal to opt for (or revert to) the Old Covenant (and/or Hellenistic paganism) when a vastly superior and eclipsing New Way of Christ has been provided and offered. To its core, Hebrews is both an evangelical message and call to persevering belief and faith in Christ.

Contents for Modern Readers

If the Book of Hebrews was written to 1st century Jews, then what can we here in the 21st century hope to gain from it? A lot! For one thing, Hebrews is full of rich, informing and inspiring commentary concerning the Old Covenant, the priesthood, and how these have been eclipsed by the New Covenant and by Christ, our High Priest. We can learn much from Hebrews about the superiority of salvation by grace over the Jewish law and the Old Testament sacrificial system, which incidentally never cleansed a sinner, once and for all, from sin (Heb. 10:1-4). We are reminded in Hebrews not to revert back to legalism, or to measuring or obsessing on “our” righteousness more than or instead of Christ’s.

We find also in Hebrews a series of five warnings against the dangers of drifting or backsliding. These are:

1. The danger of drifting (chapter 2)
2. The danger of not entering into rest (chapters 3-4)
3. The danger of not going on to maturity (chapters 5-6)
4. The danger of willful sin (chapter 10), and
5. The danger of indifference to the point of denial (chapter 12)

In addition, in Hebrews chapter 11, we find the so-called “Hall of Fame” of faith – a list of Old Testament figures who demonstrated faith in God and in His promises. This is meant to emphasize the supremacy of faith over works as a basis for salvation, and to stress that righteousness by faith is not a new principle of the 1st century.

Perhaps most striking of all, we find throughout the Book of Hebrews a wonderfully drawn portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ, presented here in a unique and very powerful way. The entire message and argument of Hebrews, in fact, rests entirely upon the magnificence, superiority and preeminence of Christ. Ironically, the Jewish Messiah is “read back into” the lives of Jews who had made at least a tentative decision to believe in Him. The first four chapters of Hebrews is an absolutely magnificent description of the marvelous and matchless Christ, without who there would obviously be no reason to speak of grace and mercy over works, law and judgment.

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Some backround for reading Hebrews

No Jew Could See God and Live

Before we begin looking at particular passages and verses, let me suggest a couple of footnotes. To the Jew it had always been a dangerous thing to approach God. “No man can see Me and live” (Ex. 33:20). On the great Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which occurred one time a year and which many Jews today still keep to one degree or another—at that time and that time alone could the High Priest enter into the Holy of Holies, where the Shekinah Glory dwelt, where God was uniquely present. They could not see God, they could not behold God. They could not even approach Him except on this one day a year—and only one person, the high priest, could do this. And he had to go in and get out quickly. He could not linger there lest he put Israel in terror of judgment. Since there was naturally no personal nearness to God, there had to be some basis for communion between God and Israel. So God established a covenant. In this covenant God, in His grace, and in His sovereign initiative, offered to Israel a special relationship with Himself. In a unique way He would be their God and they would be His people to reach the world. They would have special access to Him if they obeyed His law. To break His law was sin, and sin interrupted their access to Him. Since there was always sin, access was always being interrupted.

The Old Sacrifices

So God instituted a system of sacrifices as outward acts of inner repentance. Through the Levitical priesthood, sacrifices were made to symbolize atonement for sin, in order that the barrier might be taken down and there might be access to God. It worked something like this: God gave His covenant, which included His law, and thereby offered the people access to Him. Man sinned, the law was broken, and the barrier went up again. Another repentant act of sacrifice was then made so that the barrier would be dropped and the relationship reestablished. We naturally wonder how often they had to make sacrifices. The answer is incessantly—hour after hour, day after day, month after month, year after year. They never stopped. Besides this, the priests themselves were sinners. They had to make sacrifices for their own sins before they could make sacrifices for the sins of the people. And so the barrier went up and down, up and down, up and down. This in itself proved the ineffectiveness of the system. It was a losing battle against sin and the barrier it erects. And besides this, the whole system never removed sin fully and finally. It only covered it up. What man needed was a Perfect Priest and a Perfect Sacrifice to open the way once and for all—a sacrifice that was not just a picture and that did not deal just with one sin at a time, over and over again, but one that took it all away once and for all. That, says the writer of Hebrews, is exactly what Jesus was and what He did.

The New Sacrifice

Jesus Christ came as the Mediator of a better covenant because it is one that does not have to be repeated every hour, or even every month or year. Christ comes as the mediator of a better covenant because His sacrifice once and for all removes every sin ever committed. Christ comes as the mediator of a better covenant because He is a priest who does not need to make any sacrifices for Himself. He is totally perfect, the Perfect Priest and the Perfect Sacrifice. Jesus Christ, in His own sacrifice—His sacrifice of Himself—showed the perfection that eliminated sin. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (10:10) Sanctified here means “made pure,” and the emphasis is: “… through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE.” That is something wonderfully new in the sacrificial system—one sacrifice, once offered. That is indeed a wonderfully better covenant. But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. (10:12) That is something no priest could ever do. There were not even any seats where the sacrifices were made in the Tabernacle or the Temple. The priests had to keep making sacrifices; their task was never finished. Jesus made His sacrifice and “sat down.” It was finished. It was done. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (10:14).

Better Priest, Better Sacrifice

Thus there is a better priest making a better sacrifice. This is a central message of the book of Hebrews. To the believing Jew the Spirit says, “Continue to have confidence in this Priest and this sacrifice.” To the one intellectually convinced He says, “Receive this Priest and accept the sacrifice He made. You are on the borderline of decision; don’t fall into perdition when you are only a step away.” And to the unconvinced He says, “Look at Jesus Christ. See how much better He is than the Levitical priests and how much better His one sacrifice is than all of their innumerable sacrifices. Receive Him.” The Spirit is saying, “All of your lives you Jews have been looking for the Perfect Priest. You’ve been looking for the Perfect Final Sacrifice. I present Him to you—Jesus Christ.”

Difficulties for Jewish Christians

Keep in mind that the idea of a new covenant was not easy for Jews to accept. Even after they accepted the new, it was hard for them to make a clean break with the old. The Gentiles did not have that problem, of course, since they had never been a part of the old. They had long before lost any real knowledge of the true God, and in consequence were worshiping idols—some of them primitive and some of them sophisticated—but all of them idols (see Rom. 1:21-25). But the Jews had always had a divine religion. For centuries they had known a divinely appointed place of worship and a divinely revealed way of worshiping. God Himself had established their religion. One might effectively say, when witnessing to a Gentile, “Here is the truth.” But when you went to a Jew and said, “Here is the truth,” he would likely say, “I already know the truth.” When you countered, “But this truth is from the one true God,” he would respond, “So is the truth that I have.” It was not an easy thing for a Jew to forsake completely all his heritage, especially when he knew that much of it, at least, was God-given. Even after a Jew received the Lord Jesus Christ this was difficult. He had a traditional desire to retain some of the forms and ceremonies that had been a part of his life since earliest childhood. Part of the purpose of the book of Hebrews, therefore, was to confront that born-again Jew with the fact that he could, and should, let go of all his Judaistic trappings. But since the Temple was still standing and the priests still ministered in it, this was especially hard to do. Letting go became easier after the Temple was destroyed in a.d. 70. When you consider the intense persecution Jewish Christians were going through at this time, it is easy to appreciate the difficulties and temptations they faced. The high priest Ananias was especially hard and unrelenting. He had all Christian Jews automatically banished from the holy places. That was tough. All their lives they had had access to these sacred places. Now they could have no part in the God-ordained services. They were now considered unclean. They could not go to the synagogue, much less the Temple; they could not offer any sacrifices; they could not communicate with the priests. They could have nothing to do with their own people. They were cut off from their own society. For clinging to Jesus as the Messiah, they were banished from almost every sacred thing they had ever known. Though in God’s eyes they were the only true Jews (Rom. 2:28-29), they were considered by fellow Jews to be worse than Gentiles. Many Jewish Christians were beginning to say to themselves, “This is rough. We received the gospel and believed it. But it’s hard to break with our old religion and with our own people and the traditions we have always held and to face persecution. It is hard for us not to doubt that Jesus is the Messiah.” Such doubts were a great problem for them, because they were spiritually infantile. Throughout Hebrews these immature, but beloved, Christians are told to keep their confidence in Christ, the mediator of a better covenant and their new Great High Priest. They are reminded that they were losing nothing for which they were not getting something infinitely better. They had been deprived of an earthly temple but they were going to get a heavenly one. They had been deprived of an earthly priesthood but they now had a heavenly Priest. They had been deprived of the old pattern of sacrifices but now they had one final sacrifice.

John MacArthur