Hebrews 3:12

Hebrews 3:12

See to it, brothers and sisters

The author of this epistle to the Hebrews suddenly changes his focus, he has used Israel as an example and a lesson as to what can go wrong in our relationship with the Lord God and now, he changes the point of his argument and puts the onus on us -  the church, early believers and in 21st Century, in other words, you and me. We are the brothers and sisters that need to take these lessons on board. If we have sinful, unbelieving hearts then we too risk losing our claim to the Promised Land, we too may waste our lives wandering in the wilderness instead of finding fulfilment in the promises of God. 

I have struggled for many years to understand the context of what now follows. Does Hebrews teach us that we can lose our salvation? Does it claim that there are many who have been delivered from slavery to sin, but who actually never make it to the eternal rest that God has prepared? Listen carefully to the description given here of those who do not qualify for the Land of Promise, there are three categories; those who have sinful hearts, those who do not believe, and those who turn away from the living God. In Israel’s case, the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt was temporary, they fell into the slavery of wilderness-wandering and never achieved the potential that God had for them. Can it be said that some “Christians” have a short-lived and very tenuous experience of God’s salvation and for the above 3 reasons never persevere or go on to enjoy the fullness of His blessings? No doubt, many of us can think of people we have known who have shown a fleeting interest in the Gospel and they have claimed to believe in the salvation that Christ offers, they have prayed the prayer, they have had a temporary salvation but then they revert to their old ways and become even more hardened against the Lord than they were before. It is not for us to judge whether they have lost their salvation or not, but one thing is certain, they have no intention of pressing on to the Promised Land and God has no intention of granting them access. What a tragedy! What a waste! What an incentive to look at ourselves and ensure that we will persevere with the journey whatever the cost! 

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