Hebrews 6:9-20

Recap of the Warning Passage (Hebrews 6:4-6)

Last week, we began Hebrews chapter 6 with a discussion on one of the more controversially interpreted passages in Scripture, verses 4 through 6. It says:

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

What is controversial about this passage is that many believe a genuine, authentically converted believer can experience true salvation and then apostatize or fall away. But from the context, that's not the author's intention. He is not trying to scare them into perseverance. He is describing a specific group of people—"in the case of those"—who have had body life experiences common to first-century Jewish Christians.

These include being enlightened, tasting heavenly gifts, partaking of the Holy Spirit, tasting the good word of God, and powers of the age to come (translated as miracles in chapter 2). These are things a first-century Jewish person could experience without being genuinely saved, as confirmed by the apostles and amid signs and wonders, similar to the Israelites in Exodus who saw miracles but did not unite the gospel message with faith.

The word "tasted" means to experience fully but not spiritually, as in Hebrews 2:9 where Christ "tasted" death physically. These are material experiences of God's general revelation. Nothing here indicates salvation. The author uses this as an example to exhort toward maturity, not to warn of losing salvation.

In Hebrews 5:11-14, the rebuke was: "You have become dull of hearing." The call in chapter 6 is passive: "Let us be moved toward maturity." When salvation produces little fruit, first-century apostates can outperform modern believers, leading to misinterpretations of warning passages.

"Enlightened" means intellectual recognition of truth, but true relationship with God requires knowing and loving Him. "Partakers" is a business term, like a former preacher now atheist who experienced these things externally. If genuine loss of salvation, there'd be only one chance—no renewal. But they "continue" crucifying Christ and putting Him to shame, which doesn't describe a true believer.

The illustration of ground producing thorns and thistles (parapeto, same as Adam's fall into sin) pictures a fallen state, not saved-then-lost. Good ground is tilled by God; until then, the gospel doesn't profit, like Exodus. There are temporary beliefs that don't save, unlike Hebrews 11 faith.

Conviction of Better Things (Hebrews 6:9-12)

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. But we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Shifting from "those" to "you," the author says, "We are convinced of better things—superior things that accompany salvation." Their love and service to saints evidence salvation, not merit it. God doesn't forget their work—past and continuing. Good vegetation shows tilled soil.

Application: Do we show love and service so others see evidence of salvation? Jesus said, "By this all men will know you are My disciples, by your love for one another." We desire each of you to show diligence to full assurance of hope until the end, not sluggish like the dull of hearing, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit promises.

The book addresses a mixed group: genuine believers urged to maturity, professors urged to true faith. Warning passages exhort perseverance and expose unbelief.

Full Assurance Through God's Unchangeable Purpose (Hebrews 6:13-20)

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The author gives full assurance. Times of doubt are normal, but Jesus saves perfectly. God made an unchangeable promise to Abraham—preaching the gospel (Galatians 3). True descendants are believers saved by the same faith.

Two unchangeable things: God's purpose to save believers, and His oath to bless and multiply Abraham's seed. Impossible for God to lie. He who began a good work will complete it (Philippians 1:6). Savior means preserver.

God swears three times in Hebrews: against unbelievers entering rest (Hebrews 3-4, like Exodus); to fulfill the promise here; and Christ's eternal priesthood (chapter 7). Those convinced of salvation inherit as Abraham did.

Jesus knows our deeds, toil, perseverance (Revelation 2). Two eternal outcomes: "Well done, good and faithful servant" or "Depart from Me, I never knew you." Fruit evidences genuine salvation.

This hope anchors the soul, steadfast within the veil—Jesus as forerunner and eternal high priest after Melchizedek's order. No drifting (chapter 2); the gospel centers and assures, enabling lives worthy of it. Next week: Melchizedek.