Hebrews 10: 36 Commentary

In order to properly understand any scripture, the entire Bible must be studied and properly understood.
The doctrine of election (God’s choice of man, not man’s choice of God)
The doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Repentance unto salvation is to acknowledge the truth, not turn from acts of sin. turning from acts of sin does not save anyone.
The doctrine of dispensationalism
The doctrine of eternal security
The doctrine of the Church
The doctrine of the nation of Israel
The doctrine of the pretrib rapture of the church
The doctrine of the Great Tribulation specifically the Time Of Jacob’s Trouble
The doctrine of the visible, literal 1000 year kingdom of Christ on this earth.

If these doctrines are not understood, then all scripture is misunderstood and misapplied. Having the correct doctrine, is the key which unlocks the understanding of the entire Bible. The Bible must be rightly divided.
The PROMISE OF JESUS is that the Holy Spirit would lead in ALL TRUTH…not some, not part, but ALL.
That is why, while I cannot know the heart of a person who claims to be a Christian, I stay away from Christians or ministries that do not hold to the above mentioned doctrines. For anyone’s information, Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, David Hocking and a few others hold to the above mentioned doctrines.

John MacArthur, John Piper, James MacDonald, James Kennedy, Paul Washer, Ray Comfort, Alister Begg, and many many more only hold to one or a few of the above mentioned doctrines. Therfore, I do not support their ministries and no longer listen to them

By tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/16/2011 16:38 pm

And what is the glorious?

By tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/16/2011 16:26 pm

Tim,

Just in case you are unaware; post #11 is 11 paragraphs long and not one of them has anything to do with the interpretation of Hebrews 10:36 nor is there any hint of a response to the questions I posed to you. However, they have EVERYTHING to do with the doctrine you keep espousing. Evidently, you prefer doctrine over exegesis; and in so doing, the good has blinded you to the glorious!

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/16/2011 04:48 am

There are the “promises” and the “promise”. Take the time to study both as they appear in the New Testament. The “promise” refers to the Holy Spirit and is related to the promises. The “promises” refers to the inheritance of the land BUT at a time when Messiah would be in the Land, and all believers in resurrected bodies would be ruling and reigning with Him. The visible, literal kingdom of Messiah will last for 1000 years which will consist of the resurrected saints as well as living human beings, Jews, who have called upon and accepted their Messiah. (Zech 12,13,14)

The “promise” refers to the Holy Spirit and is given to those who are the SPIRITUAL SEED of Christ. However, a person must first believe in Messiah (the ability to believe is a gift from God Philippians 1:29), before they can be sealed with the spirit…as discussed before.

as to Calvanism and Arminianism: I want to say this most emphatically: Once the Bible was complete, the doctrines of the Bible were complete. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Arminius and all the other “church fathers” are NOT church fathers. They are mere men just like us today. They are NOT equal to the 12 Apostles to whom the Lord committed the writing of the Word. It DISGUSTS me when people call the “church fathers” and regard their “interpretations” as significant in the unravelling of God’s truth. ALL that God needs to say is in His Word.

Having said this, the Bible teaches that salvation is by FAITH ALONE. It teaches that repentance, as it pertains to saving faith, is simply a matter of believing in Jesus. The MOMENT a person believes, they are translated from darkness to light. Why, because true belief is the work of the Holy Spirit….not the work of the flesh.

The Bible teaches that lost sinners are INCAPABLE of knowing, believing and understanding God. God gave the Law to man knowing that man could not keep it!!! The Law had another purpose: to reveal the total defectiveness of the individual to whom the Law was given. Jesus goes beyond the Law. His life makes the Law look simple in comparison and reveals more than the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. Ultimately man is not condemned to Hell for breaking the law (he rejects the law), he is condemned for rejecting Christ. (John 3). Just as in the wilderness when the snakes and scorpions went throughout the camp and stung and bit the congregation; they did NOT ultimately die because of this, but rather died because they simply would NOT LOOK at the serpant on the staff (a picture of Christ) to be healed.The MOST taught doctrine throughout the ENTIRE Bible is that ALL mankind is a rejector of the law of Moses and a rejector of God himself and His Messiah…..God has found ALL in UNBELEIF (Romans 1-3 Psalm 53) Lost man is incapable of being Born Again by witnessing in his flesh the miracles of God. In fact, Jesus told the man who was in hell that even if one came back from the dead, it would not be enough for someone to believe. Mankind is born spiritually dead. New life must be generated from within, not from without. Our mind is part of the old man and is at enmity with God. The Spirit must “quicken”, give life within, regenerate the spirit of a man in order for a man to understand and believe the Gospel.

Isaiah opens up chptr 53 “Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Friends, salvation is ENTIRELY the work of God. Those of us who have been Born Again by the Spirit of God are His children…we are His spiritual offspring. Just a human being is born into this life through NO act or will or decision of his own, so it is with spiritual children of God. A baby cries, breathes, and wants to feed because he has been born…he is alive. A person believes and understands the Gospel, asks Jesus to forgive their sin, wants to feed on God’s Word, and tell others of Jesus because of the new life imparted by the Spirit.

ALL of HEBREWS is written for the PURPOSE of establishing the deity of Jesus, and that His once and for all sacrifice is what is acceptable to God. It is necessary for a man to BELIEVE in Jesus and His once and for all sacrifice, in order to be saved and to enter His rest. The author is deeply concerned that the Hebrews, to whom he was writing, had NOT BELIEVED THE GOSPEL. These were JEWS who had not left the law, who had not accepted the deity of Christ, who had not entered His rest by believing the Gospel. We see this same concern in Paul’s letter to the Galatians who were mixing faith and works of the law.
When a person believes the Gospel by the enabling work of the Spirit, that person is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and enters His rest!! But those who don’t believe in Jesus by the work of the Spirit, but rather have a fleshly belief, have not entered His rest and have not been sealed with the Spirit. Much like Galatia and the Hebrews, the churches today are full of such people. Because they preach the Gospel and perform miracles and cast out demons and are involved in church work, they believe, like the Jews did, that they are just fine with God.
However, in Mathew 7, Jesus calls such people “workers of iniquity”. Why? not because of sins of the flesh. But because in their heart they know not the Lord, and more importantly the Lord NEVER knew them.

So, it all boils down to the Lord and His work. A true believer, though he may doubt his salvation at certain times and may fail the Lord in horrible ways, has the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is the work and ministry of the Spirit to confirm with the believer their sonship (Romans and to establish the believer in such a way as to KNOW that he belongs to the Father and that he is an heir to the throne with Jesus and will rule and reign with Him in righteousness. The writer of Hebrews says, “but we are of those that believe to the saving of the soul” Notice here it is not their effort to “persevere”, or their faithfulness to God, but rather simply their BELIEVING that saves them. And those who believe not the Gospel, have not entered His rest, have NOT received the promise of the Spirit, and are under condemnation and the wrath of God.

Amen

By tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/15/2011 14:26 pm

Tim,

You have submitted two rather lengthy posts as a follow up to my post #7 and neither post addresses any of the questions I posed to you. Could you not have even addressed ONE of them? Instead, you have chosen to assume that I am a typical Arminian who believes salvation can be lost. Your assumption could not be further from the truth. But then you go so far as to infer that I am of the same mindset as some very high profile Calvinist preachers. So on the one hand you’re suggesting I’m Arminian by believing salvation can be lost; but on the other hand: a Calvinist who believes true Christians would never dabble with gross sin. Of course, these doctrines are diametrically opposed to each other and only a very confused individual would embrace such nonsense.

However, do you not realize that your post #5 is in near lockstep with Calvinist doctrine? This is why I suggested that perhaps you hold to the Reformed position. Whether you do or you don’t really does not matter; but it does suggest a rather peculiar inconsistency in your position. This is why I’m at a loss to know where to begin contending with you; hence- my questions in post #7.

If you don’t care to address any of them, that’s perfectly fine of course. However, the responses you HAVE made do very little if anything at all to advance the understanding of your original assertions in respect to the verse above. Whereas I fully agree that the Holy Spirit is the “down payment” and guarantor of our salvation as well as the promised comforter sent by God; I still contend you are terribly mistaken in your interpretation of “the promise” in this verse and in so doing you miss one of the most glorious truths in the entire NT.

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/14/2011 23:16 pm

In Hebrews 6:1, the author says, “Let us go on onto PERFECTION” In Hebrews 10:14 the author says, “For by one offering He HATH PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified” Those who are sanctified are those who have been saved by grace through faith and they are IMMEDIATELY MADE PERFECT the MOMENT they are saved…..POSITIONALLY IN CHRIST!!!!!!
In Hebrews 6, the reason why they kept “laying again the foundation” was because they had NO foundation. Once a foundation has been truely laid, there is no reason to redo it. Only those who have not truely laid the PROPER foundation (that is, accepting the simplicity which is in Christ), have need to keep going over it.
Paul says, “And no other foundation can be laid than that which is Christ” (1 Cor 10:11)

To all readers: Have you laid hold of the foundation which is Christ? Have you entered His rest? Are you satisfied with the ONCE AND FOR ALL blood sacrifice of Jesus as being sufficient to secure your salvation?
This is the way of Able. Able brought the sacrifice of God which was a SHADOW of the sacrifice of Christ.
Cain brought the work of his own flesh as an offering to God.

I pray, that the Holy Spirit convicts the readers of my postings here of their need of ACCEPTING the finished work of Christ and His work ALONE as their means of salvation. And to those who read and are saved may the Spirit comfort you and cause you to abound in all fruitfulness unto the Lord. Amen

By tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/3/2011 05:10 am

Scott-

I do not hold ANY classic view of scripture in terms of the reformation or any other movement. I simply rightly divide the word of truth. Proper exegesis ALWAYS brings ALL scipture to the table. Scripture interprets scipture.
I just want to say off the bat, if you, like many many “christians” believe you can loose your salvation or have lost it and regained it, then you do not have the salvation that Jesus Christ provides. You have taken the way that CAIN had. Man always wants to bring himself into the equation. Like I said earlier, if any one truely believes in Christ, it is not from himself, it is a gift of God (Philippians 1:29).
I may be wrong, but I suspect you are not trusting in the FINISHED work of Christ as your sufficiency, but rather you are like Piper, MacArthur Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, James MAcDonald and many many others who believe that we bring something to the table as well as Christ to secure our salvation.
This is heresy. (I am not saying these men are not saved, but that their doctrine does not represent those who “have entered the wrest of God”, but rather a doctrine which places the individual’s effort on equal with the work of Christ.
Interestingly, Paul does not refer to false prophets as enemies of Christ, he refers to them as enemies of the CROSS of Christ. Satan HATES the blood of Jesus and HATES those who have been FREELY justified by His blood. So, he always goes after the sufficiency of the work of Jesus on the cross.
If you are under the false persuation that the Bible is written only to believer’s, then by what standard will God judge the unbeliever?
The unbeliever will stand in judgment based on the WORD of God.
To the unbeliever, to the unregenerate, the them that have not the Spirit of Christ, the Bible and the words of Jesus become an awesome burden whereby a person must bring himself into the equation of salvation…like Cain did.
Having said all of this, ANYONE who believes Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, and that He died to pay the full price for their sins, and that all men will stand before Him in judgement some day, IS SAVED. Whether or not they understand their salvation is a different matter.
I dont need to comment on this further. Just to say that before the time of judgement on the earth, there will be a great APOSTACY…a falling away from the truth. This refers to “christians” who reveal their falsehood by following after lies and the teachings of men. “Times will be such that even the very elect would be deceived if possible” (mathew 24)

P.S. Norm Peale Robert schuller….these guys are wackos…they preach NOT the Gospel

By tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/3/2011 04:06 am

Tim,

I thought there had been a lot to contend with in your post #3; but your post #5 trumps it by a mile and I’m at a loss to know where to begin contending!

It’s quite apparent that you hold to a classical Reformed position; I hope you are merely parroting what you have heard from others rather than speaking from your own convictions because then I can have hope of persuading you toward re-examining those positions.

For instance, why do you say so categorically that the Corinthian church “had a large number of psuedo Christians within their assembly”? It certainly isn’t to be found anywhere in either Corinthian epistle. Of course, the letters speak heavily of carnality but “carnality” only equates with “pseudo” in the doctrine of the Calvinist. How can “carnality” refer to an unregenerate person? The entire issue of carnality is only significant in reference to one who knows better; one who is regenerate.

Then you say; “the writer was hoping for a BETTER condition then what they were in”. Do you realize how ludicrous this sounds? Do you mean to say that neither Paul nor the writer to the Hebrews knew that unregenerate people are totally incapable of living a life of faith?? And please explain what you mean by “projecting a positive outlook”. Had Paul been reading from Norman Vincent Peale?

And then there’s the problem with the Corinthian love feasts. How is it that you feel free to assume that the carnal Corinthian Christians were “assuming that if they ate the bread and drunk the wine they were automatically saved”? You and I both know there is nothing explicit or implied within the texts to come so such a conclusion.., unless a doctrinal agenda is at stake.

Lastly, but not finally, you do something so atrocious as to make me wonder if you are not a pseudo Christian yourself. How is it that you take the clear words of Paul as well as the writer of Hebrews and twist them into the very OPPOSITE of what they mean? Since when do the words ‘enlightened’, ‘partakers of the heavenly calling’, ‘partakers of the Holy Spirit’ and ‘holy bretheren’ EVER refer to the unregenerate?? Your rationale for brewing up this concoction is so poor it defies comment. Should we then question the author’s intent everywhere ELSE that such language is used? You want the original readers of Hebrews 6 and 10 to be thinking about YOUR interpretation of Romans 9 when there isn’t even reference to it anywhere in the letter! What kind of exegesis is that? Not to mention that the author includes himself WITH his audience when he says; “Therefore, let US leave the elementary teachings..,” and also; “Therefore, BROTHERS..,” Is the author PANDERING to his readers with these statements? Or is he perhaps just “projecting a positive outlook”??

As I implied at the start, I hope your doctrine has not closed you to truth and that you are still free to examine these matters for yourself. Its one thing to be a pseudo Christian (which I’m pretty sure you are not); but it’s quite another thing to be a false teacher.

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/3/2011 01:35 am

Hi Tim, clear reasoning. I enjoyed reading your Biblical underpinned commentary. Keep up the good Work and may the Lord be with you - Kimberly

By Kimberly P (wrote 1 Bible Commentary - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/2/2011 14:59 pm

In 1 Cor 10, Paul is warning the Corinthians, who had a large number of psuedo Christians within their assembly (which is always the case with visible churches). The KEY to understanding this passage is Paul’s focus on UNSAVED ISRAEL. (NOT ALL ISRAEL IS ISRAEL romans 9:6) In verse 18 of the Corinthians 10 passage, “Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?” Here Paul is calling UNSAVED JEWS, partakers of the alter. In Hewbrews 6, Paul is calling the UNSAVED JEWS ‘enlightened’, ‘partakers of the heavenly calling’, ‘partakers of the Holy Spirit’. In Hewbrews 10 he refers to them as ‘holy bretheren’. This language is being used to describe an OUTWARD understanding of God by virtue of their being Jewish. Paul says that the Jew had an advantage over other people. Why?
“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God”. (Romans 3:1-2)
And again “Unto whom much is given, much will be required”
Continuing in the 1 Corin 10 passage, Paul warns them about sacrificing to idols and getting drunk on the communion wine.
“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
A person who sacrifices to idols and during communion gets drunk with the wine is an UNREGENERATE person.
They were assuming that if they ate the bread and drunk the wine they were automatically saved. (much like Catholics today). Yet, Paul wants them to understand the blood and wine as representing an INWARD FAITH in the once and for all sacrifice of Christ as being sufficient for their salvation.
Hebrews 10, and 6 all continue to say that the writer was hoping for a BETTER condition then what they were in. In 6, he was encouraging them by projecting a positive outlook and a condition which reflected salvation as opposed to a condition that didn’t reflect salvation.(vrs 9) In Hebrews 10, he is encouraging them to BELIEVE (which is a result of true faith) and not draw back unto perdition…. “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
Then vrs 37 makes it clear that the PROMISE refers to the Holy Spirit.
Following are the versus in the New Testament which identify the PROMISE as being the Holy Spirit:
“And, behold, I send the PROMISE of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49
“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the PROMISE of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.” Acts 1:4
“Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the PROMISE of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”Acts 2:33
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.” Acts 2:39
“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13. Here the promise of the inheritance is guarenteed through FAITH.
The Holy Spirit is the promise given to ALL who BELIEVE. This is “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Since the promises of INHERITANCE was given to only two people, Abraham and Christ, how does anyone other than these two receive the promise of inheritance? Through the PROMISE of the SPIRIT which is given to those who believe. This places Christ in them, and them in Christ and therefor makes them heirs of God. The Holy Spirit is the PROMISE given to believers as a DEPOSIT which guarentees their inheritance.

By Tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/2/2011 14:30 pm

Tim,

There is much that could be contended in your response. You have brought up many things that simply aren’t warranted by the text. But I will address only one of them for now. You close your last commentary by saying:

“Those who have believed through Faith by grace as the free gift of God have the Holy Spirit of promise.”

My question to you is: If the Holy Spirit is the Promise spoken of in this verse; then by extension, you are saying that because the author is writing to people who have NOT YET received this Promise, he must therefore be writing to unbelievers. But, of course, verses 32 to 35 tend highly to refute that (as well as the entire book itself in numerous places). So why would the writer to the Hebrews send such a powerful letter to a church full of unbelievers?

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 7/31/2011 06:22 am

Scott-

Respectfully,you are mistaken. Paul tells us that not all Israel is Israel. Just because a person was a Jew and came out with the nation of Israel, did not make him/her a child of God. Same thing with Christians today. Just because a person goes to church and “acts” like a Christian, does NOT make him/her a Christian. That was Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 10.
Just because a person sits in church, hears the preaching, witnesses the working of God, and “acts” like a good Christian, does NOT mean he or she is saved. It is FAITH alone in CHRIST….period. This is what pleases the Father.

In the case of the Jews that did not make it to the promised land, the issue was not persevering or maturing in true faith, but a complete lack of faith and disbelief in the God of the Bible. Hebrews 4 (1-3) explains that clearly. Moses was not allowed to go into the promised land because he struck the rock twice. (Which was a picture of Christ being crucified ONCE and for all as being sufficient…not twice). However, Moses did have the Holy Spirit because he had faith in God and believed the GOSPEL and God was pleased with him on account of this.

If bad behavior or a lack of spiritual maturity was the issue, then NONE of the great men of Hebrews 11 would be mentioned as men of faith. Notice, that NOT ONE of their errors was mentioned in Hebrews 11. Why? Because their faith, which was OF God as a GIFT of His choice to them, was what pleased the Father. In the context of the NEW TESTAMENT the PROMISE always refers to the HOLY SPIRIT. A person does NOT receive the promise without BELIEVING in Christ. This belief, which is a gift of the free grace of God to His own, involves believing that Christ is God, that He died on the cross as FULL payment for one’s sin, and that He will judge the unrighteous (those that believe not)

The ENTIRE key to understanding Hebrews is that the MAJORITY of Jews were NOT believers in God, and believed not the Gospel of Messiah. This is why they were destroyed. This is what brought God’s wrath. They were eyewitnesses to His power, they were the ones who had the WORD of God…and yet, out of their spiritual deadness, they did not have FAITH.
HEBREWS 4. (Ephesians tells us that we were DEAD in our sins) That is why no amount of miracles, not even the witnessing of the raising of the dead can bring life in Christ to a person. ONLY when God “MAKES US ALIVE” can we believe and have true faith that pleases God. SALVATION IS ALL GOD..He is the AUTHOR AND FINISHER of our Faith.

Furthermore in Hebrews 6 and 10 the author goes on to warn about having an evil heart of UNBELIEF in departing from the living God which results in perdition and wrath from God. A Born Again believer has been sealed with the Spirit of PROMISE. It is the INDWELLING Christ that pleases the Father…..not our performance. A person who has the Spirit has Christ. A person that has Christ has eternal life and ALL that pertains to life and Godliness. AND CHRIST is the believer’s righteousness, sanctification, holiness, ect. THIS IS POSITIONAL FACT.

Having said this, the Lord will chasten and discipline His own as a result of sin, or drifting, but also chastening is necessary as a normal part of growth. The Lord says that his children WILL be chastened. Chastening brings about maturity in this life.
However, the least to the greatest in Christ, will be presented BLAMELESS before the Father in love. Why? On account of and for the sake of His SON and what He accomplished ONCE AND FOR ALL at Calvary.

Also, the promise in the Old Testament of the promised land WAS NOT THE KINGDOM. Jesus said to the Pharisees “Abraham rejoiced and was glad to see my day”. He was referring to the time when the KINGDOM would be established…which would ONLY happen when Messiah Jesus was on DAVID’s throne. Abraham and all these men of faith, looked for the Kingdom that would come in the future realizing that what ever prominence Israel had at the time was only temporary. The author points this out in Hebrews 11, saying that Abraham, THOUGH HE WAS IN THE PROMISED LAND, DWELT IN TENTS……looking for a future time when the owner of the DEED to the LAND would be on the throne and ruling….namely JESUS. Remember the promise was made to Abraham and his SEED (JESUS)

UNTIL this time comes, when Jesus is CROWNED KING and receives HIS inheritance (the saints and the land), the PROMISE is the HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit is THE promise given to all those who believe and is the earnest of the believer’s GUARENTEE UNTIL the redemption of the purchased possession.

My friend, this is ALL about God and those whom the Father gave Him as His inheritance from before the foundation of the world. Those who have believed through Faith by grace as the free gift of God have the Holy Spirit of promise.

In Him,
Tim

By Tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 7/31/2011 04:59 am

Tim,

IMO, the Promise may refer to the Holy Spirit but only indirectly. The entire thrust of the author is to compare the first generation Jews of the Exodus with the challenge that the readers of the letter were facing. The first generation Jews were weak in faith after they came out of Egypt and when they were confronted with the giants of Canaan, they choked. The author is presenting them as a TYPE of the immature believer. He constantly exhorts the readers to move on to maturity and not be like their forefathers who died in the wilderness never having received the Promise because they “displeased” the Lord.

And what exactly was the Promise those unbelieving Jews never received? The Kingdom! The PROMISED Land! Only Joshua and Caleb received it. Why? Because they were looking AHEAD to what was PROMISED; they did not shrink back in the face of fear and uncertainty. Verses 38 and 39 say it quite well; but you will be mistaken to conclude that those who “shrink back and were destroyed” were not saved. They were saved as surely as the blood delivered them from Egypt; but their hard, unbelieving heart concerning God’s DESTINY for them kept them in the ranks of the immature. When faced with “growing up” in their faith, they chose to remain as children.

This is precisely why the author holds up the Saints Hall of Fame in chapter 11. They are being commended for a faith that looks FORWARD to the promise of their inheritance. This is a mature faith. The topic is not about a faith that saves us from the Death Angel (God’s wrath). These saints ALSO died without having inherited the Promise; but they died in Faith and were well pleasing to the Lord and in the Resurrection, they WILL take possession of the Promise and will undoubtedly hear the words; “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your inheritance”.

Perhaps this is where the Baptism of the Holy Spirit can also be considered the Promise. How can a believer in Christ move on to maturity and slay giants in the land without the power and confidence that comes from the Holy Spirit? Indeed, how can anyone take ANY ground back from Satan without this holy power? Joshua and Caleb possessed overcoming faith and were anxious to inherit the Promise because their report was; “We are well able to take the Land!” (But I really don’t think the Holy Spirit is what the author of Hebrews is referring to).

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 7/31/2011 03:02 am

The PROMISE referred to is the Holy Spirit. A person is sealed with the Holy Spirit of PROMISE after he/she believes (Ephesians 1). The writer is warning them to believe in Jesus since they have already heard in detail that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant. If they did not believe, they would end up in perdition and judgment.
Sinning willfully here is not referring to sins of the flesh. It is referring to not believing in Jesus after having heard what he did in His own sacrifice. By not accepting the shed blood of Jesus as sufficient to secure their salvation, these Hebrews were “troding under foot the Son of God” and “despising the Spirit of grace”.

Often trials will reveal one’s heart. Many people who claim to be Christians, will fall away from their “belief” in Christ when persecuted. However, it is important to note that a Christian is not kept by his/her own power/performance. God sees the heart and knows if falling away under persecution is due to the weakness of the flesh (as in Peter’s case), or due to disbelief in Jesus.

The author wants to do the most he can to encourage his weary Hebrew brothers to not “fall away”, but rather to believe unto the saving of the soul. This is important because many Christians today teach “Lordship salvation”.
This teaching puts equal onus on faith and action. However, the scripture is clear, particularly with the Hebrews 6 and 10 passages that the issue which determines one’s fate is the issue of genuine belief and faith (which comes as a gift from God to His own) not faith and belief which is of the flesh. Genuine belief is the work and gift of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:3b) after which the individual is sealed with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).

By Tim (wrote 8 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 7/29/2011 14:58 pm