1. SAVED — OR HALF SAVED

CHAPTER 1

 

SAVED — OR HALF SAVED

 

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake

in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in

these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He

hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He

made the worlds; Who being the brightness of

His glory, and the express image of His person,

and upholding all things by the word of His

power, when He had by Himself purged

our sins, sat down on the right hand

of the Majesty on high;”

(Hebrews 1:1-3)

 

IN these three verses the Holy Spirit introduces the Book of Hebrews and its inexhaustible treasure of divine revelation concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Saviour of the world, the Purger of our sins, the rightful Heir of all things and the coming eternal King, now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

 

To write another book on the Epistle to the Hebrews seems upon first thought almost a waste of time and energy, as already so many excellent books have been written on the subject. However, for years I felt the urge to put into print something of the blessing this book has been to me personally, but always I was deterred by the fact that many books had been published on the subject and another volume would only be a repetition. However, the urge persisted, until finally I submitted, in the consciousness that nothing in the Bible can be repeated too often. Instead of a verseby- verse exposition, it is our purpose to merely give a series of messages on the principal passages, in order to develop the main message of the epistle. Details will, insofar as possible, be avoided, and instead we shall try to bring out the one great lesson of the book — the ministry of Christ as our interceding High Priest, Sustainer and Lord.

 

 

MANY THINGS NOT REVEALED

 

Hebrews is a unique book, quite unlike most books of the Bible. We meet with many questions we shall not even endeavor to answer. For instance, we do not know who the human author was through whom the Holy Spirit spoke. Volumes have been written on the subject, "Who wrote Hebrews?", but no one can speak with finality on the subject. So we pass this by without further comment, satisfied that the Holy Spirit was the divine Author. Neither do we know the exact date of its writing, nor the particular local assembly to whom it was addressed, nor from what place the epistle was written. So there is no need to speculate, since only the message of the book is really important.

 

The subject of the book is Jesus Christ. It is called the Book of Hebrews simply because the Early Church was at first exclusively composed of Hebrew Christians, and up to the time of Paul still predominantly so. Hence it was written to Hebrew believers and thus it obtained its name. But just exactly who are in the mind of the writer when he addresses them as brethren? This question is not so easily answered. There are at least two views.

 

First, there are those who teach that Hebrews was written to born-again believers, saved people, warning them of the danger of again falling from grace and finally losing their salvation which they now possessed. This is the view held by the Arminian school of theologians. It is mainly based on chapters six and ten, the two chapters on which most of the difference of opinion and interpretation exists.

 

A second school of interpretation teaches that the people addressed in the letter were not truly born-again believers, but merely professing Christians, who had come only part way to Christ and were in danger of drawing back before they were finally and actually saved. This is the generally accepted view of the Calvinistic school of interpretation. As an example we quote from the notes on Hebrews six, as given by a well-known exponent of this interpretation.* He states in the following words this most widely accepted position:

 

“Hebrews 6:4-8 presents the case of Jewish professed believers who halt short of faith in Christ after advancing to the very threshold of salvation, even "going along with" the Holy Spirit in His work of enlightenment and conviction. It is not said that they had faith. This supposed person is like the spies at Kadeshbarnea who saw the land and had the very fruit of it in their hands, and yet turned back.”

* Scofield Reference Bible, p. 1295.

 

This interpretation has been generally followed by the great majority of expositors who hold the Calvinistic view of salvation. Now which of these two is correct? They cannot both be right. We confidently believe there need be no doubt concerning the teaching of the Word if we can but approach it with an unprejudiced and unbiased mind, and limit ourselves strictly to the Word and not what others have taught before us.

 

 

WHO ARE THEY ?

 

We can answer the question satisfactorily only if we consider the teaching of Hebrews in its entirety, and not base our views on isolated passages. one simply cannot know the correct interpretation of Hebrews six and ten without viewing these chapters in the light of the whole epistle. The correct interpretation of the book hinges on the answer to this one question, Were the people addressed Christians or unbelievers, saved or lost? A person cannot be half saved. He is either one or the other. To say they were partly saved is to becloud the entire issue. Were these Hebrews saved? From the beginning to the end of Hebrews we sincerely believe that the people to whom the Letter was written were genuine, born-again, saved individuals. The writer identifies himself again and again with those to whom he is writing. The pronoun, “we,” which includes himself, is used over two dozen times, as well as the pronoun, “us.” Moreover, the description of these Hebrews is one which can only fit believers.

 

Notice just a few examples, which we shall elaborate upon later. How can the following passage be made to mean an unregenerate professor?

 

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the

heavenly calling, consider the Apostle

and High Priest of our profession

[confession], Christ Jesus;”

(Hebrews 3:1)

 

Can we say this is a description of an unregenerate man? Are unregenerate sinners partakers of the heavenly calling? Is Christ their High Priest, when they have not even received Him as their Saviour? Or consider another passage:

 

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest,

that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the

Son of God, let us hold fast

our profession.”

(Hebrews 4:14)

 

Are these people addressed unconverted, unregenerated Hebrews who have not been fully saved? A person cannot be "half saved" and "half lost." It is either one or the other. Which are they? If they are false professors, would the Holy Spirit admonish them to hold fast their false profession?

 

Or consider this verse in Hebrews 4:16. Can this be said to an unsaved person:

 

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace . . .”

 

The sinner cannot come to the Throne of Grace until he comes first to the Cross of Calvary.

 

Or listen to this passage and tell me whether these people addressed are saved or not. I have never heard a Bible teacher who did not apply this passage to believers:

 

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into

the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living

way, which He hath consecrated for us, through

the veil, that is to say, His flesh; And having an

high priest over the house of God; Let us draw

near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,

having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,

and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us

hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;

(for He is faithful that promised;) And let us consider

one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,

as the manner of some is; but exhorting

one another: and so much the more,

as ye see the day approaching.”

(Hebrews 10:19-25)

 

Is this admonition to believers or sinners? Does God urge an unconverted, halfsaved professor to hold fast his false profession? Every author I have ever read on the subject agrees that this is addressed to believers. It is incontrovertible. By what rule of interpretation can we then say that the very next verse is addressed not to believers but to false professors?

 

“For if we sin willfully after that we have received

the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth

no more sacrifice for sins.”

(Hebrews 10:26)

 

“For if we sin willfully.” Who are the we? The same ones who in the previous verses are unmistakably identified as God's children, who are admonished to hold fast their profession. The twenty-sixth verse continues without a break, connected with the preceding verses by the word “for.” “For if we sin willfully . . .” The way to avoid willful sinning is for the believer to hold fast his profession.

 

We give just one more example. Another portion of Hebrews mentions the people who are warned against willful sinning:

 

“For ye had compassion of me in my bonds,

and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods,

knowing in yourselves that ye have in

heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Cast not away therefore your confidence,

which hath great recompense of reward.”

(Hebrews 10:34-35)

 

This last word reward is the key which unlocks the secret of the Book of Hebrews. It is not written to half-saved professors who are threatened with being lost after all. Instead it is written to believers who are saved and cannot be lost again, but they can lose their reward. The warning is to believers coming short of God's best, and becoming subject to the chastening of the Lord, and loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. These Hebrews knew they had in heaven a better and more enduring substance, and were admonished by the Holy Spirit to hold fast their confidence.

 

 

THE HEART OF HEBREWS

 

The very heart of the Book of Hebrews, therefore, is a solemn plea to believers not to be satisfied with mere salvation or anything less than the best and the very maximum of fruit and service. It teaches that we are saved by grace and grace alone, but that this grace also carries with it serious responsibilities. Works have no part in salvation by grace, but works are an essential result of grace. Because we are saved by grace, the Lord expects of us that we shall bring forth the fruits of grace. We are not to stand still and be merely satisfied with being saved from hell and headed for heaven, but we are to become mature and fruitful in our Christian life. These Hebrews are warned not to remain children in the faith, but to grow up. As Peter puts it:

 

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge

of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now

and for ever. Amen.”

(2 Peter 3:18)

 

It is not grow into grace, but grow in grace. The very heart of Hebrews, the key to its right interpretation, is found in chapter five.

 

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers,

[considering the length of time they had been

saved], ye have need that one teach you again

which be the first principles of the oracles of

God; and are become such as have need of

milk, and not of strong meat. For every one

that useth milk is unskilful in the word of

righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong

meat belongeth to them that are of full age,

[mature, grown up], even those who by

reason of use have their senses

exercised to discern both

good and evil.”

(Hebrews 5:12-14)

 

These Christians had been saved a long time but were still babes in Christ, and could not take the solid meat of the Word, and so they were admonished to grow up. The Holy Spirit continues:

 

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine

of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; ...”

[maturity, full age]

(Hebrews 6:1)

 

Failure to heed the admonition will result in the chastening of the Lord. Continuance in this state of arrested spiritual development, persisting in living in disobedience, will not go unjudged, but will surely be judged of the Lord. If, after repeated warnings and chastening of the Lord such a believer still persists in his carnality, then God may punish that believer by physical death, or cease dealing with him, to become a “castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27), to be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ, where he will suffer loss but be saved so as by fire (1 Corinthians 3:15). This is the penalty for the “sin unto death” (1 John 5:16), called in Hebrews “willful sinning.” If the believer, after being enlightened, having tasted the heavenly gift, and being partaker of the Holy Ghost, having tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come, refuses to go on but “falls away,” God may cease to deal with him in repentance, and reserve him for the fires of the Judgment Seat of Christ.

 

 

GOD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE

 

Are you a believer? Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour by grace? Then comes the question, What have you done with that grace of God? Have you gone on to maturity? Has there been a growth in grace? Are you living an obedient life in holiness and separation from the world? Or are you continuing in carnality and willful sinning against the clear teaching and better knowledge of the Word of God? Are you clinging to some sin you know is contrary to God's Word? Do you condone and excuse certain things in your life which you know are wrong? You'll never get away with it.

 

“The Lord shall judge His people.”

(Hebrews 10:30)

 

We cannot escape the fact that sin in the life of the believer must be judged if unconfessed. We can try to get around it by saying that the warnings of Hebrews six and ten are for unsaved people, half-saved Hebrews, and do not apply to us. God will also judge such handling of the Scriptures in our effort to avoid the application of the words of Hebrews 10:31:

 

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the

hands of the living God.”

 

The lesson and burden of the Book of Hebrews is not salvation for sinners primarily, but it has to do with rewards or loss of rewards for believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We cannot escape it by applying it to others, but the rather, let us heed the admonition in Hebrews 12:1-2:

 

“. . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin

which doth so easily beset us, and let us run

with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and

finisher of our faith . . . ;”

 

Let it never be said of us:

 

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation

which speaketh unto you as unto

children, My son, despise not thou

the chastening of the Lord, nor

faint when thou art

rebuked of Him.”

(Hebrews 12:5)

 

Let us examine our hearts for every known and doubtful sin, and when we can find no more, then ask of Him:

 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me, and know my thoughts: And

see if there be any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.”

(Psalm 139:23-24)