Hebrews Was Written to Saved People

by Terry Wane Benton

The inspired writer of Hebrews is not writing to people who were almost saved and could be saved with a little more persuasion, but rather, he is writing to saved Jews on the verge of giving up and returning to their former life in Judaism. The writer speaks of how they were when they were first converted to Christ and now writes to remind them of why Christ is superior to Judaism, and “holding their confession” is what they needed to do. “Hold on” is the theme that is evident throughout the book. He is not inviting them to come into Christ finally, but to hold on to what they have already confessed.

1. “He had by Himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3)
2. "Give more earnest heed to what we have heard lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1).
3. “Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (Hebrews 3:1).
4. Had Jesus as their “high priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1).
5. "Whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:6).
6. "We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" (Hebrews 3:14).
7. "Let us hold fast our confession," (Jesus the Son of God) (Hebrews 4:14).
8. "Though by this time you ought to be teachers" (Hebrews 5:12). Not a lack of being saved, but a lack of maturing.
9. "He is a babe" (thus these had been born again) (Hebrews 5:13).
10. Needed to “go on to perfection” (Hebrews 6:1). They already had the foundation of Christ.
11. They “tasted the heavenly gift” and were “partakers of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
12. They had labored with love toward His name (Hebrews 6:10).
13. "By this will we have been sanctified" (Hebrews 10:10).
14. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering" (Hebrews 10:23).
15. "Recall the former days ... after you were illuminated" (Hebrews 10:32).
16. You knew you “have a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven” (Hebrews 10:34).
17. "Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward" (Hebrews 10:35).

These were brethren in Christ, under His great High Priesthood, who had been sanctified, illuminated, made the great confession of faith in Jesus, had become “partakers of Christ” and “partakers of the Holy Spirit” and had tasted the heavenly gift, but were now on the verge of drawing back to perdition.

Thus, this entire book demonstrates that one can fall from grace, and it serves as a treatise on why discouraged believers should reconsider their discouragement and move forward with faith that will carry them all the way to the end, thereby avoiding a return to perdition. If we hold fast to the confession, steadfast to the end, there is the eternal reward, but if we don’t, we become like Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. We have trampled Jesus underfoot to get back to the old life of sin and condemnation. That would be ultimate foolishness.