Fact, Faith and Fear in Hebrews

The Epistle to the Hebrews was primarily written to Jewish believers as an encouragement to spiritual maturity. It is easy to see Jewish believers being pressured to return to what they knew. There was the danger of defection. How could they be sure that Christianity is superior to Judaism? Is it right that they should suffer persecution for their new-found faith? Is Jesus Christ worth the rejection by family and friends? Those are valid questions for them as well as for us, today.

The writer of Hebrews provides practical help for us when it seems that defection is the only reasonable thing to do. The theological term for defection is apostasy. That word seems so ugly and so alien to those who we have placed faith in Christ alone. It was a possibility for Jewish Christians in the 1st century as well as for us in the 21st. The movement toward spiritual maturity in Hebrews centers on three words, fact, faith, and fear.

Christians must always be reminded that Christianity is based on fact. It is a fact that Jesus Christ is God’s supreme revelation to mankind. It is a fact that Jesus is superior to all other revelations. It is a fact that Jesus alone is sufficient to meet every human need. It is a fact that Jesus alone restores humanity, society and the cosmos to God’s intended order.

Christians must remember that Christianity is based on faith in Jesus Christ alone, not on human effort. The road away from apostasy and toward spiritual maturity demands a vibrant trust in the person and work of Christ. Faith is not defined by circumstance but by obedience. As we are reminded in Hebrews 11, faith is demonstrated in the lives of those who walk by faith.

Christians need a healthy dose of reverential fear tied to a holy desire to please God. It is an awareness of the severe consequences of turning back from faith in Christ alone. Hebrews encourages a healthy fear of apostasy by providing five warning passages: the danger of drifting away from the truth (2:1-4), the danger of disbelief (3:7-19), the danger of immaturity (5:11-6:12), the danger of willful sinning ( 10:19-39), and the danger of unresponsiveness (12:14-29).

Also, Hebrews provides five passages of encouragement: God confirmed His promises (2:3b-4), Jesus is our example of faithfulness (3:1-6) and provision (4:12-16), a reminder of readers’ past faithfulness (6:9-12) and God’s promises (6:13-20), a reminder of the readers’ past perseverance (10:32-39), a reminder of Jesus’ example of perseverance ((12:1-2) and the divine reason for discipline (12:3-11).

It is imperative that our faith is fresh by focusing on God’s faithfulness and Christ’s sufficiency. Thomas Constable has written a tremendous general application of the Epistle to the Hebrews, By way of application let me make three observations based on the three major revelations in the epistle. 1. An appreciation for Jesus Christ is foundational to faithful perseverance. The reason many Christians turn away from the Lord is that they do not appreciate His greatness... 2. ...We live in a present oriented culture that values immediate self-gratification. Many Christians are apostatizing because they do not appreciate the reward they will receive if they remain faithful to the Lord. This life is preparation for the next. 3. We need to realize that God will judge Christians who apostatize. We will not lose our salvation, but we will lose much that we will wish we never gave up if we stop walking by faith.

I encourage you to join me in the study of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The Introduction to Hebrews may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. There is so much to gain and so little to lose when we persevere. All things are possible with God.