Warning Against Falling Away- Heb 6

Hold Firm to Hope: The Dangers of Falling Away

Bible Passage: Hebrews 6

Summary: Hebrews 6 serves as a warning to believers about the seriousness of drifting away from faith and the importance of holding on to the hope we have in Christ.

Application: This passage warns Christians about the peril of becoming complacent in their faith. It encourages self-reflection and a renewed commitment to spiritual growth and perseverance in the face of challenges.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that genuine faith must be active and growing, while also highlighting the consequences of falling away from that faith. It emphasizes the importance of community support in maintaining one's faith.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the context of the Bible, the theme of perseverance and faithfulness reflects the ultimate hope found in Christ. He is the anchor for our souls who empowers us to remain steadfast and diligent in our faith journey.

Big Idea: As believers, we must remain vigilant and dedicated in our pursuit of faith, holding firmly to the hope we have in Christ amidst the threats of falling away.

Recommended Study: In preparing your sermon, consider delving into the historical context of Hebrews, particularly the audience's challenges that led to the warning. You might explore exegetical aspects of key phrases in Hebrews 6:4-6 concerning apostasy. Additionally, utilizing Logos, examine theological commentaries on perseverance that could help in emphasizing the importance of community and accountability among believers.

1. Maturity Matters Deeply

Hebrews 6:1-3

Maybe in these verses, you could emphasize the need for maturity in faith. The passage highlights the importance of moving beyond elementary teachings and embracing a deeper understanding of Christ. Consider discussing how our growth prevents spiritual complacency and aligns with our hope in Jesus. This can motivate believers to engage actively with their faith journey, encouraging them to rely on Christ as the foundation for maturity and perseverance.

Read Ch 5:11-14 to setup these next passages.

These new Jewish believers were still clinging to OT beliefs and rituals and bringing them along into their “new” faith.

6:1-2: “Repentance from dead works” - The Jewish believers were still hanging on to the practice of repenting through their “good works” decoupled from faith in God. This also includes a “faith in God” but not, specifically, “Faith in Christ.”

“teachings about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment” - all of these were still being practiced by these Jewish believers in their OT form, but not coupling it with faith and the more specific teachings of Christ that they had already been taught, specifically how they had been fulfilled in Christ.

“And we will do this if God permits” - Ask how do we do this? (possible answers: by studying, praying, challenging each other and wrestling through issues with the guidance of scripture and the Holy Spirit.)

If God permits:

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 6

For even in the case of good resolutions, we cannot carry them into effect, save through God “working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (

2. Peril of Apostasy

Hebrews 6:4-6

“Enlightened” - another term for this is illuminated and comparing the Greek term for illuminated in Hebrews 10:32 “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,” to the term in Hebrews 10:26 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” defines enlightened as the knowledge of the word of truth.

The Concept of Falling away or losing your salvation - discuss the following:

The wording here, alone, does not specify if the earlier repentance was merely outward, or truly genuine, heartfelt repentance which which leads to true saving faith. The author is speaking in terms of what can be known from observing a person’s behavior.

“Losing our salvation” - 4 basic views of “Falling Away”:

These verses argue that a true believer can fall away and lose their salvation. Link to Heb 3:14

Problem with this view: The evidence of the Christian truly having authentic salvation involves “endurance to the end.” Scripture is clear that one cannot lose their salvation, as evidenced in John 10:27–29 ““My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand;” Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love;” and John 6:39-40, Romans 8:35, Romans 8:38–39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord;” Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus;” 1 Peter 1:3–5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The logic of the argument here follows that those who are hardened or who become hardened give outward evidence that they are not and never have been genuine believers, because genuine believers do not become hardened, they persevere instead to the end.

Most argue that these verses refer to those who may have been professing Christians and even taken part in Christian community, but when they fall away, it is clear they are not true Christians because they have not made a true, saving response to the Gospel, resulting in genuine faith, love and perseverance.

Another view is that the warnings are addressed to true believers, and though they will never completely fall away, the warnings are still the means that God uses to challenge them to persevere in their faith and so to preserve those the Lord has chosen.

The fourth view involves believing that this means a loss of rewards for the Christian.

3. Fruitfulness Fosters Faith

Hebrews 6:7-8

Continues the previous thought to an agricultural illustration. Those who have fallen away are like barren land that does not bear a crop which is useful, but only thorns and thistles (Mat 13:24-30 - the parable of the wheat and weeds).

4. Hope Heralds Endurance

Hebrews 6:9–12 NASB95

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. And 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.

The author follows up the previous dire warning with confidence in the salvation of his audience. Though he warns that some may fall away, he thinks that, generally his readers will not do this. In fact, their lives give evidence of genuine spiritual renewal, for they have “things that belong to salvation.”

The author gives evidence for this belief including the good fruit of their service and the love of the saints.

The purpose of the previous warning, and in fact, the whole letter, is to encourage perseverance until the very end. This demands hope, which is closely tied to faith and enduring patience.

5. Anchor in Adversity

Hebrews 6:13-20

Abraham is offered as an example of one who, through patience and faith, inherited the promises. God’s promises are guaranteed by His own perfectly trustworthy character. Therefore the promise of salvation through Jesus’ high priesthood is a secure and trustworthy hope.

Discuss blessings promised to Abraham Gen 12, 17 and 22)

Oaths were common legal devices in the ancient world, as they are today. Oaths usually appeal to a higher authority for their truthfulness and sincerity. There is no one higher than God, so when God swore the oath to Abraham, they were based on 2 unchangeable attributes of His - His Holiness and the fact that he does not lie. Thus His announcement of the promise is sure. This encourages us to “hold fast to the hope” of God’s promises.

“Inner place behind the curtain” - what is this a reference to? Jesus has gone their before us, on our behalf, having become the perfect High Priest. This, in turn gives us a sure and steadfast anchor for our soul.