“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)
Is this one verse telling us that if we do not live a HOLY life that we will lose salvation? As with all Scripture, we must not take single verses out of the context of the writer and make it a doctrine, especially when it contradicts so many other Scriptures on salvation as being eternal from the moment of belief on Christ such as John 3:14-18, John 6:37-40, Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5, Colossians 2 and so many others.
What does the writer of Hebrews mean by this one verse then? Well let us start with the proper context. It is set right at the beginning of this chapter. First, Hebrews is written to ALREADY ETERNALLY SAVED –JEWISH– BELIEVERS and the writer uses contrast to the unbelieving Jews. The believing Jews at that time were under enormous pressure from their friends and family and Jewish leaders to return to following the Law of Moses for righteousness. The Jewish believers were going through some serious hardships in persecution and some were considering going back to animal sacrifices as we see in Hebrews 9 and 10. The writer is encouraging them and warning them not to do that because only Christ and HIS act of sacrificial blood atonement justifies a person. In Hebrews 10, we see that Jesus blood sacrifice was ONCE FOR ALL, a FINAL atonement for the sins of the whole world , just as John wrote in 1 John 2:2.
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS:” (Hebrews 10:10 KJV)
Animal sacrifices under the Law of Moses never took away the sins of the Jewish people, it only COVERED them for a time period, which is why they had to repeatedly offer animal sacrifices. But that was just a foreshadowing of what the coming Messiah was to complete in finality. We see this in Hebrews 10,
“For the law having A SHADOW OF GOOD THINGS TO COME, and not the very image of the things, CAN NEVER with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a REMEMBRANCE again made of sins EVERY YEAR. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Animal sacrifices under The Law of Moses was just a foreshadowing of what the Messiah would one day accomplish forever. With this truth of Hebrews in context, let us now go ahead to Hebrews 12,
“LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)
Are you seeing the true context now? Jesus blood sacrifice REPLACED The Law of Moses as a way to be justified with God in salvation. The Jewish people were trying to get their friends and family who became saved through belief in Christ to go back to the Law and animal sacrifices and those considering it were VERY WRONG. Believing that the Law is also required with animal sacrifices is like telling God that Jesus’ sacrifice was not sufficient! GOD FORBID!
In Hebrews 12 the writer is just continuing and trying to encourage these already eternally saved Jewish believers to keep the faith and belief on Christ and not go back to the Law for righteousness. The SIN (notice no ‘s’) is not all kinds of sins. There is only ONE SIN the writer is talking about in the Book of Hebrews and that is the sin of UNBELIEF IN CHRIST. We see this earlier in Hebrews 5 where the writer is showing that some were yet babes in the faith when they should have been more advanced to teach others the Gospel. So in Hebrews 12, the context is encouraging believers with the very foundation of their faith and to keep that foundation of faith while facing the persecution of their Jewish friends and family.
The hardships they were facing and that all believers will face at different varying degrees is never a fun thing to endure is it? Yet, it can make us stringer in the faith and that means we live holier lives as a result do we not? Like the saying goes, ‘What ever does not kill us, makes us stronger!’
This is the proper context of verse 14. It is not about losing salvation (which by the way is not found ANYWHERE in the book of Hebrews as some are teaching without context being used). It is the writer encouraging the Jewish believers of the time of writing to endure the hardships of believing in Christ. Stand firm. And that is a message very relevant to us living in these Last Days of Biblical Prophetical time as well. Today we see the rampant ‘works for salvation’ false gospel spewing from pulpits and it is the ‘other gospel’ Apostle Paul warned us about in Galatians which is to be accursed.
