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FAQ # 66
QUESTION 66 : What about Heb 12:15, “lest
any man fail of the grace of God;” clearly one can loose their salvation
because of sin?
Again
lets have the verse in context before us, then give the summation of what
it was saying rather than quote a section and make a summation. Hebrew
12:1-16:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great
a cloud of witnesses, 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; 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction
of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 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: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with
you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But
if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye
bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which
corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be
in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for
a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit,
that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned
out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently
lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing
up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator,
or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
Again
this is a verse that is not understood. Paul wasn’t telling them that
they are going to loose their salvation because of sin. But rather when
you sin and God chasten you sore because of it, don’t give up faith; or
as stated, “lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Because if God
chastens you it means you are his beloved sons; or as stated, “God dealeth
with you as with sons” and to be a regenerated son meant that you are
saved (Gal 4:7). Apparently someone or a number of persons had sinned
and God through a Preacher was sharply rebuking their behavior and the
fleshly thing to do is get upset after much of it. Paul quickly stepped
in and encourage them not to give up when God is chasten you, but rather
straighten up, because by your ‘wobbly’ walk many that could be saved
will be turned away. He said, “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang
down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, [WHY?]
lest that which is lame [sinners] be turned out of the way” (Verse 12-13).
In other words, stop the sinning when rebuked or as Torrey’s Topical Text
book puts it, “To be refrained from evil.” Why in this case? Because unsaved
onlookers will be turn away from the faith that promises freedom from
sin, seeing you sinning; or as Psalms 1 puts it, “to stand in the way
of sinners.”
Then
verses 15-16 from your question strengthen this when it said,
“[1]Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace
of God; [2] lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble
you, and thereby many be defiled. [3] Lest there be any fornicator,
or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
Lest
any anger stir in you and many be defiled. The "many" here are
the sinners looking on whom because of your sin turn away or wouldn’t
have a chance to experience salvation and thus they “fail of the grace
of God.” Or, by your actions they turn away and failed to “taste and see”
God’s grace. Then he said in verse 16; “Lest there be any fornicator,
or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
Torrey’s Topical Text book has verse 16 to mean “heedfulness Against sin;”
as all the Apostles warn the “SAINTS” against in their epistles, but didn’t
say they lost their salvation because of it, but rather “if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1).
Here
Esau was used because the Lord was chastening them, “despise not thou
the chastening of the Lord” (verse 5). Because of this they would
become weary like Esau and do something as stupid as give up faith, “nor
faint when thou art rebuked of him” (verse 5). Unlike what most think,
Esau was not a glutton, but he was actually extremely exhausted to the
point that he thought he was going to die so instinctively he would do
anything to prevent death and the only thing presented was to sell his
birthright for food; Jacob then could be considered “evil one.” Similarly,
because of the chastening of the Lord we can become extremely exhausted
and satan will present a means to ease that by leaving the faith. This
is the only man God cannot help, so to speak, a man without faith. That’s
the reason faith in justification is important, because it makes it plain
that no matter what you are going through or have done, God loves you
and will always accept you; you are his beloved son, perfectly righteous
and holy by the finish work of Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul didn’t tell
them that they are going to loose their salvation because of sin, but
rather, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of [offspring of]
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Verse 11).
Part 2
Verses
15 to 16 is one sentence and thus one statement separated by semicolons
(;).
“[1] Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace
of God; [2] lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble
you, and thereby many be defiled; [3] Lest there be any fornicator,
or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
Therefore you have [1], [2] and [3] sections in one sentence. In other
words, by your sin you cause others not to come to God and you leave God
(so to speak) because he’s chastening you for it. Nevertheless, I’m persuaded
that no one pulled by God can be discouraged from coming to God very long,
and no one saved by God will he let go that easy, example me. After all,
he is our Father “that is able to keep you from falling [even to doubt],
and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion
and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25). Which father ever
beating his 5 year old son and the son gets upsets walking out the door,
will he let leave. I remember my mother gave me a good spanking around
8 years olds and I packed a bag walking through the door saying I’m running
away. I got another spanking and had to stay inside. Reader, we are children,
that’s why I put in brackets - so to speak - as if we can leave God because
he’s chastening us. Will he ever put more on us than we can bear?
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