Hebrews 5:9 [Jesus] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
A ball rolled into the street and a little boy chased after it. His Father yelled stop and the little boy obeyed. A garbage truck ran over the ball, but thankfully, the little boy was saved. Jesus yells stop when he sees us running toward hell. We can listen or keep on going, but he is only the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
One of the best ways to grow as a Christian is to imitate what is best in others. We should not try to imitate anyone perfectly because everyone has faults. But most people have at least one quality worthy of imitation, and they can help us improve.
A young man asked me to study the Bible with him, which we did for about a year. I had greater knowledge, but he had greater passion. He gained the benefit of my knowledge, and I gained the benefit of his passion. It is good to find those who can help us grow, and to imitate what is best in them. Then we will be the kind of person that someone else can imitate.
Hebrews 6:19-20 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.
The anchor is a symbol of stability because it holds a ship in position and keeps it from being dashed on the rocks. But instead of going down, the believer’s anchor goes up to heaven, where it has been secured by Jesus Christ.
There is a military exercise in which a soldier shoots a hook with a light rope to the top of a cliff. If the hook gets hold of something firm, the lightest soldier shimmies to the top. From there he tosses down a heavier rope that has been anchored to something secure. Likewise, Christ entered heaven on our behalf, and secured the way for us. He is an anchor for the soul.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
The night before he was crucified, Jesus said to Simon Peter, I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:32). That very night Peter denied knowing Jesus, not once or twice, but three times with a curse (Matthew 26:69-75). He went outside, wept bitterly, and might have committed suicide along with Judas Iscariott (Matthew 27:5). But because of Jesus’ prayer, Peter recovered and brought many others to faith (Acts 2:38-41).
A young lady from an atheistic country came to Christ at the age of twenty-three. The authorities strapped her into a dental chair and began drilling her teeth until there was nothing left. Since she would not renounce her faith, they put her on a starvation diet, dressed her in a thin cotton gown, and put her in a cold dark cell. Months later, she was still holding on to Christ.
It is hard to imagine how a new believer could persevere under such conditions unless Jesus was praying for her. But he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Hebrews 8:10 I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.
This is a quotation from the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34) regarding the new covenant. The old covenant was summarized on tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18), but the new covenant is internal. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts, said God.
Many years ago, I spoke with a friend who had a strong opinion about abortion. I don’t understand how anyone can see abortion as anything other than murder, he said. When I asked about his opinion before he was a Christian, he said he was in favor of choice. I was not surprised because the same was true for me. But when I came to Jesus Christ, my views abruptly changed—not because of better arguments, but because God put his law inside me. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.
Hebrews 8:10b I will be their God, and they will be my people.
The church is Jesus’ bride (Revelation 19:7), and coming to him is like getting married. We say, in effect, I sinner, take thee Jesus to be my Lord and Savior; to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse. The Lord replies, in effect, I Jesus, take thee sinner, to be my matchless bride; to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse. God becomes our God, and we become his people.
Reflection and Review
Why is obedience necessary for salvation?
Why do we need Christ to pray for us?
How is the new covenant different than the old covenant?