> Scripture implores us to examine our faith, for is it not written that faith without works is dead? Belief and obedience hold a central place in the life of a professing Christian, serving as the foundation for a genuine relationship with Christ. True Christianity is not merely about outward declarations or identifying with a religious title; it is about a transformed heart and life that reflect faith and submission to God’s will. While many may claim the label of “Christian,” Scripture emphasizes that only those who truly know Christ and follow His commandments are counted as His disciples.
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
— Hebrews 3:12
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A Biblical Warning Against Apostasy and a Comfort for the Truly Faithful.
1. The Dual Message of Hebrews: A Warning and a Promise
The Epistle to the Hebrews holds a solemn warning: it is possible to be among God’s people outwardly and yet harden one’s heart inwardly through unbelief.
Ancient Israel tragically illustrates this danger. Though they witnessed God’s power in Egypt, walked through the Red Sea, and tasted His provision in the wilderness, they perished outside the Promised Land because of unbelief leading to disobedience (Hebrews 3:18–19).
Yet, to believers who persevere in faith, Hebrews offers equally rich assurance:
“For we which have believed do enter into rest.”
— Hebrews 4:3
2. The Nature of Apostasy: A Heart That Turns Away
Apostasy is not an accidental slip; it is a progressive departure from trust in the living God. It begins quietly — with spiritual neglect, then compromise, and finally rejection. The warning is not about losing salvation (for true believers are kept by Christ), but about exposing a heart that never truly believed.
John Calvin urged:
“It is not enough that we once embraced the truth, unless we continue steadfast in it; for the faith which does not persevere is not genuine.”
(Commentary on Hebrews 3:14)
In other words, faith that fails to persevere reveals itself as false faith.
Realistic Examples
- The Complacent Believer: A churchgoer enjoys Christian fellowship but slowly replaces prayer with entertainment and excuses sin as “just being human.” When hardship comes, they silently drift from Christ.
- The Cultural Christian: Raised in a Christian home, this person identifies with the faith outwardly but never truly trusts in Christ personally. When faith becomes costly socially or morally, they abandon it.
- The Hardened Heart: Once active and zealous, someone grows bitter after an unanswered prayer or personal tragedy, concluding God cannot be trusted. Over time, disbelief replaces devotion.
These scenarios mirror Israel’s wilderness experience — outward participation without inward faith.
3. The Security of Genuine Believers
While warnings are real, so is God’s preserving grace. The same Scripture that warns also comforts those who truly believe.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
— John 10:27–28
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
— Philippians 1:6
John Owen writes:
“Though believers are exhorted to take heed, yet their preservation depends not on themselves, but on the faithfulness of God, who will not suffer them finally to depart from Him.”
(Exposition of Hebrews, Vol. 3)
Meaning: True believers are secure not because they never stumble, but because God’s Spirit keeps them persevering in faith and repentance.
4. The Call to Self-Examination
Scripture invites sober self-examination — not paralyzing fear.
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”
— 2 Corinthians 13:5
Signs of genuine faith include:
- A continual turning from sin to Christ.
- A heart sensitive to conviction, not hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
- A persevering trust in God’s promises, even through doubt or suffering.
- A love for Christ and His people that endures trials.
Where these marks exist, assurance may flourish — for such faith is born of the Spirit.
5. Loving Warnings and Confident Assurance
R.C. Sproul wisely observed:
“The perseverance of the saints is not our grip on God but His grip on us. Yet the command to persevere is His means of keeping us faithful.”
(Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology)
Therefore, the believer’s confidence and the warning to endure coexist beautifully:
- The warning keeps us watchful.
- The promise keeps us peaceful.
Or, as Augustine summarized:
“God commands what we cannot do, that we may know what we ought to seek from Him.”
6. A Final Charge
The church today faces the same temptation as Israel — to take God’s grace for granted while our hearts drift toward unbelief. Let us heed the Spirit’s voice:
“Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
— Hebrews 3:15
Yet let believing hearts take comfort:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life… shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 8:35–39
Conclusion: Take Heed and Take Heart
The message of Hebrews remains timeless:
- Take heed—lest unbelief harden your heart.
- Take heart—for God keeps those who are truly His.
Faithful perseverance is not human achievement but divine preservation.
And the One who calls His sheep to vigilance also carries them safely to His eternal rest.
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.”
— Hebrews 4:11
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