The so-called “scary verses” of Hebrews 6 have long unsettled believers, as if the security of our salvation hangs by a thread, always at risk of being severed by a moment’s weakness or doctrinal misstep. But this anxiety betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of both the covenant and the heart of God. The warnings in Hebrews are not threats to cast off the justified, nor are they a sword dangling over the heads of sons and heirs. Rather, they are the urgent exhortations of a faithful Shepherd, calling us to maturity, discernment, and perseverance in the finished work of Christ.
From Milk to Maturity: The Call to Grow Up
The writer of Hebrews exposes a perennial problem: spiritual immaturity. Many remain spiritual babes, endlessly circling the elementary questions—“Am I really saved? Has God truly forgiven me?”—never moving beyond the foundation. This is not harmless; it is dangerous. To remain a babe is to be vulnerable, “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine,” easily swept away by the traditions of men and the latest religious fad. This instability is not a minor flaw; it is a direct result of neglecting the riches of Christ and the inheritance secured for us.
But God’s design is not perpetual infancy. The discipline of the Lord—His wise, loving training through trials—is not punitive, but purposeful. It is the tool by which He sharpens our senses, teaching us to discern good from evil and to stand firm in the gospel. Spiritual maturity, then, is not sinless perfection, but a conscience cleansed by Christ’s blood, emboldened to draw near to God as a son, not a slave.
- Abiding in Christ is the means by which we are kept steadfast, unmoved by false doctrine.
- The Lord’s discipline is a positive instrument, producing discernment and maturity.
- Spiritual immaturity is a negative condition, leaving us exposed to error and instability.
- Perseverance in faith is the good fruit of growing in the knowledge and confidence of Christ.
The Real Danger: Neglecting What Is Ours
The warnings of Hebrews 6 are not threats of losing salvation for the true believer. The text itself makes this clear: “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9). The peril is not that God will revoke what He has promised and accomplished in Christ, but that we might squander the enjoyment and fruitfulness of our inheritance by refusing to move on to maturity.
If we accept the error that these warnings mean salvation can be lost, we lose everything that matters: the assurance of justification, the boldness of sonship, and the confidence of inheritance. The gospel collapses into a treadmill of self-effort and fear, and the finished work of Christ is rendered insufficient. This is not a secondary issue—it is salvific. To teach that the justified can be lost is to undermine the very foundation of the new covenant.
God’s Faithfulness Secures the Heirs
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love (Hebrews 6:10). He remembers, He rewards, and He keeps. The warnings are given not to terrify the sheep, but to rouse them from complacency, to urge them onward into the full enjoyment of what Christ has secured. The discipline of the Lord is evidence of sonship, not a threat to it. Trials are not signs of rejection, but of God’s commitment to our growth.
To abide in Christ is to remain anchored in the gospel, immune to the shifting winds of human tradition. To grow in understanding is to become stable, mature, and fruitful. The believer who perseveres in faith does so not by his own strength, but by the preserving grace of God, who finishes what He begins.
The Anchor Within the Veil
The exhortation of Hebrews is not to keep returning to the altar, questioning whether we belong. Christ, our High Priest, has entered within the veil as our forerunner. By two immutable things—God’s promise and His oath—we have a strong consolation, a hope that anchors the soul (Hebrews 6:18-19). The call is to approach the throne of grace boldly, as sons and heirs, confident in the blood that speaks better things.
Let the warnings of Hebrews drive you, not to fear, but to vigilance and perseverance. Refuse to remain in immaturity. Press on to maturity, knowing that God Himself is committed to your growth and security in Christ. The finished work is your anchor; your inheritance is sure. Do not settle for less. To accept any doctrine that makes your salvation precarious is to forfeit the very rest, confidence, and joy that Christ died to secure.
Rest, then, in the faithfulness of God. Persevere, not to keep yourself saved, but because you are saved, kept, and loved. This is the strong consolation of the heirs of promise.
