See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
In the book of Hebrews – our Sunday morning diet at StAG this year – we encounter both wonderful promises and solemn warnings. In particular, as in the verse above, the pastor who writes warns his readers against turning away from God. Later on (6:6) he calls this falling away. Indeed, the whole pastoral aim of the book seems to be to encourage perseverance rather than drifting or shrinking back. Apostasy is a real and present danger.
But can such warnings really and meaningfully be given to real Christians? What about God’s promises to keep us?
Some say, yes, real Christians can fall away. This stems from the theological viewpoint called “Arminianism”, in which there is less emphasis on God’s predestinating grace and more on our human response. And without doubt in Hebrews the warnings are addressed to those the writer calls brothers and sisters – as above – and, indeed, he includes himself (let us be careful – 4:1).
But others – from a more theologically Reformed stance – point to the sure promises of God and the glorious truth that He chose us in Him before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). How, then, could a true Christian possibly fall away? They explain the warnings as addressed collectively to a mixed congregation, including some who are not real Christians and some who are. Or, it is argued, you may have a real experience of Christ through being part of a living church, without ever being personally converted – and that these are those who “fall away”.
New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner has wrestled with this issue – both in a larger book and in his commentary on Hebrews. He gives us a fresh perspective: the warnings are God’s way of keeping His people. These warnings are always effective in the lives of those whom God has chosen. They do not nullify God’s promises; they are God’s means of keeping us to the end.
He gives a fascinating example of the interaction between a divine promise and a warning in the book of Acts. Paul and 275 others are on a ship bound for Rome, caught in a violent Mediterranean storm. After two weeks both crew and passengers had given up hope of survival. But just then, an angel appeared to Paul to promise that they’d all be kept safe.
Job done? No. Not long afterwards, approaching rocks on a windward coast, some of the sailors decide to jump into the ship’s lifeboat. But Paul says “Unless these men stay with the ship, they cannot be saved.” (Acts 27:21-32). His warning was heeded, the sailors remained, and they all reached shore safely. The warning was the instrument by which God delivered on the promise.
If, today, we belong to Jesus, we are inheritors of marvellous promises of assurance by God. But if, today, we belong to Jesus, we’ll also heed His warnings. They are given by our loving God for our protection!
