Hebrews 6 New International Version (NIV)

6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.3 And God permitting, we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[c] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[d] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Footnotes:

Hebrews 6:1 Or from useless rituals
Hebrews 6:2 Or about baptisms
Hebrews 6:6 Or age, 6 if they fall
Hebrews 6:14 Gen. 22:17

Solely by His grace and mercy, God promised Abraham that He would bless and multiply his descendants. Though this should have been sufficient for Abraham, God knew doubts would enter his mind. And so He also swore an oath to Abraham and his heirs in order to confirm His promise (Heb. 6:17). This oath was made out of the sovereign and loving will of God.

It is important to note that God swore His promise not only to Abraham but also to his heirs. God knew that future generations of His people would be tempted to give up on Him because of the persecution they faced or because of the delay of God’s fulfilling His promise. He knew they would need encouragement to persevere in the midst of such trials and tribulations. This was especially true of the original audience of Hebrews, and it remains true for us two thousand years later as we journey in faith through an unbelieving world.

God, in His great love, provides this encouragement through two unchangeable things: the word of His promise and the oath which confirms that promise (v. 18). Unlike us, God is always truthful. He never lies or breaks His oaths. He always fulfills His promises. His unchangeable word alone should be enough comfort for us. But He adds to it His unchangeable oath so that “we who have fled for refuge” might have all the more incentive to cling to our hope.

John Owen tells us that encouragement means to be comforted and consoled. “This consolation comes from the assurance of faith and our help from God’s promises. This is what relieves our souls of all fears, doubts, and troubles. It either prevents them or is stronger than them. For comfort is the relief for the mind against sorrow and trouble.” The immutability of God’s words and oaths relieves us of fears and troubles. It comforts our sorrow and thereby gives us encouragement and incentive to maintain our faith.

These two unchangeable things encourage those of us who have fled for refuge to hold fast the hope set before us. The hope set before us is our final and complete salvation, that is, the renewal of our bodies and all creation. We have fled for refuge unto Christ, the Guarantor of the better and heavenly city that will descend to earth at the consummation (Rev. 21).

Coram Deo

In this world of decay and death, it can be hard to believe that Christ is going to make all things new. But we can be confident of this renewal because God has given us two unchangeable confirmations of it: His promise and His oath. Remember that God’s faithfulness guarantees that we who have fled for refuge to Christ will be saved.