◄ What Does Hebrews 6:18 Mean? ►

Hebrews is written to seasoned believers who should be increasing in faith, growing in grace, and enlarging their knowledge of the truth. Its original target audience were converted Jews who were finding difficulty in shifting from the pre-Cross dispensation of Law to the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God.

They found it hard to break free from the nation's historic roots in Judaism, which were bound by the old, broken covenant, the sacrifice of animals for the temporary atonement of sin, and continuous condemnation from the Mosaic Law-of-death into the recently birthed freedom of Christianity.

They had to come to terms with the truth that Christ fulfilled the promise of God, given to Abraham, and that due to faith in Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection, they were now ministers of a new and better covenant. They also had to accept that under the New Covenant there was neither Jew nor Gentile - for we are one Body of believers in Christ.

They had to break free of the restrictive rites, rituals, and religiosity that enslaved them under the Law, and they had to embrace the law-of-the-Spirit-of-Life in Christ Jesus. However, this was hard for those early Jewish Christians who wanted to be sure that Jesus - the incarnate Word of God - was the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth.

Hebrews, of course, is also written to every Church-age believer and is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Indeed, it contains valuable information and important instructions on living the Christian life and growing in spiritual stature, to the glory of God. It is also a book that lays great emphasis on faith... faith in the inerrant Word of God, trust in the truth of His Word, and assurance that the things that God has promised are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ.

God, in His grace, has given us two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for Him to lie - the promise and the oath.

The Lord promised Abraham that through his Seed, the whole world would be blessed. This promise was fulfilled some 2000 years later, when the promised Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, was born into the human race to become the sacrifice for sin. He was sent by the Father to be the Jewish Messiah and the Saviour of mankind. He was God incarnate - the Word made flesh, as recorded in holy Writ.

The blessed promise of Jesus, our Messiah was written for us in the Word of God - God's unchanging, unbreakable, authoritative, honourable oath to His people. The Bible is God's pledge of assurance that whatever He has spoken through the Scriptures - both Old and New Testaments, is trustworthy and will certainly take place.

Some, sadly, do not believe God's Word. But unbelief in His Word does not nullify the truth and God has graciously used prophecy to authenticate His revealed Word. He also swore by Himself as to the veracity of holy Scripture.

When we make an oath in a court of law, we place our hand on the Bible as a guarantee that all we speak will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This oath puts an end to all argument because there is nothing greater than the Scriptures, by which we must be judged.

Because God has nothing greater than Himself upon which to swear, He swore by Himself - and God's Word is founded on the unchanging truth of His Name and the veracity of His righteous Nature. God is Holy... and a holy God cannot lie... nor can a God of righteousness contradict His holy Word.

God's Word and the promises it contains are guaranteed to be true, and all who seek to place Church-age believers back under the Law would do well to study the book of Hebrews and take God at His Word - for God has sworn by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for Him to lie. Those that seek to discredit the Scriptures, through a watered-down gospel, for political correctness, to pander the pride of sinful man, or for any other reason - discredit our great Creator and blaspheme His holy name. May we rest upon all His precious promises given to us in the unchanging, authoritative, honourable Word of God.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unchangeable Word, in which it is impossible for You to lie. Thank You for the truth of the Scriptures. Thank You for the great encouragement and hope that we have in Christ. Increase my faith, I pray, and may I live to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN.