For a paperback book in outline form which addresses over 150 difficult verses that Arminians use against Sovereign Grace, check out: Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace: Rooting Arminianism Out of Every Verse.
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Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace
115. Heb 2:1-3
A. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2) For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3) How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;" (Heb 2:1-3)
B. Is this passage teaching that we can lose our eternal salvation if we neglect it?
i. No, it doesn't say anything about losing one's eternal salvation.
ii. Furthermore, eternal salvation/life is eternal and can't be lost (Joh 6:39; Joh 10:28). (See Section II,7,A on Eternal Salvation)
C. Heb 2:1-3 is stating that we will not escape judgment and punishment if we neglect the word of God given in the New Testament.
i. The word spoken by angels was the Old Testament (Heb 2:2 c/w Gal 3:19 & Act 7:53).
ii. The things that we have heard (Heb 2:1) was the gospel of our great salvation in Christ which was first spoken by Christ and then by the apostles (Heb 2:3).
iii. The Lord bore witness to the testimony of the apostles by accompanying their preaching by signs and wonders (Heb 2:4 c/w Mar 16:20), which makes it that much more steadfast.
iv. The New Testament is a better testament built on better promises (Heb 7:22; Heb 8:6).
v. It is a more sure word of prophecy than was the Old Testament (2Pe 1:19).
vi. Paul's point was that if God judged every transgression of the law of Moses, which was inferior to the NT which is far better and declares our great salvation in Christ, then we will not escape judgment from God for neglecting His commandments in the NT and letting them slip (Heb 2:1-3 c/w Heb 12:24-29).
vii. To whom much is given, much is required (Luk 12:47-48).
D. If we sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, God will judge certainly and severely, and no temporal forgiveness will be given (Heb 10:26-31).
i. Non-presumptuous sins can be forgiven by God under both testaments.
a. Under the law of Moses, if a person sinned ignorantly there could be an offering for sin made which would pardon the offence (Num 15:27-29).
b. The same principle applies under the NT: if we sin and then confess it to God, He will forgive it (1Jo 1:9).
ii. Sinning intentionally against better knowledge is called a presumptuous sin and it is dealt with by God quite differently under both testaments.
a. Under the law of Moses, if a person sinned a presumptuous sin, no sacrifice could be offered and the person would die without mercy (Num 15:30-31 c/w Heb 10:28).
1. If a righteous man turned from his righteousness and intentionally committed sin, his righteousness would not be remembered and he would die (Eze 18:24).
2. God judged the house of Eli and would not allow a sacrifice to be made for it because he knew about his sons' sins and did nothing about it (1Sa 3:13-14).
b. The same principle still holds true in the NT: if we sin willfully (presumptuously), there will be no temporal forgiveness for sin from God, but rather sore punishment from God (Heb 10:26-31).
1. To sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth is to disrespect the Son of God and His blood which He shed for us and it will be met with a sorer punishment than a similar sin would have under the law of Moses (Heb 10:29), for to whom much is given, much shall be required (Luk 12:47-48).
2. This happened to Ananias and Sapphira when they intentionally lied to God (Act 5:1-10).
3. Our God is still a consuming fire not to be trifled with (Heb 12:29).
c. The specific sin under consideration in Heb 10:26-39 is forsaking the church of God, the assembling of ourselves together (Heb 10:25).
1. We enter into the kingdom of God through much tribulation (Act 14:22).
2. This can include affliction, reproach, ostracism, and loss of wealth or possessions (Heb 10:32-34).
3. There is a promise of reward for those who persevere in faith unto the end (Heb 10:35-36 c/w Rom 2:6-7 c/w 2Ti 4:7-8).
4. But God doesn't have pleasure in those who draw back and forsake His church (Heb 10:38), and therefore He will chasten them (Heb 12:4-11; Luk 12:47-48).
5. God's children believe to (towards and reaching) the saving of the soul (Heb 10:39).
i. Believers are already saved and have eternal life (Joh 5:24; Act 13:39).
ii. Therefore they don't believe to get their soul saved; they believe towards it.
iii. They who believe have the evidence that their soul will not come into condemnation on judgment day (Joh 5:24; Rom 5:9-10; Heb 9:28 c/w Heb 10:37).
d. If a child of God sins willfully, temporal forgiveness will be withheld from him and judgment will follow in this life, but he still has eternal forgiveness which cannot be lost (Heb 9:12).
e. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:38-39) and nothing can pluck us out of God's hand (Joh 10:28-29).
For a master copy of the outline, click here:
Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace
