Hebrews 3:12-13
What is written? (ESV)
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
What does it say?
Brethern, take great care in case any of you might have an evil, unbelieving heart/mind that leads you to fall away from the living God. Avoid being hardened by sins deceit by encouraging each other every day, as long as you draw breath.
What is its immediate context?
Letter to Jewish Christians that is calling on them to “hold fast” in spite of persecution. The main argument is the “better” things that exist for them through Christ Jesus. Chapter three deals specifically with Jesus’ superiority to Moses himself (vss 1-6) and goes on to compare the followers of Moses to those of Jesus. The writer quotes from Psalms 95:7-11 (vss 7-11) where the writer there uses an even more ancient example from Numbers 14:22 and the wilderness wanderings. He goes on to explain (interpret) those who rebelled (vss 16-19) as those that followed Moses from Egypt but “provoked” God and “sinned”, thereby dying in the wilderness (vss 16-17). As a result, they did not “enter his rest” since they were “disobedient” (vs 18), which is the same as “unbelief” (vs 19).
How Hebrews 3:12-13 is applied across Bible answers
Can one fall from grace?
The Hebrews writer warns "brothers" - those who are currently in the presence of the "living God" - not to "fall away" from Him (e.g fall from grace) by their disobedience.
The entire book of Hebrews is a constant warning against Christians falling from grace. In the context of chapters 3-4, he is warning about not entering heaven due to disobedience, which continues to the end of the book.4
Can our free moral agency be lost?
Christians can become "hardened" by the allure of sin so they should encourage each other every day against this threat.
What is God’s time in relation to man’s?
The Hebrews writer equates "every day" (man's time) as "today" (God's time).
The writer keys on the word "Today" while quoting from an inspired writer approx. 1,000 years prior (Ps 95) making the same point to his audience, who in turn was using an example the people from approx. 1,500 years prior. Over the 2,500 year span (man's time), it is always "Today" (God's time).
