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The Peril of Falling Away

¹ Therefore ^(C1)leaving ^(C2)the ^(F1)elementary teaching about the ^(F2)Christ, let us press on to ^(F3)(C3)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(C4)dead works and of faith toward God,² of ^(C1)instruction about washings and ^(C2)laying on of hands, and the ^(C3)resurrection of the dead and ^(C3)eternal judgment.³ And this we will do, ^(C1)if God permits.⁴ For in the case of those who have once been ^(C1)enlightened and have tasted of ^(C2)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(C3)partakers of the Holy Spirit,⁵ and ^(C1)have tasted the good ^(C2)word of God and the powers of ^(C3)the age to come,⁶ and then have fallen away, it is ^(C1)impossible to renew them again to repentance, ^(F1)(C2)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often ^(F1)falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those ^(C1)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^(C1)close ^(F1)to being cursed, and ^(F2)it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

⁹ But, ^(C1)beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that ^(F1)accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.¹⁰ For ^(C1)God is not unjust so as to forget ^(C2)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ^(C3)ministered and in still ministering to the ^(F1)saints.¹¹ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence ^(F1)so as to realize the ^(C1)full assurance of ^(C2)hope until the end,¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but ^(C1)imitators of those who through ^(C2)faith and patience ^(C3)inherit the promises.

¹³ For ^(C1)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He ^(C2)swore by Himself,¹⁴ saying, "^(C1)I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU."¹⁵ And so, ^(C1)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.^16 (C1)For men swear by ^(F1)one greater than themselves, and with them ^(C2)an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.^17 (F1)In the same way God, desiring even more to show to ^(C1)the heirs of the promise ^(C2)the unchangeableness of His purpose, ^(F2)interposed with an oath,¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(C1)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have ^(F1)taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of ^(C2)the hope set before us.^19 (F1)This ^(C1)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which ^(C2)enters ^(F2)within the veil,^20 (C1)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(C2)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.