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go on unto perfection produce "the better things, even those things which accompany
salvation although we thus speak" (verse 9). The word "accompany" is a rendering of
the middle voice of echo, "to have, to hold". So in Mark 1: 38, "next towns", and
Luke 13: 33, "the day following". The epistle to the Hebrews does not deal with
salvation, but the things that accompany it; not the "resurrection of the dead" (6: 2) but
the "better resurrection"; not the exodus from Egypt, but the entrance of the land of
promise; not justification by faith, but the emphasis upon the fact that the just shall live
by faith. We find the distinction observed in 6: 9 and throughout the chapter. May we,
called though we are with a different calling, produce the better things, even those things
that "follow" or "go with salvation".
No.34.
The work that perfects faith (6: 10).
pp. 108 - 117
The Apostle, though uttering the terrible warnings against apostasy, hastens to tell his
readers that though he thus speaks, he is persuaded that they possess those things that
accompany salvation. He now proceeds to unfold these "better things that accompany
salvation" and to consider them from various points of view. It is evident from the very
next verse (10) what these "better things" include.
"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have
shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister"
(Heb. 6: 10).
In 10: 22-24 we have a somewhat similar passage. There we have "full assurance of
faith"; in 6: 9-11 we have "full assurance of hope". In the former the exhortation is
based upon the fact that "He is faithful that promised", whilst in the latter we are told that
"God is not unrighteous to forget your work", etc., and moreover that "He sware by
himself" (verse 13) to make the assurance of hope doubly sure. In the former the
believers are exhorted to "provoke unto love and good works", whilst in the latter "your
work and love unto His name" is remembered. The things that accompany salvation are
those things that indicate the perfecting of faith. We have only to remember Jas. 2: 17,
where we learn that "faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone". The great
illustration of James 2: is the faith of Abraham, but not the faith of Gen. 15: when
Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness, but the faith of
Gen. 22: when Abraham was willing to offer up his beloved son. Of this James says:
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed
unto him for righteousness" (James 2: 22, 23).
We are here upon exactly the same ground as in Heb. 6: The things that accompany
salvation are those things that "perfect faith". The perfected faith "fulfilled" the promise
of its inception. Gen. 15: 6 was filled out when Abraham's faith manifested itself in
acceptable works. If we glance to the end of Heb. 6:, we shall find that the same