“But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”— Hebrews 10:38
Few verses in Hebrews raise more questions than this one.
It sounds alarming.
If those who “shrink back” go to destruction, does that mean a genuine believer can lose salvation?
At first glance, it may seem that way.
But one of the most important principles of Bible interpretation is this:
Always let the context determine the meaning.
When we read Hebrews 10 as a whole, we discover that the author’s purpose is not to make believers doubt Christ’s finished work. Rather, he warns about rejecting Christ while encouraging genuine believers to continue trusting Him.
Start at the Beginning of the Chapter
Before we ever reach verse 39, the author has already made some remarkable statements about what Christ accomplished.
Jesus offered Himself as the final sacrifice for sin.
Unlike the Old Testament priests who stood daily offering sacrifices that could never take away sins, Christ offered one sacrifice and then sat down because His work was finished.
The result is astonishing:
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.”— Hebrews 10:14
God also declares:
“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”— Hebrews 10:17
Then comes the conclusion:
“Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”— Hebrews 10:18
Everything in the chapter points to the sufficiency of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice.
The author’s emphasis is confidence—not uncertainty.
Then Comes the Warning
Beginning in verse 26, the tone changes.
The author warns about those who deliberately reject Christ’s sacrifice.
If someone turns away from the only sacrifice capable of removing sin, there is nowhere else to go.
Returning to the Old Covenant sacrifices cannot save because those sacrifices were only shadows pointing to Christ.
The warning is real.
Rejecting Christ leaves only judgment.
But notice what happens next.
The Author Turns to Encourage His Readers
Immediately after the warning, he reminds his readers of their own history.
They had already endured persecution.
They had been publicly insulted.
They had stood beside imprisoned believers.
They had joyfully accepted the loss of their possessions because they knew they possessed something better.
Then he encourages them:
- Do not throw away your confidence.
- You have need of endurance.
- God’s promises are coming.
- The righteous shall live by faith.
Only then do we reach verse 39.
Read Verse 39 Carefully
Notice exactly what the author says.
He does not say:
“You are shrinking back.”
He does not say:
“I think you are headed for destruction.”
Instead, he says:
“But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
That little word “but” changes everything.
The author distinguishes his readers from those described in the warning.
He includes himself with them.
“We are not those people.”
This is not the language of someone expecting believers to fall away.
It is the language of pastoral confidence.
What Does “Destruction” Mean?
The Greek word translated “destruction” is ἀπώλεια (apōleia).
It can mean:
- destruction,
- ruin,
- perishing,
- loss.
The word itself does not specify exactly what kind of destruction is in view.
The context must determine that.
In Hebrews 10, the warning concerns those who reject Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice.
If someone abandons the only sufficient sacrifice for sin, only judgment remains.
That is the destruction the author warns about.
Who Are “Those Who Shrink Back”?
This is the crucial question.
Some understand this verse to mean that genuine Christians can lose their salvation.
Others understand the author to be contrasting two groups:
- those who ultimately reject Christ, and
- those who continue believing.
The second understanding fits the flow of Hebrews particularly well.
Throughout the letter, the author consistently contrasts faith with unbelief.
He is not describing believers who occasionally struggle, doubt, or fail.
He is describing the danger of abandoning Christ altogether.
Then he reassures his readers:
“But we are not among those who do that.”
Hebrews 6 Follows the Same Pattern
This isn’t the first time the author has written this way.
In Hebrews 6, after one of the strongest warning passages in the New Testament, he immediately says:
“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, things that accompany salvation.”
— Hebrews 6:9
The structure is almost identical.
First comes a serious warning.
Then comes confident encouragement.
Hebrews 10 follows the same pattern.
The warning is genuine.
But it is followed by reassurance that the readers belong to those who continue in faith.
The Bridge to Hebrews 11
The chapter divisions in our Bibles can hide the flow of the argument.
Hebrews 10 ends by saying:
“We are those who have faith.”
Then chapter 11 begins:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for…”
The author isn’t changing subjects.
He has just encouraged believers not to throw away their confidence.
Now he spends an entire chapter giving examples of people who continued trusting God through suffering.
Abel.
Noah.
Abraham.
Sarah.
Moses.
They were not perfect people.
But they kept believing God’s promises.
That is the faith Hebrews calls us to imitate.
A Finished-Work Perspective
From a finished-work perspective, Hebrews 10:39 does not undo everything the author has already taught.
Earlier in the same chapter, he says believers have been:
- perfected forever,
- sanctified once for all,
- completely forgiven,
- given direct access to God.
The warning is not that Christ’s sacrifice might fail.
The warning is against abandoning Christ’s sacrifice altogether.
The encouragement is that genuine believers continue placing their confidence in Him.
The Christian life is not sustained by fear of losing salvation.
It is sustained by confidence in the Savior who has already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation.
The Heart of Hebrews 10:39
Hebrews 10:39 is not intended to leave believers wondering whether they will make it.
It is intended to reassure them that they belong to those who continue trusting Christ.
Yes, rejecting Christ leads to destruction.
That warning should never be minimized.
But neither should the encouragement that immediately follows.
The author looks at his readers and says:
“We are not those who shrink back.”
That is a declaration of confidence.
Our assurance is not found in the strength of our grip on Christ.
It is found in the sufficiency of His grip on us.
Because His sacrifice was offered once for all.
Because His work is finished.
Because He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
We continue living by faith—not to keep ourselves saved, but because the One who saved us is completely trustworthy.
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