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Perhaps more than any other New Testament book, Hebrews drives home the possibility that one could stray from the Biblical path and lose his salvation, as the author of this book states the threat of failing to persevere until the end.

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. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 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; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? (Hebrews 2:1-4)

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Hebrews 4:1-2)

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:11)

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:1-8)

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:23-39)

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (Hebrews 12:14-17)

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. (Hebrews 12:25-26)

Certainly we can come up with explanations for these verses and others that also teach the possibility of falling away, explanations that make the verses teach what we want to believe. But the problem is that the many different ways that we can creatively interpret a verse are not actually that important for accurate Biblical interpretation. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:19-21) True Biblical interpretation requires that we look at the Biblical text to see what the meaning of the original author was, not creating our own private interpretation. Certainly there are Biblical passages that are complex and require thought and study to understand. But when we have to consistently override fairly clear verses, making them complex, it is perhaps time for reevaluation of what we thought the Bible said.

For example, take the belief that the warnings in Hebrews about falling away are actually addressed to unsaved people. But notice that the writer addresses the Hebrews as brethren (3:12), speaks of those who fell away after having received the knowledge of the truth (10:26), and shows a man can fail of the grace of God (12:15).

Or take the belief that the people mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6 were “never really saved in the first place.” This is perhaps one of the clearest passages in the Scripture, as the author says that these people were saved in four or five different ways, then specifically says that these people fall away! Yet people apparently think that it is acceptable, for the sake of argument, to go through each one of these and come up with some ingenious theory about how it could somehow apply to an unsaved person—theories that they themselves would probably reject as unscriptural if they did not support the belief that one could not lose his salvation—for example, see Matthew Henry’s assertion that the unsaved “may be made partakers of the Holy Ghost, that is, of his extraordinary and miraculous gifts; they may have cast out devils in the name of Christ, and done many other mighty works. Such gifts in the apostolic age were sometimes bestowed upon those who had no true saving grace.”

The Scripture makes it plain that these people are actually falling away from something that they had once possessed, and it was an apostasy so serious that they would never again be brought to repentance. Not only that, the author is talking to people who he believes to be Christians (verses 9-10), people who he hopes will follow through in this faith (verses 11-12). While he is “persuaded better things of you” (verse 9), he still views it as important that these people “shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (verse 11). As an example, the author gives Abraham: “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” (verse 15).

It’s important that we follow the Scripture to its own meaning. If we shove our meaning on it, we may miss out on the actual truth. In some cases, we could miss a truth that is essential for our salvation.