Guilt, Grace, Gratitude: A Reformed Look at Hebrews

Join Rev. Chris Gordon (Escondido URC, Westminster Seminary Graduate) and Dr. Steve Baugh (Professor Emeritus, Westminster Seminary California) as they delve into the Book of Hebrews. They discuss the central theme: the call for persevering faith in Christ alone. Dr. Baugh explains how Hebrews addresses attempts to add to the gospel, particularly concerning Christ's sacrifice, arguing that adding anything—like ancient animal sacrifices or even later concepts like the Mass as sacrifice or Purgatory—constitutes apostasy, a rejection of Christ's completed work. Rev. Gordon emphasizes the pastoral nature of Hebrews and how even modern evangelicals can be guilty of adding to the cross. They explore the book's stern pastoral warnings, drawing parallels like Judas and Esau, not to cause despair, but to highlight the danger of unbelief and the need for endurance. The discussion touches on how Reformed theology, particularly the structure of Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude, is influenced by Hebrews. Ultimately, they find that Hebrews, while containing warnings, is a book of hope and assurance, grounding believers firmly in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and God's sworn oath, not in the believer's own efforts or repentance.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:04:50 - Objective of Hebrews: Persevering Faith
00:21:40 - Pastoral Warnings in Hebrews
00:28:18 - The Core Issue is Unbelief
00:32:20 - Examining the Fifth Warning (Hebrews 12:14-17)

Tags:
#hebrews #perseverance #faith #apostasy #reformedtheology #christalone #assurance #pastoralministry #westminsterseminary #stevebaugh #chrisgordon #sacrifice #gospel #sanctification #christianity

Rev. Dr. S. M. Baugh is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California, where he taught Greek and New Testament from 1983–2021. He is author of two grammars of New Testament Greek, a contributor to the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, the commentary on Ephesians in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series, The Majesty of High (on the Kingdom of God), and numerous articles. He is a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.