Hebrews 6:12
so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just tell us to imitate the faithful; it reveals that they are actively inheriting the promises now, not just waiting for a future reward. This highlights that faith and patience are not just steps to receiving, but the very way the promises are currently being experienced and realized in life.
The author is urging the readers to move beyond a superficial understanding of Christian faith, calling them to a deeper, more assured hope. Having just reminded them of the spiritual dangers of immaturity, the writer now implores them to actively pursue perseverance by looking to the example of those who have gone before. This verse calls them to imitate those faithful individuals who, through unwavering trust and patient endurance, have ultimately received the fulfillment of God's promises.
Ever feel like you're just going through the motions in your faith? The writer of Hebrews sees that danger and calls for something more dynamic.
The verse starts with a stark warning: 'so that you may not be sluggish.' This isn't just about being lazy; it's about a spiritual dullness that can creep into our lives. It's easy to become inactive, to let our faith become a background hum rather than a driving force.
But the passage doesn't leave us there. It immediately pivots to a positive command: 'but imitators.' This word, 'imitators,' is key. It's not about passively receiving blessings, but actively emulating those who have gone before us. It calls us to look at the lives of faithful believers and learn from their example. They didn't achieve their inheritance by chance or by mere inertia; they actively pursued it.
What's the secret sauce for inheriting God's promises? The Bible points to two essential qualities that work hand-in-hand.
The verse identifies the specific qualities that enable believers to inherit God's promises: 'faith and patience.' These aren't just abstract concepts; they are active forces in the life of a believer.
Faith is the bedrock – trusting in God's promises even when they seem impossible or distant. It's believing God's Word and resting on His character.
Patience, often translated as 'long-suffering' or 'endurance,' is the steadfastness that accompanies faith. It's the ability to wait on God's timing, to persevere through trials and difficulties without giving up. Think of it as faith under pressure. It's the quiet, determined journey of waiting for God's fulfillment, knowing He is faithful.
These two qualities aren't separate but intertwined. True faith naturally leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance strengthens our faith.
Do we only get God's promises in heaven? This verse suggests the inheritance begins much sooner than we might think.
Understand the original words
nōthros · Greek Adjective
Lacking diligence, lazy, or dull. It denotes a spiritual state of negligence or lethargy in regard to the things of God.
pistis · Greek Noun
The reliance upon God’s character and revelation. It is the active, responsive trust that manifests in obedience and persevering allegiance to Christ.
makrothumia · Greek Noun
The capacity to remain steadfast and endure under pressure, trials, or waiting without losing hope or falling into despair. It is a quality of God's people as they await the completion of His work.
klēronomeō · Greek Verb
The reception of the inheritance or blessing promised by God. It signifies the secure possession or arrival at the fruition of what God has guaranteed.
The author urges Jewish Christians, who are facing immense pressure and spiritual weariness, to remember the faithful endurance of their ancestors like Abraham. These ancient figures clung to God's promises through incredible hardship, demonstrating a profound faith and long-suffering that ultimately led to their inheritance.
c. 2000 BC
God promises Abraham a great nation
God makes profound promises to Abraham, including a vast lineage and blessings for all nations through him.
c. 1400 BC
Israel inherits the land of Canaan
After generations of slavery and wandering, the Israelites finally enter and possess the promised land, fulfilling part of God's covenant with Abraham.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and exile much of the population, leaving the promises seemingly unfulfilled.
c. 539 BC
Persian Empire allows Jewish return
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon and allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, a partial fulfillment of prophecy.
This passage details God's promise to Abraham after his obedience, highlighting the inheritance of blessings and the blessing of nations through his lineage, a foundational example of inheriting promises through faith and patience.
Romans 4:18-21Paul explicitly discusses Abraham's faith in God's promises, emphasizing that he 'against all hope, in hope believed,' demonstrating the core concept of unwavering faith in the face of impossibility, mirroring the faith that inherits promises.
Hebrews 11:8-10This chapter lists Abraham as a prime example of faith, noting that he went to a land he would inherit, looking forward to a heavenly city, illustrating the 'faith and patience' required to inherit divine promises that extend beyond the immediate.
Hebrews 10:36This verse directly exhorts believers to 'endure, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised,' directly linking patient endurance with the reception of promises, echoing the theme in Hebrews 6:12.
James 1:3-4James connects the testing of faith with the production of steadfastness, stating that 'let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking anything,' which beautifully parallels the idea that patient endurance (steadfastness) leads to the full realization of God's purposes, analogous to inheriting promises.
ellicottHebrews 6:12: "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
(12) That ye be not slothful. —Rather, that ye become not sluggish. The same word is used as in Hebrews 5:11 , there applied to apprehension of truth, here to the Christian hope and life; if the truth be not welcomed, there will be no vigour in the life. Followers.—Better, imitators. (Comp. Hebrews 13:7; 1Corinthians 11:1, et al.). They are not the first to whom “hope” has been gi…
pooleHebrews 6:12: "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
That ye be not slothful: if you will be diligent, away with sloth: you are inclined to it, Hebrews 5:11 , and though you be quick in affection, yet slow in understanding the mysteries of God; and though you have laboured, yet not with that intense labour to which he here presseth them, even to an utter abolition of all the degrees of sloth. But followers of them; mimhtai, strictly…
The verse doesn't just tell us to imitate the faithful; it reveals that they are actively inheriting the promises now, not just waiting for a future reward. This highlights that faith and patience are not just steps to receiving, but the very way the promises are currently being experienced and realized in life.
The author is urging the readers to move beyond a superficial understanding of Christian faith, calling them to a deeper, more assured hope. Having just reminded them of the spiritual dangers of immaturity, the writer now implores them to actively pursue perseverance by looking to the example of those who have gone before. This verse calls them to imitate those faithful individuals who, through unwavering trust and patient endurance, have ultimately received the fulfillment of God's promises.
The author is urging the readers to move beyond a superficial understanding of Christian faith, calling them to a deeper, more assured hope. Having just reminded them of the spiritual dangers of immaturity, the writer now implores them to actively pursue perseverance by looking to the example of those who have gone before. This verse calls them to imitate those faithful individuals who, through unwavering trust and patient endurance, have ultimately received the fulfillment of God's promises.
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The verse speaks of those who 'through faith and patience inherit the promises.' The word 'inherit' here, especially with the present tense participle used in some translations and interpretations, points to something that is already happening.
While the ultimate, full inheritance of eternal life and heavenly glory is a future reality (the 'full assurance of hope unto the end' mentioned in the previous verse), the process of inheriting has begun. Believers today are already experiencing aspects of God's promises: spiritual blessings, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a transformed relationship with God, and participation in His divine nature.
This present inheritance is a foretaste and a pledge of the future glory. It means that the promises of God are not just distant hopes, but tangible realities that we can experience now, fueled by our faith and patient endurance.
epaggelia · Greek Noun
A solemn declaration or divine commitment to perform a specific action or provide a blessing. God’s promises are guaranteed by His unchanging nature and truthfulness.
1st Century AD
The Roman occupation of Judea
The Roman Empire controls Judea, imposing taxes and governance, a reality that contrasts sharply with the promised future kingdom of God.
c. AD 60-65— this verse
Writing of the Book of Hebrews
The author of Hebrews writes to Jewish believers facing persecution and potential spiritual burnout, urging them to persevere in their faith.
"so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." — The verse doesn't just tell us to imitate the faithful; it reveals that they are actively inheriting the promises now, not just waiting for a future reward. This highlights that faith and patienc…
