Some who have accepted the idea that one saved in Christ can never be lost have used this passage (Heb. 7:25) to support such a contention. The verse says, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them:" The fact that Christ continueth ever as a priest, He is able to cave completely and make intercession. The running contrast` in the Hebrew letter of the inability of the sacrificed animals to save with the ability of Christ to save completely is the climaxes at this point. Christ is truly able to save all the same way - those who come to God by Him. One denominational preacher commenting on this verse wrote, "In short, Christ crucified paid for our salvation; Christ risen will surely collect what He paid for."

Jesus Christ did "taste death for every man" (Heb. 2:9), but is this fact cause to make us conclude that all will be saved? A sinner has the power of choice to reject the blood of Christ, and Christians are warned against counting "the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing" (Heb. 10:29). The fact that Jesus died to save all does not teach universal salvation. The Bible plainly says "many" will be lost (Matt. 7:13, 14). Well, if Christ died for all, but many of the all will be lost; universalism is not true. So, what does the preacher mean "Christ risen will surely collect what He paid for"? It is an abortive attempt to make the word of God teach that once one is saved he can never be lost.

Though Christ died to save all, He imposes that His gospel be preached unto all (Mk. 16:15., 16) because all have sinned (Rom. 3:23). This gospel he sealed through His death and by it we are sanctified (Heb. 10:10). This gospel is God's power to save the ones who believe it (Rom. 1:16, 17). Those who believe and obey this gospel (Rom. 1:16; 2 Thess. 1:7-9) are saved and the Lord adds them to His church (Acts 2:38-47). Jesus called this the new birth and entrance into the kingdom, saying, "Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). But Jesus said some in the kingdom would be gathered out of the kingdom and cast into fire (Matt. 13:41, 42). Only the born again are in the kingdom, but some will be gathered out and burned!

Truth Magazine XXIV: 15, p. 250
April 10, 1980