Hebrew 6:18

NASB – in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.

NKJV – That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

As usual I will be using the 1977 version of the NASB for my text so the “two immutable things” in the NKJV are, in the NASB, “two unchangeable things.”

Once again the answer is in the context of the passage so lets look at the immediate context and let that determine our answer.

Hebrews 6:13 to 20:

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU, AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." And thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Notice that this section of scripture begins by addressing God’s promise made to Abraham.  Additionally, in making the promise God ensured the promise by swearing to Abraham that the promise would be fulfilled.

This goes back to Genesis 22 where God tested Abraham by telling Abraham to offer Abraham’s only son, Isaac, as an offering to God Himself.  Abraham traveled to the mount to which God directed him and once there, “built the altar there, and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.  And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” (Genesis 22:9 & 10).  God, of course, stayed Abraham’s hand and provided a ram which Abraham promptly sacrificed to the LORD.  Abraham called the place, “The LORD Will Provide,” Genesis 22:14.

Now, look what is recorded in Genesis 15 to 18:

Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.  And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Two “things” are involved in this passage in Genesis 22:1 to 18.  First is the oath given by God in verse 16, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD” and the second is the promise which is being made and by which the oath is being given as assurance: “I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.  And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice" verses 17 & 18.

Now, back to Hebrews.  Hebrews 6:13 begins by recalling to mind what had occurred in Genesis 22:16 to 18 when the Hebrew writer says, “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”  That recalls the oath of Genesis 22.

Hebrews 6:15 says, “ And thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.”  This indicates Abraham “patiently waited” and “obtained the promise.”  This then recalls the promise AND the fulfillment of that promise made to Abraham.

The Hebrew writer then says in Hebrews 6:17, “In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath.”  That is, just as God swore His promise to Abraham, so God has also sworn “to the heirs of the promise.”

Who are “the heirs of the promise”?  Here we need to consider carefully several verses.

Hebrews 6:11 & 12 – And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 11:9 – By faith he [Abraham – jrr] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

Romans 8:16 & 17 – The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

Galatians 3:29 – And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

James 2:5 – Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

I Peter 3:7 – You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

These verses show us that WE – CHRISTIANS – are heirs just as were Abraham’s immediate, physical child Isaac and Isaac’s immediate, physical child, Jacob (later Israel).  And we have a promise given to us and “certified” to us, just as the promise given to Abraham was “certified to him by an oath from God, with an oath from God.

Read John 3:1 to 15 where Jesus confronts Nicodemus.  Jesus said, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and then, when Nicodemus balks, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” meaning that if one is born, born of water and the Spirit, again that one can see, that one can enter the kingdom of God.  Pay attention to the promise implied here, IF you ae born again you can see – that is enter the kingdom of God.

In John 4:1 to 42 Jesus confronts a Samaritan woman and tells here in John 4:13 & 14, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”  Again, notice the promise, “Drink the water I, Jesus, provide and it will be a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

In John 6:1 to 22 Jesus was teaching “the multitude” when some Jews heard Jesus say, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” and took issue with Him.  Then is John 6:47 to 51 Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”  Again, notice the promise, anyone who eats of the bread that came down out of heaven – Jesus – shall live forever.

I could go on and on with verses that show Jesus promised salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, etc.  The point is that in Hebrews, the writer is explaining that just as God promised and then swore to Abraham so now, through Jesus, God has made the promise of eternal life, salvation, however you desire to express it, to those who do His bidding and, just as with Abraham, He has sworn by Himself that His promises are true.

So the two immutable or unchangeable things are God’s oath and His promise: neither of which can be changed, forgotten, overlooked, denied or cancelled.