Hi Saxon,
Ok lets look at the scripture you referenced but with verses 13-14 also to see the complete thought.
“Beware, 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 “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end”

Ask yourself this question: If verse 14 says, "We have become partakers of Christ [in the past], if we [in the future] hold fast our ***urance," then what conclusion should we draw if we do not hold fast our ***urance (in the past)? I believe the answer is: Then we have not become partakers of Christ. It would be wrong to say, "If we do not hold fast our ***urance, then even though we were once partakers of Christ, nevertheless now we lose our part in Christ." That is the opposite of what this verse says. It says, We have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast our ***urance to the end; and if we do not hold fast to our ***urance to the end, then we have not become a partaker of Christ. Not holding fast to our ***urance does not make us lose our salvation; it shows that we were not truly saved.

In other words persevering in faith and hope, holding fast to your confidence in God, is not a way to keep from losing your standing in Christ; it is a way of showing that you have a standing in Christ. That standing can never be lost, because you have it by the free grace of God, and because Christ has promised with a covenant and an oath to keep those who are his. Hebrews 6:17-20 says this,
“God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
It cannot mean that we have not become partakers of Christ because the text is clearly stating that we have become partakers of Christ. If we hold fast our confidence steadfast to the end is the condition of salvation. If we do not hold steadfast our confidence to the end it is because we or they have departed from the living God. You cannot depart from where you never were.

You stated, “In other words persevering in faith and hope, holding fast to your confidence in God, is not a way to keep from losing your standing in Christ”. I ask you, why is it not? After all it is telling us to hold steadfast to our confidence. If you do not hold steadfast to our confidence doesn’t mean you didn’t have it, it means you let go of what you had.

Just because something is given as a gift does not mean that you can’t lose it. You seem to still be hinting that God some how takes salvation away from you if YOU lose it. We have gone over this before; God does not take back salvation. We are the ones that depart from the living God. We are the problem and we are the ones that do the losing by way of departing from the living God. Christ does keep those that are his. If we depart from the living God then we are no longer his. We are not prisoners and God does not force anyone to come to him or stay with him. You don’t seem to absorb the fact that Christians can and do depart from the living God. (See Hebrews 3:12) As long as you remain in Christ you are eternally secure. If you depart from the living God you are no longer eternally secure as you have departed from eternal life that is in his son. (See 1John 5:11)


Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

1John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.