Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them.
Read Full Chapter →Commentary for this Verse
Hebrews 7:25 draws a conclusion from the verses just before it. A Priest who never dies can save without limit, and the salvation lasts as long as His life.
Consequently: the Priest who never dies
The verse opens by pointing back to the old priests, whom death kept removing one by one. Against them stands One whose office never changes:
F. B. HoleAaron and his descendants held their office one after another and died. The Lord Jesus remains forever. So His priesthood is unchangeable — it never passes to another. Verse 25 states the happy result that flows from this. Those who make use of His priestly services, coming to God by Him, are saved "to the uttermost," or "completely." This is because He always lives to make intercession for them. The salvation spoken of here is that daily, moment-by-moment salvation from every power set against us, which every believer needs all the way home to glory.
His endless life sets the measure of the salvation:
William KellyThe power by which He lives forever is the guarantee of a matching salvation (verse 25). For if the priests, the sons of Aaron, could not save themselves from death, still less could they save others.
The reach of "to the uttermost"
Many hear the phrase as depth — that no sinner is too far gone. One writer marks off a different sense:
Samuel Ridout"He is able" — His power is complete. So He saves those who come to God by Him "to the uttermost," completely, to the last step of the wilderness trial. "To the uttermost" does not mean the depths in which the worst of sinners may be — precious as that fact is. It means completely, to the end, no matter what the future may hold for us.
Commentators differ on how much this salvation covers. One takes it as wide as it will go:
Leslie M. GrantThis is salvation in its fullest and widest sense. It is not only the first salvation of the soul, nor only present salvation from the evils and traps that line the Christian path. It is both of these, as well as future salvation out of this world and into eternal glory. That is a blessed fullness, and it rests entirely on Him who "ever lives to make intercession." Does that mean we depend on Him forever? Yes — and we should not want it otherwise, for we depend on One who is eternally dependable.
Who draws near to God
The verse names a group: those who draw near to God through Him. Older translations read "come to God by Him," and one writer argues from that word that these are people already brought near, not people still outside:
The Christian's FriendWho does He make intercession for? Not for the unconverted, but for those who "come to God by Him." And who are they? Saints of God, perfected forever by the "one offering." The expression "come to God" has given many the idea that it means a sinner coming to God for salvation. But that is not the thought in this passage. The word "come" is the same as "draw near" in Hebrews 10:22, which speaks of saved ones. A sinner could not "draw near" in his sins to a holy God.
Notice the direction of travel in the verse. The Priest is not the destination:
J. N. DarbyWe do not come to Him (the Priest); He goes to God for us, and we go to God by Him. As Lord, we came to Him; but as Priest, not. He intercedes, and brings us back when we have failed. He is watching always — thinking of us when we are not thinking of Him.
What He is interceding about
Since He always lives, the intercession never stops. What is it about?
H. H. SnellHis intercession as our High Priest is not about our sins, but about our need. So we are told: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
That help covers the whole road:
J. N. DarbyHe carries us through all the snares, difficulties and dangers of the way, and through Satan's power. He restores our souls if we have failed. He gives grace to help in time of need, as well as restoration. All this is because He ever lives to make intercession for us, and is on high, always the same, to carry on our cause.
Summary
- Because He lives — death kept removing the old priests. He remains, so His office never passes on, and the salvation He gives lasts as long as His life.
- Therefore complete — "to the uttermost" means completely, to the end. It covers the last step of the journey, not just the depth a sinner is lifted from.
- For those who draw near — the ones in view come to God through Him; He is not the stopping place but the way in.
- About need, not sins — His intercession deals with weakness, danger and failure along the road. The "one offering" already dealt with sins.
- So none is lost — the unbroken priesthood guarantees that every believer arrives. We stay dependent, yes, but on One who is eternally dependable.