Those whom the Father had not appointed to eternal life would be offended and fall away. Jesus let them go. The twelve who had been appointed to know the Father and the Son were not offended at His hard sayings. After receiving a taste of true belief they knew that nothing in the world could compare with it. They recognized the words of eternal life. The firstfruits those who have been ordained or appointed to eternal life will cleave to God and His Messenger. Producing fruit as evidence of that belief they will be raised up at the last day.

God warns that salvation can be lost through willful sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth. If a person sins in rebellion against God and sets the will against His way of life, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ no longer applies. Such a person faces a fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation. The apostle Paul states that judgment comes according to deeds, granting eternal life to those who continue in doing good while bringing indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish to those who obey unrighteousness. The apostle Peter commands diligence to make calling and election sure, for failure to do so allows stumbling and removes the abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom. God has done His part by calling, forgiving, granting repentance, and giving the Holy Spirit, yet the relationship falls apart without reciprocation. Branches in Jesus Christ that bear no fruit are taken away and cast into the fire. Christians validate their calling and election by producing fruit through growth in grace and knowledge. Without continued faithfulness, grounded steadfastness, and obedience to the hope of the gospel, alienation returns and the promise of presentation as holy and blameless before God does not occur.

Some preach a deceptive doctrine called Once Saved, Always Saved, which purports that once one has been justified and has come under the blood of Jesus Christ it is not possible for him to lose salvation. While this is very appealing it is incorrect. One can fall from grace. God shows through Israel's experiences in the wilderness that many failed to reach the Promised Land. It is a lesson intended to help keep one determined to be aligned with God's purpose and avoid falling from grace. It is possible for a Christian to fall away from Christ just as some Israelites never made it to the Promised Land. We then as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. You therefore beloved since you know these things beforehand beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness being led away with the error of the wicked. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore since a promise remains of entering His rest let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit them not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest as He has said so I swore in My wrath they shall not enter My rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come if they fall away to renew them again to repentance since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Therefore I say to you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the denial by the witness of his life that an individual was forgiven received God's Holy Spirit and then failed to live by faith returning to a life of sin. Salvation occurs because of what God freely gives but salvation can be lost when one refuses the gifts that God freely gives. Salvation is not unconditionally guaranteed. That fact is clearly shown in Hebrews 3:7-19. The Israelites refused God's gifts and died in the wilderness because all along the way they would not believe Him.