Hebrews 12:14 (WEB)

Passage

Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,

Nearby Context

Hebrews 12:12 Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, Isaiah 35:3

Hebrews 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet,Proverbs 4:26 so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,

Hebrews 12:15 looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;

Hebrews 12:16 lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "follow", "after", "peace", "sanctification", "without", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "follow" and "after", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "and make straight paths for your feet..." into verse 15's "looking carefully lest there be any man...", so "follow" and "after" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "follow" and "after" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.