Hebrews 6
Hebrews 6
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so.
4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Observation:
The writer of Hebrews challenges the believers to continue on to maturity in their faith. He then gives several aspects of what he would call the “elementary teachings about Christ”. They include: repentance from sinful behavior, faith, baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, the resurrection and eternal judgment. This is Christianity 101 so to speak.
There are some who argue that verses 4-6 show that some can lose their faith, and perhaps not return. The term for this is “apostasy”. Yet it is important when interpreting the bible to not use one verse to overturn many other passages that would say that our faith is not secured by us, but by God’s promise. See Philippians 1:8 which says, “He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.”
And, Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory.”
So more than being a law it is more of a warning against this kind of “back-sliding”. The bottom line is that the writer is urging the believers to keep on growing in faith and not just resting on their laurels.
Application:
These teachings remind us that our Christian life is always a work in progress. As we accept Christ into our lives and enter a relationship with God there are certain foundations of faith that are laid early on. As we are baptized and begin to study God’s Word and learn about things like repentance, judgment, the power of the Holy Spirit and the Resurrection we become grounded in our faith.
But we never arrive and also need to continue to grow up into all that it means to be a follower of Christ. You might call these stages of “faith development”. Often when we first come to faith there is an excitement and almost a “romantic time” when our religious affections are heightened by our new found relationship with our maker.
But over time when the feelings aren’t quite as strong, some may wonder if there is something wrong. This is usually a new stage of faith development where our faith is based less on feelings and more on faith. We all go through stages of doubt, where some event or situation might cause us to wonder if God is truly with us. These are some of the most important stages of faith development, because we are called to trust in God’s promises even when they are not clearly evident.
Importantly though we realize it is God’s work in us. As the writer concludes the passage he says that as we exercise our faith, we make our hope sure. In the end God will not go back on His promises, so that He will honor those who have trusted in Him in spite of the obstacles.
Take a moment to think about your faith journey. Recall times when you first felt the power of God’s love. Renew your commit to be unwavering in your faith despite your feelings and being sure in the hope to which you were called.
Prayer: Jesus, we know that you have called us to follow you and have given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our future inheritance. Give us strength to continue to build on the foundation you have given us. May we be found faithful to trust in all of Your promises. Amen.
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so.
4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Observation:
The writer of Hebrews challenges the believers to continue on to maturity in their faith. He then gives several aspects of what he would call the “elementary teachings about Christ”. They include: repentance from sinful behavior, faith, baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, the resurrection and eternal judgment. This is Christianity 101 so to speak.
There are some who argue that verses 4-6 show that some can lose their faith, and perhaps not return. The term for this is “apostasy”. Yet it is important when interpreting the bible to not use one verse to overturn many other passages that would say that our faith is not secured by us, but by God’s promise. See Philippians 1:8 which says, “He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.”
And, Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory.”
So more than being a law it is more of a warning against this kind of “back-sliding”. The bottom line is that the writer is urging the believers to keep on growing in faith and not just resting on their laurels.
Application:
These teachings remind us that our Christian life is always a work in progress. As we accept Christ into our lives and enter a relationship with God there are certain foundations of faith that are laid early on. As we are baptized and begin to study God’s Word and learn about things like repentance, judgment, the power of the Holy Spirit and the Resurrection we become grounded in our faith.
But we never arrive and also need to continue to grow up into all that it means to be a follower of Christ. You might call these stages of “faith development”. Often when we first come to faith there is an excitement and almost a “romantic time” when our religious affections are heightened by our new found relationship with our maker.
But over time when the feelings aren’t quite as strong, some may wonder if there is something wrong. This is usually a new stage of faith development where our faith is based less on feelings and more on faith. We all go through stages of doubt, where some event or situation might cause us to wonder if God is truly with us. These are some of the most important stages of faith development, because we are called to trust in God’s promises even when they are not clearly evident.
Importantly though we realize it is God’s work in us. As the writer concludes the passage he says that as we exercise our faith, we make our hope sure. In the end God will not go back on His promises, so that He will honor those who have trusted in Him in spite of the obstacles.
Take a moment to think about your faith journey. Recall times when you first felt the power of God’s love. Renew your commit to be unwavering in your faith despite your feelings and being sure in the hope to which you were called.
Prayer: Jesus, we know that you have called us to follow you and have given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our future inheritance. Give us strength to continue to build on the foundation you have given us. May we be found faithful to trust in all of Your promises. Amen.
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