Saturday, July 11,
2015, 6:33 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Hebrews 5:11-6:12 (NASB).
The Elementary
Principles (5:11-14)
Concerning
him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull
of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need
again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God,
and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes
only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an
infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their
senses trained to discern good and evil.
This is a sad reality in the church here in America today.
So many, many people claim to be Christians and followers of Christ, and yet so
many of them are still spiritual infants, or else they never really were born
again, but only made a profession of Christ as Savior. The church is largely at
fault here, because they have compromised with the world and have partnered
with an evil government, and have turned the church into a corporation
(business) of human origin, run and marketed just like any other human
business. The gospel has thus been diluted so as not to offend the customer
base, and in order to make the gospel more attractive and appealing to this
sinful world. Not even the elementary principles of the oracles of God are
being taught in many congregations, many of which have shied away from such
words as sin, repentance, obedience, and submission, etc.
So many who call themselves Christians here in America have
become dull of hearing, because they have been dumbed down by TV, movies, video
games, social media, news media, TV commercials, and the like, to accept the
idea that life should be about working, eating, sleeping and being entertained.
The introduction of home computers, IPads (tablets), and smart phones has only
increased the accessibility and pull towards being entertained and having fun
all the time, and it has opened wide the door to all sorts of evil made
available at people’s finger tips, in the privacy of their homes, and largely absent
of any accountability. The church has only helped to promote this as they have
also focused much attention on entertainment and having fun, and on making
people feel good all the time, and on helping them to not feel threatened,
judged or uncomfortable in any way.
As a result, there are many people here in America who have
claimed to be Christians most of their lives, but from all outward appearance
their lives seem to be focused largely on themselves and not on God at all. So,
they do need to be taught the elementary principles all over again, or for the
first time ever, because so much of the church is not teaching these truths
anymore. A big problem, I believe, in the church today, is that so many of our
men, including a large number of pastors, have become pornography addicts,
because pornography is so easily accessible now via home computers, tablets and
smart phones, which provide completely private internet access with no accountability.
This has, thus, emasculated our men so that so few of them are godly leaders
anymore. And, that has been a big downfall in the church and in the home. So
few men are spiritual leaders in their homes or in the church, and thus the
church has become so much now just like the world.
This modern-day gospel, absent of the cross of Christ in the
lives of individual Christians, or in the lives of professing Christians only, has
only paved the way for this lack of teaching in righteousness and holy living
in the church, and for the large absence of those within the church who are
living spiritually mature lives, devoted to Jesus Christ and to obedience.
Press On To Maturity
(6:1-3)
Therefore
leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity,
not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward
God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection
of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.
For us to leave the elementary teaching about Christ and to
move on to maturity, we have to have first of all laid the foundation of these
elementary truths, and the people must have been truly born of the Spirit of
God. Since so many pastors are no longer teaching about sin and the need to
repent of sin, it is impossible to move on to maturity, because so many who
call themselves Christians never repented of their sins, and thus they are not
really saved. Others may or may not be saved, but have been convinced that God
really requires nothing of them other than to believe, and that he smiles on them
and is pleased with them no matter what they do. So, they have none or few
encouraging them toward maturity. If they are convinced that all there is to
salvation is “getting saved,” then going to heaven when they die, then what is
to motivate them toward maturity? Yet, scripture is real clear that if, after
we make a confession of Christ as Savior, we continue to conduct our lives in
the flesh, and not after the Spirit, we will not have the promise of eternal
life, but we will die.
So, let’s first of all lay the foundation of this elementary
teaching about Christ. When Jesus began his earthly ministry, and he began to
proclaim the “Good News,” he said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). Jesus said, “Unless
you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lu. 13:3, 5). “Repent” means to have
a change of mind; think differently afterwards; and change the inner man. Biblically
speaking, it is used in reference to forsaking sins and turning to follow Jesus
Christ (God) with our lives. Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he
must deny himself (his self-life), take up his cross daily (die daily to sin
and self), and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our lives (of living
for sin and self), we will lose them (for eternity), but if we lose our lives
(die to sin and self), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). He said his
sheep (his followers) know his voice, they listen to him, and they follow
(obey) him. These are the ones who cannot be snatched out of the Lord’s hands
(Jn. 10:27-30).
A Warning (6:4-8)
For
in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the
heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted
the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen
away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again
crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that
drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to
those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it
yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it
ends up being burned.
There is a serious warning here in relation to those who
have NOT moved on to maturity, but who have remained spiritual infants for a
long while. There is a high risk factor that they may “fall away,” and not be
able to be brought back to repentance. So, what does it mean here to “fall away”?
It means: “I fall away, fall back (into the unbelieving and godless ways of the
old time). Parapíptō (from pará, ‘from close-beside’ and píptō, ‘to fall’) –
properly, fall away, after being close-beside; to defect (abandon)”
(biblehub.com). This is not to say that one can’t backslide, then come to his
senses, repent of sin and be revived. This is speaking of those who willfully
choose to reject Christ and go back to living in an unregenerate state of mind
after having been partakers of the Holy Spirit. This also does not discount the
possibility of those who were never truly saved, but who need to have genuine
conversions.
Only God knows our hearts, and he alone knows who are truly
his, so he is the only judge of such matters. Yet, there are many solemn
warnings in the New Testament concerning those who think they know Christ, but
who do not know him, because they never repented of their sins, and because
they never turned to follow (obey) Christ. Also, there are multiple solemn
warnings in the New Testament regarding those who began with Christ, but who
never moved on to maturity, as being those who are in danger of falling away
and of not being able to be brought back to Christ. So, we should take these
warnings seriously. We need to remember here that true faith is repentant,
obedient, submissive and continuous (ongoing), and that only those who are
presently believing in Jesus have the hope of eternal life. We cannot have the
hope of eternal life on the basis of past faith. We also have to remember that
our salvation is a continuous process (having been saved, are being saved, and
will be saved), and it will not be complete until Jesus Christ returns for his
bride.
The Same Diligence
(6:9-12)
But,
beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that
accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust
so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in
having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that
each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of
hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those
who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Yet, not everyone is faking their Christianity, or is
deceived into believing they are saved when they are not, or is in grave danger
of falling away from Christ beyond recovery. There are many followers of Christ
in this world of ours who are fully devoted to Jesus Christ, many of whom are
presently suffering much severe persecution, even to the point of death, for
their faith in Christ and for their testimonies for him and for the gospel of
our salvation. They have left the elementary teachings about Christ, and they
have moved on to maturity. They are walking the talk and are not just talking
the walk. They understand that faith in Christ means death to sin and living to
righteousness; death to self and living for Christ. They listen to their Lord
daily, and they follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for their
lives. And, they are willing to lay down their lives for him and for his
gospel, because they love their Lord, and because they know that the true gospel
is the only hope for the people of this world, for without Christ, people are
doomed to eternal damnation.
Yet, this is not speaking of sinless perfection, but of the
process of continually conducting our lives no longer after the flesh, but
according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God.
Such believers as these, who walk according to the Spirit, also
care deeply about the spiritual growth and maturity of their fellow believers
in Jesus Christ. So, they follow Christ in ministering to and in encouraging
the saints of God to follow Christ with their lives, and to no longer follow
the ways of this sinful world. At the very least, those who know Christ, but
who have slipped back into following after the flesh and the ways of this
sinful world, are in danger of missing out on all the spiritual blessings of
obedience to Christ that could be theirs, such as being used of God to encourage,
to strengthen and to bring much spiritual comfort to their fellow believers,
and such as God using them to spread the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ so
that many can hear, can turn, and can be saved.
Yet, we must not ignore these many grave warnings which
teach that Christians can fall away from faith in Christ, beyond recovery, and which
teach that there are many, who think they are saved, who will one day hear God
say, “I never knew you. Depart from me.” God is not someone to play games with.
Take him seriously! He will do what he says he will do.
Oh, to Be Like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer
Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
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