Hebrews 6:1-3 ESV
“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”
What is the elementary doctrine of Christ? It is that we
must no longer walk (in conduct, in practice) like the ungodly. We must not
give ourselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. For
that is not the way we should have learned Christ. For the truth that is in
Christ Jesus teaches us to put off our old self, which belongs to our former
manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in
the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness
of God in true righteousness and holiness (see Eph 4:17-32; cf. Lu 9:23-26; Rom
6:1-23).
We also read in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ died on
that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his
righteousness, that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died
and was raised, on our behalf. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us
back for God (to redeem us) so we would now honor God with our bodies (with our
lives). And he died so we would be crucified with him in death to sin and so we
would be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him free from slavery to
sin (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15,21; 1 Co 6:19-20; Rom 6:1-23; Lu 9:23-26).
As well, we read that we must now walk (in conduct, in practice)
according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, for if we live
according to the flesh, we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life
with God. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness and obedience to
our Lord are not what we practice, then we don’t know God, we are not in
relationship with Jesus Christ, our sins are not forgiven, and we are not on
our way to heaven. For we are all going to reap what we sow. And if we sow to
please the flesh, we will reap destruction, but if we sow to please the Spirit,
we will reap eternal life (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Gal 6:7-8).
Now, what this is saying is that we should get to the point
in our walks of faith to where we don’t need to keep rehashing these elementary
teachings and to where we can now move on to maturity in Christ. But the problem
with that today is that so many people are teaching a false elementary gospel
and so the truth of the gospel is having to be repeated because so many
professers of faith in Jesus don’t really know Jesus for they never were
crucified with Christ in death to sin, and so they were never raised with him
to walk in newness of life in him, and so they need to be taught the truth of
the gospel so that they can come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV
“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
Now, this is a difficult passage to interpret, for there are
other Scriptures which indicate that one can fall away, for a time, and can be
brought back to repentance and to renewed faith in Jesus Christ (see the
letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3, for example).
But how does this passage in Hebrews 6:4-6 fit with verses
1-3? Perhaps the indication is that there were those professing faith in Jesus
Christ who never went beyond the elementary teachings of the gospel to literal
walks of faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps they repented once and once made a
profession of faith in Jesus but they never walked in obedience to his
commands. They did not continue with Christ, and so they never grew to maturity
in Christ.
But one thing is for certain here and that is that the
Scriptures do teach that we must walk (in practice, in conduct) according to
the Spirit and not according to the flesh. We must by the Spirit daily be putting
the deeds of the flesh to death and we must walk in obedience to our Lord and
to his commands. For our salvation is ongoing, not a one-time event which takes
place in our lives, and we must continue in that walk of faith until the very
end or we will not inherit eternal life with God.
[Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Gal 5:16-21; 1 Jn
2:3-6; Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; Jn 8:31-32; Jn
15:1-12; Rom 11:17-24; 1 Co 15:2; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 3:6, 14-15; 2
Pet 1:5-11; 1 Jn 2:24-25]
Hebrews 6:9-12 ESV
“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
So, what things belong to salvation? Works of the Spirit by
the Spirit, which are the works God prepared in advance that we should walk in
them. We are to daily die to sin and to self and to walk in obedience to our
Lord. We are to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. And we are to work out
our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us both
to will and to work for his good pleasure.
And we are to walk (in conduct, in practice) in a manner
worthy (fitting) of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every
good work. And we are to be cleansed of what is dishonorable so that we will be
vessels for honorable use, set apart to our Lord and master, ready for every
good work. And we are to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live
self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. For Jesus gave himself up to redeem
us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own
possession who are zealous for good works.
For God is going to render to each one according to his
works. And if sin is what we practice and if righteousness and obedience are
not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God. But if we walk
according to the Spirit, and we obey our Lord, and we forsake our sins, and we
do what our Lord commands, then we have the hope of eternal life with God.
So, let’s grow to maturity in Christ. Let’s walk in the ways
of the Lord, not just because it is required of us for salvation and for
eternal life, but because we love our Lord and our desire is to please him. Let’s
do what he says because we want to serve him with our lives, and because we
love our fellow humans and we are concerned for their salvation and for their
walks of faith that they know him and that they grow in him and that they obey
him in love and that they also love their fellow humans.
A
Believer’s Prayer
An
Original Work / July 31, 2012
With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.
Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.
Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.
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