Sunday Night Bible Study Hebrews 6:1-9 April 10, 1994 Hebrews 6:1-9 Hebrews 6 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. :1 leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ other translations: elementary teaching, basic teaching The same Greek word (arche - beginning) is used in: Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. These ABC's of Christianity are going to be listed for us: repentance from dead works faith toward God the doctrine of baptisms laying on of hands resurrection of the dead eternal judgment. :1 let us go on unto perfection Same Greek root (telios - maturity, completeness) that is used in Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Jesus was completed in His ministry through His suffering. The writer is again exhorting the readers to stop being comfortable at the level of the baby Christian, and to grow up. He's not talking about being sinless, but maturity. We need to press on, to keep maturity as our goal: Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. What are you aiming at? You'll surely hit it! (how about the fruit of the Spirit?) :1 repentance from dead works When we first come to the Lord, we turn away from our old life and turn to Him In fact even as growing believers, from time to time we need to do some repenting. :1 faith toward God A new believer starts to put their trust in God. :2 the doctrine of baptisms Baptism is a sign to others that you have believed. It's something you do when you're a new believer. :2 laying on of hands Maybe referring to the receiving of the power of the Holy Spirit. Ac 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. :2 resurrection of the dead Jesus was crucified, but on the third day rose from the dead! He is risen! We too shall be risen! :2 eternal judgment. Part of being a new believer is knowing that you're saved, saved from hell. Comment: These doctrines aren't things that we only think about once, then are of no use to us. But if this is all we ever hear about and are taught about, we haven't gotten spiritually much past Kindergarten. If this is all our Pastor was ever teaching us, that's pretty sad too. But thank the Lord it's not true of our church. 4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, :4 who were once enlightened Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Better translated: "once for all enlightened" Supposedly to be an experience that happens once and is supposed to last a lifetime. :4 tasted of the heavenly gift Taste: 1) to taste, to try the flavour of 2) to taste 2a) i.e. perceive the flavour of, partake of, enjoy 2b) to feel, make trial of, experience 3) to take food, eat, to take nourishment, eat Some may look at this as simply someone who is exposed to the Gospel. Others would see this as someone who has accepted the Lord. I think of: Ps 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD [is] good: blessed [is] the man [that] trusteth in him. What is the "heavenly gift"? Is it eternal life? Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is called "a gift" Ac 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ac 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Either way, it's a pretty heavy statement. :4 made partakers of the Holy Ghost partaker: "To take with" or "hold with" Some see this as only those who have been influenced some way by the Holy Spirit. Others see this as someone who has had the Holy Spirit come and dwell in them. 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, :5 tasted the good word of God I think of the idea of the sower and the seed, having the Word of God come into your life. What kind of fruit will it bear? Taste - same as in verse 4. :5 the powers of the world to come They've gotten a good taste of the power of the Kingdom of God. Is this all describing a believer? I'm afraid that I think so. 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame. :6 if they shall fall away parapipto - 1) to fall beside a person or thing 2) to slip aside 2a) to deviate from the right path, turn aside, wander 2b) to error 2c) to fall away (from the true faith): from worship of Jehovah This is not the "struggling believer" Keep balanced with Scripture! The Prodigal Son - took his inheritance from Dad and split. Wasted it all away. Then came back. The Father ran to him. He didn't turn him away. Peter denying the Lord The Lord gave special attention to Peter 1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: This is a total apostasy This is a turning away from the Lord and not coming back. This is someone who makes themself an enemy of Christ. I believe it's the kind of person described by Peter: 2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. :4 it is impossible ... to renew them again unto repentance Impossible We can't water this word down. It doesn't mean "difficult". It means "impossible". (adunaton) Why is it impossible? Is it because God is no longer able to do anything about their condition? Is it because God can't handle a sin that large? Mr 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I don't see a lot of conditions for forgiveness other that my own admission that I'm a sinner. I don't see some kind of boundary marker, that as long as you don't confess more than 100 pounds of sin, you can be forgiven. It's not impossible because of God's abilities, but because their own spiritual condition makes them unable to respond any more to God. Mr 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth. If you're not believing in Him, then there's not a whole lot that is possible. It's not that God can't forgive them, it's that they don't want God to forgive them anymore. I think that this is the point of the warning we already studied: Hebrews 3 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; If we aren't careful, out hearts become harder and harder with sin until we get to the point where we just don't care anymore. If you're a Christian who has gotten caught up in a place you don't belong, and you are grieved about it, even fearful that you've gone too far, you're really in a better placed than you think. You've only gone too far when you don't care any longer. But it's here, where we are currently sensitive to God's moving in our lives that we want to take heed to the warnings of Hebrews, that we don't fall far enough to the point where we won't care anymore. :6 they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh A difficult statement. What it looks like: It looks as if when you sin really bad, and come back to the Lord, that Jesus has to go to the cross again for you, and that just can't happen. Problem: Jesus' payment for our sins doesn't work that way. Being God in the flesh, when He laid down His infinite life in exchange for our sins, He only had to do it once. That was enough. Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Does Jesus' sacrifice for you only cover the sins you committed up to the point you became a Christian? No! It was enough to cover all your sins forever, even the ones you are going to commit tomorrow. A possible better interpretation: NIV: "to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again" Not a real good translation here. NASB: "they again crucify to themselves the Son of God" Note: It is not "crucify for themselves the Son of God" Ga 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Here, Paul is saying that because of the cross of Jesus, the he, Paul, is crucified to the world. He is dead, unresponsive to the world, and the world to him. If the world tries to come and tempt him, it won't work, because he's a dead man. For these people who have fallen so far away from the Lord, they make themselves go back to a state when they were dead or unresponsive to the Lord's work in their lives, just like they were before they came to the Lord. They become dead or unresponsive to what Jesus wants for them. :6 and put him to an open shame In a way, each time any of us blow it, we put shame on Jesus. 2Sa 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die. But for a person to completely fall away like this, there is open shame on Jesus. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned. :7 bringeth forth herbs ... Some may look at this and say that this simply proves that they were never believers in the first place. Matthew 7 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. In other words, these people are only proving by their final deeds what they were all along, unbelievers. Possible. But ... Mathew Henry says: The apostle is not speaking of the falling away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the gospel. Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritical profession. In addition - It these were never believers in the first place, how could they ever have been "renewed ... unto repentance"? They would never have been made new in the first place, let alone "renewed". :8 whose end [is] to be burned Some look at this pointing out that when a field is burned, only the plants are destroyed, but the land is actually helped. The idea is that it might not be talking about hell, but only a chastisement, maybe the idea of being removed from ministry. But the problem with this interpretation is that it ignores the comparison of blessing (vs.7) with cursing (vs.8). Also, it is not much of a big deal if I only lose out on my ministry. But if I could possibly end up in hell, I'm going to pay close attention! Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. After a stern warning, a word of comfort and encouragement. I can give the same encouragement to you. If this passage could apply to you, you probably wouldn't be here tonight. Church would be the last place you'd want to go to. The difficulties... I thought you always taught me that I can be eternally secure in knowing that I'm saved. Are we describing a person who was indeed born again and saved, but who has now fallen away from the Lord and now cannot ever come back? Are we describing a person who never really knew the Lord, but who was outwardly a Christian, but inwardly unconverted? And then they fall away from the Lord? Two sides of a coin Most doctrines seem to have two sides to them. God's election and man's free will: Spurgeon's two sided sign in heaven: "Come, whosoever will", and "Chosen before the foundations of the earth". We can't see how both could be true, but the Bible seems to clearly support both sides at the same time. Parallel lines that never intersect, at least not within our narrow view of life. Eternal Security is one of those issues. The Divine Side: God's sovereignty. His call. Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. Eph 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. His ability to keep us secure. Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. Ro 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Because of these wonderful truths, I can rest, knowing that my salvation is in God's strong hands! Here's an old passage that we always share with people struggling with their salvation, a passage that cults can't handle because they never know for sure where they stand with God: 1Jo 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. The Human Side: The perseverance of the saints. As much as I can find security in God's sovereignty, I have to be honest, that there is another side presented in Scripture. Hebrews - Already in Hebrews we've found the theme of perseverance very clearly: Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip. Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. If that's not enough, just wait and see some of the Scriptures in Hebrews that we have yet to encounter! Galatians Ga 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Ga 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. G.Campbell Morgan: "Work as if it were all up to you, believe as if it were all up to God". Lessons - Applying these truths 1. To the struggling Christian The one who is having problems with temptations, but keeps coming back to Jesus in repentance: The fact that you're still struggling shows that you haven't crossed the line yet. God is strong enough to hold you and keep you! But don't let it get too far out of hand either! It's not, "How far can I go?", but, "How far can I stay away from the edge?" Caution: We cannot earn our salvation by our own works, but we receive it only by trusting in Jesus. We cannot keep our salvation by works either, only by trusting in Jesus. We are not talking about keeping your salvation by doing good works. We are talking about keeping on trusting in Jesus throughout your whole life, which will indeed produce quite a few good works all by itself. 2. To the person who "used to be a Christian" They stopped coming to church. They fell away from the Lord, and don't care anymore. To them, they need a stern warning. Beware! You're getting awfully close to the edge! There seems to be a line somewhere between us going astray and total apostacy A line we don't ever want to cross A line we don't ever want to even get near. Our brother Terry was getting close to that line a few months ago. He felt as if God was saying, "If you don't turn around now, you're going to end up in hell". When he first told me that, my Calvinist leanings revolted inside me. But look what that warning has done for Terry. Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 3. Keep on growing in Jesus. vs1 - "let us go on unto perfection" The Christian Life is kind of like climbing a steep, slippery hill. The moment you stop climbing, you'll find yourself slipping backward. We need to keep on growing! After giving such heavy warnings as we saw in 2Peter, Peter wrote: 2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.