The Peril of Failing to Thrive
Hebrews 5:11-6:8 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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introduction
From the moment we’re born, parents and doctors monitor our physical, mental and emotional health. We are measured and weighed and compared to other kids our age. If we lag behind in any area, these caretakers start to get worried.
How do we measure our spiritual growth? What happens when we lag behind in our progress? Who is there to size us up spiritually and tell us to grow up when we need it?
We can go to the Bible which says a lot about spiritual growth.
Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,
We come into the family of God through spiritual birth.
There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Afterwards, we should be growing spiritually through being nourished by God’s Word. This comes in the forms of simple doctrines and practices of faith to more advanced knowledge and skill in spiritual things.
Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
By exercising our spiritual gifts and being strengthened by the community of the Spirit, we continue towards spiritual maturity.
However, just like physical growth, our growth can be stunted by partaking of the wrong spiritual food or neglect our sustenance altogether.
We may stumble backwards into childish behavior, attitudes and actions, undoing our maturity. Or you may stay in spiritual infancy because there are no examples of spiritual maturity in our lives. All of these result in a failure to thrive. This problem is what we will be addressing along with the author of Hebrews.
We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
Last week, we discussed the greatness of our heavenly High Priest who intercedes for us. Melchizedek is also mentioned in the last verses. He only appears once in the story of scripture.
After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley). Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. He blessed him and said:
Abram is blessed by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and blessed be God Most High
who has handed over your enemies to you.
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Then he suddenly vanishes. He’s mentioned again in the Psalms.
The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:
“You are a priest forever
according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”
which is what the author of Hebrews refers to. He’s never heard from again until Hebrews. He is mentioned eight times here!
It’s no wonder why some of the recipients of Hebrews would have had a little trouble keeping up with the author’s reasoning. Instead, we learn that comparing these two figures, Jesus and Melchizedek, should have been easy for at least the Hebrews recipients. By this, I mean they should have been far enough in their understanding that they could easily track what the author was saying.
The tone here was one of disappointment. He says that he has a lot to explain about the two, but the readers have become “dull of hearing”. If you picture a bored, unambitious kid who has been told many times to get off the couch and do their chores. It’s a trait of immaturity and irresponsibility. What can cause this dullness?
First, we can become dull because we fail to grow up as we grow older. Just because you physically grow older, doesn’t mean by any means that you are growing spiritually.
Like in the book of Job, one of his friends made this point:
“I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.’ But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent”-Job 32:7-8
The point is clear, Older doesn’t mean wiser and more spiritual. Age should be an indicator;
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.
But in too many cases people fail to grow up as they grow older.
Second, we can become dull because our bad habits prevent healthy developments. If we look at the audience of Hebrews, we see that they have become dead ends of doctrine. They continued as students rather than grow into teachers. They developed a habit of taking and not giving back. They preferred milk over solid food.
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.
The phrase “inexperienced with the message of righteousness” is what an inexperienced or or new Christian is characterized by. Just like a baby who doesn’t know how to do anything, an immature Christian dwell on the basic ABC’s of the christian faith. In fact, the author tells them they need to relearn the basics of our faith.
In contrast to the sorry state of spiritual immaturity where these Christians were, the author describes three things that characterize spiritual maturity.
But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
Partaking of solid spiritual food
Maintaining practice in righteous living
Exhibiting a trained sense of discernment
These are the things that lead to spiritual stability and continued growth. These aren’t things that we should do for a day, a week or a year. We should be doing this our entire life.
But, the audience of this letter was far from exhibiting these characteristics. Not only could they not keep up with the discussion about Melchizedek, but they want to go back to Christianity 101 again and again. Without this maturity, other aspects of their christian lives were threatened-their ability to withstand trials, to resist temptation and to persevere through hardship. They were so close to growing dull to their faith that they were in danger of straying from the path of growth and falling under the discipline of God.
Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this if God permits.
After pointing out the condition of these people, the author goes to the third and probably most well-known warning in this book.
The first warning?
“Pay attention so we don’t drift!” Hebrews 2:1-4
The second warning?
“Beware of a hard heart!” Hebrews 3:7-4:13
Now the warning is:
“Don’t stray from the path of spiritual growth!”
This already started in 5:11 but continues through chapter 6. Not only is this a hard warning to hear, but it also contains some of the most controversial, difficult and disputed verses in all scripture.
If we keep in mind the context of these verses and how they relate to a group of Christians who have failed to mature and thrive-who had grown dull in their hearing-we can start to untie this knot of scripture that has tied so many people up in interpreting.
We need to remember the lack of chapters and verses at the time of this writing as well. This will help in giving context. The points that are made are not separate, but are building thoughts on top the last.
Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,
When the author talks about the elementary teaching, he is referring back to 5:12 when he mentioned the revelation of God. This is a direct contrast to the continued milk drinking that was going on.
Think of how maturity should be in anyone’s life. You go through grade school to junior high, senior high and then college (for some). These guys have gone back to kindergarten over and over like Billy Madison.
Back to school video
They failed to grow in the fundamentals of the faith and life.
The writer mentions 3 categories of truths that constitute elementary teachings. These are essential for getting started on the christian path. If you were hiking, you have a trailhead where you set up camp. You aren’t going to go up the hill if you stay in the trailhead.
Conversion is the first category.
Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,
Dead works could mean our deeds of the flesh that characterize those who are spiritually dead.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
or it could mean useless, dead works of self-righteousness that can never bring salvation. Either way, we are called to repent from both of these and instead be saved by faith alone
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
This is an essential foundation, but it’s just the beginning. Those who only focus on what they have been saved from and neglect the life of holiness they were saved for are like those who read Ephesians 2:8-9 but then forget Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
The immature never seem to grow out of the conversion experience and feel the need to continue to “get saved” over and over again, never growing beyond the first step.
When I was the youth director, we would go on back to school retreats. I could always count on the same couple of kids who would want to get saved again each year.
Church practices and procedures-”teaching about washings and laying on of hands” is the second category.
teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Some take washings as a reference to Jewish purification rituals or instruction concerning the difference between Jewish washing and Christian baptism. The original Greek for washings is “baptismos” where we get baptism from. Here it is plural as in “instruction of baptisms”-which is what new converts would have experienced.
“Laying on of hands” would have brought to mind ordination-the rite of appointing a person to ministry,
They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
conferring the Holy Spirit
Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.
or receiving some kind of spiritual blessing like healing.
Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
I think it refers to church polity-how one is to respond to those elders who have been ordained to leadership by the laying on of hands.
Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.
Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.
All of these are important things, but too often, people get hung up on how, when and where to baptize or what type of church polity should be in place-elder-led, pastor-led, congregational or somewhere in between. Whole churches and denominations have split over these interpretations. This is a sure sign of spiritual immaturity!
Prophecy “The resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment” is the third category.
This isn’t speaking about end times or the tribulation or the antichrist type of prophecy. This is talking about the resurrection of the dead which is the basic hope of any Christian.
For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
and eternal judgment, which Paul linked to the proclamation of the gospel.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,
on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.
The point is clear: If we are getting caught up on the basic experiences, practices and doctrines of the Christian faith, we’re not going to graduate to the higher levels of spiritual maturity. We need to press on towards maturity. He feels that, with God’s help, they will press on.
And we will do this if God permits.
If God permits reminds us that our growth depends on God’s provision. He, and he alone, is able to mature us.
For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.
The author discusses the major problems in a believer’s life that would keep them in spiritual immaturity.
Before we get into these, let’s look at a couple of important observations about this passage.
Remember that the author is using first person plural “let us press on to maturity”, “this we will do”. When he looks to the condition that stops the maturity, he uses third person “in the case of those”, “it is impossible to renew them again”, “they again crucify themselves”. But then after the warning, he goes back to including his readers, “Dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident...”
By speaking in this way, the author knows his readers had not yet fallen into the category of those for whom spiritual progress was impossible. There was still hope, but if they didn’t straighten up and press forward, they would run the real risk of sliding even farther backward toward an irreversible condition.
The next point is before we look at the stern warning in 4-6, is an important observation from 7-8. The author uses an illustration to explain the contrast between those who put themselves in a position to not press on towards maturity and those who respond to growth.
Those who press on to maturity …
“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” (6:7)
Those who do not press on to maturity …
“But if it [ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it] yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” (6:8)
Look at what it says in verse 8.
But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.
The ground is not completely obliterated, just burned. It is burned to consume the worthless vegetation it has produced despite receiving all the means necessary to produce useful plants.
We are the ground. Like the parable of the seed where there is good soil and bad soil.
What does this mean? It means that those who fall under this condition of immaturity won’t lose their salvation, but rather end up having no reward at the judgment seat of Christ.
This is confirmed in 1 Cor. 3:12-15
If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.
I don’t believe this is about losing salvation. We have been irreversibly bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. The issue is related to losing one’s heavenly reward.
When we look at these verses,
For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.
there are usually two interpretations:
The people referred to in the passage were once saved, but have lost their salvation.
They have been enlightened (born again); they have tasted the heavenly gift(salvation); they have partaken of the Holy Spirit(baptism); they have tasted the Word of God and partaken of the powers of the age to come (signs, miracles and wonders). However, after experiencing all these blessings of genuine salvation, they have fallen away from Christ, losing their salvation and rendering themselves enable to be restored again to salvation.
The people referred to in the passage appear to be saved but actually are not.
They profess Christ but don’t fully belong to him.
The have been enlightened in the mind, meaning they have understood the gospel, but it never ignited their hearts.
They have tasted the heavenly gifts but not digested it;
they have become partakers of the Spirit by being surrounded by a spirit-led community but have not been baptized by the Spirit.
They have sampled the word but not savored it;
and they have had a brush with the supernatural work of God but have not been born again.
As result, the “almost” christians failed to take root.
But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.
Then they fell away from the faith in appearance only.
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
Those are the two dominant views. If the first is correct and someone abandoned their faith, there would be no way the person could ever be saved again. This is because Hebrews 6:6 says it’s impossible.
and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.
But this position would contradict the many passages of Scripture that teach security in salvation.
My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
If the second position is correct, then the author has made the assurance of salvation difficult to affirm. He uses terms that present the picture of truly-born again believers. These aren’t terms used for fake believers but real ones.
The question is then, how could someone know they have eternal life if the experience of a true believer is the same as a false one?
Before we spin out of control and into panic, we need to look at the broader context: the problem of those who are wallowing in the basics of the faith and therefore are failing to grow spiritually.
The encouragement to press on towards maturity is written to those who have truly been born again, not to those on the outside of the family of God.
We need to deal with the phrase “it is impossible to renew them to repentance”. This isn’t talking about salvation of the unsaved. It addresses the issue of repentance for those who have.
True Christians can backslide into sin and laziness, requiring a response of repentance. In the book of Revelation we see the consequences threatened against those who had backslidden if they failed to repent in time.
Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
To bring this all together, we see a similar warning in this chapter. The author discusses the extreme and probably rare cases of those who had truly been born again but have “fallen away” to such a degree that they hardened themselves to all calls of repentance and have not responded to God’s loving discipline.
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:
My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly
or lose heart when you are reproved by him,
for the Lord disciplines the one he loves
and punishes every son he receives.
Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?
Those who have fallen completely out of fellowship with the true vine will wither away. Instead of bringing forth good vegetation useful to the Father, they produce thorns and thistles that are worth nothing.
For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.
This isn’t an imagined problem but a real one, as the extreme case of Jezebel in Revelation.
But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works,
Believers can stray so far from the trail of progress that they no longer hear the voice of their guide calling them back. They push away those God has sent to lead them the right way. As a result, they will receive a temporal judgment from God. They will still be saved and one day face the Master who bought them, but all rewards will be lost. They will have fallen so far that to renew them again to repentance, would be like crucifying Jesus all over again, bringing great shame to the cause of Christ
and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.
I think this type of departure is extremely rare. Which is probably why the author of Hebrews uses a term for “fall away” that is found nowhere else in the NT. “Parapipto” means fall away; commit apostasy. This is why they are referred to in the third person plural-they. The Hebrew Christians that were written to here in Hebrews still had hope of building on their former progress by pressing on towards maturity. However if they failed to reverse course now, while they still had the opportunity, the extreme case we have described, would put them in a place of no return-which was a frightening possibility.
end (length)
Practical Training for Spiritual Progress
No one reading this wants to end up falling so far away that there is no possibility of repentance. However this does not happen in the blink of an eye. This is a long process of dullness, repeated backsliding and failure to thrive. We need to get the proper nutrients needed for consistent spiritual growth.
(be careful picture)
So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.
This is a warning that no matter how closely we walk with God, we need to realize that every wrong step off the right path is one closer to the edge of the cliff. To help us not get to that point, let’s look at a couple practical principles for maintaining our spiritual progress.
First, partake of solid spiritual food.
This is the knife and forks of adults and not the baby bottle. It requires chewing and digesting. It’s deeper doctrine, more serious devotion to righteousness and more dedication to the things of God.
We need to avoid the weak junk food of shallow bible teaching. We can’t expect to grow if we are not partaking of solid spiritual food.
Second, maintain practice in righteous living.
Practice is needed to effectively apply the Word to our daily lives. This is more than just hearing God’s word. This is doing it daily and making it a habit. By putting this into practice you will be able to distinguish right from wrong, truth from false, wise from foolish and helpful from harmful.
If you are spiritually mature, you can respond with wisdom and skill to whatever comes your way. The good news is that if we continue to do these things, we can expect to grow spiritually and exhibit a trained sense of discernment.
Here comes the potentially offensive part from me.
If you have come to Christ, you need to get out of the starting blocks of the race! Stop training for your race and get going! With this maturity, you become teachers instead of learners. I think this is also a calling to get involved in your church and/or evangelism.
You aren’t given the choice to be a welfare christian. You don’t get to sit and withdraw without depositing. What are you doing to further the kingdom??
Our age group is uniquely positioned to make an impact within our church and communities. I don’t necessarily mean our neighborhoods but the circles we travel in.
Our generation is dying spiritually because we aren’t spreading the good news. Their children aren’t hearing the gospel because our age group isn’t either.
How do we do this? What if they ask questions I don’t know the answers to? I’m scared to bring up Christ in the present culture because of how I may be perceived.
We are warned about denying Christ before man. This is not an option for us. I am convinced that no perception of man is more important than the perception of my king.
So how do we do this? Through growing in maturity. Educating yourself. Watch videos, read books, talk with wise and faithful believers who have experience in talking about the oracles of God to a fallen world.
You cannot sit on the sidelines and get the benefit of the championship ring without getting on the field. In my opinion this is an empty victory.