Young Adults Hebrews

Catch up

We started this book back in the fall discussing how God has been speaking to his people for all of eternity

Hebrews 1:1–2 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

We went on to look through the text at this beautiful sermon written by an unknown author to a group of Jewish converts living in the Roman empire

The person who wrote this is incredibly pastoral leading a group of people through a time where they were under intense persecution and making the case with them to hold fast to the christian faith

We later move to a whole series of greater than statements. ill skip to the point Jesus is the greatest no one who has ever lived is greater than him.

Then we got into what does it mean to be a christian what are the essentials but what is God calling us to

There is also the very stark reminder of the implications of turning away from the good news of Jesus and how that it can bring curse onto them selves

That leads us to tonights text.

Hebrews 6:9–12 ESV

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 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. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The fear

Hebrews 6 is one of the scariest texts in the whole new testament. having a serious warning against apostasy which is the direct rejection of the faith and could be associated with the blasphemy of the holy spirit discussed in

Matthew 12:31 ESV

31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

The language of repentance is severe and points to the reality that staying in the faith is essential

Craig keener writes, “ the point here is not that God does not accept the repentant but that some hearts become too hard to consider repenting because they refuse to acknowledge christ the only means of repentance by willing-fully choosing the kind of belief that nailed Jesus to the cross they accept responsibility again for killing him”

One important thing to note is that this in not referring to the people that are hearing this are

Hebrews 6:9–12 ESV

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 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. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Beloved

however for those are faith and remain true to the faith the apostle calls “beloved”

The pastor writing this text to people like us. who are not actively denying what christ has done.

he calls these people beloved because they are the ones in relationship with jesus

The way this is phrased is common in the greco roman world after an exhortation such as the first portion of 6 we are followed with a reminder

essentially the apostle is saying “we know that you all would never do this” or we know that you guys are doing good work her but be care to not go this route