Hebrews 6:9-20

MP—Jesus, the sure and steady anchor of our faith, is my source of hope and rest as I persevere in good works to the end.

INTRODUCTION

The last two weeks have seen the tension of those who take part in the church, but are not truly part of the Church.

This has been a concern of the writer of Hebrews from the beginning.

There is a real danger of being too familiar with the mysteries of God, and not coming under the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.

This can result in a person “falling away.” Not loosing their salvation, but truly rejecting the salvation offered in Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews made a hard statement when he said “it is impossible, in the case of those who turn away, to restore again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God.”

But, even in the face of such a dire warning—what is impossible for man, is possible for God.

So, let’s look to him, to Christ, where our hope is found.

In our text today we turn our focus from fear of falling away to the hope of holding on.

1. vv.9-12—Those who are part of the true church persevere in good works.

In vv.7-8 the writer gave an illustration of fruitful living.

The first drinks the rain in, it does so often, produces a useful crop, and receives blessings from God.

The second drinks the same rain in, it does so often, but bears thorns and thistles, is worthless, and is near to being cursed by God, and it’s end is to be burned.

With that example as a backdrop, the writer turns to encourage the “beloved” the beneficial crop bearers, the “perseverers.”

v.9—Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.

“beloved” — this shows the heart of the writer of Hebrews. He cared for his brothers and sisters in Christ, and they cared for him.

But, their being considered “beloved” was rooted in something far more significant than the writers affection.

This title is reserved for those who have experienced such a great salvation that is only known through Jesus Christ.

These individuals were paying close attention to the things they heard so that they would not drift away, they were keeping the supremacy of Jesus central!

“we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation”

The writer felt sure of “better things” than the thorn and thistle observers in the church.

These better things are mentioned in v.10, and Paul speaks of this in Eph. 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Our hope is in the Lord and his perfect work therefore, a true Christian is known by their good works!

James 2:18 “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:26 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

v.10— is an example of their perseverance in good works.

The true church, true Christians, will persevere in good works, and God will reward them for who they are and what they have done.

The just nature of God will not allow him to overlook the good deeds done in his name and for his glory.

Have you ever wondered what it means to do someting in the name of God?

To do something in the name of God is to do it by his authority.

John 14:13-14 “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

True Christians look for opportunities to carry out the works of God, by the authority of God.

This is as simple as looking for opportunities to share the fruits of the Spirit with those around you!

Look at what the writer praises his readers for “the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

I could be said that true love for the person of God results in love for the saints of God.

What does God-honoring love look like?

1 Cor. 13:4-8 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”

Isn’t it amazing that you and I , by the authority of God, can carry out good works that are loving to others and display the authority of God?

v.11-12—This way of living is a blessing to others and gives us assurance of hope until the end.

When we labor in God’s authority to love others we are more likely to remember his love for us in Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong, there are dead works, but that is not what the writer of Hebrews is dealing with. He is dealing with the opposite—those who are tempted to be sluggish rather than imitators of the faithful.

Heb. 6:11-12 “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.”

The call here is to earnestly pursue good works so that your life gives full assurance of the hope you have in Christ, until the end!

“earnestness”—eager, diligent devotion to the task of showing good works.

The opposite is what the writer was warning against.

Spiritual dullness and indifference are not honoring to God or good for the Church.

The word “sluggish” is the same word used in 5:11 for “dullness of hearing.”

This shows that there is a connection with knowing and doing, doctrine and devotion.

In 5:11 there was a laziness in learning, and in 6:12 there is a warning against laziness in living.

v.12—This is a person focused on being discipled— “imitating the saints who have inherited the promises of God.”

The church is a place of teaching and learning. We share information, but we also share our lives.

Heb. 13:7 “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

These verses are an encouragement to persevere to the end, with full assurance of the hope of Christ, by imitating the faithful lives of those around us.

Bearing good fruit and seeking to bear more fruit is part of the Christian life. As a part of the true church you will persevere in good works to the end, because your Savior did on your behalf.

2. Those who are part of the true church rest in the Promises of God.

Oaths taken in ancient Israel were extremely important.

This is why, in these verses, the writer of Hebrews calls to mind God’s oath to Abraham.

In v. 10 he said “God is not unjust,” so those who persevere in good works to the end can be confident of their salvation.

As I mentioned last week, the readers of this letter were students of the OT, so the writer takes them to a familiar story.

Genesis 22:16-17—“By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.”

God’s promises is established on the unchanging nature of his name.

Today people take the name of God in vain when they swear by him, but here he does so rightly!

In fact, there was nothing greater for him to confirm his promise to Abraham by.

Because God was the promisor, Abraham believed and waited patiently for the promises of God to be fulfilled.

Rom 4:3 “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

This reference to Abraham was more than a history lesson for the writer of Hebrews.

In Heb 5:16 followers of Jesus are referred to as offspring of Abraham.

Those who are part of the true Church are heirs of the promise to Abraham, and coheirs with Christ.

The promise given to Abraham has been fulfilled, his offspring are many in number, so we can trust in the promises of God too!

When I was a kid I fell out of a tree in my backyard. It wasn’t a quick fall. I felt myself falling, so I grabbed a near by branch, but it was not able to support my weight so I continued to fall until I hit the ground.

Had I been able to grab strong, immovable, branch I would have been spared the fall.

The unchanging oath and promises of God are that for the Christian.

Heb. 6:18 “so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

Senior saints, when life is waining, your body is failing, lean on the promises of God to give you strength.

Standing on the Promises of God—Standing on the promises that cannot fail. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.

In the strength of your Savior, just as he did at Calvary, “have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before you” (v.18).

3. Those who are part of the true church hope in Christ, the sure and steady anchor. (vv.18-20)

The writer of Hebrews has been building his case so we would not be tempted to fall into sluggishness leading to sinfulness, but hold fast to the promises of God through lives of obedience until the end.

In v. 18, there is a reference to those who have “fled for refuge.” This is a look back to the cities of refuge in the OT. If a person was killed accidentally, the killer could flee to a city of refuge for protection and fair trial.

We are like those who flee to a city of refuge for safety and care. However the safety and care we seek is not from an earthly pursuer, but Jesus Christ, the sure and steady anchor, is our safety in time of trouble.

The hope we have in Jesus is shown in v.19-20, Jesus “entered into the inner place behind the curtain, as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

n the Day of Atonement, each year, the high priest went into the most holy place and offered a blood sacrifice turning God’s wrath toward the animal and away from Israel.

The priest had to do this yearly, but Jesus, once went into the most holy place and gave himself as the sacrifice.

By his onetime offering, he satisfied the justice of God, took the wrath of God, so that you and I might live.

As our forerunner he went before us into the place of wrath, death, an now in heaven he has set the anchor of our hope with his nail pierced hands.

“having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

We will talk more about Melchizedek next week, but for now just know that Jesus was not a temporal priest, but an eternal one, who will never fail or need to be replaced!

The work of salvation is finished! So, with the saints we declare, My hope is built on nothing else, but Jesus blood and righteousness.”

For Christ, is the sure and steady Anchor In the fury of the storm When the winds of doubt blow through me And my sails have all been torn In the suffering, in the sorrow When my sinking hopes are few I will hold fast to the Anchor It shall never be removed