Forward or Fall

Forward or Fall

I. Years ago, I coached little league baseball. In fact, I coached all three summer league teams. The 8,9,10’s, the 11-12’s, and the 13-15’s.

II. The reason there were three teams was because of the difference in skill level. As long as we matched them by age, kids could play ball with other kids close to their own age and skill level.

IV. What enabled you to advance to the next team was your age.

V. But age was not the only factor when it came to who you played with.

1. We had what was called our All-Stars.

2. In this league only those kids which had developed their baseball skills were allowed to play.

3. If someone was allowed to play who wasn’t properly prepared with advanced training, serious injury was inevitable. The All-Star games moved at a much faster pace and intensity.

VI. Stop and think for a minute about where you would be as a Christian if you had stopped growing. How would you have fared in those spiritual battles if you were not prepared?

VI. It is imperative that we continue to develop spiritually lest we find ourselves unable to compete against those seeking to destroy our faith. We cannot allow ourselves to stay with the basics of our faith.

VII. Christians who do not move forward from foundational faith, are in danger of irreversible apostasy.

VIII. As the Hebrew writers continues to battle the influence of the judaizers, he reminds us that every Christian has a responsibility to grow in their faith; in doing so they will not allow themselves to be led away from Christ. In last week’s lesson he was telling us to grow up. In this week’s lesson he is telling us to move forward.

IX. The writer gives us to points to consider.

1. Rebuke: Move beyond the elementary principles.

2. Warning: Christians can fall irreversibly.

Transitions: The writer follows up the previous exhortation of “Grow,” with another call to get moving past elementary teachings.

1. Rebuke: Move beyond the elementary principles.

A.

B. Again, he hits on the need to move on from the milk of God’s word.

1. They are to “leave” the elementary teachings about Christ.

a. Leaving = means "to leave, leave alone, forsake, neglect.”

b. Literally "leaving the word of the beginning about the Christ."

c. Leaving or dismissing does not imply ceasing to believe in

elementary truths or to regard them as important, but leaving them 'as a

builder leaves his foundation in erecting his building' (FF Bruce).

2. It is the elementary teachings are the rudiments of the beginning.

a. This is the rudimentary view of Christ's person and office.

b. The beginning is just that. The race doesn’t begin and end at the beginning.

3. Christians are to move on towards maturity.

a. The word "maturity," can also be rendered "completeness."

b. The readers are to strive to full Christian knowledge.

c. We do not keep laying the foundation on top of the foundation.

d. Vincent states, "the illustrative proposition is that a building is not completed by lingering at the foundation; and so Christian maturity is not

attained by going back to subjects which belong to the earliest stage of Christian instruction."

4. There are six elementary teachings that make up this "foundation."

a. Repentance from dead works –

1. The Law / outward observance of law. 2. ,

b. Faith toward God

1. Faith in God and Jesus

2. ,

c. Teaching of baptism

1. Baptismon. (has a connection to OT ceremonial washing)

2. But the foundation for the Christian is not OT baptism.

3. The plural is concrete to designate the actual baptisms the readers had received. (Lenski)

4. ,

5.

d. Laying on of hands.

1. Probably in reference to miracles.

2.

3.

e. Resurrection of the dead.

1.

2.

f. Eternal judgment.

1.

2. ,

5. Verse 3 tells us Christians can accomplish this with the help of God. Through the writer God is instructing them in what they need to do. His rebuking of the listeners is intended to wake them up from their dullness of hearing.

Application: Vincent writes; "Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek . There is much to be said on this subject, and it is hard to explain, because you have become dull, and need elementary teaching, whereas, by reason of your long Christian standing, you ought to be teachers yourselves. For you all recognize the principle that baby-food is for babes, and solid food only for men, whose powers have been trained by habitual exercise. Wherefore, in order that you may be aroused from your sluggishness and have your perceptions brought up to the matured condition which befits men in Christ, and in order that I may, at the same time, complete the development of my theme, I propose that we together move forward to completion: I to the full exposition of the subject of Christ's high-priesthood, and you to that maturity of discernment which be-comes you. This will require us both to leave the rudimentary stage of teaching concerning Christ."

Transition: Having rebuked these Christians for not moving beyond the milk, the Hebrew writers warns them of what will happen if they continue to lay that old foundation.

2. Warning: Christians can fall irreversibly.

A.

B. The Hebrew writer makes clear that he is speaking Christians.

1. “Once enlightened.”

a. Once for all, cannot be undone (they full well know)

b. Enlightened is in the aorist accusative tense and is used “of spiritual enlightenment.”

c. This enlightenment was an event of the past.

d. 2Peter 2:24-22

2. “Have tasted of the heavenly gift.”

a. The word tasted implies a personal experience.

b. At a point in the past they came to know of God’s grace in Christ.

c. (He tasted death on the cross, we taste God’s grace)

3. “Have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit.”

a. This is not referring to those in the world.

b. We become partakers in our baptism.

4. “Have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.”

a. These individuals have experienced what was spoken of in the past.

b. They are they fulfilment of God’s prophetic promises.

c. ,

d. ,

C. Having clarified whom he is speaking about, the Hebrew writer turns his attention to the problem at hand, apostasy.

1. “Have fallen away.”

a. To fall away, “fall to the side” is not simply committing some sin.

b. This is to utterly fall. The once enlightened has moved away.

2. “It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.”

a. The fall is so severe, the enlightened cannot come back from it.

b. The enlightened had once turned from sin but now it is absolutely impossible for this to happen again.

3. “They again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

a. This is why it is impossible for renewal to repentance to take place.

b. The present participles here are durative, which means this is ongoing. There is no point of it ceasing.

c. They are crucifying Christ to themselves. It is a personal act of killing the innocent man who died for their sins. It’s as if they are mimicking what the Sanhedrin did.

d. The open shame takes place because they were once publicly known to believe but are now publicly known to have turned from that belief.

e. Christ will now be mocked by outsiders who never knew Him.

D. The Hebrew writer illustrates their situation in verses 7,8.

1. Here is a contrast between two classes of Christians under equally favorable conditions, out of which they develop opposite results."

2. One receives the blessings of God and produces vegetation.

3. The other receives the same blessings but only produces thorns and thistles.

4. One is useful and productive, the other is cast into the fire.

Conclusion: The Hebrew writer is not saying that these Christians have arrived at the point of no return. He is warning them of the dangers ahead if they continue on their current course.

Christians must grow from milk to solid food. They must not keep laying the same rudimentary foundations, not abandoning them, but not staying put on them. They need to move beyond the elementary teachings of Christ and press towards maturity so they will not irreversibly fall.

Christians who do not move forward from foundational faith, are in danger of irreversible apostasy.