Jesus Christ - a better/sure anchor for our soul/salvation
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Jesus Christ - a better/sure anchor for our soul/salvation
Jesus Christ - a better/sure anchor for our soul/salvation
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Living and communicating within a new frame of reference/paradigm can be a huge challenge.
i.e. major move, major life change or learning a new language
Some of these changes force us to think, process and communicate information differently. When it is a life and death matter of survival, there is no choice.
Those displaced after a war.
Formatting an address or sentence in Japanese
In order to advance and make that transition permanent, one must transition completely to the next level.
How we learn and think
Usually cannot be processed through present paradigm. A new paradigm is needed. We need to begin think in the new language.
Eventually we must be willing to jettison extraneous material or people.
We can never learn Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus and Logarithms if we are content to repeatedly review only elementary mathematical disciplines.
For that matter, if a calculator is relied on and nothing is internalized, we are increasingly vulnerable/limited.
Those to whom Hebrews was written seem to have fallen into two spiritual camps. To some extent, it seems that they had not jettisoned some of the old paradigms. There was also the possibility that they were guilty of synchronism - adding Jesus to their extended OT system.
One segment was unbelievers who had heard the Gospel again and again, but had chosen not to believe.
The other segment was believers. Some of that second believing segment had not matured the way that they should have. Having repeatedly gone over the basics of the Gospel, the writer of Hebrews made a deliberate decision. Addressing the whole believing segment, with the unbelieving segment listening to the letter/book as it was read, he explained that which was geared more to maturity.
They are going to move on theologically.
The writer of Hebrews explained that:
When the elementary doctrine of Christ has been repeatedly rejected by unbelievers, it was unfruitful to continue to repeat what the unbelievers had knowingly rejected - 6:1-8
He was sure of better things for those who believed - 6:9-12
God’s promise is certain - 6:13-20
When the elementary doctrine of Christ has been repeatedly rejected by unbelievers, it is unfruitful to continue to repeat what unbelievers have knowingly rejected - 6:1-8
When we work our way through this section of Hebrews, some of you will remember what you may have been taught. Remembering is part if who we are.
From the wording used by the writer of Hebrews, it seems to me that he is referring to 2 spiritual segments of those who gathered and received this letter.
Believers - 6:9-20 - and unbelievers - 6:1-8
2 segments of believers
Immature believers - 5:11-14 - CONTEXT
Ought to be teachers - 5:12
Need milk not solid food - 5:12 - elsewhere in Scripture milk referenced the teaching needed by babes in Christ - new believers - those who were not mature.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Unskilled in the word of righteousness - 5:13
Unable to handle solid food that is for the mature - 5:14
Not discerning re good and evil - 5:14
Unbelievers - 6:1-8
Believers - 6:9-12, 13-20
Elementary components of the doctrine of Christ - 6:1-2
Hearing the doctrine of Christ is not the same as believing. Only when the Gospel is obeyed/believed is there new life in Christ.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
And go on to maturity
It is a sobering reality that the elementary components that when believed lead to new life in Christ and lay the foundation for maturing in Christ, also define the spiritual status of the one who has to this point chosen not to repent and believe.
Lack of maturing over the long term suggests either a spiritual learning handicap but more likely not being a believer at all.
Elementary components:
Repentance from dead works to faith toward God
Instruction about washings
The Levitical system included many washings that were to be confessions of heart cleansing. In addition to the atonement offerings, there were to be washings symbolizing hearts that we not only forgiven but cleansed.
summarizes the repeated washings mentioned in Lev 16
“You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
Ex 30:
He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.
Lev
And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.
Lev 16:
And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
Lev
And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
Lev 16:
Laying on of hands - under Old Covenant 2 possibilities
Person bringing the sacrifice placed hand/hands on it symbolizing identification with the sacrifice for sin
And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
Priestly blessing
Matt 19:31
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people,
Resurrection of the dead - true, Sadducee denial of resurrection
Eternal judgment - believing in the resurrection did not translate into believing alive spiritually and judgment by God on His terms - Christ
Christ taught that there would be a judgment - sheep and goats - - final judgment
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Matt 25:
BUT
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
It is humanly “impossible” to bring those who have rejected Christ to repentance - 6:3-6 - Some believers could not point fingers - 5:11-14
Impossible to bring those to repentance those who have sensed and experienced the beginnings of the Gospel
Enlightened
Intellectual perception
Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary They Had Been Enlightened
The enlightenment spoken of here has to do with intellectual perception of spiritual, biblical truth. In the Septuagint, the Greek word (phōtizō) several times is translated “to give light by knowledge or teaching.” It means to be mentally aware of something, to be instructed, informed. It carries no connotation of response—of acceptance or rejection, belief or disbelief.
Jesus came to give light
the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
Matt
Tasted the heavenly gift
Not feasted upon. Eternal life comes from eating not tasting
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Share/partake of the Holy Spirit - not possess
Shared the Holy Spirit
Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary They Had Partaken of the Holy Spirit
The Bible never speaks of Christians being associated with the Holy Spirit. It speaks of the Holy Spirit being within them.
Tasted but not eaten the Word
Herod enjoyed hearing John the Baptist but did not believe,
for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
Mk 6:
EVEN a sense of things to come BUT
When these means that God uses are rejected no other means of renewal. They have held up God to contempt.
Fall away - only here - severe unfaithfulness - cc
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
Those who receive the Gospel are blessed while those who reject the Gospel are cursed - 6:7-8
Results of believing and not believing.
Fruit versus thorns and thistles
He was sure of better things for those who believed - 6:9-12
In your case, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation.
Up to this point some of what we have might seem fairly heavy. But he has dealt with real faith issues and priorities.
Feelings confessed but feelings based on what he sees in their lives and what God says.
With regard to their lives:
Work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints as you still do.
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Love for other believers was an evidence of salvation.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jn
Serve in Christ’s name
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
Rom 1:
God is just - 9:9-10
God knows His faithful.
Malachi’s comforts after a warnings of judgment
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
Mal 3:
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
God is faithful and cares for His own.
Each of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises, had full assurance of hope to the end - 9:11-12
Speaking to believers
Each of you - mature and not so mature
Full assurance of hope to the end
Christ’s promise of eternal life.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Paul reminded us that God never takes back what He has promised and given.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews Exposition
He never repents of having given them so as to take them back again. And whatever calling He makes of any man, He never retracts it, but He stands to it still. There is no playing fast and loose in divine mercy; His gifts and calling are without repentance.
Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews Exposition
Keep it up; be as earnest today as you were twenty years ago, when you were baptized and joined the church: “Demonstrate the same diligence unto the end
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Hope in Christ rather than angels, Moses or Levitical system
Not sluggish - immature - 5:11 - dull
Imitate those through faith and patience inherit the promises
Similar to Paul’s admonition to the believers in Corinth.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
God’s promise is certain - 9:13-20
The Lord’s promises to Abraham are often used as examples of how God deals with those who through the ages are heirs to the promises of God that are received and embraced by faith.
God:
Revealed Himself and call Abram when he lived among those who were far away.
Called him from his father’s house and land.
Gave Abram promises that were only embraced and claimed by faith
Made a covenant with Abram - land and offspring. Sarah responded in faith as well.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Heb 11:
Here the writer of Hebrews summarizes the heart of God’s promise to Abraham. God’s promise to Abraham is a beautiful and accurate picture of His promises to us who by faith also believe. Remembering Abraham who walked by faith would have, should have encouraged the Hebrew believers to by faith hold on to God - not angels, not Moses, not the Levitical system, not the temple, not their ethnic heritage ....
Two unchangeable things - 9:13-17
God’s promise - first unchangeable thing - His word
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,
When God makes a promise, He keeps it.
Context of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac.
God’s promise/word does not need confirmation from anyone else.
God tells the truth. This is unique in a world when lying has become the norm in so much of the world.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Religious systems can be built on lies - saints, rituals, empty promises - health & prosperity Gospel.
Systems can be built around leaders and out of context Bible phrases - , - see God’s works but do not know His ways.
Our delight must be in the Lord - DAVID
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
NT Hebrew believers were to completely abandon the Old Covenant.
To commit selves to Jesus and the New Covenant
Forms, rituals and ceremonies were to be left behind.
Essence of Old Covenant was FAITH
He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
Rom
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
Gal
God’s oath - He swore by Himself - second unchangeable thing
Unchangeable - Greek word used in wills - what covenanted unchangeable or irrevocable by anyone other that the maker of the promise.
No one in the universe is greater than God. And the reason He cannot lie is that He invented truth. He is truth. By definition, whatever He says is true. By the very nature of His person, He cannot lie. He has no capacity to lie. His promises, then, are first of all secured by His Person. Whatever He does has to be right and whatever He says has to be true. If God makes a promise, therefore, He not only will keep it, He must keep it.
Trusting God’s certain promise:
Did God keep His promise to Abraham? - YES
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,
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Deut 31
Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
Is
And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
Heb
We who have fled for refuge, have strong encouragement to HOLD FAST to the hope before us - 9:18
Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews Exposition
the hope set before us We must personally lay hold on the hope. There is the hope, but we are bound to grasp it and hold it fast. As with an anchor the cable must pass through the ring, and so be bound to it, so must faith lay hold upon the hope of eternal life. The original Greek signifies “to lay hold by main force and so to hold as not to lose our hold when the greatest force would pull it from us.” We must take firm hold of firm truth.
Each of make a conscious faith decision to what we will anchor our lives and to what we will continue to anchor our lives.
So to what do we hold onto - God’s faithfulness - God himself walked between the halves .
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul - 6:19
Our hope is in Jesus - 6:19-20
Lessons for today that continue to anchor our souls:
Even after repeated exposure to the doctrines of Christ, some will choose not to repent.
More than difficult, impossible to understand - 6:1-8
Enlightened
Tasted the heavenly gift
Have heard enough that is believed could be teachers
Sensed the prodding of the Spirit of God and saw it in the lives of believers
Tasted the goodness of the word of God & powers of the world to come
We might wonder if the immaturity of some believers partially explains but does not excuse others not believing.
Word & worship
Prayer
Evangelism
Discipleship - Content with knowing but resisting questions re doing
The spiritual maturity of some believers will probably be jeopardized if we focus only on the elementary doctrines of Christ.
2. The spiritual maturity of some believers will probably be jeopardized if we focus only on the elementary doctrines of Christ.
This begins with how we define maturity - outer versus inner
We need to be able to define spiritual maturity.
Christlikeness
Able to teach
Doctrinal stability
Able to withstand and weigh the winds and trends of doctrine.
Customs & what does not change - times, service formats, translations
Decided balance between the need to believe and what it means to have believed.
Baby food versus meat and potatoes.
3. In God’s character, God’s promises and Jesus, our hope is sure and steadfastly anchored.
One way to explain this would be to consider 3 Scripture verses.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!
When faced with the storms of life or when those dear to us are bombarded with storms , are we:
Affirming and comforted by the promises - comforting others
50%/50% comforted but needing comforted - depending on the day, sometimes fragile.
Whenever storms come need comfort
God’s word and His people are not our first go to - relegated to an aspect of a spiritual buffet.