Move On

Intro:

AG: On Sunday, August 16,1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed just after taking off from the Detroit airport. One hundred fifty-five people were killed. One survived: a 4-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, named Cecelia.

A 4-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, named Cecelia.

News accounts say when rescuers found Cecelia they did not believe she had been on the plane. Investigators first assumed Cecelia had been a passenger in one of the cars on the highway onto which the airliner crashed. But when the passenger register for the flight was checked, there was Cecelia’s name. Cecelia survived because, as the plane was falling, Cecelia’s mother, Paula Chican, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around Cecelia, and then would not let her go. Nothing could separate that child from her parent’s love — not tragedy or disaster, not the fall or the flames that followed, not height nor depth, not life nor death.”

This is the kind of love our heavenly Father has for us. We are secure in the fact that he will do whatever is necessary to keep us near his heart. He will wrap himself around us and never let go. We are safe in him.

TS: That fundamental fact of our Father’s love is made clear in this morning’s passage from . Some people go through life living in fear doubting the Father’s love for us. They doubt He will continue to love us under certain circumstances. They worry their way through life hoping they will make it to heaven. Others repeat a cycle of professing their faith, drifting a little, and then, when feeling guilty, doubting they are saved.

They never move on to maturity in Christ. Our author calls on the Hebrews to move on to maturity instead of staying stuck on step 1.

Move on to Maturity

Hebrews 6:1–3 ESV

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.

We are commanded to grow to maturity.

Two instructions are given in conjunction with this command.

leaving the elementary doctrine of Christ

what we are to leave is going over the same ground as the foundation once already covered.

Going back over and repeating the basics as if not even saved.

Re-asking the answer to the most foundational question, “what must I do to be saved?”

not laying again a foundation of repentance

We must move on to another level, move to maturity.

we reach a level of “fuller appreciation and application of that teaching.”

The basics of the faith are spelled out.

The call here isn’t to forget the basics, just to move on beyond them. They are the foundation, not the end goal.

The basics ehto

Washings and laying on of hands

resurrection and eternal judgment

The goal of every disciple should be reaching maturity.

The goal of every disciple should be reaching maturity.

Impossibility of Falling away

Hebrews 6:4–8 ESV

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

Heb 6:

Our passage makes it plain that we cannot fall away from God and be lost.

Notice what it says:

It is impossible fall for those:

once enlightened

tasted of the heavenly git

shared in the Holy Spirit

tasted of the goodness of the word of God

powers of the age to come

Some would argue that the ones who fall, were not saved, but had “faked it” or had an emotional experience.

Look again at the description:

v. 4-5

There can be no doubt that the one discussed is a child of God.

Jesus declared this as well

John 10:27–30 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 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. I and the Father are one.”

John 10:28–30 ESV

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. I and the Father are one.”

Jn 10:

IL: Why even include this in the Bible if we can’t fall? CH Spurgeon had this to say about this text:

“‘But’ says one, ‘if Christians cannot fall away, what is the use of putting this text in to frighten like a ghost that does not exist?’ If God has put it in, He has put it in for wise reasons and excellent purposes. It is put in to keep us from falling away. God preserves His children, but He keeps them by means. One of these means is to show what would happen i they all away. There is a steep cliff—what would keep anyone from going near it? To tell him that if he did, he would inevitably be dashed to pieces. The fact that we are told the consequences, keeps us from it. So God says, ‘My child, if you fall over this cliff, you will be dashed to pieces.’ What does the child do? He says Father, keep me. Hold me up, and I will be safe.

It leads the believer to a greater dependence on God, to a holy fear and caution. This holy fear keeps Christians from falling away.

what would happen if the believer fell?

look again

Hebrews 6:6 ESV

and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Jesus would have to be re-crucified!

His sacrifice wasn’t enough to permanently save

If Jesus’ sacrifice applied, yet ailed to cleanse totally, He would have to keep repeating it.

God is Justice

Hebrews 6:9–12 ESV

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

:9-12

Conclusion:

We cannot fall away from God.

So let us move on from the basics

Lay aside fear and doubt.

I you repented and trusted Jesus to save you, keep trusting!

Yes, we will sin.

We all struggle with impure thoughts and actions.

But we are to repent and confess our sins, and HE keeps forgiving.

He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.