5/22/13. Now we need to be careful to understand what the writer is actually saying here.

Transcription

1 Hebrews chapter 6 5/22/13 Hebrews 6:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. Now we need to be careful to understand what the writer is actually saying here. One author put it this way Many people regard this as a Biblical list of important foundations for the Christian life. Bible study series have been taught developing each one of these topics, out of the thought that this is good list of basic doctrines. But that isn t the writer s point here at all. To understand this list, you must ask a basic question: What is distinctively Christian about this list? Where is the specific mention of Jesus or salvation by grace alone? Can you believe or practice these things and not be a follower of Jesus Christ, believing Him to be the Messiah? And the answer is yes you can be Jewish and believe these things. You see the list he gives in verses 1 & 2 are not Christian principles but some of the foundational doctrines of Judaism (the old covenant) which the writer is trying to get them to abandon once and for all. Let us go on to perfection [maturity in the Christian faith], not laying again the foundation of 1

2 Repentance from dead works and of faith toward God The Jews believed in this in fact this in essence was the message of John the Baptist who was not a Christian minister nor was his baptism Christian baptism. Christian baptism comes after a person gets saved as a symbol of the new covenant. (Explain) John s baptism was came first and was a baptism of repentance Acts 19:1-6 (NKJV) 1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. John s baptism was more along the lines of a Jewish ritual cleansing this is exactly what the writer goes on to say they should stop practicing Of the doctrine of baptisms (v.2) The Greek word translated baptisms here is not the word regularly used in the New Testament to describe Christian baptism. It is the word used in two other places (Hebrews 9:10 and Mark 7:4) to refer to Jewish ceremonial washings. 2

3 Hebrews 9:10 (NKJV) 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. Mark 7:4 (NKJV) 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash The Jews practiced ritual cleansings for different reasons before they ate, after they came in contact with something unclean but especially before they would go into the Temple to worship they would undergo a ritual purification in a special cleansing pool or bath known as a 'mikva.' The writer wants to point out to these Jewish believers that they need to leave these things behind and go onto maturity in their relationship with Jesus. In the new covenant we repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus (not just in God generically) for salvation. Once we do He cleanses us of our sins and we then undergo Christian baptism as a sign or symbol of this and that we have now entered into the resurrection life in Christ. The Jews who had put faith in Christ didn t need to keep going through these physical ritual cleansings before they ate or when they entered into a time of worship because Jesus had made them clean through His blood and as Paul said has cleansed all foods in the new covenant. Even the Old Testament predicted that one day its ceremonial cleansings would be replaced by a spiritual one that God Himself would give: Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols (Ezek. 36:25). 3

4 And even when they did come in contact with sin which defiled them a ritual cleansing wasn t the answer it was confession and repentance 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Hebrews 6:1-2 (NKJV) 1 let us go on to perfection [maturity], not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, The laying on of hands doesn t mean the Christian practice of leaders laying hands on believers before sending them out to minister in Jesus name. Under the Old Covenant the person who brought a sacrifice had to lay his hands on it, to symbolize his identification with it (Lev. 1:4; 3:8, 13). In the new covenant we lay hold of Jesus by faith and identify with Him by committing our lives to Him. Hebrews 6:2 (NKJV) 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Resurrection of the dead The O.T. taught the resurrection of the dead 4

5 Job 19:25-26 (NKJV) 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Daniel 12:2 (NKJV) 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. So we see resurrection taught in the O.T. of rewards for the good and punishment for the wicked but that was about it. The N.T. has so much more to say about it because it is connected with Jesus Because I live you will live also (John 14:19) In John 11:25 Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. In 1Corinthians 15 Paul gives us a detailed teaching on subject of the believer s resurrection. So the writer is saying to them leave the vagueness of O.T. teachings on important doctrines like the resurrection and come into the comprehensiveness and clarity of what the new covenant teaches about it. And then finally he talks about the doctrine of eternal judgment. (v.2) Once again the O.T. taught a coming judgment someday For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl.12:14) However the N.T. contains a whole book (Revelation) that gives us a detailed look at the judgment of the wicked and the eternal glory of the righteous. 5

6 Hebrews 6:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. If God permits what?! If God permits us to go on to perfection (maturity). (v.1) This doesn t mean that God may not want them to go on to maturity. It is simple a statement of complete dependence upon God that if we do press on to maturity it s only going to happen through His grace and strength. But in keeping with that thought, the writer then gets into one of the most controversial passages in the Bible Hebrews 6:4-6 (NKJV) 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Is he talking about a person who is saved but then falls away that if they do it is impossible to bring them to repentance and they are doomed to hell? Because it sounds like they re saved they had been enlightened, they had tasted the heavenly gift and had become partakers of the Holy Spirit. They had tasted the good word of God and the power of the age to come how could these not be believers? 6

7 Start Here 6/19/13 Hebrews 6 The theme of the Book of Hebrews is to encourage Jewish believers living in and around Jerusalem not to go back to Judaism and the sacrificial system under Moses but to embrace the New Covenant and press forward toward maturity in Christ. And in the process of encouraging these Jewish Christians to leave the shadow behind and embrace the substance that is Jesus Christ in the process of doing that the writer systematically proves the superiority of Christ over everyone and everything the Jews held sacred under the Mosaic covenant. In chapter 5:11 the writer wants to get into the subject of how Jesus is a greater high priest than Aaron because He is of the order of Melchizedek and yet he feels hindered to do so because they were so immature in their faith. And so he stops and interjects a rebuke starting in v.11: of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing And he continues on in chapter 6 all the way to v.20 before he gets back to what he started saying in ch.5:10 about Jesus being a greater High Priest than Aaron. Hebrews 5:12-14 (NKJV) 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 7

8 Therefore let us go on to perfection (maturity) Hebrews 6:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. As we pointed out last time the list the writer gives in verses 1 & 2 does not contain Christian principles as many commentators claim. There really isn t anything distinctively Christian about this list there is no mention of Jesus or salvation by grace The writer is listing some of the foundational doctrines of Judaism (the old covenant) Let us go on to perfection [maturity in the Christian faith], not laying again the foundation Judaism laid the foundation of truth that Jesus came to build upon and fulfill Matthew 5:17 (NKJV) 17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. The writer is addressing this section to those who refuse to go forward in their relationship with Jesus because they re still clinging to the old covenant under Moses and in fact some had already forsaken the new covenant under Jesus to go back to the old system permanently. 8

9 This is what the writer is going to be dealing with in verses 4-6 which without a doubt is one of the most controversial and unsettling passages in the Bible. Hebrews 6:4-6 (NKJV) 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Sometimes it is helpful in determining what a difficult passage is saying to first rule out what it isn t saying. For example there are those who believe that this passage is a dire warning to Christians about the danger of backsliding. But if that is true then it is teaching that anyone who backslides loses their salvation and doesn t get a second chance because he says in these verses If they fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. And so the question then becomes has anyone in the Bible ever backslidden but repented and been restored to the Lord? And the answer is Yea, almost every main character in the Bible! Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David but let s look at one example in particular Peter. Peter denied the Lord three times and yet he repented and was restored by Jesus personally after the Lord rose from the dead. 9

10 All of us have backslidden at various times but then, at one point, repented and had our relationship with the Lord restored. All throughout the Bible God not only invites His people who have backslidden to repent at times He even pleads with them to repent and get right with Him. Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV) 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Isaiah 65:2 (NKJV) 2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NKJV) 30 "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live! 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Revelation 3:19 (NKJV) 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. So it s obvious from these and many other Scriptures throughout God s Word that this passage in Hebrews 6 can t be talking about backslidden Christians because we often do walk away from the Lord at times but He always invites us to repent and when we do we are restored. So then who is the writer talking about when he says if they fall away it is impossible to renew them again to repentance? Well let s look at how he describes them he gives five descriptions of these people in the passage whoever they are: 10

11 1. They were once enlightened 2. They had tasted the heavenly gift 3. They had become partakers of the Holy Spirit 4. They tasted the good word of God 5. They tasted the power of the age to come Now many read this list and say there is no way that anyone but a Christian can be in view here. They say how can an unbeliever be enlightened, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, taste the heavenly gift (eternal life), the word of God and the power of the age to come and not be saved! Others, like myself, contend that it is possible for someone to be enlightened to the things of God; to be the recipient of the Holy Spirit s power and ministry; and to taste what eternal life is like. It s possible for an unbeliever who is going to church for a time and rubbing elbows with genuine Christians to taste these things without really entering fully into these experiences by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. They have tasted but not eaten or drunk John 6:53 (NKJV) 53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Many would shout, Impossible! No unbeliever can possibly experience these things and not be saved. And to that I reply What about Judas? 11

12 Judas was chosen by Jesus to be an apostle and as such for 3 ½ years he followed the Lord around and heard Him preach the gospel and teach God s Word constantly which meant he was enlightened to the truth of God. Yes but how could he become a partaker of the Holy Spirit and not be saved? The Greek word translated partakers has to do with association not possession. It simply refers to sharing in the events the Holy Spirit is involved in or in other words being present or involved in what the Holy Spirit is doing. It is possible to have an association with the Holy Spirit, to share in what He does, and not be saved. The Bible never speaks of Christians being associated with the Holy Spirit it speaks of the Holy Spirit being within them and one with them. And again I point to Judas to prove this point. Judas was present when the Holy Spirit working through the Lord Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons and even raised the dead I ll go one step further Judas not only stood by while Jesus performed these miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit he also performed many of the same miracles himself through the Spirit s power. At one point in Jesus ministry He sends His apostles out to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit two by two 12

13 Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV) 7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. We don t get any indication that Judas was excluded from this and not given the same power of the Holy Spirit to minister and work miracles in Jesus name that the other apostles were given. And so in that regard Judas became a partaker of the Holy Spirit and as such tasted the heavenly gift, the Word of God and the power of the age to come when all sickness, physical handicaps, demonic possession and even death would be eradicated from the earth. Judas tasted but never really entered into the new life of the Spirit because for all of the things he had the privilege and blessing to be a part of when it came to the things of the Spirit he himself never made a commitment to Christ Judas was never saved. How do I know that? because Jesus called him a devil and a son of hell. In John 13 Jesus said that all the apostles had been washed clean of their sins (saved) all except for Judas whom He said had not been washed from his sins (unsaved). And when Judas committed suicide Peter said he went to his own place the place where any unsaved son of hell goes to when they die hell! And so it is possible for someone to fit the description in Hebrews 6 and not be saved let s read it again: Hebrews 6:4-6 (NKJV) 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 13

14 The key phrase, and the one I believe unlocks the correct interpretation of this passage, is the phrase if they fall away. The Greek word translated fall away is used only once in the N.T. and it means to deliberately, willfully and maliciously turn away (renounce). If a person has received the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and has experienced the work of God in their life, has been enlightened to the truth of God by the Holy Spirit and even tasted the power of God If they should deliberately, willfully, and maliciously turn their back on all of it it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Notice that the writer doesn t say it is impossible for them to be forgiven he says it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Yes but he says it s impossible to renew them again to repentance that means that they had already repented once and therefore doesn t that prove they were saved? And my answer to that is No, not necessarily. Repentance means to have a change of mind. It s possible for a person to recognize that their life is a mess and that they need God and so they come to church and begin to turn away from their sinful lifestyle and yet not go all the way to salvation. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus in Matt. 19 proves that. (Explain) 14

15 A person can come to church knowing that their life is going the wrong direction and begin to experience Hebrews 6:4-5 and even begin to show signs of change (repentance) yet still not go all the way to salvation. How can you tell? They eventually go back to the way they were but they wind up worse than before. Matthew 12:43-45 (NKJV) 43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first..." The key word here is empty in other words you can sweep the house of your heart clean from some sins through temporary repentance and reformation but that s not enough. J.Vernon McGee The hardest people in the world [to reach for Christ] are unsaved church members because they think they are all right [have a relationship with God]. They have undergone selfreformation their lives have been swept clean and put in order by religion but they are like a vacant house, and all the evil spirits have to do is move back in. The Devil [still] owns them, and they don t recognize this fact Warren Wiersbe It is not enough to clean house; we must also invite in the right tenant. The Pharisees were proud of their clean houses, but their hearts were empty! Mere religion, or reformation, will not save. There must be regeneration, the receiving of Christ into the heart. 15

16 In Revelation 3:20 Jesus speaks to a church that had religion and reformation the house of their church was clean, swept and put in order and yet it was still empty. And so Jesus says to the people Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone opens the door I will come in You see just because a person goes to church and experiences some cleaning up of their life but stops short of inviting Jesus to come in and take up residence there that is worse than useless it is dangerous. Not only are they in danger of forsaking Jesus and being oppressed or even possessed by more demonic entities than before ( the last state of that man is worse than the first ) they re punishment in hell will be more severe having known the truth but then forsaking it. Luke 12:47-48 (NKJV) 47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Hebrews 6:6 (NKJV) 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. The reason these people can t be brought again to repentance is because they have heard the truth, they understand who Jesus is, what He has done for them and what salvation entails but at one point they completely renounce whatever faith they had. Their attitude at that point is, been there, done that and now they move on to try something new atheism, hedonism, New Age mysticism or any one of a number of other ism s floating around in the world. 16

17 And so they can t be brought again to repentance because they know the truth but have rejected and renounced it so there s nothing more in the way of information that we can give them that would cause them to change their mind (repent) and come back to Jesus. And so they become what the Bible refers to as apostates. (Explain) Hebrews 6:6 (NKJV) 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. This simply means that those who know the truth of the gospel yet turn their back on it are in essence saying, I don t need what Christ did for me; I believe my good works and/or my religious deeds and observances will get me into heaven. In the case of the Jews the writer was addressing this epistle to they were basically saying, Jesus is not the true Messiah and so the verdict concerning Him was correct He deserved to die as an imposter and deceiver He got what was coming to Him. They agreed with those who killed Jesus, and they put Him to an open shame again. Shame here refers to guilt they declared openly that Jesus was guilty as charged. The writer mentions this group again in chapter 10 17

18 Hebrews 10:29 (NKJV) 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? Now the idea that someone who comes to church for a while, begins to change but then walks away from Jesus can t possibly ever go on to be saved is deeply troubling especially if you know someone who fits that description. But take heart because the passage may not be as iron clad as we might think at first glance. Warren Wiersbe You should note that the words crucify and put in Hebrews 6:6 are, in the Greek, present participles: while they are crucifying and while they are putting Him to an open shame. The writer did not say that these people could never be brought to repentance. He said that they could not be brought to repentance while they were treating Jesus Christ in such a shameful way. Once they stop disgracing Jesus Christ in this way, they can be brought to repentance (get saved) Hebrews 6:7-8 (NKJV) 7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. The writer is simply answering the question his readers were thinking How can we know if we re genuine in our faith or not. And the answer he gives is the same one Jesus gave He said, You will know them by their fruit. And maybe the writer had Isaiah 55:10-11 in mind when he wrote what in our Bibles is Heb.6:7-8 18

19 Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV) 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. And the idea in Hebrews 6:7-8 is that the same Word of God falls on everyone in a church setting some are truly saved while others might be in the service who are not just like rain falls on fruit bearing plants and trees but also on thorn bushes all at the same time in an open field. But when the Word falls on a redeemed heart it will produce fruit primarily the fruit of the Spirit. But a heart that is unredeemed can hear the truth of God but until they receive Jesus into their hearts as Lord and Savior they are still under the curse of Adam, they don t have the Holy Spirit inside of them and therefore they have no capacity to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. In their present condition they are like thorn bushes that can t produce anything pleasing to God and are on their way to be burned in hell. Again, how can we know if we or someone we love is truly born again? You will know them by their fruit. I believe the group the writer has been addressing verses 4-6 to are apostates and not true believers notice how the personal pronouns change Hebrews 6:4-6, 9 (NKJV) 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. (Comment) 19

20 Start Here 6/26/13 Hebrews 6 Give the theme of the book In chapter 5:11 the writer wants to get into the subject of how Jesus is a greater high priest than Aaron because He is of the order of Melchizedek and yet he feels hindered to do so because they were so immature in their faith. And so he stops and interjects a rebuke starting in v.11: of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing And he continues on in chapter 6 all the way to v.20 before he gets back to what he started saying in ch.5:10 about Jesus being a greater High Priest than Aaron. Hebrews 5:12-14 (NKJV) 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 6:1-9 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 20

21 The writer isn t talking about a Christian losing their salvation the issue he is bringing up is someone losing the opportunity to be saved by not fully embracing Jesus and the new covenant. Hebrews 6:9 (NKJV) 9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. The inference is that the things he had described in verses 4 6 and 8 do not accompany salvation in other words this passage (v.4-6, 8) is not directed at true Christians. But then what are the things that accompany salvation? the things he has just gotten done saying these apostates weren t doing. 1. Someone who keeps growing in their faith and doesn t become dull of hearing 5:11 2. Someone who continues to grow in their knowledge of God s Word becoming discerning as they apply it into their daily lives 5: Someone who is teaching and witnessing to others concerning the truths of God 5: Someone who doesn t fall away (walk away) from the faith but continues on with Jesus 6: Someone who is bearing fruit the fruit of the Spirit; and the fruit of righteousness 6:7 The writer continues to talk about the fruit of their new life in Christ Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV) 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 21

22 Loving service to other Christians motivated by and rooted in a love for Jesus is also one of the outward things that accompanies salvation. 1 John 3:14 (NKJV) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Hebrews 6:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. A true Christian can t lose their salvation but they can lose the assurance of their salvation and with it the victory that comes with being saved and knowing you re saved. (Explain) The antidote for such a thing is to keep being diligent in your walk with and service for the Lord which will keep you from backsliding and losing the assurance of your salvation. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end (v.11) However if you don t keep diligently moving forward you will start sliding backward in your walk That you do not become sluggish (lazy) Laziness is the enemy of diligent perseverance spiritual laziness will keep a Christian from reaching full maturity (5:11-14). But imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (v.12) 22

23 The verb inherit simply means to have sure possession of. In this case it is referring to taking full possession of all the promises God has given to us as His children. Peter tells us that we have been given many great and precious promises from God but we need to lay hold of them through faith and make the our own. Remember the writer is addressing this epistle to Jews who understood that in their history God had given the nation some great promises the biggest of which was the Promised Land. Joshua 1:3 (NKJV) 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you God promised to give His people Israel the land of Canaan, the land of promise but they still had to go in and take possession of it through faith and obedience it wasn t automatic. God has promised us victory no matter how big the enemy, no matter how strong an area of your flesh is God has promised you victory. However you still have to stand on those promises ( Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you ) and claim them by faith. As Christians many of us have stopped short of possessing all that God has promised to give us often because we grow lazy in our walk 23

24 Proverbs 24:30-34 (NLT) 30 I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. 31 I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. 32 Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: 33 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest 34 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. That describes the spiritual lives of many of God s people all because of laziness. The closing section of chapter 6 is linked with the exhortation in verse 12 Hebrews 6:12 (NKJV) 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. This is a section that deals with the promises of God and in particular the promise of eternal life. The writer uses Abraham as an example of how God s promise of salvation is sure and steadfast because it doesn t depend on our faithfulness to attain or keep Hebrews 6:13 (NKJV) 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, To understand this section (v.13-20) we need to go back to the book of Genesis 24

25 Genesis 15:1-6 (NKJV) 1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." 2 But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. So here we see that Abraham was justified by faith apart from the works of the law he was justified 14 years before he was circumcised and 430 years before the law was given to Moses. Genesis 15:7 (NKJV) 7 Then He said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." Remember what the writer said in v.12 Hebrews 6:12 (NKJV) 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. He is now using Abraham as the ultimate example of someone that God made promises to promises that required a lot of faith and patience on Abraham s part before he saw the fulfillment of them. Genesis 15:8-10 (NKJV) 8 And he said, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" 9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 25

26 Genesis 15:12 (NKJV) 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram Genesis 15:17-18 (NKJV) 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates-- This was a unilateral, unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham and as we shall see the same kind of covenant He made with us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Well, God gave this promise to Abraham about him having a son when he was 75 years old twenty-four years pass and now Abraham is 99 years old Genesis 17:1-4 (NKJV) 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. Genesis 17:15-19 (NKJV) 15 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. A year later Isaac is born, whose name means laughter and then thirty years later (some believe Isaac was 33 years old since he was a type of Christ) God appears to Abraham again and says to him 26

27 Genesis 22:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Finish the story) God is so pleased by Abraham s faith and obedience that He does something He had never done before this in His dealings with man He swears an oath Genesis 22:16-18 (NKJV) 16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son-- 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Now understand the promise that God made with Abraham was unconditional it wasn t dependent on his faithfulness. Abraham believed the promise of God and God declared Abraham righteous according to his faith. But then later God tested the genuiness of Abraham s faith Abraham obeyed God by doing what He commanded Abraham to do (offer Isaac) and because of it Abraham proved his faith was genuine and so God reinforced His promise to him with an oath. Hebrews 6:13-14 (NKJV) 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." 27

28 The point is that in the new covenant we receive God s promise of eternal life by believing in and receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But from time to time God tests the genuiness of our faith (not for His benefit but for ours) through various situations and trials to see if we will obey Him or not. The way a person handles that test will reveal if their faith is genuine often the test itself will turn them away if their so-called faith isn t genuine like the rich young ruler. (Explain) Sometimes like with Abraham we fail some tests but then grow and mature in our faith later on like he did and pass future tests from God. (Explain Genesis 12 and then Genesis 22) These tests of obedience, if we pass them, don t earn us salvation they just reveal the nature of our faith eternal life is not a reward we earn it is a gift we receive by God s grace alone through our faith alone. Hebrews 6:15 (NKJV) 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Again, patiently enduring in your faith, like Abraham did, is the evidence of genuine saving faith. The writer is saying, Listen all you who revere Abraham he endured until he received the promise (of Isaac) but many of you are in danger of turning back and if you don t continue in the faith you will have proven your faith to be false and that you were never really the spiritual children of Abraham who is called the father of those who believe. 28

29 Start Here 7/3/13 Hebrews 6 In the section we are in the writer is proving the superiority of Jesus and the new covenant over Aaron and the whole Levitical system. This whole section starting in chapter 5:10 and running through chapter 10:18 is basically outlined by the writer in chapter 8:6 Hebrews 8:6 (NKJV) 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry [as High Priest], inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Let s look at that last part for a moment that the new covenant that Jesus established was superior to the old covenant under Moses because it was built on better promises. Hebrews 6:11-17 (NKJV) 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, This whole passage is built on the concept of God making Abraham a promise a promise that has been passed down to all of Abraham s children He is the father of all those who believe in Abraham s God and in the promises He gave to Abraham whether they are Jew or Gentile. 29

30 All of this points to Jesus and the new covenant which Jew and Gentile can enter into by faith the same way Abraham entered into the Abrahamic covenant Romans 4:3 (NKJV) 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." It says that Abraham didn t just believe in God, he believed God. He believed something God had promised him way back in Genesis 12 and later reaffirmed in Genesis 13, 15, 17, 22 Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Abraham was a wealthy man but what he wanted more than anything else was a son, an heir. God had promised him a son and through that son a whole nation of children, but as of Genesis 15 that promise had not been fulfilled. Genesis 15:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Paul quotes this verse several times in his epistles Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness ". 30

31 But what exactly did Abraham believe that allowed God to declare him righteous? Romans 4:13-22 (NKJV) 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed-- God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." So what did Abraham believe he believed that God could raise the dead In other words, bring life out the deadness of his body and Sarah s womb by giving them a son and through this son he would have many descendants so that all the nations of the earth would eventually be blessed. Now of course most Jews assumed that the son God is talking about is Isaac but Paul is going to make the argument that this promise that God gave to Abraham is much larger than Isaac or his physical descendants the Jewish people. Galatians 3:7-9 (NKJV) 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. 31

32 Then Paul uses this to focus on the promise that God gave to Abraham and how it also applies to God s people in the new covenant. Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV) 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. The statement the promise of the Spirit through faith is a reference to the new covenant in Christ. Galatians 3:15 (NKJV) 15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. (Paul is talking about a man making a will) If your wealthy uncle dies and in his will he promised to leave you a million dollars you don t have to do anything to earn it you just receive it. What s more, after a person makes out a will and signs it it is a legally binding contract so that no other person can alter or annul it. If a human will is a contract that cannot be broken or altered, how much more can t God s covenant be annulled or altered! Galatians 3:16 (NKJV) 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. In Genesis 22:18 God promised Abraham that 32

33 Genesis 22:18 (NKJV) 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." In Galatians 3:16 Paul points out that when God gave the promise to Abraham He used the singular for seed and not the plural meaning that God was referring to one specific Descendant of Abraham, not all his descendants in general that Descendant was Messiah. This covenant or promise was made not only to Abraham, but also to his descendant Jesus the Messiah. The Father willed He made a covenant or a testament the word testament is another word for will. So Paul is saying that the Father willed that upon the death of His Son that eternal life would be inherited by all those who would receive it by faith. And Paul wants us to know that the covenant that God made with Abraham and Jesus predates the covenant that He made with Moses on Mt. Sinai Galatians 3:17 (NKJV) 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. Paul is saying the covenant that God made with Moses 430 years after His covenant with Abraham can t change or annul the first covenant making that promise of no effect. Galatians 3:18 (NKJV) 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 33