Keep On Growing

1. Baby food is essential for babies, but inadequate for grown ups

Heb. 5:11  We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 

2. Christian baby food: The start of a healthy diet

Heb. 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,  2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  3 And God permitting, we will do so.

a. The basics of turning away from what does't work, believing in what does

“repentance from acts that lead to death” literally, “repentance from dead works,” (ESV) which primarily means, in this Jewish context, turning away from the dead works of the Law and any doomed attempt at trying to save yourself. In other words, they had to turn away from personal sin itself, which works death, just as John the Baptist and then Jesus had called for (cf. Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:4, 15; Luke 3:8). These Jewish converts the writer of Hebrews had consciously turn away from their old way of life, just like us.

b. The basics of the Gospel, of baptism, the Holy Spirit and of service

The translation “baptisms” ought to be rendered “washings”, as in Mark 7:4, 8, Heb. 9:10. The Hebrew Christians continued to use the traditional Jewish cleansing rites, as well as the Old Testament customs of laying on of hands, to teach the deeper, ultimate significance of Christian baptism and laying on of hands—namely, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5; 1 Cor. 12:13) and also commissioning and empowering for Christian service (cf. Acts 13:1–3). In other  words, they were taught the basics about the meaning of Baptism, how it pointed us towards the need for our souls to be cleansed by the blood of Christ, and how it also pointed us toward the need to be empowered and equipped by the  Holy Spirit.

c. The basics of the life to come: Resurrection and Judgement

The Jewish Chrisitans were given instruction regarding “the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:2), which are also found in the Old Testament (for resurrection cf. Job 19:23–27; Daniel 12:1–3; for judgment cf. Genesis 18:25; Isaiah 33:22; Daniel 7). Jesus’ resurrection guarantees our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20) Jesus is the judge—“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

3. The danger of a bad diet

Heb. 6:4  It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,  5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,  6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.  8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Can we loose our salvation?

There are three ways this passage has been understood.

Hypothetical: A sort of empty threat.

Actual: People really can lose their salvation

Apparent: They were never real Christians to begin with.

Although some of these Jewish converts have been “enlightened” and “shared” and “tasted” the things of God, they were no different from the Israelits in the wilderness who fell away and died in unbelief. Despite the fact that they had placed blood on their doorposts, eaten the Passover lamb, miraculously crossed the Red Sea, observed the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, tasted the miraculous waters at Marah, daily ate manna, and heard the voice of God at Sinai. But their hearts were hardened in unbelief, and they fell away from the living God.

Matthew 13:20  “The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.”

1 John 2:19  “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”

Keep on Believing

Lyrics: Lucy Milward Booth, Mildred Duff

Music: Lucy Milward Booth

When you feel weakest, dangers surround,

Subtle temptations, troubles abound,

Nothing seems hopeful, nothing seems glad.

All is despairing ; oftentimes sad.

Refrain:

Keep on believing, Jesus is near.

Keep on believing, there’s nothing to fear ;

Keep on believing, this is the way :

Faith in the night as well as the day.

If all were easy, if all were bright.

Where would the cross be ? where would the fight ?

But in the hardness God gives to you

Chances of proving that you are true.

God is your wisdom, God is your might ;

God’s ever near you, guiding the right ;

He understands you, knows all you need ;

Trusting in Him you’ll surely succeed.

Let us press on, then ; never despair !

Live above feeling, victory’s there ;

Jesus can keep us so near to Him,

That nevermore our faith shall grow dim.