Hebrews 6:3-12--Persevere through Trials

And we're here. The most controversial passage in all of scripture.

"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 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." (Hebrews 6:4-6)

What makes these verses so problematic? Error in human interpretation. Remember Scripture never contradicts. We must use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Oftentimes we apply this warning to a wider theological question: Is it possible to become a genuine Christian and then lose your salvation? The author of Hebrews doesn't answer this here. He doesn't press the issue in this letter...so we are wise not to misapply it as a case against eternal security. (Romans 5-8 addresses these questions regarding salvation).

So why say it? Why should the author even use such strong language as "It is impossible...to restore them again unto repentance...crucifying Christ again"? Remember from last week Hebrews 6:1-2 reminds us of the context from which this warning passage comes.  "...let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity." The current vein of thought here is to persevere. The audience were Jews turned Christian. They were believers during the dangerous reign of Nero facing trials and persecution. The purpose of this letter was to exhort disheartened and probably scared Christians to persevere in following Christ. Throughout the discourse Christ is declared superior to the Law, Moses, Aaron, and Melchizedek. The author reminds them that Judaism can offer nothing compared to Christ. Only through Christ is there salvation. Don't look back to Judaism as the Hebrews of the wilderness longed for the slavery of Egypt. Christ is better. Persevere.

To best understand this warning, let's make a distinction between the audience and type of person that he is warning about. Following the warning passage, in Hebrews 6:9, the author reveals that the audience is the beloved of God. Later in Hebrews 10:39 he describes the audience as not being "those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." Despite the author's confidence of the audience's salvation as evidenced through their fruit, he warns of a particular kind of person that Jesus describes as a weed. In the case of the local church, there will always be a combination of wheat and weeds (Matt. 13:24-30). 

Weeds can appear to embrace the gospel, attend local church gatherings, and share fellowship with the other believers; yet, under the pressures of trial, temptation, or indwelling sin reveal a lack of true conversion. Jesus describes such a person in the "Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4:16-17. The sower sows the word upon the rocky soil. They receive the word with joy, but do not persevere when persecution and tribulation come. This is not faith, but more of an opportunistic, intellectual enlightenment that cannot produce perseverance.

So, what should we do with these verses then?

While we need not concern ourselves with uprooting the weeds, as wheat we need to persevere, individually and collectively. Hebrews 12:1-2 exhorts us "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..." As we persevere in Christ individually, let us also "see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God" (Heb. 12:15). In other words, Christians, watch out for one another. Make certain there are none among you that fall short of receiving salvation. This is one of the beautiful purposes of the local church and fellowship with other believers...mutual encouragement to remain hopeful, faithful, and patient on this journey.

It is my prayer and hope for you, dear friend to persevere and that you "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." (Heb. 6:11-12)

Transparent Moments: Reading my Bible is Hard

Confession Time.
Reading my Bible is one of the hardest things to do.

Is it okay for a pastor's wife to admit that? 

With a preschooler and a toddler who have entered the sweet and glorious phase of becoming playmates for each other, I spend more time training them in sharing and taking turns than reading. I am fully convinced they have a sixth sense about my movements. All's quiet and perfect as long as I'm doing some unpleasant, yet necessary task, like washing dishes or scrubbing the toilet. But if I sit down with a hot cuppa tea and my Bible and World War III begins in their bedroom.

So for the past few weeks I've thrown my hands up in resignation saying, "I just don't have time. It's impossible to have a quiet time with small children. If I can't find two minutes alone in the bathroom, then I certainly don't have 20 or 30 minutes to read and pray. I know I'm not the only one, so I shouldn't feel guilty or stress myself out."  Oh, I could spend the next thirty paragraphs justifying why I haven't had time.

God desires that we use our time wisely. Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." More specifically in the theme of this Psalm we are to make the most of each day, since our days are so few. I know we all speak of the brevity of life and how quickly time passes, but this Psalm teaches that God desires we fill those days for a specific purpose in our life: to gain a heart of wisdom. The heart of wisdom enables us to live by the right priorities. And wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10). And don't we all need wisdom?

How can I fear the Lord if I spend so little time knowing Him through His Word? How can I gain wisdom and live life with the right priorities if I haven't been numbering my days? To what purpose do the minutes and hours tick by? Am I just getting through another day...Filling my life with chores and entertainment and fleeting things? Have I truly been numbering my days, so that I may gain a heart of wisdom?

I have allowed distractions to take precedence over quality time in the Word. Can we say Netflix? I have allowed the burden of stress to weigh me down to the point that I'm too weak to crack the cover of my Bible. I have made excuses to avoid the one thing I need to get through each day.

And I can say this because I know...I am not alone in this.

Trust me, mom of littles, working mom, full time teacher, nurse, caretaker...I know your days are busy. But let's make sure we remember to encourage another to do the one thing that must be done daily...the one thing that will bring us comfort and wisdom...read your Bible. Don't substitute the Word with Utmost for His Highest, Morning and Evening, or some other daily devotional. That's easy to do and say afterwards, "I did my quiet time." Devotionals are great, but are purely supplemental to the Word. Go straight to the source of wisdom...daily. It may be difficult, but worth the effort. And may a love for His Word fill your hearts to overflowing, dear friend. Grab a Bible. Grab a pen. And drink deeply the truth of His love from His own Word. Blessings, friend.

Hebrews 6:1-2 -- Christianity 101

"Therefore."  There it is again. The writer of Hebrews loves connecting his points. We just finished a call to put away our spiritual bottles and sink our teeth into some solid meat. And now again we are called to move beyond Christianity 101 and into the depths of His truth. In case you missed it, the author states the "elementary doctrines" of the faith in the first two verses of chapter 6. These are the ABCs of Christianity or Christianity 101:

1. Repentance from dead works to faith in God
2. An understanding of baptism and the laying on of hands
3. Resurrection and eternal judgment

The writer doesn't spend time elaborating these points because, as the basics of Christianity, he expects the reader to already possess a thorough knowledge of these subjects. But for our purposes today, let's not gloss over them so quickly. Let's sit for a while and honestly ask,  "Do I know what repentance from dead works means? Why is that even important? Why do we baptize people? What is the resurrection? Why is a future hope of resurrection important? What is the eternal judgment?"

My fear is that if we were to survey random congregations, many individuals would not be able to explain why we baptize or why their faith is built on faith and not works. If the basics are confused or not well formed in our minds, the practice of our faith will be difficult at best, and wrong at worst. And what if you know it? What if you could fully explain these doctrines? Then what? Well, as the writer says "let us press on to maturity."

So what about you? If your honest answer is "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" then here are some scriptures for you to consider and do some digging of your own. If you think you know the answers, then refresh your minds by reading the hope found in the basics of our faith. Look through these over the next week and study for yourselves. This is by no means an exhaustive list...but it is a starting point. Let' make sure we get the basics before we move forward to the next verses...which will challenge us greatly.

Dead works: Hebrews 9:14
Faith: Hebrews 6:12; 10:22, 38-39; 12:2; 13:7 and chapter 11
Laying on of Hands and Baptism: Acts 8:14-17; 9:12, 17-19;19:5-6
Resurrection and Eternal Judgment: Hebrews 9:27; 10:27; 11:19, 35

From Spiritual Babyhood to Spiritual Maturity--Hebrews 4:14-5:14

Good news, dear friends. We have a great high priest after the order of Melchizedek!

Huh? Melchiza-who?

If you read this in verses 6 and 10 you probably wondered who or what a Melchizedek is.  Maybe you even turned to Psalm 110 where David speaks of this and our Hebrews writer quotes. For now just hang on to your curiosity. Hebrews will pick this up in a moment...clarity will come. But here's a fair warning...it will be a bumpy ride getting there. Not bumpy in the difficult to understand intellectually, but the next few chapters challenge us all spiritually.

"Though You Slay Me" (featuring John Piper)

This song is a couple of years old, but the words still speak such an awesome truth into the hearts of those who suffer. Whether you face the loss of a loved one, a frightening medical diagnosis, insurmountable financial difficulties, a wayward child, or simply the heaviness of life, your pain is not for naught. God is working out in you an eternal weight of glory. Take heart, dear friend. Be encouraged.

"For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." 2 Corinthians 4:17

Sabbath Rest for the Weary--Hebrews 4:1-11

Rest. Digest that word for a moment. The Exodus Generation who wandered in the desert longed for this, but would never receive it because of unbelief. The writer of Hebrews continues using this group of people as an negative illustration of what not to do. Why? Because God still promises rest for us Today. 

The Sabbath: Weekly Rest

As you read through Hebrews 4:1-11 note the idea of rest. There are several different depictions of rest. Firstly, God rested after his works of creation. I've observed this idea of a once a week Sabbath is largely lost in our culture of busy bustling. Other activities take priority over assembling with the local congregation. 

Why is this important to note? Because Romans tells us that "faith comes from hearing" of the Word. And what is Hebrews warning will keep you from Rest? Unbelief. The remedy for unbelief is faith. And faith is gained through the hearing of the Word of God which is preached at church.

Not only this, but Hebrews will later mention that assembling together in the local congregation gives Christians an opportunity for mutual encouragement...which is a necessary element of perseverance. Assemble. Give and receive encouragement. It gives strength and sustenance to our faith.

The Sabbath: The Present Rest
After the passing of the Exodus Generation, Joshua led the people of Israel into the rest of the Promised Land. The wandering of 40 years finally over. The people can now rest. The rest God offers is for us today. This rest for the soul comes through the Gospel of Christ. When we embrace salvation, there is peace and provision. Our souls are supplied and kept safe. A Christian need not worry, we can enter the present rest that God offers us through the Gospel. 

The Sabbath: The Future Rest
In reading of the Promised Land it's impossible to miss the double meaning of this phrase. Consider that David wrote Psalm 95 and Hebrews quote it long after the Israelites entered the Promised Land, yet they speak of a rest still unattained. This is the future rest promised to those who maintain faith, those who do not drift into disobedience, those that persevere within the present rest that God offers through the Gospel. 

So the question remains, "How Do We Enter Rest?" By trusting in Jesus. Faith is the place where the "weary sinner can stretch himself out on Jesus." This is more than a mental assent, more than being inspired, more than good works which serve to produce a begrudging submission. Our trust is not in works, but rest upon the God who has finished the work of salvation...faith in the Gospel of Christ. While is it still Today I ask you, "What will you do with the Gospel?" Your answer is the most important decision you will ever make in this life.

The Woes of the Wilderness--Hebrews Chapter Three

With two full chapters expounding on the superiority of Christ to all else, the writer of Hebrews issues another warning in verses 7-18 referring to the Exodus generation that put God to the test with their unbelief. In Exodus 17 the Israelites have thrice grumbled and whined about physical provision. They have witnessed and experienced the miraculous works of the Lord: deliverance from slavery and the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea to ensure their escape, and manna from heaven and water from a rock in the depths of a desert. Yet again we find them facing hardship without trusting in that same Lord who repeatedly provided in impossibly situations.



It's easy to be critical of this Exodus generation, but the writer of Hebrews believes their negative example of faith a useful analogy for us today. Notice the cycle of faith and despair?: enthusiastic beginning, grumbling, and then the sweet blessing of the Lord's provision. This is the challenge before present day Christians. The church is an eclectic group of people. At any given moment a variety of people fill the pews facing a variety of different trials, in a variety of different places in their faith journey.



There are those who are young in a faith filled with excitement and zeal for the Lord. No mountain appears insurmountable at this point. Then, there are those who attend church and join Bible studies for the companionship. But when things get difficult, they grumble and complain because their heart was truly never in it to begin with. There are also those whose initial faith provided and incredible jump start in the beginning, but find themselves in need of regular encouragement. Let the Body of Christ be that encouragement for those who need it. The real warning of this passage of Hebrews is whether or not we will continue to trust in Jesus or will allow ourselves to remain content in drifting as our initial belief fades into a distant memory collecting cobwebs while our hope suffocates and dissolves. This warning is for you. This warning is for me. Persevere.

If you are experiencing life in the wilderness, a time of testing,  then heed the warning of this pattern of faith. Trust God will provide. Don't demand signs of his presence and care. This kind of faith is rooted more in emotional experience than the character of our Lord. Whether life is good or bad, worship Him. In health or in sickness, worship Him. In plenty or in need, worship Him. Daily trust Him. Let the sovereignty of God be the peaceful pillow in which you rest your head. He knows your need before you ask. Walk through your trial with the restful trust that "He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it." Keep your eyes on Him and the companionship of the Lord will be sweet and wonderful...and when the time is right, you will enter his rest.