Grace and peace be yours in Christ Jesus.
Welcome to the sixth week in our study of Hebrews. Yes, we’re backing up to verse 11 in chapter 5 to start this one since we skipped those last week as they go much more with six than they do five.
In fact, today we’re probably going to spend even more time in the AMP than I usually do as it enlightens my understanding of some of this more than the NIV does. But the NIV is where we’re starting, so in case you don’t have either, or don’t have an AMP, both are available at Biblegateway.com. Here is the NIV, and here is the AMP. As a standard reminder, get something to write with and on and settle in for what promises to be a blessing of a lesson. All of them are, though seeing that might require perspective adjustments.
Before we begin though, let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, it’s that time again, the time to study and depend on You for the lesson and the revelation too. I feel even less capable today Lord, please come and reveal everything we need to see in this chapter plus four verses so that our faith only gets stronger and our confidence is bolstered. Use my hands and my mind and write this lesson. I trust You, Lord. All the glory is for you. Amen.
Read Hebrews 5:11-14
Warning Against Falling Away
How does verse 11 make you feel? Every time I see the words, “we have much to say to you about this” my thought is, ‘oh please, say it, I want to hear it.’ Yet most often they don’t, instead they go into explanations why it is not worth the time. More people ‘no longer try to understand’ than those who desire to understand. And Scripture assures us it will only get worse in that way. Fewer and fewer will want to hear what the Scriptures have to say. Or what we, those who lead studies have to say. Don’t let that discourage you though. Hold onto your confidence. Your faith is and will be rewarded beyond measure.
A quick review of what we’ve read to this point in Hebrews.
3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
3:6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
3:12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
4:1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
4:6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”
4:9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
Hebrews 5:14, let’s write it out something like this… it takes constant use of Scripture to be able to distinguish good from evil. Basically it means never neglect reading Scripture. Keep holding onto your faith and growing it.
Read Chapter 6:1a (the first part of it, to the comma)
Hebrews 6:1a NIV Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity,
Yes! I have been awaiting words like that. Let’s move beyond, come on, let’s go!
Read Hebrews 6:1-3 in the AMP
Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.] 3 And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.
So maturity also means perfection, completeness, and we know there’s only one way to that. Faith through a lifetime. Sure, some get there earlier but nobody is fully perfect or complete until God makes them so in eternity. It’s a lifetime of sanctification. But ooh, look at verse 3, we’re going to get to see more advanced thinking soon!
Read Hebrews 6:4-8 AMP
4 For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come, 6 and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace. 7 For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Okay, I know that verses 4-6 are really hard to decipher.
There’s a footnote of explanation in the AMP so here is that:
Hebrews 6:4 This is the same Greek word that is used in Matthew 27:34 regarding Jesus’ tasting the wine mixed with gall during His crucifixion. After tasting what was being offered to Him He refused to drink it. Perhaps the use of this word in this passage (vv 4-6) refers to those who superficially “tasted” the gospel and outwardly appeared to embrace the Christian experience, but inwardly never committed in full surrender to Christ. In this case, the act of “falling away” was simply the public expression of their true position and their rejection of Jesus as Messiah regardless of the evidence.
Read Hebrews 6:9-12 NIV
Imitate those who through faith and patience are going to inherit what has been promised. And oh my are the promises and what God has for us immeasurably great and beyond all we can ask or think.
Here are verses 11 & 12 in the AMP
11 And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realize and enjoy the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.
Even now we inherit promises. Every single day, blessing after blessing already given, new mercy, favor at all times, we have more to be thankful for than we can list. Show the same diligence, which will allow you to realize and enjoy what?
Read Hebrews 6:13-15 NIV
The Certainty of God’s Promise
That’s an illustration of faith and patience. It’s in Genesis 15 where God promises that and yes, you can see the fulfillment of that promise later in the book. If you don’t remember it, please go read from Genesis 15 through Genesis 21.
Read Hebrews 6:16-18 NIV
Don’t let those words ‘people swear’ confuse you, Jesus has told us not to swear in
Matthew 5:33-37
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
“We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” Oh how I love those words. Flee the world in our thinking and our behavior. Working on keeping our focus on Jesus and desire only Him and His will. The hope set before us. The confidence that He truly is our Savior. And we are eternally safe, loved and the ‘His people’ referred to earlier in the chapter.
Read Hebrews 6:19-20 NIV
We have this Hope. It’s an anchor for the soul. It’s firm and secure. It can help you build your faith and empower your confidence. Jesus is our Everything.
Thank You, Lord, for this lesson and how you took us so many places to remember and realize and end with Hope and You. Oh how wonderful You are. I live to bring you glory, Lord, gather it all. In Your holy and precious name.
Amen.