Are You a Borderline Believer?
Hebrews 5:10-12
Purpose: To show that some who claim to know Christ are not really believers.
Aim: I want the listener to gain assurance of salvation if they are being faithful to Christ and I want them to fear being lost if they are not being faithful.
INTRODUCTION: Why is it that two people can read the same Bible or listen to the same sermon and one is thrilled and the other one is bored? The writer of Hebrews wants every person reading this letter to feel the same thrill of knowing that they are on their way to heaven. Look at Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,(NAU)
Chapter six of Hebrews is one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. Look at Hebrews 6:4-6 4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.(NAU) Some people think that it teaches that Christians can lose their relationship with God, and that it is possible for us to sin away our salvation. We will get to that question later, but for now it is important that we step back and get an accurate picture of what the entire book of Hebrews is all about. This will help us understand this misunderstood, but very important passage of Scripture.
✔The Reason For the Book of Hebrews
The one word that sums up the book of Hebrews best is the word “better.” ✔ Point to anything in this world and Christ is better.
✔1. Hebrews proves that the person of Christ is better
– Christ the God-man is better than angels (1-2) [Read 1:6-8]
– Christ the new prophet is better than Moses (3)[Read 3:1]
– Christ the new king is better than Joshua(4:1-13) [Read 4:8]
– Christ the new priest is better than Aaron (4:14-7)[Read 7:24-28]
✔2. Hebrews proves that the work of Christ is better
– Christ’s promises are better (8:1-13)[Read 8:13]
– Christ’s access to God is better(9:1-14)[Read 9:14]
– Christ’s sacrifice is better (9:15-28)[Read 9:27-28]
– Christ’s forgiveness is better(10:1-18)[Read 10:18]
✔3. Hebrews proves that faith in Christ is better
– Our reward from God is better (10:19 - 11)[Read 11:39-40]
– Our relationship with Christ is better(12:1-13)[Read 12:1-2a]
– Our reason to serve God is better(12:14 - 13) [Read 12:22-24][Read 13:20-21]
✔The Warnings of the book of Hebrews
Many of the Jews and even the Jewish priests had become convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but they stopped short of a full commitment to Jesus. Perhaps they didn’t understand that Jesus fulfilled th OT ceremonies. Maybe they were afraid of being persecuted for leaving the sacrificial system. Even today a Jew who accepts Jesus as the Messiah is shunned by orthodox Jews and often disowned by their own families.
Many Jews insisted on hanging on to the shadows of the OT rather than the substance of what Jesus did in the NT. They clung to a pattern of religion, not the reality of religion; a visible religion, but not to the invisible God.
Many people make the same mistake today. They cling to the outward form of religion, even forms which may represent truth, but they don’t posses the reality of Christ. Too many people feel good just because they went to church and participated in the ceremonies and yet they miss God’s power to change them during the rest of the week.
For this reason, the writer of Hebrews sprinkled five great warnings in the midst of this book.
✔1. The danger of drifting from the truth(2:1-4)
The problem isn’t that they rejected the truth, but that they began to neglect the truth.[Read 2:3]
✔2. The danger of doubting the truth (3:7-14)
Here we see the danger of resisting what we know is right. This leads to a hardening to the things of God.
[Read 3:8]
✔3. The danger of not displaying the truth(5:11-6:9)
This is where we will concentrate our attention for now. Those who don’t really know the truth generally don’t have a burden to share the truth with others.
✔4. The danger of drawing away from the truth (10:26-39)
This is usually caused by fearing what others may think about us or do to us more than what God may think of us or do to us.[Read 10:35,38]
✔5. The danger of denying the truth (12:25-29)
This can be summed up with, “I believe in Jesus, I just don’t agree with everything He said.” [Read 12:25]
Notice that the warnings get tougher and tougher. Drifting leads to doubting which leads to not displaying which leads to drawing away which results in denying the truth.
We will stay away from this downward path if we are alert to: destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,(2 Corinthians 10:5 NAU).
✔5:10-6:8 I. A Warning to Those Who Claim to Know Christ
This passage is actually a parenthesis. He starts to discuss what it means that Jesus is a type of priest like Melchizedek in 5:10, but stops and gives this dynamic passage. Then he picks it up again in 7:1. The point is, we aren’t going to understand the glories of Christ if we don’t have a growing relationship with Him first.
If you are new-born Christian, then you will NOT remain a new-born Christian. ✔ If you are not growing in Christ, you may not have life in Christ. That which does not grow, dies.
✔Vs.10-14 A. Beware of acting like an unbeliever
The writer of Hebrews does not assume that everyone who is reading his book is a Christian. For example, notice how he changes from using YOU in verses 5:11-12 to using THOSE and THEM in 6:4 & 6 and then back again to YOU in 6:9-12.
The writer assumed that everyone who was reading this book THOUGHT they were Christians, but he doesn’t assume that they all really are Christians. Otherwise he would not have given the five warnings we just talked about.
Notice two of the three signs of being an unbeliever.
✔Vs.10-11 1. Beware of being a lazy learner “you have become dull of hearing”
A more literal translation might even have a touch of humor in it, “You have become dull in the ears.” The Greek adjective here, nÉthros, meaning “sluggish,” “torpid,” “having lost momentum,” “dead in the water,” “apathetic,” or “dormant,” carries strong implications.[Evans, L. H., Jr, & Ogilvie, L. J. (1985). Vol. 33: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 33 : Hebrews. Formerly The Communicator’s Commentary. The Preacher’s Commentary series (126). Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.]
This pictures someone who lacks enthusiasm to learn about Christ.
Isaiah applied dull hearers to unbelievers. Isaiah 6:9-10 9 He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ 10 “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”(NAU)
Jesus quoted this passage in Matthew 13:13-15 and then applied it the unbelievers who were listening to Him.
Pastors need to teach all of God’s Word, not just the parts that people want to hear. That’s why Paul said, Acts 20:27 “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.(NAU)
Is Bible preaching and Bible reading rewarding to you? If not, then you have at least one characteristic of an unsaved person.
✔Vs.12 2. Beware of avoiding the Great Commission “you ought to be teachers”
Look back at verse 9. Obedience comes out of our faith. They were not obeying Christ’s clear command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, . . . (Matthew 28:19 NAU)
Teaching is something that every Christian is supposed to do. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another . . . . (NAU)
When we fail to pass on what we know, we begin to lose what we know. Eventually we may need to relearn the most basic teachings of Scripture. When we stop growing, we start shrinking. We do not just stay the same. [Bailey, M., Constable, T., Swindoll, C. R., & Zuck, R. B. (1999). Nelson’s New Testament Survey - Discover the Background, Theology and Meaning of Every Book in the New Testament (516). Nashville - Word.]
They probably weren’t teaching each other because they didn’t understand the Gospel. Rightly understood, the Gospel is a dynamic and exciting truth. The temptation is to misunderstand the part that the Law in the OT plays in the Gospel.
The ORACLES OF GOD refers to the Law. Acts 7:38 “This is the one [Moses] who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.(NAU)
God did not give us the Law so we can figure out how to get to heaven. He gave us the Law so we can see how much we need mercy and grace. Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.(NAU)
Some of the Jews needed to be taught the ABC’s of salvation again. They were all focused on the Law, but they didn’t understand (or didn’t want to accept) that the Law couldn’t save them. Salvation begins with an understanding that we are wicked, helpless sinners whose only hope is God’s free forgiveness. ✔ Grace is our only hope and the Law proves that to us.
Let me tell you a story about a perfectionist. He brushed his teeth twice a day, wore rain boots every time it rained. He slept with a window open to get a lot of fresh air. He was very careful about what he ate and only ate health foods. He had a medical exam twice a year and never smoked, drank or did anything to an excess. He expected to live to be a hundred, but at the age of 30 he died. He was survived by 18 specialists, four health institutes, six gyms, and many manufactures of the best vitamins. He only made one mistake. He crossed a busy street and didn’t look up to see the bus that was coming.
You can do everything right in religion and still miss the ONE thing that is most important: looking up to Jesus Christ and humbly surrendering to His offer of forgiveness through His grace.
CONCLUSION: ✔The first step to grace is to see you have no grace; and the first degree of grace is the desire for grace. William Fenner [ Thomas, I. (1996). The golden treasury of Puritan quotations. Includes index of authors. General index created by Christian Clasics Foundation. (electronic ed.). Simpsonville SC: Christian Classics Foundation.]
