Finding Spiritual Safety
Hebrews 6:11-16
Purpose: To prove that we can know that salvation is permanent.
Aim: I want the listener to flee to Christ and trust Him completely for salvation and rejoice in its assurance.
INTRODUCTION: Little Milly had gone to bed, and her father was downstairs watching TV. A terrible thunderstorm came up, with lightning and thunder and driving wind. Milly shouted down to her father: “Daddy, I’m scared. Come up and help me.” Milly’s father, who didn’t want to interrupt his TV show, shouted back, “Don’t worry, Milly, you’ll be all right. You know God loves you.” “I know God loves me,” cried Milly, “but I need something with skin on.” [Eric W. Johnson, A Treasury of Humor II Streiker, L. D. (2000). Nelson’s big book of laughter : Thousands of smiles from A to Z (electronic ed.) (54). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.]
God does love us, but it’s a great help when we can get close to someone who lives like that is true so we can see what it looks like.
REVIEW:
5:10-6:8 I. A Warning to Those Who Claim to Know Christ
Vs.10-14 A. Beware of acting like an unbeliever [Claims without change]
6:1-3 B. Beware of religion without Christ [Shadows over substance]
Vs.4-5 C. Beware of missing the message about Christ [Words over reality]
Vs.6 D. Beware of belittling the Cross [i.e. the Cross isn’t enough]
Vs.7-8 E. Beware of fruitless religion [Religion that doesn’t’ change the heart is worthless]
Vs.9-12 II. Assurance to Those Who Do Know Christ
Vs.9 A. Christ’s work saves us “things that accompany salvation”
Vs.10-12 B. Our effort assures us “your work and the love”
Vs.10 1. Christians show love for Christ by loving Christians “ministering to the saints”
Vs.11-12 2. Christians show hope and faith in Christ by being diligent “the same diligence”
LESSON:
✔Vs.11-12 C. The path to assurance
It is important to KNOW that God promises assurance of our salvation, but it is also important to SEE how it works in real life. In our text today we are reminded to imitate those who show “diligent patience” in their walk with Christ.
✔Vs.11 1. Focus on those who focus on God “through faith”
✔We either believe what God says, or we believe what we feel. The key to being a confident Christian is to believe what God says instead of what we think or feel. Unbelief is at the root of all of our problems.
Notice: When doubts creep in discover again what God is like. Isaiah 40:25-26 25 “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. (NAU)
Isaiah 40:29-31 29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. (NAU)
✔Doubts will evaporate in the presence of God.
Godly people understand that it is foolish to trust in themselves. Hebrews 11:1-2 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. (NAU)
Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. - William Ward.[Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 1810,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.]
✔Vs.12 2. Follow those who follow God “and patience”
Do the people you admire live a consistent Christian life? Who do you want to be like? One of the “American Idols” on TV? A good looking actor or actress?
Following godly people will become a natural thing if we are involved in obeying the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; . . . .” (NAU)
This is why Paul said, 1 Corinthians 4:16-17 16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. (NAU) Timothy imitated Paul so that learning from Timothy was pretty much the same thing as learning from Paul.
Maybe you feel like you don’t have anyone in your life that you can look up to as a good example of a confident Christian. If that is the case, I have two suggestions for you. #1 Pray that the Lord will send you someone you can learn from. #2 Determine to be someone that others can learn from.
Be careful of learning from lazy believers. Look at their life. Are they following Christ faithfully? Lazy believers who live mediocre Christian lives will not challenge you to grow in Christ. Proverbs 12:11 . . . he who pursues worthless things lacks sense. (NAU)
It is better to spend time with Christians who point out your weaknesses than to spend time with Christians who don’t. Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. (NAU)
If others have failed to disciple you, then don’t pass that mistake on to those that the Lord wants you to disciple. Determine to break the cycle of disobedience.
“Pay as little attention to discouragement as possible. Plough ahead as a steamer does, rough or smooth, rain or shine. To carry your cargo and make port is the point.” Maltbie Babcock [Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 12 10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.]
✔Vs.13-15 D. Abraham’s proof of assurance
In verses 1-6 the writer gave the instructions, then in verses 7-8 he gave us an illustration. As he concludes this chapter he reverses the order. In verses 13-15 he gives us an illustration then in verses 16-20 he gives us the final instructions.
The writer uses Abraham as an illustration of what assurance looks like.
✔Vs.13a,14 1. God’s promise of life and blessing “God made the promise”
But, why choose Abraham as an example of faith? Not only did Abraham show great faith, but we are included in the blessing that was pronounced on Abraham. Part of the blessing pronounced on Abraham was that “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed” Genesis 12:3, or as it’s put in Genesis 22:18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (NAU) Abraham’s descendents have blessed every nation because Christ came through Abraham. Christ is our blessing too! Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (NAU)
Look at the promise that God made to Abraham: Genesis 17:1-8 1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram,[exalted father] But your name shall be Abraham;[father of a multitude] For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 “I have made you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. 7 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (NAU) The only way that Canaan could belong to Abraham’s descendents forever would be through a King who lives forever.
God’s promises to Abraham looked impossible. Could God make a great nation from an old man who had no children? Eternal life may seem impossible, too. How could God make sin infested humans fit to live in heaven forever? Why would God even care enough if we went to heaven or not?
We need to be imitators of Abraham who accepted that God could do the impossible.
✔Vs.13b,16 2. God’s oath of blood “He swore by Himself”
On at least two occasions God made an oath with Abraham. God had already made promises to Abraham, why did He make an oath as well? Isn’t God’s word enough? Of course it is.
When God speaks, He speaks the truth and that settles the matter. But, God made an oath too because He wanted to reassure us that salvation was secure. Look at verse 17: In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, (NAU)
God was willing to humble Himself and make an oath with us when He didn’t need to. Picture God coming into a court room and sitting down on the witness stand. He puts His hand on the Bible and says, “I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help Me God” [“…so help Me…Me”?]
God made a dramatic oath with Abraham in Genesis 15:9-18 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates (NAU)
Usually when this kind of covenant was made, both parties would walk between the bloody animal parts to show that they were promising to keep the conditions of the promise. A modern day example would be a house closing. When you sign a contract to buy a house the contract is signed by the buyer and the seller.
In this covenant, though, only God walked between the slain animals because He is the only one who is keeping the promise. We don’t have any responsibility to provide any part of our forgiveness. This should give us great assurance. Forgiveness does not depend on us!!
God promised forgiveness and signed it with the blood of His Son.
✔Vs.15 3. God’s provision if life and blessing “he obtained the promise”
Genesis 21:1-2 1 Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. (NAU) Genesis 21:5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. (NAU)
The original promise of an heir was made to Abraham when he was 75 years old. Isaac was not born until Abraham was 100 years old. He had to wait patiently for 25 long years for God to bless. We get impatient if God doesn’t answer prayers in 24 hours.
But that was not the final test of his faith. Genesis 22:2-18 2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed 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.” (NAU)
CONCLUSON: What was the blessing that Abraham and his descendents would receive from God? What is the “hope set before us” Hebrews 6:18? Our hope is the eternal presence of God! Genesis 17:7 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. (NAU)
The writer of Hebrews also put it this way: Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. (NAU)
✔Assurance is the fruit that grows out of the root of faith.
Stephen Charnock [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.]
