I. Introduction
Last week we looked at chapter 5 verses 11-14 and considered the challenge for believers to not settle for a diet of milk, but to include solid food in order to grow in Christ and discern good from evil in areas that may not be explicitly described in Scriptures.
Today we are moving on in this warning passage. Last week I joked when Pastor John was here that there was one passage in the entire book I did not want to preach, and it is this passage. J. Vernon McGee in his commentary opens his remarks on this passage with words that reflect the attitude with which I approach this passage. Please listen as I read through these couple of paragraphs:
This chapter, by all odds, contains the most difficult passage in the Bible for an interpreter to handle, regardless of his theological position. Dr. R. W. Dale, one of the great minds in the earlier field of conservative scholarship, worte:
I know how this passage has made the heart of many a good man tremble. It rises up in the NT with a gloomy grandeur, sern, portentous, awful, sulime as Mount Sinai when the Lord descended upon it in fire, and threatening storm clouds were around Him, and thunderings and lightnings and unearthly voices told that He was there.
Every reverent person has come to this section with awe and wonder. And every sincere expositor has come to this passage with a sense of inadequacy,…..
With J. Vernon McGee, that is the way in which I approach this passage.
Although this message will cover the first 8 verses, verse 9 serves as a bridge between sections and so we will include that in the reading. Turn with me now to Hebrews 6, starting in verse 1.
Heb 6:1-9 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 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, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 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. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. (ESV)
Now, the first three verses of this section pose no great difficulty and continue with the through that was included in the message last week chapter and verse.
Look back at these first three verses:
Heb 6:1-3 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
This brings us to the first point in the message,
Believers are called to:
II. Go on to Perfection (Maturity ESV) (v. 1-3)
God’s work in sanctification.
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
We can’t do this, we will never be perfect in this life, but that does not change God’s call for us to grow in maturity, to grow toward perfection
Consider Paul’s attitude in Philippians 3 when discussing spiritual maturity:
Phil 3:12-15
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
1 John 2:2 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
It should be clear that the call for every Christian is not to sit and soak, but to work and grow to maturity. We cannot be made perfect in our own strength, but only by the strength of Christ.
The writer of Hebrews is telling us that you can’t go onto maturity if we stick to the basics. He does this with the illustration of a foundation. Look in v. 1 he writes:
Heb 6: 1b “…Go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of …..”
ILLUS: You may remember the joke about the high school graduate who met with a college recruiter and said he had 4 years of Algebra. The admissions counselor asked how could that be since the school only had two years of Algebra. The student proudly replied, Oh, that is easy, I had 4 years of Algebra 1.
The writer of Hebrews would describe that as “laying again a foundation”.
If you have a good foundation but are constantly replacing the foundation, there is no progress and extending to our walk with Christ, no spiritual growth. I suspect we all know Christians who have fallen into this trap. They feel unworthy of the Love of Christ and instead of moving forward to grow in him, they flounder in their faith and feel it is necessary to come back and re-dedicate their lives or seek re-baptism or other steps to start over again. These are un-necessary when the proper foundation has been placed in the first place.
In 1 Cor 3, Paul writes in vese 11 : 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11
(you may want to keep you finger in this passage as we will be turning back to it in more detail later.)
The writer of Hebrews is telling them that although they have needed milk instead of meat, they need to move on to perfection/maturity. He is not going to placate their immaturity by going back over foundational truths but rather is giving them the hard medicine of pressing on to maturity.
In chapter 5, v. 11-1 the teaching in Hebrews challenged us to not be satisfied with milk alone, but to move on to solid food – spiritual food. As we move on in chapter 6 this week
We might expect the author to say you are not ready for solid food, so I am giving you milk. He does not do that. He presses on. In transition we might expect him to say something like, “you need milk, nevertheless I am going to press on to solid food.” In His commentary on Hebrews, FF Bruce expands the thought saying “But he does not say ‘nevertheless’; he says ‘therefore’. ‘Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and press forward to maturity.” Why ‘therefore’? Probably because their particular condition of immaturity is such that only an appreciation of what is involved in Christ’s high priesthood will cure it. Their minds require to be stretched, and this will stretch them as nothing else can. (F.F. Bruce, Hebrews, NICNT p. 111.)
The most the writer here does is identifies the content of some of the basic teachings in v. 1-2 including
Repentance from dead works
Faith toward God
Washings
Laying on of hands
Resurrection
Eternal judgments
Indeed , this would be a good launch for a study on Christian basics. Some have interpreted these as basics from the OT that the Hebrews may be trying to return to, but as discussed last week, I believe the point is to encourage the letter’s recipients to move past these items.
As the Hebrew audience is being stretched to move on to maturity, so we also are being stretched in this passage. Ultimately the instruction is going to move to Jesus as a great and awesome high priest, but before we get to that passage, we must tackle the challenge mentioned in the opening part of this message. Let’s take a look at verses 4-6
III. Recognize the Peril of taste testers falling away (v. 4-6)
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 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, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 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
There are several interpretations of this passage and the two most common are these:
1. This passage teaches that someone can lose their salvation
2. Every assembly of believers includes both believers and unbelievers. This warning passage then applies to the unbeliever’s in the audience.
The second view has some merit to it, but is not complete when looking at the full text. The first however has a bigger problem in that every passage of Scripture needs to be reviewed in light of other teachings of Scripture.
2 Tim 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So let’s quickly consider the Bible’s teaching that once we are saved, we are eternally secure in that salvation. Of course one can argue that the term “eternal life” in and of itself must indicate that the life in Christ is secure for eternity
Consider Jesus words in John 10
27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
Paul makes this very clear in Romans.
NKJ Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
He concludes this section with
Rom 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Other concepts in Scripture such as our adoption as sons also point to our eternal security in Christ. We are adopted as his children and as such heirs. However that picture loses its potency in we can become “unadopted”. When adoption takes place, it is not foster care that can be recinded – it is a permanent place within the family and for us within the family of God.
If we have these other teachings, we must also look at this teaching to claify. Jump down to verse 8
Hebrews 6:8 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. (ESV)
Do you see that phrase “near to being cursed”? These are important words. Those who do not have salvation are not near to being cursed, they ARE cursed and need the salvation available through Jesus Christ. As such, this warning passage is talking about loss, but not loss of salvation.
In a similar manner restricting this passage to only unbelievers in the church is less than satisfactory.
What he wants us to do in this passage is
“Recognize the Peril of Taste Testers who fall away.”
Let’s look again at 6:4-6
The verse states that something is impossible for certain people who fall away to be “restore them again to repentance.
Who are those who cannot be restored? Well, I have called them “test testers” using the words in this passage, but let’s look at the qualities:
1. They have once been enlightened
2. tasted the heavenly gift
3. shared in the Holy Spirit
4. tasted the goodness of the Word and powers
5. Fallen away
When I go to the food court at the Columbia mall, I often look at the Asian foods that are there and often the person behind the counter grabs a tootpick, snatches food and offers me a taste. Having a taste does not guarantee that I will take the meal, but it does entice me to want to purchase the whole meal.
In this case there are three kinds of people:
1. Those who keep walking past the food
2. Those who taste it, consider the food and move on
3. Those who taste and then purchase a meal
In a similar way, I see there are two kinds of tasters in Hebrews:
There are those who are in the church and receive the benefits of what God is doing. They have in essence “tasted the heavenly gift” in some small way and have also seen evidence of the works of God and therefore “tasted the goodness of the Word and powers.”
Secondly, there are those who have tasted and become a recipient of salvation. These are the majority of the individuals in any true Christian assembly.
Both groups have tasted the good things of God. They may have also participated in the and experienced ministries of the Holy Spirit. One has received salvation and the other has been on the fringes but has not personally followed Christ. No matter their degree of “taste testing” both must recognize the peril of falling away.
One example of this who was not saved is Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8.
You may remember him as a sorcerer who lost credibility and was baptized as the result of the ministry of Philip. Later, when Peter and John arrived, he saw that people received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the Apostles hands.. Acts 8:18 shows Simon’s reaction:
Acts 8:8 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
21 "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."
24 Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me."
Tradition holds that Simon went on to oppose the Apostles, but that is unsubstantiated. What we do know is that he was one exposed to and recognized the Holy Spirit and may have indeed “partaken” without being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
1. The peril of one who has tasted all of the Good things of God and has fallen away to not receive the salvation of Jesus Christ is one who is in danger of never finding that salvation.
This person would be akin to the person who commits what is commonly called the “unforgivable sin”
Mark 3:22-30
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 "And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.
27 "No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28 " Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;
29 "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" --
30 because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."
So what is the unforgivable sin? It is experiencing the work of God through the Holy Spirit and denying that work of the Spirit to the point of even attributing the work of the Spirit to Satan himself. These are the ones whose heart is so closed to God that they will not accept Him.
In a similar way, those who have greatly experienced the work of God and fall away are in a similar situation where it is impossible for them to come back in their own strength.
Does this mean that someone who has been actively part of the church, but never made a personal profession of Christ can never be saved? Well, it is impossible for them to come back to that place where they can have faith, but that is not beyond the work of God.
Remember the story of the rich man who came to Jesus and could not give up his possessions to follow Jesus? Afterword Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kindgdom of God? The disciples asked “who then can be saved? And Jesus told them in Mark 10:27, “…with man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Well, that addresses the peril for unbelievers, but what about the peril for believers?
In this case our text says, they can not be restored to repentance. What does that mean? I think it means they cannot go back to the innocent place of first faith in Christ. In other words, there is damage to the cause of Christ so that His name is subject to open scorn. They cannot go back to the beginning of their faith as if nothing has happened.
I just read in the news of a Christian “leader” whom I have never heard of who was the CEO of an organization encouraging Christian’s to get out and vote. He was caught having possession of Child pornography on his computer. He has left that post in disgrace but even more so, it has given fodder to the opponents of Christ. It brings shame to the name of Jesus and just as he was scorned publicly at the Cross, so to such failings have consequences.
They should have been building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Even if they have done good work for the Lord, the fact that they fall away will negate the benefit of all of their Good work. It is as if they have been building with wood and straw and the testing of that work results in.
To this end, every believer must push on to maturity and not fall away or risk loss.
Turn back with me to 1 Cor 3:11 and let’s look at the rest of that passage.
1 Cor 3:11-15 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
Notice the last verse, if anyone’s work is burned up – He is saved, but only just barely.
In 1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 6, Scripture is calling us to a higher standard in entering heaven. We want to enter heaven confidently and NOT smelling like smoke.
Now, to clarify how this fits with Hebrews 6, we must look at the illustration of the loss found in verses 7-8 and our final point:
IV. Persevere bearing fruit, not thorns (v. 7-8)
Hebrews 6: 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
In summarizing this point, do you see that the same rain falls on the land and some produces a useful crop and others thorns?
We are to be those who produce fruit.
John the Baptist connected production of spiritual fruit with repentance in
Matthew 3:8 "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Our faith in Jesus is to produce fruit – and fruit that will last.
The point of Hebrews is that fruit bearing is to happen throughout our lives. The Christian does not have the luxury of an spiritual retirement in this life – we must finish well! If they fall away at the end, the fruit they produce will not last. A falling away discredits the ministry and is akin to crucifying Christ again, bringing open shame to him so no fruit remains. It is a bunch of thorns fit to be burned.
Yet, not that it says that the thorns are worthless and NEAR to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. Like the person building with wood hay and straw on the foundation of Christ, they may be saved, but just barely.
Jesus did not save us simply to have a fire escape. He has called us to bear fruit –
Jesus proclaimed this to His disciples in John 10
John 10:14-16
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
V. Conclusion and Encouragement
Are you ready to bear fruit that will last? The writer of Hebrews calls us to persevere and do that through the end by
1. Challenging us to Go on to Maturity/Perfection
2. Stay alert and recognize the peril of taste testers falling away
3. The necessity of persevering and bearing fruit for Christ and not thorns that are worthless and burned up.
This is a tough message, but we see encouragement in the author’s expectation that the recipients of the letter are not going to experience this loss. Look at verse 9 where pastor John will start next week:
Heb 6:9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.
Benediction
Rom 7:4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
