Sermon 1: Pressing Toward Perfection Series

Brothers and sisters, imagine a master builder who is about to construct a great and glorious temple. He spends weeks, even months, digging deep, laying a massive, strong foundation. He uses the best stone, the strongest mortar. It is a perfect foundation.

But then, he stops. He comes back day after day, not to build upon the foundation, but simply to admire it. He might even re-polish the stones or add another layer to the foundation he already laid. What would you think of such a builder? You would say he has missed the entire point! A foundation is not the building; it is the beginning of the building.

In our spiritual lives, many of us are guilty of this very thing. We are content with the foundation. We are thankful for our salvation, for the day we repented and put our faith in Christ, but we stop there. The writer to the Hebrews sees this danger, and in chapter 6, he gives us a powerful call: it's time to stop re-laying the foundation. It's time to build.

I. The Foundation Laid (v. 1-2)

Let's look at the text. He begins, "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."

He lists six foundational principles, the "ABCs" of our faith:

Repentance from dead works and faith toward God: This is the entry door. Turning from a life of sin and self-effort to a life of trust in God.

The doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands: These represent our identification with Christ and our commissioning for service.

Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment: These are the great hopes and solemn warnings that frame our future reality.

These things are absolutely essential. A building without a foundation will collapse. A faith without these truths is not a saving faith. But the writer's point is that we are not meant to camp out here. He says we must not be “laying again” this foundation. The foundation is meant to be settled, established, and built upon.

II. The Call to Go On (v. 1)

The command is clear: "...let us go on unto perfection."

Now, the word "leaving" doesn't mean to abandon or forget these truths. It means to advance from them. A student "leaves" the first grade to go to the second. He doesn't forget how to read; he uses what he learned to tackle more complex books.

And the word "perfection" can sound intimidating. It is the Greek word teleiotes, and it doesn't mean sinless flawlessness. It means maturity, completeness, and spiritual adulthood.

In the previous chapter, the writer rebuked them, saying, "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles..." (Hebrews 5:12). He was saying, "You've been a Christian long enough that you should be eating strong meat, but you're still on milk!"

God is calling us from spiritual infancy to spiritual adulthood. He wants us to move from knowing the basic story of the Gospel to understanding its deep and rich truths. He wants our faith to be robust, our love to be deep, and our service to be effective.

3. The Dependence on God (v. 3)

Lest we think this call to maturity is simply a command to "try harder," the writer adds a vital, humbling phrase in verse 3: "And this will we do, if God permit."

Our spiritual growth is not a self-improvement program. It is a divine work. We cannot mature on our own. We can desire it, we can discipline ourselves, we can study and pray, but ultimately, it is God who causes the growth. As the Apostle Paul said, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." (1 Corinthians 3:6).

This is not an excuse for laziness. It is a call to diligent dependence. We must do our part—we must "press on"—while relying completely on God's grace and power to "permit" that growth to happen.

Conclusion

So, the question for us today is simple: Are we building?

Or have we been content to just sit on the foundation? We are saved, we are secure, but are we growing? Are we moving on to the "strong meat" of God's Word? Is our understanding of God deeper today than it was a year ago?

Let us hear the call of the Holy Ghost today. Leave the elementary principles. Press on toward maturity. Dig deeper into His Word, linger longer in prayer, and serve His people with greater love.

And as you do, do it all with a humble reliance on Him, praying, "Lord, this I will do, if You permit." Let's ask God to create in us a holy hunger for spiritual growth, to move us beyond the milk and onto the strong meat of the Word, so that we may be built up into a holy temple for His glory. Amen.