Hebrews 6

As I read Hebrew 6 it is clear to me that Paul is imploring followers of Jesus to understand that maturing in our faith is a goal we need to strive for. Throughout my life as a Christian I have identified "mature" believers whose faith I strive to mirror. These are men and women that clearly pursue Gods Word with a passion and priority that becomes an out-flowing of their lives and hearts. They are the Abrahams in my life that God has blessed me with.

Unfortunately I have also seen some that became distracted or self focused and diverged from a disciplined life studying God's Word. In Hebrews 6 we find passages that should encourage us to stay close to the Word relying on the Holy Spirit. It is easy to become distracted in this world or discouraged leading to patterns of drifting in our lives.

Hebrews 9 -12

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

A sermon I heard years ago described how Satan is patient and he loves to see us drift slowly away from life of spiritual maturity. The sermon gave an example describing how no one goes from lean to fat in "one bite". It happens after many bites. Spiritual drifting happens the same way. Reading scripture one or two times a week instead of daily. Not praying, serving or attending worship. Eventually we start "feeling" our walk is unfulfilling and may even question our faith. My tendency is to blame the church...I am not being fed. The reality is I am eating so much of the world that I am not leaving room for the real nourishment of Gods Word.

How do you know if you are maturing or growing? History is a good measurement. Look back five years ago. Has your walk with Christ strengthened or have you drifted?

As I look back on the last five years of my life I have seen the most growth when I am memorizing scripture, journaling what I learned in my quiet time and when I have served alongside other believers.

It doesn't get easier, but when I reflect on those modern day Abrahams I mentioned in the 1st paragraph I know I have the recipe. I don't have to invent anything new. I just need to be disciplined and eliminate distractions and patterns of drifting.

Who are the Abrahams in your life? Are you drifting or maturing? 

Joe LoSurdo | Elder

Joe committed his life to Christ in February of 1994 through attending Hill Country Bible ChurchNorthwest. He and his wife, Debbie, have two married children and five grandchildren. Joe has served in Student, Children’s, Small Group, Assimilation, Benevolence, and Biblical Guidance Ministries. Joe and Debbie joined Hutto Bible Church in June of 2009. 

 

Chapter 6 of Hebrews is one of the most debated scriptures in the entire Bible because verses 4-8 appear to teach that you can lose your salvation.  As a church we teach that once you have put your faith in Christ you have eternal security and can not lose your salvation.  

Here are some thoughts on verses 4-8 from the ESV Study Bible

6:4–8 This passage has been subject to substantially different interpretations. The central debate concerns whether the descriptions of vv. 4–5 (e.g., “enlightened,” “tasted the heavenly gift,” “shared in the Holy Spirit,” “tasted of the goodness of the word of God”) depict people who were once true Christians.

(1) Some argue these phrases do describe true Christians, implying that Christians can “fall away” and lose their salvation (cf. note on 3:14, however, indicating a fundamental difficulty with this view). Nonetheless, most who advocate this view hold that some who backslide can still return to Christian faith, thus limiting 6:4–6 to hardened cases of apostasy in which it is “impossible … to restore them again to repentance” (vv. 4, 6).

(2) Most argue, however, that although these people may have participated fully in the Christian covenantal community (where they experienced enlightened instruction in the Word of God, where they saw public repentance occur, and where the Holy Spirit was at work in powerful ways), when such people do “fall away” it is clear that they are not true Christians because they have not made a true, saving response to the gospel, resulting in genuine faith, love, and perseverance (vv. 9–12). Significantly, they are like land that received much rain but bore no good fruit, only “thorns and thistles” (v. 8). They may have participated outwardly in the Christian community and they even may have shared in the blessings of Christian fellowship; but, like the seed that fell on rocky ground in the parable of the sower, “they have no root” (Mark 4:17) and they “fall away” when faced with persecution.

(3) Another view is that the warnings are addressed to true believers, and though they will never completely fall away, the warnings are still the means that God uses to challenge them to persevere in their faith and so to preserve those whom the Lord has chosen.

(4) A fourth view is that the “falling away” described in Heb. 6:6 has to do with loss of heavenly rewards.

In any case, though the author recognizes that there may be a few in the congregation who fit the description of vv. 4–8, in general he does not think it to be true as a whole of the congregation to which he is writing, for he says, “yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation” (v. 9).

Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2369). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.