Hebrews Interactive Online Bible Study

Hebrews Six

~ a walk through Hebrews ~

~ for the edification of the bride of Christ and centering on Him in these last days ~

(*rules of engagement)

Welcome:

Welcome to the online Hebrews Bible study. We welcome anyone who wishes to engage with us during these thirteen days and even go through and/or post after the study has ended. Want to learn more about this study, be sure to check out the Hebrews Bible Study Page here for more info.

Verses of Impact:

Let us seriously heed and think upon:

Guest Commentary:

by brother Billy Witt – TN, USA *added video at the bottom of the page

facebook / GospelFellowshipsTN (blog page)

The Severity of Ignoring Christ

1. Adventuring beyond the Basics in Dealing with Christ

Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.

The author encourages the Hebrew Christians to press on with him, meaning to move forward, leaving behind the basics in dealing with Jesus Christ, and onto more mature truths in Him, and thus in their relationship with Him. Illustrational he wants them to put the baby bottles down, take off those diapers meant for toddlers, and instead start acting like adults in Christ.  O brothers and sisters let us also move on from mere diapers and baby formulas in our knowledge and relationship with Christ Jesus and instead start growing in Him.

 

1. Adventuring into Complexities in Dealing with Christ

Hebrews 6:4-6  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, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 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.

 

Now on leaving the elementary teachings of Christ we are at once pushed into advanced truths to hard for many to comprehend, and to tough for others to acknowledge. However let us bravely move on seeking the Holy Spirit to reveal His word to us. For it is significant to note that point one: these were enlightened ones the author speaks of.  Meaning Christ had opened their eyes up so they could see Him. Point two: that they had tasted of the heavenly gift. Meaning they partook or accepted Christ. Point three: that they had been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. Meaning they had been born of the Spirit, born anew. Point four: that they had tasted the word of God. Meaning understood it through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Point five: that they had tasted the powers of the age to come, meaning the fruits of the Spirit, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit for ministering into the lives of others. However hearers beware! For if one thus born of Christ falls away, meaning abandons, strays too far from, or willfully transgresses to far from Christ. “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.”

 

1. An Illustration

Hebrews 6:7-8 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

 

After the author gives what certain groups label “the most controversial passages in the entire New Testament.” The author then gives us and the Hebrew Christians an illustration to help us understand it clearer. Note will use the illustration for two different plots of ground which both received and drank of the same water that fell from heaven. Both were also tilled, that they would bring fourth vegetation for others, and both did bring fourth plants. However one brought forth vegetation while the other brought forth thorns and thistles. So one was profitable and received a blessing from God, while the other was not, “and ends up being burned.” Let us strive to stand firm, or abide in Christ that we are useful to our master instead of useless, or worthless. Which will result in our being cursed instead of blessed or, damned instead of saved.

 

1. Hopful your not Ignoring Christ

 

1. Hopefulness Concerning the Hebrew Christians

Hebrews 6:9-10 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

 

Moving on from such tough consequences we see that the author and others were convinced of better things to come concerning the Hebrew believers. That instead of them being unprofitable and only offering thorns to others and Christ. That they would instead produce profitable things pleasing to the Lord, and edifying to others, as they had already been doing. I pray the same is true of each of you. That by the empowering of the Holy Spirit you are, and will continue to minister to the saints, continually as you abide in Christ Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

 

1. Exhortation and Warning

Hebrews 6:11-12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

 

The author desires their affections to be directed towards Christ with all diligence, zeal, speed, haste or earnestness. Thus they and we are called to be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit eternal life, among the other promises we are given in the word through Christ Jesus. However let it be noted that the sluggish, slothful, or dull, meaning, slow-moving or inactive lose out concerning the promises in God’s word. This is why we are constantly called to stand firm, be diligent, abide in Christ, and encourage one another in the faith towards good works. Let us be sober minded dear brothers and sisters, and if you have been slacking in your walk with Christ, cry out in repentance seeking grace to go back to abiding in Him. For as Christ stated, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

 

1. An Example

Hebrews 6:13-20 or when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,  saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. 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, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,  where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

Dear brothers and sisters are you abiding in Christ, obeying his commands, and patiently waiting to obtain the promises to come? The author here gives us an example in Abraham to follow concerning such things. For it is God who has given His great and unbreakable promises to us, not mere men, so you who have taken refuge in Christ be encouraged and continue in the hope which is set before us. For Christ Jesus our high priest directs each one of us to follow Him, and to bring our every need we have to Him as well.

After Thoughts:

 

Looking unto Jesus

Look steadily at Jesus on the cross, if you want to feel inward peace. Look to anything of your own, and you will never feel comfortable. Your own life and doings, your own repentance, your own morality and regularity, your own church-going, your own Bible-reading and your prayers, what are they all but a huge mass of imperfection? Rest not upon them for a moment, in the matter of your justification. As evidences of your wishes, feelings, bias, tastes, habits, inclinations, they may be useful helps occasionally. As grounds of acceptance with God they are worthless rubbish. They cannot give you comfort; they cannot bear the weight of your sins; they cannot stand the searching eye of God. Rest on nothing but Christ crucified, and the atonement He made for you on Calvary. This, this alone is the way of peace.

Finding your identity – brother Billy GospelFellowshipsTN