Hebrews Week 7

Hello Ladies, thank you for your patience, we got a bit behind but here we go on 

chapter 6 of Hebrews! 

Actually if you look at the “therefore” we see that this line of thinking starts back in 5:11 so I have included those verses for a brief review. We started last week in chapter 5 talking about Jesus as high priest, then the author took a break to speak to the present state of his audience...

Hebrews 5:11-About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The challenge here is to grow up spiritually. Have you thought about what that might look like for you this week? I realize that I spend too much time telling God what I can’t do as an excuse for not doing something. But here’s the truth, I can’t, He can, I think I will let Him. That is a grown up step for me. How about you?

Heb 6.1-20.ESV 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, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Here is a list of elementary teachings, foundations of faith. Can you list them?

And this we will do if God permits. 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, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 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.

This collection of verses is often the source of great controversy. It is not my purpose to tackle that discussion however the ESV study Bible has some great footnotes on these verses. Take some time and read them and see what our gracious and loving God shows you.

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. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.  

A beautiful metaphor about land and rain and fruit. How have you, the land, benefited from the rain? What kind of crop yield do you have? It is simple to increase your yield, :).

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Our works are the outward signs of our inward change. The fact that we give God the glory for the things we accomplish. These are signs that offer us “full assurance”.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

We have God’s promise and His oath regarding His purpose, to bring us close to Him through His Son. That is strong encouragement.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Our anchor and our hope enters into the Holy of Holies, our great high priest, Jesus. That is one fine promise.Have a great week, love h