Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Hebrews 6:1-12  “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. 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.  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.  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.

Introduction:
Horseshoes / dancing / close intimate personal relationships!
The rules of horseshoes played to a winning score of 50, while informal games are played up to 21.  1 point close / 3 pts ringer Horseshoe pitching is played on a court 50 ft (15.24 m) long and 10 ft (3.05 m) wide. Iron stakes extending 14 in. (35.56 cm) above the ground are planted 40 ft (12.19 m) apart. The horseshoe must not weigh more than 40 oz (1134 g). Official play dictates a set of 20 innings, but naturally you can tweak

Let me remind you of the readers’ condition 5:11-14
Flesh and blood Christians struggling to overcome past traditions and adjust to the fresh movements of God in a fast changing world.  They’ve struggled to hold onto their faith in Christ in a world of growing chaos and powerful pressures from their culture.

For the most part, they were 2nd generation Christians. They had professed faith in Christ for some time. They’ve reached a stage of discouragement & spiritual lethargy. Some had given corporate worsh.

Experiencing opposition to their faith both from friends and family and from the culture around them.

Author steps into the background and exalts Christ. He brings them and us face to face with the central issue: who is JC?

He is God’s Son whom the angels worship.
God the Father calls him “God”
He is God’s last word to us. – so we must pay close attention to Him.
God has put everything under his authority
Because he suffered death and came out alive on the other side he is the author of our salvation.
Since he shared in our humanity he is a faithful and merciful priest and is able to help those who are tempted
He is greater than all the spiritual leaders who ever lived including Moses – so if you hear his voice you must not harden your heart but listen.  The promise of spiritual rest still remains – but you must add faith to the promises of God.

The author knows it is difficult to open up and be honest with God.
But God sees us on inside.  Nothing is hidden from him. This is not a cause for fear or anxiety.  Bring out your sin into his light for healing – we can approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace to help in our times of need. But they have become dull of hearing

The Process of spiritual growth has been stunted-By this time you ought to be teachers

Have you drifted away! How can you tell? Are you still digging?
I.          Leave the elementary teachings
Heb 6:1-3 The needed remedy
“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.  And this we will do if God permits. (No use going back to the basics!)

Theme: Leave the ABCs and go on to draw upon the priestly ministry of Christ
Heb 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity,

The verb translated “let us press on” (pherometha) is in the passive voice.  We could render it, “Let us be carried on” (i.e., by God’s Spirit). Spiritual maturity does not come merely by striving in self-effort but by cooperating with God

1.         The Gospel – two sides to the same coin
Hebrews 6:2 “not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God”  The foundation on which you enter the Christian life!    Two sides to same coin

Mark 1:14-15 “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Act 20:18-21 “And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Repentance (negative)
“Abandon any attempt to obtain righteousness by obeying precepts of a lifeless moral code.”  Useless rituals.  Turning away from lifeless works = repentance!

Faith toward God (positive)
John 3:16 / Ephesians 2:8-9
~ Knowledge of certain basic facts
~ Mental agreement with these facts
~ Personally coming to Christ and putting your faith in Him.

2.         Beginnings
Washings
Laying on of hands – borrowed from Judaism / Ctn usage
Act of identification with either the activity of God or Body of Chris

3.         Endings -
Resurrection – Central to Ctnity
Because Christ rose from the dead we will too!
Judgment – Christian’s accountability to Christ (Judgment Seat of Christ and the unbeliever’s judgment at the Great White Throne

II.         Is Repentance Ever Impossible?
~ One of the great theological battlefields of Scripture
Calvinists: Those described here are close but not real Ctns
Arminians: Since those described here are clearly real Christians it is obvious that regeneration can be lost after it has been obtained!
Third view – this passage isn’t about security, it is about maturity

~ Begins with one of the clearest descriptions of experiencing the basics of Christianity in the whole Bible

5 Marks of spiritual progress
In the case of those who have once been enlightened (at least received accurate teaching about God and Christ), who have tasted the heavenly gift (salvation), and have shared in the Holy Spirit (marked by the indwelling HS), and have tasted the goodness of the word of God (they have been warmed and moved by the Words of Scripture) and the powers of the age to come (they have had some experience of God’s power in their lives) and then have fallen away, (concerned they will turn him off and turned away from Christianity to go back into Judaism. He is not afraid they will not understand and go to sleep while he is teaching them the deeper things of Christ. He is concerned they will leave their Christian faith to go back into Judaism.) it is impossible 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.

6 Views – 2 views make sense to me:
1.         When someone comes so very close to Christ only to turn away from Him they will so harden themselves spiritually there is nothing anyone can do to bring them back to repentance (and I would add, except pray).  But the author is confident of better

2.         When someone back slides away from Christ you can’t tell them to be saved all over again (repentance).  You have to lift up Christ and encourage them to grow spiritually.

It is possible for human beings to arrive at a state of heart and life where they can no longer repent. They are unwilling to separate themselves from those who actually condemned Christ. Their hearts are like stone determined to have things their own way.
An Illustration
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.

Consistently throughout Scripture, those who genuinely belong to Christ do not fall away into apostasy. Phil 1:6; John 10:27-29)
Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things–things that belong to salvation.

The evidence of genuine faith is a changed life.
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.” (The only reliable sign of regeneration is a faith that does not fail.)

First, this passage is not unique but is a part of a group:
Mark 3:28-29; 1 John 5:16; 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

The issue: is not whether or not God would forgive them if they repented but whether there is any way to bring them back to repentance at all.  The answer is no.
People can come so very close and yet, in the end to make the personal decision to harden their heart and turn away from God.

Second, the people here are fully initiated in Christianity.
The author is either urging those who understand the gospel and are being drawn to Christ, to take the step of turning away from useless living and to place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Or the author is urging Christians to allow themselves to be carried on by God’s Spirit toward maturity.  He wants to tell them about what Jesus is doing for them right now in heaven.

Gk: Nothros = no + push = no push = slow, sluggish  Like fishing in  muddy waters!

They are like fish in cold water – slow and sluggish to respond to bait.
They have no push. They have lost their spiritual enthusiasm.

Their dullness is gradual! They had once been alert, interested, eager!  But they’ve been distracted from Christ.  They aren’t in Bible studies.  Their gathering for worship is intermittent and some have even abandoned meeting for worship, prayer, fellowship and for study of God’s Word.

Their momentary distraction is becoming a habit.  The author is excited and wants to tell them more about Jesus but they aren’t ready or able to “get it”.
The story of two men…Bottom Line:
1.         Come to Christ       2.  Do not throw in the towel.  Show spiritual diligence to the end. Stop being lazy!