Do not regress in your Faith
Main Text
Hebrews 6:1–8 NASB95
1 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,
2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permits.
4 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,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 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.
7 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;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Intro
Hebrews 5:11–14 NASB95
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
The writer has expressed some concerns about this church
In context he wanted to Go Deeper in his thought... But he was hindered by the people
He explains in Vs 11 that the church ( this church he is writing to) has become Dull of Hearing
</Dull of Hearing>
Matthew 13:15 NASB95
15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’
• Dull in Matt 13:15 means be unable to understand,
• Dull in this context means to be Lazy or sluggish
Because of this state of sluggish / laziness they are unable to understand what is being taught
</Key Word> to keep in Mind is Regression
Regression
</Regression> reversion to an earlier mental or behavioral level
Vs 12
The writer makes it clear that these people (THE CHURCH) should be teachers by now .
This is tied with the intent that there has been some time that has passed by and (THE CHURCH) has become sluggish ... Dull
Because of this action the writer states that (THE CHURCH) needs to be re-taught the ABC principles of God .
Vs 13
The writer makes three key points
to </share >(partake) v. ↔ to have, give, or receive a share of.
</inexperienced >adj. ↔ lacking practical experience or training.
</righteousness >(state) n. ↔ a status of legal rectitude that satisfies the moral requirements of God’s character.
🔥</Key Word> : The writer is linking all who partaker of the word from a milk (infant view ) are not accustomed (unskilled) in the word of God
</Key Word> to keep in Mind is Regression
VS 14
The writer speaks to what Mature people will eat that is Solid food
There are two🔥</Key Word> Practice and Senses
practice (</repetition>) n. — systematic training by multiple repetitions.
perception (</discernment>) n. — the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations; especially as acquired through experience.
distinguishing (</Discern>) n. — the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are marked as distinctive.
Philippians 1:9 NASB95
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
</Key Point> :
What this Vs is stating is that because of practice (repetition) the people have their </discernment> trained to discern Good from evil .
If there’s no repetition one becomes sluggish ... lazy ... losses Rhythm … which can lead to ↔ Regression
</Regression> reversion to an earlier mental or behavioral level
POINT 1 | The writer is calling on us to Mature
Hebrews 6:1–3 NASB95
1 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,
2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permits.
Vs 1
The writer is calling on us to leave the ABC teaching about Christ.
In other words, if you are practicing ( aka DOING THE WORD of GOD) there no need to stay in the same place.
It’s time to move onto Maturity
</maturity > ↔ completeness n. —
• the full development of a Christian in knowledge, obedience, and beliefs; understood as having every necessary or normal part or component or step.
• maturity in thought and behavior
The writer is stating that there is no need to lay again the ABC Foundation of God
basis ⇔ </foundation >n. — a relation that provides the foundation for something.
</repentance >⇔ reconsideration n. — a change of self (heart and mind) that abandons former dispositions and results in a new self, new behavior, and regret over former behavior and dispositions.
The Theme of this vs is the </foundation of Repentance> there seems to be 2 points
</foundation of Repentance> Dead Works
</foundation of Repentance> Faith Toward God
[Dead Works]
Global Meaning <==> pert. to being so morally or spiritually deficient as to be in effect dead
Meaning in Context<==> of things dead works that cannot bring eternal life
AKA <==> Things that leads to death ... In other words, useless things that we did
[Faith in God]
Faith <==> trust (faith) n. — strong confidence in, and reliance upon, someone or something; often with the object of trust understood.
Foundation of Dead Works + Faith in God = Spiritual Life
The writer is making a Statement to the people that it’s not healthy to keep speaking on the ABC things of Christ.
• There has to be some growth @ some point in your walk with God.
• This is why the writer is calling on the church to move onto maturity ↔ Growth
Maturity
• maturity ↔ completeness n. — the full development of a Christian in knowledge, obedience, and beliefs; understood as having every necessary or normal part or component or step.
VS 2-3
Hebrews 6:2–3 NASB95
2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permits.
The writer list more of what not to go over again
What’s interesting is what the writer says in VS 3
[COMMAND] - The writer say we will do this / We will mature we will grow we will not be sluggish ... Lord willing ...
POINT 2 | the Cost of Falling Way
Hebrews 6:4–6 NASB95
4 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,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 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.
The writer in VS 4-5 list some qualification of the believer
Hebrews 6:4–5 (NASB95)
4 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,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
</enlightened >to be understanding ⇔ be illuminated v. — to be or become understanding, conceived of as having light cast upon oneself.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 6
heavenly gift
tasted of the heavenly gift
Acts 2:38 NASB95
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 9:15 NASB95
15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
</partaking > — characterized by having, giving, or receiving a share of (something).
Galatians 3:2 NASB95
2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
VS 5
Hebrews 6:5 NLT
5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—
</SUM UP>
The writer is indicating those who have been born again of the water and of the spirit.
those who have repented for their sins
this is 🔥</Key Point> ... who have made the choice for the Lord to be there personal savior
Have tasted and saw that the Lord is Good
Those that have experience the Power of God… By the way this Power is linked to the age to come ...
</power >n. — possession of controlling influence; often understood as manifesting influence over reality in a supernatural manner.
VS 6 | And Do this
Hebrews 6:6 NASB95
6 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.
🔥</Key Word> Fallen Away
What does this Mean ?
</ [Falling Away] to lose a state ↔ fall out of v.>
• to leave a certain state or condition; conceived of as falling out of an area.
• in the sense to fail to follow through on a commitment, fall away, commit apostasy
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APOSTASY (ἀπόστασις, apostasis, ἀποστασία, apostasia). A public denial of a previously held religious belief and a distancing from the community that holds to it. The term is almost always applied pejoratively, carrying connotations of rebellion, betrayal, treachery, or faithlessness.
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Ezekiel 14:13 NASB95
13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast,
Ezekiel 15:8 NASB95
8 ‘Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ ” declares the Lord God.
Ezekiel 18:24 NASB95
24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.
Ezekiel 20:27 NASB95
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by acting treacherously against Me.
🔥</Key Word> that keep coming up : Unfaithful … Treachery which equals unfaithfulness
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heb6.6 “ 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.”
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The writer gives us 2 Key Words : Renew & Repentance
It’s made clear that if a person Falls Away there no Renewal or Repentance
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• to recommence </Renew >v. — to cause to start anew.
• </repentance > ↔ reconsideration n. — a change of self (heart and mind) that abandons former dispositions and results in a new self, new behavior, and regret over former behavior and dispositions.
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Hebrews 10:26–27 NASB95
26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.
2 Peter 2:21 NASB95
21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.
</There’s a sin that leads to Death >
1 John 5:16 NASB95
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.
The Key [COMMAND] - is Fallen Away
</Fallen Away>
• to leave a certain state or condition; conceived of as falling out of an area.
• in the sense to fail to follow through on a commitment, fall away, commit apostasy
Ezekiel 18:24 (NASB95)
24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.
The writer makes it plain and clear. There are 2 condition to this
</First >the person breaks their commitment
</Second >and goes back to doing what the sinner does in worshipping idols
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These action leads to Death ...
Ezekiel is clear that this sin erases all of the Good you have done. it will not even be remembered
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</Why> because there (your)action have put God to shame
</shame >to disgrace publicly v. ↔ to damage someone’s reputation by exposing an illicit action to public scrutiny.
🔥🔥WOW🔥🔥 ↔ this means that our walking away from God is damaging his reputation . This statement ( action) is telling the world ( All Sinners) God is not trust worthy and not to put your hope in Him
CLOSING | Do not regress in your Faith ... But Keep yourself anchored in Jesus
Hebrews 6:7–8 NASB95
7 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;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
The end of this section states that if a person falls away there worthless and will end up being burned.
The alternative
Is the walk with the Lord become a person who is a DOER a Person who Practices the Word .
Keep your Hope , and Faith in Jesus
Remember that this Race is not a sprint it’s a marathon
Those who endure to the END will be saved
God is requiring you an I to invest some sweat adequacy in this fight
Remember that regression can lead a person to fall back and if one is not careful they can put their self in a place where they walk away from God
