The scripture pictures two opportunities for the believer to grow or not to grow. And they have consequences: One is to fail in maturity. [What the church didn’t seem to understand, was that failing to move forward puts a Christian at serious risk of sliding backward and that backward spiral is very serious, 6:1-3]. The other is to grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD, Hebrews 6:9, But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Any reasonable believer desires maturity in their life. The problem occurs because of not knowing the Scriptures. Most teaching and preaching present this as a unbeliever because of 6:8, But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. What is in view here is the JSOC. There are five passages in the book of Hebrews that strongly admonish the believer to come to yourself and return to the LORD and / or be encouraged to continue with Christ. [ Hebrews 2:1-5; Hebrews 3:7-4:13; 6:4-8; 10:26-39; 12:25-29]
The JSOC is a future judgment for believers [the saved] and it will be a searching judgment, 1 Cor.3:11-15 but these warning should be viewed as admonishment from Him who loves us and should stir our hearts in motivation to walk in the light as He is in the light. “The strong language of Hebrews 6:8 has led many expositors to conclude the individual described is an unbeliever. “But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.” It should be noted God does intend to judge His people at the judgment seat of Christ with fire trying each work.
[Thought should be given to the following statement of scripture: “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Cor 3:15) The judgment seat of Christ will not be a happy, go lucky event where the Lord hands out trophies to all in attendance. The scriptures implicitly state judgment, not mercy, will emanate from the judgment seat of Christ with a just recompense of reward—positive and negative as the result. From Scott Crawford, five Warning passages of Hebrews].
What is being said is Christ will state the obvious at the JSOC. He is our Saviour and He loves us and knows our hearts and will be accurate and Just in His evaluation of us. Now is the time to prepare and correct and be ready for that day.
So, let us look at the words of scripture 6:1, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Then context of words, direct your understanding to a believer. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ. It does not say leaving Christ but implying not to remain a babe in Christ, 1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
For the proper understanding of 6:1 it is necessary to go back to Hebrews 5 and reading V1 through 10, which highlights some of the principle of Christ [I.e. v5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. - and what day is to day? The resurrection Acts 13:34]
And then 11-14, Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Then context of scripture puts' Hebrews 6:-1-3 as speaking to the believer
The five exhortations in the book of Hebrews serve as a wakeup call to the saved. He has justified us and seeks to conform us to the image of His Son. “Well done” awaits those who persevere and finish their course. Great loss awaits those who fail to persevere—loss of reward and honor in Christ’s coming millennial kingdom.
Judgment awaits every born again individual at the judgment seat of Christ. And He wants every believer to hear the words “well done;” therefore, He moved the author of Hebrews to structure his argument around five passages of strong admonishments.
“1May God’s children heed the warnings and strive for the crown their Father so desperately wants to award them on that glorious Day of Judgment”. “ Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Rev 3:11)
Even though the exhortations are severe, they should produce an incentive to remain faithful. All through the book, the LORD encourages the readers to “go on,” “hold fast,” and “run with patience.” In chapter 6, after a stern warning, the author encourages his readers by saying he is persuaded they will not fall away. He reminds them of past labor and encourages them to persevere.
The LORD did not allow them to go on
”2 IF GOD PERMIT I Is there then some possibility that God will not permit a Christian to press on? The context will show that the remark is made with solemn intention, that it is sadly possible for a Christian to reach a state of soul when God in equal love and righteousness will no more allow him to press on. “ 1 Cor. 11:30-31. The promise land is not a picture of heaven but is a picture of the victorious life of a believer. [Numbers 14 describes this time of the Children of Israel’ unbelief and Moses' intercession for them when God was going to disinherit all but Caleb and Joshua, V1—45, I.e. V20-29;32-38. If you read carefully v40-45 the children of Israel repented but God did not allow that group to enter the promised land v29, Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, This is not a picture of heaven! This is not teaching that a believer can be lost.
Some things to consider to fully understand this lesson. In five chapters, fourteen passages from the O.T. has been quoted with numerous lessons from the historical books.
The LORD uses an Analogy of Israel to press home a spiritual truth
1] “Who were once enlighten”. Through Moses the children of Israel were fully enlighten. They had lost the knowledge of the God of their fathers, Exdous3:13, And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?. Fifty years later Joshua threw light on this by reminding their children that their fathers, the generation to which he himself belonged, had served the gods of Egypt (Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.). Nine centuries later God, through Ezekiel (20:6-8 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: Eze 20:7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Eze 20:8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.),
And have tasted of the heavenly gift, God gave them manna: "II will rain bread from heaven for you” (Exod. 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.). Thus they “tasted of the heavenly gift,” that gift which was the type of the true Bread from heaven, even Jesus the Son of God, the gift of His Father to hungry men (John 6:32ff Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.).
Tasted of the heavenly gift, that word taste is the same word in Hebrews 2:9 where Jesus tasted death for every person it is therefore a real taste. They “tasted the Word of God that it is good.”
And made partakers of the Holy Ghost, (I Cor. 10:3, 4) concerning even Israel in the desert that “they did all eat the same spiritual food; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them [went about with them]; and the rock was Christ.” 3Whatever their profession, there is some conscious, enjoyment of the heavenly Bread and Living Water. Directly after the giving of the manna came the smiting of the rock and the supply of living water. From the statement just quoted from I Cor. 10:4 it is plain that in some real degree they were made “partakers of holy spirit,” that they experienced some measure of the Spirit’s grace. Referring to that period Isaiah, seven centuries later, said: “Where is He that put his holy Spirit in the midst of them? . . . the Spirit of Jehovah caused them to rest” (Isa. 63:11, 14)
Their spiritual life was the same as ours today: redemption from wrath by blood; deliverance from bondage by power; Christ the food to strengthen; the Spirit to refresh and vitalize; and now God’s words to instruct and regulate
When did they turn away? Answer: At Kadesh Barnea Numbers 14. What did they say? And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! They elected a captain to take them back saying that Moses was an unsafe leader and put Moses to open shame, Hebrew 3:1-2. They were not allowed to go on because of unbelief, Heb 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. Heb 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
We have a greater leader than Moses, Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. Heb 3:3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
He uses Words of encouragement, “beloved” 6:10 It is a word of warmth. The only place in this epistle that it is used.
He uses a word of caution, Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Then word “slothful” means dull, lazy, willing not knowing, as some already are, Heb. 5:11
He uses the faithfulness of The Lord as encouragement to continue, 6:13-15
He put Himself under oath because there is no greater or equal to be found, 16-18
His Word or Name and His Oath, (Gen 22:16-17)
the Lord delivered Abraham an oath for the sake of his heirs, the writer says in v.17 [The believer is an heir of Abraham]
We have strong encouragement to take refuge in God’s promises
If the Lord was willing to swear an oath to Abraham – an oath that wasn’t even necessary – it’s further evidence to us that the Lord is serious about our behavior and our rewards
He wants us to live according to our faith, with patience and self-sacrifice And when we do these things, we are assured that our hope will not be empty
This is teaching that a believer needs to come home to the LORD while it is today! They were not allowed to go on.
We do not have the promise of tomorrow. Today is the day, 2Co_6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
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