HEBREWS Chapter 6 "Exhortation, Promises of God with the Oath." This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org Hebrews 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," Therefore when you fall back into the teachings of milk, milk and more milk in Word, you leave the foundation that we are to be in. We are to strive to bring ourselves to perfection, and this word "perfection" means "maturity" and it does not mean being perfect. In the flesh body you will never reach perfection, but you can come to full age of maturity with the discernment of the Word of God. Paul is asking, do you have to have repentance taught to you every week? Can't you get it through to your mind that when you sin, and you know you have sinned, then you repent? The "foundation" is the constant reminder to "be saved", and it is drilled over and over. Faith becomes dead works when people do not obey Christ and seek to go deeper into the Word of God. Paul is about to tell us of a sin that God is very unhappy with in Christians lives. Hebrews 6:2 "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." Notice here that the "doctrine of baptisms" is plural. These are the four most taught subjects in most all churches today. Paul is saying once your baptized, you are baptized so move on to something deeper. Once you have been anointed of God as a Christian, accept it as a fact, and move on to deeper things. "Resurrection of the dead", to a Christian is common knowledge and you don't have to be taught such again and again, for it is accepted as fact. We are not saying that you move to better things, for this is the foundation that you start with, but do not spend all your life studying only the milk of the Word. You know that there is an eternal judgment that judgment comes after the Millennium age, where all mankind will answer for the things they have chosen to do in their flesh life, and for the unsaved of this earth age, it will be by their works done in the Millennium age of Christ's kingdom. Hebrews 6:3 "And this will we do, if God permit." This is what we will study, and do when God opens our eyes to His truths. Hebrews 6:4 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost," We are not talking about any language here but the acceptance of Jesus Christ, when the Holy Spirit has enlightened them to the truths of God's Word. Paul is talking about the warm love of the Holy Spirit of God coming into ones life, and that person tasting of the many blessings that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 6:5 "And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," This is directed to those that have read and studied to know the depth of the entire Word of God. We are talking here about the plan of God from Genesis to Revelation, and to know the Word to the point that God can talk to you through that Word. This applies to very few people today, even in the ministry. These sins are not the unforgivable sin. The "powers of the world to come" is the world age that is coming very shortly, the Millennium age. If you understand that future world age when Jesus Christ will be here on earth ruling over his kingdom, then you will understand the world age that was, and the fall and destruction that came. We will all be in our incorruptible bodies, with clear minds, able to see exactly what led to the world age that we are in today. We are talking about three different world ages "cosmos" [periods of time], not different earthly bodies. Hebrews 6:6 "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." Do you understand what was said here? If all you teach is salvation and baptism and the entire group that you are teaching has already accepted Christ and tasted of the Word and has been saved once, then you are putting our Lord's sacrifice to shame. Then when you have some man of God get up before that group and all he teaches is salvation and baptism; that is blasphemy. If there is one person unsaved in the room then it is okay, but not when it is known that every individual has been saved, and been baptized. Why? Christ does the saving, and after one is saved, all it takes is repentance. Man will always slip in his flesh life, and he will also need repent to the Father in Jesus name after he has sinned, for we will all fall short. The freedom that we have in Christ is to be able to repent as our sins come to our attention, and not be tied to the guilt of those sins. II Thessalonians 3:10 "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." Though many direct this only to the flesh body, it also applies also to the spiritual part of man. If you do not work in the Word to study and gain understanding, the spiritual insight of the Word will not come to you. There is a saying that many Christians like to say, "once saved, always saved"; but there is another side to this coin. That salvation is always there, steadfast and true, however we don't always hold to that salvation, and this is when repentance and forgiveness comes in. If you have faith you will see your sin when you fall short of God commandment, and because of your belief you will repent immediately, however that is not being saved all over again, but repentance. So Paul is saying that once you have accept Christ and been baptized, move on in the Word and make yourself knowledgeable enough to produce fruit [souls saved] for the kingdom of God. The just of the matter is that it isn't Christ that fell short, when you mess up, it is you. So don't put Christ at shame and back on the cross because of your sinning, causing Christ to repay a price, but it becomes a matter of your fessing up to your sin and repenting. Which is to feel sorry for what you have done, and have a change of heart to want to get back to serving Him. Hebrews 6:7 "For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:" When there is a heavy rain storm, the earth takes the rain and soaks it up. Some of the rain goes into the ground to be used for the trees, herbs and plant life, and those that see and enjoy the use of that plant life are receiving the blessings from God. The word "meet" in the Greek text is "healing", and that is where we get many of our medications. Then notice the qualification used here: "for them by whom it is dressed", and that means that the benefit to be gained are for those that do the work to get the blessing. Work is a good part of God's Word, and your work, which is your studying His Word produces healing for you. In the spiritual sense the rain that falls is the Words that are absorbed in our minds that the Spirit of God allows to take hold in our understanding. And when the rain of those words grow in our mind, that seed blossoms into a plant of full understanding given by the Holy Spirit. You then take what has become part of you and go out to tell others, and that is work that produces fruit for Christ. This then gets to the center of the message, if you please God He will bless you, and those blessings come from your work. Paul is telling you to look at the earth, and see how generous God is with His nature. Those that understand how nature works, use their understand to produce fruit, and are blessed by their works. A servant is worthy of his hire, if you are a servant of God then your hire from God is the blessings that He will give you in happiness and peace of mind. Hebrews 6:8 "But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." If you keep hanging around the traditions of men, and pumping your mind full of the doctrines of the apostates then this is exactly what will happen to you. It is so much easier to stay in God's Word and follow the instructions given there. In the end, we know that God will give you the victory over your enemies, and it is a lot easier to take persecution when you know what the outcome will be. In a physical sense, when you have a plot of ground and leave it completely unattended, the weeds and thorns and stubble will take over the ground, and that is what is meant by "nigh unto cursing". It has become a cursing unto God. The only way to purify the land and get it ready to grow something is to burn the thorns and briers off. Our minds are like that plot of ground. When we leave our mind unattended and not fed with spiritual seeds of thought, then when the weeds of every wind of doctrine blows over our minds, those false doctrines and traditions takes root. In the end all we have is a mixture of thorns and briers spiritually, which becomes nothing but confusion. However if we exercise our minds and put it to work in the study of God's Word then we can expect to see God's blessings on us. Hebrews 6:9 "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak." Paul is saying that he is persuaded that you want better things for yourself. The next question then is what accompanies salvation, for many preach that "all you need is salvation and baptism". There are promises and blessings that accompany salvation and you can claim every one of them, and that is why studying God's Word is so important. Remember Hebrews 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." "Strong meat" is "maturity in God Word", and when you use that strong meat of the Word, it exercises your senses to discern both good and evil. That means that you have the spiritual common sense not to fall into the pitfalls that the world will place in your path. You are able to tell what is of the Word, from that which is not of God. This is what Paul was talking about when he said, I would like to talk about the deeper things of the Word, but all you have been taught is the milk from the Word. We use analogies with the Word because it is a shortcut back to the truth. Exercise your mind in God's Word and let it produce fruit. Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." It would be an unrighteous thing if God would overlook your work and labor of love, but everything that you do to further His name is remembered by God and will be well rewarded. In other words, when you have told someone of God's love for him or her, and they have accepted Christ and turned from their sins, God has rewards and crowns for that service you have given for Him. You will receive blessings for your work. Hebrews 6:11 "And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:" "Assurance" is something that you can count on, you don't even give it a second thought that there is a risk to the matter. The hope that we have in Jesus Christ is with us when we remain steadfast to His Word in our lives. It is a lot easier to live that life that God has instructed us through His Word, then living the life that the world seeks. Hebrews 6:12 "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." You have to know the promises before you can claim them, and you inherit those promises even in this flesh body. That is, you enter His rest and receive His blessings, and receive His healings when you pass from the level of milk, and get into the counsel of the deeper things in your study. Paul is giving us a warning that we not be "slothful", which is lazy in our studies, if we learn and hang on to those promises, we will inherit them. Hebrews 6:13 "For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself," There is no greater name then our Heavenly Father, "YHVH", the Living God and creator of all things. Though Abraham was one hunddred years old, and did not have children [seed] by Sarah, God promised him that he would not only have a son by Sarah, but that nations would come from her. Then after God gave Abraham and Sarah a son, God asked Abraham to sacrifice that son on an altar, and Abraham was willing to do exactly as God commanded. Genesis 22:10 "And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son." Genesis 22:11 "And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham:" and he said, "Here am I"." Genesis 22:12 "And He said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me." God then provided the ram for the sacrifice, which was caught in a thicket near by, and the sacrifice was made. God then called out again from heaven, and spoke to Abraham. Genesis 22:16 "And said,"By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:" Genesis 22:17 "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;" Genesis 22:18 "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice." When God promises you growth and increase, you can count on it. Believe it because it is a reality. Hebrews 6:14 "Saying, "Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." Not only are all the children of Israel the offspring of Abraham, but the millions of children that came from the many sons of Ishmael, and the twelve sons of Abraham that came by his second wife, Keturah, after the death of Sarah. The majority of all people on the face of the earth today, came from the loins of Abraham. Hebrews 6:15 "And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." Abraham did patiently wait on the promise of God, for was one hundred years old when Isaac was born. Genesis 21:5 "And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born" After Isaac had grown up, and his mother had died, Abraham remarried and had many more children. Sarah was so old when God told here that she was to have a son, she laughed, she thought it was a joke that even the thought of a woman one hundred years old could bear a child. In fact that is what the name "Isaac" means, "laughter". Hebrews 6:16 "For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife." When a person swears by God and takes an oath to confirm an agreement, that ends all the strive that existed between the two parties. When God swore by Himself that Abraham and Sarah would bear a son, that confirmed it in Abraham's mind, and he sat and waited many years patiently for the time to come. That oath did come true, and the fruit of that oath is scattered all around the world, and is called by many national names. When we follow the migrations of the House of Israel, we know of the many Christian nations that exist that are of the offspring of Jacob. All of the Arabic nations know of their lineage back to Abraham, as well as the Russians, who are the lineage of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. Hebrews 6:17 "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath:" When you have come to believe on Jesus Christ and have repented of all your sins, then you are one of the heirs of promise. The "immutability of His counsel" means that as an heir of the promise that God has given you, not one of those promises recorded in His word shall ever change. It is as solid today as it was the day that He spoke the words. God will "intervene" to secure that promise that is sworn by His oath to you. Hebrews 6:18 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:" Those two immutable thing that we base our hopes on, are "God's promise and God's oath". Because of these two things it is impossible for God to lie, and he will not. We can claim those promises, just like it happened for Abraham. Though we do not have the hundred years to patiently wait, being in the generation we are in, the hope of every promise in His Word we can claim. Hebrews 6:19 "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;" An anchor keeps a ship from floating around the water with every wave that passes under it. Our hope that we have in promises that we have in His Word, is the anchor that holds our minds on course. When you hear one man say something, and a little later someone else contradicts the first. Don't flutter around with every wind of doctrine and traditions that your hear, or you will have no foundation nor any anchor of your soul to hold you fast in the Word. When your soul is anchored in the Word, you go behind the veil [or glass] and that is where Christ is. I Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Christ is sitting there now at the right hand of God, and every promise that Christ has given to us is just as sure now as when He had spoken them. By having Christ as our foundation, or anchor of our beliefs we know that all power rests in His hands. God will give you a happy and blessed life, but you have to do your part first. Hebrews 6:20 "Whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." It is important that we understand who this "Melchisedec" is. The name "Melchisedec" comes from the Hebrew words "Melcha", and "Zedok", meaning "King of the Just." The "order of Melchisedec" is unique, being that of a high priest that is without an altar, offering, sacrifices, or successor. There is only one High Priest after the order of Melchisedec and He is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the King of peace, the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of the Just. Christ sits behind that veil to make certain that things will go well for you, if you do His things His way. Christ is not on the cross any longer, but He arose in victory from the grave, and He lives forever in righteousness. He is sitting at the right hand of God, on the throne of God, and how dare anyone put Christ to shame again, after they have come to the knowledge and faith in Christ, as it was written in the sixth verse of this chapter. Don't re-crucify Him over because of your sins and shortcomings, and that is why you must mature in His Word, repent in Jesus name when you fall short, and present yourself a better servant for Him.
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