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“The Danger Of Spiritual Immaturity, pt. 2” • 1.7.18 •
Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro
- The author of
the book of Hebrews has provided a dense review of Christian theology for the
sake of a desperate plea aimed at the ears of his Jewish brethren.
- He is deeply
concerned about them because, while they have walked toward Jesus Christ,
received Him as their Messiah, they have seemingly sought to keep a foot in
Judaism.
- It's possible
that some sought to reconcile the disparate beliefs of the two faith systems.
- Our unknown
author has been encouraging his Jewish brothers to come confidently into a
settled position of rest, understanding that Christ is far superior to any
former spiritual attraction.
- He has called
them to come in. The exhortation from the beginning of this particular passage
has been to go on to spiritual maturity, the intended goal of the faith.
- God is
calling Christians to move on from being milk feeding babes in Christ, to fully
mature, meat eating members of the body of Christ.
- His heart is
to call people into the center of life in Christ, that they might avoid the
fringe all together, understanding that such a placement is deadly to their own
character and witness.
- That is
enough to seek to avoid, but there is a much greater personal cost that is
present when one seeks to keep a foot in Jesus and a foot in any other world.
- That is where
our text leads us today. We will pick it up in verse 4, asking the Lord's grace as we proceed.
Text
• Hebrews
6:4-6 : "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and
have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of
God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance,
since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open
shame." : The word "impossible"
rarely occurs in the same sentence with God.
- The God for whom nothing is
impossible, inspires the author to employ that word in describing the
proceeding process. This isn't the first time that we see this concept.
- There are several things that
God cannot do. He cannot lie, (Titus 1:2),
He cannot tempt or be tempted by evil. (James
1:13) He also cannot do what is described here.
- He is literally "without
power" to act on behalf of these particular people who fall away. Part of
the difficulty of this passage concerns the identity of these people. Who are
they?
- The author offers five points of
identification which when taken together provide clarity.
- First, they were those who had,
at one time, been enlightened. "Photizo" refers to the use of light.
We might say, "the light has gone on" for them.
- The metaphor must necessarily
refer to being made aware of saving knowledge. That point of view is
strengthened by the next phrase. "They have tasted the heavenly
gift."
-
What else can he refer to but the receiving of salvation? What other gift from
heaven is there for man? They know what it means to have been lost and then to
belong to Christ.
-
At this point, one might make an attempt note the difference between sampling,
tasting and a full bite or meal. Some scholars would suggest that this might
mean the former.
-
Their argument is that this person has only taken a bite of Christianity, to
see whether or not it agrees with them. There are two problems with this.
-
First, one has to look not only at what the word means, but also how the author
uses that word elsewhere in his own writing. For that I invite you to look back
at Hebrews 2:9.
•
Hebrews 2:9 : "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,
for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace
of God, might taste death for everyone." : Jesus
didn't simply sample death! Based upon how the author has already used the
word, the precedent is set.
-
These people have fully experienced salvation. The second problem occurs when
you take this phrase with what follows.
-
The theological noose is tightened, as these people are described as being
partakers, shareholders of the Holy Spirit. The same word has been used two
other times in Hebrews.
-
In both instances, Christians are "shareholders" in a heavenly
calling and of Christ! (Hebrews 3:1
& 14) The relation to the Holy
Spirit is especially limiting in assessing the identity of this group.
-
Before this phrase, one could assume a vague position regarding the type of
person our author is describing. The introduction of the Holy Spirit moves us
into a more certain category.
-
Biblically, an unconverted person, has no claim to the Holy Spirit as a
shareholder. This isn't to say that the Holy Spirit isn't at work in their
lives.
-
Jesus told the disciples in John 16:8ff,
that the Holy Spirit would come into the world after His ascent, to convict the
world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
-
The world is unknowingly acquainted with the Holy Spirit's work, but only
Christians can be said to be are partakers of Him.
-
Who else can claim to have tasted the good word, the rhema of God or witnessed
the powers of the age to come unless they are guided by the Holy Spirit?
-
A non-Christian cannot comprehend the Word without the teaching help of the
Holy Spirit!
•
II Corinthians 2:13,14 : "These
things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the
Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not
receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." : Only a Christian can enjoy the Word of God and benefit from
it's intention with the attending power of God's Spirit.
-
The same is true of their experience of the powers of the age to come. Most
people believe that this refers to miracles which occurred in that first
century. It's the ability related to that time.
-
When you think about these people, given the entirety of that which describes
them, you would begin with general enlightenment and then end with specific
experience in being taught.
-
These are the kind of people that make up the leadership of large churches!
-
Think of the sermons that they had heard and the miracles that they had
witnessed from the world's greatest living witnesses! Now, what would happen if
they "fell away?"
-
What if they fell to the side, the grammar inferring that this was a decided
action at a particular point in time. "They fell and have remained in that
condition."
-
This is reflected in the way that this word is translated throughout the other
orthodox translations. The NIV, NASB, CSB and ESV all employ the phrase
"have fallen away."
-
Our author is talking about believers who have apostasized, who have not
continued on in their faith and have remained in that condition.
-
You might ask, as many have, what the difference is between a Christian who
falls into sin and one that falls away.
-
Many fear that they fall into this category, excuse the pun, because they have,
at times, fallen into sin. That is actually a normal part of walking with the
Lord.
-
Do you remember our studies in the life of David, especially in II Samuel? There were large portions of
text which if read alone, might suggest to us that David was not a Christian at
all!
-
And yet, he was called a "man after
God's own heart!" (I Samuel
13:14)
-
All Christians will experience seasons where they will struggle against sin and
temptation. The difference between that and an apostate is what happens next.
-
Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 37.
Listen to David's observations of the righteous ones.
•
Psalm 37:23,24 : "The steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord,
And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand." : A believer will fall, but he will not fall permanently.
And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand." : A believer will fall, but he will not fall permanently.
-
An apostate has fallen and has not bothered to get back up! This leaves us with
a category of people that we are not used to discussing.
-
Generally, we speak most often of those that "have" or "have
not" salvation.
-
If a person falls into sin and never returns, we might reason that they were
never a Christian to begin with. He never "had" the Spirit, and was
therefore, simply an imitator.
-
An additional point of interest is in the doctrine that most identify as the
"perserverance of the saints," which has also been poorly termed
"once saved, always saved."
-
How can a person who has been saved by God ever come into a position where they
are not saved by God? We might hear the question posed like this: "Can a
person 'lose' their salvation?"
-
I would say to you who desire to be kept in it, that there is no more secure
place that you can be in! If you have been with us through our studies up to
now, the majority of the texts offer security.
-
I feel confident that you cannot lose it, but I will not say that you cannot
LEAVE it! The Lord will keep you, but He will not keep you against your will!
-
It is virtually unthinkable that one would seek to escape His hand, but that is
precisely where our author has placed us!
-
Think about the logic and the viewpoint that this author is writing from. Why
has he had to convince these people of Christ's superiority? They have been
tempted to abandon Him!
-
Why has he been begging them to come deeper into Christ? Because they were
standing at the door wondering which way they would eventually go! "Do I
want Christ or do I want the Temple?
-
There are many that face the same temptation, who have sat in this very room!
They aren't looking toward the Temple, but they might be looking back at their
Catholic roots!
-
Some are simply unsure if they are willing to leave the world that they know
and love!
-
He is telling us here that if a person has looked to Christ, experienced Christ
and has left Christ, they are moving steadily closer to a position of finality.
-
The Holy Spirit speaks through him, relaying to us that it's impossible for an
apostate to be brought back into a right relationship with God! It is
impossible to renew them to repentance!
-
God cannot restore them to a place of thinking differently about Christ. That
is what the word "repentance" means.
-
It means to have a change in the way one thinks about Christ, issuing in a
change in their behavior because of Christ. Let's consider first, why this is
would be impossible?
-
It is impossible because God will not violate their own hearts. He will not
force them to look toward Christ if they are intent upon looking in another
direction for salvation!
-
Think about this: If you are unwilling to look to Christ as the exclusive source
of salvation when that is His sole criteria, how could He then save you?
-
If you are not looking in His direction when His hand is extended to you, you
cannot blame the efficiency of His hand! It is impossible to save a person that
wills not to be saved by God!
-
We will also speak in a moment about the "when" that this
impossibility becomes a reality.
-
A person's refusal in Christ is not merely a benign activity. By that action,
they are agreeing with those that crucified Christ! They are treating Him with
the same contempt that his enemies did.
-
Think of this another way. At the cross, because you believed in Christ, you
were represented by Him in His death. You mystically share in that experience.
-
Because of your belief in Christ, you are united to Him theologically. When He
died, He died for you and as you, so that when He rose, by your trust in Him, you
rose with Him!
-
In the same way, a person that rejects Christ is united to those that agreed
with those that crucified Christ! It is as if they were there, looking upon
Christ, exposing Him to shame!
-
The word that the author uses here is relative to our word
"paradigm."
-
These who have turned their focus from Christ to place it upon another source,
have looked upon Jesus as the example of shame.
-
They treat Him with contempt, perhaps not with their words, but by their
actions.
-
This leads us to consider the question of "when" this impossibility
becomes reality. Verse 7.
•
Hebrews 6:7,8 : "For the earth which drinks in the
rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is
cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to
being cursed, whose end is to be burned." :
This is an interesting statement and one might wonder about it being set here.
The agricultural picture is easy enough to understand.
-
Physical rain falls upon the earth and waters the ground indiscriminantly. What
comes up to the surface speaks of the condition of the surface.
-
Herbs come up where the ground has been prepared, dressed, cultivated. Herbs
are valuable and there is a blessing from God in their production for the
farmer.
-
The farmer benefits from it personally and it continues as they are enriched
from the produce when they sell it at the market.
-
On the other hand, the rain that falls on uncultivated ground bears thorns and
briers, weeds. Far from being valuable, the thorns and briers are rejected.
-
In other places the word is translated "reprobate." The actual word speaks
of being considered worthless, unable to stand under scrutiny.
-
When it comes up, it's not destined for anything. There is no value to it. The
farmer will bring it up and have it burned to dispose of it. Why does our
author make this staement?
-
First, consider the objection that one might make. Some will look to their
single confession of Christ, their activity in the church, their experience of
spiritual things.
-
There are things that you think you believe, things that you say you believe,
but the only thing that reveals true belief is what you actually become!
-
A person who has believed in Christ will hear His Word and will not only become
convinced of it's truth, but will be transformed into His very image!
-
The fruit that comes up from a life that has received the word of God provides proof
positive of actual condition. For those that have truly come to Christ, there
is ample proof.
-
Who has not been grateful for the Lord's salvation in their life? Where there
was once an angry spirit, there is now peace. Where there was once confusion,
there is now clarity.
-
The rain of God's word of salvation in Jesus has made your inner faith visible
to the world! But when a person has no heart for it, his life will be likened
to a field that bore nothing but weeds!
-
When a heart has rejected Christ, that same gospel ends up exposing worthless
items that are scheduled to be burned! That is what you did with weeds in the
ancient world!
-
Here is the final consideration regarding "the when" of impossibility.
-
It is impossible to restore a person to repentance who has turned from Christ
to any other source, while that person is looking toward that other source.
-
As long as that person lives, there is hope. Even the Jews that rejected Jesus
could have been regrafted into their own tree according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:23.
-
But the impossibility comes to a head in this allusion here. The farmer makes
the judgment regarding what is valuable and what is worthy for the fire.
-
I can't help but think that our author was thinking of Matthew 13 when he wrote this passage.
•
Matthew 13:24-30 : "Another parable He put forth to
them, saying: “The
kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the
wheat and went his way. But when
the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you
not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to
him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also
uproot the wheat with them. Let both
grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, 'First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn
them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" :
It is impossible to restore an apostate when he refuses to look to Christ and
when that person has died in that condition!
-
There are supposed theologians today who will tell you that even if you die,
God will do what it takes in eternity to win your heart over to Him.
-
Friends, when you hear that, understand that that teaching is found nowhere in
scripture. It is the invention of men and is profoundly dangerous to men's
souls!
-
It might sound romantic, but it takes the teeth out of the wrath of God and the
need to contemplate salvation from it! Indeed, at the end of the age, there
will be men that will burn in hell!
-
This is why the author is so adamant that they listen. These are the realities
that God has left us with in His Word. Verse 9.
•
Hebrews 6:9 : "But, beloved, we are confident of
better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we
speak in this manner." : Aren't you glad that our
author continues! These things might be true of some, but gratefully, not all.
-
He calls them "beloved." What a great word to use! No matter what you
are going through and no matter how rough the Word may seem, it is given to
those that He loves to hear it!
-
You are beloved of God in Christ Jesus and thankfully, the author of Hebrews
has the benefit of having a vantage point from which to confidently proclaim
that he sees the work of salvation.
-
These is evidence which "accompanies" salvation to be found among
them and we'll begin to touch on that next week. Suffice it to say, he wants
them to know that he has written them off.
-
He has to speak this way because of those that were in their midst. I'm
grateful that he did, because there are those in our midst that need to hear
the same thing today.
Conclusion
- Let me be as clear as I can. Every person on earth is a sinner by birth and by choice. God's sole remedy for that is found in the work of Jesus Christ.
- Let me be as clear as I can. Every person on earth is a sinner by birth and by choice. God's sole remedy for that is found in the work of Jesus Christ.
-
If you will look to Him alone, you will be saved from the wrath of God and for
eternity. Believing upon Him exclusively issues in a changed nature, being born
again.
-
Consequently, when you receive Christ, His presence in your life is proved by
your willing repentance from all known sin and your newfound hunger for
righteousness!
-
Change will come slow, but it will be sure! Old things will pass and behold all
things will be new!
-
Those that remain in that faith can have the assurance that they will be
brought into God's barn, heaven, at the end of the age!
-
If there is one message that comes from this passage, that is it! Let's pray!
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