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THEREFORE LEAVING
THE ELEMENTARY TEACHING ABOUT THE CHRIST: dio aphentes (AAPMPN) ton
tes arches tou Christou logon tou Christou:
(Mark 1:1; John 1:1-3; 1Timothy 3:16)
Therefore - As discussed below
this is not the best chapter division (the divisions and versification are
not inspired.)
Therefore (1352)
(dio) is a
term of conclusion
(always ask "What's it 'there for?'"). Why is it there for? Because of the argument
he has just mentioned about the difficulty of subject (of the priesthood of
Melchizedek) the
dullness of the readers ("by this time you ought to be teachers!" - see
notes
Hebrews 5:12;
13;
14).
It is time to get out of the crib and off the bottle and to grow up, to move
on, to become mature believers. And to help them understand the goal God
desires for His children, the writer has just present a clear contrast
between the mature Christians and the immature Christian.
Spurgeon observes that...
In the previous chapter, Paul was writing to some who ought to have been
teachers, but who needed still to be taught the first principles of the
gospel; they were such babes in grace that they needed the milk of the Word,
— the very simplest elements of gospel truth, — and not the strong meat of
solid doctrine. The apostle, however, desires that the Hebrew believers
should understand the sublimer doctrines of the gospel, and so be like men
of full age who can eat strong meat. In this chapter he exhorts them to seek
to attain to this standard.
Dave Branon puts it this way...
Few of us look in the mirror and come to the conclusion of Hall of Fame
quarterback Joe Namath. During his heyday as a player, Namath wrote a book
titled I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow . . . 'Cause I Get Better-Looking Every
Day.
As egotistical as that title sounds, it can help us see how we as believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ should view ourselves in the lifelong process of
becoming like Him. Scripture tells us that to become more like Christ, we
need to keep getting better every day.
The development of Christlikeness is called sanctification. It begins the
moment we put our faith in Christ for forgiveness of our sins. In God's eyes
we are sanctified, or "set apart" from the ungodly, and placed in God's
family. But sanctification is also the ongoing process in which we become
more and more like our Savior as we allow the Holy Spirit to develop in us
His characteristics. Our part is to "press on," striving to reach spiritual
maturity (see note
Philippians 3:12).
Ask yourself this question: Am I better-looking spiritually than I was
yesterday? It's a good test of whether you are becoming more like Jesus.
—Dave Branon (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Every day more like my Savior,
Every day my will resign,
Till at last Christ reigns supremely
In this grateful heart of mine. --Brandt
The new birth takes only a moment; the growth of a saint takes a lifetime.
Stedman introduces this section of the letter noting that...
Life presents a thousand examples of the need to act on knowledge before any
benefit is received. It is not enough to know a telephone number; if you
want to talk to someone, you must dial the number. It is not enough to know
the price of an object; if you want it, you must pay that price. It is not
enough to know where India is; if you want to see it, you must go there. So
it should not seem strange that the writer of Hebrews insists that to know
Jesus you must receive Him by faith and obey His teaching. The unfortunate
chapter division at this point tends to minimize the opening Therefore
of chapter 6. Our author does not propose to teach his readers again the
elementary truths of God’s word though he has told them their dullness seems
to require it. They already know the teaching; what they need now is
personal commitment to it. This can only be achieved by going on to those
actions of faith that produce maturity. For this reason he urges them to
leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on from
words to applications. Elementary teachings is not a reference
to regeneration, but means introductory information that could lead to
regeneration...These transitional truths lead from Jewish beliefs and
practices to a full sharing in Christ. Though Bruce takes them as a Jewish
list and others as Christian, the truth is they are both, as Bruce concedes
that each “acquires a new significance in a Christian context”
(1964:112). The point is that they do not represent anything but the barest
beginnings of Christian faith. It is necessary to go from the knowledge of
these initial truths to experiences which actually draw upon the priestly
ministry of Jesus for this is what would lead them from head knowledge to
heart response. (Hebrews 6:1-20 Repentance Can Be
Impossible!)
Leaving the elementary
teaching - The verb
Leaving (as discussed more below) is in a tense (aorist)
that calls for definite, effective action by the individual. Further, the
active voice
signifies that this change of direction requires a definite choice of one's
will. Progress in the Christian life is not just "let go and let God" as
some teach, but entails personal responsibility and personal initiative to
seek to progress in the Christian life. Although the analogy is not perfect,
spiritual progress is a bit like riding a bicycle -- stop pedaling and
sooner or later you fall over. The writer of course is not implying that one
can press on to spiritual maturity in his or her own strength apart from the
grace of God and the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit, but he does
place a responsibility for growth upon those who would seek to walk worthy
of their Lord. Paul gives a similar exhortation in
Romans 12:1 (note),
calling for each believer to present himself or herself as a living
sacrifice, for he knows that unless this act of consecration occurs and
includes a presentation of one's members to God as instruments of holiness
and righteousness, there will be no progress in spiritual maturity. We don't
just naturally "drift" toward Christlikeness.
In short, the writer
is emphasizing the human side of pressing on to maturity. Everyone born into
the family of God is born with the capacity to progress out of infancy into
maturity in Christ. But as he has already alluded to in this letter, the
writer recognized that there were those who were in danger of returning to
the old "religious" order that they might escape persecution. And so even as
a man seeking a wife is called to "leave and cleave", the writer exhorts his
readers to leave spiritual infancy and press on to spiritual maturity.
Leaving
(863)
(aphiemi
from
apo = prefix implies separation +
hiemi = put in motion,
send) conveys the basic idea of an action which causes separation
and means to send from one's self, to forsake, to hurl away, to put away,
let alone, disregard, put off. It conveys the basic idea of an action
which causes separation and refers to total detachment, total separation,
from a previous location or condition. It means to send forth or away from
one's self. It refers to the act of putting something away or of laying it
aside. In secular Greek aphiemi initially conveyed the sense of to
throw and in one secular writing we read "let the pot drop" (aphiemi). From
this early literal use the word came to mean leave or let go.
Wuest an an interesting note on the verb leaving writing that
it...
is an
aorist
participle. Greek grammar tells us that
the action of the
aorist participle
precedes the action of the leading verb in the sentence, which in this case
is “let us go on.” The aorist tense speaks of a once for all action. We
could translate, “Therefore, having abandoned once for all
the principles of the
doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection.” The act of abandoning is
the pre-requisite to that of going on. One cannot go on without first
separating one’s self from that to which one is attached. The word
translated “let us go on” is first person plural subjunctive, which is used
for hortatory purposes in Greek. That is, we have an exhortation here.
Another way of exhorting one in Greek is to use the imperative mode. There
is a classification of the participle in Greek which is designated, “the
participle used as an imperative.” Our word “abandoning” is an imperative
participle. It gives a command.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Aphiemi refers to the act of
putting something away or of laying it aside
and as used in the present context
means that God lets go of the obligation we "owe" Him because of sin against
His holiness. It means to remit (to release from the guilt or penalty
of) as one would a financial debt (e.g., on the Rosetta stone it refers to
the "total remission" of certain taxes). Unfortunately the English word
"forgive" does not adequately picture the meaning of the Greek.
In secular Greek literature, aphiemi was a fundamental word used to
indicate the sending away of an object or a person. Aphiemi was used
to describe the voluntary release of a person or thing over which one has
legal or actual control. The related noun aphesis meant described a
setting free. .Later it came to include the release of someone from the
obligation of marriage, or debt, or even a religious vow. In its final form
it came to embrace the principle of release from punishment for some
wrongdoing.
Colin Brown adds that aphiemi
means...
With a personal object, to send forth, send away (of a woman, to divorce; of
a meeting, to dissolve, end), to let go, to leave, dispatch; with an
impersonal object, to loose (e.g. a ship into the sea), to discharge (e.g.
arrows), to give up. In the figurative sense the verb (aphiemi) means to let
alone, permit, let pass, neglect, give up (taking trouble, etc.); in
Josephus, Ant., 1, 12, 3, to lose one’s life, die. The legal use is
important: to release from a legal bond (office, guilt, etc. and also, a
woman from marriage, e.g. Hdt., 5, 39), to acquit (e.g. cancellation of
criminal proceedings, Plato, Laws, 9, 86, 9d), to exempt (from guilt,
obligation, punishment, etc.; e.g. Hdt., 6, 30). Similarly the noun aphesis
(e.g. Demosthenes, 24, 45) means release, pardon, or remission, etc (Brown,
Colin: New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
Aphiemi was also used of
teachers, writers, and speakers when presenting a topic, in the sense of “to
leave, let alone, disregard, not to discuss now. It means “to abandon, to
leave as behind and done with in order to go on to another thing.”
Leaving off or let go from one’s further notice does not imply
ceasing to believe in elementary teaching or to regard them as unimportant,
but leaving them "as a builder leaves his foundation in erecting his
building". The writer's point is that the beginning is not a stopping place but is the door to
further progress in the spiritual life.
Vincent writes that...
Leaving or dismissing does not imply ceasing to believe in elementary truths
or to regard them as important, but leaving them “as a builder leaves his
foundation in erecting his building” (Bruce).
Wuest adds that...
To use the word “leaving” in the sense that a superstructure of a house
leaves the foundation and yet builds on it, as is done by some expositors,
is a case of English eisegesis (reading into the text what is not there).
The word is an aorist participle. Greek grammar tells us that the action of
the aorist participle precedes the action of the leading verb in the
sentence, which in this case is “let us go on.” The aorist tense speaks of a
once for all action.
(Ibid
or
Ibid)
The idea for Jewish believers and those who profess to believe is to abandon shadows, types, pictures, and sacrifices of the old economy and come
to the reality of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. To paraphrase it the
writer is saying
“Leave the
pictures of the Messiah and go on to the Messiah Himself,”
Elementary
(746)
(arche) means the first, the beginning (the things that occurred prior in
time). It can mean supreme in rank but clearly that is not the meaning in
this verse. In relation to time, arche refers to the beginning of
anything, the first. Think about a baby who begins playing with blocks but
moves on to tricycles, etc. The writer is telling his readers to leave the
elementary teaching concerning the doctrines upon which their prior
religious life had been based. Leave the milk! These elementary doctrines
were those teaching that Christianity had in common with Judaism, the
teaching they had received from the Old Testament. They had to move past
those teachings that Judaism had in common with Christianity, or otherwise
they would never move on to maturity.
Teaching (3056)
(logos
from lego = to speak
intelligently source of English "logic, logical") means something
said and describes a communication whereby the mind finds expression in
words. Although Lógos is most often translated word which
Webster defines as "something that is said, a statement, an utterance", the
Greek understanding of lógos is somewhat more complex. In the Greek
mind and as used by the secular and philosophical Greek writers, lógos
did not mean merely the name of an object but was an expression of the
thought behind that object's name.
Lógos then is a general
term for speaking, but always used for speaking with rational content.
Lógos is a word uttered by the human voice which embodies an underlying
concept or idea. When one has spoken the sum total of their thoughts
concerning something, they have given to their hearer a total concept of
that thing. Thus the word lógos conveys the idea of “a total concept”
of anything. Lógos means the word or outward form by which the inward
thought is expressed and made known. It can also refer to the inward thought
or reason itself. Note then that lógos does not refer merely
to a part of speech but to a concept or idea. In other words, in
classical Greek, lógos never meant just a word in the
grammatical sense as the mere name of a thing, but rather the thing referred
to, the material, not the formal part. In fact, the Greek language has 3
other words (rhema, onoma, epos) which designate a word in its
grammatical sense. Lógos refers to the total expression whereas
rhema
for example is used of a part of
speech in a sentence. In other words
rhema
, emphasizes the parts rather than
the whole.
The elementary teaching -
"the rudiments of the beginning".
The writer has just addressed this topic
(which is why this is such a poor chapter division) chiding them that...
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. For everyone who partakes
only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a
babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their
senses trained to discern good and evil. (See notes
Hebrews 5:12;
5:13;:14)
F F Bruce observes that...
Practically every item (in the writers list that follows) could have its
place in a fairly orthodox Jewish community
The writer
may have felt that to concentrate on
this area would be of no help to those slipping back into Judaism. Therefore
he went on to "solid food."
The Christ - the
Messiah (remember they are predominantly Jewish group, a mixture of
believers and professor but not yet believers)
Wuest asks...
Now what does the writer exhort these Hebrews to abandon, and to what does
he urge them to allow themselves to be borne along? Well, what does a
mariner do when he is at a loss as to exactly where he is? He checks his
position by his instruments. The aviator in a similar situation checks his
course by the radio beam. An exegete in a similar situation will consult the
historical background and analysis of the book. And that is exactly what we
will do. We found that the writer proves twice over that the New Testament
in Jesus’ Blood is superior to and takes the place of the First Testament in
animal blood. After proving this, he shows that faith is the only way of
appropriating the salvation which the High Priest procured for sinners at
the Cross. In the light of this demonstration, he warns them against falling
away. He exhorts them to go on to faith in the New Testament Sacrifice.
Having left the temple sacrifices, and having identified themselves with the
visible Church, from what could they fall away but from their profession of
Messiah as High Priest, and to what could they fall back to but First
Testament sacrifices? Thus the words, “the principles of the doctrine of
Christ,” must refer to the First Testament sacrifices, for these Jews are
exhorted to abandon them. Likewise, the word “perfection” must speak of the
New Testament Sacrifice to which they are exhorted to allow themselves to be
borne along. Our analysis has guided us to the correct interpretation.
(Ibid)
LET US
PRESS ON TO MATURITY: epi ten teleioteta pherometha (1PPPS):
(Hebrews
7:11-note;
Hebrews 12:13-note;
Proverbs 4:18;
Matthew 5:48 - note;
1Corinthians 13:10; 2Corinthians 7:1;
Ephesians 4:12 - note;
Philippians 3:12-15 -notes;
Colossians 1:28-note;
Colossians 4:12-note;
James 1:4-note;
1 Peter 5:10-note;
1John 4:12)
Click
for all 12 "let us..." exhortations in Hebrews (in the NASB).
Press on
(5342)
(phero) be borne along like a ship by the wind (see below). The use
of the
passive voice
emphasizes the exertion of power on the individual from an outside source.
passive voice
also conveys the the thought of the need of the recipient to willingly surrender to
this outside
influence (see comments below on the Holy Spirit). The
present tense
emphasizes the continual need for this activity. Note the writer lumps
himself in this group needing to be continually borne along. The idea is
Let us be carried along (by God’s Spirit)
And so the writer alludes to the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, that process of growing in
Christlikeness, learning more and more to say "yes" to the impulse
of the Spirit's control and then being enabled to say "no" to the desires of
the evil
flesh. Spiritual maturity does not come by our striving in self-effort but
by our cooperating with God as we do His will depending on His help. It
comes as we follow the Holy Spirit who leads us. (See notes
1 Peter 1:2,
Galatians 5:16,
Philippians
3:12;
Romans 8:13)
The Pythagorean Schools used the Greek verb for press on in the sense
of being borne on to a higher stage of instruction, this being the
counterfeit for the Christian's "higher state" of increasing conformity to
the image of God's Son.
In Acts 27:17 phero in the
passive voice
refers to a ship which helps illustrate the meaning of the verb. The idea
then would be "so let themselves be driven along". We too like "ships" in
the night of this present evil age must keep our sails trimmed (Philippians
2:12 see
note)
that we might be borne along toward our better country by His Spirit
(Philippians 2:13
see
note)!
In his outline of Hebrews 6 entitled "The Peril of Defection", Melvin
Worthington alliterates these first 3 verses...
The Desired Perfection (Heb
6:1-3). The perfection desired includes, the exhortation to develop (v1),
the elementary doctrines (vv. 1-2) and the enabling Deity (v3)...(he
concludes) The writer of Hebrews was not interested in arguing doctrine, but
with warning those who claim to be the people of God. The truth is simple,
despite where you fall on a doctrinal scale, if you turn your back on faith
in God, you will face the same wrath and punishment of an unbeliever: hell.
(ref)
Spurgeon phrased it memorably...
Let us go from the school to the university, let us have done with our first
spelling-books, and advance into the higher classics of the kingdom.
Let us make sure that the foundation is laid, but let us not have
continually to lay it again. Let us go on believing and repenting, as we
have done; but let us not have to begin believing and begin repenting, let
us go on to something beyond that stage of experience.
Maturity
(5047)
(teleiotes
related to
teleios from telos = an end, a
purpose, an aim, a goal)
describes one as being in a state of completion or perfection in the sense
of maturity (and in contrast to the stage of elementary, ABC, knowledge).
The related word
teleios means complete,
mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished,
wanting nothing necessary to completeness, in good working order. Teleios
signifies consummate soundness, includes the idea of being whole.
Interestingly the Gnostics used teleios of the one fully initiated
into their mysteries and that may have been why Paul used teleios in this
epistle.
The only other NT use of teleiotes
is in Colossians where Paul writes...
And beyond all these things put on love,
which is the perfect bond of unity. (see note
Colossians 3:14)
Teleiotes
(5047)
is related to the similar word in
Hebrews 12:2
with Strong's number
(5051)
this latter word referring to Jesus as our Model or Goal to press onward
toward writing that we need to run...
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, Who for
the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God. (see note
Hebrews 12:2)
Christlikeness is our goal. Conformity to the image of the Son is the
Father's will for every one of His children.
Wuest explains that...
Our Lord in His life of faith on earth,
became the perfect or complete example of the life of faith.
Thayer speaks of our Lord as “one who has in his own person raised faith
to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith.”
(Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans) (Bolding added)
Larry Richards writes that
As we run we can look back and see how
Jesus ran His race ("Author"). When we look ahead we can see His exaltation
("Finisher"). He is our example as starter and finisher. (Richards, L: The
Bible reader's companion. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)
What does Perfecter
mean pragmatically? It means that if you want to look for a perfect example
of faith, you look to our Lord Jesus Christ. If you look at Abraham, you see
failure. If you look to Abel, you see failure. If you look to Moses, you
will see failure. And in Gideon, Samson, Jeptha, and all the rest of the
runners in the race of faith in Hebrews 11, you will see failure. There is
one person, and only One, Who never failed and that Person is our Lord Jesus
Christ. And He will never fail you beloved.
S Lewis Johnson
writes:
I am sure, if you feel as I do at times,
to look at our Lord as an example which we are to follow, is a very
frustrating thing. Joseph Parker, a great London preacher, had gone to hear
the great pianist Paderiski play. He was so filled with the consummate
beauty of the playing that he went home and asked his wife for an ax to chop
his piano into pieces. That was the power of a great example. When I look at
the example of our Lord Jesus, that is the way I feel. But in the Word of
God, we are told that not only is Jesus our example, but He also offers us
the utmost of enablement. A German woman in World War II had been rationing
for years and finally got to the place where she did not have enough food to
feed her family. One day she made a trip to the ocean which she had never
seen before. When she saw the water, she exclaimed, "Well there is after all
something that they cannot ration." Likewise, the power of God through Jesus
Christ is something we cannot ration. It is available to us, and as we run
the race, keeping the weight down, keeping our limbs free, and keeping our
eyes upon Him, the power of our Lord Jesus Christ flows through us and we
are enabled to do what we could not do otherwise!
The writer repeatedly alludes to the idea of
perfecting (in sense of accomplishing or reaching the intended goal)
See notes
Hebrews 2:10;
Hebrews 5:9;
6:1;
7:11,
7:19,
7:28;
9:9;
10:1,
10:14;
11:40.
The Bible says that
Jesus is before us. He is behind us. He is by our side. He is below us. He
is above us. He is around about us and He is in us. There was a man who
looked to Jesus once, and he did an impossible thing. Do you remember? Jesus
came walking on the water and when Peter first saw Him he said "It is a
ghost." Then he said, "If it be Thee Lord, bid me come unto Thee. And Peter
climbed out of that boat in the midst of the raging storm with the
lightening and thunder, and he walked on the water. Impossible! But as long
as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, the power of Jesus Christ was in Peter!
S Lewis Johnson writes about a
certain king in western Europe who...
was about to visit a small town. A
mother took her little boy and found her way to the front of the crowd.
Finally the king arrived she held him up and said, "Now look at him and
never forget it all the days of your life." That is the kind of look that we
should have as we look unto Jesus. As you run the race, look to Jesus and
never forget Who He is and what He has done, and what He can do for you. May
you reach the crown at the end of the race."
THOU ART ENOUGH FOR
ME
Thou art enough for me,
Thou art enough for me,
Thou living, loving, mighty God
Thou art enough for me!
To God our father above,
We glory in Thy love,
Thou living, loving, mighty God,
Thou art enough for me.
Lord Jesus, Savior king,
All glory now we sing,
Thou living, loving, mighty God,
Thou art enough for me!
The Holy Spirit's power
Shall keep me every hour,
Thou living, loving, mighty God.
Let us go on to the stage of adults,
not babes, able to chew solid spiritual food. The writer will assume that
the readers are adults in his discussion of the topic.
F B Hole (Biographical
Note)
comments...
"LET US GO ON," is the opening exhortation of our chapter. Movement in the
right direction is to mark us. We are to leave "the word of the beginning of
Christ," as the marginal reading is, and go on unto "perfection." If we
glance back over the last four verses of Hebrews 5 we shall see that the
point here is that we ought to grow in our understanding of the faith of
Christ. We ought not to be like children staying year after year in the
kindergarten, but advance until we assimilate the instruction provided for
the scholars in the sixth form.
John the Baptist had brought "the word of the beginning of Christ." He laid
the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." He
put baptism in the forefront of His preaching, and spoke plainly as to
eternal judgement. But things had moved on since his day. Great light shone
when Jesus came forth in His ministry; and then, just as His earthly service
closed, in His discourse in the upper chamber He promised the gift of the
Holy Spirit. He told His disciples that He had "yet many things to say" unto
them, but that they could not bear them then. He added, "Howbeit when He,
the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." (John
16:13). By the time the Epistle to the Hebrews was written ALL truth had
been revealed, for it was given to Paul by his ministry to "fulfil the Word
of God." (Colossians 1:25 see
note).
To "fulfil" in that verse means to "fill out full," or to "complete."
The whole circle of revealed truth then had been completed. Yet here were
these Hebrews still inclined to dwell in their minds amongst these
preliminary things, quite ignoring the fuller light which was now shining.
Are we at all like them in this? In their case it is not difficult to see
where the trouble lay. The special place of privilege, which belonged to the
Jew nationally under the Old Covenant, had disappeared under the New. True,
it only disappeared because a higher order of blessing had been introduced,
so that, when converted, both Jew and Gentile are brought into privileges
quite unknown before. Yet their hearts clung to the old and exclusive
national position, and consequently they became dull of hearing as regards
the fuller truth of Christianity. In our case we have no national position
to maintain, but there is many a thing which we naturally love and cling to,
which is dispossessed by the light of full and proper Christianity; and
there is very real danger that we may close our eyes against that light in
order to retain the things we love.
Oh, then may we heed this exhortation! May we allow it to repeat itself over
and over again in our hearts —
Let us go on!
Let us go on!
LET US GO ON!
And then let us join the writer of the Epistle in saying, "This will we do,
if God permit." (Hebrews
Commentary Notes)
Marvin Vincent writes that...
The completeness is viewed as pertaining to both the writer and the readers.
He proposes to fully develop his theme: they are exhorted to strive for that
full Christian manhood which will fit them to receive the fully-developed
discussion.
A B Simpson (biography) writes...
Having entered in, become established and found the source of all-sufficient
grace, let us now advance, let us make progress, let us grow in grace, let
us not be easily satisfied with present attainments, for, unless we go on we
shall surely go back. It is not safe to lose an inch of ground. "We are not
of them who draw back unto perdition." The faintest drawing back may land us
in perdition. There is no portion of the Holy Scriptures so filled with
impressive warnings against backsliding as this. In two of its leading
chapters, the sixth and tenth, we are told of the peril of the soul that
falls away, and the only remedy against falling away is to go forward.
Are we going on? And are we
going unto perfection? Is our goal the very highest? Are we aiming at
nothing less than the highest possibilities of a life of faith and service
for God? Nothing less is safe,
and nothing less is worthy of our high calling and our exceeding great and
precious promises. (A. B. Simpson. Christ in the Bible - Hebrews) (Bolding
added)
J.
D. Branon writes that...
When autumn comes and the leaves drop from my neighbor's trees, I can look
out of my back window and see a forlorn sight—a weather-beaten building
surrounded by weeds. In the mind of the designer, this structure was to have
been a health club complete with swimming pool, handball courts, and sauna.
But somewhere along the way the planners and builders encountered
difficulty—perhaps lack of funds—and they abandoned the project. So instead
of being a center of activity, the structure is an unfinished and useless
eyesore.
In a sense this is what the writer to the Hebrew Christians was warning them
about in Hebrews 5—a warning we must heed. We are not to stop when we have
laid the foundations of repentance and salvation; we are to go on to the
maturity that God, the architect of our faith, has planned for us. He knows
what the result of the building of our faith should be: a center of activity
that glorifies Him. So when obstacles arise, when the needed resources of
time, study, and energy run out, when we encounter opposition, we are not to
let the project come to a screeching halt. We must continue construction.
God chose us to "be holy and without blame before Him" (see note
Ephesians 1:4)
, and He provides us with the resources—the indwelling Holy Spirit and His
Word—for the process of sanctification to be completed.—J. D. Branon
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
So often we try to alter circumstances to suit ourselves,
instead of letting them alter us.
John Angell James in his book Christian Progress (see
table of contents)
has a chapter entitled
Motives to Christian Progress
and the following are his major "bullet points" with brief explanatory
excerpts. The interested reader (and we should all be interested in
spiritual progress) is referred to the full article for expansion on each
point...
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