GROW UP, CHRISTIAN!
“There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12
Postmodernism, “hyper-grace”, the cheap gospel, a seeker sensitive gospel, new age practices, gnosticism, chrislam, ecumenicalism, prayer labyrinths, holy laughter, the purpose driven life. A Strange gospel has invaded the church.
Some are saying that there are many ways to heaven, but, the Bible says there is but One Way, and His Name is JESUS. But, many ways are being offered by false prophets, antichrists and deceivers.
Jesus says to take on His yoke for it is easy and His burden is light and it leads to life. But, make no mistake, His way is costly and difficult and He warns us to count the cost before we start. The END however, is a choice between Eternal Life with Him or eternal damnation in hell, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.
I am presenting you both a teaching and a plea. Both an instruction and a warning.
Please read to the end and prayerfully consider what is offered here. Your life may depend on it.
PRESS ON TO MATURITY
Hebrews 6:1 “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.”
The Apostle Paul is generally credited with writing these verses to the Hebrews, both believer and non-believers in and around the Roman Empire and in Israel.
This book is described as eloquent and intellectual but most commentaries make it difficult to understand its purpose and message because of its complexities.
It is not my intention to try to explain the details surrounding these verses from the Book of Hebrews, but, my intention is to understand the prophetic meaning and application of these verse – for our edification and use in His service.
I understand that the purpose of the Book of Hebrews was that many of the early Jewish believers were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism in order to escape the mounting persecution. This letter, then, is an exhortation for those persecuted believers to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ.
I want to simplify the purpose and message to the Hebrews:
This book was originally intended for the Hebrews, but, it is important to realize that Hebrews is written for ALL PEOPLE who are following Jesus. The Apostle Paul is saying to us all, “IT IS PAST TIME TO GROW UP!”
(I have color coded this message to link related thoughts and teachings; and I have used CAPITALIZATION to emphasize specifics; and I have separated it into paragraphs to further group the related teachings.)
Hebrews 6:1 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.
Verses 1-3. Most Hebrews would understand the context of these verses. If you want more detail you can look it up yourself or go to https://thirdmill.org/seminary/lesson.asp/vs/HEB/ln/1
Verses 4-5. The first few words identifies the addressees, the intended audience, of this prophetic warning: “For in the case of THOSE who have once been enlightened…”
“For in the case of” is the Greek word, ‘hapax’ which means ‘once for all time’. It is a clear statement that it happened and is an enduring fact!
“those who have once been enlightened” means to give light, to shine, to render evident, to become clear to all and to spiritually imbue with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. (Strong’s Concordance). Many commentaries either fail to mention this altogether or work around it: It is saying, “those who have been saved…”
“Have tasted of the heavenly gift” means to taste of or to eat and to perceive the flavor of; to partake of, to enjoy, to feel, to make trial of and to experience, to take nourishment from.
This is certainly not a ‘seeker sensitive’ casual encounter with God or His Gifts.
This is reminiscent of and akin to what Jesus says in John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
v53 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”
“Been made partakers of the Holy Spirit“ – To have been made a partaker is being made a partner in, a sharing in. It comes from the word “amen”, it is so or so it is completed. This is a Holy Union.
“Have tasted” in the context of the Greek word, ‘geuomai’ (taste), is to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require to eat and feel and to make trial of, to experience and to be nourished by eating.
“The good” word of God, contextually is an honorable word, excellent, eminent, affecting the mind.
“Word of God” in this case, is the Greek word, “rhema” which is The Word of God which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, the Spoken Word of God.
It is important to note that the spoken Word of God is Causative, Creative and Prophetic.
“The powers of the age to come“ The Greek word, for ‘power’ in this case, is the word, “dunamis” from whence we get the English words, dynamite and dynamic. It is defined as a mighty work, miracle working strength, virtue. An in0herent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
power for performing miracles
moral power and excellence of soul
the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
power and resources arising from numbers
power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
“The powers of the age to come” The age to come is forever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity and includes all of creation, time, space and matter. All of this world, all of the universe, the cosmos and things beyond our comprehension.
Verses 6-8. If this were a play, it would be a Greek tragedy, and it would be a most sought after play.
It is a most tragic fact, God tells us, that it is possible for those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, can fall away.
“Have fallen away” is a phrase taken from the Greek word “pipto”, to descend from a higher place to a lower, to be thrust down, metaphorically, to fall under judgment, came under condemnation; it is used to describe those overcome by terror or astonishment or grief or under the attack of an evil spirit or of falling dead suddenly; to lose authority, no longer have force, to fail of participating in, miss a share in (God’s Gift of salvation).
These verses are a picture of a Greek wrestler being “thrown to the mat” (fallen away) even after having tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, continues to ‘wrestle’ with the good things of God.
“Impossible to renew them” The Greek word for impossible, “adunatos”, means exactly that: It cannot be done. They cannot be restored nor can they repent again. This is not an act of God but is the innate workings of mankind. This must be taken, in English (or any other language) at complete face-value. They are now unrepentant, permanently, because they would again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
“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” This is a beautiful metaphor comparing mankind to ‘the ground’ drinking in the rain of the Gifts and of God being tilled by The Holy Spirit of God, bringing forth the produce or fruit of righteousness and of the Holy Ghost.
“But if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. The metaphor turned into a paradox, shows ‘the ground’, after drinking in the gifts of God, producing the antithesis of Fruit of the Spirit, being ‘thorns and thistles’.
The end of this man or woman is damnation. Note: There are some theologians and bible teachers who argue that their works will burned up, but the person will be spared.
BEWARE. THAT IS A LIE. Both the person and their works will perish.
Please read these passages and pray:
Matthew 13:41 “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),
9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,
10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; 15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 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.”
This is offered in love and out of a heartfelt concern.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
PS: If your study of the Bible, your worship of God and your Church is not presenting a complete, comprehensive, mature teaching of the Gospel, you may be in danger. Flee!
If you church is seeker sensitive, pandering to the world’s lost, watering down the Word of God to please the unsaved, FLEE!
If your pastor is trying to fit into the culture by his speech, his dress, his attitudes and behaviors, demand he grow up! If he won’t then leave!
If you do not know what is going on behind the scenes at church, you don’t know where the money is actually being spent or how much you are paying your staff, if don’t understand you budget, this may be OBFUSCATION. FLEE!
There are Bible centered, Bible teaching, Bible practicing Churches and Pastors. Find one.