Hebrews 6

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray


Hebrews 6 starts with the encouragement, "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity" (Hebrews 6:1-3). This is a logical buildup from Hebrews 5, where the author discusses the differences between an immature and mature Christians.


APPARENT CHRISTIANS (Hebrews 6:1-12)


Hebrews 6:4-6 are known as some of the darkest passages in the Bible, and it is surrounded by controversy. This passage suggests that a person may reach a "point of no return" in their walk of life.


Characteristics of this person include... (Hebrews 6:4-5)
1. Have been enlightened
2. Have tasted the Heavenly gift
3. Have become partakers of the Holy Spirit
4. Have tasted the Good Word of God
5. Have tasted the powers of which is to come


Many scholars believe these characteristics describe true born-again Christians. These Christians, because they have tasted the real fruit, will never become apostates (aka, fall away). They may back slide, but they will not fall away because they know who Jesus is.


Many pastors and theologians teach that it is possible for a Christian to lose his/her salvation. This loss is permanent. That is, the Christian who has lost his/her salvation cannot regain it ever again. They believe "Christians" who lose their salvation are those who have never truly gotten to know Jesus, who have never tasted the real fruit. Because once we have tasted the real fruit, there is just no way we would ever let go.


Hebrews 6:6 shows that Christians who have fallen away have reached a state where they have become enemies of Christ.


Christians who fall away are what some scholars call, "apparent Christian." Pastor Terry Gray believes this passage is talking about apparent Christians. They may walk and talk like a Christian--They may even know the Scripture better than a true born-again Christian--but they have never become a true born-again Christian. They are the ones Jesus turn away when they come knocking on the door (Luke 13:22-30). Jesus doesn't know them, because they never got to know Jesus (John 10:14)!


The following Scriptures give us an idea why some scholars believe true born-again Christians will not become apostates:


John 10:28
Jesus says that no one can snatch His people out of His hand.


Ephesians 1:13
Ephesians 4:30
2 Corinthians 1:21
2 Corinthians 5:5
Those who have accepted Jesus are sealed by the Holy Spirit.


Scholars who believe true born-again Christians will not completely fall away use these passages to support the idea that true believers cannot lose their salvation, because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and no one can snatch us out of Jesus' hand.


1 John 2:3-11 contrasts those who live in Jesus (true believers) and those who claim to live in Jesus (apparent Christians).


The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-13)
This parable speaks not just of apparent Christians. It also speaks of apparent conversions!


Pastor Terry Gray believes the 5 characteristics of true believers described above can be experienced by non-believers without them becoming true Christians:


For example...


Enlighten = to be given Light, to be exposed to the Truth When we evangelize to others, they are exposed to the Truth. We all know that just because we have heard the Truth does not mean we automatically become followers of Christ.


Taste the Heavenly gift (Jesus) = to experience Jesus and his blessings
There were plenty of people during Jesus' time who were blessed by Jesus but chose to go against Him anyway. If that happened when Jesus was present, how would things fare better without Jesus today?



John 16
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit convicts us all, even unbelievers, of their need for Jesus.


Taste the good word of God = experience the bible
Taste the age to come = experience miracles


Examples of people who can experience the above and still refuse Jesus:


1. Herod loved to listen to John the Baptist preach but still beheaded John.


2. Judas was Jesus' disciple (part of the chosen 12!) for years and still chose to walk with Satan.


3. 1st generation Israelites who made it out of Egypt


4. The Pharisees went as far as to accuse Jesus that he got his powers from Satan. At this point, Jesus told them they had crossed the line. Sins can be forgiven but the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit cannot. This is what Pastor Terry Gray believe is being discussed in Hebrews 6:4.


The unpardonable sin: man's complete rejection of God under full exposure to light.


In sum, the progression of a Christian's life should include...
Growth: Leave elementary matters and grow
Fruit: Christians should bear fruit. Those who do not receive the Word ("rain") will not (and bear only "thorns") (Hebrews 6:7) 
Good works (Hebrews 6:10) 
Endurance: Christians persevere through difficulties (Hebrews 6:11)




GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES (Hebrews 6:13-20)


Hebrews 6:17 
God's counsel is immutable, unchangeable, cannot be revoked. When God makes a promise, the promise cannot be changed. His promises are absolutely rock steady and reliable.


Examples:
Numbers 23:19
Psalm 119


Hebrews 6:18
God cannot lie. There are things that God cannot do because of His characteristics. God is perfect. He cannot sin. He cannot lie. He cannot cheat. Therefore, when God makes a promise, He will follow through. We can thus rest assured in God's promises and hold on to them. God's promises are  more real and reliable than anything else we can obtain from this world.. Count on His promises to take us through anything. 


Hebrews 6:13-15 
God made a promise to Abraham (Genesis 12-22). God swore an oath. Since God is immutable, His oath is immutable. And because of this, God has shown us that when we place our trust in Him, we know what we are
getting: promises that will be fulfilled because God does not  lie. We can rely on God.


God's Oath:


Hebrews 6:18
In Jesus, we have refuge. 


Hebrews 6:19 
In Jesus, we have the absolute guarantees of hope. This hope is an anchor of the soul. Jesus is the anchor in our lives that prevents us from drifting. He keeps us steady. When we place our faith in Jesus, we are anchored to Heaven, to the throne of God. 


Philippians 3:20 
Our citizenship is in heaven.


Because of Jesus, we have an open access to God. We have Jesus as our great high priest, and God is our Father who keeps his promises. These facts should give us great encouragement to endure difficult times. We should remember and turn to God when we face difficult times. It is not easy, having to go through trials. But let us learn from the greats in the Bible. For example, Abraham and Sarah wanted a son and tried to do it their way. They got impatient waiting for God's timing and hurried it up. Their tactics did not end well. However, when it came time, Isaac was born according to God's timing, and Isaac carried out God's plan. It is not easy enduring difficulties, but we must allow God to work through us, as opposed to forcing God to work for us. And that is what it means to place our faith in God--To just trust that He will take care of us, no matter the circumstances.