GO ON TO MATURITY
Hebrews 5:12-6:20

Introduction:     In chapter five, the writer mentioned that Christ was a high priest after the order of Melchisedec. He will explain that thought and develop it further, but first he felt the need to address the spiritual condition of his readers. It is described in 5:12 -14 & 6:1-3. Although they had received enough teaching that they should have been able to teach others, they were acting as if they still needed instruction in the basic truths of Christianity (5:12).  They were unskillful in the Word – unable to discern between "good and evil." ( 5:13 -14). They were stuck on "the A-B-C’s" of doctrine, unwilling to progress further in their understanding of the Christian faith ( 5:12 , 6:1-3). In this section, the author challenges the readers to grow up in their faith. He tells them to go on to maturity because there is more to the Christian life than just knowing that you are saved. Many people read these verses and conclude that the readers either were not saved, or they were in danger of losing their salvation. Neither, in fact, is true. The issue in these verses is not salvation, but perfection – spiritual growth and maturity. Every believer enters the family of God as a spiritual baby, but he shouldn’t remain in that condition. Beginning in verse four, we are given four reasons why a Christian should progress in his faith. Each reason is easily identified because it begins with the word "for." Why should we go on to maturity?

I.          BECAUSE SALVATION IS NOT A REPEATABLE EXPERIENCE (VV.4-6)

A.        A Description Of A True Believer (vv.4-5)

·        Once enlightened

The word "once" has the meaning of "once for all.” The light of revelation had shined upon their hearts and suddenly – clearly - they saw the truth. The spiritual scales had fallen from their eyes. They had been blind, but now they see clearly.

·        Having tasted of the heavenly gift

The heavenly gift is salvation. To taste means to experience fully. Some say that the word "taste" means "to sample," as you would "taste" a bite of food and then spit it out because you didn’t like it. Hebrews 2:9 states that Christ tasted death for every man. No one would suggest that Christ only "sampled" death.

·        Made partakers of the Holy Spirit

Notice that they were made partakers. It was something that was done to them. God gives us His Holy Spirit as a sign of ownership and symbol of our relationship to Him (Rom.8:9, 15-16). The progression of these three acts is significant. First, they were enlightened. Next, they tasted (or received) the heavenly gift. Then they were made partakers of the Holy Spirit. This is the divine order of salvation. Only when these have occurred is a person ready to "taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come," for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit … neither can he know them!" (1 Cor.2:14)

B.         The Danger Of Falling Away (v.6)

·        The term fall away does not mean to lose salvation, fall from grace, or become an apostate.

It means to fall by the wayside. It is just one way of saying what the Bible states repeatedly, that a Christian can stumble, fall, and get away from God.

·        The tense of the verb implies that the particular "falling away" addressed here is a final occurrence.

It refers to the deliberate choice of a believer to ignore the truth, resist the chastening of God, and persist in sin. Such a person is said to put Christ to an open shame. By his life, he subjects Christ to the same kind of ridicule and scorn as did those who hung him on the cross. For such a person, there is no place of repentance, only the judgment of God. He is still saved and on his way to heaven, but he may get there quicker than he thought! (1 John 5:16-17 & 1 Corinthians 11:29-32) The disobedient Christian doesn’t need to hear the message of salvation again. It is impossible for him to repeat the experience of salvation. He needs to be encouraged to get right and grow up!

II.         BECAUSE GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE A FRUITFUL LIFE (VV.7-9)

A.        An Illustration From The Earth (vv.7-8)

·        Two types of fruitfulness – herbs and thistles, good fruit and worthless fruit

·        Two results - The good fruit is received and blessed. The worthless fruit is rejected and cursed. (Notice that the fruit is cursed, not the ground that produced it. It is our unprofitable works that are burned up at the judgment seat of Christ)

B.         An Application To The Believer (v.9)

·        Although the writer expected better things, it is obvious that the lives of these beloved Christians could produce worthless fruit.

"Fruit" is not a test of salvation. Even unbelievers can have moral lives. For the saved, fruit is a test of maturity. It shows that we have grown in grace and learned to lead spiritual lives.

·        It is not the believer that is received or rejected, but his works.

Notice that the thorns and briars are that which is burned. Compare to 1 Corinthians 3:11-13

III.       BECAUSE GOD REWARDS FAITHFULNESS (VV.10-12)

A.        God Remembers Our Service (v.10)

·        God never looks upon our service as insignificant or unimportant.

·        No matter how small our service may appear, God sees it, marks it, and remembers it.

B.         God Rewards Our Service (vv.11-12)

·        The Bible is very definite and clear on this subject.

Though our works may be in secret, God rewards us openly Matt. 6:1-6. Everything that we do as to the Lord He promises to reward Colossians 3:23-24. At the judgment seat of Christ, every work that passes God’s test for authenticity will be rewarded. 1 Corinthians 3:14

·        The writer describes the kind of service that God remembers and rewards.

(1) That which ministers to the saints as a demonstration of Christian love. (2) That which is done diligently, not slothfully (3) That which is done in faith and patience

IV.       BECAUSE GOD KEEPS HIS WORD (VV.13-20)

A.        The Example (vv.13-16)

·        God’s promise to Abraham (vv.13-14)

God had promised to give Abraham a son, and through his descendents make of Abraham a great nation. To emphasize His resolve, God stooped to the level of man and confirmed His promise with an oath. See verse 16 "Swearing" is something men do to satisfy one another. Although God cannot lie or fail to keep His Word, He chose to deal with Abraham as man to man, using the custom of that day to seal His pledge. As security of His pledge, God offered Himself because He could swear by nothing greater.

·        God’s performance of the promise (v.15)

Abraham obtained the promise, although he had not been 100% faithful. He had tried to fulfill the promise through self-effort (having a child by Hagar). When life in the land got hard, he disobeyed God and went down to Egypt Each time Abraham failed, God reaffirmed his promise and instructed Abraham to trust Him. In His time, according to His schedule, God kept His Word.

B.         The Explanation (vv.17-20)

·        As God pledged Himself to Abraham, so He has pledged Himself to us.

We are the heirs of promise mentioned in verse 17. The two immutable things are God’s promise (which should have been sufficient) and His oath. The promise rested upon the character of God’s Word. The oath rests upon the character of God Himself. God’s Word and His character are alike infallible and unchangeable – which makes it impossible for God not to keep His promise!

·        Those who flee to God as the refuge of their soul have a salvation that is secure.

The hope God has given us is like an anchor of the soul – secure, strong, sustaining, and enduring. Our forerunner has led the way into the "Holy of Holies" within the veil, and where He has gone, we are sure to follow.

Conclusion:       With the final words of chapter six, the writer has brought us full circle. He is going to return to the subject of Melchisedec. He wanted his readers to understand that salvation (the knowledge that we are going to heaven) is a wonderful experience, but it is not all that Christ has gained for us by His death, burial, and resurrection. However, if we want to enter into God’s rest, if we want to experience the abundance of God’s blessings, we must go on to maturity. We must not let unbelief keep us from experiencing God’s best.