Hebrews 6:1a,3-12 KJV

Diligent Faith in Jesus, Inherits the Promise

 (REVISED 9-9-2014: to address a question in the comments)

What it says:

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;….
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

What it means:

This is a somewhat difficult passage to interpret, but it is even more difficult to read if you are already under conviction for some sin you may have done. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is meant to bring us back to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and relieve the burden of our sin but if this particular passage is misinterpreted, some people can get the wrong idea. Let me assure you, if you are in earnest, or even only a little interested, in doing a Bible study, that is evidence that you have not committed the unpardonable sin, or the sin unto death as it is called in the writings of the Apostle John.

Believer's Bible Commentary: Some earnest Christians are troubled when they read Hebrews 6 and similar passages. Satan uses these verses especially to unsettle believers who are having physical, mental, or emotional difficulties. They fear that they have fallen away from Christ and that there is no hope for restoration. They worry that they have drifted beyond redemption's point. The fact that they are even concerned about it is conclusive evidence that they are not apostates! An apostate would not have any such fears; he would brazenly repudiate Christ.

If you have not rejected the whole of Christianity and Jesus Christ, and your belief that there is a God, but have simply fallen prey to sin by the means of temptation or other distractions, then this passage does not mean you are lost and without redemption. In fact, the question is not really about our little sins. The question is about who Jesus is to us. The author of Hebrews is addressing those whom he called “babes” to stir them up to a better understanding of their relationship with Jesus and the importance of obeying Him and remaining in Him. Let us keep the end in mind, which is verse 12:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Let’s begin:

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;….
3 And this will we do, if God permit.

The Pulpit Commentary:  i.e. press on to perfection, as aforesaid, if only (as we firmly hope and trust, see Heb_6:6, etc) you are still in a state in which God will permit advance; for (as is set forth in the following verses) there may be a retrogression from which recovery is impossible.
⦁    Retrogression – return to a worse condition (Antonym: progression)

The author of Hebrews is addressing a group of people who had been calling themselves believers for a while but many of them had done nothing to grow any farther in knowledge of Jesus or in practice of the faith. They should have been teachers by now, but they were more like suckling children instead. He feared they may be in danger of falling away.

The first thing that is needed in order to "change directions" is a reason for the change -- an answer to the question: “Why must they change the direction of their current lives?” So that is what he covers next:

Recall that what we’ve been studying in the book of Hebrews is who Jesus Christ is and what is required to remain His disciple. We’ve also already looked at what happened to those who had been saved from Egypt but fell in the wilderness from hardness of heart and unbelief, and been counseled that we should not follow in their footsteps.

Before our author begins to teach his babes, he now warns them that there is a possible danger ahead. He wants them to open their ears. He sees that they have come near a fork in the road because they have not taken on the Christian life fully. He wants to warn them away from taking the wrong path in their theology. He does not want their lack of knowledge to be their source of folly. He does not want them to fall prey to false teachers or fake prophets and their baloney doctrines simply because they have neglected to learn more of Jesus when they had the chance.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened,
⦁    Impossible – not possible, unfeasible, without a solution, unattainable, unachievable, hopeless
⦁    Enlightened --  freed from ignorance and misinformation

Freed from ignorance and misinformation means to be educated in the subject of Jesus Christ: enlightened. They have heard the word. What is about to be discussed, is for those believers who are in a place where they might be heading toward “the forgetting” just like the Israelites who fell in the wilderness from hardness of heart and unbelief. These are the “dull of hearing.” If they are not careful the evil one will snatch the word out of their hearts completely.

Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Receiving seed by the side of the road, means they heard the word, but only in passing. They did not step up on the road and begin their journey. They are still standing beside the road, waiting for something interesting to come along. Since they did not understand it, the wicked one snatched it out of their hearts. Though they heard the word, they were not cleansed by it -- they soon forgot what they had heard. Their lives never changed.

We must keep in mind that the author of Hebrews is writing an epistle to the Hebrew people who were members of the new Christian churches who were, somehow, exhibiting the same mind set as those who refused to believe and it must have been visible by their actions. Just to be perfectly clear, he is talking about unbelievers who are among the flock of believers.

and have tasted of the heavenly gift,
⦁    Tasted – savored, experienced, felt, undergone, have gone through, have lived through, have come in contact with
⦁    Gift – present, contribution, reward, bequest, donation, endowment, grant, talent, ability, knack, aptitude, flair, skill

To "taste" something means you have had it in your own mouth and have experienced "the heavenly gift" which is from God -- the gift of grace, forgiveness of sins, and freedom in Christ, with future hope of eternal life. Since our author is speaking to “babes in Christ” he wants them to begin to understand what they might not have noticed before. The Israelites who fell had also seen the wonders and miracles of God, but they indulged in forgetting and did not believe what they had tasted.

and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
⦁    Partakers -- participant, accomplice, accessory, contributor, assistant, sharers, involved in, play a part in (Antonym: refrain)

The unskilled babes had put themselves in an unstable position by their lack of hearing, practice, obedience, study, growth, and faith in the Word of God. If we are not pressing forward, we do not simply stand still. We soon begin to fall backward teetering on the edge of temptation -- which is foolish when just a little use or practice of the word (faith the size of a mustard seed) does so much more good in life.

Mat 7:26-27  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

The person referred to here has tasted the good promises of God but may not have dined on them. They may have witnessed the miracles that Jesus did (His powers) – perhaps they were in the crowd of 5,000 who ate of the loaves and fishes. They witnessed the power of the Living God but did not see what it truly was, or grasp hold of the hope in Him firmly. They had glimpsed the power of Jesus Christ but did not seek Him for the right reasons. They had not come to Him to know the Father, they came to eat the free bread. They were like those who had fallen in the wilderness

Joh 6:26-29  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Look again at this list from Hebrews:

The babe in question must:

1. have been once enlightened (they have heard the word of Jesus)
2. have tasted of the heavenly gift (been thrilled by what they saw in Jesus)
3. have been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost (the door to salvation has been opened unto them)
4. have tasted the good word of God (have heard the word of God themselves)
5. have tasted the powers of the world to come. (Have seen the miracles and wonders that hint at the world to come.)

But they lacked understanding. If you really consider this list you will see that this person had been given much. Yet, we know our author is addressing the babes who had not put what they knew into practice in their lives. They had not completely wandered away, or off the deep end, but they were on the verge.

Perhaps they were sociable people who liked to hang out with Christians for the free food, but they paid no attention to living the life of faith or learning more about God and Jesus Christ for themselves. Our author has noticed this attitude in them and is trying to, figuratively, splash water in their faces to wake them up. He is talking about the extremes in order to shake them up to full awareness of what could happen to them.

If they shall fall away

This is not a description of a person having a "pity party" and blaming God for a loss in their life. This is a description of a person who has become anti-Christ, after having once been one of His. This is a traitor to Christ.

1Jn 2:18-24  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

To keep things in context, we need to remember that our Hebrews author is talking to his babes in Christ who really should be teachers by now. They are not presently fully living the life of faith. He is drawing a word picture for them because he fears they are heading in a dangerous direction. He knows the consequences of this wrong direction and he is warning them away from it. He is actually throwing them a rope to try to save them…. If they will only latch on!!

If they shall fall away
⦁    Fall away – G3895 παραπίπτω, parapiptō, par-ap-ip'-to, From G3844 and G4098; to fall aside, that is, (figuratively) to apostatize: - fall away. (See: Apostasy)
⦁    Apostasy – renounce your faith, renunciation of a religious faith, abandonment of a previous loyalty, defection to the other side

Hos_4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

It is the rejection of the knowledge and teachings of God that destroys people. To fall away is to not only reject what you once said you believed – you now call it a lie. Another name for this state is “apostasy” which means you have joined the opposing team. You have left behind Jesus Christ, and all that he stands for (including the witness from the Holy Spirit) and are actively preaching against Him
⦁    Antichrist – antagonist of Jesus Christ, opponent of Jesus Christ, a person or power opposed to Jesus Christ

Apostasy should not be confused with back sliding. Back sliding is what some Christians do who do not reject Christ but simply move away from actively participating in the fellowship of Christians which often takes place at a church. They still profess a belief in Christ, even though they do not read their Bible, rarely pray unless they are in a crisis of circumstance or feelings, and they do not live a life so others can see Jesus in them. They have wandered off to the outer edges and stayed there because it is comfortable or suits them.

Sometimes people suffer a loss in their lives and, not really knowing God’s goodness deep within themselves, they get angry with Him, and “take their marbles and go home.” They don’t usually make a public announcement of their feelings, they just slink off to the shadowy corners and lick their wounds. That is not apostasy. They are not working for the enemy, they’ve been trapped by misunderstanding God, and do not know it, yet. But it can become apostasy if they go too far and begin actively working for the enemy to bring down the name of Christ and Christiandom. Apostates actively try to stamp out Christ.

I believe our author’s “babes” are probably in the category of “backsliders”. They are on the slippery slope. If a false teacher should show up, they are in danger of going over to the other side…. Because of their lack of knowledge.

to renew them again unto repentance;

"To renew them again unto repentance" is an elegant way of saying "be born again, again" or "saved twice"

“Repentance” is how we initially come to Christ and are made new in Him. We remain in that repentant state, having turned from our old ways, by continued faith in Christ. Once you are saved, you are always saved…. Unless, you decide to kick Christ in the teeth and join Satan’s team once again. After that, there is no renewal left. Our author says you cannot be saved again. You’ve made a non-refundable life-changing decision and he does not want any of his “babes” going there.

Remember this is a letter to the Hebrews. These were the people whom Christ came to save. The very first Christians were nearly all Jews. They all had families and close ties to all of the Hebrew people, but when Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, He became a controversy among them. While many heard His word and followed him, many others outright rejected him. Some of the believers had “false teachers” even in their own families and if they did not pay close attention to the truth of the word of God in Jesus, growing in grace and in knowledge of Him, they could be lead away by their own ignorance, to their own destruction.

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

BBC: The enormous guilt of apostates is indicated in the words since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame (v. 6b). This signifies a deliberate, malicious spurning of Christ, not just a careless disregard of Him. It indicates a positive betrayal of Him, a joining of forces against Him, and a ridiculing of His Person and work.

2 Peter 2:20-22:  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Hebrews 10:29-31 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It is clear that Jesus and all the New Testament writers warned against "falling away" or “apostasy.” If, after having received that which sanctified him, a person now calls it an unholy thing and openly despises the Spirit of grace that had been given to him, there is no more renewing available. He had already been renewed and then cast it off from him, or her, self. In ignorance they have made their bed, and in ignorance they shall remain.

1 John 1:7-10  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we confess our sins, Jesus remains faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So if you have sinned in some way, and you have come under conviction and have repented -- even many times -- Jesus remains true to us. He does not kick us out because we are not perfect -- He came to save that which had been lost.

The author of Hebrews has one more metaphor to place before our eyes to complete the warning to his hard of hearing babes:

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

God sends his rain upon the just and the unjust because he is Good and Faithful and Eternal. He is the God of love.... and of justice. God blesses the earth which drinks in His blessings and brings forth good fruit. But when God blesses the earth which drinks in His blessings and then it brings forth thorns and briers (contention, unbelief, and discord), it is rejected. Those who bring forth thorns and briers are very close to being cursed by Him and in the end they shall be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Now that the author has warned them about what happens to those who fall away, he wants to reassure them, that there is a different end in store for those who remain faithful and demonstrate the things that accompany salvation.

He calls them "beloved" as a reminder that they are not cursed, but that they are loved by God. He points out that he knows the people reading his letter are not working against the church and the Holy Ghost. He says he is "persuaded" or convinced of better things of them. He sees the signs of salvation around them, even though he had to speak of other things for a moment in order to make clear the message he has in mind for them.

He has finished giving them the reason that they need to pay heed to living the gospel fully -- the reason that his babes, who should by now be teachers, need to improve what they have been doing. He is now giving them the needed reassurances that God has not abandoned them and will not, if they do not abandon Him.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

In spite of being babes in Christ, they had still ministered to, or served, the saints in the past and they are still doing that. They had physically helped where they were able to help. They had fed and clothed and housed God's workers and would be rewarded for doing such good ministrations in His name.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

He is now speaking to all of them. He wants them all to show the same diligence to their hope in Jesus Christ, that they have shown to the saints to whom they ministered with food, drink, and a place to teach and sleep.
⦁    Diligence – persistent effort, legal carefulness, Diligent: hard-working, industrious, meticulous, conscientious, thorough, attentive, careful, painstaking (Antonym: lazy)

How long shall they diligently hold on to the full assurance of hope? Unto the end!

BBC: First, he desires that they will show the same earnestness as the true believers have shown in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end. He wants them to go on steadfastly for Christ until the final hope of the Christian is realized in heaven. This is a proof of reality.

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

It is not by patience alone, but by the combination of both faith in God, and patience in circumstance, that we inherit the promises of God. He does not want the believers to become "slothful" or idle, or shifty in their faith as the ancestors who became carcasses in the wilderness because of their unbelief. He wants them to be rooted and grounded in Christ -- followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God in Jesus Christ.

Read it again, Notice your new understanding:

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;….
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 5:9 - 6:3 KJV

Moving from Doctrine to Perfection

Note from Marcia: I thank God that he has allowed me to come back to this study and pick it up and go on after a long break in time. I am praying that He will again fill me with his spirit that I may complete this study. I ask for His, and your, forgiveness for allowing other things to interrupt and drag me away. Hebrews is speaking loudly to me, now, and I want to obey. I am grateful for His grace and mercy, which is new every morning. With your permission, and His help, we shall move on. May God's will be done.  

WHAT IT SAYS:

^5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
¹⁰ Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

² Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
³ And this will we do, if God permit.

WHAT IT MEANS: 

^5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
¹⁰ Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

The entire book of Hebrews up to chapter 5 verse 10 is a vivid, complete, and compelling description of who Jesus Christ is. In verse 9 we see that He is the "author of eternal salvation." Verse 10 points out, in conclusion, that Jesus was made a high priest, by God, in the same way that Melchisedec was. Not by the decrees or descent of any man. Not by the influence of man. Not even visible to man. He was made our high priest by God, the Father. For proof of his divinity and calling, read the first four chapters.

In verse 11 the author of Hebrews points out why the book was written. He had many more things to say concerning Jesus, but the recipients of the book had grown "dull of hearing." Their dullness made it hard for him to speak further of the glorious things of Christ. An audience that does not respond to the speaker makes it difficult for the speaker to share what is in his heart.

Have you ever tried to talk to someone who was not listening or simply had no understanding of what you were talking about? You are sharing your heart, and their eyes have glazed over. They are looking the other way, or are wearing ear buds and listening to some other voice. It is enough to make the average Joe shut down, but, thank God, the author of Hebrews was inspired by God and did not let that stop him. In fact, he used that as his purpose, because this needed correction.

¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

They had wandered away. Not far, but far enough. Enough time had also passed that, had they been paying attention, studying, and abiding in Christ, they would have been beyond the spoon feeding and ready to take on the business of the Lord. But they had not and were not. They should have been teachers, but were, instead, needing to be taught all over again. They needed the first principles of the good news of Jesus Christ that had originally been taught to them by "the oracles" (the ones who speak for God, the Apostles) all over again. That was why the first four chapters were written. (Thank God!)  Instead of becoming teachers they had remained students. Instead of becoming men of God, they had returned to being suckling children. They were not where they should have been.

¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

You may have heard the term "a babe in Christ" meaning someone who is new to the faith, and does not yet understand the full impact of putting their faith in Christ. They are young in the faith and have not yet had time to read the Bible front to back, so they are not yet skilled in the word of righteousness. This is where everyone starts off and it is not a bad place to begin. The problem arises when people remain in that position even after many years of attending church.

The recipients of this letter should have been farther along, but they were now old babes in the word. They are still suckling for comfort and are not grown up enough to give comfort to others, yet.

"By reason of use"... the word "use" here in verse 14, could also have been translated "perfection." Like polishing silver, the more it is rubbed the cleaner and more perfect it gets. And what have the mature meat eaters been "using?" "By reason of use have their senses exercised."  By abiding in Christ, daily, by study and prayer, their own senses have been exercised. Their mental and spiritual muscles have been exercised and built up so they are now much stronger in the word of Christ and can easily detect what is good or what is evil and are able to help others, too.

A believer's level of maturity, then and now, depends on their own study of the word and their personal diligence in communing with God. Those who are of  "full age" become so by living in Christ, daily, for a period of time. Their focus on Jesus has become stronger. They eat, drink, and breath Him with every breath. They eagerly read, study, pray, and serve, on their own, they don't have to be prompted. They obey what they have learned and have grown in the process. They have lived with Christ long enough that they, themselves, can sense what is good, and what is evil as they continue to go along in life. The Lord has blessed them with discernment.

To discern means: to detect with the eyes, to detect with other senses, to recognize or identify as separate and distinct, to come to know or recognize mentally. They are able to tell, or to discriminate, the difference between what is truth and what is lies, or good and evil, or right and wrong, on their own and as a direct result of the Spirit speaking to them.

A babe cannot always tell that "this thing" or "that thing" is good or not good for them to do or to participate in. They get snared in the wrong things easily. It is as if they are no longer completely blind, but do not yet see everything as clearly as they could. If a believer remains in the ranks of the simple minded and does nothing to exercise and join the ranks of the mature, they simply do not grow and cannot produce fruit for the Lord.

In verse 13 the old babes are using (consuming) milk, and in 14 the mature are using (exercising or perfecting) their senses. Do you see that one is pulling comfort into themselves, and the other is practicing and growing strong so they can serve the Lord? One sucks in, the other grows up. One is a drain, the other is becoming a conduit.

In the first 5 and a half chapters the author has taken the time to lay a very firm foundation of who Christ is, and why we put our trust in Him, and he also knows that he now needs to move on to what it means to live in Christ. He is purposefully addressing the "old babes."

6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; 

Let us get to the action, part! Let us not remain babes in Christ, but let us become men of Christ. Here he begins to leave behind the basic ideas and principles that they should already know, and will move on to exercising or "perfection." Notice also that the words "perfection" or "perfect" show up in three significant places in these verses. The first place is in verse 9 which speaks of Jesus having been made perfect through his obedience and suffering on the cross.

^5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

The second place is in verse 14 with the word "use" which could also have been translated "perfection" and refers to the actual living of life in Christ that occurs for those who actively participate in their own study and living with Him daily. Both of these verses are talking about obedience and suffering doing a work in us, (perfection) as it did in Jesus.

¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use (perfection) have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

So now, thirdly, we can see that what the author is about to address is no longer the basic doctrines and principles that we believe in, but the act of living in Christ -- the "doing" or "perfection" or "exercise" that helps us grow. He is also saying that it is time for all of us to move on. It is now time to begin "perfection" or the actual practice of the word of God.

6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;  not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

² Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

He points out that there is no need to continually repeat the basic doctrines. It is time to move on to exercising our faith in Christ through obedience. He gives a simple summary of what he considers the basic principles of the doctrine of Christ to be. Notice also that they are the things that a believer DOES, or that God DOES in the life of the believer:

Repentance from dead works
Faith toward God
Baptisms
Laying on of hands
Resurrection of the dead
Eternal Judgment

This is a simple word diagram of the life and end of a believer:

He starts by coming to repentance by turning away from "dead" or lifeless works. He sheds his old life style.

He puts his faith in God. He finds forgiveness and freedom from his old life, and begins to walk humbly with God.

He becomes baptized with the Holy Spirit and fully realizes that God has made some changes in him. This will be an individual experience between the believer and the Holy Spirit and can manifest itself in many different ways. There are many gifts of the spirit (from loving to preaching and everything in between).

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (KJV) -- For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

Baptisms (plural) means that a single believer may have more than one gift. It may also refer to the voluntary water baptism that we choose to do as our statement of faith before God and man.

Laying on of hands is the act of praying for others. Believers will often gather together to pray and lay hands on one another so that the physical body can become a conduit through which the Spirit passes amongst them.

Resurrection of the dead, refers to the knowledge that because of the resurrection of Christ, all people will be given a new life when this one ends.

^{Acts 24:15} And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Eternal Judgment is when we all come to the judgment seat of Christ to receive our reward whether of heaven or hell based on our own choices in this life.

³ And this will we do, if God permit.

The author has a particular avenue in mind that he wants to go down, but he allows that God may take him, and us, in another direction. Praise the Lord!

 READ IT AGAIN WITH BETTER UNDERSTANDING:

^5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
¹⁰ Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

² Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
³ And this will we do, if God permit.

The God Who Loves Me

I rediscovered this piece from my writings from the mid-1990's and wanted to share it again. I have shared the same story in other places but this one was written closer to the time of the event and contains more details than what I currently remembered. It touched my own heart to recall what God did for me in such vivid detail and I hope it touches yours, too, because what God does for one, he does for all of us. That is why the Bible touches people so strongly. It is about God's love for us.

The God Who Loves Me

Before I came to know Jesus, personally, I used to wonder what the cross of Christ had to do with me. I saw no connection between what had happened 2000 years ago and me and my life today. I liked to hear the Christmas story. I heard the word "salvation" and did not understand how it related to me or what it meant. I liked hearing the story of the birth of Jesus, the son of God, and it gave me pleasure. It reminded me of Christmas and warm feelings and presents -- but, for me, personally, I did not understand any of the significance that other people put on it. What could this possibly have to do with me? If you had asked me, "Do you believe in Jesus," I would have said "yes." If you had asked me if I was saved, I would have given you a blank look and steered the conversation to other things. If I had ever been brave enough to voice my feelings I might have said, "What is all the hoopla about? What's the big deal?" and in the process offended someone. That is really why I kept silent. I did not want to offend anyone or to reveal my ignorance, and I had no over powering reason to bridge that gap, so I just pretended that "All was well."

I had not asked those questions when I was young because of the environment I was in. I was not allowed to speak freely on this subject. Whenever I raised any questions about other things that did not make sense to me from the Mormon books, I was verbally put in my place with a response that made me feel as if I was rude and should not even ask such questions. It was apparent to me that it was "dangerous" to investigate for myself the things I was being taught as truth in the Mormon church. I did believe in God, but I lacked knowledge.

Jeremiah 4:22* "For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge."

When I turned 25, I could no longer stand what was going on in my life. I was depressed and lost because of my own sin. I knew I needed Jesus, because the Holy Spirit was working on me -- but I had no understanding of how to get to know Him. I thought about it and figured that if I read the Bible I would get to know Him and so I started to read. To make a long story short, as I read I simply came under more and more conviction until I knew I could not do what Matthew said Jesus wanted me to do. I was inadequate to love as Jesus said to love. I didn't love that way. I had not obeyed my parents, I was mouthy and rebellious always wanting to do things my own way. Yet, I wanted truth in my life. I noticed that what I had been taught at church and in the Mormon books as "truth," did not have the results in my life that I had been told would come forth from it. It was becoming obvious to me that if the results were not as promised then the promise was at fault. I was tired. Tired of working hard at improving myself and never getting any better. Tired of being a good girl and never finding a husband. I was tired of being used by the church and never receiving anything for me that was promised by them from doing good works. I had no peace and no joy.

I finally gave up and threw out the teachings of the church I had grown up with. I was angry with God because He did not give me the husband I wanted -- and in the Mormon church, that is paramount. I knew I could not do what the Bible said I should do. Since it was absolutely impossible for me to be as Jesus said I should be -- I had actually tried for a long period of time -- I decided this did not work for me. I threw out the church. I threw out the Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price and The Bible -- all the books the Mormon church was founded on. I threw out God. And I threw out Jesus. I decided I was no longer going to simply follow what ever the "authorities" told me to do -- I was going by what the truth in my own heart was -- no matter what. I was tired of the dishonesty. I threw out everything. I wiped the slate clean and started over by paying attention to my own heart. In anger I decided I was an atheist.

In one way this was a good thing. I was throwing out a system that was built on lies but I was not aware of the depth of it yet, except as it showed up in the results of my own life. In another way it lead me down many many rabbit holes. When you only trust what you know and feel then you have no way to test what others say, except by taking it on and doing it yourself. I later realized that at the end of every rabbit hole I shinnied down, I only found rabbit dung. I tried est (a two weekend program that taught me to use foul language and go for short suffering which is another way to say "selfishness"). I tried psychotherapy for four years. I liked the sessions where someone actually listened to what I had to say... but I was also aware that I had to pay someone to be my friend. It helped to get me through some very rough times but at the end I was not really any different than when I had started. I still had all the same fears and problems, I was just more comfortable with them and recognized the ups and downs more clearly.

I read every self help book that came out on the market. I tried vegetarianism, I read about yoga (and hurt my back). I searched high and low for "what" I did not know -- but something had to be better than THIS! I kept on seeking. The one and only thing that  remained with me continuously, even when I was trying out witchcraft, was that I continued to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. I had been taught to do that as a child and I simply could not depart from it. I truly thought it was simply a superstitious reaction on my part but I could not stand the jitters that came with not using His name in my prayers. I had at the very beginning of this new way of life thrown out God and become an atheist but soon came to realize for myself that I truly believed in God's existence, so obviously, I was not an atheist. I chalked it all up to superstition. If it made me feel better to pray in Jesus' name, then what could it hurt? I prayed in Jesus name. And through it all I knew that God was waiting for me. He was watching. I talked to Him constantly and I know His patience -- but I never really expected to actually hear from Him.

The major issue that I had going on in my life was that I was unloved. I thought I was unlovable. I was a living example of what people rejected. I was undesirable because I was fat and ugly. It did not occur to me for a very long time that no matter how fat I got I still had men wanting to have sex with me and I mistook sex for love. I could not understand why nothing of lasting value ever came from my sexual encounters. I rarely had a relationship that lasted more than a few weeks -- and if it did last more than two weeks that was just how long it took for the new partner to start asking me to lose weight. It used to frustrate me completely. "I was good enough for you two weeks ago -- what happened?" It seemed that it did not matter how good I treated them, or how good it felt in bed -- they soon wanted me to be different than what I was. I played the victim, always. Everyone else was to blame for how I felt. I did not leave them no matter how they may try to use me -- and they soon got disgusted and left -- proving, once again, that I was unlovable. This scenario played over and over again in my life for the next 20 years.

I will skip all the details of all the things I tried from self-help books to climbing up a rung or two at work. None of these things ever satisfied me. I continued being one of the unloved and unlovable. I was continually bumping into other peoples reactions to me, knowing there had to be something better, but never finding it. Hearing people talk about love and thinking to myself that there was no such thing. I trusted no one. I would check the sources of every book I read, every person I heard, searching for the answer to the questions: "Where did this philosophy originate? What is the source of this? Where did this come from? Who thought this up?" Every one and every thing was suspect, and I just wanted the truth.

Finally one day I was at the end of my rope. I had discovered from going home for Christmas the year before, about a month earlier, that I had been gone so long that my family no longer realized that their Christmas was my Christmas, too. I was an outsider in my own family. My annual Christmas depression had taken on a new aspect. There was no place I belonged. No group that would call me their own. I was completely alone and at the end of my rope. I had nothing left to hang on to, or to seek after. There was no love in the world. I had searched under every rock I found and under every rock I found worms. I had no other avenue left. No place more to look. No where that I could go. I was sitting on the edge of my bed in my apartment in Houston, Texas, and I had no more options.

When the thoughts of suicide had started entering my head a few weeks earlier I tried the things I had learned in psychotherapy which was to talk to someone. I talked to my mother. I talked to my sister. I talked to two friends I had found in Houston. Nothing made a difference. I continued to feel abandoned. As I sat on the edge of my bed, I contemplated the method I would use to take my life. I knew I was a coward and would not use a gun or a noose. I knew I could find pills that would kill me if I looked but the thought of this was overwhelming to me. I decided to make that decision tomorrow. I'll postpone it a day. I laid myself down in bed and as my head hit the pillow, I said quietly, but earnestly, "God help me."

I slept for about two hours and woke up feeling just the same. I rolled over and went back to sleep. Now, you must understand that I lived in an apartment by myself. If I heard someone speaking to me, then I knew I needed to pay attention, because this was unusual. The next thing I knew, I heard someone speaking to me. As I came up out of my sleep I told myself, "This is important. You need to hear this." I listened and this is what I heard: "You are loved, and you are worthwhile. You are loved, and you are worthwhile." Over and over and over again -- I heard: "You are loved, and you are worthwhile." I began saying, "I am loved and I am worthwhile," along with the person speaking to me. With my eyes still shut I sat up in bed and spoke out loud! "I am loved. And I am worthwhile." Nothing in my life had ever touched me the way this did! I opened my eyes joyously to see who was speaking to me and there was no one there. I knew that this was God. I knew He had spoken to me and His message was love! He loved me. He wanted me. I immediately decided to search for Him and I did not care what the "form" was -- I was searching for Him now -- however He was to be found. This is what salvation means.

The root word of "salvation" is "to save" or "to rescue." God rescued me and gave me the words that assuaged my soul. Whenever I felt depressed after that, I would simply say, "I am loved, and I am worthwhile," over and over again, as they had been spoken to me. Until my soul was again assuaged by His words. Even as I looked at the words that He gave me, I understood why he told me he loved me -- but I still, for a long time, did not understand why He also said I was "worthwhile." I only knew, His words touched my soul like no other words had ever done. And I began to search for Him earnestly. I knew I would find Him. My heart opened up wide and I spoke to people asking if they knew where I should look and I tried what they shared with me.

Even the story of this part of my search is too long to tell you all the details. Suffice it to say that the Lord lead me along baby step by baby step. The first thing I had to overcome was my rejection of Jesus. I came to believe in Him in what I now consider to be a sideways direction -- but since my search was for God, I had to end up with Jesus! The significance of me leaving behind "the form" (most people do not understand what I mean, when I say this) is that I had been raised in a very rigid religion that had placed a very rigid and specific form, or boundary, around the idea of God. I had been taught He was a certain way, and had a certain form, and no other way, or form, was valid. This idea is what I left behind when I left behind the form. I realized that God was beyond the "forms" or boundaries of this world. I wanted Him, not a replica of Him. I had had replicas of Him before and they were not real. A replica of Him would be idolatry which is as far from God as a person can get. I wanted God and I wanted Him, alone.

At one point, as God lead me along, I had to step back, in my mind, and look at all the things I had read about and studied and questioned. I pictured them in a circle around me and as I looked at them I looked for the source of each one. Where did these things come from? I knew that most of them had their beginning in the mind of the author. Some of the authors went so far as to lay out a prehistoric story, that no one could verify because it was, after all, "prehistoric." Do you get it? How do they know these things if there is no record of them? They get a vivid idea in their mind and then believe that is "the truth." Imagination is not truth. That's not what I wanted. I wanted the truth. Period. What really happened.

When I looked, I saw that there was only one book that had stood the test of time. They say that "time heals all wounds" but, time does not heal anything. In time things only fade into the background. There was one book that had not faded into the background. Millions of people, for thousands of years had said "This is the word of God." I decided to use the testimony of those people as my guide. That was, of course, the Bible. And it is ironic that the Bible, itself, is a testimony from many many people about the same God I was looking for. Of all the philosophies I had ever researched, there was only one, that I knew was older than a few generations. Only one that stood out as having passed that test of time. I put my faith in the Bible, knowing that my ultimate goal was knowing God and the truth.

I knew the Bible was the truth, but had a hard time reading it. It did not match up with my world view, so it continually made me angry. Of course I was not aware of that at the time, I just knew I had a hard time reading it. After coming to the end of myself and my trying, I asked Him to make me able to read the Bible. He did. Within three days, I was reading the Bible and not getting angry. He had reached down inside me and removed the anger I had been experiencing. He changed me and I began to not only read it, but over the course of time, to teach it in Ladies' Bible studies.

I grew in the knowledge of Jesus Christ through both apologetics, which explains the symbols, ideas, ceremonies and purposes of Christianity, and studying the Bible, myself. I had "mis-learned" a lot by growing up in a cult but I soon discovered that the Lord had not only made me able to read the Bible, he had given me the desire of my heart which was to be able to share what I had learned with others in a way that made the words blossom off of the page. That is, of course, not me, but the Holy Spirit using me.

This is certainly not the "end of the story." God is a living God and His story does not end!! Thank God.

I just wanted to share my testimony which leads up to the "beginning" of knowing God as He really is, and to be reminded of the fact, again, myself, that God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. His grace still lives, too, just as He does. If you are in need of His love and grace and mercy, seek Him... and He will let you find Him. He wants you. He loves you. Seek Him and you will find the God who heals broken hearts. The God who loves you!