HEBREWS 6:1-6
We have up to this point declared and established the hidden meanings of the Old Covenant Words of Moses, in that all point to Jesus the Christ the Son of God / Son of Man as the perfect offering for all fallen mankind unto the Father. That God now speaks instructively to His New Covenant people through Christ’s words is seen in Hebrews 1:1-2…“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…” And thus comes the first warning of the Book of Hebrews to reluctant Believers: “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, (a reference to the Old Covenant demand for observance) and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape (us escaping New Covenant judgment being even less likely), if we neglect so (much more) great salvation: (beyond an earthly to a heavenly) which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him…” [Hebrews 2:1-3]
After the first warning, Paul continues his argument of the superiority of Jesus. He discusses how He had willingly taken on the nature of man, as the seed of Abraham, and suffered being tempted and tested in all points as man, even unto death. By His obedience unto suffering, even unto the place of death, He destroyed the devil and his authority over death, being the First Resurrected Begotten Son from among the dead, and was exalted to the right hand of the Father. He is greater than Angels and more worthy than Moses, as He was superior as a Deliverer and Messenger; having a greater Salvation calling Message for sons unto God’s glory, and now being appointed that great task as mediating High Priest; in that of bringing those many sons who will unto that heavenly kingdom glory of His House. “Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” [Hebrews 3:6] (Compare this with 1st Peter 2:1-10)
Which leads to the 2nd warning in the Book of Hebrews to Believers starting in verse 3:7 (to 4:13) where Paul quotes an applicable passage from the 95th Psalm… “TO DAY if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved…So I SWARE in my wrath, they shall not enter into my REST” (see Numbers 13&14). Paul then further declares to the New Covenant Believers… “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” [Hebrews 3:12]
Three great things of note so far in Paul’s argument: 1) The Holy Spirit’s application of “To day”…Paul now also holds out as yet attainable, as did David to his generation, now over a thousand years later, the opportunity still exists to enter into God’s future “Rest”. This showing that the “Rest” into which the Israelites delivered from Egypt were to enter, the Promised Land, is but a type for the current calling unto God’s delivered by Jesus Christ from the kingdom of darkness, that they, like the ancient Israelites, don’t fall under judgment for stubborn unbelief and be refused entry into His Millennial Redemption Rest. “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” (Hebrews 4:1) …2) God “sware”… to those who were then in unbelief, that they would not enter into His typical “rest”, in that His Oath removes all question as to any possibility of their entering into that promised land “rest”. It was certainly put aside, as we saw. 3) The “rest” of that day was lost by the Israelites finally, by the provoking of God 10 times in unbelief in the wilderness. And by way of example, the Holy Spirit uses them as a picture of how followers of Christ may also finally lose their inheritance, that of being a partaker in the future heavenly kingdom. That inheritance being the 1000 year Redemption Rest of God; that greatest “rest” than set forth in the Israelites’ Promised Land type, and greater than that of Creation’s Rest after 6 days of creative work, after which on the 7th Day He rested.
“To Day” is representative of the ongoing (until completion) of 6 thousand years of His Redemption Work that He is presently engaged in. “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto and I work.” [John 5:17] (Can there be a Rest for God when satan, sin and death are rampant in His Kingdom?) But after Redemption’s Work, comes“Tomorrow”; the 7th Millennial Day of Redemption’s Rest; the Kingdom come of His First Born from the dead, of the Son of God/ the Son of Man, and for the sons of His Glory.
Jesus our Deliverer has raised up 12 new spies (12 apostles) who have come forth with a new report and sent them forth in the power of witness to the Age of glory. The spies of old brought forth the fruit of the Land as witness of its bounty, but the spies of the New Covenant have brought forth the miraculous power of the Spirit, by the laying on of hands, to bestow upon some of them as testimony. “…this is the fruit of it…” being that of the Millennial Age to come (Numbers 13:27). But as the Israelites refused the ancient report, even more egregiously so, have Christians refused the Word of Christ’s and His twelve’s testimony of the sure promise of inheritance for overcomers in the Millennial Redemption Rest of God. Even so God shall have His Joshua’s and Caleb’s “…till the fullness of the Gentiles come in.”; the fullness of the calling out of sons for glory; a “… people for His Name.” So…“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
Beginning in Hebrews 4:14, Paul begins detailing the authenticity of the Ministry of Jesus. In that through His suffering obedience unto the place of death, and being then the exalted resurrected Son of God… “And being made perfect… (being consecrated during His time on earth, He became both the perfect offering and perfect Priest) …he became the author of eternal salvation (that which is beyond eternal life, unto eternal Glory) unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest (for ever, {Hebrews 7:21} that must then begin after death in resurrection newness of life) after the order of Melchizedek.” {King of Righteousness}) The fullness of the typical meaning is found in his being King and Priest, something not allowed under the Law, the understanding of which these Believers then failed to comprehend, having forgotten the rudimental doctrines.
Beginning again, Paul must lay the foundation of Christianity again of blood atonement, whereas they should have grasped by now the glorious aspects to come in the Melchizedek type (which included their being called as subservient priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1st Peter 2:4-10). Being dull of hearing, they never built on the 6 basics of foundational understanding, they could not handle the solid food to build the superstructure of the deeper mysteries of the Son hidden beneath the letter of the history of Abraham. Having forgotten and now being tempted to evade the Word of Truth, so as to not submit and allow the work of the Word of God to perfect them in the heavenly calling by His Word, it being quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit (the work of perfecting by the Word and Holy Spirit through our spirit in conscience Romans 8), and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Bringing every revealed thought and its intent to the surface in order that it might be brought into captivity and when revealed and followed in obedience to Christ; is life–giving as opposed to the Law which instructs the flesh unto works, not faith, and but can in justice and power only, hand the breaker over to death) “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers (having not thoroughly lent themselves to the perfecting Word and work of the Spirit/spirit unto maturity “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2nd Timothy 3:7) …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.” Hear the great emphasis on the Word of God, where they should have been able to discern from the letter of the Law of Moses, the spirit of that Law, that lay just beneath, and advance in the truth (2nd Corinthians 3:6). But they were dull as they had “zealousness for the Law”. (Acts 21:20) And this is not compatible with the knowledge of Jesus the Christ. There is a natural spiritual progression that is lost when one is focused upon the Old Covenant.
Now Paul gives a 3rd warning to Believers concerning forsaken faith and an even stronger warning starting in Hebrews 6:4-8 detailing where the following of this road of disobedience and cowardly fear would lead. It would result in their rejection from the heavenly kingdom. Just as their ancestors refused to follow the Word of God that ended in their sworn rejection, so Christians full of unbelief, that is to say refusing to OBEY Christ, will discover at the Judgment Seat of Christ, the horrors of their rejection. “…nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned”. (Hebrews 6:8; 1st Corinthians 3:15)
Now before we pick up where we left off in lessons past, that is with comments through Hebrews 6:8, let us back up an examine more closely a key understanding from Paul’s words of warning Hebrews 6:4-6. The doctrinal idea being conveyed by Paul, to eternally saved Christians, is that they have entered into the greater covenant, that of the heavenly calling; to be sons of glory, and not spiritual babies who refuse to mature and therefore be in great danger of losing their glory–filled calling. He is exhorting and warning that in order to obtain they must go beyond the mere faith of their deliverance, unto overcoming maturity. That which is also lost on Christians today, is the Scriptural reality that much faith-filled effort and diligence is required by us, in order to inherit the heavenly kingdom in eternal glory, and to avoid harsh judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There is a required spiritual work that goes beyond the Old Covenant and New Covenant gift of eternal life to what is called by Paul, James and Peter the “saving of the soul”. (Hebrews 10:39, James 1:21, 1st Peter 1:9)
Let’s focus our attention once more, briefly on Hebrews 6:1a, and then verse 4….
“THEREFORE leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection…” These verses can maybe be better understood by comparing them to a sister Scripture found in 2nd Corinthians 5:10-6:1. “For we (Christians) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing then the terror of the Lord, we persuade (Christian) men (for no other shall stand before His Judgment Seat, but His servants)…Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away behold, all things are become new, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. NOW then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”
ETERNAL GLORY CAN BE LOST BY FAITHLESS AND COWARDLY CHRISTIANS
“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 and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away (finally take in vain the saving grace of God), to renew them again into repentance…” The literal translation of the Greek Manuscripts read: “For impossible, those once enlightened, and tasted of the gift heavenly, and partakers became of spirit holy…” There being no article (the) before…* pneuma (spirit) hagion (holy). (Those Manuscripts number nearly 4000, all of which are written in one of two styles; all capitals or all small letters, which matters very little with all other nouns as it does not effect the sense of the passage; see “Word studies on the Holy Spirit” for further understanding.) Since there is no article before “spirit holy” in the Greek in Hebrews 6:4, we should keep this in mind as we look at the Greek word pneuma and its applications in other verses.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true (genuine, unpretending) worshipers (ones that reverence Him) shall worship the Father in spirit (His divine nature) and in truth (reality not mere appearance): for the Father seeketh (the heavenly calling for sons) such (speaks to the work to be done in the Christian soul) to worship him. God is (a) Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. “God is pneuma” [John 4:24] It is His Divine Nature that is spoken of. Christ is spoken of as pneuma… in that He “…was made a quickening spirit.” It should then be understood that in incarnation, He became a living soul (as that is what a man is Genesis 2:7), but in resurrection newness of life, He became a life–giving spirit. (1st Corinthians 15)
Scripture reveals man as spirit, soul and body. In this combination, he was made a living soul. He is not a spirit per se, but possesses a spirit. Nor is he an animal per se which possesses not a spirit. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and spirit (pneuma; no article and s is un-capitalized), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; (due to Adam’s sin and curse, man’s fallen state at birth from a woman) and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, (and will always remain spirit) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. So, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” then refers to Man’s re-birth in his spirit, AND WHAT IS BORN OF OR BEGOTTEN OF GOD IS DIVINE. That man BORN OF THE FLESH, whose spirit is dormant (but is yet associated with the flesh, is never in itself evil, as it returns back to God who gave it, at death {Ecclesiastes 12:7} as it is God’s Breath which was originally imparted, now without His Communion), and needs to be Born-AGAIN with the animating of his spirit/penuma. The basis for Christianity is the gift of the pnuema Christou within the Believer by God. It was by faith in Jesus Christ that His gift of His Divine Nature was imparted; and is the basis on which the heavenly Kingdom calling promises shall be secured, that is through living active faith and patience. Now the Kingdom of God is not the state after which we pass from this earth, but the state beyond resurrection.
So being born again now of the Spirit/Pneuma, the imparting of the Divine Nature of God is not to be taken lightly. The power for a soul’s inheritance is residing within. It is the gracious re-birth from eternal death that required the Death of His Son. It is the resurrected spirit that Christ owns as His own (Romans 8:9), and imparted to us that if we follow we shall conquer the flesh/carnality of the soul, in the power of the Holy Spirit unto Christ-like worthiness. That is to say; according to faithful obedience to Christ’s words which are full of great and precious kingdom promises.
It is the present Work of the High Priest to intercede for us that we may overcome. His instructive Word unto obedience is represented upon the earth by His faith-fully suffering witnesses, ministers/teachers, (see 2nd Corinthians 3:6,17,18) that sow now on the hearts of Believers. Christians are to be led to follow Christ’s Word by their spirit–prompted conscience in the power of the Holy Spirit unto perfection /spiritual maturity unto the worthiness of the heavenly calling. It is this work that was being neglected by the Christian Hebrews. 2nd Peter 1; 1st Corinthians 15 shall shine light on this key subject and advance our understanding.
Romans 8 speaks to this vital spiritual principal…
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the (s)pirit. (divine nature represented by the lowercase s).
For the law of the (s)pirit (divine nature) of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the(s)pirit (divine nature). For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the (s)pirit (divine nature) the things of the (s)pirit (divine nature).
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the (s)pirit (divine nature), if so be that the (s)pirit (divine nature) of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the(s)pirit (divine nature) of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the (s)pirit (divine nature) is life because of righteousness.
But if the (s)pirit (divine nature) of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his (s)pirit (divine nature) that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the (s)pirit (divine nature) do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the (s)pirit (divine nature) of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit (divine nature) of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the (s)pirit (divine nature) of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
(Now for the first time in the chapter…)The (S)pirit (Holy Spirit) itself beareth witness with our spirit (divine nature), that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
We shall pick up next time at 6:9 “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.”
*The word spirit in the Greek is pneuma (p knee ma), and it is used alone in two ways: with and without the article; simply pneuma or the pneuma. The Word hagion (hay-gen)/holy is in some places used in conjunction with the word spirit …in four ways: 1) holy spirit 2) spirit holy (3) the holy spirit 4) the spirit the holy
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