A Call to Higher Faith
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Key Verse: “Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.” Selected Scripture: |
THE APOSTLE PAUL was telling his Hebrew brethren that there were many valuable lessons to be learned from their lives as Hebrews. They had a priesthood which performed certain functions involving gifts and sacrifices for sins. These were a blessing to them. All of these rituals were a picture of better things to come. God had in mind making Jesus our High Priest. He was to be made “a priest age-abidingly, According to the rank of Melchisedek.” (Heb. 5:6, Rotherham) Paul had much more to tell them about God’s arrangements. He said, “It is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”—vss. 11-14, New International Version
Milk is a wonderful food containing all the necessary nutrition for infants, being diluted with water. Adults, on the other hand, can handle solid food. The apostle likens this spiritually to the nutrition of the Christian. The elementary principles of Truth are necessary, and an important part of the diet, for the babe in Christ. When he matures he becomes able to use the more concentrated form of Truth.
The doctrines mentioned by Paul in Hebrews 6:1,2 are repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection and judgment as being basic. These are not simple but necessary to our understanding as Christians. We are not to attain maturity in one teaching or another but must be able to see how each assists us to develop in the work God is preparing for us to do. We are to grow in grace and knowledge. He uses an illustration later which helps us to understand what he has in mind about Christian growth. He says, “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: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”—vss. 7,8
The water, in the form of rain, is like the Truth from God’s Word that comes from heaven, and the earth receiving it represents the heart of the believer. It is supposed to bring forth useful vegetation as we grow. But if it should produce useless vegetation, fit only to be burned, it fails to give us the growth necessary.
The apostle mentions a more disastrous failure of someone receiving the message of Truth and being fully enlightened. (vss. 4-6) This is a person who completely rejects the ransom and is pictured as crucifying afresh the Son of God. Such go into second death. The apostle says to his Hebrew brethren (and to us) “Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” (vs. 9) May we appreciate our call to a higher faith and be faithful, growing in grace and knowledge.