HEBREWS 6 (SECOND READING)
HEBREWS 6 (SECOND READING)
It was evidently possible to stop short of what was in the mind of God; there was a possibility of persons coming into the christian profession without understanding where they were. And so it is today; we may come into what is outward without having spiritual realities in our souls,
[p. 19] without being skilled in the word of righteousness. If we are not skilled in the word of righteousness we may fall away. Today there are certain elements of the truth that are recognised and accepted, but the wonderful things of God, brought in and established in Christ, are not much acted on. It is a time of setting things right; God has everything according to His mind, but how little that is preached today. We ought to be exercised whether we have come in the apprehension of our souls to the full thought of God, or whether we are short in our souls as to the full mind of God? He shews here how far it is possible to go on with even christian things outwardly without any inward work of God. It is possible to go on with the things spoken of in verses 4 and 5 and yet fall away. If we do not go on to the full thought of God there is no security. The writer of this epistle does not assume that his readers generally are of this class but there is a possibility and danger of it. He would stimulate us to go on to the full thought of God. If we are not going on there is a terrible possibility of falling away. It is a wholesome warning and should not discourage anybody who has been powerfully affected by what has come before in the epistle — the greatness of Christ, His place in heaven, the offices He fills. It should not discourage any one who is after these things, and yet there is no security for those not interested in Christ.
It is a remarkable expression in verses 4 and 5, “For it is impossible to renew again to repentance those once enlightened, and who have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the works of power of the age to come”. It shews that, however great the outward privileges we have come into may be, yet they are no security in themselves. One might have all that is spoken of in verses 4 and 5 and still give it up, turn away from it [p. 20] and go back. Those who came into the christian profession came into that. The Holy Spirit was there; ministry was there, meetings full of the actings of the Spirit; in that sense one might be a partaker of the Holy Spirit. The normal acting of the Spirit is found amongst the saints. Those who make profession of faith and come in among the saints partake of all that is there by the Spirit without perhaps personally having any part in it. If a person is indwelt or sealed by the Spirit there can be no thought of such turning away. If we are indwelt by the Spirit it is for ever, sealed to the day of redemption; there is no thought of that failing. People may come into fellowship, profess to believe that Jesus is the Christ and enjoy all outward privileges, and take part outwardly in the service of God, and yet there is a terrible possibility they may fall away. The writer contrasts all this with “We are persuaded concerning you, beloved, better things, and connected with salvation” (verse 9). That is another thing, a positive stream of love acting in saints generally. That is not outward privilege but inward spiritual reality; where that exists salvation is found. There is nothing for those who turn away from Christ and give up faith in Christ as the Son of God, so that they crucify the Son of God. If a Jew professes faith in Christ and walks with christians for years and then gives it up and goes back to be a Jew, God has nothing else to work on, no means of renewing him to repentance. He has turned away from all that is good and God has nothing else. Every Jew who professed christianity and went back to judaism crucified the Son of God with his eyes open.
Today the christian profession is drifting into this position. There are men prominent in the christian profession and holding high office who deny the virgin birth of the Lord and the atoning value of His blood and that He is Son of God. While keeping up the form of the christian profession [p. 21] they depart from what is true christianity. They are apostates and God does not propose to bring people of that sort to repentance. He brings poor sinners to repentance as long as the day of salvation goes on, but not apostates. We must remember that in those early days these things were in great power — heavenly gifts, the presence of the Spirit, the good word of God and so on. They were great realities. God worked miracles among His people; the Spirit’s presence was made manifest in a more distinct way than now, and to fall away from that was to fall away from everything manifestly of God. Esau was a profane person. He had no sense of value in connection with holy things. This does not apply to persons being cold and carnal and letting the world come into their hearts. That happens with true believers sometimes. It is a dangerous position, but we could not say it was impossible to renew them to repentance. Those who have embraced christianity and leave it are characterised by thorns and briars; divine influence acting on them only produces thorns and briars. The contrast to that is the ground drinking “the rain which comes often upon it, and produces useful herbs... partakes of blessing from God” (verse 7). The test is, is there any production for God, useful herbs, not anything about fruit, not anything special, but something useful brought forth for the comfort of the saints? It is a great thing to minister to the saints; it is a proof of divine life. It is blessed to serve the saints and particularly if it costs us something, if we do something we would naturally hold back from. We are always getting heavenly showers: ministry is continually found among the saints, rain from heaven, but the test is as to the result. Are there any useful herbs coming to light? It is not a question merely of what we enjoy but something produced which is useful. Rain brings out qualities of grace but certain ground produces only thorns and briars, nasty [p. 22] exhibitions of what we are naturally according to flesh. If I bring forth nasty tempers of flesh it is very near cursing. In the government of God it is always either blessing or cursing. That gives the point to these exhortations to go on to the great system of blessing to which God has committed Himself by an oath.
We have to see to it that we do not become sluggish in connection with spiritual things. Even where there is a genuine work of God we may become sluggish. Old Testament saints are brought in as those who might well be imitated for their faith and patience. Abraham came in to what was of a very stable character; God was pleased to swear by Himself. We are not just in a lazy way to accept these promises as true, but they are to be a vital matter to us. The fact that certain persons readily give up should stimulate us. A young man said to the brethren that he had ceased believing in the Lord Jesus Christ; what a powerful effect that should have on every one! It should produce purpose of heart to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and go on with Him more than ever. The fact that people give up should be a stimulant; it should incite holy horror to think that people who walked with us should crucify the Lord. When we see people giving up the deity of Christ and His atonement and so on, it should lead us to feel more determined to go on with what is right. It is a question of the word of righteousness. Giving up the companionship of the brethren is not right.
God is delighted to pledge Himself; He swears by Himself. How this must have come home to the Jewish believers, for it was at the time that Abraham offered up Isaac that God swore by Himself. Christ after the flesh had been given up; it answered to the time in which the writer was writing. The Son of God had been crucified, Christ after the flesh existed no longer, but the promises and the oath and the purpose of God are connected with Him in another [p. 23] scene. It is quite possible that Jews might have come into the christian profession with the hope that there would be some great intervention of God and everything on earth put right, but as time went on and there was no intervention from heaven they probably came to it that it was all a delusion and they gave it up. This epistle was written to shew that the system of the things of God was an unseen one, connected with Christ in heaven. The oath and promises are all connected with heaven and it is impossible for God to lie.