Week of December 14
The Solution to Falling Away from Christ
Read: Hebrews 5-8
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”
Hebrews 5:12-13, ESV
Introduction
Have you ever been challenged by a teacher to put forth better effort to learn and apply your knowledge? The writer of Hebrews issued a similar challenge to the first readers of the book of Hebrews. He has focused his attention on the immaturity of the believers. Their spiritual childishness hindered their “usefulness and skillful performance for God” (Hebrews 5:12-13). The central warning was that no person “could ever repeat the experience of repentance and conversion,” if they committed apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-6; HCBC). This passage has been incredibly challenging to interpret and apply, so we do well to dive in and seek understanding today.
Interpreting the Bible Text
A challenging context
This section in the book (5:11-6:20) has created countless numbers of publications that address whether a person can lose his or her salvation. Allow me to save you some time and concern. To argue that a true Christian can lose his salvation contradicts the teaching of the New Testament, so there must be another meaning to the writer’s statement (see John 10:27-29; Romans 11:29; and Philippians 1:6). The author must have in view people who had claimed to have followed Christ. He urges them to show the authenticity of their faith by enduring in their commitment to Christ by not falling away.
Marathon runners compete to finish races because, after all, that is the goal (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7). The spiritual application for Christians would be to finish the Christian race that was begun. Our author wanted those believers to show their true faith by producing real works in keeping with it (cf. James). He concludes the challenge by reminding them that their work and love showed them to be true believers, so he wanted them to press on toward full maturity by “obeying the promises of God” (6:9-10; HCBC). The point is to keep the faith and grow in it. There are several hindrances to assurance in our faith, however.
Marathon runners compete to finish races because, after all, that is the goal (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7). The spiritual application for Christians would be to finish the Christian race that was begun. Our author wanted those believers to show their true faith by producing real works in keeping with it (cf. James). He concludes the challenge by reminding them that their work and love showed them to be true believers, so he wanted them to press on toward full maturity by “obeying the promises of God” (6:9-10; HCBC). The point is to keep the faith and grow in it. There are several hindrances to assurance in our faith, however.
Hindrances to assurance of salvation
Lack of Christian growth. I certainly do not want to offend your sensitivities, but many people who attend church are susceptible to doubts about their salvation. Their spiritual uncertainties originate from the reasons that have been stated in our focal passage. First, they have never grown in their faith, which is obvious, because they are unable to teach others the true depths of the Christian life (Hebrews 5:12; cf. 1 Peter 3:15; Romans 2:21).
Lack of interest in spiritual things. Secondly, they are “dull of hearing.” I recall men and women who became awakened spiritually through some life circumstance. They would tell me, “No offense pastor, but I attended church for years and never listened to a thing you said in your sermons!” They meant that they had been spiritually asleep at the wheel. This is the condition of being “dull of hearing,” which means “lacking interest,” “obtuse,” or “sluggish” (Hebrews 5:11). They were still in need of being taught, rather than being qualified to teach. The words “someone to teach you” and “teachers” provide a contrast that is quite telling (cf. EBC).
Lack of spiritual muscle. “You have become” is very informative in the passage that the ESV translates as, “You need milk, not solid food . . .” The phrase literally means, “You have become having need of milk” to indicate that they had slipped backward in their development (Hebrews 5:12b). Spiritual atrophy was the rule of the day, and they were facing some life tests for which their training was insufficient to guide them to success (cf. Hebrews 10:32-39). The remedy was for these sincere believers to “show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11). Keep on keeping the faith until Christ returns!
Lack of interest in spiritual things. Secondly, they are “dull of hearing.” I recall men and women who became awakened spiritually through some life circumstance. They would tell me, “No offense pastor, but I attended church for years and never listened to a thing you said in your sermons!” They meant that they had been spiritually asleep at the wheel. This is the condition of being “dull of hearing,” which means “lacking interest,” “obtuse,” or “sluggish” (Hebrews 5:11). They were still in need of being taught, rather than being qualified to teach. The words “someone to teach you” and “teachers” provide a contrast that is quite telling (cf. EBC).
Lack of spiritual muscle. “You have become” is very informative in the passage that the ESV translates as, “You need milk, not solid food . . .” The phrase literally means, “You have become having need of milk” to indicate that they had slipped backward in their development (Hebrews 5:12b). Spiritual atrophy was the rule of the day, and they were facing some life tests for which their training was insufficient to guide them to success (cf. Hebrews 10:32-39). The remedy was for these sincere believers to “show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11). Keep on keeping the faith until Christ returns!
Applying the Text to Your Life
There was at one time a landmark outside of Odessa, Texas. When I used to give people directions, I would say, “You know you are getting close when you see the unfinished church building on the right.” There was a church facility that remained unfinished because the congregation lacked money and lost the resolve to complete it.
Here is the spiritual challenge. There are many Christians who may be identified as “unfinished.” We are to be promoted out of the spiritual nursery and grow daily in Christ-like maturity, and then we should be teaching others to do the same.
Here is the spiritual challenge. There are many Christians who may be identified as “unfinished.” We are to be promoted out of the spiritual nursery and grow daily in Christ-like maturity, and then we should be teaching others to do the same.
For Reflection and Action
1. What is your attendance record and attention span in the disciple’s courses? There are numerous ways to grow and apply what you learn in discipleship. Get involved and stay that way.
2. For Families: This passage is a good one to use to measure our spiritual growth and maturity, isn’t it? We might encourage our children to continue in their daily discipleship when they grow weary. Here is a funny way to do that.
We might ask our bigger kids how they are doing in their growth in following Christ. Share with them the characteristics of immaturity above. Ask them how they’re doing in their daily Bible reading, their prayer life, in memorizing verses to live by, and in their worship with the larger church.
Ask them what babies eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then give them some selections to choose from. Warm milk? Baby food peas, green beans, beets, carrots, or corn? Let your kids get a saucer and sample several of these options. Tell them babies cannot eat grown up food, because their little bodies cannot digest it yet.
Share that your children should be growing in their faith, and developing habits that will make them strong. God is helping them to become useful and skilled for His work. Pray together that your children will be found obedient to God in all areas of their lives.
May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock
2. For Families: This passage is a good one to use to measure our spiritual growth and maturity, isn’t it? We might encourage our children to continue in their daily discipleship when they grow weary. Here is a funny way to do that.
We might ask our bigger kids how they are doing in their growth in following Christ. Share with them the characteristics of immaturity above. Ask them how they’re doing in their daily Bible reading, their prayer life, in memorizing verses to live by, and in their worship with the larger church.
Ask them what babies eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then give them some selections to choose from. Warm milk? Baby food peas, green beans, beets, carrots, or corn? Let your kids get a saucer and sample several of these options. Tell them babies cannot eat grown up food, because their little bodies cannot digest it yet.
Share that your children should be growing in their faith, and developing habits that will make them strong. God is helping them to become useful and skilled for His work. Pray together that your children will be found obedient to God in all areas of their lives.
May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock
Posted in Pathway Devotionals