5.29.14

Hebrews 6 — Moving toward Maturity

There is a point in our growing process where we should “leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity,…” 6:1 Listed are the ‘elementary teachings’: repentance, faith in God, teachings about [baptisms, laying of hands, and the resurrection of the dead] and eternal judgement. We’re not instructed to move on from these ideas as if they weren’t important to remember regularly, what we’re taught here is to get to the place where doctrine is rooted in our mind, such that we don’t wrestle with its reality. These ‘basic’ things about God are the foundation of our faith. They aren’t basic in a strict sense because they’ve changed eternity for us, but maturity requires building knowledge upon knowledge. The way we do that is cement these ‘basic’ principles as our foundation, so that we can go explore other deeper truths of Christ that he has prepared for us. We’re given two negative examples of the results of not maturing: those who fall away cannot return, and land that produces thorns will be burned. After the negative examples, a reminder of God’s double insured promise, the promise and the oath, he is always faithful. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” 6:19