Thoughts From Hebrews - Day 15

                                       Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹² 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! ¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, ² instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ And God permitting, we will do so.


        When I was part of the PCA, I was continually on the defense on topics like predestination, the 5 points of Calvinism, covenant theology, the Westminster Confession, The Book of Church Order, the Catechisms, Amillenial Eschatology, infant baptism, immersion vs. sprinkling, what does Sola Gratia mean, when does regeneration occur and a host of other topics that I never knew existed before I "became" a Presbyterian. "TR's" (totally reformed people) who came to the church would somehow, in the midst of 200 other people, find me to argue with. I was like the lightening rod. One day I had a discussion with a friend of mine who was Presbyterian and he said, "Why are you even in the PCA? Why don't you go to a church that believes like you?" and thus I "became" a Baptist.

       One thing I have to say for Presbyterians is that they knew what they believe, which is certainly an indictment on many other denominations. I went to a Christian Missionary Alliance Church at other points in my life and have never been able to quite figure out what they believe.(although I know it's good). I have yet to find a library in a Charismatic church. Be that as it may, are all the theological issues I listed above things to argue about? Is how much we know, a sign of spiritual maturity?

         In this passage, the writer first lists "the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God", as an elementary teaching. To me that means being preached a salvation message every time you go to church or youth group. To me it means stopping at your conversion experience. It's like a person on their way to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving, taking a wrong turn into a bad are of town, a policeman pulls you over, takes you back to the turn-off you missed and you are so grateful that you stay at that intersection to tell everyone not to turn there while missing the point you were on the road anyway - to get to Grandma's house! Don't get me wrong, we need to warn people about sin, death, and judgement, but we were saved for so much more than that.

         Secondly, the writer mentions "cleansing rites" as an elementary issue. To me that could mean arguing about modes of baptism. It could mean how you come into God's presence - should you wear jeans, a hat, suit, tie. Should the atmosphere of the church be casual or reverent? Should you have pews or chairs? Robes or no robes. Hymnbooks or projections. I love Calvary Chapels but one thing that always sat wrong with me was their strict legislation on coming into church. If you were late you weren't allowed in because you might disturb someone. Kids weren't allowed in because they could disturb someone. They didn't like kneeling, dancing, standing when others are sitting when you are worshipping because they didn't like anything that might draw attention to you rather than God. To me those are all cleansing rites - telling people how to come before God and making it an issue of spiritual correctness or maturity.

        The passage talks about "laying on of hands". To me that means arguing about charismatic or sign gifts and are they for today or have they ceased. I have had people in my life whose goal was to get me to speak in tongues or be baptized by the Holy Spirit. To them, the sign of spiritual maturity is speaking in tongues. Is it? I think the author would say, "No"! Then he talks about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement. My Adventist friends believe in soul sleep and no Hell. Rob Bell believes that you may be able to get out of Hell. Tim Keller doesn't believe in literal flames and fire. Premillenialists believe in a rapture before the 7 years of tribulation where the resurrection of the dead begins then and mid-tribs 3.5 years later.

       Let's face it, there is a lot in the Bible to argue about, but the author is saying that how much we know and how well we can argue may get us a Sunday School class to teach but it isn't God's sign of spiritual maturity or becoming who He wants us to become. We have a modern day example of this today in Judge Roy Moore. On one hand he seems to be the bastian of spiritual integrity holding to the 10 commandments, pro-life, and Biblical marriage but now on the other hand we are finding accusations of misappropriation of funds, ties to racial prejudicial groups, and sexual misconduct. The author of Hebrews is saying that the sign of spiritual maturity is understanding what behavior is pleasing to God and carrying it out. Once again, we are called to obedience and in order to be obedient, maturity is knowing God's will for our day to day lives and carrying it out with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us (that is the "God permitting" part)

        So today, get in the word to study it, yes, but also to let it study you and see where you are being disobedient and seek change. Live lives pleasing to God.