Hebrews 6
Hebrews 6:1-20
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.
10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
14 saying, “SURELY BLESSING I WILL BLESS YOU, AND MULTIPLYING I WILL MULTIPLY YOU.”
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
It is so necessary to embrace, understand, experience, and move on to the life intended for those who have risen with Christ, leaving a sinful past far behind. Where the rain of His goodness falls there will be a purpose in its falling of producing the fruit of love’s ministry. This will go far beyond just the inward battle of remaining true to our commitment to Him, as this becomes settled forever in a holy fear of what it would be to live apart from where repentance has brought us. Each experience of learning obedience in following His will over ours further secures the soul in the hope for where life in Him is taking us beyond the veil. With the true revelation of what awaits us there will be full abandonment of any notion of returning to anything outside that veil.
How great has been our new birth into Christ, but there is a need to become completely settled and confident in this promise in order to pursue with great confidence and intensity the incredible resurrection life we are following Him into. While the “old” we’ve repented of would keep us in a self-focus that is more concerned about fulfilling lusts and avoiding fears, our “new” in Him will yield its most precious fruit in the salvation of others through the sacrifice of self. In the true experience of this life in Him will be an inability to even consider trading it for Egypt.