“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”
Hebrews 6:1-12 NLT
God doesn’t want a weak Christians mind. He didn’t offer salvation to us so that we could have an immature relationship with him. He wanted us to be mature and dynamic in how we act and think about him. He wants us to be doers and of his word and imitators of his character. This is next to impossible if we cannot move beyond the first phase of our relationship with him. In every relationship, humans first have to establish a Trust if Care. This allows us to understand another’s character in a way that we can turn faith into trust. Christianity creates these touchstones of trusts as doctrines of faith. They enable us to be confident to act maturely because they are anchors from which we can lean out upon. This leaning, tethered to these truths allows us to reach for others and bring them into Christ. Without them, we cannot secure ourselves or others. Therefore, we should understand them thoroughly, the way one cherished the every aspect of a lifeline keeping him from certain disaster. The author of Hebrews admonishes Christians beyond the constant rehashing of these truths. He chided them for not understanding them. He pushes them to accurately use them to play out their faith. Still today, Christians struggle to live their faith, because they refuse to define it thoroughly. We ought to be beyond this stage of development if we think ourselves mature. We should not still be arguing who Christ is.
JOSH McGARY.COM 