Weighty

I've been teaching one of our Wednesday night on campus Life Groups through the Book of Hebrews.  Last night we arrived at chapter 6.  I'll be honest.  I've kind of been dreading our arrival at chapter 6:)  It's a heavy passage.

Weighty.

It describes a person who becomes so hard-hearted that repentance is an impossibility.  The issue is not that God is unable to forgive him.  It is that his heart has just become too hard to crack.

My humble opinion is that most teachers and scholars get lost in this passage with the eternal security debate.  Was this guy a Christian who lost his salvation?  Or was he never saved to begin with?  To me that question is a side issue.  The bottom line is he's not saved now.  He's in a dangerous position described in verse 8 as near to being cursed.  He hasn't lost it all yet, but he's close.

The perspective for this passage comes in verses 9-12.  The goal of this warning is not to cause every Jesus' follower to lose sleep worrying about the unpardonable sin.  In fact, in verse 9 he quickly says I'm confident this won't happen to you.  I think the take-aways are summed up in verses 11 and 12. 

Show diligence or earnestness (verse 11).  In other words, don't take faith for granted.  Strive for growth everyday. 

Don't get lazy or sluggish (verse 12). 

For what it's worth, I think a regular dose of self-examination is the best way to guard against spiritual laziness.  The problem is I often lean toward turning up the TV or making a phone call.  I create distractions.  After all, if I quiet down enough to look inside; to really look inside, I might not like what I see:)

What if passages like Hebrews 6 are better felt than debated?  What if we took a moment to acknowledge the tension with eternal security and jump off the theological merry-go-round.  We might allow ourselves to feel the weight of this warning? 

That would be a vulnerable position.  What might Jesus say to us then?

Open your eyes.  Look in your heart.  I've already seen it.  Let's wash you and make you whole:)

Comments

[Katie]

Great thoughts... especially about the distractions that keep us from taking an honest look at ourselves.

Looks like I'm missing out by not being in the Hebrews study! In my class last night we pondered why it's not OK to use glue in the sanctuary.

[crystal]

"Take aways" I like that expression. Mind if I use it?