Persevere in Jesus
LESSON XI
REVIEW
• Let Us Persevere in Christ
– Three main questions
1. Christ
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Who is He?
Who is He not?
2. Us
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What is our relation to Christ and
God?
What should we do?
3. Persevere!
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What does that look like?
REVIEW
• God, who at various times and in various ways spoke
in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in
these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He
has appointed heir of all things, through whom also
He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of
His glory and the express image of His person, and
upholding all things by the word of His power, when
He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become
so much better than the angels, as He has by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than
they. (Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJ)
REVIEW
• Let Us Persevere in Christ
– Three main questions from vv. 1:1-4
1. Jesus Christ is:
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Prophetic (how God spoke to us)
Appointed heir & created through
God made flesh (If you have seen Me...)
Sustainer of everything
The One Who purged our sins
and sits at God’s right hand
He is better than the Angels.
2. We
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are those who receive God’s word
hear from the Son
are those whose sins He purged
REVIEW
• Let Us Persevere in Christ
3.
And We must
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give the more earnest heed to the things we
have heard, lest we drift away. (2:1)
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
confession, Christ Jesus (3:1)
hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of
the hope firm to the end. (3:6)
NOT harden our hearts (3:7)
take heed to ourselves and each other (3:11)
exhort each other daily (3:12)
fear lest any of [us] seem to have come short
of [the promise]. (4:1b)
be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall
according to the same example of
disobedience. (4:11)
hold fast our confession. (4:14)
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in
time of need. (4:16)
• called by God as High Priest "according to the
order of Melchizedek," 11 of whom we have much
to say, and hard to explain, since you have
become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time
you ought to be teachers, you need someone to
teach you again the first principles of the oracles
of God; and you have come to need milk and not
solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of
milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for
he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those
who are of full age, that is, those who by reason
of use have their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil. (Hebrews 5:10-14 NKJ)
• 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 briars, 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. (Hebrews 5:11-12 NKJ)
A Frank Rebuke
• Our author had just given us the basic
information about the High Priesthood,
and explained how Jesus Christ is a High
Priest of a differnent order.
• He then turns back to his readers.
• It seems that they have not been
practicing what was preached to them.
• Milk or Solid Food
• When Last the Author of Hebrews
addressed the Readers...
called by God as High Priest
"according to the order of
Melchizedek," 11 of whom we
have much to say, and hard to
explain, since you have become
dull of hearing. 12 For though by
this time you ought to be
teachers, you need someone to
teach you again the first
principles of the oracles of God;
and you have come to need
milk and not solid food. 13 For
everyone who partakes only of
milk is unskilled in the word of
righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 But solid food belongs to
those who are of full age, that
is, those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil.
Elementary Principles
• What do all these have in common?
• They are all things that happen to you
and/or originate from the outside:
– Repent is the only exception.
• We are called to repent (and need to be calling
this world to repentance); we do repent—that is:
turn around and go the other way.
• Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they
became silent; and they glorified God, saying,
"Then God has also granted to the Gentiles
repentance to life."
• Perfection here means “completeness,”
“maturity” and it reaches back to our
example of this:
– And having been perfected, He became the
author of eternal salvation to all who obey
Him, (Hebrews 5:9 NKJ)
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.
Of Thorns and Produce
• There are those who will fall
away or Apostasize.
– This is not the same as backsliding, though they may look
the same at first.
– They will not be able to repent,
let alone teach and evangelize.
– For you know that afterward,
when he wanted to inherit the
blessing, he was rejected, for he
found no place for repentance,
though he sought it diligently
with tears. (Hebrews 12:17 NKJ)
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 briars, it is
rejected and near to being cursed,
whose end is to be burned.
Assured Immitators who Inherit the
Promise
• Having given a very stern
warning, the Author now offers
assurance.
• What is the only way we are
given to know a Christian?
– "You will know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes
from thornbushes or figs from
thistles? (Matthew 7:16 [c.f. 20])
• One more exhortation:
– Be Immitators.
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.
Homework
Read Chapters 6 & 7 FOUR times.
Check a couple different translations if you can