All right, let's open our Bibles
again to Hebrews chapter 5. Our lesson tonight is the sixth
chapter, but the word, therefore, in verse 1, chapter 6, verse
1, it says, therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrines
of Christ. And that therefore makes it necessary
for us to go back into chapter 5 and see what is therefore. The word therefore is indicating
this being so, therefore this is the application. So we have
to go back just a little bit. In verse 8, Paul is writing about
our great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ. And he says in
verse 8, though he were the son of God, yet learned he obedience
for the things which he suffered. Verse 9, and being perfect, being
perfect in his deity and made perfect in his humanity by his
obedience, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obeyed him. called of God, anointed of God,
ordained of God, our high priest, forever, not after the order
of Abram or the sons of Levi, but after the order of Melchizedek.
Verse 11, of whom? Of whom we have many things to
say. Can you imagine how many things
we do have to say of him. Just think about it. Of whom?
This person, son of God, son of man, redeemer, great high
priest, prophet king. We have many things to say of
him. Him whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting. Him who made all things without
whom nothing was made. that was made. Him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. Him who numbers
the stars and calls them by name. Can you imagine how many things
we have to say about him? Him who hath a name above every
name whom the angels worship. Him who was made flesh and dwelt
among us is the brightness of the Father's glory, the exact
image of his person, who by himself purged our sins and sat down
on the right hand of God. Can you imagine how many things
we have to say about him? John put it this way. Turn to
John 21 and read what John had to say about all the things that
can be said of him. In John 21, verse 25, first in verse 24, he said, This
is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these
things, that we may know his testimony is true. And there
are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they should
be written, I suppose even the well itself would not contain
the books that should be written. That's what Paul is saying here,
of whom we have many things to say. Many lifetimes would not
be sufficient to even begin the task of talking about him. All the marvelous, wonderful
things of him. But look at the next line. They're
hard to be uttered. They're difficult to teach. Why
are they hard to be uttered? Why are they difficult to teach?
All these wonderful things about the Lord Jesus, about his covenant,
his kingdom, his person, his work. Well, it's not the problem,
not in the truthfulness of the things or the magnificence of
the things, it's in us seeing that you are dull at hearing. That's the problem. All these marvelous things about
him are difficult to teach when men and women, and he's talking
to the Hebrews, he's talking to the believers, are dull and
sluggish in hearing. They're not indifferent. He didn't
say that. A person can't be a believer and be indifferent to Christ.
He didn't say they're not interested. A person couldn't be saved and
not be interested in the things of Christ. But they're not diligent
in meditation and study in the Word of God. He says in verse
12, for when for the time, some of you ought to be teachers.
Some of you Hebrews, he said. have been saved a long time.
You've known Christ a long, long time. And by this time, you ought
to be teaching yourself. You ought to be teachers yourself
of these marvelous things about Christ. But instead of being
teachers, you have need that one teach you again and again. Not the deeper things of Christ
and the mysterious things of Christ and the strong meat of
Christ. You have need that a person goes over and over and over and
over the fundamentals of the faith. The very principles of
the articles of God again and again and again. Instead of you
being a teacher yourself, he says, you have need that the
preacher continually again and again rehearsed in your hearing
the first principles of Christ, and you have become as such and
have need of milk. He says to them, your diet, because
of your immaturity, because of your infancy in the faith, infancy
in Christ, is milk, and not strong meat. You have need of milk because
you are dull of hearing, Because when after all these years of
being a believer, you ought to be a teacher, you have need that
the preacher goes back over, over and over again, the very
first principles, fundamentals, man's fault, man's sin, man's
inability, God's election, Christ's incarnation, Christ's death,
Christ's righteousness, Christ's resurrection, Christ's ascension,
Christ at the right hand of God, repentance and faith, instead
of going into the glory of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, the
grace of God, all the things we need to learn about him and
his priesthood and his glory. But instead of being ready for
strong meat, the problem is we are on a diet of milk. This is something that's recognized
by the apostles and by all who have wisdom in the things of
God. In 1 John 2, John says in verse 12, listen, there are babes in Christ,
there are young people in Christ, there are elders in Christ, there
are mature believers in Christ. Now listen, 1 John 2.12, I write
to you little children. because your sins are forgiven
you for his name's sake. I write to your fathers because
you have known him that's from the beginning. I write to your
young men because you've overcome the wicked one. I write unto
your little children because you've known the Father." They're
babes, beginners, young people, and elders in Christ. And babes
must not be despised. The babes must not be neglected. They must be taught. tenderly
and gently. But it's unfortunate when believers
remain vague, remain vague simply because they will not study the
word of God, they will not search the scriptures, they will not
give the time and effort to studying his word. Several times in the scripture
we're exhorted to do this very thing. the book of 2nd Timothy. 2nd Timothy chapter 2. Verse 15. Study. Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. Turn, if you will, to 1 Peter
2, verse 2. 1 Peter 2, verse 2. As newborn babies desire the
sincere milk of the word, as a baby desires the sincere milk
of the word, for what purpose? That you may grow, that you may
not remain a baby, remain an infant, but grow. Grow how? Well, 2 Peter. 2 Peter 3, verse
18, that you may grow in grace. Every
grace is a gift of God, is the grace of love, and the grace
of faith, and the grace of giving, and the grace of forgiving, and
the grace of humility, and the grace of patience. No grace is perfect on this earth,
but it grows. And it grows through the study
of the Word, but grow in grace. Desire the sincere milk of the
Word as a newborn baby that you may grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, of whom
we have many things to say, but hard to be uttered when people
are dull of hearing. growing grace in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Turn over there just a minute. Act 17.11. These people down
in Berega, to whom the apostles ministered, it says here in Act
17.11 that these people, Act 17.11, were more noble than those
in Thessalonica. What made them more noble than those in Thessalonians?
In that they received the word with all readiness of mind and
searched the scriptures daily. Whether these things were so,
they searched the scriptures daily. Now back to our text. That's the reason we have to
go back and read before we come to chapter 6 verse 1. Therefore, therefore, leaving the principles,
the first principles of the doctrines of Christ. Now where was that
mentioned? Right there in verse 12. When
for the time, after being a child of God, a believer for years
and years and years, And by that time ought to be a teacher yourself,
ought to know these things, study these things. You have need that
one teach you again, go back and rehearse again and again,
the miracle of the word, the first principles of the oracles
of God. And what are these first principles?
Well, he names them, there are six of them named here. Verse
1, chapter 6, therefore leaving the principles. of the doctrines
of Christ. Let us go on to perfection. Now
you know the word perfection does not mean perfection in that
we're sinless, without fault, without error. It doesn't mean
that at all because there's no human being on this earth who
is perfect. We're perfect in Christ positionally. We're made perfect by his perfection. We're righteous in Christ. But
we're not perfect in love, and grace, and faith, and humility,
and patience, and any grace. We're not perfect. But we're
supposed to... This word is maturity. It's a
growth in grace. It's a maturity. Now here are
those first principles, he said. Not laying again and again the
foundation of repentance from dead works. That's the first
one. Repentance from dead works. Repentance, what is repentance?
Well, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. He convicts us of
sin. George Whitefield said, when
in conviction and repentance there's a conviction of sin,
that's our nature. Like David said in Psalm 51,
in sin my mother conceived me. My problem is a heart problem.
My problem is a nature problem. My problem is not just what I
do, it's what I am. Not just what I do, it's why
I do it, because I'm a son of Adam. So we repent of sin, what
we are. He said we repent of sins, what
we've done, what we've said, what we've done. Our acts, our
deeds of sin against God. But we also repent of our so-called
righteousness. We know that even our righteousness
is a filthy rag. The things we've done religiously
in order to gain favor with God. Here's an example over in Philippians
chapter 3. The Apostle Paul talks about
himself. Repentance from dead works. Repent
not only of what I am, I repent of what I've done sinfully. I repent of what I've done in
works. in religion, trying to find favor
with God, not in Christ, but in what I've done. That's what
Paul says in Philippians 3, verse 6, concerning zeal, I persecuted
the church. Touching the righteousness which
is in the law, I was blameless, blameless. A Hebrew of Hebrews,
a Pharisee, he said in verse 5, but these things that were
given to me, I count lost. of all these things. Yea, doubtless,
I count all these religious acts and deeds and duties and works
and ceremonies and traditions and tithing and all this stuff,
I count it but done that I may win Christ to be found in him.
That's repentance from dead works. Repentance of sin, what I am. Repentance of sin, what I've
done. Repentance of sin, what I've tried to do to win favor
with God. It's Christ and Christ alone.
Now that's a foundation. A man must say it until he comes
to that place. That's the first principle. Here's
the other one. Faith toward God. Faith toward
God. We believe Christ is the Son
of God. That's what that Philippian,
that Ethiopian eunuch, when he came to water, he said after
Philip preached Christ to him, he said, here's water, what does
hinder me from being baptized? And Philip said, if you believe
with all your heart, you may. He said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. That's the first principle. A
man not saved who hasn't repented and who doesn't believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. I believe he is the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. He came to redeem sinners by
his death, by his righteousness, by his resurrection. Faith in
God. faith in God. Other foundations
can no man lay than that which is laid Christ. The third one,
principle, the doctrines of baptism. Well, baptism, notice it's plural. We are baptized by the Spirit
into the body of Christ. When God calls one of his elect
to faith in Christ, the scripture says we are baptized into the
body of Christ. Christ is the head, we're the
body. We're immersed, we're submerged, we're included, we're baptized
into the body of Christ. There's another baptism, and
that is water baptism, where we confess Christ. In the New
Testament, that's the way every believer confessed Christ. They
didn't have an aisle to walk. They didn't have an inquiry room
to visit. They didn't have a card to sign. When a person confessed
Christ, Lydia, the Philippian jailer, the eunuch, all of them
were baptized, showing forth his death, his burial, his resurrection,
and our identification. And then the next one, the laying
on of hands. What is this? Well, threefold.
Number one, there was a special power that God gave the apostles
to lay their hands on someone and bestow the Holy Spirit and
the gifts of the Spirit. I can't explain all that, I just
know that's what the book of Acts declares, that these apostles,
Paul talked to Timothy about stirring up the gift that's in
you by the laying on of my hands. And then there was a laying on
of hands practiced by the church when
they sent the missionaries out. God Almighty said, separate unto
me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called
them, and they laid hands on them and sent them out. They
were simply saying that we confer and we rejoice to send these
men and support them in the name of God to preach the gospel.
They go forth, not just because they volunteered to go, they
go with the approval of God and And then there's a laying on
of hands of deacons and elders and pastors in which the Church
puts its approval on men to speak and teach in the name of God.
And we're warned not to lay hands suddenly on anybody. Be careful.
He said don't lay hands suddenly on any man. Don't make a man
a preacher or an elder to speak for God until he's been proven
that he's been proven with years of of faithfulness and a good
report. Be careful, don't lay your hands
suddenly on any man. Don't put your approval as a church. And
that's not just putting your hands on him, that's putting
your approval on him. Just designating him to preach
or teach, just don't do it. And another, that's four, here's
the fifth one, is the resurrection of the dead. If a person doesn't
believe in the resurrection, he doesn't know God. If the dead
rise not, Christ is not risen. If Christ be not risen, we're
yet in our sins, we're false witnesses of God, because we've
testified that he raised him, whom he raised not if the dead
rise not. And we are of all men most miserable, and everybody
we know that died trusting Christ is in the grave. Now, that's
the importance of the resurrection. But do I have to prove that to
you again? And again, and again, and again. And the other, the sixth one,
is eternal judgment. Acts chapter 17 says, God hath
appointed a day in which he shall judge the world by that man,
Jesus Christ, whom he hath ordained. There will be a judgment. Now
those are the first principles. Now look at it again. Back there
in verse 12, he says, for a time when you ought to be teachers.
Instead, you have need that one teach you again and again and
again the first principles of the oracles of God. Therefore,
verse 1, chapter 6, leaving. What do you mean leaving? Well,
we don't leave them. We don't leave, we love them.
We love these first principles. It's like our, we don't quit
preaching these. Because we've got babes to feed.
We've got young people to feed. We don't quit preaching these
fundamentals. Don't misrepresent Paul there.
He's not saying that. We don't forget them or deny their importance. We
lay them in our hearts as the foundation. We lay them in our
hearts as the foundation that we profess and believe. But there's
a building to be erected on these foundations. There's a building
to be erected. There's a believer to be taught.
These must be well laid, preached at all times to our friends,
our neighbors, and ourselves. But spiritual growth requires
that we become students of the Word. Now let me show you this. The word perfect and perfection
is used quite a bit in the scriptures along this line. Turn to Matthew
5. Now this is a good study right here. We'll go here in Matthew
5. Matthew 5, verse 43 to 48. Now listen to it. You've heard Christ said, I say
unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, pray for them which despite their
use you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father
which is in heaven. This is the way he is. He maketh
his son to rise on the evil and on the good. He sendeth rain
on the just and the unjust. If you love them that love you,
what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans the
same? If you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans do
that? But be ye perfect. Even as your father which is
in heaven is perfect. This is an area where we need
to go to work. loving everybody, like our Father. Be mature as
your Father in heaven is perfect. Be taught in this area. 1 Corinthians
2, let's turn over there. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And
this is done by the Word, by teaching the Word of God, by
example. 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Paul said, when I was with you,
verse 4, 1 Corinthians 2, my speech and my preaching was not
with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak
wisdom among them that are perfect, them that are mature, not the
wisdom of this world, nor the princes of this world that come
to knowledge. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the
hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world under our glory.
That's what we speak, he said, to those who are mature. That
we henceforth be no more babies, tossed to and fro, carried about
with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and the cunning
craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Where is it? Colossians 3. Let's listen to
this. Colossians chapter 3, verse 12. Colossians 3, 12. Put on as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercy, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, long-suffering. forbearing one another, forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all
these things, put on love, which is the bond of maturity, perfectness,
and let the peace of God rule in your heart. Rule in your heart
to the which you are called in one body, and be thankful. 2 Timothy 3. Let's see what Paul says here
to young Timothy. 2 Timothy 3, verse 14. He says to Timothy, continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured
of, knowing of whom you've learned them. That from a child you've
known the holy scriptures, that are able to make thee wise unto
salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God. All Scripture is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, instruction, and righteousness,
that the man of God might be perfect, mature, thoroughly furnished
under good works. How are we going to furnish this
growth and these good works? We're going to have to get into
this book. That's what he's telling even young Timothy. Turn to James,
let me show you something here. James chapter 1, verse 2. My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into different temptations, knowing this, that
the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have
her perfect work, work of maturity, that you may be perfect. entire,
wanting nothing. If you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God. If you give it to all men liberally
and upbraideth not, it shall be given him. But let him ask
in faith, nothing wavering. He that wavereth is like a wave
of the sea, driven with wind and tossed." Look at James chapter
3, verse 1 and 2. knowing that we shall receive
the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend
all, but if any man offend not in words, the same is a mature
man, able to bottle the whole body. If he can bottle his tongue,
he can bottle the whole body. But how does he bottle his tongue?
He's got to learn. He's got to learn. James 2, verse
13, listen to this. Who is a wise man? and do with
knowledge among you. Let him show out of a good conversation
his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and
strife in your heart, glory not, lie not against the truth. This
wisdom, this bitterness and strife and lying, that descendeth not
from above, that's earthly, that's sensual, that's devilish. For
where envy and strife is, is confusion and ever evil but the
wisdom that's from above. Here's its characteristics. It's
pure, it's peaceable, it's gentle, easy to be entreated, full of
mercy, good works, without partiality, without hypocrisy. How do these
things come? The Word. That's how they come. The fruit of righteousness is
sown in peace of them that make peace. Well, let's go back to
my text. Let me get over here to Hebrews
6 again. But perhaps, as I want to say,
maybe the preacher is afraid that if he doesn't constantly
rehearse these first principles over and over again, even to
believers who have been believers a long time, Some of them may
fall away from Christ. Some of them may lose interest.
Some of them may lose confidence in the blood and righteousness
of Christ. Paul says in verse 4, this is impossible. Now he talks about, let's go
into the Word. Let's find out more about Christ,
about his priestly work, his kingdom, his glory, his grace,
fruit of his spirit. these things that have to do
with our personal daily living. Verse 3, he said, this we will
do if God permit. For it's impossible for those
who were once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, made partakers
of the Holy Ghost, have tasted the good word of God and the
powers of the world to come, it's impossible if they could
fall away to renew them to repentance. It's impossible if they should
fall away. If such could fall away, it'd
be no use for us to preach to them. They couldn't be reconverted. They couldn't be restored to
repentance. They couldn't be restored to
faith if they'd fall away. Impossible. What is it to fall
away? What is it? When you talk about
a believer, a person who's knows Christ, who loves Christ, who
is redeemed by Christ. What is it to fall away? What
is this falling away? Well, it's not to sin, because
every believer here knows that he sins. We're not without sin. Why would our Savior teach us
when he taught the disciples to pray to ask God to forgive
us of our sins? Every day, forgive us of our
sins. David's sin, Abraham's sin, Lot's sin. Every believer
sinned, but they didn't fall away. What is it to fall away? It's not even to deny Christ
out of fear. Peter denied Christ out of fear. He was scared to death. He just
knew they were going to kill him, too. He said, I don't know
him. Did he fall away? No. No, no. When our Lord rose from the dead,
he said to one of the The women said, you go tell my disciples,
and be sure you tell Peter. And I'm waiting on him. What
is it to have division among us? We ought not. We ought not. But Paul and Barnabas, two of
the greatest men God ever used, fell completely out one time.
I mean they fell, one went one way and one went the other. Paul
says, you're not going with me anymore. He went one way with
Silas, and Barnabas went one way with John Mark. What is to
fall away? I'll tell you what it would be. It's impossible
for them to fall away. Because, number one, the Holy
Spirit is going to have to leave. If any man had not the Spirit
of Christ, he's none of his. If he were to fall away from
Christ, the Holy Spirit's got to leave. Secondly, eternal life
has got to die. Our Lord said, I give them eternal
life and they shall never die. Now, for me to fall away, I've
got to die. Spiritually, I've got to die. Do you see what I'm
saying? That's to fall away, to die.
Thirdly, it's for God to cease the work that he has begun. Paul
said in Philippians 1, he that hath begun a good work in you,
will what? Finish it in the day of Jesus
Christ. Well, for me to fall away, God,
who began the work, has got to resign. Now, come along. It's impossible for one to fall. And fourthly, and this is just
horrible to even mention in front of people, it's for the blood
of Christ to totally fail. How was I saved? The blood of
Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleansed me from sin. That's how I got
saved. In order for me to fall away, his blood has got to become
of no avail. Impossible. What do you say those
people say? Well, let's look at what he says
about them. He says in verse 4, it's impossible for those
who were once enlightened. What is enlightened? Enlightened
is when we see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
If our gospel, now listen to the scripture, if our gospel
be It's here to them that are lost, in whom the God of this
world hath blinded their minds, lest the glorious gospel should
shine unto them, and they should be saved. But God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to
give us the enlightenment of his glory in the face of Christ."
You've been enlightened? That's salvation, to see the
glory of God. Enlightened. Secondly, tasted
the heavenly gift. Who's the heavenly gift? It's
Christ. It's Christ. Christ is the unspeakable
gift of God. Christ is the gift of God. We
have tasted of the unspeakable gift. How have we tasted of it?
We've drunk his blood. This is my blood. Drink ye all
of it. We have eaten his flesh. If you don't drink my blood and
eat my flesh, you have no part in me." We've tasted that the
Lord is good. Thirdly, he says they're made
partakers of the Holy Ghost. My friends, there's no one who's
a partaker of the Holy Ghost except the person in whom the
Holy Ghost is given life. If any man hath not the Spirit
of God, he's none of his. But if any man has the Spirit
of God, he's one of his. The Spirit of God dwells in you. If the Spirit of God has given
you life, he dwells in you. We are partakers of the Spirit
of God. And then fourthly, he says, we've
tasted the good word of God. We've been quickened by the word
of God. taught the Word of God, comforted by the Word of God.
Of his own will begat he us with the Word of God. You're quickened
and born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by
the Word of God. Christ is the Word of God. You
say this is the Scriptures, the Word of God. You can't separate
the incarnate Word and the written Word. Without Christ there is
no Word. Without Christ there's no understanding
of the Word, there's no revelation. We have been tasted the Word
of God, Christ Jesus. And listen, "...and the powers
of the world to come." What are those? Now about is faith, hope,
and love, these things. We've tasted. Those are the powers
of the world to come. The power of faith, the power
of hope, and the power of love, we have been tasted the powers of the world
to come. If they should fall away, these are believers. A person cannot fall away from
a place where he's never been. That's so it. A person cannot fall away from
where he's never been. Now, here's what he's saying
in verse 6. If they should fall away, it's
impossible to renew them again to where they were. Repentance
and faith. Seeing they crucified themselves,
the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame. Turn to Hebrews
10. Hebrews 10 verse 26. Hebrews 10 verse 26. If we sin willfully, after we receive the knowledge
of the truth, that is, depart from the truth. This whole chapter
has to do with our high priest, the Lord Jesus, and us leaving
the law of Moses and leaving the covenant of works and coming
to Christ. Now if we turn from Christ and
go back to that, that's what he's talking about. If we turn
from Christ and go back to the beggarly elements, We sin willfully
after we receive the knowledge of the truth. There remains no
more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment,
fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that
despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
Of how much so are punishments? Supposing, supposing, shall he
be thought worthy who trodden underfoot the Son of God? and despised and counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy
thing, hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" No. If
he were, if it were possible for one in Christ to fall away,
you needn't preach to him any more. You needn't preach to him
any more. It would be impossible to renew
him. Because I ask these questions. Is there a better righteousness
than Christ? Is there a stronger balm than
the blood of Christ? Is there a better covenant than
the everlasting covenant? He redeemed those for whom he
died, shall we crucify him again? Rest assured, the Lord knoweth
them that are his, hath known them from all eternity. So if
they could, if it were possible for these people to perish, there's
no use preaching these first principles in the way they were,
because they couldn't be reconverted. Impossible. Now watch this. Now here is verse 7. For the
earth which drinketh in the rain, that cometh oft upon it, bringeth
forth herbs, meat for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth
blessings from God. But that which beareth thorns
and wires is rejected, and is now unto cursing, whose end is
to be burned. We are persuaded better things
of you, and things that accompany salvation, things that go with
salvation, though we thus speak. Now, you've
got to give me a minute or two more. Turn to Isaiah 55. Now,
you just heard that verse, remember it, remember it well. He says,
the rain that cometh down from heaven waters the earth. It brings forth herbs neat for
them by whom it's dressed, and it receives the blessings from
God. But that which, the same way, brings forth thorns and
wires, and that's rejected now into cursing, and that's the
preaching of the Word. When the Word is preached to his elect,
it brings forth fruit, as we teach the Word. People are in
Christ, who know Christ, they grow in grace, and the knowledge
of God is the Word's praise. as the Word is taught them. Now,
look at Isaiah 55. And people who don't know Christ,
they just grow more thorns and browners. Isaiah 55, verse 9. As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts and
your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven returneth not thither, it waters the earth. It makes
it bring forth. makes it good. It gives seed
to the sober, bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth. It won't return unto me void.
It'll accomplish that which I please. It shall prosper, prosper in
the thing whereunto I set it on. The rain, snow from heaven,
according to the nature of the soil, the nature of the seed,
it brings forth Good things, good things. But also it, over
here, it brings forth buyers and thorns and cursing, worthless
things. But this is the believer, these
good things, that God causes his word to produce good things. But we've got to get into the
word for that to be produced. Salvation produces those things. In verse 9 of our text, Hebrews
6, Beloved, he talks about some of that rain that comes down from
heaven, producing thorns and briars, and now the cursing. Verse 9, But Beloved, we are
persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation.
What is that? One scripture, I promise I'll
quit. 1 Thessalonians 1. 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1. First of all, verse 2. We give
thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in
our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, your
labor of love, your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the sight of God and our Father, knowing, brethren, beloved, your
election of God. For our gospel came not to you
in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much As
you know what manner of men you were, we were among you for your
sakes. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having
received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. And
you became examples to all that believed in Macedonia and Archaea.
And from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in
Macedonia and Archaea, but also in every place. Your faith to
God is spread abroad. So that I need not tell people
about you. They've already found out about
you. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering
in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from your idols
to serve the living, true God, and to wait for his Son from
heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
us from the wrath to come." I hope that that's a blessing to you
as it has been to me in studying it and preparing it for you.