Hebrews 6:1-3 – The Christian Curriculum – Bible study

Hebrews 6:1-3 The Christian Curriculum The book of Hebrews is a powerful Book that every Christian should read and understand. The fact that God gave it and preserved it testifies to that. But the book of Hebrews is also a deep Book. It deals with some topics that to understand, one will likely have to study, to pray, and to seek God; but is that not what our Lord calls upon us to do anyway? As the title suggests, the book is written to Hebrews, another name for Jewsbut it teaches the Christian important truths about Gods gift of salvation. There were two groups of Hebrews to which this Book was directed: 1. Unsaved Jews who were considering Christ as their Messiah. I refer to these Jews as standing Jews "standing in the valley of decision." If they accept Jesus as their Messiah, their priests will cast them out of Judaism and many of their families will disown them. 2. Believing Jews who were re-thinking Jesus as their Messiah. Sadly, somebecause of the high costs of accepting Jesus as their Messiahwere thinking of renouncing Him. That is an act that I cannot comprehend, but then my faith has never cost me very much so perhaps I have no right to think that I would. In these three verses, the writer calls upon his readers to grow up, to move beyond the basics, to graduate from spiritual nursery school. In doing so, he mentions six doctrines that are nursery school doctrines. If you have not been saved very long and do not understand these doctrines, do not let it bother you. Just keep growing. However, if you have been saved for a time and do not understand these things, be bothered. This text is setting a standard of knowledge that Christians should know. There are six doctrines mentioned here. It is doubtful that I will be able to discuss all six at one setting so we will look at three this morning, and the Lord willing, three more next Sunday. Lets see how far we can get. I. Christians should know the doctrine of repentance from dead works. A. I hope that all understand repentance. 1. Repentance is necessary for salvation and whether you profess to be a Christian or not, I pray that you at least know how to be saved even if you have never done so. 2. The word "repent" means to reconsider, to reverse your course, to change your way of thinking about a topic. 3. When I speak about repentance, I most often talk about repenting of sin and of the relationship we have had with Jesus Christ. a. At one time, I thought of sin as "my business." (1) This is my life and I can do what I please and I dont care what you, God, or anyone else thinks about it. (2) Then I repented. (a) I heard that God created me, loved me, and that I would have to stand before Him one day to give an account of my sin. (b) I changed my mind about sin being only my business and not caring what God thought. (c) I realized that my sin was hurting me, others, and God, and became ashamed of it. (d) I decided I wanted to quit sin but did not know how. (e) I repented. (f) Repentance is one of the important steps of salvation: i. Hear the truth. ii. Be convicted. iii. Repent iv. Believe b. At the same time, I changed my mind about God and Jesus. (1) Before, I had not cared much about God. (2) "Out of sight, out of mind" was my philosophy. (3) But as I saw how wicked my sins were, I also saw how good God had been. (4) I saw that God put on flesh to come pay for my sins. (5) I repented of my defiance and rebellion against God. c. This kind of repentance, along with faith in who Jesus is and what Jesus did, produces salvation. B. However, while repentance is mentioned in this verse, it is not the repentance of my sin or the repentance of who Jesus Christ is. The writer here speaks of doctrine of repentance from dead works. 1. Repentance still means to change my mind about something but here the topic is dead works. 2. What are dead works? a. Dead works comes from the notion that by doing good works, I can somehow erase my bad works. b. True salvation is trusting in the works of Jesus to change our sinful conditionnot our own. c. The Jews were especially bad to think that since God gave the Old Testament law, obeying it could somehow produce forgiveness for the times they disobeyed it. (1) They believed that one good work canceled out the other. (2) So the more money they gave, the more nice things they did, the better they were to others, the more likely they were to go to heaven. d. This is not just a belief of the Jews. (1) I have met many who believe their good works will be weighed against their bad works and if they have enough good works, God will let them enter heaven. (2) That is NOT what the Bible says. Re 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (a) The ONLY way to go to heaven is have your name written in Gods Book of Life. (b) The ONLY way to get your name written in the Book of Life is to trust in Jesus works for you on the cross. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 3. To trust in your good works is to trust in dead works. 4. Repentchange your mindof such notions. II. Christians should know the doctrine of faith toward God. A. This is also a doctrine that begins at salvation. 1. One cannot repent of His rebellion toward God if he does not have faith toward God. 2. Notice the writer did not say have faith IN God but TOWARD God. a. Having faith IN God can produce salvation. b. Having faith TOWARD God cannot but at least it is a start. c. Just because I shoot TOWARD a target doesnt mean I will hit. I have to put the bullet IN the target to do that. d. So the writer here is not referring to a faith that necessarily hits the target but one that at least is aiming in the right direction. 3. Where does faith toward God start? Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. a. We must believe that God is, a doctrine that is greatly under attack today. b. Further, we must believe that God is good. (1) Sadly, many today who will even consider that there is a god automatically think that if God exists, He is the One who causesor at least allowsall of our problems. (2) First, God did not cause our problems. Man did when he sinned. (3) Second, what God allowed was for man to make his own choices. It is mans continued bad choices are that keeps the bad coming into this world. c. Then we must believe that God will save us if we ask. (1) If you do not believe that God will save you, I dare to say that He will not. (2) Such faith is basic to salvation. Ac 24:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Ro 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Ga 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 4. Prayerfully, having faith toward God will lead you to have faith IN God, but faith has to start somewhere. B. However, faith is also how the Christian lives his life everyday. 1. Four times in the Bible, God echoes the words, "the just shall live by faith," \#Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, He 10:38\ a. The are those who have been justified before God, the saved. b. How shall the justified live? Walking in faith! 2. Why? Because you cannot live as a Christian lives without the daily exercise of faith toward God. a. We are to read, study, memorize Gods Word. (1) Why? (2) Because by faith we believe that God will use the Bible to speak to us, to direct us, to guide us. b. We are to abide in prayer for healing, help, guidance, and fellowship with God. (1) Why? (2) Because by faith we believe that God is listening to our prayers and will answer them. c. We are to stand against sin, Satan, and the world to proclaim Gods opinion on their behavior. (1) Why? (2) Because we are to have faith that God will stand with us and accomplish His will in every situation. d. We go to church. Why? Because we have faith God will meet with us. e. We face death with hope. Why? Because we have faith that we will see our loved one again. III. Christians should know the doctrine of baptisms. A. Notice that God used the plural of the word baptism. 1. Why? 2. Because there are several baptisms, yet only one is really important. B. The only baptism that counts is being baptized by the Spirit of God into the Body of God. 1Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1. When a sinner gets saved, he is immediately baptized by the Holy Ghost into Gods family, called the body of Christ. 2. You do not see it and some do not feel it, but it happens. C. There is a water baptism. 1. This is what the preacher does at church. 2. It is a baptism but it is only symbolic of what the Holy Ghost has already done. 3. John alluded to this when he baptized. Matt 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: a. Our baptism is a little different even from what John did. b. First, when John baptized, the Holy Spirit had not come yet so baptized in water first and the Holy Spirit baptized later. c. Second, we are not just baptizing unto repentance but unto faith in Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. (1) Again, Jesus had not died yet. Those people did not even know at that time that He was going to. (2) He has now so those being baptized are saying they believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 4. So there are two baptisms, one by the Holy Spirit of God and one of water, usually performed by a minister. 5. But the one that really counts is the one the Holy Spirit does. a. If the Holy Spirit has not baptized you, then what I do will not mean anything. b. If the Holy Spirit has baptized you, then you are to be obedience and let me immerse you into water but the one that really counts is His. D. Some think that water baptism is part of salvation. 1. I disagree with that enough to argue with you on it. 2. I believe water baptism is a picture of salvation. 3. I believe Peter nailed it when he said water baptism is "the like figure" of our salvation, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God. \#1Peter 3:21\ Now remember, these are not deep doctrines. The writer called these the "principles of the doctrine of Christ," meaning the beginning, the first, the corner doctrines. 1. Do you get them? If not, lets talk. 2. Do you believe them? 3. Are you doing them?