Hebrews; Chapter 6

UNDERSTANDING OUR HIGH PRIEST!

Part II

{Verses 9-12}

[8-29-10]

Review:

Hebrews 6:7-8) [GNB] God blesses the soil which drinks in the rain that often falls on it and which grows plants that are useful to those for whom it is cultivated.

8) [GNB] But if it grows thorns and weeds, it is worth nothing; it is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.

NOTE: God blesses good soil and rejects bad soil.

QUESTION: How do we apply these first eight verses to our lives?

ANSWER: There is a place of apostasy, but only in rare circumstances. But there is a place of backsliding [from which repentance is possible] that can occur when we don’t get into the Word of God, and apply its principles to our every day lives.

 

On To This Week’s Lesson:

Hebrews 6:9) [GNB] But even if we speak like this, dear friends, we feel sure about you. We know that you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation.

[NLT] Dear friends, even though we are talking like this, we really don’t believe that it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation.

In regards to this verse,

“He is persuaded that they will give heed to all things which attend the work of salvation and will enjoy all that attaches to a saved condition” [Vincent].

QUESTION: According to the NLT, what doesn’t apply to the author’s readers?

ANSWER: His readers aren’t the apostates he refers to in verses 4-8, but they are the “soil which drinks in the rain” in verse 7. Salvation was at work in his readers.

Hebrews 6:10) [GNB] God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other Christians.

[MSG] God doesn’t miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you’ve shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it.

QUESTION: In what way were these readers showing their salvation to be genuine?

ANSWER: The 2 great commandments are to love God and love others. They were doing both. The help they were giving “needy Christians” was a demonstration of their love for God.

Hebrews 6:11) [GNB] Our great desire is that each of you keep up your eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true.

11) [NLT] Our great desire is that each one of you keep up his eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true.

QUESTION: What were these Christians hoping for?

ANSWER: They were hoping for the salvation of their bodies; in other words, they were hoping for/longing for the day when they would be like Jesus.

Romans 8:23) [GNB] But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.

[KJV] And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.

[GW] However, not only creation groans. We, who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts, also groan inwardly. We groan as we eagerly wait for our adoption, the freeing of our bodies from sin.

QUESTION: What is this “redemption of our body” that the KJV speaks of?

ANSWER: It is the “freeing of our bodies from sin” that the GW translation speaks of. It is the very salvation of our body.

Philippians 3:20-21) [GNB] We, however, are citizens of heaven. We look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ coming from heaven as our Savior.

21) [GNB] Through his power to bring everything under his authority, he will change our humble bodies and make them like his glorified body.

CONTINUATION OF ABOVE ANSWER: Our bodies will be gloriously changed, and sin will no longer live in the members of our bodies [Romans 7:17-23].

Hebrews 6:12) [GNB] We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.

12) [GNB] 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 patience.

Hebrews 10:35-36) [GNB] So don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward.

36) [GNB] You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised.

QUESTION: What do these passages tell us about faith?

ANSWER: Faith has to be mixed with patience in order for you and I to receive the promises of God.

NOTE: Don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t pray for patience because it will bring you trouble [Romans 5:3; James 1:3]. WE NEED PATIENCE!! If we don’t ask God for patience we won’t have it [James 4:2].