Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.
The first six verses of this chapter are misunderstood by many, but we must understand them properly. If not, we can draw the wrong conclusion. The devil tries to twist the word of God. There is urgency in this day and time to get this down. Some phrases stand out that could make one wonder what is going on. What does “leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ” and “let us go on” and “unto perfection” mean? Then “this will we do if God permit.” Do you leave the Lord, go on and think the Lord is telling us this? No. The difficulty rests with the reader and not the Word. The Bible is inerrant and the clear message of God. We must slow down, study it, and give God time to speak to us. Let’s study “leaving the principles and go on.”
This is the basis of Christianity. The common problem is falling into a spiritual rut. We’re not growing, not going and not getting anywhere. We get into the ditch and can’t get out. The principles of the doctrine are the basis of our faith. How sure are we of the foundation on which we stand and build?
There are basic elements to salvation, i.e. the principles of doctrine. Salvation is made of many truths. It’s the foundation to the building of our spiritual life. In a rut we might forget those basics. Paul said there is no other foundation than Jesus Christ. He is the springboard we use to move on. When we drift away from the principles and get off the platform we cannot grow. We can’t build one way and then shift to another direction. We have to stay dead center to grow. This verse is not meant to throw us for a loop but to encourage us. We can go higher and deeper instead of away. We must firmly face each day and build on our foundation in Christ. If we don’t, we’ll slip and fall. We won’t get anywhere. We must stay in line with the foundation to move on to the fullness of God.
How are you laying the doctrine and principles on a daily basis? There are some detailed truths, some foundational things to know. They save us and keep us right with God so the devil won’t deceive us. We don’t lay the foundation again; that foundation is what we live by and enables us to move forward. It’s always in these truths. The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. The principles will lead us in the right way. We can’t rely on our traditions or own interpretations. We’ve got to know the foundation and stay on it in order to stay on the straight and narrow pathway.
If we’re weak in our understanding we’ll get confused. If we get complacent in our prayer life, our study of the Word, church, worship, or become insincere about it all, we’ll get into serious trouble. Someone can come along and lead us astray. We have to get it down pat. There are essentials to the doctrines of Christ.
What are the principles of salvation? If someone asks you about salvation and how you get saved, what would you tell them? Could you tell them enough about it? What does the death and suffering mean? How do you know you’re saved? Who is Jesus? We’ve got to understand and be able to communicate this. We don’t have to know it all, but we must have a working knowledge. We were sinners in need of a Savior for the sins of our soul. God gave his son, Jesus. He suffered death and was buried to create the way of salvation. Yes. This is the truth. Just how did you get saved? Is He alive right now? We must believe Jesus is the Son of God. We must believe what He did for us on the cross. He was buried but resurrected. When we come to Him in repentance and put our faith in him He will save us from our sins. He’ll take the sin away.
Do you have these facts deep down? Could you witness from what you know? Can you serve the Lord with what you know? Can you grow from what you know? We’ve got to keep this principle under our foundation. We have the potential to be a great worker for the benefit of others and our own soul.
We’ll pick up with the rest of the principles next week
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 