SPIRITUAL STEADFASTNESS - 3

DANGERS OF NOT BEING STEADFAST - APOSTASY

God used the inspired writer of this epistle to the Hebrew to reveal the Person, position and perfection of Jesus Christ. Christ has already been revealed as the powerful Son of God, declared to be God's full Revelation to mankind, as the appointed heir of all things, the Creator of the World, the Brightness of God's glory, the express Image of God's person who is much better than the prophets. From our text, Christians are called to maturity and perfection before exposing them to deeper revelation. Truth is precious. 

We must be willing to leave the baby stage of Christian experiences if we desire deeper things from God. We must grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. The Scripture makes it clear that there is danger and possibility of Christians backsliding, degenerating into apostasy and loosing their souls. The Hebrew Christians had suffered persecution and some of them were in danger of turning back from Christ. They needed encouragement to endure to the end.

1. PRESSING ON TO GLORIOUS PERFECTION

The Hebrew Christians had earlier been rebuked for being perpetual babes and their slow progress towards maturity. The writer desired that they would grow up to maturity. We are not to remain in the elementary stages of being saved but to move on to perfection and usefulness in God's service. Now, he challenged them: "let us go unto perfection". Just as parents want their children to grow, God also wants us to grow in knowledge, holiness, faith, character, endurance and usefulness.

The phrase "let us go into perfection" means to cease to remain in the state of babes and never rest until you are mature and capable of being a teacher and exercising all senses of righteousness. God called Abraham to perfection. He has made provision for every believer's perfection in Christ through His word.

Believers are expected to have knowledge of repentance from dead works; faith towards God, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. These fundamental doctrines are still part of the whole counsels of God that would make us grow up to perfection. Many believers remain in the baby stage for many years. They preach and believe salvation but neglect consecration, sanctification, sacrificial love, separation from the world and all its entanglements. Our will must be yielded and surrendered to God such that we are willing to do only what God permits by His word and Spirit if we are to grow. Our lives must be surrendered to God for necessary correction.

2. DESCRIPTION AND DAMNATION OF APOSTATES

Verses 4-8 of our text presents an important truth that many believers fail to understand. Some bible teachers misinterpret it so as to convince themselves and others to keep their false hope of  of sinning, backsliding, rebellion and mere church-going. These scriptures speak clearly of the impossibility of the restoration and salvation of apostates. The danger of apostasy, that is falling away from and rejecting the faith, is frightening.

Apostates are backsliders who fall away from the faith and become rebellious and blasphemous against God and Christ. The apostates were once enlightened; tasted of the heavenly gift; made partakers of the Holy Ghost; tasted the good word of God and the power of the world to come. The Scripture says after they had known the Lord, they later backslide to the point of denying Christ. Although it is rare, apostates do not take a single leap into apostasy but many steps that eventually lead to that state.

First, backsliding and repeated backsliding. 

Second, deliberate rejection of God's word and mercy.

Third, love for deceit and false doctrine. 

Fourth, denial of Christ and His atoning sacrifice.  

Fifth, preaching of error and doctrine of demons.

In their apostasy, they close the door of eternal life against themselves and seal their doom. Rejection, cursing and burning are words used to describe the doom and damnation of apostates. Backsliders and apostates are warned and reminded that. Those who fall away from the faith will finally go away into everlasting punishment if they fail to repent.

3. DECISION TO FOLLOW CHRIST TO THE END

There is no doubt that the people being addressed in this epistle were Christians. They were addressed as "beloved" so they would not be drowned in the fear of backsliding and falling away. Now the inspired writer shows that he believed that they were saved and that they would inherit the blessings that accompany salvation. He spoke about labor of love, assurance of hope and faith. 

These three qualities make us know that they were saved. Believers need both warning and encouragement. Warning alone may close our eyes to the reality of God's grace and power to keep us till the end. It may drive us to relying on our own insufficient strength. On the other hand, encouragement alone may lead us to taking God and His promises for granted, to the point that we think we are doing God a favor by remaining in the faith. The faithful leader must maintain a balance between warning and encouragement. There is no question about the faithfulness of God.

The question is how much faith do we have in God?