“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

(Hebrews 6:4-6)

No God-fearing Christian should be able to read Hebrews 6:4-6 without a sense of trepidation and tremble.  The words of Hebrews were written to Christians who had seen the apostles and had first-hand experience with the signs and wonders which testified to the Word of God.  Their teachers were the prophets.  If they could taste such things and then fall away from the Lord, certainly we are not immune to the dangers of spiritual drift!

Beware of the slow fall away from Jesus.  We must be faithful until death, not just faithful until we become comfortable.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

(Hebrews 5:12)

Though there is a sense in which only a few possess the talents and skills of teaching (see James 3:1), there is a basic level in which all Christians must accept the responsibility to teach. After all, we cannot be “prepared to give a reason for the hope within us” (1 Pet. 3:15) unless we have gained the necessary skills to reasonably be prepared to share said hope.

Christians are in the people business, and we are in the teaching business.  Coercion, violence, or bribery cannot be induced to lead people to Jesus.  We are only left with the tools of teaching and persuasion to bring the good news to our friends and neighbors.  After all, there is no draft – the ranks of Jesus’ army are filled solely by volunteers.

It is not expected that every Christian know everything, but every Christian should know some things.  We must be prepared to answer the basic questions about the tenets of our belief in Jesus.  Why should I trust the Bible? What does the Bible teach about how one is saved? Why are we lost without Jesus? What is the church?  Why should I care?

Make no mistake, we must be able to articulate what we believe… maybe not at first, but eventually “you ought to be teachers.”

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation…”

(Hebrews 5:9)

All things precious have a source, and that source must then be tapped into through some method of extraction.  Olives contain an oil that is of great value but requires pressure to extract and obtain it.  The earth is the source of great deposits of oil and veins of gold that may be of tremendous benefit if the appropriate means and effort are applied to tap into them.

Jesus is no different.  He is the source of eternal salvation for all, and obedience is how we may benefit from Him.  Jesus will not yield His precious gold to the man who desires it but refuses to pick up his cross and follow Him.  Obedience is the pickaxe that mines the gold and the drill that taps into the oil deposit.

We cannot be saved without Him, and He refuses to yield to our methods.  We cannot lean against our shovels and hope that simply saying His name will do the job.  Obedience is the only acceptable pathway to the Source of our salvation.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”

(Hebrews 5:8)

I will not pretend to speak deeply about how the perfect Son of God could learn obedience; such a theological endeavor is beyond my abilities, and I will not attempt it here.  I simply wish for us to recognize that He did learn obedience.  There is a sense in which Jesus gained something He previously did not have until after He was required by time and circumstance to humble Himself in obedience through suffering.

If this is true (and the Scriptures do not lie), how dare we revile suffering as some putrid thing that ought to be avoided at all cost?  If the benefit of pain is a knowledge that even the Son of God benefitted from (in what way, I know not how), then such knowledge should be considered more precious than all the teachings of all the ancient tomes combined!

Let us embrace the discomfort of obedient suffering, not for the sake of the suffering, but for the sake of what it is guaranteed to teach us.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…he [the high priest] can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness…”

(Hebrews 5:2)

When a descendant of Aaron took up the mantle of high priest, he was entering into a life of service to the “less than” community.  The high priest spent his life dealing with the ignorant and misguided – namely those who made choices without thinking about them or made choices after only badly thinking about them.  Every day, he was to make intercession for people who came to him needing forgiveness for poor choices made with poor planning.  I imagine, at times, it was a tedious task of repetition.  Yet, as high priest, it was the role you were born into, and genealogy forced you to hold it – not to mention that your own humanity would help you to recognize the shortcomings of your fellow man.

Yet, Jesus had no such external circumstances forcing Him into the role as our High Priest.  He had no shortcomings Himself, nor did He have a genealogy that required Him to take up the office.  Jesus chooses to deal gently with our misguided ignorance out of love, not compulsion.  He chose to walk in our shoes to see the weakness of our flesh, so He would be a compassionate Redeemer.

Jesus deals gently with us, and, likewise, as priests of the Most High, we ought to deal gently with each other.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Hebrews 4:16)

Confidence, grace, mercy, and help are the key words in this passage.  They are key words in all the book of Hebrews actually.

We should be confident because we have a God we can rely on and a conviction that He loves us.

We have grace because we have the goodwill of our Creator.  His will be done, and His will is good.

We have mercy because God sees our need and looks upon our weakness with compassion and not malice.  Our vulnerability is safe in His hands.

We have help because He extends it to us.  We are not alone in our need, and He seeks to improve our lot if we will trust Him.

So draw near to Jesus.  Draw near to the Redeemer of Souls.  His throne bears hope.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

(Hebrews 4:13)

Things can be hidden for many reasons. 

Camouflage Hidden – when we wish to remain invisible for fear we will be exposed.

Miniature Hidden – when we don’t wish to be hidden, but we are too small to be important to others.

Middle Child Hidden – when we are overlooked because others are prominent or require more attention.

Coward Hidden – when we hide from our responsibilities, evade our duties, and procrastinate in hopes that time and distance will cause them to disappear.

Regardless of which type of “hidden” we are – none are hidden from Him.  He sees you.  He knows your name.  You are visible in your quiet service, closeted pain, or your masked façade.

To Him – we are all laid bare in the noonday sun.  You decide whether or not this is a thrill or a terror to your heart.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“For indeed, we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

(Hebrews 4:2)

The Bible is the most powerful book ever written.  It has the best news, the most stirring speeches, the deepest poignant lessons, and the farthest-reaching ideals which ever touched the souls of man.

Yet, it must touch our souls through faith if it is to do its glorious work.  These divine words must be tethered to a heart of faith that will act upon what is read.  The Bible is not for academics; it is for action.  Critics and scholars never touch its glory though they pour over its pages.  The soul that will stoop in prayer and application over one verse gains more from Scripture than a thousand readers who never raise a finger for the Writer of the Holy Writ.

When we unite doing with hearing – believing with reading – then the profit comes.  Find one verse today to act upon.  After all, He wrote it for you.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“But encouraging one another day after day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

(Hebrews 3:13)

Today is the best day!  It is the day you have.  Yesterday is a day for historians. Tomorrow is a day for dreamers.  Today is the day for doers!  It is the day when encouragement and change happen.

When is the best time to encourage others? Today.

When is the best time to say those words that ought not to be left unsaid? Today.

When is the best time to remind each other that we are not alone? Today.

When is the best time to fight the calcifying effects of sin and start with better habits? Today.

Revel in today, for someday, there will be no more today at all.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“For assuredly, He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham.”

(Hebrews 2:16)

I am hard pressed to find a more encouraging verse in all of Hebrews.  The Lord helps us, not angels… us.

Help is the act of making someone else’s life easier through your own effort and resources.  The literal phrase here in Hebrews is “to take upon or seize”.  Jesus has seized upon our plight and extended His efforts and resources to our aid.  His suffering has made ours easier and His pains have paved the path for our renewal.

Perhaps, you are feeling that life is too difficult and the path God would have you live and the burdens you must carry are too heavy to bear.  The knot of our past can be untangled with help from the King, and He bears our loads and places an easier yoke upon our shoulders.

If the command seems too hard or the road too steep – don’t worry.  He’s here to help.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites