As we end the year of 2013, it is fitting for us to
look back to see where we have been. It is also fitting for us to look forward,
as best we can, to see where we are going.
In
looking back, we do not always see things clearly or accurately. How much more
is this the case when looking forward? We cannot see far into the future, maybe
only a few steps at a time. We tend to think that we see a great distance but
we find that we often have to meander to get to things that seem so close. The
meandering is what we call life. But our lives are not impersonal. The
meandering is meaningful and in the course of our staggering too and fro, the
Lord directs our paths. This ought to be a great comfort for us.
As we
look back, we ought not to simply chronicle what has happened. Sometimes we can
do that with some level of consistency. But get two people to tell the story
and you will always have two stories. The final story is not necessarily what
happened, it is just your agreement on what happened.
But we
are Christians and our desire is to please the Lord in all that we do. This,
too, is sometimes hard to ascertain. Did we please the Lord this year? Were our
decisions attempts to do what is right in the Lord’s eyes? We justify ourselves
in many ways and so we cannot even accurately assess our own past. And to try
to do so too closely is a great lesson in futility. So, what ought we to do?
How can we know where we have come from and to some degree, determine where we
are going?
In some cases, you know you have made headway in
your meandering as a Christian, growing in sanctification. You do know where you
have come from and are simply desperately trying not to ever go back there
again.
Our
lesson today is titled Strong Meat. As Christians, we ought to be moving
forward seeking the strong meat of the Lord, attempting to move into the deep
things of God. We call this growth in grace, or sanctification. We sometimes
cannot see this ourselves and may even feel as if we are going backwards rather
than forwards. But if you continue to choose Christ daily, then rest assured
you are moving forwards.
In the following lesson, here are some things that
the writer says are not strong meat.
Heb.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.
I
don’t know about you but it seems to me that the things he mentions are more
like solid food than milk. Here they
are.
1.
The first principles of
the doctrine of Christ- I suppose this would be who is the Christ. He is the Son of
God, God in the flesh.
2.
Foundation of Repentance
from dead works -That
we repent from our dead works. We must have a sense that they are useless to
save us.
3.
Faith toward God- We
understand that to repent of dead works leaves a void and we must look to God
to fill us up. This
can only be done by looking to the Lord Christ in faith.
4.
Resurrection of the dead-
We will
be raised and have everlasting life with God.
5.
Eternal judgment- Those who will not
repent and be saved will be judged by God and damned to hell forever.
These things seem both
foundational and worth revisiting. What is the apostle getting at? How is it
that we should desire meat and not merely milk? What is it to move on to the
deep things of God, not spending our time on the foundational principles?
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