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How to Attract a Congregation by C. H. Spurgeon

December 30, 2009 by ADMIN

I believe that the best, surest, and most permanent way to fill a place of worship is to preach the gospel, and to preach it in a natural, simple, interesting, earnest way. The gospel itself has a singularly fascinating power about it, and unless impeded by an unworthy delivery, or by some other great evil, it will win its own way. It certainly did so at the first, and what is to hinder it now? Like the angels, it flew upon its own wings; like the dew, it tarried not for man, neither waited for the sons of men. The Lord gave the word; great was the company of them that published it; their line went forth throughout all the world, and the nations heard the glad tidings from heaven.

The gospel has a secret charm about it which secures a hearing: it casts its good spell over human ears, and they must hearken. It is God’s own word to men; it is precisely what human necessities require; it commends itself to man’s conscience, and, sent home by the Holy Spirit, it wakes an echo in every heart.

In every age, the faithful preaching of the good news has brought forth hosts of men to hear it, made willing in the day of God’s power. I shall need a vast amount of evidence before I shall come to the conclusion that its old power is gone. My own experience does not drive me to such a belief, but leads me in the opposite direction. Thirty years of crowded houses leave me confident of the attractions of divine truth: I see nothing as yet to make me doubt its sufficiency for its own propagation. Shorn of its graciousness, robbed of its certainty, spoiled of its peculiarities, the sacred word may become unattractive; but decked in the glories of free and sovereign grace, wearing the crown-royal of the covenant, and the purple of atonement, the gospel, like a queen, is still glorious for beauty, supreme over hearts and minds. Published in all its fulness, with a clear statement of its efficacy and immutability, it is still the most acceptable news that ever reached the ears of mortals. You shall not in my most despondent moments convince me that our Lord was mistaken when he said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself.”

From The Sword and the Trowel (August, 1883)

Posted in C. H. Spurgeon, Reforming Reflections |

Regarding Prayer before Football Games by Jim Ehrhard

December 30, 2009 by ADMIN

Regarding Prayer before Football Games by Jim Ehrhard

An Honest, Biblical Response

This past year, the Supreme Court banned prayer before High School football games.  Many Christians have spoken in very pious terms about this action, calling it an evidence of persecution of Christians and advocating that Christians stand up for their rights by praying the Lord’s Prayer immediately after the National Anthem.  Christian radio stations tout such an approach as a way to “obey God rather than obeying man.  Such approaches are wrong theologically and historically.  However, the issue is emotionally charged.  Every time I mention this, I am accused of not being willing to stand for my Lord and of not being an evangelical Christian who cares about the gospel.  But we must be biblical in our responses, not cultural.  Some of the greatest mistakes made by the evangelical church historically have been when we have confused cultural values with biblical commands.  Please consider the following:

  1. The Bible never mentions praying before football games (or any other sporting event).  When we stand for Christ (obeying God rather than obey men), we must make sure that we are doing something that God has indeed commanded.  To pray before a football game is never commanded (though it may be permitted).
  2. We need to be logical rather than emotional.  While prayer at football games has been traditional, prayer at basketball games, baseball games, track meets, etc. has not.  Why is football so important to merit public prayer before games and other sports not?  What upsets many here is not the violation of a biblical principle (that God tells us to pray before sporting events), but the violation of a tradition that has little to nothing to do with true spirituality.  Most of the prayers prayed at football games are not spiritual but ceremonial, and often led by ministers who have nothing to do with the gospel.  This should concern us more than the Supreme Court’s decision to ban such prayers.
  3. To call this ban “persecution” is to minimize the sufferings of those who are truly persecuted for the preaching of the gospel.  It is to make prayer before football games as important as the preaching of the gospel.  First century Christians would be shocked to hear us call this persecution.  They were not permitted to meet together for services or to tell neighbors about the gospel—they would have thought it laughable if the Roman government had decided to rule against prayer before the games in the coliseum.  Don’t praise God for those who “stand up for the Lord in the face of persecution” by chanting a rote prayer before a football game.  It’s not even in the same league, so to speak.
  4. Furthermore, we should question the praying of a prayer that Jesus never told us to pray (The Lord’s Prayer).  He told His disciples to “pray after this manner.”  In the history of the Christian Church, those who used the Lord’s Prayer in such a rote fashion were the ones who most frequently persecuted the evangelical church.  Even today, the most liberal of churches pray the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday and we would not consider their ritual action to have anything to do with true prayer.  We must be careful about joining in such actions that have no biblical basis.
  5. Finally, we are commanded to honor our government and obey its laws unless those laws clearly contradict a command of God.  If the issue were preventing the gospel from being shared (as it was in Acts 4), then we should be willing, not only to go to jail for sharing the gospel, but even be willing to go to our death.  In this case, however, we do not have such an issue.  Instead, we are demonstrating to the world a rebellious spirit that does not witness for the Lord at all.  Consider the opposite.  What if the government had ruled that no Moslem prayers could be prayed, and following the national anthem, groups of Moslems stood up and defiantly chanted their prayers to “demonstrate their freedom” to obey God—would we praise such actions?  Not at all.  Christians everywhere would be offended and would call such actions rebellious (and probably demand that school authorities remove the Moslems from our games).  This is why we must be certain that our actions really do “obey” God rather that satisfy our cultural or traditional desires.

I normally do not respond to such issues but this is a serious one that is emotionally charged (I think because in many cities, football is almost as sacred as Christianity).  As believers, we need to make certain that we do stand for the Lord—where He has required—and not waste our energy and destroy our witness on issues that have nothing to do with the gospel.

I hope you will read this with understanding and search the Scriptures to see if these things are true.

Jim Ehrhard, Teaching Resources International

Posted in Jim Ehrhard, Reforming Reflections |

The Anchor by C. H. Spurgeon

December 30, 2009 by ADMIN

FAITH is the divinely-appointed way of receiving the blessings of grace. “He that believeth shall be saved,” is one of the main declarations of the gospel. The wonders of creation, the discoveries of revelation, and the movements of providence are all intended to create and foster the principle of faith in the living God. If God reveals aught it is that we should believe it. Of all the books of Holy Scripture it may be said, “these are written that ye might believe, and that believing ye might have life.” Even if God conceals anything, it is that we may be able to have confidence in him; since what we know yields but little space for trust compared with the unknown. Providence sends us divers trials, all meant to exercise and increase our faith, and at the same time in answer to prayer it brings us varied proofs of the divine faithfulness which serve as refreshments to our faith. Thus the works and the words of God cooperate to educate men in the grace of faith.

You might imagine, however, from the doctrine of certain teachers that the gospel was “Whosoever doubts shall be saved,” and that nothing could be more useful or honourable than for a man’s mind to hang in perpetual suspense, sure of nothing, confident of the truth of no one, not even of God himself. The doctrine of the blessedness of doubt is as opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ as darkness is to light, or Satan to Christ himself; it is invented as a quietus to the consciences of those proud men who refuse to yield their minds to the rule of God.

Have faith in God, for faith is in itself a virtue of the highest order. No virtue is more truly excellent than the simple confidence in the Eternal which a man is helped to exhibit by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Nay, not only is faith a virtue in itself, but it is the mother of all virtues. He that believeth becomes strong to labor, patient to suffer, fervent to love, earnest to obey, zealous to serve. Faith is a root from which may grow all that can adorn the human character. So far from being opposed to good works, it is the ever-flowing fountain from whence they proceed. Take faith away from the professed Christian and you have cut the sinew of his strength, like Samson you have shorn him of his locks, and left him with no power either to defend himself or to conquer his foes. “The just shall live by faith,”–faith is essential to the vitality of Christianity, and any thing which weakens that faith weakens the very mainspring of spiritual power.

Brethren, not only does our own experience teach us this, and the word of God declare it, but the whole of human history goes to show the same truth. Faith is force. Why, even when men have been mistaken, if they have believed the mistake they have displayed more power than men who have have known the truth, but have not heartily believed it; for the force that a man hath in dealing with his fellow men lies very much in the force of conviction which his beliefs have over his own soul. Teach a man the truth so that his whole heart believes in it, and you have given him both the fulcrum and the lever with which he may move the world.

Coming to our text, whose tone is far removed from all uncertainty, we see clearly that the Lord does not desire us to be in an unsettled condition, but would put an end to all uncertainty and questioning. As among men a fact is established when an honest man has sworn to it, so “God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his covenant, confirmed it by an oath.” Condescending to the weakness of human faith, he himself swears to what he declares, and thus gives us a gospel doubly certified by the promise and oath of the everlasting God.

In working out our text, I must direct you to its most conspicuous metaphor. This world is like a sea, restless, unstable, dangerous, never at one stay. Human affairs may be compared to waves driven with the wind and tossed. As for ourselves, we are the ships which go upon the sea, and are subject to its changes and motions. We are apt to be drifted by currents, driven by winds, and tossed with tempests: we have not yet come to the true terra firma, the rest which remaineth for the people of God; God would not have us carried about with every wind, and therefore he has been pleased to fashion for us an anchor of hope most sure and stedfast, so that we may outride the storm.

I. First, let me call your attention to THE DESIGN OF THE ANCHOR of which our text speaks.

The design of an anchor, of course, is to hold the vessel firmly to one place when winds and currents would otherwise remove it. God has given us certain truths, which are intended to hold our minds fast to truth, holiness, perseverance–in a word, to hold us to himself. But, why hold the vessel? The first answer which would suggest itself would be to keep it from being wrecked. The ship may not need an anchor in calm waters; when upon a broad ocean a little drifting may not be a very serious matter: but there are conditions of weather in which an anchor becomes altogether essential. When a gale is rushing towards the shore, blowing great guns, and the vessel cannot hold her course, but must surely be driven upon an iron-bound coast, then the anchor is worth its weight in gold. If the good ship cannot be anchored there will be nothing left of her in a very short time; the gallant vessel will go to pieces, and every mariner be drowned; now is the time to let down the anchor, the best bower anchor if you will, and let the good ship defy the wind.

Our God does not intend his people to be shipwrecked; shipwrecked and lost, however, they would be if they were not held fast in the hour of temptation. Brethren, if every wind of doctrine whirled you about at its will you would soon be drifted far away from the truth as it is in Jesus, and concerning it you would make shipwreck; but you cost your Lord too dear for him to lose you; he bought you at too great a price, and sets too great a store by you for him to see you broken to pieces on the rocks; therefore he has provided for you a glorious holdfast, that when Satan’s temptations, your own corruptions, and the trials of the world assail you, hope may be the anchor of your soul, both sure and stedfast.

If you have done business on the great waters for any length of time, you must be well aware that were it not for everlasting truths which hold you fast, your soul had long since been hurried into everlasting darkness, and the proud waters had long ere this have gone over your soul. When the mighty waves have lifted up themselves, your poor bark has seemed to go down to the bottom of the mountains, and had it not been for unchanging love and immutable faithfulness, your heart had utterly fainted. Nevertheless, here you are today, convoyed by grace, provisioned by mercy, steered by heavenly wisdom, and propelled by celestial power. Thanks to the anchor, or rather to the God who gave it to you, no storm has overwhelmed you; you are under way for the port of glory.

An anchor is also wanted to keep a vessel from discomfort, for even if it be not wrecked it would be a wretched thing to be driven hither and thither, to the north and then to the south, as winds may shift. Unhappy is he who is the creature of external influences, flying along like thistledown in the breeze, or a rolling thing before the whirlwind. We require an anchor to hold us so that we may abide in peace, and find rest unto our souls. Blessed be God, there are solid and sure truths infallibly certified to us, which operate powerfully upon the mind so as to prevent its being harassed and dismayed. The text speaks of “strong consolation.” Is not that a glorious word, — we have not merely consolation which will hold us fast and bear us up against the tempest in times of trouble, but strong consolation so that when affliction bursts forth with unusual strength, like a furious tornado, the strong consolation, like a sheet anchor, may be more than a match for the strong temptation, and may enable us to triumph over all. Very restful is that man who is very believing.

An anchor is wanted, too, to preserve us from losing the headway which we have made. The vessel has been making good way towards port, but the wind changes and blows in her teeth: she will be borned back to the port from which she started, or to an equally undesirable port, unless she can resist the foul wind; therefore, she puts down her anchor. The captain says to himself, “I have got so far and I am not going to be drifted back. Down goes my anchor, and here I stop.”

Saints are sometimes tempted to return to the country whence they came out, they are half inclined to renounce the things which they have learned, and to conclude that they never were taught of the Lord at all. Alas, old Adam plucks us back, and the devil endeavors to drive us back, and were it not for something sure to hold to, back we should go. If it could be proved to be, as certain cultivated teachers would have us believe, that there are no eternal verities, no divine certainties, no infallible truths, then might we willingly surrender what we know or think we know, and wander about on the ocean of speculation, the waifs and strays of mere opinion: but while we have the truth, taught to our very souls by the Holy Ghost, we cannot drive from it, nor will we though men count us fools for our steadfastness. Those who know anything experimentally about divine things have cast their anchor down, and as they heard the chain running out, they joyfully said, “This I know, and have believed. In this truth I stand fast and immovable. Blow winds and crack your cheeks, you will never move me from this anchorage: whatsoever I have attained by the teaching of the Spirit, I will hold fast as long as I live.”

Moreover, the anchor is needed that we may possess constancy and usefulness. The man who is easily moved and believeth this today and that tomorrow, is a fickle creature. Who knows where to find him? Of what use is he to the younger sort and the feeble folk, or indeed to any one else? Like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed, what service can he render in the work of the Lord, and how can he influence others for good? He believes not, how can he make others believe?

Our God has provided us an anchor to hold us fast lest we be shipwrecked, lest we be unhappy, lest we lose the progress we have made, and lest our character should become unstable, and therefore useless. These purposes are kind and wise; let us bless the Lord who has so graciously cared for us.

II. Secondly, I invite you to consider THE MAKE OF THE ANCHOR. “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation.”

Anchor-making is very important work. The anchor-smith has a very responsible business, for if he makes his anchor badly, or of weak material, woe to the shipmaster when the storm comes on. Anchors are not made of cast iron, nor of every kind of metal that comes to hand, but they are made of wrought iron, strongly welded, and of touch, compact material, which will bear all the strain that is likely to come upon it at the worst of times. If anything in this world should be strong, it should be an anchor, for upon it safety and life often depend.

What is our anchor? It has two great blades or flukes to it, each of which acts as a holdfast. It is made of two divine things. The one is God’s promise, a sure and stable thing indeed. We are very ready to take a good man’s promise, but perhaps the good man may forget to fulfill it, or be unable to do so: neither of these things can occur with the Lord, he cannot forget and he cannot fail to do as he has said. Jehovah’s promise what a certain thing it must be! If you had nothing but the Lord’s bare word to trust to surely your faith should never stagger. To this sure word is added another divine thing, namely, God’s oath. Beloved, I scarcely dare speak upon this sacred topic. God’s oath, his solemn assertion, his swearing by himself! Conceive the majesty, the awe, the certainty of this! Here, then, are two divine assurances, which like the flukes of the anchor hold us fast. Who dares to doubt the promise of God? Who can have the audacity to distrust his oath?

We have for our anchor two things, which, in addition to their being divine, are expressly said to be immutable — that is, two things which cannot change. When the Lord utters a promise he never runs back from it. Hath he said and shall he not do it? Hath he promised and shall it not stand fast? He changeth never, and his promise abideth from generation to generation. Then comes the oath, which is the other immutable thing; how could that be altered? God has pledged the honor of his name, and it is not supposable that, under such circumstances, he will retract his engagements and deny his own declarations.

Notice next of these two things that is said — “Wherein it is impossible for God to lie.” It is inconsistent with the very idea and thought of God that he should be a liar. It cannot be, God must be true: true in his nature, true in his thoughts, true in his designs, true in his acts, and assuredly true in his promises and true in his oath. “Wherein it is impossible for God to lie.” Oh, beloved, what blessed holdfasts have we here!” If hope cannot rest on such assurances what could it rest upon?

But now, what is this promise, and what is this oath? The promise is the promise given to Abraham that his seed should be blessed, and in this seed should all nations of the earth be blessed also. To whom was this promise made? Who are the “seed”? In the first place, the seed is Jesus, who blesses all nations; and next, our apostle has proved that this promise was not made to the seed according to the flesh, but to the seed according to the spirit. Who, then, are the seed of Abraham according to the spirit? Why, believers; for he is the father of the faithful, and God’s promise, therefore, is confirmed to all who exhibit the faith of believing Abraham. To Christ himself, and to all who are in Christ, is the covenant made sure, that the Lord will bless them for ever and make them blessings.

And what is the oath? That may refer to the oath which the Lord swore to Abraham after the patriarch had offered up his son, for which see the twenty-second chapter of Genesis: but I think you will agree with me if I say it more probably refers to the oath recorded in the one hundred and tenth Psalm, which I would have you notice very carefully, “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” I think this is referred to , because the twentieth verse of our text goes on to say, “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Now, beloved, I want you to see this anchor. Here is one of its hold-fasts, God has promised to bless the faithful, he has declared that the seed of Abraham, namely believers, shall be blessed, and made a blessing. Then comes the other arm of the anchor, which is equally strong to hold the soul, namely, the oath of the priesthood, by which the Lord Jesus is declared to be a priest for ever on our behalf; not an ordinary priest after the manner of Aaron, beginning and ending a temporary priesthood, but without beginning of days or end of years, living on for ever; a priest who has finished his sacrificial work, has gone in within the veil, and sits down for ever at the right hand of God, because his work is complete, and his priesthood abides in its eternal efficacy. This is a blessed anchor to the soul: to know that my Priest is within the veil; my King of righteousness and King of peace is before the throne of God for me, representing me, and therefore I am in him for ever secure. What better anchor could the Comforter himself devise for his people? What stronger consolation can the heirs of promise desire?

III. We have no time to linger, though tempted to do so, and therefore I ask you to advance in the third place to notice OUR HOLD OF THE ANCHOR. It would be of no use for us to have an anchor, however good, unless we had a hold of it. The anchor may be sure, and may have a steadfast grip, but there must be a strong cable to connect the anchor with the ship. Formerly it was very general to use a hempen cable, but large vessels are not content to run the risk of breakage and therefore they use a chain cable for the anchor. It is a grand thing to have a solid substantial connection between your soul and your hope; to have a confidence which is surely your own, from which you can never be separated.

Our text speaks plainly bout this laying hold of the anchor in the end of the 18th verse — “That we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” We must personally lay hold on the hope, but we are bound to grasp it and hold it fast. As with an anchor the cable must pass through the ring, and so be bound to it, so must faith lay hold upon the hope of eternal life. The original Greek signifies “to lay hold by main force and so to hold as not to lose our hold when the greatest force would pull it from us.” We must take firm hold of firm truth.

“Well,” saith one, “but may we lay hold upon it”? My answer is, the text says it is “set before us,” — to “lay hold of the hope set before us.” You may grasp it for it is set before you. If any of you were very faint and hungry, and you came to a person’s house, and he said “sit down,” and you sat down at the table, and when you sat there the master set before you a good joint of meat and some very pleasant fruits, and the like, you would not long question whether you might eat them, but would infer your liberty to do so because the food was set before you. Assuredly this is the welcome of the gospel. The hope is set before you. For what purpose is it so set? That you may turn your back upon it? Assuredly not. Lay hold upon it, for wherever truth is met with it is both our duty and our privilege to lay hold upon it. All the warrant that a sinner wants for laying hold on Christ is found in the fact that God has set Christ forth to be a propitiation for our sins. Christian man, you are in a storm; here is an anchor. Do you ask “May I use that anchor”? It is set before you for that very purpose. I warrant you there is no captain here but what if he were in a storm, and saw an anchor set before him, he would use it at once and ask no questions. The anchor might be none of his, it might happen to be on board as a piece of merchandise; he would not care about that. “The ship has got to be saved. Here is an anchor; over it goes.” Act thus with the gracious hope which God provides for you in the gospel of Jesus Christ: lay hold on it now and ever more.

Now, notice that our hold on the anchor should be a present thing and a conscious matter, for we read, “which hope we have.” We are conscious that we have it. No one among us has any right to be at peace if he does not know that he has obtained a good hope through grace. May you all be able to say, “which hope we have.”

IV. Fourthly, and very briefly, let us speak of THE ANCHOR’S HOLD ON US. A ship has hold upon her anchor by her chain cable, but at the same time, the most important thing is that the anchor keeps its hold upon the ship; and so, because it has entered into the ground of the sea bottom, holds the vessel hard and fast.

Brethren, do you know anything about your hope holding you? It will hold you if it is a good hope; you will not be able to get away from it, but under temptation and depression of spirit, and under trial and affliction, you will not only hold your hope that is your duty, but your hope will hold you–that is your privilege. When the devil tempts you to say, “I will give it all up,” a power unseen will speak out of the infinite deeps, and will reply, “But I shall not give you up, I have a hold of you, and none shall separate us.” Brethren, our security depends far more upon God’s holding us than our holding to him. Our hope in God that he will fulfil his oath and promise has a mighty power over us, far more than equal to all the efforts of the world, the flesh, and the devil to drag us away.

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Posted in C. H. Spurgeon |

Search The Scriptures

December 30, 2009 by ADMIN

Christian, if you can once and for all break your engagement to the flesh and become a free man in Christ, truth will be your steadfast friend.

Study God’s Word faithfully as well. Satan has a habit of stopping the ears from hearing sound doctrine before he opens them to listen to corrupt. He will, as often as he can, pull a saint away from God’s Word and talk him into rejecting some point of truth. But he who rejects the truth of one doctrine, loses the blessing of them all. Paul predicted how this would happen: “They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Do not pretend you want to be led into truth if you will not bother to study the whole word of God. You are no different from a child who says he wants to learn, yet plays the truant. Such a child must be disciplines. Because your heavenly Father loves you, He will bring you back to the Word with shame and sorrow, rather than leave you trapped in Satan’s lies.

As you study and grow, be wary of new doctrine. Do not hastily accept everything you hear, even from the pulpit. Now I admit that to reject a doctrine simply because we have never heard it before is foolish. But we have every right to wait and inquire before embracing it. When you hear a new notion about the truth, go to God in prayer and seek His counsel. Search the Scriptures. Discuss it with your pastor and with other Christians whose wisdom and maturity you trust.

The truth will stand up under scrutiny. It is a fruit that never bruises or spoils from handling. But error, like fish, begins to stink after a few days. Therefore, let new ideas sit before you make a meal of them. You do not want to poison your soul with rotting mackerel when you could be feasting on manna from heaven!

From William Gurnall’s The Christian in Complete Armour.

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Posted in William Gurnall |

Falling Away by Jim Ehrhard

December 30, 2009 by ADMIN

Fear has the power to paralyze. If you’ve ever been alone on a dark night and heard an unusual sound, you know how paralyzing fear can be. One pastor remarked: “Fear is the devil’s scarecrow to keep us out of God’s corn.”

The Israelites came to the edge of the Promised Land. They set spies into the land who returned with a fearful report. Rather than move forward into a land of milk and honey, the Israelites were paralyzed at Kadesh-Barnea.

Nothing should be more fearful than the possible loss of one’s salvation. Yet many believers live in constant fear that, one day, they might lose their salvation through some act or lifestyle of disobedience. The writer of Hebrews believed that Jesus’ death removed any such fear for believers: “He shared like wise in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). In other words, Jesus’ death on the cross should lead to assurance in His completed work, not to continued fear.

But whenever the issue of assurance is raised, someone always retorts, “Yea, but what about Hebrews 6?” Many see in Hebrews 6:4-6 a passage providing air-tight proof that one can lose his salvation. I once believed that. In fact, my whole theology of the loss of salvation revolved, in particular around that one passage. However, while preaching through the Book of Hebrews, I came to realize that the context did not support my interpretation. Hebrews 6 is not about the loss of salvation; it is about the security of true believers.

The Context of Hebrews 6

First, let’s consider the context of the Book of Hebrews. The first thing we notice is that it is written to Jewish believers considering returning to their Jewish rituals to find their security. Their situation is similar to that of the Galatians who wanted to add their Jewish rituals to the work of Jesus on the cross. Paul reminded the Galatians that those who take such an approach are “fallen from grace.”

Here the writer of Hebrews reminds the Jews of the foolishness of returning to something inferior (the old law and Jewish rituals). In Chapter 3, he reminds them that Jesus the Son is greater than Moses the Servant. In Hebrews 7-9, he shows them the particular ways in which this new covenant is “a better covenant” than the old covenant. “Why seek assurance of salvation through something that is inferior to what you have in Jesus?” is the idea that the writer sets forth.

The second thing we notice are warnings about “not entering into God’s rest.” Here the writer uses the experience of the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea to illustrate the results of “drawing back.” Their punishment was that they wandered in the wilderness instead of entering into the Promised Land. Many have interpreted this to mean that believers who do not press on lose their salvation: the Israelites did not enter the Promised Land – these believers will not enter Heaven.

But such an interpretation hangs on the fact that the typology is correct. Is the Promised Land synonymous with Heaven? We know it is in Negro spirituals but is it here in Hebrews? The typology is this: all who did not enter the Promised Land are types of all who do not enter heaven. While most today might not see any problem with that reasoning, any Jew would consider your conclusion ridiculous. After all, one very important person who left Egypt with these Israelites also failed to make it to the Promised Land: Moses. If these are examples of unbelievers who did not gain heaven (the Promised Land), then what is Moses?

Surely you see the problem. Surely there must be another typology present in the writer’s mind. There is. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Red Sea is seen as the picture of passing from death into life. Indeed, in 1 Corinthians 10:2, Paul reminds the Corinthians that “all [who] passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses.” If you asked an Israelite, “When was Israel saved?”, they would respond, “When we passed through the Sea.” Not, when they entered the Promised Land.

What, then, is the Promised Land a picture of? Jesus promised believers that they would not only have life, but “have it more abundantly.” In other words, the Christian life is designed to be a life overflowing with “milk and honey.” Many through fear, disobedience, and unbelief fail to enter into that life. Instead of enjoying the blessings of their relationship with the Lord in this life, they wander aimlessly just as Israel did in the wilderness.

The third observation from the context of Hebrews supports this interpretation. Be careful to notice what these believers are in danger of losing. Is it their salvation? In Hebrews 6:9, the writer says they could lose “things that accompany salvation.” In other places (Hebrews 6:12 and 10:34-36, for example), tells them that they will lose “rewards” and “promises” not salvation.

Second, let’s consider the context of Hebrews 6 itself. In the passage that precedes (Hebrews 5:12-6:3), the issue is a failure to grow as a believer. If Hebrews 6:4-6 is about losing salvation, then we would need to warn people that fail to grow and become teachers that they will lose their salvation! (That may be great for Sunday School recruitment but it is terrible theology.) In the section that follows (Hebrews 6:7-20), the focus is on assurance. In verse 10, the writer notes that God will not forget to reward us for the things we have done in ministry. In verse 11, he desires that every reader come to a “full assurance” of salvation which is not possible in the theologies that teach you can lose your salvation. In verses 13-20, the writer concludes this section by pointing to the basis for assurance – not our deeds, but God’s promise and Jesus” finished work.

Issues in Hebrews 6

Three initial questions arise as we consider Hebrews 6. First, are those who “fall away” believers or non-believers? Many evangelicals have attempted to ignore this warning by claiming it was written about non-believers. Someone has said that it referred to “professors of eternal life, not possessors of eternal life.” Puritan John Owen and Baptist preacher John Gill interpreted it to refer to those who were “externally” believers, not internally believers.

However, neither the context nor the passage will allow such an interpretation. Note the use of “we” in verse 3. The writer seems to include himself in these categories. When we read the list of descriptions given in verses 4-5, we would naturally conclude that the writer is referring to believers. Indeed, Charles Spurgeon notes about these verses: “If the Holy Spirit intended to describe Christians, I do not see that he could have used more explicit terms than these are here.”

The second question relates to the issue of losing salvation. To begin with, the passage does not mention salvation. It states that it is “impossible to renew them to repentance.” While repentance is clearly required for salvation, it would be wrong to equate every use of the word as being salvation. Indeed, the New Testament makes it clear that even believers need to repent continually. Beyond that, the language of verse 6 could be translated in one of two ways: “It is impossible to renew them to repentance since they crucify…” or “while they crucify…” Hence, the writer could be indicating not a permanent condition (since) but rather a condition that will not change as long as the believer remains in this state (while).

If interpreted as the loss of salvation, these verses present a number of theological problems. In verse 4, the writer of Hebrews mentions the “gift” but, if it is not truly free, then is it truly a gift? Secondly, there is the question of the role of God in salvation. Again, the writer of Hebrews alludes to his understanding that the issue of security lies with God. In verse 3, he notes that we can press on “if God permits.” In other words, we have a part to play in our growth, but ultimately it all rests in God’s hands. In Philippians 2:12-13, we see the same tension: “Work out [not work for] your own salvation, for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do, for His good pleasure.”

To interpret this passage as losing salvation, one must also question what God has said regarding His “keeping power.” In verses like Philippians 1:6 and 1 Peter 1:5, God indicates His power and willingness to keep those who are His. The writer of Hebrews also taught that the security of our salvation rested not on us but on the prayers of Jesus for us (see Hebrews 7:25). If one who is saved becomes lost, then Jesus is shown to be ineffective in His praying for us.

The final question to be raised relates to the issue of apostasy or falling away that we discussed in the previous article. What is it that the passage indicates they fall away from? Salvation is not mentioned in the passage. The context suggests that the writer is warning about the failure of believers to press on in Christian growth and service. They have fallen away, not from salvation, but from pressing on to be what they have been called to be.

Evidences of Falling Away

Before we leave this passage, we must ask what is the warning given so that we may heed it ourselves today.

Three evidences of one who is falling away are given in the last verses of Chapter 5. Not Hearing the Word is one evidence (vs. 11). The writer says they have become dull of hearing. Like those who no longer hear the passing train after years of living by the tracks, these readers had become dull to the word of God. They sit in congregations week after week and hear the Word but it no longer impacts their lives as it once did because they have become dull of hearing.

A second evidence is Not Growing (vv. 12-13). Here the writer says that they ought to be teachers. While they have been taught much, they have not grown to the point that they are able to teach others. Instead, they continually need to be taught the simple things again and again. The illustration used by the writer compares milk with their intake of God’s Word. To understand this word picture, we must be reminded of what milk is to babies. In simple terms, it is pre-digested food. The baby is unable to chew and digest for itself so the mother eats the food and gives nourishment to the child through her milk.

There is nothing wrong with milk for nourishment when you are a baby. But as one gets older, they need to eat for themselves. Believers in danger of falling away are those who still depend solely upon milk (predigested teaching of God’s Word) for their nourishment. they should be able to eat (enjoy God’s Word) for themselves but they can not. They continue to rely on others for all they receive.

Such is the sad state of most Sunday Christians. The only nourishment they receive from the Bible is a Sunday morning sermon or Bible class. The rest of the week, their Bibles sit untouched while their souls go unnourished. They ought to be teachers by now but instead someone has to keep teaching them. Such are in danger of falling away.

The third evidence of falling away is Not Practicing. In Hebrews 5:14, the writer distinguishes between those that are “trained” and those that are not. Those who have trained themselves have done so by putting what they have learned into practice. Those in danger of falling away are those who hear but never practice what they have been taught. This concern was made even more clear in Hebrews 2:1: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest we drift away.”

The Effects of Falling Away

The writer also suggests three effects of this condition. First, those who are in danger of falling away have No Building. In Hebrews 6:1, he speaks of laying a foundation in believer’s lives. Paul uses a similar analogy in 1 Corinthians 3:9-13.

What a sad state is used to describe these believers. They have the foundation (Jesus) but live in a house with no walls or roof. No wonder the Christian life is frustrating for them. They have not built anything upon that foundation. When the storms of life beat upon them, they have no protection (compare Matthew 7:24-27).

Second, these have No Witness. Hebrews 6:6 describes the shame that such a one causes the Lord Jesus. Rather than being a light pointing to Jesus, these are continually putting Jesus to “an open shame.”

A story is told about Peter escaping a Roman prison during the persecutions under Nero. As Peter is fleeing out of Rome, he is surprised to see Jesus going into Rome. He stopped Jesus and asked: “My Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied,” I’m going to Rome to die in your place.” With that, Peter turned around, returned to Rome, and died a martyr’s death on a cross. However, when the time came to be crucified, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, saying, “I am not worthy to die as my Lord died.” When believers do not press on to live for the Lord, they fall away, and “crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame.”

No Fruit is the third effect of falling away. In verses 7-8, the writer of Hebrews gives an illustration of what he has referred to in Hebrews 6:4-6. There he pictures two plots of ground. Both receive the same rain but they produce different results. One produces fruits useful to the one who cultivates (the Lord); the other produces thorns and briars.

The effects of falling away are serious. They result in believers having no building, no witness, and no fruit.

End Results

Verses 7 and 8 also speak of the end results of theses two types of lives. The one that goes on to maturity is “useful” to the Lord and thereby “receives blessing from God.” The second that falls back and bears only thorns and briars receives a burning.

The Scriptures speak of two types of burnings. One is for eternity; the other is for testing and purifying. In 1 Corinthians 3:14-15, the apostle Paul describes the burning of testing. There he makes it clear that we will all experience this fire but that some whose works are nothing but wood, hay and straw, will find their deeds completely consumed on that final day. But what will be the eternal result of this burning? Will they lose their salvation? No, Paul clearly states that, though they will suffer loss, “they will be saved though as through fire.”

The writer of Hebrews seems to be speaking of that same type of burning in Hebrews 6. Notice carefully the words he uses. The ground is not cursed (which might indicate a loss of salvation) but “near to being cursed.” And “its end is for burning.” In other words, God will not take their salvation away, but will expose the sum of their lives to His fire. An even if all is lost (1 Corinthians 3), they will not be lost.

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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