WWUTT 1833 The Inheritance of the Promises (Hebrews 6:9-20)

We've heard some pretty harsh rebukes as we've been reading through this sermon in the book of Hebrews, but it's not all rebuking.

The pastor very much wants his hearers to know the assurance of their salvation when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text, studying God's word to reach all the riches of full assurance in Christ.

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Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you, Becky. In our study of Hebrews, we are in chapter 6, and picking up where I left off yesterday,

I'm going to start reading in verse 9 and go to the end of the chapter, verse 20. This is out of the

Legacy Standard Bible. Hear the word of the Lord. But we are convinced about you, beloved, of the things that are better and that belong to salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward his name in having ministered and continuing to minister to the saints.

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not become dull, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying,

I will greatly bless you and will greatly multiply you. And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

In the same way, God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and confirmed, and one which enters within the veil, where a forerunner has entered as for us,

Jesus having become a high priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.

There's the name of Melchizedek again, which had come up in chapter 5, but it was almost like we broke from the arguments that were being presented about Christ being in the order of Melchizedek, in order for there to be this rebuke toward the hearers, these

Hebrews, who were not growing in their faith as they should. So as said in chapter 5, verse 12, by this time, you ought to be teachers, but 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.

So it's as if the preacher wanted to go on to talk about these things, but he couldn't because his hearer's hearts had become dull.

You heard that word dull come up again in this particular section that we were reading. So there's a rebuke, or there's even a warning, if you would consider it more that way, not to continue in disobedience and then fall into unbelief.

Become like those who have fallen away, and it's impossible to renew them again to repentance, as we've read the first couple of days of this week and on Monday and Tuesday.

So here's the sections that we've looked at thus far and kind of how this fits in our outline.

I'm not going to go all the way back to the start of Hebrews. I'm just kind of talking that midway point or that ending passage there in chapter 5.

So that was kind of the beginning of this parenthetical, like we want to talk with you more about some of these deep truths, but we can't because you've become dull of hearing.

So it's that section which started in chapter 5. My pages are stuck together.

Chapter 5, verse 11 concerning him, concerning Melchizedek.

We have much to say, but it's hard to explain because you have become dull of hearing. That's where we saw the shift and the preacher is going to go on to talk about these things.

But first issuing this kind of rebuke to those who have not matured as they should and warning them that they would not fall into disobedience and unbelief.

So that particular section there, beginning at chapter 5, verse 11, and going all the way to chapter 6, verse 20.

We have this confrontation of spiritual immaturity, chapter 5, verses 11 through 14.

Then we have a call to press on to maturity. That's in chapter 6, kind of verses 1 through 3 and really 1 through 8.

But there's also the warning there about those who've fallen away. That's verses 4 through 8. So now we get to this last portion.

If we divide this section up into three parts, we have chapter 5, 11 to 14, chapter 6, 1 through 8, and then chapter 6, 9 to 20, where there is this call, this encouragement to continue in the faith and a word of comfort as well.

This is not just the preacher getting harsh with his hearers. He says that they are beloved.

He calls his audience beloved. So as much as he has been saying to them, be careful about the way that you go.

Watch your steps. Watch your walk of faith. Don't fall into disobedience and unbelief.

And then you lose the hope of that promise that we've been given from the gospel which we have heard. Yeah, there's some urgency here.

It might sound like harshness because the preacher is so urgent, but that's only because he doesn't want one more day to go by with any of these

Hebrews living in immaturity or disobedience, lest they fall into unbelief and they lose the prize that is guaranteed us in the gospel, the heavenly reward, eternal life with Jesus Christ our

Lord. So because there's that urgent tone to it, it may come across harsh, but we can tell here, especially by verse nine, the affection that the preacher has for his audience.

He calls them beloved. We are convinced about you, beloved.

We're not saying you're among those who have fallen away into unbelief and now it's impossible to renew you to repentance.

We're not saying that about you. We're convinced about you of the things that are better and that belong to salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

Yeah, there's that urgent call. Yes, there's rebuke and an exhortation that you not live one more day in disobedience, but that you would turn to the

Lord Jesus Christ and walk in the way that was first proclaimed to you when you heard the gospel, a very passionate call.

But you are still beloved. We're still convinced by you. You are our beloved. We know that you have taken hold of those things that are better, that belong to salvation, though we speak to you in this way.

For God is not unrighteous. So as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward his name in having ministered and continuing to minister to the saints, that's the statement there in verse 10.

So remember what we had at the end of the last section in verses seven and eight. There was this reminder that a person who is a genuine believer will show fruit, will show fruit of repentance, will show fruit of their faith.

They will be producing fruit because as Jesus said to his disciples, I am the vine, you are the branches so that you may bear fruit.

And apart from me, you can do nothing. If we are in Christ, we will bear fruit.

So we had the example of a fruitful harvest in verse seven.

But if it yields thorns and thistles, it's going to be thrown into the fire in verse eight. But what do we think about you?

We know that you have been walking in the way of salvation and God knows your work, the fruitfulness of your work and the love which you have shown toward his name in having ministered and continuing to minister to the saints.

Now once again, we are not saved by our works. You've heard me say that many times. That is a declaration of Paul in Galatians and in Hebrews, Ephesians two, eight and nine.

For by grace, you are saved through faith and not of works. This is a gift of God, not a result of anything that you have done so that no one has any cause to boast.

We don't boast in ourselves, but let our boasting be in the Lord. First Corinthians one 31.

So here you have done great works that confirm your faith. The works do not save us.

We're not saved by our works, but the works that we do, the good works that we're supposed to do demonstrate the genuineness of our faith.

Hence why James says in James chapter two, that faith without works is a dead faith. You say you have faith, but you can't see by your life that you genuinely, genuinely believe in the

Lord Jesus Christ and believe on his name and walk in his righteousness and obey his commands.

We should be able to see that in your life. Even though Paul has to rebuke his hearers of being dull of hearing, that's not to say to them that they aren't believers at all.

He can see by their works, the genuine love that they have for the gospel that they have heard, the savior that has been given for them.

And so he knows that they are fruitful. He knows that they are beloved. We know the love which you have shown toward his name because you've ministered to the saints in Matthew 25 when

Jesus receives the righteous into the eternal kingdom that was prepared for them by the father from before the foundation of the world.

He says to them that which you have done to the least of these brothers of mine, you have done also unto me.

That passage is often used to say that we need to help everybody who is marginalized. We need to be loving everybody out there who, you know, society would say is the least of these.

It's not according to what society says. It's according to how God defines the least of these.

And there in Matthew 25, it's specifically those who are in Christ. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be showing charity to anybody outside the body of Christ, but especially to the body of Christ.

Jesus said that which you have done to the least of these brothers of mine, you have done also to me.

He said to his disciples, a new commandment that I give to you, that you love one another.

In first John 310, by this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested.

Everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who does not love his brother.

The brothers and sisters that we have in the faith, if we are truly of God, then we will love the people of God.

We have been reconciled not just to God through faith in Jesus Christ, but we have been reconciled to his people.

And so the preacher here puts this as a measure of their fruitfulness, a proof of their fruitfulness.

I know that you've been fruitful. I know that you are walking in the way of salvation that was proclaimed to you because you show love to the saints.

Specifically, the others who are in Christ Jesus. Verse 11, and we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not become dull, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.

So this is very similar to something Peter says in second Peter chapter one. It's in chapter one, verse five, that he says, for this very reason, also applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence and in your moral excellence, knowledge and in your knowledge, self -control and in your self -control, perseverance and in your perseverance, godliness and in your godliness, brotherly kindness and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these things are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the full knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ. So this is Peter saying to his audience, confirm your calling and election by doing these things.

That you apply with all diligence in faith to excellence and leading all the way up to love.

So if you are in the faith, if you are if you have faith in Jesus and you believe in his word and you do what he says, then you are going to love one another.

You will prove it by loving his body. You love God, then you will love his people as well.

And so the preacher here in Hebrews six says, this is how we know you are of us and yet encourages them to continue in this so that they will not show themselves to be unqualified.

Confirm your calling and election. It's like the same way that Peter puts it in second Peter chapter one. We desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end.

Continue in this until the end, for it's as Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 10, he who endures to the end will be saved.

It's not enough that at one point in your life you proclaimed faith in Jesus.

You have to continue in that to the very end. And you're even growing in it.

Remember the rebuke. We would love to talk to you more about some of these things, but you've become dull of hearing.

You should be teachers yourselves by now, but you need to be taught the elementary stuff again.

So there was that rebuke that you're not growing up. Here's the encouragement to continue to grow.

And how do you grow? How do you grow in holiness and in righteousness and in sanctification?

How do you grow in obedience to the Lord by keeping his commands and this command he gives to us that we love one another?

That's also in first John chapter three and in chapter four. By this, love has been perfected in us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also we so also are we in this world.

That's first John four, 17. If God loves us, then we also ought to love one another.

Jumping up to verse seven. So first John four, seven beloved, let us love one another for love is from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows

God. So here in Hebrews six, the preacher is encouraging the church to continue to grow in that love that they would not show themselves to be unqualified, but they are maturing.

And this is how they mature so that you may not become dull, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises now coming up a little bit later on.

And you know this, but the preacher is going to give examples of the faith that we are to follow, specifically the

Old Testament faithful. We get to that in chapter 11, the hall of faith. But we give, we get a little bit of a taste of it here because the example that's given is

Abraham. Here's verse 13. For when God made the promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself saying,

I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you. There's kind of a mini reference and exposition of Genesis 22, 16 and 17 there.

This is the Lord blessing Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. Genesis 22, 16 by myself,

I have sworn declares Yahweh because you have done this thing and have not spared your son, your only son.

Indeed, I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

That's the reference right there. Verse 17 is what shows up here in Hebrews 6, 14.

I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you. The Lord swearing by himself, verse 15.

And so having patiently waited, he obtained the promise for men swear by one greater than themselves and with them, an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

A man says, this is what I'm going to do. Here's my oath. I'm going to fulfill it. And that's the end of the argument.

And so the Lord, by the same way, it says in verse 17, in the same way, God desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable miss of his purpose.

Guaranteed it with an oath. So God has purposed something. He's not going to change his mind.

He's not going to change the plan. There's not a plan B. This has been plan

A from the very beginning. And so God signifies it. He shows this is my oath.

I'm keeping it. And the unchangeable miss of God, he was the same yesterday, today and forever.

That's a statement that comes up a little bit later on in Hebrews. But God shows it. He guarantees it by making an oath.

Now he swears upon his own name. Notice that in verse 16, it says men swear by one greater than themselves.

And yet, who does God swear by? There's no one greater than him, but he still swears. He swears by his own name.

He swears by the greatest name, his own. There's no one higher than him to swear upon.

He swears upon himself, but it demonstrates the unchangeable miss of his nature. So we can know with confidence that when

God has said to us that we are saved by grace through faith in his son,

Jesus Christ, that we can know this as a guarantee because God has declared the oath.

We are greatly blessed in Christ. We are greatly multiplied in Christ.

And that there are many more who come to faith in Christ and are added to this body, this family of God until the day of glory.

So God guaranteed it with an oath. Verse 18. So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope that is set before us.

Now, different scholars will say different things about what these two unchangeable things are.

Some will say that it's the oath and the promise. After all, that's what's been mentioned here. Verse 15.

And so having patiently waited, he obtained the promise in the same way God desired to show through an oath so that by two unchangeable things you have the promise and the oath.

So that's one possibility. A second possibility is that it's in reference to the oath made to Abraham once again.

And then the second thing being the declaration that Jesus is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, because that's what's coming up next.

Jesus having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. So there's the oath with Abraham and the declaration that Christ is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

Whichever way you go with what those two things are, one of them is consistent in those two explanations.

It's the oath that was made to Abraham. But God showed through two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie.

So it's like two witnesses, right? Two witnesses that can verify God does not lie and he holds firm, holds true to his promises.

We who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope that is set before us.

It's such a great passage about the assurance of our salvation. God has set forth his plan in his son,

Jesus Christ, and he's not going to change it. So if you have faith in Christ, you are saved.

There's not going to be another plan, another offering. It's not going to be like this thing isn't going to work out or God's going to change his mind.

No, I've decided you're not really saved. If you're in Christ, you are saved. Verses 19 and 20, as we finish this up, this hope, which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and confirmed and one which enters within the veil where a forerunner has entered as for us,

Jesus having become a high priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, a high priest forever.

See, that's why, you know, that's a pretty convincing argument, I think, for the two unchangeable things being the oath that was made to Abraham and the other being the declaration that Jesus is a high priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, because that's not going to change.

He's a high priest forever. And furthermore, he's the only one. I believe the Greek word that's used there, which is aprobaten,

I'm not real fluent in Greek, but as I understand it, that word not only means that Christ is a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, but he's also the only high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

There's not going to be another. So it signifies he's there forever and he's the only one. There's no one else that joins him in that.

Christ has this office only as the high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

But again, all of this being said so that we would have assurance of our hope, assurance of our salvation, though it's been harsh, though it's been rebuking as we've been through the latter portion of chapter five in the early part of chapter six, yet there is this loving assurance.

We know that you are in the faith. And here's how you can know with confidence that you will remain in the faith, such a very lovingly pastoral comfort to his hearers.

I'm not just preaching this to make you feel bad. Here's how we know the grace of God that has been given to us in Jesus Christ.

So don't be like those who continue in disobedience that will then fall into unbelief.

And it will be impossible to renew them again to repentance since they crucify to themselves the son of God and put him to open shame.

That was back in verse six. But we need to continue to hold fast to this faith, growing with the saints in this faith that we may lay hold of the promise that is given to us in Christ Jesus, which

God has promised and will not take it away. For Christ is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

And so just as he is our high priest and he's in that position forever, we will be with him forever.

And we're going to talk more about this concept of Christ being a priest in the order of Melchizedek when we continue with our study of Hebrews into chapter seven next week.

God willing, let's finish with prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for the comfort that we've been given by your word.

But I also pray we hear the rebuke. We hear the strong admonishment not to continue in disobedience, not to continue in a way of sin that is contrary to God's word.

But if we love Jesus, we will walk in his ways as his disciples. We will do as he has asked, as he has commanded of us, knowing with confidence that in Christ Jesus, we have life everlasting, the forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God now and forevermore.

May this be the anchor for our souls today. And as we continue to walk in your ways day after day, it's in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. For more about our ministry, visit us online at www .utt .com.