Hebrews 6:9-20 - Homiletics

Another exhortation to steadfastness.

Each stage in the argument of the Epistle is relieved by a hortatory passage intended to confirm and cheer the Hebrews in their Christian faith. Indeed, the one duty upon Which the whole book lays stress is that of believing steadfastness.

I. THE EXHORTATION . It assumes various forms.

1. " Be not sluggish. " ( Hebrews 6:12 ) The Hebrews, in the perplexity of their situation by reason of the temptations of Judaism, had begun to sink into spiritual listlessness. We, too, are extremely prone to carry our Christian profession without earnestness, and to do our Christian work without energy.

2. " Show the same diligence. " ( Hebrews 6:11 ) The Hebrews had bestirred themselves in bestowing sympathy and succor upon their afflicted brethren, and the apostle longs to see them equally energetic in other departments of Christian duty. Success in spiritual life, as in any other sphere, can only be attained in connection with diligence.

3. Seek " the full assurance of hope. " ( Hebrews 6:11 ) They must not waver between Christianity and Judaism, but cherish an unfaltering persuasion of the reality of gospel blessings, notwithstanding that the full fruition of these is reserved for the future life.

II. SOME ENCOURAGEMENTS . In this paragraph the apostle does not prolong the terrific strain of the preceding verses. To continue it longer would have but depressed the hearts of his readers, and defeated his own benignant purpose towards them. So, after we have, as it were, trodden ( Hebrews 6:4-8 ) upon the hot lava of a volcano, we now enter ( Hebrews 6:9 ) upon a smiling and beautiful landscape, all carpeted with green and blossoming with flowers. "A bruised reed shall he not break," expresses the spirit of the passage now before us. We have here a variety of encouragements.

1. The fruit which their faith had borne already. ( Hebrews 6:9 , Hebrews 6:10 ) Brotherly love is a principal trait of the Christian character; and the Hebrews had been kind to their afflicted fellow-believers, for Jesus' sake. God had not forgotten their liberality; and to the apostle it had seemed as an evidence of the reality of their conversion. The spiritual attainments which a believer has already reached should encourage him to perseverance.

2. The example of their sainted ancestors. ( Hebrews 6:12 ) Imitation occupies a principal place in our life, and is an important factor in the development of character. It wields immense power in the domain of morals and religion. So, the Bible is very largely a Book of biographies; and these are given us to incite us to follow the footsteps of the good and true. We, as well as these Hebrew converts, should be "imitators" of the peerage of Old Testament heroes ( Hebrews 11:1-40 ). And we of this century should imitate, besides, the great soul-stars of Christendom, the fathers of our own Church, the sainted men of our town, the departed of our own sanctuary, and of our own fireside.

3. God's faithfulness to his word and oath. ( Hebrews 6:13-18 ) Having singled out particularly the steadfastness of Abraham, and quoted God's oath to him ( Genesis 22:16-18 ), the author shows that this oath is still a strong encouragement to Abraham's children who have embraced Christianity. For the Divine promise and oath to Abraham were spiritual rather than temporal; they have been continued to us; and they have been confirmed by the cross of Christ, and sealed by his resurrection and ascension ( 2 Corinthians 1:20 ).

4. The greatness of the Christian's hope. ( Hebrews 6:19 , Hebrews 6:20 ) The Jewish temple and the institutions of the theocracy were very soon to pass away forever; so that it was unreasonable to place reliance upon them. The one sure anchorage of spiritual hope is in that heavenly sanctuary which Jesus has entered for us as our everlasting High Priest.