Moving On Up

by Don Vess

Heb 5:12-14, 6:1-3 For though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

6:1-3 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith
toward God, of the doctrine of baptism, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead,
and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

Can you imagine dropping your first grader off in school and you see a 60 plus year old
person sitting there who just didn’t want to learn their ABC’s and subsequently has had to
repeat the grade over and over in a room full of first graders because they were slothful
and refused to learn. We would find that to be quite strange, wouldn’t we?

Yet this scenario happens all the time in the Christian community. Many believers who
have known the Lord for many years have remained at the same level of spiritual maturity
ever since they were baby Christians.

They have never applied themselves or gotten serious about their spiritual growth and
development and subsequently remained spiritually immature and unsteady in their faith.
They could and should be much further along in their spiritual growth but because they
were never diligent about their walk with God, they keep repeating the basics over and
over again.

Heb 6:1 refers to the “principles of the doctrine of Christ.”
Principles: Grk- arches: denoting something that is original, early, or from the beginning, or
beginners. They comprise the basic elementary principles that every believer should know, as
well as the first steps of faith that every baby Christian should be able to take. In other words,
these are the ABCs of the Christian faith.

 The foundation of repentance from dead works: foundation- Grk. Themelios:
compound word- lithos- stone and the word tithemi: to place. Combined, they mean;
something that is set in stone; a foundation that cannot be easily moved or shaken; or
something so solid that it will endure the test of time. Together they form the word
Themelios: which means foundation.

By using this word, the writer of Hebrews is telling us that if we are serious about
our walk with God, our understanding of repentance should be set in stone. This
truth should make us “solid as a rock, so much that we are immovable and
unshakable when it comes to the subject of repentance.

Sadly, this isn’t the case in most modern churches. A survey reveals that the majority of
churchgoers cannot provide an accurate definition of the word repentance.

Hebrews 6:1 states that our knowledge concerning repentance should be firm and set in
stone. It should never have to be repeated or taught to us again. It reads, “…not laying
again the foundation of repentance from dead works…”

The words “not laying again” are derived from the Greek word kataballo: compound- kata
and ballo. Kata: means down, and ballo: means to throw. When joined together the word
kataballo: means to throw something down or to lay something down.

This tells us something very important: The elementary principles of the Christian faith
should be laid down in our lives like a strong foundation as soon as we come to Christ. That
is why it is so important for new believers to enroll in our foundations class (The Purple
Book Room 105) as soon as possible. It is good even for “seasoned saints” to go through just
for review to make sure the foundation is strong. And we should “get it” and “live it.” The
foundation should be so strong that there would never be a need for us to go back and have
to lay it down again.

Repentance: metanoeo: refers to a complete, radical, total change. A decision to completely
change or to entirely turn around in the way one is thinking, believing, or living.
This is the first and foremost action a new believer is to do when their heart is touched by
the Holy Spirit and a new birth happens. It is the true indicator of a life that is being
transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 NKJV …repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of your sins;and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Heb. 6:1 says that seasoned believers should be able to leave the fundamental truths behind
and “go on unto perfection”. The NLT says, “So let us stop going over the basic teachings
about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become “more mature in our
understanding.”

The words “go on” are Greek word phero: to carry or to bear.
“The tense used in verse paints the picture of a force that carries one onward or a force that
bears one further. It could literally be translated, “let us be carried, and conveys the idea that
as we grow spiritually, the Holy Spirit picks us up and personally carries us forward in our
knowledge and understanding of God.” Rick Renner

Where is the Holy Spirit carrying us?

Heb 6:1 He is carrying us toward perfection.

Perfection: Grk. Teleiotes: refers to a child graduationg from one class to the next until he
reaches full maturity.

This means as we grow and mature in Christ we are “Moving on up” to maturity. We are not
as Isaiah said of the people of Israel, “Every learning but never coming to the knowledge of
the truth.” But we are growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ and the principles of the
Word are not just being deposited into our gray matter but are being enveloped and developed
into what makes us who we are, Children of God.

Peter sounds a clear warning to the church, especially in relation to the “Last Days.” And I
believe this is where we are in relation to God’s prophetic time clock.

2 Peter 3:8-18 NLT- But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: a day is like a
thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord is not really
being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake.
He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the Day of
the Lord will come as unexpectantly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a
terrible noise, and the very elements will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything in
it will be found to deserve judgment. 11 Since everything is going to be destroyed like this,
what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and
hurrying it along (What will hasten the coming of the Lord? Matt 24:14 NLT- [And the
good news of Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations
(ethnos: people groups) will hear it; AND THEN THE END WILL COME.] On that day, He
will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are
looking forward to the new heaven and new earth He has promised, a world filled with
God’s righteousness.

14 And dear friends, WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN,
make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.
15 And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our
beloved Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in
all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand (to the Jewish mind), and
those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite
different (still happening today) just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will
result in their destruction.

17 I AM WARNING you ahead of time, dear friends. BE ON GUARD so that you will not
be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18
RATHER, YOU MUST GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD
AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. All glory to Him, both now and forever. Amen.

Discipleship requires “discipline”. Of course, a disciple is mathetes “One who is disposed to
learn, or a learner”- so as we have laid the foundation by repenting from the dead works of
our past and have turned to Christ, we must commit to learning of Him in every aspect of
our lives. Matt. 11:28- “Come unto Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you and LEARN OF ME…

CALL TO RESPOND: Perhaps you have never really taken the first step of believing,
“Repentance”. You may have had a head response, “Oh, I believe”. But you now must have a
heart, mind, and soul response. You must REPENT, that is turn away from the way you used
to think, act, and plan for your lives and turn TO Christ and be willing to find and follow His
will for your life.

A commitment for Growth: “Lord, with your help, I commit to being a disciple (a learner) of
Your ways and as I learn, I will apply Your principles to my life so that I can growe and
become mature in the things of God. Amen.”