Hebrews 6:4-6 Losing Your Salvation

For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6 NLT)

Observation:

The writer of Hebrews is addressing the Jews who have never accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. They have heard the gospel, seen the miracles, and have attended "church" and even said all the right things, but they have never humbled themselves and allowed God to flood them with His grace.

It is argued that the writer is talking about losing your salvation. However, I believe that verse 17 of chapter 6 refutes that theory. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. (Hebrews 6:17 NLT).

God can not be unfaithful and He can not break His promises. Once you have received salvation, it is impossible to lose it. So if it is easy to walk away from Christ or to just cheer in the stands but never be obedient to what He is asking you to do, the question that should be asked is if you are truly saved at all. A relationship with Christ was never meant to be a superficial encounter, it was and is meant to be life changing from the inside out and once Christ begins that inside work He promises to complete it (Philippians 1:6). And nothing can break that promise...thank You Jesus!

Application:

Although there were definitely verses I could SOAP on before these verses, when I read these specific verses my heart lept. When I first started to pursue my relationship with Christ, my life went to hell. Both rejection and unjust persecution lead me on a path to hopelessness that eventually lead to a desire a to kill myself. At the moment where I was ready to give up on me, I also shook my fist at God and told Him that I was giving up on Him as well. But God remained faithful to hold me, even though I had let go of Him. I gained a deep understanding through that experience that I was saved by grace and not my own performance. 

Nevertheless, I have been questioned on the legitimacy of my salvation because I shook my fist at God and told Him that I was done with Him. Through this scripture, I now understand that it was through that moment that I actually received salvation. I had gotten to the end of myself, I could clearly see myself in the crowd yelling crucify, no better than the Jews that had gone before me. And like the Jews, Jesus said "forgive her for she knows not what she does". Ah the blessedness of grace. 

Prayer:

Father, thank You for saving me. I had learned how to perform well and it was a pretty big task set before You to humble me and help me understand my desperate need for grace. That time in my life was the most difficult and hopeless, but looking back at it now, I see Your faithfulness and it is gives a great sense of hope for the future. This hope is an anchor for my soul. I love You!

Hebrews 4:15-16 Our High Priest

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Observation:

Jesus, Son of God, is our high priest. Before we can embrace this role, we have to first understand the position of high priest. A high priest is someone who according to Hebrew order was in charge of tabernacle worship. They had to be direct descendent from the line of Aaron. A high priest usually served in that position for life and there was a special degree of holiness required for this position. This holiness meant that the high priest had to avoid defilement, like contact with the dead, which includes showing no sign of mourning, he also could not leave sanctuary precincts.  If the high priest sinned, he bought sin upon all of the Hebrew people. And only the high priest was able to enter the holy of holies on the day of atonement (Holman bible dictionary).

This high priest  position gradually became corrupted over the years and we desperately needed someone to intervene on our behalf. Jesus not only fulfills the role of high priest according to Hebrew custom, He makes a way for us to enter the Holy of Holies ourselves. It is through His atonement for our sin that we can come boldly before the throne of God. 

Application:

I've heard Jesus called high priest for years, but never really understood the meaning behind this label. There are so many facets to who Christ is, but this is one we just can't skip over. We have a Priest who is sinless, but became defiled so that I could be made clean. He was safe in heaven, in communion with the Father and Holy Spirit, but He became an outcast for me. 

I'm also in awe that the high priest is in charge of tabernacle worship. That means Jesus is in charge of our worship. I always surrender worship leading to Him, but it has an even deeper meaning knowing that it is His charge to begin with.

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for being my High Priest. Thank You for the atonement You made for me. Thank You for the mercy and grace that You give so freely. I love You.

A Paradox By Father Ted Hochstatter

The paradox of our times is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.  We buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more advanced degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge, but less good judgment; more medicine, but less wellness.  We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.  We have higher incomes, but lower morals.  We have been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.  We've conquered outer space, but inner space is still a mystery to too many of us.  We have cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; split the atom, but not our prejudices.  We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.  These are the times of steep profits and shallow relationships; world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; two incomes, and more divorce.  It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring a letter to you in seconds, and you can choose either to make a difference or just hit "delete."