Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.
Hebrews 6:1-3
I was at a men’s bible study for Red Hills Church on Monday and we were discussing Hebrews 4-8. When we read through chapter 6 we had a great discussion about what the writer of Hebrews was going for when he wrote verses 1-3. At first glance it seems simple, don’t spend your time going over and over the doctrine of Jesus, move on to more spiritual things. This is an interesting point to study when our church is very Jesus focussed. In fact, we are in the middle of a message series called “The Excellent King”, and it’s all about Jesus.
...our church is very Jesus focussed
So what are we to do when the Bible tells us to move on past Jesus? What do we do when the pastor makes every message about Jesus? I think the answer is found in understanding the work of Christ as our foundation and building on that as we grow. In the Bible study I shared an analogy of the locks on my front door at home. I learned long ago how a lock actually works, but I return to that lock every night when it’s bedtime; not to examine how it works, but to actually use it. There is a big difference between taking the lock apart each night to make sure it works, and turning the lock and going to bed. The first would be similar to rebuilding my foundation with Christ every Sunday during the message, and the second would be similar to revealing how the work of Christ changes our hearts and desires. Someone also brought up the analogy of numbers. We learn all about numbers when we are young, and we use that knowledge as the foundation for higher math, music, and even science. However, a scientist doesn’t relearn numbers in order to solve an equation; he uses the numbers to solve the equation.
...the work of Christ changes our hearts and desires
So, as we move deeper into our study of Jesus let’s not lay another foundation of things like faith, laying on of hands, or resurrection. Instead let’s build on those foundations and explore how those real truths transform the way we live, work, think, and worship. These are the keys to being transformed into the image of Jesus.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
We are building on a firm foundation by studying the excellent king. As we explore his pre-existence, the trinity, and the authority of being sent our hearts are warmed to God. We see our lives transforming before our eyes because we clearly see what Jesus really did by humbling himself to the point of death. It lifts our eyes to something greater than our misery, and it moves us forward to join the same mission Jesus was called to, reconciliation.
We are building on a firm foundation by studying the excellent king
With this in mind I am excited to move forward with our study of The Excellent King. This Sunday we will not lay another foundation of Christ, but build on the work of Jesus by studying what it means to have a mediator between God and man. To prepare for this Sunday read 1 Peter 1:10-12 and Hebrews 9:15-28.
God bless and have a great week!
-Marshall