Saturday, November 29, 2014

Next Level

Paul in Hebrews 6 says that we have to be mature to understand the things that God wants us to understand, moving beyond the basic elementary things. This is very important aspect in a christian Life.


Paul teaches us that we are to be Mature: Maturity comes only when we leave the former things, when we strive to understand the mystery. Even Paul says in I Corinthians 13:11 NIV
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

If we were to still go back to the former things and do the things of the past, the sinful pasts, Paul says we put Him(Jesus) to open shame. Once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to repentance, since they again crycify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.


Then Paul warns what happens at the end of those who still are immature, Immature here is first to follow the former things of the flesh, second not obeying the word of God, which has cleansed us from those former things putting Christ Jesus to an open shame by following on the same pattern of the past. The end of this Paul gives us an analogy as to how the thorns and thistles grow among the vegetation.  For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Hebrews 6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, [d]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often [e]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close [f]to being cursed, and [g]it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 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, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” 15 And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. 16 For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 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 set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Sacrifice is a great act.
Some of us has to sacrifice our past in order to have a better future. Some of us have to sacrifice our fleshly things that hinder us to be spiritual. yet some of us have to sacrifice ourselves, give ourselves as a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1 NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.

Whatever it takes us to do to what God called us to do, we can do it by the strength of the Lord. Hebrews 12:2 NIV

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Then Paul continues to say what it means to go along the plan of God, to go to the next level where he has called us to be. First of the Salvation to God's Faithfulness through which we learn how to be Patience and Hope.

Anchor of the Soul:
The anchor that stops the ship, reaching at the destiny or where the ship has to be. The Anchor of our Soul - Jesus. The God in human flesh, calls us out to take rest for our souls, he refreshes and renews our soul. Giving us the Hope for all the trials and temptations that might have set us down. This Hope in  Christ acts as an anchor of the soul. That will enable us to stop at the right point of time in our level of development. To stick to him, to hold him, to rely upon him.

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