The Call to Spiritual Maturity

Well, if you would take your Bible and turn back to where we were in our scripture reading, Hebrews chapter 5 and chapter 6 will be in those last verses in chapter 5 verses 11 to 14 and those opening verses in chapter 6 verses 1 to 3 and I will go back and grab verse 10. Now last week we got started in chapter 5 and I said that this begins really the heart of the book of Hebrews. Hebrews tell us that chapters 5 to 9 are really the heart of the book because the author is explaining in detail the great and perfect high priesthood of Christ our Lord.

Now last week we studied verses 1 to 10 and we saw that Jesus is actually our perfect high priest, not just the perfect high priest but our perfect high priest. We saw that those Old Testament high priests were chosen by God and they sympathized with the people because they needed sacrifices for their sin just like the people. And as prescribed by God in the Old Testament scriptures, those Old Testament priests offered sacrifices for their sins for the sin of the people so as to appease the wrath of God for sin.

But Jesus was like and unlike those Old Testament high priests, He was chosen by God and He sympathized with the people as well but in a completely different way. He was the God man living as a man in every way except sin and Christ Jesus suffered on the cross not to appease the wrath of God for sin but to perfectly satisfy the wrath of God for sin.

That is why Hebrews 10 and 11 says, "And every priest stands daily at his service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins." And Hebrews 10 and 12 says, "But when Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin, He sat down at the right hand of God." So Hebrews chapter 5 verse 10 says that Christ Jesus became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey. He was and is designated by God a high priest after the order of King Melchizedek. That means that Christ Jesus was and is the eternal and perfect high priest and He is our perfect high priest.

He is our perfect high priest in that those of us who have received eternal life by becoming obedient and savingly believed, we can and we should draw near to His throne of grace with great confidence. You know I'm going back and grabbing those verses in chapter 4 verses 14 to 16. Now church right here, this causes me to direct our attention to something. Those of us who have savingly believed, isn't it wonderful that we can draw near to God's throne of grace? You see that's why I emphasize our great and perfect high priest.

Isn't it wonderful that those of us who have come to faith in Christ, we can draw near to our perfect and great high priest who can sympathize with us in every way. Of course He was without sin. But right here I want us to go back and I want us to look at verse 10. Go back and look at verse 10 in your copy of God's Word. Notice, "Being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek." Now I touched on this last week but I did not go very far. Here the author picks up with something that he introduced in verse 6 when he quoted Psalm 110 verse 4.

Here in verse 10 the author identifies Jesus with the high priesthood of that mysterious Old Testament figure King Melchizedek. Here the author says that God designated him or named him, that would be Jesus, a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Now right here this brings me to a couple of important questions. What does this mean? I mean some of you are sitting here and you might not know a lot about the Old Testament and you might be thinking, "Well pastor what does this mean? We don't even know much about this King. He's only mentioned two times in the Old Testament in Genesis 14 verse 18 and Psalm 110 verse 4.

So what does this mean and why is this so important and why not just skip over these parts that we might not understand? You see we must see the eternal significance of Jesus being designated or named high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Simply the fact that God designated Jesus a high priest after the order of King Melchizedek truly and actually accomplishes salvation for man. So that means that Jesus being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek must be explained, must be understood, and must be applied because it does not get any more important than eternal salvation, right?

And that is what is at the heart of the book of Hebrews starting in chapter 5 and going on into chapter 9. The fact that Jesus was designated, named high priest even after the order of Melchizedek and providing us eternal salvation. But we run into a problem because the author has a problem. And this is a problem many in the church have today. The author could not continue. He could not continue to explain the high priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek because these people in this church and in this congregation could not accept these things. Look at verse 11. About this we have much to say. Well what is he talking about?

All that he had unpacked in verses 1 to 10. You see? He's going back to what he said in verse 10. About this we have much to say and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. Simply this is what was going on in this context. Here the author plainly says that there was a lot more to say about Jesus in his high priesthood after the order of Melchizedek but these things were hard to explain not because there was some kind of a deformity in the message. Not because there was some kind of a deformity in the messenger. These things were hard to explain because there was a deformity with some in the church.

He said that many in this congregation and church were defective. The English standard and the new Americans says they were dull of hearing. Now this does not mean that they were physically deaf. You ever known someone who is deaf? This doesn't mean they were physically deaf. And this does not mean that they were dull intellectually. This means that they had become spiritually dull because they had allowed themselves to become spiritually lazy or spiritually sluggish which produced a spiritual dullness. And what this means in this situation is this.

These particular people in this congregation allowed themselves to become spiritually dull and it came from being spiritually lazy and spiritually sluggish. Therefore they were difficult if not impossible to teach. And because the author knew they were difficult if not impossible to teach he knew they would have been unaccepting and unresponsive to more teaching on the high priesthood of Jesus after the order of King Melchizedek. So the author had to pause. He had to stop this teaching here and address their spiritual laziness and spiritual dullness which is what he does from verse 11 on through to the rest of chapter 6. Now a question.

Do we have any in our church who are dull? I'm not talking about a hard of hearing. I'm not talking about intellectually deficient. Do we have any in our church who are dull? Have any of you allowed yourselves to become spiritually lazy and sluggish therefore you have become spiritually dull? And if you found that you were spiritually dull would you do what it takes to repent of your spiritual laziness and grow out of that spiritual dullness and sluggishness? To echo what we were singing earlier will you hasten to him for this work? So that brings us to our verses.

And I want us to read them again and then I will mention how we will divide all of these verses. Verse 11. About this we have much to say and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing for though by this time you ought to be teachers you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk not solid food for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

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 washing laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. Now out of these verses I want to focus on two big things that we see here. First the author's condemnation of their spiritual condition and then maturity. We see that in verses 12 to 14 of chapter 5 and then second the author's exhortation to spiritual progression and maturity. We see that in verses 1 to 3.

So number one we see a condemnation of their spiritual digression and immaturity. The author gives this condemnation of their spiritual digression and immaturity. Now we have already seen that the author had much more to teach about the high priesthood of Jesus but he could not explain those things because those receiving this letter they were spiritually dull. He could say that they were hard headed. You know what it means when someone's hard headed? But it was more than hard headedness.

It was hard heartedness because they had allowed themselves to be spiritually lazy that produced this spiritual dullness, a hard headedness, a hard heartedness. So the next step was to expose more of who they were and what they were and to condemn them for who they were and what they were. And he does this in three ways. First he condemns them for their immaturity. Look at verse 12. For though by this time you ought to be teachers you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God you need milk not solid food.

Here he clearly condemns them by saying that they should have been able to teach others but instead they need to be taught by others. Now for us to understand what's going on here two things need to be seen. The author was not saying that they should have been teachers in holding a place or an office of teaching. He was not condemning them for not being able to teach in a technical sense like we see someone teaching the entire church publicly. What is meant here is more basic.

The author was speaking to the fact that the mature member of a body or a church should be able to explain the simple and basic elements of the gospel and the basics of God's Word to other people. But they could not do that. So he was condemning them for that immaturity. I'll give you a negative example. I remember years ago a man that I knew in the church oh he could argue with you and debate with you about certain points of doctrine and he loved to do that. He wanted to know your view on this doctrine and your view on this doctrine and did you use this word right? Did you use this word incorrectly?

But he could not take the Bible and simply share basic truths and observations from the Scriptures and what he had learned from those things in his personal walk with God. Say maybe in a three to six minute time frame he could not do that and he would not do that. Oh and when certain circumstances forced him to do that he didn't have anything to say. But a positive example. I hear of how many of you in your small group how you study your lesson throughout the week and you're able to share what you've seen in that lesson.

You're able to share about how those verses and that lesson spoke to you and ministered to you and corrected you and exhorted you and worked in your life and you're able to share that with other people. Another positive example. I hear how some of you men talk on a regular basis. You know sometimes I eavesdrop in the hallways. But I hear how some of you men talk weekly.

Sometimes you talk over the phone or you get together maybe at lunch and I hear about how you're sharing with one another what you're studying in the Scripture, what that means to you, how God is working in your life, how God is using the Word of God in your life and you're going back and forth there. Folks that's exactly what we see here in the verses. And right here I want to give you a challenge. I challenge you as believers and especially members of Grace Life Church build relationships with one another like this. Study your lesson throughout the week and share in small groups.

You might say pastor I don't know that I have that much to say. If the Lord takes that lesson in those verses and works in your life you've got something to say. Then the author was telling them they needed someone to teach them even the very basic principles of God the text says. Now here the New American says elementary principles of the oracles of God. The English standard that I'm reading from says the basic principles of the oracles of God. The King James says first principles and what this speaks of is the very beginnings of things or first things.

In the original language it actually means and says the ABC's of the teachings and principles of God. So here in verse 12 the author was exposing them in their immaturity and he was condemning them in their immaturity. One commentator I read throughout the week said he was shaming them. This is what he's saying and I'm putting this in my words. The author's saying you should be able to open your Bible and share what God has been teaching you. You should be able to share from what your pastor has been preaching and from what you've been studying in your small group but you can't.

And on top of that you need someone to teach you even the ABC's of the gospel, the ABC's of the Word of God and the ABC's of the Christian life. And look at what we have here church. Three things which speak to Christian maturity. First as a believer you should aspire to grow to a place where you can share and teach others. You might say pastor I'm not called to teach. We're not talking about an office now. But you should aspire and desire to grow to a place where you can share and teach others and you do grow to that place. Second, some of you can teach and you do teach. Now I'm not talking about teaching small groups, no.

But some of you can take your Bible and you can share out of what God has been teaching you and you do that and you do that often. And if that's you, look brother, look sister. This is a mark of maturity. This is a mark of spiritual development and progress in your life. And you need to do two things here. Share and continue to share. Teach and continue to teach. Share and continue to teach one another. And continue to share what God is teaching you and doing in you. And continue in those things because that may grow in you to a place where you can take an official capacity in teaching the Word. Where small groups are growing.

If they keep growing, we're going to have to multiply. One day I talked about dividing small groups and I got rebuked by one of the men. Pastor, don't say that. That's negative. We don't divide, we multiply. Well if we multiply those small groups, who's going to teach? We have needs to teach our teenagers at times and our children. We have many children in the life of our church. More children coming. Who's going to teach? What I'm trying to show you is you need to continue to teach and continue to share in that unofficial capacity because you never know God might grow that and then launch you into a place where you are in a class.

Being used by God. But then third, if you were a believer and you cannot share and teach like what we see here then ask yourself why. Ask yourself why. Maybe even sit down with a more mature believer, maybe your small group leader and ask them why. It may be that you are spiritually immature and you are in sin. Or it may be that you are spiritually immature because you've just come to faith in Christ. Spiritual immaturity is not a sin unless you should be mature and Christian maturity does, it just takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. So this does take time. Now back to the verse, verse 12.

In the last part of verse 12, notice that the author continues with his exposing and condemning and he starts using the illustration of food. And he boldly tells them that they need milk or spiritual baby food instead of solid food which is adult spiritual food. Of course this is figurative language that speaks of their horrible immaturity. Again, he's exposing. One commentator said shaming. And he continues to use this illustration of milk and solid food to expose and condemn. So second, he exposes their spiritual childishness. Look at verse 13.

"For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child." Here he said that those who need milk are the ABCs of the word of God and the ABCs of Christian teaching. They are spiritual children and unskilled in the word of God or righteousness. But we need to see that this is not biblical ignorance. The English standard says unskilled. The New American says not accustomed to the word of righteousness. But this word unskilled, this phrase not accustomed in the original, it meant inexperienced. And what needs to be seen is that this did not mean that they did not know the teaching of God's righteousness.

It meant that they heard these things but they did not and would not and could not put them into practice. Basically they were only hearers of the word instead of doers of the word, James 1, 22. And notice how their spiritual condition had digressed up to this point. They had become spiritually lazy and sluggish and that produced a spiritual dullness. I called it hardheadedness, hardheartedness. So that meant that they could not receive more of what the author wanted to explain. Many says that they had not accepted and lived other things that they had been taught before.

So they were still spiritually babies living on milk since they were mere children in the faith. Now a couple of more of these rhetorical questions for you and for me. Is there teaching that we have heard but we cannot put into practice because we are spiritual children? Is there new teaching that we cannot receive because we have not put what we do know into practice? Third, he shames them for their lack of maturity. Now here in the first part of verse 14 the author told them that mature people want and need solid food. That's plain to see. But the second part of the verse is hard to understand. So let's look at verse 14.

But solid food is for the mature for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Now a question, what are these powers of discernment trained for constant practice? Actually this is simple. The author was and is saying that the mature believer eats solid spiritual food and because they are mature and they can and do eat solid spiritual food they constantly exercise their ability to discern between that which is good and that which is evil and it seems to indicate that they get better at this. So in summary notice what we have in these verses.

The author was all about condemning certain ones in this congregation for their spiritual digression and spiritual immaturity. He explained that because of their spiritual laziness which led to spiritual dullness they could not receive more teaching about Jesus as their perfect high priest in the order of Melchizedek. They should have been able to teach others but they had to be taught the ABC's of the Bible and the faith. They were spiritual babies who needed spiritual milk when they should have been eating spiritual solid food.

He said they could not even live out the things they had already been taught because of their spiritual dullness and immaturity and it did not seem that they had the discernment that they needed to discern between that which was good and that which was sinful. Now at this point in time in the message we've got to ask some questions here. Were these horribly immature people in this congregation believers? Were they true born again believers or were they just professing non-believers?

We've already seen all throughout our study here in the book of Hebrews that there was a problem in this church with professing believers who were not true believers and if you do some study on your own you're going to run across the fact that there is a debate here. There are some that believe these are immature true believers and some believe that these are non-believers but to me I believe these were true believers and I say that based on one fact of observation from the verses. The author clearly expected them to be mature, able to accept the deep things of God, able to teach the word of God, able to discern between good and evil.

Those are things that true believers do folks. If they were not true believers I believe the author would have used much different language in dealing with their spiritual condition and for us I want us to see what I call five marks of maturity past what I call the baby bottle stage. Comes right out of the verses. The first mark you can take, digest and understand the teaching of Christ Jesus as our great high priest in the order of Melchizedek. You see? Now it might take work for you to understand this. It might take time. It might take teaching.

It might even take some counsel but oh after you roll up your sleeves and you get into it you get it, you see it and you want it and you want to know that. Second mark you can teach others and you do teach others. By your life and by your words you're able to teach God's word, you're able to influence other people, brothers and sisters with God's word. Let me give you an exercise here. Look at how others have done that for you. If you've been here at Grace Life for a little while there have been men and women who have done that for you.

You can look at them and say they have taught me God's word by how they live, by what they say, by what they do, just by just conversation and turn it around. Can you and do you do that for others? The third mark. You are past the elementary things of God. You hunger for and you feast on the more mature things of God. You know I've thought about it. What are some marks here that you hunger for more mature things of God? What about our church statement of faith? Our church statement of faith describes and articulates what we teach and what we believe. Some of these things are hard to believe.

Some of these things take years of study to really grapple with and believe fully, wholeheartedly. How do you react to that church statement of faith and how do you react to what we teach in small groups? Have you noticed that we don't teach fluff in small groups? We teach the word of God. And then fourth, are you skilled in the word and studying and working to understand even the hard things found in the word of God? Are you skilled or unskilled? Now it takes time to develop this. I remember when I first came to faith in Christ I didn't have the skill to divide and study anything in the word of God. My pastor had to spoon feed me.

Faith mark, you are discerning and live a discerning life and lifestyle. You can discern between that which is good and that which is evil or sinful and you work to choose that which is good. All you got to do is study the book of Proverbs to know if you're discerning. I mean it will divide you because the book of Proverbs shows you the wise man, the one who hungers for righteousness and lives righteousness and the one who is the fool and rushes towards sin. They live an undiscerning life and if you study the book of Proverbs and you find yourself on the wrong side you're not discerning.

So the author's condemnation for this spiritual digression and immaturity in this congregation and in these people. And then number two, the author gives us an exhortation to spiritual progression and maturity. We see this in verses 1-3. Let's go ahead and read the verses. "Therefore let us lead the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and a faith toward God, and of instruction about washing and laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead in eternal judgment. In this we will do if God permits." Now at this time the author makes a hard shift.

One scholar said that he continued to shame them and I do believe he does. And we will see that he does not give to them what they wanted. These immature believers, I believe they're believers, have been feeding on spiritual milk but that is not what the author gives them. Instead the author writes, "Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about Christ." And I'm quoting the Amplified. Now before we get into the verses there's something we must see. This was critically important for those receiving this letter. It was critically important that they get out of their spiritual digression and immaturity.

But why was this so critical? Because the author knew that no one stays spiritually neutral. He knew that these immature spiritual babies would continue in their digression and I will speak about it at the conclusion he knew the danger of apostasy here. And there's a critical lesson for us right here. We must understand that those who are not progressing in their faith are in fact digressing. Because one cannot stay neutral.

And if you were here this morning and you're not growing and progressing in your faith, I'm warning you and I'm calling you to shake off and shake out of your lethargy, shake off and shake out of your dullness, repent of those things. Get to work spiritually. What did we sing earlier? "Hasten to him." Get back into the study of God's Word daily if not multiple times a day. Renew and rejuvenate your prayer life. Discipline your life to do the things you must do to grow in your spiritual walk and in your faith. And look, go to a brother, brother to brother, sister to sister, go and confess your sin and get some accountability here.

Now let's get into this exhortation. And I want us to see that the author calls them to do two things here. The first is longer than the second. First he calls them to leave the elementary doctrine of Christ. Now right off we must understand that the author was not calling them to abandon these elementary or foundational doctrines of Christ. He was calling them to retain those things but to move on from those things. The Bible scholar Tom Shriner explains this leaving well. He says, and I'm quoting, "They should never leave the foundational teachings behind precisely because they are fundamental.

On the other hand, such teachings should be the basis and platform for further growth." But what were these elementary things? The author lists them from verses 1 to 3 and he lists six things and notice he seems to group them together. He gives three pairs. First repentance and faith. We see that in verse 1. Now we know what repentance and faith are. Repentance was the first thing John the Baptist required in his preaching. Repentance was the very foundation of the preaching of Christ Jesus and the apostles. But repentance was and is when God enabled these believers to turn from their sin.

Here the author speaks of repentance from dead works and turning from sin and expressing faith in God. So he was calling them to move on from when they first repented and trusted God, not that they would abandon their repentance and faith. No, it is just that they were to use those things as a foundation and a platform for further growth in their faith and in the Word of God. But what were these dead works? Scholars tell us this can mean one or two things. He could have been referring to their dead works and their past life in Judaism or the dead works of their past sinful life.

Personally, I believe that these dead works speak of the dead works from their past life in Judaism. And we saw that because this was a Jewish congregation and they came out of the dead religion of Judaism which was nothing more than legalistic adherence to works that could never bring life. But notice this repentance and faith clearly pertains to the beginning of the true Christian life. Second, baptism and the laying on of the hands. We see that in the beginning of verse 2. Now if you study different translations you will see some different language here.

The English Standard says, "And of instructions about washings, the laying on of hands." And your English Standard version may have a footnote which speaks of ceremonial washings from Exodus 30. Now the New American and the Legacy Standard Bible basically say the same thing, but the King James says, "of the doctrine of baptisms and the laying on of hands." Now this leads to differing opinions here in dealing with some very difficult language in the original.

But some see this washing as referring to ritual washings as seen in the Old Testament, while others see this referring to New Testament baptisms and you will certainly see those different opinions if you study. Well which is it? To me the context determines the meaning. In verse 1 the author calls these things the elementary doctrine of Christ. And then the author lists six things which he calls the elementary or foundational teachings of Christ. Notice repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of the hands, the resurrection, and eternal judgment.

So to me the author was referring to baptism and he very well may have used the word "baptisms" plural because he could have been referring, and I believe he was, to the baptism of John which was very important and very well known, and the baptism of those early believers and their baptism. And this laying on of hands was very simple, it is simple. The laying on of hands was common in the church in their day. We see this with new converts in Acts 18-17. We see this with Timothy when he was commissioned into the ministry in 1 Timothy 4-14. We see this again with Paul and Timothy in 2 Timothy 1-16.

Simply this laying on of hands, it was and it is associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit for commissioning, for gifting for a particular purpose. So to me he was calling them to move on from their baptism and the laying on of hands. Not that they would abandon these things, no. It is just that they were to use those things as a foundation and a platform for further growth in their faith and in the Word of God. But notice, baptism or baptisms in the laying on of hands clearly pertains to the beginning of the true Christian life. And then third, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

Now this is plain to see, it is easy to see at the end of verse 2. And both practicing Jews and Christians believed and believed in the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment. So these Jewish converts to Christ would have believed these things. These things were and are taught in the Old Testament scriptures and they were taught by Christ Jesus and those early church fathers. So he was calling them to move on from their belief in the resurrection of the dead and the eternal judgment to come. Not that they would abandon those beliefs, no.

It is just that they were to use those things as a foundation and a platform for further growth in their faith and in the Word of God. But notice, a belief in the resurrection and the judgment to come, those things are foundational. They clearly pertain to the beginning of the true Christian life. So the author was calling them to move on from and to build on certain elementary or foundational doctrines in the Christian faith. And then second, notice he calls them to go on to maturity. Go back and look at verse 1. We can miss this.

"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity." Now notice what we see here in verse 1. The English standard that I just read says, "Go on to maturity." The New American and the legacy standard say the same thing. The New American says, "Let us press on to maturity." And in the original, this phrase, "Let us press on," it means to carry or even to carry a burden. I like what the scholar Albert Barnes says here. He says this means, "Let us advance to a higher state of knowledge and holiness." And what the author was doing and saying is this.

He was exhorting them and calling them to leave behind and build on those elementary foundational doctrines of the faith. And he was calling them to press on and even carry on the burden of advancing higher and higher in their knowledge of God, of His Word, and personal holiness. And get this, the author was touching on and pointing them to their personal responsibilities here. So in summarizing what we see in verses 1 to 3, the author was exhorting them to leave behind, really to build on those elementary, those foundational doctrines. He was calling them to build on those things and to press on to and toward spiritual maturity.

I like what Barnes says here, "To a higher state of knowledge and a higher state of holiness." And notice how this applies to us in our day. There are some who never move past the elementary or foundational doctrines and experiences of the faith. Some never seem to move past how they came to faith in Christ, how and when they were baptized, how they became a member of the church, those entry-level doctrines, those entry-level experiences that we see in the verses and in other places in the New Testament. And you know, I found something out here. When you talk to these kind of people, you know what you hear? They always go back to years ago.

"Oh, Pastor, I remember when I came to faith, oh, Pastor, I remember when I was baptized, oh, Pastor, I remember when I joined the church." They always go back to the past. And when you examine their lives, what do you see? All you see is spiritual markers from the past, from the past. I'll never forget years ago I had the privilege of ministering to an older man in the faith. He was in his 70s. And all he would do is talk about when he came to faith in Christ and his home church, how great it was, and then he began to describe nothing but a barren wasteland of bad church here, bad church here, bad church here.

And he never seemed to build on those foundational doctrines and build a mature Christian life. I've known churches and believers who had great movements of God and evangelism, and many people came to faith in Christ. And oh, 20 years later those believers talked back about the old days, the glory days of when God saved and God worked. But yet you look at their lives and you look at the church and their years of just barrenness, they never seemed to build on those foundational things. And I want to ask you, are you living your Christian life in the past or in the present?

If you live your Christian life in the past, in the past, in the past, you very well may be just holding on to foundational things and not building maturity on those things. And that brings up a question. Again, can some truly come to faith in Christ and stay immature, not progressing as a believer even for years? I believe so. Now I don't believe they'll be satisfied in their Christian life and want. I don't believe they'll have the joy and the satisfaction in their Christian life that they should have. They'll be a shell of what they could be. Now what about you?

Do you have those five marks of Christian maturity that I pulled out of those verses? Do you? You should measure yourself by those marks. If not, you just may be an immature, non-progressing believer and you need to bow up, tighten up, and man up. Remember what we sang earlier? Hase into him? You need to bow up, tighten up, and man up, and you need to press on and carry the burden towards and to Christian maturity. So the author's exhortation to press on to spiritual progression and maturity. Now as I move away from dividing these verses, I want us to see what we have here in this section.

This section starts at verse 11 and goes to the end of chapter 6. The author has to interrupt his teaching about Jesus being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. He has to interrupt his teaching. And he has to address the great spiritual laziness and dullness and immaturity in this church. And notice why this is so very important church. Remember the great temptation that so many in this church were facing. Many were wrestling with the temptation to go back into Judaism and to go back into living under the Old Covenant. So right here we have the third warning in the book.

And this third warning has to do with falling away from Jesus, the high priest who was designated or named high priest after the order of King Melchizedek. Now this leads me to ask some questions that I think we must ask. First can a true believer apostasize? That means leave the faith. Well the answer to that is no. The true believer can never leave the faith. Oh but they can struggle. Apostasy can hound them like a hound. They can struggle with those temptations. And I say that because we believe and we know that the Bible teaches the perseverance of the saints.

That is God perseveres and preserves his people and God's people persevere in him. Again pick up our church statement of faith. We address that. So we do not believe that a true believer will apostasize. Oh apostasy can hound them, yes. Second who are those who do apostasize? Those who do leave the faith. In this context these who apostasize they left Jesus as their great high priest and they went back into Judaism and living under the old covenant. Well who were they? What were they? Were they true believers? No. These were never true believers to begin with. And the key verse here, 1 John 2.19.

John teaches and he says and I'm quoting the verse, "They went out from us but they were never of us for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that it might become plain that they all were not of us." This simply means that those in this context who did not heed this warning and they went back to living under the old covenant they had never come to saving faith to begin with. And that is the case with those who leave the faith today. They go out from us, they leave us because they never were of us. So for us in our day out of these verses we must see the call to spiritual maturity.

The call to progressing in our faith towards spiritual maturity. So the title of the message is rather simple. The call to spiritual maturity. Let's pray.