Hebrews 6:1-3 | What's the connection?
Elementary Principles
We are given a list of the elementary principles of Christ. For the sake of the progression of the week of devotions, I want to address each one of these in part.
Repentance from dead works. This is something that I have actually found most churches struggle to teach on. We usually error on the side of repenting from bad works instead of dead works. The problem here is that we think that there is something good in the flesh, but, "those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8). There is a reality that the believer ought not simply repent from what was bad, but also that which was good.
But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
-Isaiah 64:6
There is a problem in the flesh. It taints everything. Haggai has a deep teaching on this in the second chapter as well. When something dirty touches that which is clean, it makes the clean thing dirty rather than the dirty thing clean. So the same for us in the flesh. We are to repent from the entire old man.
Faith toward God. Oh how we want to add to this with all manner of works and effort on our part and simply neglect the power of belief as discussed in Scripture. Paul makes clear efforts through many of his epistles to remind the believer that it is by grace we have been saved. Like Abraham, as we believe God, it is accounted to us as righteousness. That belief will produce works, as James highlights, but the focus is set upon faith toward God.
Doctrine of baptisms. This is one that stumps many believers. Given the plural of baptisms, some scholars are left scratching their heads. In Ephesians 4, Paul says that we are united by one baptism. Yet here we are faced with a plurality. I would argue that this is likely in reference to the baptism of water and of the Spirit. There may very well be room for debate in this, but at the core we can all understand that this is in reference to the allegiance we have with Jesus and the washing we have through Him.
Laying on of hands. Is this even a fundamental to us any more? Truthfully, do you know the last time this has been discussed in churches? It was an important practice in Jewish culture. The laying on of hands was a way in which blessing was imparted. Jacob blessed his children with the laying on of hands. This was often used among anointing as well. We pray that the Lord's hand would be upon us and don't even know what we are asking. We are instructed to pray for one another with the laying on of hands. Paul laid hands on Timothy to impart a spiritual gift. So many of these things are so far from our practice that if we saw these things we would struggle to reconcile them with our modern belief.
Resurrection from the dead. So many debates circulate this. I have seen many former believers deconstruct their faith starting with resurrection and believing it as an impossibility. Paul had to address this very issue to the church of Corinth (1 Corinthians 15). If there was no resurrection from the dead, then Jesus did not rise and we have no hope. The hope we have in Him is also that we would resurrect. This is the aim of the believer. Consider what Paul says to the Philippians:
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-Philippians 3:7–11.
Eternal judgement. This is yet another that many churches fear talking about, but it is a clear teaching in Scripture. There is a judgment that will take place for each individual that will determine the result of their eternity. Heaven or Hell. Reconciled or cast out. Accepted or rejected. Saint or sinner. These are the distinctions made. The one who is in Christ takes the former of those options. The one who rejects Christ takes the latter. This is clear in the word.
Having addressed these subjects, I am eager to press on to the lessons found in this Scripture. What connections do you see?
Repentance from dead works. This is something that I have actually found most churches struggle to teach on. We usually error on the side of repenting from bad works instead of dead works. The problem here is that we think that there is something good in the flesh, but, "those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8). There is a reality that the believer ought not simply repent from what was bad, but also that which was good.
But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
-Isaiah 64:6
There is a problem in the flesh. It taints everything. Haggai has a deep teaching on this in the second chapter as well. When something dirty touches that which is clean, it makes the clean thing dirty rather than the dirty thing clean. So the same for us in the flesh. We are to repent from the entire old man.
Faith toward God. Oh how we want to add to this with all manner of works and effort on our part and simply neglect the power of belief as discussed in Scripture. Paul makes clear efforts through many of his epistles to remind the believer that it is by grace we have been saved. Like Abraham, as we believe God, it is accounted to us as righteousness. That belief will produce works, as James highlights, but the focus is set upon faith toward God.
Doctrine of baptisms. This is one that stumps many believers. Given the plural of baptisms, some scholars are left scratching their heads. In Ephesians 4, Paul says that we are united by one baptism. Yet here we are faced with a plurality. I would argue that this is likely in reference to the baptism of water and of the Spirit. There may very well be room for debate in this, but at the core we can all understand that this is in reference to the allegiance we have with Jesus and the washing we have through Him.
Laying on of hands. Is this even a fundamental to us any more? Truthfully, do you know the last time this has been discussed in churches? It was an important practice in Jewish culture. The laying on of hands was a way in which blessing was imparted. Jacob blessed his children with the laying on of hands. This was often used among anointing as well. We pray that the Lord's hand would be upon us and don't even know what we are asking. We are instructed to pray for one another with the laying on of hands. Paul laid hands on Timothy to impart a spiritual gift. So many of these things are so far from our practice that if we saw these things we would struggle to reconcile them with our modern belief.
Resurrection from the dead. So many debates circulate this. I have seen many former believers deconstruct their faith starting with resurrection and believing it as an impossibility. Paul had to address this very issue to the church of Corinth (1 Corinthians 15). If there was no resurrection from the dead, then Jesus did not rise and we have no hope. The hope we have in Him is also that we would resurrect. This is the aim of the believer. Consider what Paul says to the Philippians:
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-Philippians 3:7–11.
Eternal judgement. This is yet another that many churches fear talking about, but it is a clear teaching in Scripture. There is a judgment that will take place for each individual that will determine the result of their eternity. Heaven or Hell. Reconciled or cast out. Accepted or rejected. Saint or sinner. These are the distinctions made. The one who is in Christ takes the former of those options. The one who rejects Christ takes the latter. This is clear in the word.
Having addressed these subjects, I am eager to press on to the lessons found in this Scripture. What connections do you see?
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January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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