STEADFAST IN CHRIST

Hebrews 6:1–20

I. THE SERIOUSNESS—vv. 1–8

1. Childish—vv. 1–2. No need to repeat the same teachings. You know them. This is “baby food.”

2. Continuance—v. 3. Let us go on to deeper things. Let us leave the baby food and go on to strong food, which is for mature people.

3. Carelessness—vv. 4–6. The experiences given here were those of Christians—not sinners. Verse 6 speaks of “falling away.” How can one “fall away” if he has never been saved?

4. Compensation—vv. 7–8. If Christians do not produce fruit, they are of no value to Christ’s kingdom. Compare with John 15:6.

II. THE STEADFASTNESS—vv. 9–12

1. Persuasion—v. 9. The writer had faith that the people would not be like those spoken of in verses 1–8.

2. Promise—v. 10. God rewards those who are faithful to Him and His work. He may not pay you on earth, but He will remember you in heaven.

3. Plan—vv. 11–12. Continue on loving others. By doing this, you will get a full reward. By doing this, the Christian life will never be dull.

III. THE SURETY—vv. 13–20

1. Promise—vv. 13–14. God’s promise to Abraham. He was the father of a great nation. God made a promise and kept that promise.

2. Patience—vv. 15–18. Abraham was very patient, waiting for a son. He waited almost 100 years, knowing God would keep his promise.

3. Picture—vv. 19–20. Melchizedek a type of Christ. Christ the anchor to the soul.

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, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

A Description of Early Roman Persecution of Christians

Matthew 5:10–12; 13:21; Mark 4:17; Luke 8:13; Hebrews 3:12

Preaching Themes: Apostasy, Persecution

The method I have observed towards those who have been brought before me as Christians is this: I asked them whether they were Christians; if they admitted it, I repeated the question twice, and threatened them with punishment; if they persisted, I ordered them to be at once punished: for I was persuaded, whatever the nature of their opinions might be, a contumacious and inflexible obstinacy certainly deserved correction. There were others also brought before me possessed with the same infatuation, but being Roman citizens, I directed them to be sent to Rome. But this crime spreading (as is usually the case) while it was actually under prosecution, several instances of the same nature occurred. An anonymous information was laid before me containing a charge against several persons, who upon examination denied they were Christians, or had ever been so. They repeated after me an invocation to the gods, and offered religious rites with wine and incense before your statue (which for that purpose I had ordered to be brought, together with those of the gods), and even reviled the name of Christ: whereas there is no forcing, it is said, those who are really Christians into any of these compliances: I thought it proper, therefore, to discharge them. Some among those who were accused by a witness in person at first confessed themselves Christians, but immediately after denied it; the rest owned indeed that they had been of that number formerly, but had now (some above three, others more, and a few above twenty years ago) renounced that error. They all worshipped your statue and the images of the gods, uttering imprecations at the same time against the name of Christ.