I shared the importance for a disciple of Jesus to mature in their knowledge and understanding of Jesus and it begins by understanding and knowing the 6 elementary foundational teachings found in Hebrews 6.
1. repentance from acts that lead to death
2. faith in God
3. Teaching about baptisms
4. the laying on of hands
5. the resurrection of the dead
6. eternal judgment.
And Hebrews tell how we do this 5: 12, But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
To mature we need to constantly train in knowing these elementary truths to mature so that we can distinguish good from God’s perspective and not evil from the worlds.
As members of the body of Christ we must all pursue to grow in the full knowledge of Jesus Christ to be called his church. That is what Paul teaches in:
Ephesians 4: 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
We are building up to be united in maturity in the knowledge of Jesus as his church. That is what Paul tells us to do so that we will not be misled by false teachings especially about the elementary teachings by being infants is understanding them.
Ephesians 4: 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
These elementary teachings in Hebrews are important for every disciple to mature in and be united as a church having the same faith and knowledge of them from Jesus and his apostles’ teachings.
Let’s look at the first elementary teaching in Hebrews which is too repentant from acts that leads to death. This death is spiritual death called 2nd death which means to be separated from God’s presence for all eternity.
Repentance is turning from doing what is evil and turn towards what is good to God. Evil is sin that is acted out which leads to death. This could be mentally like lusting in your heart or physically being sexually immoral.
Now there is sin that does not lead to death.
1 John 5: 16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should
pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
John teaches that not all sin will lead to death but there are sins that will. Sin is disobeying Jesus’ teachings and commandments and those of his apostles, it is not having faith in Jesus and making him your Lord, it is anything that is not true to God and his will for us and his creation, visible or invisible. So, which sin will not lead to death? This is what Paul said in:
1 Corinthians 3: 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
The church foundation must be built on what is true to Jesus’ gospel that saves us from our sins. What we build upon Christ foundation that can be burned up by God’s cleansing fire is things that is worthless to him because it does not help the church mature in Jesus. But those who build worthless thing on Christ foundation will have that sin which is worthless to Jesus burned away but still be saved because of their faith in Jesus. But those who build on Christ foundation with things God considers as gold, silver or costly stones will pass through his cleansing fire and receive their reward in heaven.
When you mature in your understanding of these 6 elementary teaching you will find them as foundational truths that are pillars in Christ foundation keeping you from being misled by the craftiness of men teaching but grow in the knowledge of Christ and know how to build upon his foundation with things that will stand his Father’s cleansing fire.
Be safe in Jesus,
Ps. Glenn