The Assessment of Faith and Spiritual Immaturity

Starting together now to the letter to Hebrews and chapter number 6 and we can read at the beginning of that chapter.

! Hebrews chapter 6 at verse 1.

Hebrews 6 · chapter mention

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 towards God and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal life.

And this we will do if God permits.

And so on through the following verses and also taking into account the verses at the end of chapter number 5.

I guess in every area of life there are times when we can be discouraged.

There are times when we can be distracted.

There are times when we can be disappointed and never become disengaged from everything that is happening around us.

And I'm sure at different times in life we have experienced that.

When we think of the life of faith and read of the life of faith in the Bible, we see exactly the same thing.

Faith belongs to those who are the children of God.

They believe that he exists and that he is the rewarder of all those who diligently seek him.

And even in this letter itself we see that there can be discouragement.

We see that there can be distraction and disappointment.

And we can see that there is the danger of becoming completely disconnected from the gospel itself.

That's the nature of life for this people.

And it is the nature of life as we live as the children of God here in this world.

And as we do read through this letter, we recognize first of all that there is the kind of crisis that Scott McLeod referred to this morning.

There is a crisis in the hearing and the listening of the people.

And where there is such a crisis, then faith is really threatened.

There is a crisis in the way that they want to worship God.

They are wanting to fall back from the worship that is now in place through what Jesus Christ has done.

They want to fall back into old habits.

Does that remind you of yourself?

Does that remind me of myself?

We are prone to fall back into old habits and to lose sight of where we are and what we are doing.

And then that is the kind of thing that leads to the crisis of faith.

And there are two things that the writer does in order to address these crises.

And first of all, he wants to show to them the importance of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and his redeeming work.

That is what he is doing up until this point.

We are kind of stepping into this whole discourse about who Jesus is and what he has done.

Then he goes on to describe faith and how faith works in that great chapter about faith, chapter number 11.

But time after time, he throws in a wake-up call to those to whom he is writing.

These are warning passages that speak to those who are going to hear this letter read

so that they will pay attention to what he is saying about Jesus, pay attention to what he is saying about faith,

and be on their guard.

A wake-up call.

And sometimes I know that is what I need.

And I think it is true of all of us at different times in life.

We need a wake-up call from God to remind us of what is important,

and when we become distracted, to realign our lives with where we should be and what we should be doing.

And against that, back in this evening, I want to think of this passage

and to think of the assessment of faith and spiritual immaturity.

I want to think, first of all, that we have in this passage a review.

That is, there is a formal assessment by the writer with a view to bring about change.

It happens in my workplace.

It happens in my school life.

It happens in education circles.

A review is the kind of assessment that is necessary from time to time

to introduce change where it is necessary.

And when we look at review in this passage,

we see that the writer has to interrupt his discourse about the Lord Jesus

because of what he discovers in his review.

And we go back to verse number 11 in chapter 5.

About this time we are much to say,

and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.

He is telling them about the Lord Jesus.

He is telling them about the work that he has done.

He is telling them about this great high priest of God

who is our redeemer, who is our mediator.

Then he pauses because he is thinking of them.

And he is realizing, as he is writing this letter to them,

he is realizing that there is a problem.

There is a problem with his hearers.

And we could say that it is the problem of attitude.

In any kind of learning circle,

my progression in my learning depends on my attitude,

my mindset, the feelings that I have,

and the way I think of events and things that are brought before me.

It is exactly the same in our faith.

We need to have the right attitude in order to develop in our faith.

And if we do not have that, then we will stall,

we will stop where we are.

And instead of climbing upwards or even going horizontal,

we will begin to decline.

Attitude is really important.

And we find here that he is unable to carry on with this great message

about the Lord Jesus because of this problem.

They have become dull of hearing.

It is a kind of incapacity in receiving the message of God

and an incapacity, a sluggishness,

in putting the word of God into practice.

They are not hearing the way that they should

and they are not putting into practice.

They are not breathing in the word of God

that is written to them, that is spoken to them.

They are not breathing it in to take it into their own lives.

And they are not breathing it out in the sense of

living out the faith as they should.

It is a real crisis.

They are not receiving the gospel as they should.

And because of that,

they have become exhausted in the life of faith.

They are beginning to grind to a halt.

It's too much for them.

That's what happens to your faith and mine.

Once I stop receiving from God

and once I stop living the kind of life that that produces,

once that stops,

then faith becomes all about what I can do myself.

And when it becomes what I can do myself,

then I realize I can do very little.

And then I begin to stall and I begin to stop.

That is where they were.

And the simple reason for that,

it seems to be from what the writer is saying,

the simple reason for that is their lack of discipline.

Being able to train themselves.

And that's what he refers to in verse 14 of chapter 5.

But solid food is for the mature,

for those who have their powers of discernment,

trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Their powers of discernment,

the way they're going to receive knowledge

and use that knowledge in their lives,

they have lost the ability to do so.

And they have lost that because of their failure

to train themselves,

to discipline themselves

in the ways of God,

in the things of God,

and in the Word of God.

And the writer is using an image

that comes from the Greek athletic scene

where the athlete would not only discipline

and training themselves,

but would discipline themselves

in removing all of the clothing

that was going to stand in their way

so that they could compete

with all of their energy.

Nothing was going to stand in their way.

And the writer brings up

something similar to that in chapter number 2.

Laying aside every weight

and the sin that so easily besets us.

Here we are.

We build up baggage along the journey of faith.

We build up things that slow us down.

We build on perhaps clothing, garments,

the garments of the world in a symbolic way.

And we begin to lose our way

in the life of faith.

We have lost our discipline.

And God wants you and me tonight

to consider that.

This is God's review

of your life and of mine.

And He wants you and me

to think of gratitude

towards the things of the Bible

and the things of the Gospel.

He wants us to look at our own lives

and to think of perhaps

the fact that we have stopped listening

the way that we were listening.

And because of that

we stopped living the life

that we were living.

And it's all because

we are not disciplined.

We are not watching over ourselves.

I go to,

the children go to their classroom

and they need to be disciplined.

And they are reminded

about the discipline

that they need

by those who are teaching them.

and being disciplined

in their learning

they are going to benefit

from all that they are taught.

And the same principles

apply in everything

that we are going to learn

and they apply here

in the Gospel.

That you and I

have to ensure

we have the right attitude

to receive.

That we have the discipline

that enables us

to focus on

what we are hearing

and that therefore

we are able to

live out the life

that God wants us

to live.

A review

that caused

an interruption

and that caused him

to think

of where

the people

were.

And in any kind

of review

there must be

something that needs

to be done

to address

the situation.

And what must

they do?

What must you

and I do?

In verse number 13

he speaks

of the way

in which

they ought

to be teachers.

They were supposed

to be helping others.

That's why God

has called us

to be his children

to be his disciples.

All of us here

tonight

who have faith

in the Lord Jesus

we are to serve him.

We are to teach

each other.

We are to teach

those who are around us.

We are to teach

not only your children

but all those

who are on the journey

of faith

with us.

We are all teachers

because we have

the spirit of God

in our hearts

and God has given

to us the subject

matter in his word.

But they were

unable to be teachers

and instead of that

they needed

in verse number 12

you need someone

to teach you again

the basic principles

of the oracles

of God.

He is saying

about them

that with regard

to faith

they are back

in their childhood.

They are back

where they were

at the very beginning

of their Christian journey.

Imagine a parent

receiving a review

a report

on their child

from school

and the child

is years up

into learning

for example

in primary school

and the review

the assessment

at the end of the year

is going to say

that your child

is like a child

who needs to go back

to the basic level

of understanding

and teaching school.

How heartbreaking

that would be.

How distressing

that would be.

that's something

of what the writer

here is referring to.

That here are

the people of faith

and God is saying

about them

you should be

way up in the standard

and the progression

and development

in the kingdom of God

you should be up there

teaching those

who are around you

and teaching

those who are

younger than you

in the faith.

But in actual fact

you are like

a child

yourself.

and if it's

distressing

for a parent

to hear that

about their own

child in school

what do you think

God thinks

tonight?

If that's where

this review

finds you

in your faith

that it's childish

that it's

back to be

more or less

unnoticeable.

that it's

back to the

basic principles

that need to be

learned once more

to show what

faith should be

like.

How do you

think

God feels

if that's

where you are

tonight?

a review

with regard

to

their faith

and it

finds that

their faith

that they are

immature in their

faith

and there are

many hundreds

in their lives

that cause

them to

be back

where they

actually

started.

a fearful

situation

that needs

attention.

It is

as I said

in the beginning

it is one of

these passages

which is

a wake up

call

and perhaps

for all of us

wherever this

review finds us

and wherever

God finds us

tonight

perhaps it is

at one level

or other

a wake up

call

to us all.

There is

a review.

Secondly

there is

a recommendation.

If that's

the situation

advice must

be given

for the best

course of

action

to address

such a

poor attitude

and such

a lack

of

discipline.

And there

is the

message that

we have

then as we

move into

chapter number

six.

There is

a reference

to the

elementary

doctrine

of Christ

and it's

the basic

building blocks

that is the

very beginning

of me coming

to know

the Lord

Jesus Christ

as my

Savior.

The very

beginning of

things.

We have a

list of them

there.

The foundation

of repentance

from dead

works and

faith towards

God.

That's my

coming to

faith.

Then there

is the

instructions

about washing

and the

laying of

hands.

The way

in which

we're

devoted to

the Lord

Jesus and

the way

in which

the Spirit

of God

dwells in

our hearts.

The

resurrection

of the

dead.

The future

and eternal

judgment.

And this

is what we do

of God.

Permits basic

things.

It's the

kind of

things that

we learn

in Sunday

school.

that in

our infant

years there

were things

that were

taught to

us.

The basic

things about

salvation.

The

shorted

catechism.

The

messages that

we were

taught.

The

recommendation

is that

there must

now be

a departure.

A moving

on.

And not

in the

sense of

leaving these

things as if

they did not

matter.

It's

building on

these as

the basic

building blocks

that begin

a life of

faith.

And now

building on

that and

he says to

them,

let us

leave the

elementary

doctrine of

Christ and

go on

to

maturity.

It is

the sense

of bearing

a burden

the

going on.

It's not

simply

stepping

forward and

running

along.

It's

going on

in the

sense of

bearing a

burden.

And we

would be

kidding

ourselves if

we're going

to live the

life of

faith and

we're not

going to

carry the

burden.

The yoke of

Christ as

Christ himself

calls it,

there is that

sense of

bearing the

burden,

of bearing

the yoke,

there is

that moving

along,

bearing the

burden of

responsibility,

of learning,

and of

developing

faith.

And

interestingly,

when the

writer speaks

about going

on to

maturity,

in the

Greek language

it is the

sense of

being

passive.

And we're

not saying

that to be

complicated,

but we're

saying that

because it

draws attention

to the

fact that

God is

carrying them

along and

will carry

them along as

they go on

to maturity.

He is not

saying to

them, go off

on your own

and here is

where you're

at, but go

and embark on

this journey and

go towards

maturity and

you're going to

be on your

own doing

it.

God doesn't

work like

that.

He gave

us faith.

He gave

us of His

Holy Spirit

in our

hearts and

He gives

the strength

to us to

carry on in

the life of

faith.

It is

not quite

carrying us

along, but

it's giving

us the

strength to

go along

life's

way.

And that's

the encouragement

for you and

for me this

evening that

in our

good to

answer the

difficulties in

our faith and

our failure to

be as far on

our faith as

we should be

that we have

to go on

towards

maturity.

Maturity in

faith, of

course.

We read back

in chapter 5

and the writer

speaks about

that Jesus

Himself,

He learned

obedience from

what He

suffered and

being made

perfect,

becoming

mature, He

became the

source of

eternal

salvation.

It's

perfection,

it's maturity

in the sense

of being what

God has

designed us

to be and

to be grown

up people of

faith and the

children of

God, walking

at that level

at which we

should be

walking in

comparison to

the number of

years that we

have lived the

life of the

Christian.

God wants

me and

you to

hear this

recommendation.

He wants

us to

remember the

building blocks

and He

wants us to

use these as

a springboard

from which

He Himself

will give us

strength to

go along

through this

world in

all of its

discouragements,

in all of its

distractions,

in all of its

disappointments,

discipline to

go forward in

life with a

kind of faith

that grows

strong in the

midst of all

the challenges

and that shines

forth in the

midst of all

the examination.

We know

our children,

we know how

well they've

learned and

studied when

they have their

examination

results and

we see

results and

we can say

wow and

we can say

that because

there has

been discipline,

there has

been hard

work and

now we have

the results.

It's the

same in the

life of

faith.

And let's

be clear,

that is not

to say that

this is faith

by works,

that we are

depending on

what we do

ourselves,

but our

development is

dependent on

what we do.

We have to

work out

our salvation

with fear and

trembling because

it is God

that works in

us.

It's God

and us and

it's us and

God and so

he carries

us along.

And in

any stage of

education there

is that sense

of age and

stage relevance

and age and

stage development

and God

does not

expect the

person who

has newly

put their

trust in the

Lord Jesus

to be at

the same

stage along

this journey

as the

person who

has for a

long life

lived trusting

in the

Lord Jesus.

It is age

and stage

relevant.

God expects

the development

at every

stage but

maturity is

God's design

and God's

goal and

that's where

we're all

moving towards.

And in

many ways

if there's

an examination

as to how

much we have

learned in

the Bible

the examination

is what

proves the

genuineness of

my faith.

And when

God is

reviewing your

life and

he finds

that things

are not

the way

they should

be and

he's

calling upon

you recommending

with this

imperative that

you go on

to maturity

he is

saying that

that's how

you prove

that your

faith is

genuine

it is real.

And that's

a wake up

call.

faith is

not the

kind of

thing that

can be

hidden.

We cannot

see it

but we

can see

the evidence

offered.

By the

fruits you

shall know

them.

A good

tree will

bring forth

good fruit.

How much

does your

life confirm

that your

faith is

genuine?

genuine.

That's

challenging

for me.

It must be

challenging

for you.

That life

is what

confirms.

That's

where the

examination

result is

seen.

What kind

of life

do you

live?

What kind

of life

do I

live?

How much

does that

life show

that our

faith is

genuine?

And the

flip side

of that

of course

is that

unless

our lives

show that

our faith

is genuine

then it

raises the

critical

question

do we

have faith

at all?

And we

know that

James speaks

about faith

without works

being dead.

That's the

way it is.

Genuine

faith shines

out in

the challenges

of life

in the

midst of

all the

disappointments

all of

the

disillusionment

everything

that knocks

us down

is where

faith springs

up and

comes to

the surface

and it

begins

to shine.

There is

a review

there is

a recommendation

and finally

there is

a reflection.

reflection.

A reflection

that calls

for

careful

and

thoughtful

consideration

of what

he has

said.

And

reflections

are really

important

and the

way reflections

take shape

and the

way they

happen

they are

crucially

important.

And the

writer here

brings them

to reflect

on something

that is

really critical

to their

faith,

critical to

their Christian

experience

and concerning

which they

must be

very mindful.

If it's a

warning from

God it's

worth listening

to we

have to

listen to

it.

And the

reflection that

he does

have he

places the

spotlight on

a group of

people and

he describes

that group of

people in

verse number

four.

Those who

have once

been enlightened

those who

have tasted

the heavenly

gift who

have shared

in the Holy

Spirit and

have tasted

the goodness

of the

word of

God and

the perish

of the

age to

come.

They were

once

enlightened.

The light

of God's

Spirit shone

into their

lives.

They're part

of this

Christian

community and

as being

part of it

they themselves

received that

measure of

light.

Along with

that they

tasted

the heavenly

gift.

They tasted

something of

the grace

of salvation.

We can

taste something

and not

swallow it

because we

don't like

it.

We can

taste it

and swallow

it.

But here are

those who

have tasted

something of

the experience

the grace

of salvation.

And they

are also

those who

have shared

in the

Holy Spirit

tasted the

goodness of

the word

of God

and the

powers of

the age

to come.

The word

of God

has touched

their lives.

The kingdom

of God

which is

future

which is not

yet has

touched

their lives

also.

Their lives

have been

impacted by

the word

of God

and by

the gospel

the good

news of

Jesus Christ

and they

have seen

the light.

And it

draws our

attention

to what

can happen

and to

how much

can happen

and yet

there is no

genuine

faith.

life.

And that

alarms me

tonight.

And it

should alarm

all of us

that we

can look

as if we

have all

the

characteristics

of being

a person

of faith

and being

the child

of God

and has

gone no

deeper than

passing

experience

in life

where because

of the fact

that we're

in the

community

of faith

and under

the ministry

of the gospel

where the

Holy Spirit

of God

is working

that because

of all of

that

our lives

were impacted

for a

while.

We need

to allow

ourselves

to reflect

upon that

as the

writer wanted

them to

reflect

upon it.

They were

bearing

all the

hallmarks

of genuine

faith

and

Christianity.

it seems

that if

we were

going to

look

at this

group of

people that

he is

referring to

and we

to observe

where they're

at

we would

conclude

these are

Christians

they are

people

of faith.

And the

reflection

takes us

to the

way in

which

he speaks

about

something

that's

impossible.

impossible.

And we

know that

in the

Old Testament

the Bible

tells us

with God

nothing is

impossible.

He has

the power

to do

everything

that he

must do

in order to

fulfill his

own plans.

Nothing is

impossible

with him.

In this

letter itself

it's impossible

for God

to lie.

It simply

cannot happen.

And here

there is

something else

that is

impossible.

And it

is in

relation to

God

but more

especially

it's in

relation to

you and

to me.

And the

impossibility

is with

regard to

those who

may fall

away.

If they

then fall

away.

If they

disappear

over the

edge

they're

on the

edge

anyway

because

the

faith

that they

have

is not

genuine

it hasn't

really

changed

their

hearts.

And

because of

the

disappointments

and the

distractions

and the

discouragements

they are

ready to

become

disconnected

and if

that

happens

if they

fall

over the

edge

if they

abandon

their

faith

what is

it

that's

impossible

it's

impossible

to

restore

them

again

to

repentance

the

repentance

that is

at the

very

beginning

of the

journey

of faith

the

repentance

where I

change my

mind

about my

sin

because

God

has

shone

his

light

upon it

and I

turn

away

from my

sin

and I

seek

to put

my

trust

in the

Lord

Jesus

there is

that

physical

turning

around

in the

Old

Testament

there is

that

heart

turning

around

in the

life

of

faith

in the

New

Testament

there is

that

repentance

and the

writer is

saying here

that if

there are

those

and they

did taste

something

of

Christian

experience

and it

didn't

really

reach

their

hearts

then if

they

subsequently

fall away

for whatever

reason

then it is

impossible

for them

to be

restored

again

to

repentance

there is

no lifting

up what

has fallen

down in

this case

but regularly

through the

Bible we

see that

God is

the person

who lifts

up those

who are

cast down

he lifts

up those

who fall

those who

are as

genuine

people

but in

this case

they are

a separate

case

they don't

have the

genuine

faith

they have

claims

they could

be confused

but they

don't have

the genuine

faith

and if

they fall

away

they cannot

be restored

it is

impossible

and it is

impossible

he says

because

they are

crucifying

once again

the son of

God to

their own

harm

and told him

up to

contempt

which of

course

literally

cannot

happen

Jesus died

for sin

once

and he

will return

at the

end of

this age

as we read

in chapter

9

at the

end of

this age

without

sin

he will

come to

save his

people

he died

once

for sin

but what

the writer

does mean

is that

when this

happens

the falling

away

leads to

them

aligning

themselves

with the

kind of

people

that actually

hated the

Lord Jesus

and crucified

him on

Calvary's

cross

aligning

themselves

with those

who are

the enemies

of Jesus

and who

are the

enemies

of God's

kingdom

and there

is

an example

in chapter

11

and chapter

12 of

this letter

and it's

the example

of

Esau

the brother

of Jacob

he sold

the blessing

he sold

the birthright

they were

meaningless

he didn't

see any

value in

them

but though

he

sorted

with tears

afterwards

there was

no place

for him

to have

them

restored

and that's

an awful

place to be

that I

can

fall away

from where

I am

and be in a

place where

I cannot be

restored

and like

Esau

I come to

the place

where I

suddenly realize

what I've

lost

and yet

it's without

my reach

it's out

there and I

let it go

I turned my

back upon it

and it's

no longer

available

to me

the reflection

I'm going

to close

with a

reflection

from personal

experience

which I

don't do

often

but when

I was

struggling

and trying

to seek

the Lord

and trying

to put

my trust

in the Lord

Jesus

and struggling

with all that

was happening

around me

I found

myself in

a place

and the

following

morning I

woke up

from that

place

and I

realized

that unless

I straightened

out my

life

that the

most precious

thing

that I

could see

in life

would be

lost to

me

it was

reflecting

on something

like this

this is

what I

want more

than anything

and I'm

not now

going to

let anything

else get

in the way

of that

so I

give my

life

to seeking

to know

the Lord

Jesus

and perhaps

you may be

like that

this evening

struggling

with faith

with issues

of faith

struggling

and coming

to put your

trust in

the Lord

Jesus

well if

you are

God is

telling you

tonight

don't let

that go

don't shut

that door

pray that

God will

will help

you through

that process

and will

bring you

through the

door into

his kingdom

and be

in the place

with the

people of

God

concerning

whom it

is through

that it

is impossible

to get

them out

of the

kingdom

and that

it is

impossible

for anyone

to take

them out

of the

hands

of God

may God

help us

to review

may help

us to hear

the recommendation

and may help

us to reflect

for the

improvement

of our

faith

and for the

transformation

of our

everyday

lives

may God

bless his

word

let us

pray

most

gracious

God

we

rejoice

in you

as

the

God

who

speaks

into

our

lives

and

who

highlights

for us

the

dangers

that we

are open

to

and

who

draws

our

attention

to the

riches

of your

grace

in the

gospel

help us

oh Lord

God

tonight

to see

both of

these

things

and help

us

to see

more and

more of

the value

and the

preciousness

of the

redemption

you have

secured

in the

Lord

Jesus

and give

to us

to put

our

trust

in his

name

day

by day

and to

live

for you

to hear

what you

have to

say

to us

to live

our lives

in accordance

with it

and to

so discover

the joy

of knowing

that you

are our

God

and our

saviour

our

father

in heaven

who cares

for us

endlessly

we pray

hear us

and accept

us

for Jesus

sake

Amen

the

closing

psalm

is

psalm

number

71

in the

Scottish

Psalter

at

verse

number

14

psalm

71

at

verse

number

14

it's

on

page

3

1

1

but I

with

expectation

will hope

continually

and yet

with praises

more and

more

I will

thee

magnify

and we're

singing from

verse 14

to

verse 17

to God's

praise

but I

with

expectation

will hope

continue

and yet

with praises

more and more

I will

be magnified

thy

justice

and

salvation

I

must

approach

a

true

in

over

it

for

I

thereof

that

numbers

do

not

know

and

I

will

haunts

and