"THE HOLIEST OF ALL" part XLII

THE THIRD WARNING
Hebrew 5: 11 - 6: 20
Against Sloth, Standing Still, and Apostasy.

THE SIN of NOT MAKING PROGRESS in the CHRISTIAN LIFE
Hebrews 5:10 - 13 Jesus, Named of God a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing you have become dull of hearing. For when by reason of the time you ought to be teachers, you have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles ( beginnings ) of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.  For every one that partakes of milk is without  experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.


BY THE REV. ANDREW MURRAY

We have here the commencement of the third of the five warnings to be found in the Epistle. The first was against indifference and neglect; the second against unbelief and disobedience; the third deals specially with the sloth that prevents all progress in the Christian life, renders the soul incapable of entering into the full meaning of Gospel Truth and Blessing, and often leads to an entire falling away. In the previous part of the Epistle, the author has been dealing with what he considers more elementary truths, the Divinity and humanity of the Savior, and His fitness as a merciful and faithful High Priest for the work He has to do for us. He is about to enter on the higher teaching he has to give us on the Heavenly Priesthood of Christ ( 7 - 10: 18 ), but feels that many of his readers are incapable of following or appreciating such Spiritual Truth. He feels it needful first to rouse them by words of earnest reproof and exhortation, because no teaching can profit where the heart is not wakened (stirred) up to hunger for it as its necessary food.

In the Christian Church, there are, alas, too many, of whom we would fain hope that they are believers, who are living in this state. They are content with the thought of pardon and the hope of Heaven; they rest in their orthodoxy, their attachment to the Church and its services, their correct deportment. But as to any strong desire for the deeper Truths of God's word--- they have no concept of what is meant, or why they should be needed. When our author speaks of the power of Jesus' Blood in Heaven, of the Opening of the Holiest of All, of our entering in to dwell there, and then of our going out to Him without the camp, the words find no response, because they meet no need of the soul. Let every reader listen earnestly to what God says of this state.

We have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, because you are become dull of hearing. The writer's complaint is not that they have not sufficient education or mental power to understand what he says. By no means. But Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. Spiritual Truth can only be received by the spiritual mind ( a receptive and properly stirred up heart ), by a heart that thirsts for God, and sacrifices this world for the Knowledge and enjoyment of the unseen One. They were content with their knowledge of the crucified Christ; the Heavenly Christ, and His power to draw them up out of the world, and to give Heaven into their hearts, had but little attraction.

He further says, By reason of the time you ought to be teachers. In the Christian life every one who makes real progress feels himself constrained to teach others. Christ's Love in the heart must overflow to those around. The Hebrews had been Christians so long that they ought to have been teachers. The very opposite of this, however, was the case. You have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God. So there are numbers of Christians whose Christian life consists very much in always learning. Sermons and books are a delight, but they never get beyond the stage of being fed; they know not what it is to feed others. There is no effort so to appropriate God's Word, as to be strong to impart it to others. Or there is no real longing for deliverance from the power of sin, and the great insensitivity to the fuller Knowledge of Jesus and His Heavenly power is wanting.

And you are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. Where there is no hunger for the solid food (the higher Truth of Christ's Heavenly Priesthood), or unwillingness to use what is received in helping others, the spiritual faculties are dwarfed and enfeebled, and the Christian never gets beyond the use of the milk meant for babes. In the Christian life, as in nature, there are two stages, the one of infancy or childhood, the other of manhood. In nature the growth out of the one into the other comes spontaneously. In Grace this is not so. It is possible for a Christian to remain in a sickly infancy all his life, always needing help, instead of being a help. The cause of this is sloth, reluctance to make the sacrifices needed for progress, unwillingness to forsake all and follow (to become a disciple of ) Jesus. And this again is very much owing to the fatal mistake that in religion our only thought Is to be of safety, that we may be content with some assurance of that is attained. Such a soul cares not for the Heavenly Blessedness of conformity to Jesus, of Living fellowship ( intimacy ) with God, and the Godlike privilege of bringing Life and Blessing to men.

It is one of the great needs of the teachers in the Church in our day that they should have a clear insight into the feeble and sickly state in which most Christians live, as well as into what constitutes a Healthy Life that goes on to perfection ( maturity in the knowledge of Christ and His High Priestly activities ). As they themselves enter into the full experience of the power of Christ's Priesthood, as the Holy Spirit imparts it in the heart, they will be able to reprove with authority, and effectually to help all upright souls into the full Salvation Christ has provided. God give His Church such teachers.( It is these teachers and leadership that is so missing from our churches and the systems of mans design.)

1. Have we not here the reason there Is so little earnest pursuit after Holiness? So little true consecration to living to bless others? So little of the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church? Let us plead with God to discover the evil and to visit His Church. Let us exhort one another daily, to rest content with nothing less than a whole-hearted enthusiastic devotion to Jesus.
2. In preparing to go on to the study of the inner Sanctuary in what is to follow ( 7 - 10), do let us consider it a settled thing, that unless we are really hungering after Righteousness, and longing for a very close fellowship (intimacy) with Jesus, our further study of the Epistle will do us very little good. Let us pray God to convince us of our sloth, our contentment with the beginnings of Grace, and to stir in us a burning thirst after Himself.