Are you a betweener?

Words of correction are hard to receive by most of us. It is a spiritual blessing when those with true concern share with us what we don’t see or refuse to see in ourselves. The writer of Hebrews has important things to teach the readers but he stops to warn them that they are not ready for meat. They need to realize their spiritual condition requires immediate attention.

The writer addresses four marks of spiritual immaturity in Hebrews 5:11-14. It was an appropriate warning for those who read it 2,000 years ago and for us today. The writer declared that they had become dull of hearing. It speaks of the complexity of an issue not caused by lack of ability to teach on the part of the writer but lack of hearing on the part of the readers. They had become comfortable with what they knew. Yet, the readers were being faced with difficult choices concerning faith in Christ. Was He worth the pain of persecution or would it be better to turn back to Judaism? The writer warns them to examine their faith in light of four tests of spiritual immaturity. The truth can hurt but it can lead one to mature faith in the One who is worthy to be served.

The first mark of spiritual immaturity is dullness toward the Word of God. R. Kent Hughes,. . . their problem was an acquired condition characterized by an inability to listen to spiritual truth. They were not naturally “slow,” they were not intellectually deficient, but they had become spiritually lazy. It is a frightening thing when a Christian is no longer excited about spiritual truth. Warren Wiersbe, One of the first symptoms of spiritual regression, or backsliding, is a dullness toward the Bible. Sunday School class is dull, the preaching is dull, anything spiritual is dull. The problem is usually not with the Sunday School teacher or the pastor, but with the believer himself.

The next mark is the inability to teach the Word of God. It is a privilege and responsibility to teach the Word of God, 1 Peter 3:15, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. R. Kent Hughes, Some in the tiny storm-tossed church should have become teachers (not necessarily preachers as such, but able to instruct others in the faith due to the progress of their own faith), but they had tragically failed. And they were losing their own grip on the truth to boot. Raymond Brown, Turning their backs on strenuous study and diligent application to spiritual teaching, they remain like babies when they ought to be adults, pupils when they might be instructors, Christians in need of help when they could be offering it to others.

The writer’s third mark of spiritual immaturity is the need to be continually taught basic principles. Thomas Constable, . . . when we fail to pass on what we know we begin to lose what we know. Eventually we may need to relearn the most basic teachings of Scripture. When we stop growing, we start shrinking. We do not just stay the same. The writer gives the cause of their immaturity in verse 13, they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. The writer may be referring to positional righteousness - salvation which comes through faith in Christ alone. He may be referring to practical righteousness, or sanctification - the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. I believe the passage refers to both. Consider how immature many Christians are because they don’t have assurance of salvation. One’s positional righteousness is through Christ alone. Consider those who choose not to tie position to practice. There is no spiritual maturity for those who never properly apply doctrine to personal responsibility.

His fourth mark is difficulty in applying the Word of God. Thomas Constable, The readers were in danger of not comprehending what the writer had to tell them because they had not put what they did understand into practice in their lives. Instead, they were thinking of departing from the truth. Raymond Brown clearly identifies the danger of not personally applying the Word of God to one’s life, . . . what is most serious about their spiritual ignorance is that, being unfamiliar with God’s word, they do not know his mind on important doctrinal, ethical and spiritual issues. His truth is a word of righteousness and those who master its message learn how to distinguish good from evil. This does not come to anybody without effort.

These four marks of spiritual immaturity should be convicting to all of us. The importance of self-examination is not that it should bring condemnation but motivation to do be what God has called us to be, empowered by Him. Consider the words of Warren Wiersbe, I once heard a preacher say, “Most Christians are ‘betweeners.’” “What do you mean by that?” I asked. “They are between Egypt and Canaan—out of the place of danger, but not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance,” he replied. “They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday—saved by the blood but not yet enjoying newness of resurrection life.” Are you a “betweener”?

It is beneficial to examine ourselves in light of God’s Word. Join the study of Hebrews 5:11-14 which may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. There is no reason to be a betweener!

Jesus, our superior High Priest!

Our confession is only as solid as the foundation on which it is built. For Christians, our solid foundation is Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 5:1-10, the writer compares the qualifications of a human high priest to the qualifications of Jesus. Our confession is most certainly solid as we find Jesus to be our superior High Priest.

There are several qualifications for a high priest in the line of Aaron. He was one chosen by God. His primary responsibility was to represent man to God. He had to have a soft heart that could sympathize with weak humanity since he was a sinner, as well. Of course, he presented offerings of worship and sacrifices for his sins and those of the people he represented. R. Kent Hughes, The solidarity factor was essential to effective priestly ministry, as it is today in pastoral ministry, and the universal requirement is, as it has always been, a real man with a real link to God and a real bond to man. . . His work was never a career. It was a divine calling.

This passage looks at Jesus in respect to His function as the great and forever high priest. His appointment by God was superior to those in the line of Aaron because Jesus was appointed as God’s Son. In His deity, Jesus has always been the Son of God but His incarnation brought more. William L. Lane,. . . he entered into a new dimension in the experience of sonship by virtue of his incarnation, his sacrificial death, and his subsequent exaltation. Also, Jesus was appointed high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Leon Morris, There was no succession of priests from Melchizedek and thus no ‘order.’ Jesus, however, was a priest of this kind—not like Aaron and his successors. Donald Hagner, . . . Melchizedek was both a king and a priest (Gen. 14:18). Jesus is also king and priest, and thus corresponds to Melchizedek.

The writer of Hebrews identifies the superior priesthood of Jesus in His humanity. Hebrews 5:7b declares, he was heard because of his reverence. It means reverence toward God with the force of obedience. R. Kent Hughes, His reverence for the Father determined that his humanity would do nothing but please the Father. Also, Jesus fully suffered. Ray Stedman,

. . . he learned how it feels to obey when such obedience only promises further pain . . even though he was a son who loved to obey his Father, yet he learned obedience the hard way through his experience in Gethsemane. Consider the claim of Charles Spurgeon, God had one Son without sin, but He never had a son without suffering. Because Jesus is not only an eternal King and priest who can relate to us, He is the superior high priest. Why would anyone turn away from Him?

Jesus is also superior in His deity. Consider verse 9a, And being made perfect. It does not concern His nature since He is fully God but it concerns his function as High Priest. Warren Wiersbe, As God, He needed to learn nothing. But as the Son of God come in human flesh, He had to experience that which His people would experience, so that He might be able to minister as their High Priest. Interestingly, Jesus is said to be the source of eternal salvation. Jesus is not only our priest but He is our salvation, the sacrificial lamb of God. Once for all, full sacrifice was made on behalf of those who trust Him alone, to all who obey him. Charles Spurgeon, The moment you put yourself into His hands you must obey Him, or you have not trusted Him. It is a matter of trust in God’s gift of eternal life but also a matter of inheritance (reward). Thomas Constable, . . . it may be that he was also referring here to the ultimate aspect of our salvation, our eternal inheritance (1:14; 9:15). We obtain this to the extent that we “obey” God, and obey Him through suffering as Jesus did (cf. Mark 8:34–35).

The writer concludes this section by reminding us of our great high priest’s designation, a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. More concerning that priesthood will be revealed in Hebrews 7. But now, join the study of Hebrews 5:1-10 which may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. What a foundation on which to build, Jesus, King, Priest, Sacrifice.

The necessity of a theanthropic confession!

One should never put an unfamiliar word in a title unless it is to grab readers’ attention. I hope you will read on and see how important is the word theanthropic. It is a descriptive word of our Savior, a part of our confession of faith in Jesus Christ.

Hebrew 4:14-16 is a reminder to hold fast our confession. Warren Wiersbe, These Hebrew Christians were tempted to give up their confession of faith in Christ and their confidence in Him . . . This kind of unbelief would only bring reproach to Christ’s name. May we who claim Christ be mindful of our confession with reverence and boldness. Raymond Brown, This is not merely an appeal for endurance but an exhortation to fearless witness. Don’t be robbed of your faith; advertise it. Hold it fast and hold it forth.

In these three verses, we have a confession of faith on which we can stand despite life’s trials and tribulations. Certainly, our confession is built on a solid foundation, Jesus Christ, our great high priest! Raymond Brown, He far surpasses all of his priestly predecessors. Their priestly work cannot possibly be compared with his in its range, nature, cost and efficacy. He alone is truly ‘great.’ In these verses, we will be reminded that our superior confession is a declaration that who Jesus is determines what He can do.

First, the writer gives the human name of our great high priest, Jesus. Hebrews 2:17, Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Douglas Mangum, The author makes the logical point that the Son had to be made like humanity in every way in order to serve as the faithful high priest who makes atonement for their sins.

Next, our confession proclaims that our great high priest is the Son of God. Charles Spurgeon, There is His deity. He is the Only-begotten of the Father: as glorious in His Godhead as He is gracious in His manhood. Human high priests can’t compare with a high priest who is God incarnate. Warren Wiersbe, How much better is it to have a High Priest who ministers in a heavenly tabernacle than in an earthly one!

Then, the writer of Hebrews declares that our great high priest has passed through the heavens. Here, we can picture the descriptive word theanthropic. It means one person with two natures. We confess Jesus Christ as fully man and fully God! Donald Hagner, This indeed is no ordinary high priest. He is the man Jesus, but also the unique Son of God, the one who has gone through the heavens. Because Jesus is theanthropic, He can meet our every need.

Again, who He is determines what He can do. He can sympathize with our weaknesses. Raymond Brown, No-one on earth, before or since, has ever been through such spiritual desolation and human anguish. For this reason he can help us in our moments of temptation. He is aware of our needs because he has experienced to the full the pressures and testings of life in this godless world. He was fully tempted like us yet sinless. C. S. Lewis, We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means . . .

Our confession declares we can confidently draw near the throne of grace. Thomas Constable, The high priests of Judaism could only approach God at His earthly throne, in the holy of holies in the tabernacle or temple, once a year. God’s throne of judgment has become a throne of grace (undeserved help) for us now. We have access to His mercy which is not receiving what we deserve. We have access to His grace which is receiving what we do not deserve. Warren Wiersbe, No trial is too great, no temptation is too strong, but that Jesus Christ can give us the mercy and grace that we need, when we need it.

We have quite a confession. It is definitely the Good News. I pray each of us will hold fast our confession. R. Kent Hughes, Some in that beleaguered little house-church of the first century had allowed the mounting hardships to draw them away from God, rather than closer by prayer. Their confidence was gone. What about you? Has life made you draw away from the throne of grace or draw near?

Join the study of Hebrews 4:14-16 which may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. Our confession is a reminder of our great High Priest who is worthy to be served and proclaimed in this desperately needy world.