12 Full Assurance of Hope

"Full Assurance of Hope"
Hebrews 6:1-12
I. Spiritual Growth
6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ,
let us press on to maturity,
not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands,
and the resurrection of the dead
and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permits.
II. Steadfast Faith
4 For in the case of those
-who have once been enlightened
-and have tasted of the heavenly gift
-and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
-5 and have tasted the good word of God
and the powers of the age to come
-6 and then have fallen away,
6 …it is impossible to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God
and put Him to open shame.
7 For ground
that drinks the rain which often falls on it
and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled,
receives a blessing from God;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles,
it is worthless and close to being cursed,
and it ends up being burned.
III. Works of Love
9 But, beloved,
we are convinced of better things concerning you,
and things that accompany salvation,
though we are speaking in this way.
10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name,
in having ministered
and in still ministering
to the saints.
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 so that you will not be sluggish,
but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.