Hebrews 6: 1-3
(1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (3) And this we will do, if God permit.
The grace and mercy of God has allowed us to be a part of this time in history. The moving of God in the realm of the Spirit in the eyes of true believers has never been doubted, and now, those who are looking with keen spiritual eyes are seeing the plan of God fulfilled, just as he promised it would be. From our perspective, the perspective of the Holy Ghost filled child of God, we are enduring, and surviving, steadfastly looking towards the prize.
For many of us, the journey of our walk with Jesus Christ has been less than easy. Stumbling blocks, pitfalls, slips and trials have made our pathway less than smooth and level. In the scriptures of Hebrews 6: 1-3, however, we are directed to “go on”, and leave some things behind. The doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment are foundational principles of doctrine within our Apostolic life. Many of us have read those scriptures, and wondered, where do we go from here?
After all, Jesus’ Name baptism, healing of the sick by laying on of hands, the dead rising first when Jesus returns to claim his bride, and the eternal judgment of all souls are at the very core of what we believe. Perhaps it has crossed our minds as being complete in him (Jesus Christ). Perhaps we feel it is enough, we are sufficient in what we know and believe.
When the Lord begins to show us ‘more’, putting the things of ‘more’ into proper perspective causes us to realize there is going to be a journey. Thus far, God has shown us opportunity, given us the purpose, directed us to pursue, and helped us recognize the ‘more’ God desires us to partake of. As we have become aware, the things of God are not without obedience and sacrifice. There is a challenge to make it to the end. The joys, hardships, and life lessons are all part of the
journey, and the writer to the Hebrews is reminding us we have not yet arrived. There is a perfection yet to be achieved, and it is ours if we are willing to make the trip for it.
The danger along the way is found in II Timothy 4: 3, which says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”. For these souls, the journey for ‘more’ did not follow a righteous path, but departed from the doctrine of God, leading them to follow their own lusts and desires. I John 2: 16 declares, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. The journey to ‘more’ must stay on the path God has established. The lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path is there for the sole purpose of keeping the word and promise of God our sole focus and point of illumination on this journey.
We must also remember those things which are our foundation. As we build upon the foundation of our lives on our daily journey, we see clearer and clearer the importance of sound Godly doctrine. Psalms 119: 89 tells us, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven”. When we get the word of God settled in our heart, in our mind, and in our lives, and they are all established doctrines, we can“go on unto perfection”. The journey to ‘more’ has now become our quest, we are now willing to achieve what was once deemed unachievable or too difficult. We have declared there is no going back, but yet we must go beyond the principles of the doctrines of Christ, and attained unto the characteristics and attributes of the deeper God. Never forgetting where and how we came, but having the knowledge of those principles embedded in our being, along with the prize of perfection of ‘more’ we have journeyed to.
The journey is not easy, but has the reward of God. Ecclesiastes 9: 11 lets us know “the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong...”. Jesus spoke in Matthew 14: 4-51 in great detail concerning the end time, and in verse 13 promised “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”. To endure means to “suffer patiently”. Our lives and journey are in the hands of the only just one, Jesus Christ. As we continue on, let us become ‘more’ of him, his image, his perfection, his ways! God will permit!