An Encouragement to Grow Up Spiritually (6:1–3) Chapter six begins with an encouragement not to stagnate in our spiritual growth. At the end of chapter five, the writer describes his readers as spiritual babies, not mature Christians ready for a solid diet of doctrine. Instead of giving his readers more milk, he insists that they grow up and gives them "strong food" or deeper teaching. It is not enough, he says, to remain in our "infant" understanding about the Gospel, about Jesus Christ, or about our spiritual lives. We must move on and continue to grow in our faith.
Another Warning about Turning Back from Following Christ (6:4–12)
In the following verses, the writer again gives a severe warning to his readers about turning back from Christ. He uses a hypothetical situation: what if someone were saved and then turned his back on Jesus Christ? What hope would there be for that person? How could they be saved apart from Jesus Christ? Their only future would be certain and eternal punishment. Think of land that was carefully cultivated, fertilized, watered, and seeded, but never produced fruit. What a worthless piece of ground that would be! The writer however is convinced of better about his readers, but again, they must continue to press on in faith in Jesus Christ. They must demonstrate in their own lives the faith that godly men of the past have demonstrated.
A Reason to Put Your Faith in God: His Promises are Certain (6:13–20)
In spite of possible persecution, God is always faithful to his Word. When he makes a promise, he never goes back on it. There is no one more faithful than God. When he promised to make a great nation out of Abraham, he did it— in spite of unbelievable odds. God continues on faithful to his word. His faithfulness is pictured like an Old Testament city of refuge, where someone could flee for safety. His faithfulness is like an anchor, that keeps a ship safe in the harbor. We can safely trust in God’s faithfulness in the Person of Jesus Christ, our perfect Mediator and High Priest. The only way to be safe from God’s eternal judgment is by faith in his Son, Jesus Christ.
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