No one can escape coming into the world as a baby because that is the only way to get here. But it is tragic when a baby fails to mature. No matter how much parents and grandparents love to hold and cuddle a baby, it is their great desire that the baby grows up and enjoy a full life as a mature adult. God has the same desire for His children. That is why He calls to us, “be taken forward to maturity!” (v. 1).

It is a call to spiritual progress (vv. 1-3). If we are going to make progress, we have to leave the childhood things behind and go forward in spiritual growth. This means you don’t keep learning the basics. You use the basics to go on to better things. God enables us to progress as we yield to Him, receive His Word, and act on it. It’s normal for Christians to grow; it’s abnormal for them to have arrested growth. The writer lists six foundational truths of the Christian life. The first two items (repentance and faith) are Godward and mark the initiation of the spiritual life. The next two items (baptism and laying on of hands) have to do with a person’s relationship to the local assembly of believers. In the New Testament, a person who repented and trusted Jesus Christ was baptized and became a part of a local church (Acts 2:41-47). The last two items, the resurrection of the dead (Acts 24:14-15) and the final judgment (Acts 17:30-31), have to do with the future. The lesson of verses 1-3 is clear: You have laid the foundation. You know your ABC’s. Now go forward! Let God carry you along to maturity.

This progress does not affect salvation (vv. 4-6). These verses, along with the exhortation in Heb. 10:26-39, have given people cause for worry and concern, mainly because these verses have been misunderstood and misapplied. There are many verses in Scripture that assure the true believer that he can never be lost. In fact, one of the greatest arguments for security is the last section of this chapter! (Heb. 6:13-20; see also John 5:24; 10:26-30; and Rom. 8:28-39) Then what is the writer trying to say to us? It is probable that he is describing a hypothetical case to prove his point that a true believer cannot lose his salvation. Please keep in mind that the writer’s purpose was not to frighten the readers but to assure them.

This progress results in fruitfulness (vv. 7-10). This illustration of a field reminds us of our Lord’s Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:1-9, 18:23), as well as Paul’s teaching about the fire testing our works (1 Cor. 3:6-23). A field proves its worth by bearing fruit; and a true believer, as he makes spiritual progress, bears fruit for God’s glory. Note that the “thorns and briars” are burned, not the field. God never curses His own! Not every believer bears the same amount of fruit as proof that he is a child of God (Matt. 7:15-20). This is the fruit of Christian character and conduct (Gal. 5:22-26) produced by the Spirit as we mature in Christ. The writer listed some of the fruit that he knew had been produced in their lives: because of their love, they had worked and labored for the Lord; they had ministered to other saints; and they were still ministering. These are some of the things that accompany salvation. But he was concerned lest they rest on their achievements and not press on to full maturity and the enjoyment of God’s rich inheritance.

This progress demands diligent effort (vv. 11-12).While it is true that it is God who carries us along to maturity, it is also true that the believer must do his part. We must not be lazy but apply ourselves to the spiritual resources God has given us. We have the promises from God. We should exercise faith and patience and claim these for ourselves! Like Caleb and Joshua, we must believe God’s promise and want to go in and claim the land!

Hebrews 6:1-12 Reflection Questions:

Do a personal evaluation of your spiritual growth; are you progressing forward every year?