Beginning with 6:9, the author makes a very sensitive, encouraging transition to those Jewish believers who are "in Christ." In the preceding passage (6:1 thru 6:8) the focus was on warning the Jews who had not yet made a full commitment to Christianity.
He starts (v. 9) with "But, beloved..." This is the only time in Hebrews that the term "beloved" is used. It is a term of the richest and deepest kind of love. The author doesn't want the genuine believers, which represent the majority in the church, to be discouraged by his strong rebuke or to doubt their salvation.
In this section (6:9 to 6:12) he references the three cardinal Christian virtues: love (v. 10), hope (v. 11), and faith (v. 12) as he talks about the things that accompany genuine salvation.
LOVE
Are you growing in love? Do you love God more and more, cherishing His
Word? Do you love His people, difficult as they may be at times? Plug in
the marks of love from 1 Corinthians 13 (1 Corinthians 13:4ff)
and ask, “Do I love my immediate family members in this way?” Do you
love the lost enough to give your money and time so that they can hear
the good news, that Christ came into this world to save sinners? None of
these graces are automatic. You must cultivate them daily through the
spiritual disciplines (Bible study, prayer, worship, service, and
fellowship). These are the things that accompany genuine salvation.
The author mentions the love which they had shown toward God’s name. His name represents all that God is as revealed in His Word. It refers to His holy attributes and His ways. To love His name is to have a passion for His glory, to see God exalted to His true place of honor over every creature. Loving God and His name is the basis for all that we do in service for Him.
HOPE
Are you growing in hope? Biblical hope is not uncertain, as when we say,
“I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” Biblical hope is certain, but not
yet realized. It is an attitude that is the opposite of discouragement
and depression. The person who hopes in God is buoyed up by the promise
of Jesus’ coming, and that the future will be glorious for all of those
who love God and are called according to His purpose. As Paul prays (Romans 15:13): Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit.
While there may have been a few apostates in the church, the author is
confident that the majority are saved because he has seen the evidence in their
lives in their ministry to the saints. Then (6:11) he
shares his desire that each of them continue with the same diligence and adds,
“so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end.” Full assurance
of hope is tied in with diligent service, especially practical deeds of
love towards fellow believers.
As John states, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the
brethren” (1 John 3:14; see also 15-20).
The bedrock of Christian assurance is that God has promised eternal life to those that believe in Jesus Christ, and you know that you have trusted in Him. But, how do you know if your faith is genuine, saving faith? Since the apostates had what seemed to be many evidences of salvation and yet were not truly saved, how can you know that your faith is the real thing?
The biblical answer is, your life should reflect the reality of what God has done in your heart. As John also states in 1 John 2:3), “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” The more that you see God’s working through you, the greater will be your assurance that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
FAITH
Those who are genuinely saved will be growing in these three areas, and so they are good yardsticks to measure your life by. Are you living by faith in God’s promises in your daily life? If you are, you will know God’s promises (through Scripture memory), and you will be praying those promises back to God, claiming by faith what He has promised in His Word.
In 6:12 he says, "that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
We are to imitate those who by faith and patience inherit the promises. As Hebrews 11 makes clear, most of the Old Testament saints died in faith without realizing the promises in their lifetimes (see Hebrews 11:39). This means, as Paul puts it, that if “we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19).
God’s promises are fulfilled in eternity. That’s where faith comes into play. Will we trust God to keep His promises, even if in this life we are despised, rejected, and destitute? Will we endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, knowing that He will reward us far beyond any sacrifices that we make here below?
In 6:19, we see that our hope is an anchor to our soul. "This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary." (NLT)
We will all have trouble in this life. Without a full assurance of hope, we will be tossed to and fro in the sea of trouble. Our hope must be certain yet unrealized. We must know that what we hope in is trustworthy and true. This is what gives our soul rest.
Next week, Nolan Helder will be teaching. He will pick up where we left off with Chapter 7. In Chapter 7 the author returns to his description of Melchizedek.
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