Day 106/260: Read Hebrews 6

In this reading, verses 4 through 6 can be troubling when taken out of context. The writer says that those who have been “enlightened” and “Have tasted the heavenly gift” are in danger “if they fall away.” Certainly, we understand the danger of sin and leaving the fellowship of God.

The difficulty comes with the idea that it is “impossible…to renew them again to repentance.” Does this mean that when a Christian sins, he no longer has any hope in the blood of Christ to cleanse him?

We must always keep the context of a passage in mind. This letter is written to a group of Christians who were considering leaving Christ and returning to the Old Law. If they were to do that, and in so doing “fall away,” then they had no future hope. There was no other Messiah coming, no other Christ to expect. They had made it “impossible,” not God.

The fact is that when a Christian stumbles into sin, he still has hope in the saving blood of Christ. John writes, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

Don’t lose hope. Don’t leave Christ. Confess, repent, trust, and obey.

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

Hebrews 8:13. In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Pray

Pray for forgiveness, knowing that God is faithful to forgive.