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To say God's purpose is completed, fully achieved in us through baptism into Christ is similar to saying that our purpose in a child born into our family is completed, fully achieved, when his/her birth occurs. In both instances, birth marks the beginning of purpose, not the completion of purpose. Consider Hebrews 6:1-8:
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Please remember the New Testament epistles first existed as letters without chapter and verse divisions. [Verse divisions are a "modern" way of dividing the text into reference points. The Hebrew Bible we call The Old Testament was divided into 23,100 verses around A.D. 900. The division of the Hebrew Bible into chapters likely did not occur until about A.D. 1244. The first English translation of the Bible using verses throughout was the Geneva Bible.] This is called to your attention for a specific reason. A reader today might begin with Hebrews 6:1 with little or no consciousness of 5:12. Those originally receiving Hebrews would not do that. Since they read [or heard] a letter with no chapter and verse divisions, there was a noticeable link between the words of 5:12 and 6:1.
In 5:12 there is the mention of the "elementary principles," literally "elements of the beginning." The context notes these are considerations for spiritual infants. Those maturing in their conversion moved beyond those simple concepts.
In 6:1 there is the mention of the "elementary teachings about Christ," literally "word of the beginning." There were understandings [in each reference] that were a part of their "beginning" in Christ. 6:1,2 mentions some of these "beginning understandings": repentance from dead works, faith toward God, instructions about washings and laying on of hands, the resurrection, and the eternal judgment. In context, these are foundation understandings. The objective is to build on these understandings as a foundation by moving forward to maturity. In context, these were baby food understandings. The objective was to use these infant [but important] understandings to move toward maturity.
The first "elementary" concept that served the original recipients as a foundational understanding was repentance from dead works. A basic understanding of the person entering Christ: turn away from a lifestyle and deeds that held you in spiritual death prior to the ransom [redemption] of Christ's death. That is a foundation understanding. That is the concept a spiritual infant must grasp. That is spiritual baby food. That is a foundation understanding that must exist if a person in Christ is to move on toward spiritual maturity.
The war of "do I want to continue the lifestyle that rejects God's values," or "do I want the lifestyle built on God's values" is a pre-repentance war. Repentance from dead works turns toward God's values as it knowingly rejects the values opposing God. When one was baptized into Christ, the choice was consciously made. "Whom do I live for" is a resolved issue. That does not mean there will be no temptation. It does not mean there will be no lapses. It does not mean there will be no thoughts about or reexamination of the issues in that war. It means a knowing, conscious choice deliberately was made to reject the values and lifestyle that opposes God in order to accept the values and lifestyle of one who belongs to God.
Because that choice was made, the decision of those baptized into Christ is to move toward maturity. This emphasizes the two sides of repentance. Initially, repentance involves turning away from that which made the person dead in sin in order to become the person made alive in Christ. That is an elementary understanding, a spiritual baby food understanding. However, repentance also involves continual "course corrections" as the Christian matures on his/her journey of moving toward God. As his/her concept and understanding of holiness develops, he/she will find an increasing need to turn away from that which leads away from God and turn toward that which leads to God. (1) The maturing Christian refuses to return to the "dead works" that originally enslaved him/her in spiritual death. (2) The maturing Christian constantly is ready to redirect mind, heart, and behavior to move closer and closer to God.
For the Christian committed to spiritual maturity, God will discipline him/her as He guides the person toward Him and His holiness. Love can do no less! In that age, discipline proved you were a son, not an illegitimate off cast. How a son matured mattered! An illegitimate off cast could do as he pleased--it did not matter! If we are God's children, our maturity matters to God. God wants us to mature! God challenges us to mature! An essential key to spiritual maturity is repentance. Repentance is a "given," a "decided issue," a "determined commitment" in the person who belongs to God. It is part of the foundation of who he/she is. It is part of his/her journey toward God. It is much more than a fact that "I did once upon a time." It is a living reality within "me" that is essential in "my" journey of moving toward God.
Thought Questions:
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Lesson 13
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