Scripture reading: Hebrews 6:1
After teaching the Hebrew Christians the tenets of salvation for a long time, the writer of Hebrews had to say to them in Hebrews 5:12-14, “Well, you are as dumb as you can be, for instead of eating meat you are now still at the milk stage.” In Russia they had a doctrine in the church that they shouldn’t eat meat but should only drink milk to be spiritual. They called them Molokans (milk drinkers). We are Molokans – milk drinkers. Concerning the basic doctrines of Christ, we say, “Okay, let’s leave them.” Let me tell you something: Do not dare to leave the basic doctrines of Christ until you walk in them, or you will be leaving the basis of your foundation. When you go out there to meet the real devil, you will find out that you had no foundation to stand on.
Let us look at Hebrews 6:1, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Oh God, help us! The very first one floors us – repentance from dead works. A lot of the works in the Outer Court are dead works. Amen. Some of us are still jealous, isn’t that right? Christians who are jealous? Christians who lie? Christians who steal? Christians who cheat? He said, “The first principles…the doctrine of repentance.”
Hebrews 6:1, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. You know, faith is a very peculiar thing. This one says, “Faith toward God.” It is a very peculiar thing. You look at the pulpit from which we preach and you see it is wood; you don’t have to struggle to have faith in the wood that it will behave like wood. Do you understand? You have faith in the natural things around you. When you look at a stone, you see that is a stone, you know it is going to behave like a stone, and it is not going to behave like anything else. You would rest your life on that stone, because it is a stone. Well, the Bible said, “Faith toward (in) God.” God will behave like God! We should be afraid of thinking of God in any other way, but that He is going to behave like God! We can believe a stone will behave like a stone. We can believe that wood will behave like wood. Why can’t we believe God will behave like God?
It is so simple, it is so childish, that the littlest child is expecting Mommy to behave like Mommy; he is expecting Daddy to behave like Daddy. He will go and run to them and open his arms to them. We had a little babe who would go to a chair and jump; he knew that we were going to catch him. He never misses because you are going to catch him. He knows it, he knows your nature and he is betting on it. These children have faith in the things that are around them, and in the people that are around them. Hallelujah! God is expecting the church of God to have faith in God.
He said, “But when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God” (Romans 1:21). You know God, and yet you don’t deal with God as God. God wants you to do that, so that faith in Him is all natural, basic, Outer Court. You haven’t gone into the Holy Place yet. These are just basic foundations upon which we stand and live and move and have our being as Christians.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.”
(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2007, pg. 4-5)
Thought for today: Do not dare to leave the basic doctrines of Christ until you walk in them, or you will be leaving the basis of your foundation.
