Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church
November 2, 2025

      • Matthew 13:23NASB95

  • Here I Am To Worship
  • Great Is Thy Faithfulness

      • Psalm 34:1–10NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 9:6–7NASB95

  • People who hold on to religion to save them are immature and unsaved. Even if the religion is true like Judaism and Christianity, they are in supreme peril because the forms of religion cannot save. The author of Hebrews challenges his readers avoid spiritual peril by leaving behind the immature forms of Judaism and become mature by believing in Jesus.
    2 Perils to Avoid:

    I. Peril of Not Growing Up

    Hebrews 6:1 NASB95
    1 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,
    Leaving — “Having left” leave behind or make a clean break from something, like James and John when Jesus called them.
    Mark 1:20 NASB95
    20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
    What are they to leave behind? Christ Jesus, no. They left behind the ABC of the Christ as explained in the OT. They left behind the prophecies of his coming into the world because Jesus had come already and there was no more need to look for the coming of Christ. They left behind the pictures and types accurately given in the OT because Jesus had fulfilled them.
    Now it was time to allow the Holy Spirit to carry along all of the author’s Hebrew brethren to the substance of the OT prophecies and pictures which is the full revelation of Jesus Christ Himself.
    Hebrews 1:1–3 NASB95
    1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
    In other words, stop looking at the model of the home and step into full sized home that has been built for you. Stop looking at the catalog of gifts when everything in the catalog has already been delivered to your door and is waiting to be opened.
    Here is the list of 6 religious things to leave behind.

    A. Repentance from Dead Works

    Hebrews 6:1 NASB95
    1 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,
    Repentance from the sacrificial ceremonies that required works that could never bring life. That is why they are dead works. They were performed by sinful men for sinful men. They were not bad or evil works because they were what God required, but the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin.

    B. Faith Toward God

    Hebrews 6:1 NASB95
    1 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,
    Shouldn’t they have faith in God? Why is this something Hebrew seekers should leave behind? Because faith is no longer toward as a tradition, it is faith toward God in the person of Jesus Christ.
    Philippians 3:9 NASB95
    9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
    Our faith is in Christ who is the express image of God and therefore the focus of our saving faith.

    C. Washings

    Hebrews 6:2 NASB95
    2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
    Some translations unfortunately say, “baptisms.” “washings” is the better translation. These are the ceremonial washings that pointed toward the need for cleansing in any worshipper who wanted to approach God.
    Exodus 30:18 NASB95
    18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.
    Mark 7:1–5 NASB95
    1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”

    D. Laying on of Hands

    Hebrews 6:2 NASB95
    2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
    This practice refers to what the high priest did every year on the Day of Atonement.
    Leviticus 16:21 NASB95
    21 “Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.

    E. Resurrection of the Dead

    Hebrews 6:2 NASB95
    2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
    The instruction about the resurrection of the dead was very limited in the OT. The resurrection is understood fully and completely in Jesus.
    John 11:25 NASB95
    25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

    F. Judgment

    Hebrews 6:2 NASB95
    2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
    Like the teaching of the resurrection, what we have in the OT is limited. The fuller teaching the judgment of both believers and unbelievers is only found in the age of grace.
    Hebrews 6:3 NASB95
    3 And this we will do, if God permits.
    “Let us press on to maturity” is the start of the complete thought and the, “this we will do if God permits” is the end of the thought. The list of six incomplete OT ceremonies and teachings should be in parenthesis as examples of an immature faith that we must leave behind.
    John MacArthur sums it up like this…
    Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Eternal Judgment

    The point of

    An Exposition of Hebrews Chapter 23: Infancy and Maturity (Heb 6:1–3)

    By faith, behold Christ, now in the heavenly sanctuary, as your righteousness, life, and strength. See in God’s acceptance of Him, His adoption of you, that you have been reconciled to Him, made nigh by the precious blood. In the realization of this, worship in spirit and in truth; exercise your priestly privileges.

    II. Peril of Falling Away

      • Hebrews 6:1NASB95

      • Mark 1:20NASB95

      • Hebrews 1:1–3NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:1NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:1NASB95

      • Philippians 3:9NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:2NASB95

      • Exodus 30:18NASB95

      • Mark 7:1–5NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:2NASB95

      • Leviticus 16:21NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:2NASB95

      • John 11:25NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:2NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:3NASB95

  • Come Thou Fount Come Thou King
  • Jesus Messiah
Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church
pastorethan@lvgbc.net
8028883339
http://www.lvgbc.net
25 members