Telling the Truth for Women

Jill Briscoe: Today, we're going to look at another aspect of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, it's going to be Jesus, the Great High Priest. We're going to begin talking about a very important aspect of Christ's ministry for us. We're going to look at the fact that Jesus Christ prays for us.

So, we're taking the focus off ourselves and what we say to God and putting it on His ministry in prayer for us. Perhaps this is a totally new concept to many of us, and those of us that know all about it need to be reminded anyway. It's not difficult to see what God has to do with prayer, is it? I mean, He has the wherewithal to answer the prayers that we pray.

So, most people the world over say, "Whatever they call God, I understand that. I can talk to God anytime, anyway." Talk to a Muslim, talk to a Buddhist; their concept of the God, or the final great person, or the need-meter in the sky, whoever, whatever—even the tribe in the jungle—will have a concept of a being that they need to pray to.

But when we come to Jesus and His part in prayer, then we begin to get divided opinion. "Well, I don't need Him. What do I need Him for? I can go straight to God. I don't need Jesus Christ," somebody told me not long ago. The problem comes when you realize that Jesus Christ is God. Then, how can you pray to God without God?

And so, we come back, as the book of Hebrews does over and over again, to the argument that if Christ is God, He is not only necessary, He is essential for any activity that happens between God and man. It is the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, it is the fact that Jesus Christ is Savior, it is the fact that Jesus Christ is Author and Finisher of our salvation that matters.

It is the fact that Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest and ever lives to make intercession for us that puts the element into prayer that really matters. If there is only one true God and Jesus Christ is the one true God, the second person of that Trinity, that triune God, then there is no way we can think of praying to God apart from Christ's involvement in it. It makes very much sense to me.

Now, prayer itself is a bit like a rocket. If you think of Cape Canaveral, then think of yourself getting into the rocket. When you kneel down next time to say your prayers, put this little picture in your mind: I'm getting into the rocket at Cape Canaveral, and I'm strapping myself in. And there's a countdown: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. That's getting my mind off everything else, counting down to blast off. And then we blast off into the heavens.

Now, that's a fair picture of what prayer is all about. But you know, it would be as stupid for us, if we were able, to get into that rocket at Cape Canaveral and imagine that we can blast off all on our own into the heavens as it is for the astronauts to do that without mission control. There is absolutely no way, without mission control, that rocket can blast off anywhere.

Those little men inside the rocket are totally at the mercy of mission control, dependent on mission control. And even though all illustrations fall down, this is quite a good one. It'll do. The Bible says there is absolutely no way little man can blast off into the presence of God, into the heavens, into the Holy of Holies, the throne of God, without the chief at mission control getting us there, calling the shots, pressing the buttons, whatever you like.

Now, in Chapter 4, verse 14 of Hebrews, we read this: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens"—as our heavenly cosmonaut, if you like—"Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

We have one who has gone through the heavens, yet without sin. We have a heavenly cosmonaut that has done it all and done it right, and is now chief of mission control. And is the only one that can take little man into the heavens. He's been there, He's done it. He's passed through the heavens. He it is that must be involved in us doing the same thing and entering into the holiest place of all, which is the very presence of God.

After all, the little men in the rocket need so much help. Do you remember in the previous chapter, we talked about nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight? Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. God has seen our sin and judged it. But because of what Christ, our Savior, the author of our salvation, has done on our behalf upon the cross, He is willing to purify those who trust themselves to Christ's saving power.

But we need so much help to continue, to persevere. And that's what the book of Hebrews is all about: that we do not drift away from the elementary truths that we have received from the ABCs of the doctrine of Christ, but we hold fast with confidence to the hope that He will eventually take us home to be there forever in His presence. And prayer will no longer be a necessity, for we will see Him face to face.

Now, how can these little men in the rocket continue to persevere on this earth? How can we hang on? And remember, the people that the writer of the book of Hebrews was writing to were facing persecution, the spoiling of their goods, tough times, facing perhaps even the spilling of their blood for Christ in persecution. Well, the answer is in the present intercessory ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How can we be encouraged? How can we be helped? Because someone is praying for us. Someone is praying for us. Who is praying for us? God Himself is praying for us. What a concept! Totally straight out of the Scriptures, out of the book of Hebrews. Christ's ministry has been accepted by God. He appointed Him to this office.

And in Chapter 5, verse 1, you see that every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God. They are appointed, and God has appointed Christ as His High Priest. Now, remember in Old Testament times, the priest stood between man and God. It was necessary that man learned they could not blast off into the Holy of Holies. They could not come to the temple and march into that sacred place where God was present.

The presence visibly manifesting itself so often in the Shekinah glory of God. He had to come to the priest with the offering in his hand, with the lamb without blemish and without spot that had been slain. And the priest would take, on behalf of the whole nation once a year, the High Priest would take that lamb, that perfect lamb, and go in beyond the veil.

The veil that hung between the people and the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest, only once a year, only with the perfect lamb, one year old, that had been slain, only with that male lamb. Now then, what happened when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, hung upon the cross? Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sin of the world? You remember, don't you? The veil was rent in two.

The moment Christ died, from the top to the bottom, from heaven to earth. God did it. There is no way that man can take the veil that separates our sinfulness from the holiness of God and tear it away so that we can march in there. There is no way we can do that. And in Old Testament times, this had been the picture, the type, the way that God had taught His people: You cannot come without a priest. You cannot come without a lamb. You cannot come without the atonement, the covering, the forgiveness that God lays over man's sin.

But now in these last times, remember God has spoken to us in His Son? His Son came, God died upon the cross to take away our sin. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, then passed through the heavens into the holy place to present Himself as the Lamb that was slain. And God accepted that sacrifice. God accepted that sacrifice.

And because He has passed through into the heavens, we now are able to come boldly. And this is revolutionary in the thinking of the Jewish people. Remember, this letter was written to the Jewish people. Now, sinful man can boldly come without a human priest, for there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. We can come boldly into the Holy of Holies ourselves.

And yet, not without a priest. A heavenly priest. For there He stands, the one that God has appointed forever, ever-living to make intercession for us. And we come because of His sacrifice. We come because of Him. Remember when John saw into heaven through the door, he saw one, a man and yet a lamb who had been slain? One like a lamb that had been slain before the foundation of the earth.

So, the reader of this book of Hebrews understood, when they saw that the veil had been rent and Jesus had entered Himself to present Himself as the perfect sacrifice, the one who has gone through the heavens to us—they understood all of this. Now then, what is He doing there, and what does He do for us? First of all, our Great High Priest supplies certain things for us. He supplies salvation, He supplies sympathy, He supplies succor, and He supplies supplication. And we're going to talk about those things that He supplies.

First of all, He supplies salvation. And we've talked about this; I'm only going to touch on it. Jesus, the Son of God, remember? The source of our salvation. It says here that we can come boldly before that throne to receive grace to help in time of need. Grace to help in time of need. Grace, only God can provide the grace for us to come at all. What is grace? God's riches at Christ's expense. If you take those letters, G-R-A-C-E: God's riches at Christ's expense.

I remember Stuart's little story that I think is great to illustrate the difference between justice, mercy, and grace. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting all that we deserve. And grace is getting what we don't deserve. And he illustrated, if you remember, by the story of Pete. When he was a little boy and he was told to take out the garbage and he'd forgotten, or whatever, Stuart came back and said, "Pete, did you do what I asked you to do?" "No, Dad, I didn't." "Why didn't you do it?" "Well, I just didn't want to do it, so I didn't do it." "Then I will have to administer justice to the seat of your rear. Bend over. Ten whacks."

That's justice. This is getting what you deserve. You were told to do something, you didn't, you admitted it. Now, you get justice. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. "All right, Pete." "Well, you said ten, Dad." That's mercy. That's not giving you all you deserve, Pete. "Go to your bedroom, sit down, think about this." "Can I stand up, Dad?" "Yes, you can stand up if you need to stand up."

A few minutes later, "Pete, have you thought about it?" "Yes, Dad." "Like to come and get some ice cream with me?" "Ice cream, Dad? Who's paying?" "I'm paying." "Sure, Dad. But Dad, I don't deserve that." Right. That's grace. Getting what you don't deserve. Silly little illustration, but it helps. The difference between justice: If we got what we deserved, we'd all be crucified tomorrow. We do not get all that we deserve. In fact, we get what we don't deserve.

We get the offer of free forgiveness. And yet, it's free for us, but not for Him. God's riches at Christ's expense. Somebody had to pay, for God is a holy God and He must do the right thing. He must judge someone. Who? He judged Christ. And as our perfect substitute, He died upon the cross. So, salvation: He supplies salvation. He is the source of salvation. He saved us from our sins. He saves us from our sin. He will save us from the consequences of our sin when we face Him, eventually, face to face in heaven.

He also supplies sympathy. And here we come across a verse that really touches me so much. Verse 15: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin." Sympathy. When we come in prayer to God, we know there is a man in the glory who is praying for us. He is able to sympathize with our weakness.

Now, this is a characteristic of God, of course—sympathy, empathy. Isaiah 63, verse 9 says, "In all their distress"—meaning the distress of the people of God—"He was distressed." In all their distress, He was distressed. It distresses God when He sees us distressed. And the angel of His presence saved them. He presenced Himself among His distressed people. And He always does and He always will. In all their distress, He was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them.

Psalm 103, verse 13: "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on them that fear Him." Compassion. Jesus was moved with compassion, the Bible says it 14 times in the Gospels. And the word "moved" is convulsed. Christ was convulsed with compassion. Never believe that God is not moved, touched with the very feelings of our infirmities.

Now, we have a High Priest who has actually not only been able to sympathize but to empathize. And of course, the difference between sympathy and empathy is that empathizing is you've been there. Somebody has had a divorce; they can empathize with someone else that has had a divorce. I can sympathize because I haven't had a divorce. We have a High Priest who can empathize because He has been here.

We have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we. Now, the word "in every respect," we have to talk about that. Because this is not implying that within Jesus Christ's lifetime, He encountered every possible different temptation that we encounter. Obviously, it's not saying that. Because He wasn't a woman, because He wasn't married, because He wasn't elderly, because He wasn't redundant. He didn't live in a technological society like we do.

But at the root of all the different temptations through the whole range of human experience, there are a number of basic trials. He met them all, and He overcame them as a human, as the God-man, as the man-God. Jesus was constant. He was exposed to sins, and because He was perfect, His temptations were even more vital than ours would ever be.

The sinister attraction, the subtle suggestions—all were His. He knew that if these temptations were not overcome, they would lead to doubt, to disobedience, to despair, to lovelessness, and a selfish preoccupation with our own desires. Now, He can empathize. How does this really work out? Let's think if He really can. At the root of all these trials, how can it say that in every respect Jesus was tempted as we are?

Because sometimes we're tempted as we come to prayer to say, "He doesn't really know. How can He know? He's never been a woman, He's never felt this, or He's never been widowed, for example. How can He know what it feels like?" Well, let's think about some of those things that He went through. The cost conflicts, for example. We are told not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever been in a work situation and somebody has said something about you being a Christian, or there's been a derogatory remark about you? And you've had to stand up and be counted. You've had to stand up and say, "Yes, I belong to Jesus Christ. And because I belong to Jesus Christ, I will do this, or I won't do that, or I won't listen to this bad joke." Perhaps you've been laughed at; perhaps there's been a minor persecution come into your life. He who made His confession before Pilate understands.

Now, He has not lived in your office, He has not sat at your typewriter. But at the root of that cost conflict, He has been there. And you can come to the High Priest who understands, so you may follow Him boldly into the holy place and there find mercy to cover the sins of yesterday and grace to meet the needs of today. The cost conflicts: Next time you are called to stand up and face the fact of your Christianity in the face of hostility, remember He knows.

Physical conflicts: Let's turn to Luke 4 for a minute and see some of these conflicts as the devil came to Jesus in His humanity and tempted Him. Luke Chapter 4, verse 3: The devil said to Jesus, "If you're the son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Remember, Jesus was very hungry; hadn't eaten for a long time. Jesus answered, "It's written, man doesn't live on bread alone."

Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and He said, "I'll give you all their authority and splendor, for it's been given to me. I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It's written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."

Physical conflicts, spiritual conflicts. Physical conflicts first: To satisfy the God-given appetites in an illegitimate way is a temptation that perhaps all of us face. Perhaps we're tempted to turn flour into cookies and eat them all. That's a physical appetite that God has given us, and we are to say no. Perhaps we can turn flour into cookies and eat one or two, or not turn so much flour into cookies, or whatever. But Jesus understands. He was asked to turn stones into bread and eat it all. There were plenty of stones around.

Let's talk about another physical appetite that is totally legitimate and yet can be used in an illegitimate way. What about the gift of singleness? Perhaps God has gifted you with singleness, as 1 Corinthians 7 speaks of singleness as a gift. And perhaps you are tempted to turn it into being married in an illegitimate way. Perhaps you cast your eyes on somebody that is married already and go after them, as is happening so much today.

I'm absolutely horrified to hear of married men being called in their own homes by single women, even asking the wife can they speak to the husband, and almost propositioning them. This is happening more and more and more—incredible. The temptation to take a legitimate appetite and turn it into something else in an illegitimate way, instead of saying no and staying hungry, as Jesus did. I'm sure Jesus was still hungry when He said no to the bread. But He chose to do the will of God and stay hungry.

And perhaps the temptation to turn our singleness into something that is illegitimate has to be answered with a no and to stay hungry in that regard. So, when you think nobody understands, Jesus understands. He was in all points at the root of those temptations; He was tempted as we are. And of course, the spiritual conflict we see here: His temptations were especially sharp because He was sinless.

The devil knew He had to get Christ somewhere, or He was lost as He suspected He was anyway, forever and ever. He had to kill Him. He tried when He was a baby. He tried after Jesus had preached His first sermon and the people in the synagogue took Him out and tried to push Him off a cliff. He tried on and on and on and on until He nailed Him to the cross. He tried to kill Him.

The spiritual conflict was even more for Christ than it ever would be for us. He met the devil face to face. But He also met the devil through His friends and, of course, His enemies. But through His friends, remember when Peter said, "Don't go up to Jerusalem and die. Lord, this shall never be; this shall not happen to you." And Jesus turned on Peter and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Had Peter become Satan? No, Satan was using even His closest friend to divert Him from the very purpose for which the Son of God came from heaven, was born as a baby, lived a perfect life, to die the perfect death and be raised from the dead.

And so, He faced the devil in His friends. You say, "Well, that's a weird thing to say." Is it? What about your teenagers? They're at the party and their good friend, their nice friend, says to them, "Come on, try cocaine. Try it. Go on, just a little bit. It won't do you any harm; gives you a high." They have to meet the devil in their friends. And we have to meet the devil in our friends, even though our friends are probably totally unconscious they are being used to divert us from the purpose of God in our lives.

And so, when you think that Jesus doesn't understand about you being tempted about taking cocaine or whatever it is, understand that we have a High Priest who in all points has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. He overcame. What about family conflicts? Do you remember in Matthew 13, verse 53, we read that the mothers and the—well, let's just look at that because it's important. And I think some of us face those family conflicts.

Let's look at Matthew Chapter 13, verse 53 for a moment. When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there. Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get his wisdom? Where did this man get these miraculous powers?" they asked. "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary? Aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, only in his own house is a prophet without honor." And He didn't do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. It's a devastating thing. But next time you're at home, in your own house, or next time you're in your own club, or next time you're in your own church, take heart. Jesus understands.

And perhaps there is no mighty thing that can be done there because you're too familiar. And that might sound a little thing, but it isn't a little thing to some of us, I know, because I've talked to some of you about these things. Family conflicts, friends' conflicts, church conflicts. Jesus understands. We have a High Priest that understands all of that. But what about personal conflicts? And for this, we have to come back to Hebrews Chapter 5 and look at 7 through 10.

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek."

Just look at it again. Have you ever seen those verses? In the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. He wept to Him who is able to save Him from death. Now, does this mean He asked God to save Him from death, but His prayers weren't answered because He wasn't saved from death?

Does this mean that Jesus Christ prayed a prayer that was never heard? No, no prayer that we pray is never heard; it's just answered differently. He was heard for His godly fear and His reverent submission. Then it can't mean physical death. Right, it can't mean physical death. It means spiritual death. In Revelation 20, verse 14, we read about the second death. That's the death He was praying about in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And with loud cries and tears, He offered up prayers to Him who was able to save Him from the second death because He knew there was only one way to accomplish our salvation, and that was to submit as an obedient son to the second death, which He did submit to for you and for me. And He was heard for His godly fear and reverent submission, for the mission that He was to accomplish. And God raised Him from the dead! He answered His prayer. That's what it means.

At the cross, we see Him enduring our hell so that we may be set free to enter His heaven. At the cross, we see Him enduring our hell. That's what He was weeping about and crying about in the Garden of Gethsemane. The physical death was nothing compared to the second death. Christ did that for me; He did it for you. It doesn't mean "save me from the experience of death," but God saved Him by raising Him from the dead. He was heard.

In those spiritually daunting and humanly terrifying moments, He did not resist the sovereign purpose of God for His life. But in Gethsemane, He experienced prayer being met with a very different answer to what He requested. And you know, whenever you get an answer you didn't expect, think about these verses in Hebrews. Christ knows. He has been there. The personal conflict, the prayer conflict that He went through in Gethsemane was something that we could never possibly draw near to in our own human experience.

And so, whatever deep thing you are going through, whatever cries and tears you are offering up, know that your Great High Priest in the heavens, Jesus Christ the righteous, He is able to be touched with the very feelings of your infirmities. He's been there, He knows. "Though He was a son, He learned obedience by the things that He suffered." Now, this does not mean that He had to be made perfect; we've already dealt with this in 2:10. It means simply that He was fully qualified as our Savior.

He had never been made perfect in suffering; He was perfect in living. He had not been made perfect in dying. He lived a perfect life; He now died a perfect death because He was indeed perfect. He was perfect in every way. Therefore, He is able to be a High Priest far superior, as the book tells us, to Aaron and to all the other high priests who, as Chapter 5 tells us, verse 2, the ordinary high priest is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray since he himself is subject to weakness.

Jesus was subject to weakness, but the earthly high priest like Aaron and Levi and everybody else was subject to sin. Christ was not subject to sin. So, He is so superlatively qualified to be our High Priest, far above Aaron. Of course, the whole theme of the book of Hebrews, isn't it? Jesus Christ superior to the angels, Jesus Christ superior to Moses, Jesus Christ superior to Abraham, Jesus Christ superior to Aaron. And remember, he was writing to Jews; these were their heroes. But Jesus Christ was Lord of all.

And though He was a son, He learned obedience by the things that He suffered. Therefore, He's able to succor us. Grace to help in time of need. Grace to help in time of need. That lovely little hymn: "He gives more grace when the burdens grow greater / He sends more strength as the labors increase / To added affliction He addeth His mercies / To multiplied trials His multiplied peace / When we've exhausted our store of endurance / When our strength is ended ere the day is half done / When we've reached the end of our hoarded resources / The Father's full giving is only begun / His love has no limit, His grace has no measure / His power no boundary known unto men / For out of His infinite riches in Jesus / He giveth and giveth and giveth again."

And we can boldly come before the throne of grace and find it in our time of need. What a High Priest we have. Now, after the writer of the book of Hebrews has taken us to heaven with these words, there is a parenthesis before he again picks up the theme of Jesus Christ our Great High Priest who has fulfilled the type of Melchizedek.

But I want to look in the closing moments at this parenthesis, and it goes from Chapter 5 through to Chapter 7. Five, eleven about through to Chapter 7, where Melchizedek and the High Priest theme is picked up again. It is a very important parenthesis, and some of the most difficult words of Scripture are in this passage. And there is no way that I am hurrying over it; there is no way that I can deal properly with it. Theologians have argued forever about particularly Hebrews 6:4. So, there is absolutely no way in five minutes I can cover this. But I can tell you the problems, and I can leave you to do some research on your own. And I can tell you what I believe in my very humble way about these things.

As we come into Hebrews and the parenthesis, verse 11, the writer says, "We've much to say about this, about what I've just been saying to you. About Jesus being our High Priest. But it's hard to explain because you're slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the elementary truths of God's word. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, isn't acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

So, he returns to his theme: You're drifting away from the elementary truths. Grow up, persevere, go on, dig deeper. Maybe this is to you that the writer is writing. "Therefore, leave the elementary teachings about Christ. Go on to maturity. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. These are the ABCs; these are the things you should know well by now. And God permitting, we will continue to build in the basics," he says.

Now then, here's the verse: "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it produces a crop useful to those for whom it's farmed, receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end, it will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we're confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation."

Now, there are two things here. Well, there are many things, but two basic theological points of view. The Arminian thought comes on this side; the Calvinism andistic thoughts come on the other. In the Arminian thought, from which come the denominations to do with the holiness movements, they believe you can lose your salvation. On the Calvin side, the Reformed side, those people believe—believers on both sides—believe you cannot lose your salvation.

And one of the main verses—only one, there are other verses that are controversial on this subject—but the main verse is this verse in Hebrews. In fact, this is why, when I chose to teach it, a lot of people said, "Why are you going to do it? You're going to have to get to Hebrews 6, verse 4." But why miss out everything else because of a difficult verse? And there is no way that we can possibly do justice to it. Let me just throw a whole lot of things out to you.

Some say that you can lose your salvation; this verse teaches it. Others say you can't, that the whole tenor of Scripture has to be looked at, and the whole tenor of Scripture says you cannot lose your salvation. In fact, in other verses in this very book of Hebrews, we are encouraged, even at the end of this particular chapter, to have a confident hope because we have an anchor sure and steadfast that keeps the soul and all the rest of it.

And so, in the very book of Hebrews itself, we have verses that seem to contradict the idea that you can be saved and lost. The illustration that is given here gives us a clue: the weeds and the thorns and the rains and the thistles. In Matthew 13, verse 21, Jesus is giving the Parable of the Sower, right? You know the parable. He says, "Listen to what the parable of the sower means. When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, snatches away what was sown in his heart."

Now, the people that were talked about in Hebrews obviously aren't these sort of people. They've been dealing with elementary things of Christ, but also quite deep things in some ways. They are Hebrew Christians, or Hebrews who have been explained the gospel of Christ beyond just the elementary ABC of salvation. So, they know a little bit more; I don't think they belong in this part of the parable. "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, snatches away what was sown in his heart."

But these people in Hebrews obviously understand it. This is the seed sown along the path. When the seed sown on rocky places—this is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. I think this is where the people are in Hebrews that the writer is speaking to in 6:4. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

And that's the whole theme of the book of Hebrews: it's against the background of the persecution. So, these people—a lot of folks believe, and I happen to be one of them—are those who have heard the word, have been enlightened but not lit. Like a candle: the nearer the light gets, the more enlightened the unlit candle becomes. They are enlightened with the word of God. They understand about the Holy Spirit. They have grasped and received with joy the elementary teachings about Christ.

"What was sown among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But what was sown on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown." In other words, by their fruit you shall know them. And the one who is the good soil—and that's what the writer to the Hebrews says—"Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we're confident of better things in your case. You are not like the ones who were enlightened and knew all these things."

In other words, they were never regenerate in the first place. They had never been born from above. You know, you can sit in church and be enlightened and never lit. You can sit in church and receive these things with joy; some of you have been doing that, perhaps. But do make sure that the Spirit of God has regenerated you. Then I believe you can never fall away. And those are the two main things that come on this ground.

But just let's read some of the verses at the end of Hebrews 10, verse 32, if you just go on there, you'll see a little bit of what I'm talking about. The real Christians, the ones that have been truly regenerate, Jesus says in another place in His High Priestly prayer, not one of them is lost. If as a High Priest on earth He prayed a prayer, which He did—Jesus prayed a prayer in John 17, His High Priestly prayer. In that prayer, He prayed, "God, you have given to me these people." And He said, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for all that will believe on me through them." So, that's us. "You have given them to me and not one of them is lost."

If as a High Priest He prayed that on earth, then He is certainly of the same mind in heaven. If we are truly of Him, we can't be lost. He speaks here in 32, "Remember those earlier days after you'd received the light, when you stood your ground in great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison, you joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions."

And the promise is there. It's like a penny in the hand: it can fall down, but it can never fall out. God says, "No man can pluck you out of my Father's hand. No man can pluck you out of my Father's hand." And then he goes on to explain that the promises to Abraham hold true. God cannot lie. And there are so many promises He has given us. God cannot lie, He does not lie. And He says we have an anchor of the soul that is sure.

The hope and expectation that you will inherit your inheritance is there. And for those who are truly born of God, of the Spirit of God, this Hebrews 6:4, I do not believe, is for you. But I do believe it is for those who look like Christians on the outside, who perhaps even think they're Christians, who speak the same, who receive the word with joy, who have been enlightened but never lit. You're the ones, you need to be very careful, and you need to come to the author of your salvation and be saved. He is the source of your salvation.

Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the High Priesthood of Jesus. We thank You for the promises in the word of God that tell us He is praying for us, that He ever lives to make intercession for us. We thank You for those promises. We thank You that You say in the book of Hebrews that it is impossible for God to lie. And for those who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us, we may be greatly encouraged. Thank You for that word, straight from Your word.

Thank You that You said we have this hope, or expectation, as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. And there is security in Jesus. Thank You that the Bible says that Jesus has gone before us, has entered in on our behalf, that He has become a High Priest forever. And thank You that Your word says He ever lives to make intercession for us.

Thank You, God, because the Bible says that You wanted to make the unchangeable nature of Your purpose very clear to the heirs of salvation, of what was promised. Thank You that You confirmed this with an oath. Oh God, I just pray that the words of Scripture may do their own work of assuring us. And yet, Lord, we pray that we may not abuse the grace of God, that we may not receive His salvation and live any old way, that we may take the warnings of the book of Hebrews very, very seriously indeed, and we may not drift away from the elementary things we have learned, but go on to maturity.

I pray for those who should be teachers and yet are still babes, learners. These things will begin to be changed, and that we may grow up into Christ. And Lord, most of all, we thank You for praying for us, for knowing, for understanding, for being there, so that we may boldly come before the throne of grace to receive grace to help in time of need. Thank You, Jesus, that before we come, You've heard our prayers and have been praying for us.

May this bring great comfort, great help to our hearts. We ask all these things in this quiet place. Some of us, Lord, are thanking You for the security we have in Jesus. Some of us who are not sure, perhaps, are inviting You by Your Spirit to come within, that they may truly be those who do not fall away and are lost and crucify again the Son of God and trample under their foot the blood of the covenant.

Lord, what terrible words. How dreadful that church people could be guilty of such things because they are enlightened but have never been lit, regenerate by Your Spirit. And in this quiet moment, may those who are unsure make sure, lay hold of their salvation, of their Savior. Dear God, for Jesus Christ's sake, hear our prayers. Amen.