Unchangeable Things

Hebrews 6 New International Version (NIV)

6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.3 And God permitting, we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[c] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[d] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 6:1 Or from useless rituals
2. Hebrews 6:2 Or about baptisms
3. Hebrews 6:6 Or age, 6 if they fall
4. Hebrews 6:14 Gen. 22:17

Solely by His grace and mercy, God promised Abraham that He would bless and multiply his descendants. Though this should have been sufficient for Abraham, God knew doubts would enter his mind. And so He also swore an oath to Abraham and his heirs in order to confirm His promise (Heb. 6:17). This oath was made out of the sovereign and loving will of God.

It is important to note that God swore His promise not only to Abraham but also to his heirs. God knew that future generations of His people would be tempted to give up on Him because of the persecution they faced or because of the delay of God’s fulfilling His promise. He knew they would need encouragement to persevere in the midst of such trials and tribulations. This was especially true of the original audience of Hebrews, and it remains true for us two thousand years later as we journey in faith through an unbelieving world.

God, in His great love, provides this encouragement through two unchangeable things: the word of His promise and the oath which confirms that promise (v. 18). Unlike us, God is always truthful. He never lies or breaks His oaths. He always fulfills His promises. His unchangeable word alone should be enough comfort for us. But He adds to it His unchangeable oath so that “we who have fled for refuge” might have all the more incentive to cling to our hope.

John Owen tells us that encouragement means to be comforted and consoled. “This consolation comes from the assurance of faith and our help from God’s promises. This is what relieves our souls of all fears, doubts, and troubles. It either prevents them or is stronger than them. For comfort is the relief for the mind against sorrow and trouble.” The immutability of God’s words and oaths relieves us of fears and troubles. It comforts our sorrow and thereby gives us encouragement and incentive to maintain our faith.

These two unchangeable things encourage those of us who have fled for refuge to hold fast the hope set before us. The hope set before us is our final and complete salvation, that is, the renewal of our bodies and all creation. We have fled for refuge unto Christ, the Guarantor of the better and heavenly city that will descend to earth at the consummation (Rev. 21).

Coram Deo

In this world of decay and death, it can be hard to believe that Christ is going to make all things new. But we can be confident of this renewal because God has given us two unchangeable confirmations of it: His promise and His oath. Remember that God’s faithfulness guarantees that we who have fled for refuge to Christ will be saved.

Passages for Further Study

Deut. 10:20 

Isa. 65:17–25 

Rom. 8:22–23 

2 Peter 3:11–13

From Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul.

All rights reserved. Website: www.ligonier.org | Phone: 1-800-435-4343

Prayer

By Leonard Ravenhill

See more here: http://www.ravenhill.org/prayer.htm

There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer. People often ask, "Why do you insist on prayer so much?" The answer is very simple - because Jesus did. You could change the title of the Gospel according to St. Luke to the Gospel of Prayer. It's the prayer life of Jesus. The other evangelists say that Jesus was in the Jordan and the Spirit descended on Him as a dove - Luke says it was while He was praying that the Spirit descended on Him. The other evangelists say that Jesus chose 12 disciples - Luke says it was after He spent a night in prayer that He chose 12 disciples. The other evangelists say that Jesus died on a cross - Luke says that even when He was dying Jesus was praying for those who persecuted Him. The other evangelists say Jesus went on a mount and He was transfigured - Luke says it was while He was praying that He was transfigured. There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.

     The Scriptures say that the disciples went to bed, but Jesus went to pray - as was His custom. It was His custom to pray. Now Jesus was the Son of God - He was definitely anointed for His ministry. If Jesus needed all that time in prayer, don't you and I need time in prayer? If Jesus needed it in every crisis, don't you and I need it in every crisis?

      The story goes that a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village saw an old man sitting by a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one of the visitors asked, "Were any great men born in this village?" Without looking up the old man replied, "No, only babies." The greatest men were once babies. The greatest saints were once toddlers in the things of the Spirit.

      C. H. Spurgeon was converted at the age of 16 and began preaching in London at the age of 19. When he was 27, they built him a tabernacle seating 6,000 which he packed twice on Sundays - that's 12,000 - and once on Thursday nights. How? He waited on God. He got alone with God. He studied...and he prayed.

Elisabeth Elliot on Discipleship

- Anonymous

(Wife of Jim Elliot – Missionary Martyr)

Elisabeth Elliot explains that the word “disciple” simply means learner. And learning to understand the way of the Cross is difficult. It requires self-abandonment, sacrifice, and trust in the One worth learning from. As a child of twelve, she recalls reading a prayer written by Betty Scott Stam, a missionary to China.  It was at this time that young Elisabeth sensed a desire to surrender her life to Christ and become His disciple. This prayer was then her own:

Lord,

I give up all my own plans and purposes,

All my own desires and hopes,

And accept Thy will for my life.

I give myself, my life, my all,

Utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever!

Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit.

Use me as Thou will,

Send me where Thou will,

And work out Thy whole will in my life,

At any cost, now and forever!

Betty Scott Stam

(Missionary to China, Martyr)

Elisabeth Elliot & Rachel Saint - The Shadow Of The Almighty

Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Peter Fleming and Ed McCully were five men that understood God's message of reconciliation for all peoples.The story of their lives is one of determination and sacrifice as they took Christ's message of reconciliation to the tribal people of Ecuador. Their legacy began in 1955; Jim, Nate, Peter, and Ed, all missionaries from the United States, set out to bring the gospel to the hostile Auca tribe near the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. 

The four had quite the task set before them.The Auca Indians were known as a violent and murderous tribe that had virtually no contact with the outside world. Surrounding tribes labelled them "savages." So, the endeavour of reaching the Aucas with the love of Christ was a brave one.

While working in a nearby tribe, Jim, Peter, and Ed, heard about the Auca Indians and their need for Christ. The men decided that they wanted to move into the Auca region in an attempt to learn the Auca language, translate the Bible, and share the gospel. Jim, Peter, and Ed teamed up with Nate Saint, a missionary pilot for Missions Aviation Fellowship, to begin gaining friendly relations with the Indians.

 For the next three months the four men made flights over the Auca's village. They dropped supplies and gifts in pursuit of friendship and trust. On Tuesday, January 3, 1956 the men decided to make their first ground contact. Upon that decision they also enlisted Roger Youderian a missionary to the Jivaro tribe, who had mastered life and survival in the jungle, to join them in the effort. The men chose to make their first land at a beach about 4 miles outside of the tribe. They quickly set up camp, and then made a flight over the village to invite the Aucas to visit their camp.The Aucas seemed to be hostile to the men, but their countenance changed as the men exchanged more gifts offering their peace and friendship.

 By Friday, the men had their first visitors. A couple and a teenage girl would prove to be their first and last encounter with the Indians. By Saturday morning all contact with Jim, Peter, Ed, Nate, and Roger had been lost. They were later found speared to death by the very people that they were trying to reach.

The effort to reach the Auca Indians was not abandoned. Spurred on by the death of their husband and brother, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint, quickly established a home among the Auca Indians. Rachel Saint, who worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators, was the older sister of Nate. She was passionate about taking the gospel to an unreached tribe, especially the Aucas, and translating the scriptures into their own language. The tragic event of her brother's death didn't deter her but rather intensified her passion to go to them. The year before Nate's death, she began working with an Auca woman, Dayuma, who had fled the tribe during an intertribal war. Rachel formed a strong relationship with her and brought her to the states to publicize the missionary work in Ecuador.The trip extended to a year due to an illness Dayuma developed. Elisabeth Elliot, who had returned to a nearby tribe with her young daughter Valerie, made contact with two Auca women in Ecuador. In 1958, Rachel and Dayuma were able to return to the Auca tribe.

This marked the beginning of communications since the deaths of the missionaries in 1956. Rachel and Elisabeth were invited to live with the tribe for 2 months. They experienced firsthand the Auca lifestyle and perfected their language skills. At that point the evangelization to the Aucas began and nine years after the tragic event, the Gospel of Mark was published in the Auca language.

The pastor of the tribe, Kimo, who was also one of the killers, had the opportunity to baptize Steve & Kathy Saint, Nate's children. God had used these women, a wife and sister of the slain missionaries, to reconcile with the Aucas and bring them ultimate reconciliation of Christ's salvation.

In 1956, Elisabeth Elliot returned home to write her first book on the amazing story of the Auca tribe, the men who gave their lives to reach them, and her journey back.The book, Shadow of the Almighty, has become a well known story of commitment, determination, and faith in God's sovereignty and grace.

Later in life she writes of loss, "The growth of all living green things wonderfully represents the process of receiving and relinquishing, gaining and losing, living and dying…

The truth is that it is ours to thank Him for and ours to offer back to Him, ours to relinquish, ours to lose, ours to let go of-if we want to find our true selves, if we want real life, if our hearts are set on glory."

Elisabeth Elliot has become one of Christendom's most beloved and well-known lecturers and writers. She has been an encouragement and challenge to woman in godliness, faithfulness and God's purpose in world missions. She wrote challenging one young woman, "If indeed He is directing you toward missions, BE GLAD! He will show you His way in His own time." The legacy left behind by the 5 slain missionaries and their families still lives on today.

The Auca Indians quickly realized their mistake in killing the very men that loved them enough to bring Christ's message of reconciliation to them. The Auca Indians were able to accept the message spoken of Christ's death because they were able to see the message lived.

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." - II Corinthians 5:18-19.

From our friends at the Traveling Team (www.thetravelingteam.org)

By Megan Grober