Hebrews: Fate or Freedom?

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Hebrews Fate or Freedom?

• John Oakes,
• June, 2008

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• Outline
• Overview of Hebrews
• The history and the doctrine of predestination.
• Hebrews and the preservation of the saints
• IV. How to stay faithful and to grow in Christ
  to
• the very end.

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Introduction

• Audience Christians in general, but especially
  those who are of Jewish descent
• Second generation disciples who are tempted to
  lose heart in light of coming persecutions.
• Remember those earlier days Hebrews 1032
• Date of writing AD 60-70, probably closer to AD
  70.

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Roman Emperor Nero AD
54-68 Christian Persecutions AD 64
Roman Emperor Titus AD 79-81 Destroyed
Jerusalem AD 70
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By calling this covenant new, he has made the
first one obsolete and what is obsolete and
aging will soon disappear. Hebrews 813
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• Purpose To give heart to Christians who have
  endured but are being tempted to waver in their
  faith.
• Warnings against falling away.
• Theme The preeminence of Jesus Christ!!!
• His deity
• The greatness of his ministry
• The greatness of his sacrifice
• The greatness of his covenant

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The Greatness of Jesus

• I Jesus is greater than all the prophets Heb
  11-3
• II Jesus is greater than the angels Heb 14-14
• III Jesus is greater than Moses Heb 31-6
• IV Jesus the great High Priest Heb 414-510
• V The Priesthood of Melchizedek is superior to
  the Priesthood of Aaron Heb 71-3, 711-28
• VI Jesus is greater than Abraham Heb 74-10
• VII The New Covenant (in and through Jesus) is
  superior to the Old Covenant (through Moses) Heb
  81-13
• VIII The heavenly Tabernacle is greater than the
  earthly Tabernacle. Heb 91-10
• IX The sacrifice of Jesus is of far greater
  worth than the OT sacrifices Heb 911-1018

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Exhortations in Hebrews

• Exhortation 1 Pay attention Heb 21-18
• Exhortation 2 Do not turn back. Persevere
  Heb 36-413
• Exhortation 3 Grow up. Become mature Heb
  511-620
• Exhortation 4 Summary exhortation. Living by
  faith. Not making this world our home. Hebrews
  1019-1229

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Question Do you believe in Predestination?
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History of the Doctrine of Predestination

• Augustine of Hippo AD 354-430 The City of God
• Martin Luther (1483-1546) an Augustinian monk.
• Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) Reformed Churches.
• John Calvin (1509-1564) Institutes of the
  Christian Religion
• A profound belief in the sovereignty of God
• Double Predestination and TULIP

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TULIP

• Total depravity
• Unconditional election
• Limited atonement
• Irresistable grace
• Perseverence of the saint (once saved, always
  saved)

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• Q Scriptures which appear to support the
  doctrine of predestination?
• Is a believer in this false doctrine lost?
• Q Scriptures which prove free will and refute
  predestination?

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Hebrews and Falling Away

• They shall never enter my rest 311, 45
• We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly
  to the end the confidence we had at first. 314
• They were not able to enter because of their
  unbelief 319
• Be careful not to be found to have fallen short
  of it. 41
• Some did not go in because of their obedience
  46
• Let us make every effort to enter that rest so
  that no one will fall by following their example
  of disobedience 411
• Do you get the point?

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  Historical type/antitype in the
Exodus
 
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Hebrews 64-6 Who is he talking to?

• a. been enlightened (NT church enlightened
  baptized)
• b. tasted the heavenly gift (salvation?)
• c. shared in the Holy Spirit
• d. tasted the goodness of the word
• e. tasted the coming age (saved)
• Yes, you can fall away! Conclusion You had
  better move on toward maturity in Christ.

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Hebrews 64-8

• It is impossible if they fall away, to be
  brought back to repentance.
• They are crucifying the Son of God all over
  again.
• Land that produces thorns will be burned.

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Falling Away Hebrews 1026-31

• Crucifying the Son of God all over again.
• Subjecting Jesus to public disgrace
• Trampling the Son of God under foot. (Heb 1029)
• Insulted the Holy Spirit (Heb 1029)
• Blasphemed (spoken against) the Holy Spirit (Matt
  1232)
• Committed the unforgivable sin (1 John 516 )
• What is the unforgivable sin? To willfully,
  deliberately continue in sin. (Hebrews 1026)
• Also Hebrews 1214-17, 1225 you will not
  escape if you turn away

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Gods Assurance Hebrews 69-20
Two unchangeable things Gods Word Gods Oath
(Genesis 2216-18) Jesus, your anchor, is behind
the veil with the Father
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Gods Assurance Hebrews 1019-23
We have confidence to enter the Most Holy
Place Let us draw near to God in full assurance
of faith. For he who promised is
faithful. Hebrews 1035-36 Do not throw away
your confidence it will be richly rewarded. You
will receive what he has promised.
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Practicals How can we be assured of making it
into that Sabbath rest with God?
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21-18 Exhortation 1 Pay careful attention!

• pay attention prosechein to fix, moor a
  ship.
• drift away pararrein to slip away, as with
  the tides, by careless inattention.
• violation parabasis outright rebellion
• disobedience parakoe careless hearing or
  unwillingness to hear
• LISTEN UP!!!

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Exhortation 2

• Do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 38)
• Do not turn away. (Hebrews 312)
• Do not let your bodies fall in the desert.
  (Hebrews 317)
• Do not fall short. (Hebrews 41)
• Make every effort to enter (do not rest).
  (Hebrews 411)
• Dont fall asleep at the switch. It takes work
  and attention.

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Exhortation 3

• Grow up!
• Move on to maturity.
• Mature in life and docrine (1 Timothy 416)
• Do not be nothros (slow-moving in mind, torpid,
  witlessly forgetful, dull of hearing)
• Are you on a diet of milk?
• Read a book of theology, Read a commentary, Take
  a class
• Let your Bible study time and your life with God
  be an adventure. Part of a never ending story.

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Exhortation 4 Salad time!

• 1022 Let us draw near to God
• 1023 Let us hold to our confession of hope
  without wavering
• 1024 Let us be concerned about one another and
  encourage one another toward love and good deeds
• 1025 Let us not stop meeting together.
• 1025 Let us encourage one another.

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Hebrews 11 Heroes of the FaithThe key to
perseverence is faith

• Hebrews 111, 116 Definition of faith
• Heb 111 Faith is being certain of what we do
  not see.
• It requires that we deny our senses.

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Why were these men and women commended by God?

• They refused what the world calls greatness and
  staked everything on God.
• They chose what is unseen rather than what is
  seen.
• Lesson In many ways, our worst enemy is success
  and prosperity. What the world seeks is what
  will destroy everything that is important.
• Example Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego Daniel
  chapter 3

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Those of whom the world was not worthy

• Hebrews 1113 Still living by faith (not by
  sight) when they died.
• xenoi foriegners, aliens, strangers, refugees
  in this world.
• parepidemos sojourners, temporary residents,
  green card holders, people who do not put down
  roots.
• Lived by faith despite never seeing the promise
  fulfilled.
• Therefore, God is not ashamed to call them his.

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Hebrews Ch. 12 If They Can Do It, So Can We

• Throw off whatever hinders you in the race.
• What are you unwilling to throw off?
• Keep your eyes on the goal in heaven with Jesus.
• Look at Jesus (and the cloud of faithful
  witnesses in ch. 11)
• The pioneer, trail blazer, archegos.
• The perfector, completer, race-finisher, teleios.
• Accept hardship as discipline from a loving
  father/God.

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Attitudes Toward Discipline are Important

• Accept it with resignation.
• Accept it and get it over with as soon as
  possible.
• Accept it with a woe is me attitude.
• Accept it but think of it as punishment.
• Accept it as it is discipline given reluctantly
  by a loving Father who cares about you.

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Summary

• Predestination, understood correctly, is
  biblical, but so is free will.
• One thing for sure Hebrews warns against
  falling away. The purpose of the book is to
  prevent this happening!
• In order to prove faithful to the end and to make
  it to heaven two things are required
• Know and understand how unimaginable fantastic
  Jesus is.
• Mature in your faith, with the emphasis being on
  your faith.
• Listen to God!
• Grow up!
• Believe in things unseen