Heb 6:1-6 “Where There is no Vision, the People Perish: but he That Keepeth the Law, Happy is He” – Part 1

[Study Aired September 17, 2020]

Heb 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, 
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit. 
Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 

Christ is providing a vision for his bride-to-be that will sustain us through the spiritual wilderness of this world through His word that we are being sanctified with (Joh 17:16-18, Psa 119:105).

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. [Lev 16:10, Col 1:24]

The church that is likened to the scapegoat, of which Christ is shepherding and will not lose sight, is continually the apple of His eye (Zec 2:8, Psa 17:8). We will get to where we have to go at the hand of a fit man spoken of in Leviticus 16:10 and 21. That “fit man” of Levitus 16:21 symbolizes the fact that He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1Jn 4:4) and that Christ in you as our hope of glory (Col 1:27) is working in you both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure which is to give us the kingdom of God (Joh 10:14, Joh 18:9, Php 2:13, Eph 2:10, Luk 12:32).

Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

Vision is a gift the Lord gives the body of Christ today through the church (Col 1:24) via the faith that is mixed with the word of God (Eph 3:10, 2Ti 4:2, Heb 4:2) that enlightens what is a “dark place” (2Pe 1:5-12, 2Pe 1:19) which is now illuminated through the ongoing victory which Christ, who is the author and finisher of that faith, can give us as we die daily (Rom 10:17, 1Jn 5:4, Heb 12:2, Php 1:6). These scriptures in 2Peter 1:5-12 describe the work that needs to be accomplished in order to maintain spiritual vision, which is something in which we grow as Christ gives us the power to add one thing to the other (Php 2:12-13), so we can learn how all those spiritual qualities “work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off [Pro 29:18], and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall [Jud 1:24]:
2Pe 1:11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:12  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

We study to show ourselves approved so that we can learn to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15) in a world where we know the whole stay of bread and water has been taken away by God’s design (1Co 14:8, 2Ti 2:15, Rev 1:3, Isa 1:3, why Israel does not consider – Isa 3:1).

The word of God needs to be rightly divided in our heavens so we can be about our Father’s business of being doers and not just hearers of the word, deceiving our ownselves (2Ti 2:21, Jas 1:22, Jas 2:20).

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

How we gain vision in this life is explained in Romans 12:1-2 as we look to the example of our Lord and follow each other as we follow Christ (Heb 12:2, 1Co 11:1) who is the One who creates the vision needed in the church so we don’t perish as we continue to build each other up with our “most holy faith” of which He is the author and finisher (Jud 1:20-24, Mal 3:16, Heb 10:25).

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. [We look for the mercy of God through the trials (1Co 10:13, Psa 91:3-9)]

Christ is our high priest to whom we turn in our “time of need“, meaning when we are having our senses exercised through trials (Heb 4:15-16, Heb 5:14). He causes us to mature beyond “the first principles of the oracles of God” (Heb 5:12) through the strong meat that manifests in our heavens when we are received of our Father through chastening and scourgings (Heb 12:6). Those trials and much tribulation are necessary to give us dominion over all that is in the world within us and outside of us. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (Luk 13:32, 1Jn 2:16-17).

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Heb 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,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

The three times Christ was tempted in the wilderness by the devil are something that was accomplished for our sakes to show a pattern of overcoming the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, which Christ was able to accomplish through the spirit given to him in the midst of great tribulation (Joh 3:34, Mat 4:2). It is through the process of judgment which the church experiences (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17) that we mortify the deeds of the flesh in our lives so that we can then discern and fulfill the will of God. Christ’s flesh was mortified with forty days of fasting prior to this pivotal event in His life that was only the beginning of sorrows for our Lord, who would be given victory over Satan and later go on to die for the sins of the world (Mat 24:7-9, Isa 53:3-4, Mat 16:21).

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

After Christ was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Mat 4:1, Jas 1:14), He overcame him and then came and preached the gospel (Mar 1:14). The physical event of Christ overcoming the devil with God’s spirit as He wrestled against these powers and principalities that proceeded forth from Satan (Eph 6:12, Rom 1:20) occurred prior to Him then being sent to preach the gospel and parallels what the elect will do as we are granted to overcome the devil in this world (1Jn 4:4) by overcoming the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life represented by the three consecutive temptations Christ overcame by God’s power (1Jn 2:16).

The lust of the flesh would be represented by the temptation with bread; the lust of the eyes represented by Satan trying to tempt him with all the kingdoms of the world which were Satan’s to offer; and the pride of life is simply doing what we want in our proud flesh instead of obeying God, and tempting the Lord thy God would have been just such an act of disobedience from Christ, which we know was not going to happen (Mat 4:4-10, Heb 4:15).

So, those three principal events represent what we must overcome and can overcome through Christ who experienced these things in the most extreme manner (Heb 4:15) for our sakes so we can be comforted (2Co 1:3-4). We are like Christ today, and with His help we can count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations (1Jn 4:17, Jas 1:2). We count it all joy because “the trying of your faith worketh patience” knowing that through Christ we can “let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Wanting nothing means that by the grace and faith of God we can overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life so we can live the rest of our lives doing the will of God as opposed to being entangled with this world which will pass away (1Jn 2:16-17, 1Pe 4:1-2, Tit 2:12).

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Hopefully this introduction sets the stage for us to understand how we can fulfill the will of God by filling up what is behind of His afflictions in this life (Col 1:24). That affliction is what is needed in order to “let patience have her perfect work” (Jas 1:4-8) so that “ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” To be entire in Christ is to go beyond “the first principles of the oracles of God” as we are nourished by our trials that make it possible for us to put off our fleshly carnal thinking so that we can remain focused on doing the will of God as we rejoice now, and again I say rejoice, because of that vision with which He has blessed us (Php 4:4, Pro 29:18).

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Pro 29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Heb 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, 

This opening statement is very specific in what it is asking us to do and reveals to us that a “foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God” has to initially be laid in the lives of those whom God is going to continue to drag to Christ and bring unto perfection.

“Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ” is the only way that we can go on to perfection, and as Paul showed us in these verses (Php 3:13-15), it is those who are granted a mature or maturing mindset in this life who can continue on in His word in this manner so that we can become disciples indeed through “not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works” which is what it means to  leave “the principles of the doctrine of Christ” (Joh 8:31-32).

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Take note that Paul says in Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended” which accords with verse three of our study which says “And this will we do, if God permit“.

The admonition for God’s elect in this age is to forget “those things which are behind” and to reach “forth unto those things which are before” as we “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Php 3:14).

That pressing forward and forgetting what is behind is what it takes to build on the foundation that was initially laid in our lives by Christ as we recognize the hope of glory within us (Mat 16:18) which makes this transition possible through a purifying process that takes our entire life (Col 1:27, 1Jn 3:2-5, Rom 8:14-16, Rom 8:35-37).

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

We now have those foundational principles of Christ described for us that explain what we build upon, and the first one that is mentioned is “the doctrine of baptisms” that represents a truth we hopefully know and have settled in our hearts that it is through much tribulation (1Pe 4:12, Act 14:22) we enter into the kingdom of God, as we die daily and are baptized into Christ’s death (Rom 6:1-5).

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation [many baptisms] enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [Newness of life after the trial, after the baptism (2Co 7:11)]
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

We are “planted together in the likeness of his death” and as such are dead to sin and alive in Christ (Rom 6:11), not continuing in sin so that grace may abound, which would bring us to have to lay “again the foundation of repentance from dead works” demonstrating that we are not going beyond that principle that was all ready laid out for us.

The truth follows that if we don’t remember we are “planted together in the likeness of his death” “baptisms” we are not going to know that we are the temple of God (1Co 3:16) and have been raised in heavenly places (Eph 2:4-6) which should be the mindset of those who have the earnest of the inheritance within them (Col 1:27, Eph 1:14) being filled with hope that the “resurrection of the dead” is an ongoing I-die-daily event God is making possible through Christ who gives us the power to live with this understanding (Gal 2:20-21).

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Christ’s death is in vain if we keep frustrating the grace of God by bringing up our past sins that have been covered by the blood of Christ, but again thanks be to God, He is greater than our sometimes carnal conscience that tries to do this (1Jn 3:20). You can be sure that is what the accuser of the brethren wants to do within us and without us 24/7 (Rev 12:10), and so we need to beseech God to keep us focused on the joy that has been set before us as Christ did (Heb 12:2).

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

That joy set before us is the vision we need in order to endure until the end, and that vision was typified by events at the time of Stephen’s death who was given the vision he needed to put off his flesh at this appointed time in his life as he beheld “the Son of man standing on the right hand of God“. Eternal life is to know the Father and the Son (Joh 17:3), and to behold them as Stephen did was a symbolic event that was for our sakes to reassure us what God will do for His little flock who does not need to fear what men can do to our flesh as we look to the vision we can receive through our Father and Jesus Christ and His body that will lead us to eternal life (Act 7:54-60, Eph 3:10). We provide that vision for each other as a joint that supplies in love, and God uses the body of Christ to strengthen us in that regard with prophecy (Eph 4:16, Heb 3:13, 1Th 5:11, 1Co 14:3).

If we are dying daily (1Co 15:31) and being raised in heavenly places today (Eph 2:6), then we are being judged (1Pe 4:17), and if we are being judged now, the spirit of God is bearing witness with our spirit that we are His sons who are learning of His righteousness (Rom 8:14-16, 1Jn 3:1, Isa 26:9) which witnesses that Christ within us as our hope of glory can lead us into all truth in order to set us free (Joh 16:13) as we continue in the truth believing (Joh 8:31-32) that we are enduring what we are enduring through in this age by the grace and faith of Christ for a reason (Rom 8:18-23).

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

These trials of our faith are happening so we can be in that blessed and holy first resurrection (Php 1:29) coming up as those saviors or kings and priests who can discern good and evil and who will have been prepared (Rev 19:7) to rule under Christ and judge the nations who will all be saved (Oba 1:21, 1Co 15:22). The salvation of all mankind will occur in the lake of fire, or great white throne judgment, and is a judgment that will be administered by those few who have been baptized into Christ’s death today and have been raised into heavenly places today. Our role as saviors will be demonstrated via the “eternal judgment” that the rest of the world will experience at the hand of God’s elect, and “this will we do, if God permit” (1Co 6:3). If it is written in our books, we will do this, and God will be glorified in showing the world that what He says He is going to do will get done, and there is no plan B (Psa 139:16, 2Ti 2:19, Psa 118:27).

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 

You and I can be “enlightened” and have “tasted of the heavenly gift” and been “made partakers of the Holy Ghost” along with having “tasted the good word of God” and “the powers of the world to come” and still not endure until the end if God has not written this in our book.

Why does God allow those who have been “enlightened” and “have tasted of the heavenly gift” and been “made partakers of the Holy Ghost” and “tasted the good word of God” and “the powers of the world to come” to be in the midst of God’s elect in the first place?

The truth of God’s word is that they are sacrificed for us in their unbelief that God may have mercy upon all (Rom 11:32), and we are beloved for the gospel’s sake and represent the things that were written for our sakes (1Co 10:11) and show us what would manifest within in us unless the Lord did not chasten and scourge us in order to be received of Him today (Heb 12:6).

[Rom 11:28-32 – The 250 men of renown are chastened and scourged within us, and that number represents a multiple of grace that must occur in our lives if we are going to be saved in this age through much tribulation 25X10 (Heb 12:6). The mindset of God’s elect is a gift from God (1Co 2:16) that, Lord willing, we will never take for granted by being highminded (Rom 11:20-21).]

It is because of the unbelievers’ unbelief which manifests in heresies, that we learn [by reason of use having our sense exercised (Heb 5:14)] who it is that is approved in our midst (1Co 11:19) and who it is that has been granted the mind of Christ who can try those lying spirits and recognize through the grace and faith God gives, those who are approved and those who are an enemy of the cross (Deu 13:3, Php 3:18).

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Deu 13:3  Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

The struggles God has given to the body of Christ through the years which have caused us to grow in grace and in knowledge have primarily been from those of our own household who were against us, and that statement of Christ found in Matthew 10:36 is both true at the onset of our being dragged out of the world with our physical families who are against us, as well as those in our midst who claim to be spiritual Jews and are not (Rev 3:9, Rom 1:20).

Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

It is God who caused the two hundred and fifty men of renown to rebel, along with the whole congregation of Israel (Num 16:2-3, Num 16:19), to demonstrate to us that their unbelief and rebellious spirit would have been ours except for the grace of God that chastens us and scourges us as we are received of our Father and learn that God is no respector of persons (Act 10:34-35). He will have mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and who He wants to harden, He will harden (Rom 9:18). This is the severity and goodness of God which is being revealed to very few in this age showing us what God thinks of all flesh that is all being worked according to the counsel of the Master Potter’s will, who will have every man saved, each man in his order (Eph 1:11, Jer 18:4, Rom 9:20-21, 2Co 4:15-16).

It is indeed impossible to renew those whom God deems “the rest of the dead” of Revelation 20:5:

Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

With all that we have studied and come to see regarding God’s sovereignty over the years, God willing, it is clear today in our hearts and minds who it is that is causing the falling away of those who were in our midst and were “enlightened” and “have tasted of the heavenly gift” and been “made partakers of the Holy Ghost” and “tasted the good word of God” and “the powers of the world to come“, and how they were never meant to go on to perfection in this life or to be renewed “unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” which is what it means to be an enemy of the cross as found in Philippians 3:18.

Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

God wants us to know and be assured that those who could not go beyond the “foundation of repentance from dead works” were broken off for our sakes and that they will be grafted back again in the lake of fire, but not in this age. These events that God caused were all done according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11) to show His goodness and severity and His power over the clay or the light and darkness over which He is in perfect control (Isa 45:7).

These events spoken of in Hebrews 6:4-6 are written for the elect’s sake in this age but also for those in the ages to come who will learn that all things were for the elect’s sake initially so “that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God” so, “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

We are a many-membered body of Christ which needs to continue to pray and ask God for that gift of phophecy (1Co 14:1-3) so we can be used to provide the vision (Pro 29:18) that we will need in this ever increasingly evil world that we can overcome through Jesus Christ who is the one who can provide the vision to do so (Heb 12:2).

Pro 29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We sigh and cry for the sins of this world, showing a mind of compassion and care for this dying world, and at the same time we know that Ishmael cannot come along, and so we must separate ourselves from this world and do so by loving the Lord with all our hearts, minds and strength, and “this will we do, if God permit“.  It will be demonstrated through the fruit of our lives, the obedience to God’s commandments which witnesses that His love is being shed abroad in our hearts (Eze 9:4, Gen 17:18, 2Co 6:17, Joh 14:15, 1Jn 5:3, Rom 5:5).

These final verses of our study show us clearly that when we keep God’s commandments, the law of Christ (Gal 6:2), we will in fact have vision and will be happy!

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Joh 13:15  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Pro 29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.