6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
I wondered what dead works the writer of Hebrews was talking about. He says that maturity is not going over and over the same real estate.
Not Laying AGAIN repentance from dead works. It must mean there was once a repentance, a turning around, a walking away from, a change in viewpoint. Repentance means all those things. Not doing the same things again and again and then asking God to "Fix It".
I thought of people from the word who repented of Dead Works.
Paul the Apostle repented, stopped persecuting. Changed his mind.
Zacchaeus up in the tree repented. Turned away from corrupt deeds. Dead works,
The demoniac of Gadderene. He changed and turned around.
Many examples. The writer says don't keep repenting of those dead works. Move on. Grow up in the Spirit. What he really says however is a warning. IF you did repent of those dead works and then go back to them you will not easily be restored to repentance. IN FACT he almost seems to say you will go to hell. Burned. Recrucifying Jesus. Pretty rough.
The Spirit of God said to me this morning:
"Many who I have called are continuing to repent of things they should have walked away from years ago. They are repenting of dead works. They repeat the same old things. They know the truth, they have heard and experienced it, yet they stay stuck in the same old dead works they always had. They are in a cycle of defeat despair degradation and deception. Without turning their backs on the dead works they have engaged in they will never get out of this. NEVER."
I considered what this might mean. It's not about sin, it's about how we see the world, how we see the kingdom or not, how we see ourselves, how we see others. It's about the ability to walk away from deceptions that have kept us trapped.
Some are relationships, some are hold over attitudes from your dad and mom or grandparents. Some are beliefs that you support with action. An abortionist who believes he is a christian is unrepenting of Dead Works. A drug dealer who goes to church is still unrepented of dead works. The whore on the street who wants out but keeps whoring has not yet repented of dead works. The cheat who corrupts everything he touches yet shows up and glorifies God in worship is unrepented of dead works. A gay marriage is a dead work. Much of what we see in our culture is now dead works.
When you see people in degradation, chances are dead works are there somewhere. Yes people can have hard times, but hard times don't last. God opens doors.. but not to those unrepeented of dead works. He cannot trust one captured by dead works with prosperity.
I know this for certain, without repentance from dead works once and for all, we cannot have a turn around in our nation. We cannot keep evil men and women in power and expect that we will prosper.
Repenting of Dead works is about making right choices. Repent of dead works.
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