166 - In Faith, Inherit Greater Promises#
166 - In Faith, Inherit Greater Promises
(Compiled by Sister Ren Wei from JP Text Group)
Let us first read Hebrews chapter 6, verses 4-12:
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, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Let us first have a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You, for Your word is our strength. Today You tell us to follow the examples of those who act in faith. Like Abraham and Isaac, they are examples of our faith. You let us pay attention to their end, so that we may have faith in Your word and hope in You.
Today, through Your word, renew us once again. As a new week begins, let us have faith and hope in Your word. We live by Your word. Thank You and praise the Lord! Especially bless every brother and sister who seeks You today, so that we may all gain something here today and establish the foundation of our faith on Your word. Thank You and praise You, in the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen. Hallelujah!
Look at today’s topic—those who inherit the promises by faith. What does it mean to be someone who inherits the promises? Some Christians have become weak and fallen, so they haven’t come to church for a long time. As a result, some say that such people are not saved. Do you think that’s true? There are also some Christians who say that now that we believe in the Lord, we can live carelessly, and it doesn’t matter if we don’t gather. Do you think that’s acceptable? For Christians who do not gather often, some say they are not saved, while others say that such people are still saved; they just don’t attend gatherings!
In fact, our Christianity is different from other religions. In our Lord, Jesus hopes that we gather often. Other religions are not like this; they hope that each person can "enlighten" themselves at home, and based on their understanding, they can become whatever deity they wish. Only in Christ does God say you cannot stop gathering. According to this word, if you do not gather often, are you saved? Some people behave poorly and do not gather often; when such people return, will God accept them or not? — Are you sure? Yes, God will still accept them.
So how do we explain the phrase "cannot renew them again unto repentance"?
Such people have left Christ and have been away for a while; after they have forsaken the doctrine, they cannot be renewed unto repentance.
Here, repentance means to turn back. They cannot be renewed to repentance. Therefore, some churches begin to teach that this is God's most severe discipline. If you dare to leave our church, if you dare to leave our fellowship, there will be no opportunity for repentance; it won’t work in any church, and you will not be saved. Such theories sound very frightening, so many believers today work hard for the Lord, fervently evangelize, and pray desperately, just to be saved.
If you are accepting such a message today, that you must exhaust your life’s efforts just to be saved, such a person is truly pitiful! Once they are unable to gather for a while due to circumstances, they feel a serious sense of condemnation, wondering, "Has God abandoned me?"
Therefore, we must have a correct understanding of God’s word. Many people work for the Lord not willingly, but simply because they do not want to be abandoned by God. No matter how difficult it is, they dare not stop. I call such service "legalistic service." No matter how joyful such people appear on the surface, their hearts are always filled with bitterness. Because when you cannot see these people, you do not know what their inner state is like.
Many who serve in this way eventually say that they are worse off than the unbelievers; the unbelievers can sin freely, and if they do not gather, they feel no condemnation and are not troubled, while they, after believing in the Lord, dare not do so. This is the service under the law. They feel that God is a very fearful God, and if they do not obey, they will never have a chance to repent, and God will abandon them. They believe they must rely on their actions to maintain their salvation, which is a false belief. Brothers and sisters, our salvation is absolutely not maintained by our actions.
Let’s look at the verse we just read:
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, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.
May I ask, are such people believers in Jesus or not? If they are believers, then if such people forsake the true way, they cannot be renewed to repentance, which aligns with the saying "we maintain salvation by actions" — "If you believe in Jesus, and you dare to leave God, dare to be weak, dare to fall, then God will abandon you." It is clear that this interpretation does not align with the truth, because we do not obtain salvation through actions, so we cannot forsake God’s salvation.
Let me give you an example: I truly believe in Jesus today, but one day I become weak and say I no longer believe in the Lord. Can God say, "Okay, you don’t believe in me, so I will throw you out (abandon you)."
Will such a situation occur? Absolutely not. Because this relationship cannot be severed. We are bought back by Jesus with His precious blood; if you already belong to Jesus, you can never run away. In fact, if you truly know Jesus, you would never want to leave Him, unless you have believed incorrectly.
So we must correctly understand this passage. The book of Hebrews is a very important but also very difficult book. If you do not understand the Old Testament, it is hard to unlock this book. There are many questions within it. Many people feel quite fearful after reading this book because they do not understand the content and background of the writing of Hebrews.
Take the passage we just mentioned as an example; many people think it is addressed to believers. Others say that this passage is written for those who believe but are not born again. This makes things even more complicated. Today, even if you believe in the Lord, if you are not born again, you are still not saved! Are you sure you are born again? So many people complicate these matters even further.
But brothers and sisters, salvation and being born again are together in our time; why do you separate them so clearly? For example, when the teacher Ren stands before you, is it his spirit standing before you, or his soul, or his body?
Is it necessary to distinguish so clearly?
For me, standing before you represents my spirit, soul, and body all being present. Being born again and saved—if one is saved but not born again, where do you say this person will go? Some say that those who are saved but not born again cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and will go to hell. You say that someone is saved, yet they can be saved to hell; can that be considered salvation?
Others say that a born-again person has had a change in their life. Everyone who believes in the Lord experiences a change in life. After we believe in Jesus, our inner life has already changed; it is just that our actions have not yet manifested. Therefore, many people use actions to judge whether a person is born again, which again links salvation to actions.
The book of Hebrews is written to the Hebrews. Every book has a corresponding audience; the letters in the New Testament are written to address certain issues in the church and then are for us. The book of Hebrews is written to the Hebrews, that is, the Jews, which is why it mentions many Old Testament matters. Moreover, it is a comparative letter. Let’s briefly look at a passage.
Hebrews 1:1-4:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
If you do not know the Old Testament, you will not know who the prophets are. The audience of the book of Hebrews is the Jews; in the Old Testament, God spoke to the fathers through many prophets, referring to people like Abraham and Isaac. "In these last days" is for us, spoken through His Son—Jesus, so we are not under the lives of those many prophets in the Old Testament; we are under Jesus. Therefore, when we read this scripture and this book, we should know which parts are for us, that is, under Jesus, and we need to distinguish this.
What are the characteristics of being under Jesus?
In these last days, He has spoken unto us by His Son; He has appointed Him heir of all things, and by Him, He made the worlds. He is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power. When He had purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
All of these refer to Jesus, all under Jesus, Amen!
He has inherited a name that is more excellent than that of angels, far exceeding the angels.
You see, today we inherit the name of Jesus Christ, so what you inherit is more honorable than that of angels. In the comparison, it tells you that today there is something better—Jesus; you are more blessed than the prophets; you are not under the prophets; you are under Jesus, Hallelujah!
We know that the book of Hebrews was written around 63 to 64 AD. What was happening at that time? Many Jews had already believed in Jesus; they acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but even though they acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, they still went to the temple to offer sacrifices to worship God. You say such people believe, but they seem not to believe, because if you believe in Jesus, God has made everything so clear, why still offer sacrifices? Why return to the temple to live by the law? If you say these people do not believe, they also acknowledge Jesus as Christ. So in this situation, the author of Hebrews wrote this book to teach them. He told them that salvation is very near and not to return to the past under the law, relying on the law for salvation, which is impossible. No matter how hard you try, you cannot reach the finish line. No matter how many cattle and sheep you offer, it is far from Jesus and cannot compare to Jesus.
The book of Hebrews has many comparisons; we need to pay attention while reading: in chapters one and two, it compares Jesus and the angels; which is better? Is the angel good or is Jesus good? Of course, it is Jesus. In the Old Testament, the angels conveyed God’s words, but in the New Testament, we do not rely on angels to convey words to us; it is Jesus who speaks directly to you. Which is better? Of course, it is Jesus, Amen!
In chapter three of Hebrews, it compares Jesus and Moses. Moses certainly had power; he held a staff and confronted the most powerful Pharaoh of the time, but when Moses prayed for the Red Sea to part, it took an entire night. However, when Jesus performed miracles, they happened instantly.
Brothers and sisters, who has greater power, Jesus or Moses? Of course, it is Jesus. So do not envy Moses; do not envy the Jews who have the law of Moses; you have Jesus, which is better than the law of Moses. Moses was a servant, leading a group of servants, while Jesus is the Son of God, leading a group of sons. Therefore, those who are under Jesus, all who belong to Jesus are sons, and sons can inherit the inheritance. Servants only work and receive no reward. And you inherit the promises by faith, because God calls you sons, Hallelujah!
In chapter four, it mentions the comparison between Jesus and Joshua. Joshua also had great power; he led the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan. Each tribe began to divide the land and inherit the inheritance. Look at the map of Israel in the past; from north to south, it was such a large area all belonging to Israel. Their land was very vast. Today we think: Wow! Those who followed Moses were so miserable; they did not receive any land. But those who followed Joshua all received land.
Let’s think about it; Joshua was indeed much stronger than Moses. But Jesus leads us into the true promised land in heaven, which is an eternal place. So Jesus will also lead us to inherit the land. Moreover, when Joshua led the people to divide the land, it was through their battles, while today the inheritance that Jesus gives you is not obtained through your battles but through Jesus’ battle.
Today we are more blessed than the people of Joshua; today we just need to say to the Lord, "Lord, that is my land." Jesus says, "I have fought for you." Do you know who is blessed? Of course, it is us. But the fear is that you cannot see this land? You look at the land in your home, just those few square meters, and Jesus says, "Look a little further!" You say, "No, Lord! Look at my home affairs..."
You limit your thoughts, you know? You should look like the Israelites, like Abraham, seeing the places from the east, west, south, and north that are given to you. You need to open your spiritual eyes to see that today God wants to give you a very large promised land, Hallelujah! How do you inherit this land? Very simple, when you help your brothers and sisters, God gives you great rewards in heaven. When you serve Jesus, the rewards God gives you absolutely exceed eighty square meters, rest assured! Because in the future, God will give us… please look at the scripture:
Luke 19:17-19
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
Think about what five cities mean? Let you be the lord of five cities. So think about these things, and you will no longer care about your little piece of land; broaden your vision a little, you are the inheritor of the promises, Amen. This is compared to Joshua; we are more blessed.
Then in chapters five and six, it compares Jesus and Aaron. Aaron was the high priest. Who is better, Jesus the high priest or Aaron the high priest? Of course, it is Jesus. At that time, the high priest Aaron offered sacrifices for the people once a year to atone for their sins, but Jesus offered one sacrifice, which forever blotted out your sins, so Jesus the high priest is better. You are now under Jesus Christ, so broaden your eyes, open your mouth wide, and God will give you greater promises. First, see with your spiritual eyes; if you cannot see, you cannot ask.
When we get to chapter seven, it mentions the comparison between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The New Covenant gives you better promises, one after another, and by the time we reach chapter twelve, it tells you what those people received by faith, what those people received by faith. Today it tells you that through Jesus Christ, you will receive more, Hallelujah! Because our faith is not in those prophets; our faith is in Jesus Christ, who is truly omnipotent and omniscient.
Next, we share the first point: Knowing does not mean believing. Those who believe can never lose their salvation.
Hebrews 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, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.
I tell you, these are not saved people; they are unbelievers. If these unbelievers forsake the doctrine, they cannot be renewed to repentance. I will share these phrases with you bit by bit. Christians can become weak and may leave God; this can indeed happen, but even if they are weak, lying on the ground, or retreating, they are still Christians.
It is just that their eyes have not been opened; they have not seen the abundant promises that God has left for them. But they are still saved; whenever they return, they will be accepted, just like the prodigal son. When the prodigal son went out, did he not distance himself from his father? Did he not fall? Did he not end up with nothing? Although this prodigal son felt, "I have done so many things; I am no longer worthy to be called his son," when he returned, his father still recognized him and said, "You are still my son."
So we emphasize again: If you have believed in God, even if you are weak and fall, you may fall from grace and live under the law, but when one day you return, God will always treat you with His abundant grace. Just like the heavenly Father treats the prodigal son. The father’s heart does not want the prodigal son to leave him. So we have the option.
You can choose not to come here to gather on Sundays; that’s okay. Even if you don’t come, you are still saved. But God wants you to come because when you come, God wants to pour His grace upon you. When you are weak, God will lift you up again, and the purpose of lifting you up is to bestow His grace upon you. God absolutely does not want us to leave Him, but if you leave, whenever you turn back, God will always accept you. It is absolutely impossible for a believer to sin and for God not to allow them to repent. If you have believed in Jesus, even if you commit the most serious sin, God still hopes you will repent today. Even if you have sinned greatly, God will forgive you, Amen!
The scripture we just read is addressed to unbelievers.
First, let’s look at the first sentence: What does "enlightened" mean?
It means he has the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For example, today there are still people among us who have not accepted Jesus; after coming here, they hear our praises and say, "This song is really good!" This is God enlightening him, but does this enlightenment mean he believes? — No, he is just enlightened, Hallelujah. So at this time, he is still not saved.
Let me give another example—Paul. On the road to Damascus, that great light shone upon him, and he hurriedly said, "Lord, who are you?" He called out to the Lord but did not know who the Lord was. You say this is a confused belief! At that time, the Jews were in this situation. They called out to the Lord but did not know that the Lord was Jesus.
So Jesus said to Paul, "I am Jesus whom you persecute." At that time, Paul was not yet saved; he was just enlightened. Therefore, being enlightened does not mean being saved; believing is what saves.
Today, even if you come to listen to my sermon, and at the end say, "Wow, you preached really well," I’m sorry, that does not mean you are saved. Unless you are willing to believe in Jesus, there are people who tell me that when they listen to my sermon, their hearts feel warm. I ask, "Have you accepted Jesus? Do you want to believe in Jesus?" They reply, "Let me think about it!" Feeling warm does not mean being saved, but it proves that they have indeed been enlightened. Many people today read the Bible and find it reasonable; they are also enlightened, but that does not mean they are saved.
The second sentence: "Tasted of the heavenly gift" does not mean being saved.
For example, if a person becomes ill and comes to our church, we say to him, "If you are willing, we can pray for you. In the name of Jesus Christ, we will remove all your diseases." As a result, his illness is healed; does that mean he is saved? Not necessarily. He has only tasted of the heavenly gift. As a pastor, what we find most difficult is this kind of person: they have an illness, come to us for prayer, and after their illness is healed, they never show up at church again.
We call them and say, "Why haven’t we seen you for so long? You are healed, so come to church!" They always say, "I don’t have time; I need to make money. I will go to church later!" When encountering such people, I hope they are saved. But sometimes I indeed know that they have only tasted of the heavenly gift. They just treat Jesus as another idol, so such people are not saved; they have only tasted of the heavenly gift. Jesus indeed lets us taste His flavor at first, but after tasting, He hopes you will dive deeper to receive His abundant grace, Amen!
Let’s look at a verse, John 4:14: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
Here, "drinking" is different from "tasting" in the previous text. You need to pick up the cup and drink it. You tell him how good this water is, how many vitamins it has, but if he just takes a sip and does not drink anymore, that is his loss. Do not be a "taster"; be a "drinker." If you are thirsty, come and drink, and come to church every week to drink.
Many people have only "tasted" Jesus. During Christmas, many come to church for the gifts; they have only tasted a little flavor. We tell them, "Come, we have something better for you; we give you Jesus, the water that never makes you thirsty, springing up into everlasting life." But they refuse. Therefore, tasting of the heavenly gift does not mean they are saved unless you accept Jesus, Amen.
Next, let’s look at "partakers of the Holy Ghost"—
Does being a partaker of the Holy Ghost mean one is definitely saved?
Let me give an example: Does speaking in tongues mean one is definitely saved? Does prophesying mean one is definitely saved? Does being able to heal the sick and cast out demons mean one is definitely saved? Not necessarily. Some denominations have taken an extreme interpretation of the phrase "partakers of the Holy Ghost." These groups emphasize that those who cannot speak in tongues are not saved. They believe that only those who speak in tongues are saved.
In fact, some people have never spoken in tongues in their entire lives; does that mean they are not saved? Some denominations have taken an extreme understanding; in their churches, everyone can speak in tongues. If you cannot speak, you are not saved, so they must learn to speak in tongues to be saved! In fact, the standard for being saved is not whether you can speak in tongues, but whether you have faith in Jesus in your heart.
Do not accept these things that sound reasonable but are indeed erroneous theories. Today, the standard for whether you can be saved is whether you have accepted Jesus in your heart. Many Jews in the Old Testament were also used by the Holy Spirit, but they were not saved.
Let me give an example from the Old Testament: The first king in the Old Testament—King Saul could prophesy, but he was not saved. There was a prophet named Balaam who could prophesy and see visions, but he was not saved either. Therefore, "partakers of the Holy Ghost" refers to those who have the work of the Holy Spirit upon them. But it does not necessarily mean they are saved unless you believe in Jesus. Another example is Judas Iscariot in the New Testament; this person followed Jesus all the time, and Jesus called him a disciple. He had the work of the Holy Spirit upon him, but he was not saved.
Let’s look at a verse, Mark 6:7: "And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits."
Among these twelve disciples was Judas. What did they go out to do? He gave them power to cast out unclean spirits. Later, He also sent out seventy people; remember: Judas Iscariot was among them. When these people returned, what did Jesus say to them?
Luke 10:18-20:
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Here, Jesus did not say, "You have great power; you are all saved." Jesus meant to say that you should not be happy because you can perform miracles; rather, be happy because your names are written in heaven (referring to believing in Jesus).
In John 6:63-64, Jesus also said very clearly:
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe in Him, who would betray Him.
So even though Judas had power and authority and could heal the sick and cast out demons, he was indeed not saved. Only those who truly believe in Jesus can be saved. Hallelujah! We see that these disciples could cast out demons, but not all of these disciples were saved.
Before Jesus went to the cross, the price of sin had not been paid, so Judas thought to himself, "I have committed such a great sin; I cannot be forgiven." Did he believe incorrectly? He did not believe that Jesus could forgive sins; he chose to end his own life and ultimately hanged himself. In fact, if he had just waited a little longer until Jesus resurrected, Jesus could have forgiven him just like He forgave Peter. The key is whether you believe that Jesus can forgive you.
Today we want to tell the world that Jesus can forgive all your sins; anytime, as long as you are willing to repent, Jesus will accept you. For those of us who already believe in Jesus, even if you fall, when you are willing to turn back, Jesus is willing to accept you. It is absolutely impossible for a situation to occur where "Jesus no longer wants you, no longer accepts you." This situation cannot happen to believers.
Let’s look at verse five: "And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come."
In the original Greek text, this refers to those who have experienced the power of God’s word.
We can still use Judas Iscariot as an example; Judas experienced the power of Jesus. He saw many miracles performed by Jesus with his own eyes and heard Jesus teach God’s word with his own ears; he experienced all of this. Therefore, he may have cast out demons for others and healed others; he knew the taste of God’s good word, and he also knew there is a world to come. Jesus taught the disciples about resurrection and judgment, and he had heard all of this. So Judas certainly knew that everyone has to die, and after death, there is judgment and resurrection, but he simply did not believe; that is what is tragic.
Many people know, but they do not believe; they are very pitiful. Not only do we Christians know about resurrection, but in some religions, they believe that if you do many evil deeds in this life, you will become an animal in the next life; if you do many good deeds in this life, you will be reborn into a wealthy family in the next life. This also refers to resurrection, so they say to accumulate good deeds in this life! They use actions to exchange for resurrection, which is incorrect.
The resurrection in the Bible is different from the cyclical resurrection. The resurrection in the Bible refers to the resurrection of the flesh. You must remember: this body will come back to life. Therefore, one day in the kingdom of heaven, we will all recognize each other and be able to meet. This is the true biblical resurrection. The world knows there is resurrection, but they still do not believe in Jesus. Can God let them repent again? Today, how many people study the Bible, and their understanding of the Bible is clearer than ours, but they do not accept Jesus.
This morning, I read a document about Jewish history. The current Hebrew University is the most famous university in Israel, and there are many experts and rabbis there studying Hebrew and proficient in Greek, but they do not accept Jesus. Many people say they want to learn Hebrew and Greek.
Originally, they believed in Jesus in their hearts, but after training there, they began to doubt whether there is a God. So today, knowing all this does not mean you will believe all this. The Jews know all this, but they do not accept Jesus; they are still not saved. For such people, Jesus cannot let them repent again.
In the original text, the meaning is: if they forsake this doctrine of "justification by faith," they cannot be turned back, because the only way to turn back is to turn to Jesus. But if you are unwilling to turn to Jesus and turn elsewhere, can God forcibly twist your neck? No, He cannot. Unless you are willing to turn to Jesus, you will be saved.
Because they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
This refers to those who have gone astray, referring to what the Jews said.
Today, Jesus has already resurrected, yet the Jews say they believe Jesus is the Messiah; believing is one thing, but when it is the Sabbath gathering, they still go to the temple to offer sacrifices. Such people, you say they believe, but they seem not to believe, because if you believe in Jesus, God has made everything so clear; why still offer sacrifices? Why return to the temple to live by the law? They are essentially crucifying Jesus again every day. Because the sacrificial offering symbolizes Jesus, you know that this sacrificial offering symbolizes Jesus; today you say, "I believe Jesus has died for me." The next day, you go back to pray, "Lord, forgive my sins!"
How many people crucify Jesus again every day, as if what Jesus did has no effect at all? This is the situation of the Jews at that time. Therefore, for such people, God cannot let them repent again because they do not believe in everything God has done. They know Jesus is the only way, the only sacrifice, yet they still want to be justified according to the Old Testament law. They return to the temple to offer sacrifices; Jesus cannot accept them because they are unwilling to turn back. Perhaps our Chinese translation has caused some misunderstanding. "Cannot renew them again unto repentance" in the original text means they cannot be renewed from repentance.
Let’s look at the difference here: we who accept Jesus must also repent and turn to God every day, renewing ourselves in God’s word. But the Jews who have not accepted Jesus, when they return to the temple, are also repenting, but they are repenting for sin, while we are repenting for righteousness. In other words, we have already entered the promised land; our focus every day is turned to God, and we must understand how great the promises God has given us are.
Those who live under the law, every day they focus on the sacrifices, which will remind them of their sins; this is their life. God does not want you to live this way; God wants you to be continually renewed by His righteousness in repentance. God wants you to know what promises those prophets of old received, and today, in Christ, the promises God gives you are greater and more abundant.
We need to constantly renew ourselves in such faith and righteousness every day. If a person is unwilling to come to Jesus, how can they be renewed by Jesus? Today, we should not listen to the law under the law; do not live by the law. If you return to the law, you cannot receive grace-filled renewal here. Repentance means turning to God; if you do not turn to Jesus and run back to offer sacrifices, how can you know His grace and forgiveness? Because the focus is different.
I wish for you to keep your focus on Jesus, allowing Jesus to renew you every day. Then you will know what great promises and blessings you have in Jesus Christ. If you place yourself under the Ten Commandments, you will know how corrupt and ignorant you are. Do not live under the law; it is too painful.
Brothers and sisters, do not categorize yourselves among those who crucify Jesus again, openly humiliating Him, denying everything Jesus did on the cross. The scripture refers specifically to those Jews who have tasted Jesus’ grace; Jesus healed many Jews. But in the end, these people said, "Crucify Him, crucify Him; we do not want to accept Jesus. Let our sins be upon us and our descendants." These people are very pitiful. They reject Jesus and return to the temple to offer sacrifices, which greatly insults Jesus, Amen!
Next, we share the second point: You are the inheritors of the promises.
You see, now I am preaching to you, and when I say "concerning those people," I am not referring to you. I am using our Chinese way of speaking to explain this verse. I say to you, "Those Eastern Lightning heretics—do they know Jesus? Do they know that the Bible speaks of resurrection and eternal life? But they have chosen a wrong path!" I am referring to those who believe in heresy, and I am telling you how their end will be, so you cannot say, "Teacher Ren, are you saying I am Eastern Lightning?" Therefore, in the scripture, "concerning those people" does not refer to you.
Verse 9: But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
The meaning here is: "Although it is said that Eastern Lightning is bad, I believe you are absolutely not like this." This is said to you. So what does "near to salvation" mean? Is it close to being saved, not far from salvation?
In this place in the Bible, you must mark the original meaning: I am convinced that your actions are better. And you have obtained salvation. Amen.
Let me translate this for you using a Chinese way of speaking: Those Eastern Lightning people are so pitiful; they have tasted the flavor of God’s grace, just like a piece of land that has been watered many times, but they have borne thorns and briers; the end of these people is to be burned. But your actions are better than theirs, and you have obtained salvation. It is not near to salvation; it is not close to being saved; you have already obtained salvation, while they do not.
Your actions are better than theirs; actions under grace should be better than those under the law. Although they have salvation under the law, their actions are very poor because they rely on actions to gain God’s favor. You do not live this way; you are the inheritors of the promises, Amen!
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Today, Christians under grace need to have good actions; God will not forget your actions. You running to church in the hot weather will not be forgotten by God; if you serve a little brother with a cup of cold water, God will absolutely not forget that.
So brothers and sisters, begin to broaden your vision beyond your little piece of land; look up, like Abraham. God said, "Abraham, now look to the east, south, west, and north; all the land you see, and all the land your foot treads upon, I will give to you and your descendants." From now on, broaden your vision, help more people know Jesus, and you will receive more rewards. God is absolutely just; He will not forget everything you have done for Him, nor will He forget the love you have shown for His name, meaning that you clearly want to help a sister or brother, but that brother or sister wronged you. Do not be discouraged; God will absolutely not forget in His justice.
The next verse:
Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
We desire that you brothers and sisters work for Jesus. If you are working, you are no longer working for yourself; you are working for the glory of Jesus. If you are doing business, you are no longer doing business just to provide for your family; you are doing business for the glory of Jesus. When you turn all your concepts around, your hope will not be ashamed because God will not forget you. You are willing to work for Him, Amen!
So brothers and sisters, always follow those who inherit the promises through faith and patience.
Here, two things are particularly mentioned: first is faith, and second is patience. Therefore, inheriting the promises requires patience. God gives us many promises, but we must wait patiently for His timing; you cannot plant wheat today and then quickly dig it up tomorrow to see if it has sprouted or borne fruit. You need to wait patiently.
Today, whether you are working or running your own business, let everything you do be under Jesus’ authority, and do it for Jesus. When the time comes, there will definitely be a harvest. For example, if you are in business, you say, "Lord, give me wisdom to make this business better and better; I am willing to use one-tenth of what I earn to support the development of the gospel." Rest assured, if you have this heart and continue to do it, God will give you more and more because you are doing it for the glory of Jesus. Hallelujah! If today you say to the Lord, "Lord, keep my body healthy so that when I am eighty years old, I still have the physique of a thirty-year-old, and I do this to spread the gospel."
If you truly live to bear witness for Jesus, living to 120 years old is not a problem. So always follow those who inherit the promises through faith and patience; do not be discouraged. When the time comes, God will let you see that His promises will definitely be fulfilled in you.
So Hebrews chapter six, verses thirteen to twenty, tells us to look at how Abraham did. God was afraid Abraham would not believe, so God said, "I swear..." God could not find anyone greater than Himself, so He swore by Himself. Does God need to swear? — No, He does not need to. So why did God swear? Because people do not believe Him. Therefore, God said, "I cannot find anyone greater than me, so I swear by myself; Abraham, you must patiently believe, and when the time comes, I will let you see great blessings upon you; I will let you see your descendants as numerous as the sand by the sea." And today, such things have been fulfilled.
We, brothers and sisters under grace, inherit your promises in this way; do not return to that past legalistic life. Today, we are in His grace, in Jesus Christ, believing that His promises will definitely be fulfilled in you. Then believe every day like this, patiently waiting for the results to come out.
This can be applied to any aspect of your life: economic aspects, marriage aspects, health aspects, etc. For example, if you have a problem in your body, "I command in the name of Jesus Christ that the pain in this area disappear." After praying, you must first believe that Jesus has accomplished it. Then you must patiently wait until it completely disappears.
However, some people are like this: they get sick and pray, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe I am completely healed, Amen!" Then they immediately ask God when they will be healed; in fact, this is unbelief. Unbelief leads to doubt. So when you doubt, pick up today’s sermon and listen to it again!
You must believe that God does not deceive you; what God says will definitely be accomplished. You declare every day like this, believe like this, and in due time, God will make you healthier and your finances will flourish more and more. As I conclude this sermon today, you must believe that you are the inheritors of the promises. No matter what others say, you see that the Bible records so many prophets, our spiritual predecessors; God did not deceive them, and today God will not deceive you. Because the promises you receive are better than theirs; they received promises under the law, while you receive promises in Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. We are the inheritors of Your promises; You swore to Abraham, and today let us see that it actually strengthens our faith. You want to clearly show that Your will does not change; You guarantee it by swearing. Therefore, I believe that Your word is real and will be accomplished in me. You swear because my faith is not strong enough.
Grant me Your faith, so that I may see every day in Your word that You are a faithful God. Strengthen me with such words. I know I am not under the Old Testament law; I have received better promises than those people because I am in Jesus Christ. Today, I am in Jesus Christ, and all the blessings, promises, and blessings I need have been given to me. You only hope that we simply believe in You. Accepting You, we will receive.
Lord! Also expand my boundaries within, let me see further, and let me no longer live for myself but for Jesus Christ. In everything, live for Jesus, because in this way, I can inherit greater blessings. Keep me, no matter where I go, to pass on Your blessings to those around me, Hallelujah! All glory be to You, in the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen!