Hebrews 6:9-12

Summary retelling of Hebrews 6:9-12

We are told that there are great things that belong to salvation – elsewhere in the Bible called fruit.  We are also told that God does not overlook the things that we do in the faith – especially things for the fellow faithful in Christ.  In fact, it should be each of our hope that we see these fruit displayed earnestly within each other.  We should want to be anything but sluggish followers of Christ; we should desire to be active imitators of those who are faithful to Him and patiently in Him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Fruit.  This is perhaps one of the simplest analogies used in the Bible, but it is also one of the most profound.  Jesus tells us that those who have the Holy Spirit will bear good fruit.  Jesus tells us that those who bear bad fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.  We are told that other people will be able to judge us by our fruit.  Other Christians will be able to recognize us by our fruit.  Just as fruit trees naturally bear the fruit for which they have been created to bear; so do Christians naturally bear spiritual fruit.  We bear it in different amounts of course.  But the reality is that all who are in Christ will bear fruit.

What are the fruit of your works?  How can people see the fruit of the Holy Spirit within you?

Second Thought:

God does not overlook the things that we do in this life.  Again, we need to be careful that we are not headed into works based righteousness.  We are absolutely saved by Jesus Christ.  But because of our salvation we should desire to do the work of Christ who called us.  And we can go about that work knowing that God our Father takes notice of what we do.  When we bear fruit, it pleases Him.  That is a very good thing indeed.

How often do you think about whether or not God is pleased with your efforts to serve Him?  In what ways do you please God?

Third Thought:

We are told to be imitators, not sluggards.  We are to imitate the faithful.  We are also to imitate the patient.  These characteristics go hand in hand.  Doing God’s work takes great patience.  Doing God’s work takes great faith.  The work of the Lord is seldom begun and finished in a single night.  Those who accomplish the work of the Lord do so by imitating the perspective of the Lord, willing to work slowly and surely in this life as the Lord has directed them.

Do you consider yourself faithful (or obedient) to God?  To you consider yourself patient?  Why are these qualities sometimes hard to keep?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 6:13-15