The Danger of Stagnation

God calls His people to diligently progress in spiritual growth to full maturity—“Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1). William Newell (Hebrews Verse by Verse) describes perfection as “the process of the Holy Spirit within the believer will conform him to the image of Christ in faith, holiness, love, and knowledge….” God desires for Christians to develop their spiritual senses with the Word, discern good and evil, and become fully assured of their heavenly hope in Christ.  God will grow believers, but they must cooperate with His divine purposes. To do so will require diligent exercise of faith and a tenacious persistence, but the result is inheriting the promises of God (6:12-20).  

The writer of Hebrews has explored the most encouraging ministry of the Christian’s Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus (Heb. 4:14-16).  His service to the believer is certainly enough to promote continuous spiritual progress (5:9, 10). But there is the possibility that some believers will not advance in their faith (5:11-14), and some may even draw back from the full commitment of continuing with Christ (6:4-8). The purpose of this writing is to explore this very real possibility.  

THE CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL STAGNATION

Progression in the faith is God’s desire for each believer, but stagnation is when the Christian’s life plateaus far short of maturity. Hebrews 5:11-6:12 addresses this important issue of spiritual stagnation, sluggish Christian growth, and even apostasy.  Instead of diligently pursuing full and fruitful adulthood in Christ (6:10-12) some were slothful and lazy regarding the life of faith. As a result, these plateaued believers were grossly immature.

Hebrews 5:11-13, insightfully shows their level of juvenility. Accordingly spiritual childishness is an inability to listen to the Word and apply it to life (5:11). There is also little or no ability to instruct from the Word and share it with others (5:12a). Immaturity is also marked by an inability to appreciate any teachings beyond the foundational truths (5:12b-13).  Finally, juvenility results in an inability to use the Word of righteousness for decision making (5:13). Obviously a condition of stagnation is sheer spiritual bankruptcy.

STAGNATION CAN RESULT IN APOSTASY

What can be expected for not progressing to Christian adulthood? Hebrews 6:4-6 holds the answers to what a lazy approach to spiritual matters will produce. This passage confronted the condition of spiritual stagnation, but it remains one of the most difficult passages in the Bible to interpret. Never-the-less it shows that a person who is spiritually stagnant can expect several negative developments. Backsliding, little or no zeal for Christ, vulnerability to error, shaming the Name of Christ, feelings of insecurity, vast theological confusion, and very little spiritual fruit are just some of the plagues of spiritual irresponsibility.

Because they fail to recognize the priesthood and intercessory ministry of Jesus Christ, they likely are frustrated with Him and blame Him for some perceived inadequacy in Christianity.  They suffer from an unjustified diminishing confidence in Christ. It is no stretch of the imagination to say that some may have become frustrated with Christ and the faith life. The persecutions they endured dishearten some and a few others were embittered by the chastening of the Lord. Thus their form of stagnation was heavily seasoned with the pains of confessing Christ in a hostile climate. Of course these developments only exacerbated the problem.

The first need here is to define the problem of apostasy—“fall away” (Heb. 6:4, 6). The writer would like to address the subject of Jesus the High Priest of the order of Melchisedec (6:20). However, he is unable to do so because of the mental and spiritual dullness of these infantile believers. In addition some had fallen away and there was the possibility that others may follow. To “fall away” (v. 6) means to commit apostasy in some degree. Newell said, “The inner meaning of the word translated “fallen away” in Hebrews 6:6 is that of a secret departure from God.” He continued by adding, “it is not a falling into sin that is meant, but a falling away from God, from Christ, from salvation, a renouncing of truth.”

In the strictest sense apostasy is a rejection or repudiation of a previously held belief or confidence in the Christian Faith. Apostasy in the broader sense encompasses various degrees of departures from faith ranging from instances of ‘unbelief’ (Heb. 3:12, 13) all the way down to ‘reprobation’ (2Tim. 3:6-8). It could include a refusal to trust the Lord for a specific matter as well as full rejection of Christianity and actively trying to dismantle it. The spectrum would include both grossly backslidden and theologically confused believers who cast off their confidence in Christ. Obviously full apostasy and reprobation refers to unbelievers. Apostasy does not result in the loss of eternal life; salvation is based on faith and trust in Christ’s work (Heb. 5:9; 7:24-28; 9:12; 10:14; See also Heb. 6:13–20; see also John 5:24; 10:26–30; Rom. 8:28–39). But, defection from the Faith, apostasy, and the withdrawal of one’s Christian profession (Heb. 3:6, 14; 10:23-25, 35-39) is the issue at hand.

The assertion that such a failure is not possible for a real believer is an unbiblical dogmatic idea designed to accommodate a theological system. It is born of theological tidiness and convenience, not the truth. Walvoord and Zuck (The Bible Knowledge Commentary) observed that Paul spoke of a certain Hymenaeus and Philetus who claimed that the resurrection has already taken place, and in doing so they destroyed the faith of some genuine believers (2 Tim. 2:17-18). Paul was being a solid realist who took assaults against the faith very seriously. Some of these Jewish believers were on the verge of giving up their confidence in Christ and the NT teachings about Him. Thus the writer was constantly challenging them to commit to Christ, keep the faith, and continue to walk with Christ confidently (Heb. 3:6, 14; 4:14; 6:9; 10:35; 13:9; Jn. 8:31; Acts 13:43; 14:22).

Secondly the weight of an act of apostasy must be discerned along with the meaning of two key phrases in this warning passage. It is “impossible” for the enlightened to be renewed unto “repentance” while they are still disregarding Christ’s finished work and present ministry as High Priest (6:4, 6). Verses four through six must describe true believers. To “renew them again unto repentance” (v. 6:6) refers to a fresh commitment to Christ and the Christian Faith. This is not another salvation experience, but a full rededication of oneself to Christ. Restoration is possible if they repent, but it remains impossible as long as they doubt the value of Calvary and the intercession of Christ as High Priest.

There may have been mere professing Christians who had decided to reject Christ and Christianity fully. In any congregation of any substantial sizes there is the possibility of unsaved individuals lurking in the ranks. These may have been encouraging others to do the same; this is apostasy in its fullest sense (Heb. 3:12).  Pressing on to spiritual maturity; however, requires living by faith in Christ the great High Priest who is with the Father in Heaven, and not turning back to the ABCs of faith (6:1-3).

THE IMPACT OF APOSTASY

This is serious because such sinful actions actually denounce Christ. These people “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh” (Heb. 6:6). They are constantly putting Christ “to an open shame.”  They brought shame to the name of Christ every time they worshipped through the temple system after having made a profession of faith in Christ.  Temple worship was very visible, public, and open, therefore any participation in this worship form was openly discrediting and denouncing Christianity.

This relates ominously to modern Christians who turn to the gurus or celebrity figures for answers to help with life’s challenges, but seldom considers Christ.  Believers will look to sociologists, psychologists, Hollywood figures, talk show hosts, horoscopes, the politically elite, the government, and the hyper educated for resources and answers. The same could be said for believers who place their confidence in a church, denomination, or religious distinction while they blatantly ignore Christ. The difficulty here is these same Christians seldom look to the all sufficient Christ and a life of faith.  They shame Christ when they ignore Him while becoming enamored with human idols and by actually taking godless counsel from mere people. If they have a great High Priest making intercession for them in the very presence of God, if they have available to them grace and mercy to help in time of need, then why act as though they do not!

The Scriptures regularly warns against the possibility of apostasy as an actual and genuine danger. Logically, only real believers can apostatize, unbelievers cannot. These warnings are for genuine Christians today who are in the same danger of falling away from an open and healthy profession of Christ as Savior, Lord, and High Priest. In many respects it is not full scale apostasy that most will commit.  Instead it is a more insidious form where believers incrementally and increasingly stop professing Christ in more and more areas of their experiences. Eventually there is little or no obvious claim Christ has on their lives. Perhaps for social or professional expediency they do this. Maybe some deny Christ for reasons along the lines of political correctness. No doubt, some disassociate themselves from Christ in order to accommodate a highly secularized culture. Others are very quiet about faith in Christ because they embrace the modern social values of ‘tolerance’ and pluralism.  Others are simply ashamed of Christ and faith in Him. Some have been all but commanded to never mention their faith in Christ especially stifling any evangelistic zeal. So to avoid professional repercussions they comply. Such ‘Christians’ have been effectively neutralized by their lack of progress, confession, commitment, courage, and faith. Stagnation and apostasy are extremely serious matters in this light.

If a person is diligent and persistent about growth in Christlikeness then these qualities will advance them a great distance down the highway of fulfilling God’s will. However, if they are lazy and slow to learn then this would debilitate much of their potential. It is far better to heed the writer of Hebrews, “Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1).