Introduction

The content of Hebrews chapter 6 is remarkably good. The theme of this chapter is striving to reach full maturity. The author conveys the idea that Christians should strive to reach perfection, a concept that permeates the entire book of Hebrews. If Hebrews were to have another title, it would undoubtedly be Striving Onward. Chapter 5 of Hebrews speaks of learning to grow and mature, while this chapter discusses striving to enter into completeness.

Learning to grow and mature is not enough; the author urges people to advance to perfection. If the author were alive in our time, he would certainly reiterate the message of Hebrews. Today's Christians are even more suited to read Hebrews, as they are unwilling to study and prefer to make assumptions based on whims. They are unwilling to strive for perfection and prefer to be lousy Christians.

You and I must know for sure that we hold a treasure in our hands. If we possess a treasure but do not strive towards completeness, it is truly a pity. A lousy engineer can accomplish little, and the houses they build may collapse. The lives of lousy Christians will crumble. A lousy doctor might become a victim of strained doctor-patient relations, and a lousy lawyer will suffer a crushing defeat in court. A lousy life is a miserable one and lousy Christians are no exception.

I encourage you to thoroughly understand everything you do. If you are a Christian, be a resolute one, striving to reach perfection. I once again call heaven and earth to witness to you: be a resolute Christian and strive to reach perfection. If you say in your heart, Yes, that is what I should do! your life will be truly wonderful! Since we only live once, why not live a splendid life? How wonderful it is to live a brilliant life!

What a treasure God has given us! This salvation is the incarnation of Jesus Christ coming into the world, shedding His blood and sacrificing Himself for us, being nailed to the cross. The salvation of Jesus Christ is so great that it can move mountains and transform any situation. Our God wants to walk with us on earth. Our Lord Jesus Christ has opened up a path to heaven for us, a path that allows us to be like Him.

I yearn to be like Jesus. With a touch from Jesus, the sick are immediately healed. Jesus instructed Peter to catch a fish in the water, and there was a coin in its mouth to pay taxes. Jesus used five loaves of bread and two fish to feed more than five thousand people. Having this treasure, what more do we need? If one's life can be like Jesus, that is truly wonderful!

In the evening, I received a call from a brother. Over the phone, I could hear his daughter crying loudly. I could hardly understand what the brother was saying, but he knew that I could solve his problem. Can a child be disciplined over the phone? This child was overly indulged by her grandparents, and she was crying terribly. I told the brother what to do and had him pass the phone to the child.

I asked her, Do you know who I am? She responded hesitantly, No. I told her, I am your parents' pastor, and then I admonished her a few times, followed by prayer, and she was soothed. I am adept at resolving children's issues, even over the phone across thousands of miles. However, the child's parents, despite being present, could not manage. This child, who did not know me, could have her crying problem solved through a phone call. The treasure that God has given us is truly wonderful.

I have put in great effort in my pursuit of perfection, but have I reached it? No. There are still many wonderful things waiting for me on the road ahead. I say to God, God, you are so good! My soul thirsts for you, my soul longs for you! I will strive onward! The treasure you have given me is of such value, to believe in the Lord in this life is a treasure! Without God, I do not know how I would live my days. I am deeply moved. God has given us great salvation, allowing us to rely on Him throughout our lives and live out His image. Why do many people have different abilities in handling and resolving problems? Because they are at different levels of entering into completeness.

Striving for completeness is intellectual, it is what we understand in our minds. If we do not intellectually understand the truth, we are in a state of ignorance. Hosea 4:6 says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Do not be ignorant Christians. Although our faith is fundamental, it does not mean we can be ignorant.

With faith as the foundation, we must continuously build upon it. No one lays a foundation only to sleep on it without building anything on top. After laying the foundation and building the house, we must also decorate the roughcast house before we can live in it. Do not remain at the elementary teachings about Christ; the elementary stage is not God's will. Striving to reach full maturity is God's will.

Where did I obtain this? Once, God revealed to me to read Rick Joyner's The Final Quest. The Final Quest begins by describing the entire army of hell advancing, and the battle between the church and the army of hell is a one-sided defeat. The situation described was the same as when I first established the church. I saw that the answer to victory in the book was called the path of ascent, and then I began the path of ascent, continuously advancing and recognizing God's truth. Recognizing means being very clear in our minds. Being a Christian cannot rely on conjecture. The things derived from conjecture are not effective. We must completely know God in our minds.

Today, we must have a very clear understanding of the issue of poverty. Christians must know that laziness inevitably leads to poverty. If you withhold from God in the matter of tithes, you will surely live under a curse of poverty. Today, we must know that brotherly unity is a precious spiritual quality. When we reach the stage of brotherly unity, the arrows of the devil cannot reach us. We must be fully aware of God in our minds and live for the Lord. Obeying God is an intellectual recognition, it is a recognition, choice, and decision in our minds, which means it is not blind.

Knowing God is endless. We must strive to reach complete maturity every day. Striving to reach complete maturity will make your life very wonderful, continuously climbing the mountain of Jehovah. This is the vision that Rick Joyner described in his book. There is also such a record in Isaiah chapter 2:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)

Do not think that is a real mountain, that is a spiritual peak. Know that our God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Why must we use truth? Because we truly know. To know is to know, to not know is to not know. Do not assume. We must leave the elementary teachings about Christ and strive to reach complete maturity.

Leaving the Elementary Teachings about Christ

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. (Hebrews 6:1-3)

In the past, I always thought repentance from acts that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment were high-level teachings. In the Bible, these are low-level teachings. These are merely the elementary teachings about Christ. Therefore, the author tells us to leave the elementary teachings, do not remain in repentance from acts that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. These are just foundational things, not completeness. We should strive to reach complete maturity. This is what the author wants to tell us.

We can do these foundational things, but that is not enough. We not only need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but also strive to reach complete maturity. Having various cleansing rites, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, etc., cannot be called completeness. What is completeness? It is being like Jesus.

I really long to be more and more like Jesus. It is beginning to be a little like that now. I think the days will surely come when a disease will be healed with just a touch. That would be so good. Therefore, brothers and sisters, today you must know that just having these things is not enough. If you often hear about faith in God, various cleansing rites, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, etc., is still not enough. These are merely the beginning.

Experiencing God is Nothing

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

What does the author mean? It means that experiencing these things is merely like being an infant. Experiencing God is merely the elementary teachings about Christ, experiencing God is nothing. Actually, we can clearly see from the Bible that testimonies are given by those who serve, not by those who are healed.

Who does not experience God when they first begin to know God? Which spiritual infant is not fed by God? Who among those who came out of Egypt in the wilderness were not provided for? The answers are all affirmative, but experiencing God is nothing. As Christians, only those who can wield a sword, those who can fight spiritual battles, count. Therefore, you must strive to grow and mature and enter into completeness.

Many Christians like to write about what they saw in heaven or hell, and some brothers and sisters think such testimonies are good. In reality, these are nothing. What if you were to go to heaven or hell and take a look? What then? The author of Hebrews says, what will happen if people abandon the teaching? They cannot be brought back to repentance. Isn’t this the state of many people? They like to say that they heard God's voice, that God told them this and that, and they say that they have received the Holy Spirit. In fact, experiencing these things is really nothing remarkable.

Some time ago, I received an elderly sister who immediately wanted to tell me her testimony. I listened to her testimony, which were all testimonies of grace to her family. For example, after she prayed, her daughter, who was a middle school teacher, won an award. In fact, these testimonies are nothing, just God's grace.

Do not think that you are remarkable just because you have received some grace, because there are many people among us who have received grace. You come among us to be healed, not because of what you have done or what you are like, but because our church triumphs in the spiritual world. Therefore, it is normal for you to experience God when you come among us.

As people who trust in God, do you truly believe in Jesus Christ? The answer is affirmative. Then I would like to ask you another question, are you like Jesus? If you are not like Him, then you are far from it. Including myself, I am still far from it. I still have to strive onward. Therefore, the key is that we must all strive to reach complete maturity. Having experienced the grace of God, you still need to strive to enter into completeness. Why? Because if you have experienced God but do not strive to reach completeness, you will still remain at a very low level and you will abandon the teaching.

Abandon what kind of teaching? Abandon the teaching that is higher than you. People usually do not know the teaching that is higher than their own knowledge. Because if we know what we do not know, we will strive onward. But if we clearly do not know and still think we know, we will make assumptions based on whims, which is called abandoning the teaching.

I have met some Christians who often say, I agree with this, I don't agree with that. Actually, I want to say to them, you really have no qualification to agree or disagree, because there are really many things you do not know. If you stand in a very low place, then what you see may not be true. This is a big reason why you make judgments of agreement or disagreement with things.

If you do not strive to reach complete maturity, you will abandon the teaching. What will the final result be?

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. (Hebrews 6:7-8)

From this passage, we know that God wants us to strive onward, continuously grow, and hope that we will be more and more like Him. Our God waters and fertilizes, hoping that we will grow by being nourished. If you remain at one stage and do not grow, what you will eventually grow will be thorns and thistles.

Of course, if God gives you less, He will ask less of you; if He gives you more, He will ask more of you. These are all within your ability. But whether you are seventy or eighty years old, or twenty or thirty years old, you need to be someone who strives onward, someone who strives to reach complete maturity. Why? Because that is what will make your life wonderful.

Our God hopes that we will live well, live wonderfully, and live prosperously. Our God does not want us to be Christians with a lousy mentality. What is a lousy mentality? It is doing everything with just a perfunctory attitude. Without exception, the brothers and sisters among us must thoroughly deal with their lousy mentality. If you do not deal with your lousy mentality, even if we do not deal with you, God will deal with you. Do not say something like, Anyway, I am already saved. Because who can judge whether you are saved or not? If you look closely at this verse:

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. (Hebrews 6:9)

It was not an easy thing for these people to believe in the Lord. They believed in the Lord in extreme persecution during great tribulation, but the author of Hebrews still only said that they had to do with salvation. Therefore, we brothers and sisters really should not be arrogant. If you do not strive onward, if you have a lousy mentality in you, if you neglect such a great salvation and drift away, what kind of fruit will you eventually bear? How can you escape?

If you are cursed because you do not strive onward and grow these thistles, then you really have to take responsibility for it. If you want to be a Christian just to get by, then you have come to the wrong place. In the kingdom of God, everything is a treasure, there is no getting by. In our church, it is difficult for you to get by, because our faith in Jesus Christ is a faith of striving onward.

Emulate Those Who Inherit the Promises

Experiencing God is not enough; what then should we do? We must emulate those who inherit the promises.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:11-12)

Understand that today, to inherit a promise is to realize it. Our promises are faithful in Jesus Christ, no matter how many there are. God's promises are tremendous! If you are in medicine, your drugs cannot compare to Jesus. If you are in creative fields, your creativity cannot compare to Jesus. If you are in engineering, your projects cannot compare to Jesus. Jesus is the greatest treasure in our lives, meaning He gives us so many promises.

In our work of healing and deliverance, a crucial point is that we must persevere one minute longer than the devil. Deep within our hearts, we must clearly know that God will surely rise to do the work of healing, that God will surely hear our prayers, and we must persist until God’s promises are fulfilled. Do not be lazy or slack; be diligent until the promise is realized.

We must constantly draw upon God’s promises. Thus, in Hebrews chapter six, when mentioning God's promise to Abraham, it says:

When God made his promise to Abraham, because there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. (Hebrews 6:13-15)

Among those who emulate and inherit these promises, Abraham is the most outstanding, pioneering the path of inheriting promises. Abraham was neither lazy nor slack. He was diligent, exceedingly so, diligent until God's promise was fulfilled. Through enduring patience, he obtained all of God's promises.

People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said. In the same way, God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised. Our God has sworn an oath, swearing by His own name, for our God is faithful. Do you have an enduring and patient heart? Do you have a full hope? And do you keep hoping for the fulfillment of God's promise? Even after experiencing wave upon wave of trials, at the age of one hundred, Sarah bore him his only son, Isaac.

Many years passed, more than twenty years of waiting, and then the promise God spoke of came to pass, after which he was told to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. When God told Abraham, Take your son Isaac and offer him to me, he took his son Isaac, had him carry a bundle of firewood, and father and son walked for three days to Mount Moriah, which is today's Temple Mount. Then Isaac asked, Father, the firewood is here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? The old man almost burst into tears, saying, My foolish child, you are the lamb! Isaac understood that he was the sacrifice!

Although Isaac was Abraham's most beloved, Abraham was remarkable; he could genuinely offer his beloved Isaac. He did exactly as God said. He offered Isaac, and Abraham and Isaac together entered into completeness, both offering their most beloved. Isaac offered himself, and Abraham offered his only son, entering into completeness without regret.

Abraham endured a lifetime of trials, and at this point, having entered into completeness, he inherited the promise. Why? Because he held nothing back from God.

I will surely bless you and give you many descendants. (Hebrews 6:14)

When did God say this? He said it when Abraham offered Isaac. This is a complete dedication. If Abraham had offered himself, God would have said it was nothing; offering your most beloved son is what brings you into completeness. Isaac offered himself and was never again tested by God. Abraham was tested by God throughout his life, and only after this event did God cease testing him; he had entered into completeness.

We should emulate our God, emulate the Lord Jesus Christ, emulate Abraham, and offer what we love most to God. If you ask me what is the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament, the New Testament demands more. The Old Testament offers a tenth, offers cattle and sheep; the New Testament is about offering ourselves. We must emulate Abraham, offer our most beloved son, and enter into completeness. This is striving to enter into completeness. Then God revealed that there are two things people need most:

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. (Hebrews 6:18)

I Will Surely Bless You

What are these two things? First, I will surely bless you. Do you know that many of our brothers and sisters have been healed of this disease and that disease? That is merely a beginning, a small blessing. What is God talking about? I will surely bless you. Do you want a small blessing or a great blessing?

I want a great blessing; I want to strive to enter into completeness. I do not want a small blessing, and brothers and sisters should not remain in the mindset of wanting only small blessings. A small blessing is that you pray and find a good job, you pray and your finances are turned around, you pray and are healed. Then what do you do next? Will you continue to be a loser Christian? If you continue to be a loser Christian, you will receive only a small blessing; being without a curse is already something to thank God for.

Does everyone among us Christians, or those listening to my sharing on Hebrews chapter six online, yearn to receive this great blessing? What is a great blessing? It is to become a blessing to all nations. We must desire to be a blessing to others; what a great blessing that is! Our lives originally have little meaning, but if we can receive a great blessing, then living becomes meaningful! To be above all the nations of the world, to become like God, restoring the glorious image we originally had in us, this is God's revelation, which has never changed.

Do we obtain great blessings and enter into completeness like Abraham did? If you say that sweeping the floor in heaven is enough for me, and that a small blessing is okay, there is no sweeping in heaven. This is not the author of Hebrews' intention. God's intention is not for you to be a loser Christian. God's intention is that each of us, today, once we choose God as our God, we must strive to enter into completeness, leaving behind the elementary teachings about Christ.

The thief on the cross had no opportunity to enter into completeness, so he received the next best. But today, while we are still alive, before we leave this world, don't wait until we leave the world to remember how important this is. Make a decision today, emulate Jesus Christ, emulate Abraham, and live brilliantly. I will surely bless you, receiving the great blessing God bestows, striving to enter into completeness.

I Will Surely Give You Many Descendants

Second, I will surely give you many descendants, which is the will of prosperity and flourishing. Abraham's descendants are as numerous as the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky, and those who emulate Abraham are also like the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky. Today, in every place in this world where the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, everyone knows Abraham. Abraham has pioneered for us a path of faith that strives to enter into completeness. This is what God has revealed, and these two things are unchangeable.

We must carry this hope until we see God. Because we have this hope, the meaning of our lives is realized, our souls have an anchor, firm and secure, so that we will not drift with the current, and will not live in confusion. Because the hope set before us is that we will enter the Most Holy Place.

We Enter the Most Holy Place

When we strive to enter into completeness, we will enter the Most Holy Place, we will become completely like God, and we will restore God's glorious image. Our Lord Jesus has already done this as our vanguard, and according to the order of Melchizedek, He has become an eternal High Priest, representing us in entering the Most Holy Place. Therefore, we carry the same hope and do what Jesus did.

Do not think as some do: Who is Jesus? How can we be like Jesus? Today, we must make a choice: to do what Jesus did, to be like Jesus. Jesus was able to enter the Most Holy Place through the curtain, and we can also, like Jesus, strive to pursue, restore God's glorious image, and enter within the veil. This is the word that the Bible gives us: that the hope set before us leads us into the Most Holy Place, which is called completeness

Knowing God is such a wonderful life. Do not take our lifelong task of knowing God lightly. How will you escape if you ignore such a great salvation? A person's years in this world are but a few decades, and the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, which quickly pass. Today, let us choose to strive to pursue, to enter into completeness. Make a decision to be like Jesus, and this empty life will certainly live out wonders, live out the brilliance of Jesus. Do not be like others who complete their lives in emptiness! Amen! May God bless you all!