Moving on with God Part 1/2.
- cgreenps1
- 19 hours ago
- 5 min read
Hebrews 6:1-3 From Foundations to Maturity
6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
Hebrews 6:1–3 is a particularly rich passage for a sermon on spiritual maturity, because the writer is not primarily telling Christians to learn more information; he is urging them to move forward in their relationship with Christ.
The key phrase is:
“Let us go on to perfection [maturity].” — Hebrews 6:1 NKJV
We will build our sermon around the idea:
“Moving On: From Foundations to Maturity”.
1. The danger of staying at the foundation
Hebrews 6:1 begins:
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection…”
The writer is not saying that foundations are unimportant. Quite the opposite.
A building without a foundation will collapse.
But imagine constructing a house and spending twenty years continually inspecting and discussing the foundations without ever building the walls.
That is the danger of a Christian who is always learning the basics but never progressing into maturity.
There is a difference between:
knowing about Christ and knowing Christ.
beginning the Christian life and growing in Christ.
being spiritually fed and learning to feed others.
receiving ministry and becoming someone who ministers.
asking God continually, “What will You do for me?” and beginning to ask, “Lord, what can You do through me?”
“God does not intend us merely to have a Christian beginning; He intends us to have a Christian maturity.”
2. What does “maturity” actually mean?
This is important because people can misunderstand Hebrews 6.
The word translated “perfection” in the NKJV comes from the Greek teleiotēs, carrying the idea of completeness, maturity, or reaching the intended goal.
It does not mean becoming sinless or perfect in the sense of never making mistakes.
A mature Christian is someone who is increasingly:
grounded in God's Word.
obedient to Christ.
sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
able to distinguish right from wrong.
able to endure difficulties.
able to love sacrificially.
able to serve others.
able to reproduce spiritual life in others.
Hebrews later gives us a wonderful definition:
“Solid food belongs to those who are of full age…”— Hebrews 5:14 NKJV
And then:
“…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
That gives us an excellent connection between Hebrews 5 and 6.
Maturity is not simply knowing more. It is knowing what to do with what you know.
3. The six foundations listed in Hebrews 6:1–2
The writer gives six foundational teachings:
Repentance from dead works
Faith toward God
The doctrine of baptisms
Laying on of hands
Resurrection of the dead
Eternal judgment
The foundations are essential—but they are foundations, not the destination.
We can illustrate this idea by thinking of a house.
We need: Foundation → Structure → Rooms → Life within the house.
Likewise: Conversion → Discipleship → Character → Service → Spiritual reproduction
The tragedy is when a Christian spends their whole life continually returning to the foundation.
4. Repentance must become a lifestyle
The first foundation is:
“repentance from dead works”
Repentance is not merely something we did when we first came to Christ.
A mature Christian develops a repentant heart.
There is a difference between:
Immaturity: “I've been forgiven.” Maturity :“Lord, show me what needs to change in me.”
A mature believer becomes increasingly sensitive to things that grieve the Holy Spirit.
Repentance moves from being a one-time crisis to becoming a way of life (see 1 John 1:9).
5. Faith must develop into trust
The second foundation is:
“faith toward God”
A new Christian may believe God for salvation.
But maturity means learning to trust God with:
unanswered prayer.
disappointment.
suffering.
finances.
relationships.
uncertainty.
the future.
There is a progression:
“I believe God can.”
→ “I believe God will.”
→ “I trust God even when He doesn't.”
That last step represents significant spiritual maturity.
Think of Job: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”— Job 13:15 NKJV
Mature faith does not necessarily mean having all the answers.
It means knowing God well enough to trust Him when you do not have the answers.
6. From receiving ministry to becoming a minister
A baby is entirely concerned with receiving.
Someone feeds the baby.
Someone changes the baby.
Someone carries the baby.
Someone protects the baby.
But eventually the child grows up.
And spiritually, something similar should happen.
A new Christian naturally asks:
“What can God do for me?”
But maturity increasingly asks:
“What does God want to do through me?”
That is a profound transition.
Spiritual infancy:
“Feed me.”
Spiritual maturity:
“Let me help feed someone else.”
Spiritual infancy:
“Pray for me.”
Spiritual maturity:
“Let me pray for you.”
Spiritual infancy:
“I need encouragement.”
Spiritual maturity:
“Who can I encourage?”
Spiritual infancy:
“I need someone to minister to me.”
Spiritual maturity:
“Lord, make me available to minister to others.”
7. Maturity involves moving from knowledge to obedience
This is our central message.
You can know the Bible extremely well and remain spiritually immature.
James says: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only…”— James 1:22 NKJV
So maturity is not measured simply by: How much Scripture do I know?
but by: How much of what I know am I actually living?
You could say:
“Biblical knowledge is accumulated information; spiritual maturity is transformed character.”
8. Maturity requires leaving some things behind
Hebrews 6:1 says:
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ…”
There are things God wants us/you to leave behind.
Not to abandon Christ. Not abandon the foundations.
But stop continually living at the level of spiritual infancy.
Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 13:11:
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
The question for the reader could be:
“What is God asking you to leave behind so that you can move forward?”
It might be:
fear.
unforgiveness.
dependence upon others.
spiritual passivity.
constant complaining.
old habits.
a need for continual reassurance.
living by feelings rather than faith.
being a spectator rather than a servant.
Modern idols – TV , Celebrity, Sports teams and individuals, etc.
An idol is anything that gets first place ahead of God.
Amen
Personal Prayer
In Part 2 We consider in section 9. Maturity requires movement and in Section 10 . God Himself is involved in our maturity and also quotations from C S Lewis and A W Tozer.
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