“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love…” Heb 6:10 (KJV)
The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians showcasing that since Christ has come, there remains nothing in Judaism for the believer. The time of fulfillment has arrived and it would be futile to return to the old life which was inherently inferior to the new life found in the gospel. Exposition was done on the new system of acceptance in Christ which was no longer by trying to be good but receiving victory through trusting Jesus and His works.
The writer used the term “obedience” consistently from the first chapter to represent trusting in Jesus. Obedience was what the Israelites who came out of Egypt failed to observe and it hindered them from entering into the rest God promised. This was to emphasize the place of trusting God as the route to enjoying God’s rest here on earth and then concluded that only those who believe in Jesus can enter into His rest. (Heb4:3).
So, Jesus was used as an example of obedience which could mean suffering. Even though Jesus was one with God and He had the power to do and undo, He chose to believe God’s arrangement by becoming humble to death. (Heb5:8). One message being passed is that now we now have a better system which can lead to a better life- trusting in Jesus to becoming like Him. So, the writer became concerned that those who ought to have been teachers of these things are still being fed with the basics of how the faith should be lived because they did not trust enough to put the word to practice. (Heb 5:14). The direction was service; hoping a people will be ready for the work of ministry.
Now, this gives us a flow of what the message in this book is all about- ministry: representing Jesus correctly by the teaching of His word to build up others.
So, the discussion goes on to the writer using an analogy of a farmland to explain well. The analogy paints the picture of a farmer whose land enjoyed many showers leading to good crops coming up and this will obviously translate to benefiting those who want to eat from what the farmland produces. In essence, because the farmland is enriching people it will experience God’s blessing. He contrasted this with another farmer whose land keeps on having thistles and thorns; the land is considered not to be good and it’s ready for condemnation and burning off.
“For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessings from God: but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” Heb 6: 7-8
The representation above is still a continuation of what has been discussed from the first verse and preceding chapters. God’s blessing is definitely on those who produce fruits that can bring growth to the body of Christ. A believer who is rich in God’s word and by this makes other people grow in the knowledge of God is as that farmland producing herbs useful to those who cultivate on the land. On the other way round, those who have nothing to give for the body of Christ to benefit from are rejected.
Taking a closer look at that analogy, both farmlands had effort on it, which means there was a labouring on both sides, however, only one was acceptable because it was of producing fruits (love)- enriching the body of Christ through building others in the knowledge of the Christ.
So, this makes it very clear that this scripture was referring to ministry: building up the body of Christ in the word and nothing around charity (charity should be natural to a believer). They were to make disciples from what they had learnt about the new way to God which is to believe in Christ.
Immediately after the writer made the analogy of the farmland, it went into the part that has been lifted to mean charity and good deeds. It first shared that even though his writings shows as if they were a people who were not making effort to increasing the kingdom by producing others for the faith, he was sure they don’t belong to this group. This was just a way of saying, “I know you guys have been doing well, labouring for the expansion of God’s word by being available so that others can grow in the word. Hence, God is faithful enough not to forget your labour of love (ministry)”
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” Heb 6:10
Those the letter was being addressed to were believed to have been performing up to expectation; bearing the right fruit for the church to feed from. Just as the land that produces herbs that benefits the cultivators, they are blessed of God. That was the labour of love- ministry. Love here is beyond sympathy or charity events, it is making the person of Jesus known to build up the body of Christ here on earth. Labouring requires staying with the object to see results, we don’t do good deeds and wait to be blessed because of that, it is our nature to give and help. As much as charity and benevolence is perfectly good, these don’t establish a man in the faith, only the gospel (preaching and teaching of the word) does.
So, friend, what are you doing for the gospel? Is your labour of love?
Be Innovated
Olufemi Ibitoye
No comments:
Post a Comment