A foundation of repentance from dead works

Hebrews 6:1-2
Therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works,
and of faith toward God,
of the doctrine of baptisms,
and of laying on of hands,
and of resurrection of the dead,
and of eternal judgment.

When a person really repents, he has a complete turnabout in life. He turns from the world, with it's sin and corruption, unto the true and living God.

Luke 3:8a
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance

Fruit worthy of repentance is showing God a sincerity that we really want to turn from our sins.

The foundation - First, a man digs down deep into the ground. He digs past the soft topsoil unto the hard ground or stone.

Then, he forms it up, and pours in concrete. He puts a footer in that is strong enough to hold the walls. If the footer isn't solid, then rows of bricks may crack.

When you build your spiritual life, you must build it on a solid foundation of repentance from dead works. Turn from the dead works of the flesh unto God, building your life upon the sayings of Jesus Christ. Then you will be like unto a man building his house on a rock. When the trials of life come, you won't fall, or be shaken.

II Corinthians 7:9-10
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

We should have a godly sorrow in our lives. This type of sorrow works repentance unto salvation, being sorry in the presence of God for the sin in our lives, to where we realize we've sinned against Him. When a person has a godly sorrow, he repents and seeks God's forgiveness with a broken and contrite spirit, wanting to make things right with Him.

The sorrow of the world works death. A lot of people are sorry because of the mess of their lives - but that doesn't save them.

It takes godly sorrow to bring a person to the place of having repentance unto salvation. One who has been born again is someone who has turned away from sin unto God, building his life on a strong foundation.

Many make a shallow effort to get right with God. They might go forward at a meeting, but it is just a vain effort.

Two types of repentance

Luke 18:11-14
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The publican repented. He acknowledged his condition. He acknowledged that he was nothing more than a sinner, in need of God's mercy. And, as he cried out for mercy, God saved him.

But the Pharisee boasted. He was glad that he wasn't like others. There's no repentance with that kind of self-righteousness. This isn't a foundation upon which to build your life. If you build your life on a foundation of self-righteousness, one of these days a storm will come that will blow your life right down.

Faith towards God

Mark 11:22
And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God.

As we build our life on the strong foundation of repentance from dead works, we then proceed to lay the first layer of bricks: faith towards God.

John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in Me.

We must have faith in the atoning work of God - sending Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cruel cross of Calvary, that we might receive forgiveness of sins. We must have a personal faith in that atoning work. We need a trusting faith that relies upon God continually.

Now, there's another aspect of having faith towards God:

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek Him.

Without faith, no matter how hard we try, we can't please God. We can't please Him by performing some religious ceremony, or by reading a few prayers out of a book.

No, if we want to come to God we must come in faith believing, demonstrating that faith by receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour.

Faith is like a fruit in your life. It will move you to action. It moves you to a change of heart, to a change of life, to a change of mind. It will bring new life to you - all because you are moved by your faith in God.

Now, if you've got faith in God, you can't just sit down and be a bench warmer at church. You can't just sit down and claim the title of Christian, while you continue doing your own thing. Real faith brings you unto the place of obedience to God's Word.

Many who don't have this kind of faith try to talk down the Word. They say it isn't inspired, that it is only written by men, so it can be taken very lightly.

Listen, if you've got faith operating in your life you will build your life on the sayings of God's Word.

Luke 10:27
And He answering said,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind;
and thy neighbour as thyself.

Now, that's going all the way with God. But before I can love God to that extent, I must believe that He is. I can't fall in love with a myth. I know God is a living God; therefore I can have complete confidence in Him. I can have a burning faith in my heart towards Him continually.

As I read God's Word, I find that it was written for my benefit. It speaks to me. It was written to instruct me in the ways of righteousness and holiness, and to show me what God says is wrong and ungodly.

As we look at the deeds of men recorded in the Bible, we see examples of what God accepted and what He rejected. They are messages unto our heart, showing us how to live for the Lord. You can greatly strengthen your faith towards God by reading the Bible. Take the Scriptures to heart, and apply them to your life.

Baptisms

Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This same pattern is available to us today. It's not only ours to repent from dead works - it's ours also to go on unto water baptism, and to go on to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

One thing we can't separate from the apostle's ministry is water baptism. They baptized believers as soon as they could after salvation. Since the apostles put such an emphasis on water baptism, we should, too.

Many come forward to accept Christ as their Saviour - but they haven't taken the next step, as far as the principles of the doctrine of Christ are concerned. We must take these principles to heart. We just cannot deny them and expect to go on and enjoy the blessings of eternal life.

see John 3:5
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The Bible puts believing and water baptism together as principles of the faith. If you've gone to the point of accepting Christ as your Saviour, don't stop there. Go on to be baptized in water. It's to your own profit to be baptized, because Jesus has instructed you to do it - and you should be obedient to Him.

Then we go from water baptism
to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost

Many of you don't give much thought to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. You hear a lot about it, yet it doesn't move you to seek out this experience for yourself.

Maybe you're strung on the fence, hearing the pros and cons, and not knowing which way to turn. Search the New Testament to see what God says. And it won't be long before you're convinced that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is for the believer today.

Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire

John is referring to the ministry of Christ, as the One who baptized with the Holy Ghost.

And I want you to know something! This ministry of Christ has not ceased. Though He has been taken up into heaven, He still carries on an active ministry of baptizing believers with the Holy Ghost.

You must do things God's way. Build your Christian experience upon the sound principles of the doctrine of Christ.

Laying on of hands

Mark 8:23-25
And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

Here we see Jesus practicing the laying on of hands. The purpose of this principle is to have a point of contact: the anointing of the Spirit of God dwelling in us flowing forth to another.

Ananias sent to Saul

Acts 9:17
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Ananias laid his hands on Saul, and he regained his sight, and was also filled with the Holy Ghost.

We can see a definite purpose here. The laying on of hands is intended to accomplish a work and a ministry.

see Acts 19:1-3
Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Paul found that these disciples had never even heard of the Holy Ghost. Through further questioning, he learned that they had only received the water baptism of John the Baptist. They hadn't gone on to receive Christ as their Saviour. Paul led them to salvation, and then baptized them in water.

Acts 19:6
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,
the Holy Ghost came on them;
and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Here we see another example of laying on of hands. There was a definite purpose here. These believers received the Holy Ghost, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

What do you suppose would happen if you laid empty hands on empty heads? Nothing much. No virtue can flow forth unless there is an anointing within. This ministry comes as a result of the Holy Ghost filling the believer, charging him with the anointing such that the virtue flows.

Mark 16:18b
. . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Take note of the positive emphasis in this verse. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Now, that's a positive statement: if we do our part, then God will do His part. When we are filled up with the Spirit of God, and the rivers of living water are flowing from us, we can expect results. When we lay hands on a sick person, something is going to happen.

The two resurrections
unto eternal life, or
unto eternal judgment

If we don't believe in the resurrection from the dead, we don't have much faith in anything. Our basic faith in Jesus Christ is that God raised Him from the dead. We must go further in our faith than just believing that Jesus died for us. The whole crux of the Gospel is that God raised Him from the dead, and that He ascended into heaven.

John 5:24-25
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that heareth My word,
and believeth on Him that sent Me,
hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation;
but is passed from death unto life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
The hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God:
and they that hear shall live.

When we are born again, we pass from death unto life. Though we may fall asleep and be buried, one day the Lord will awaken us from that sleep. We will rise up in the resurrection, to be with the crowd of saints who rise up to meet Jesus in the air.

You see, our souls goes on to be with the Lord, while our bodies are laid to rest waiting for the resurrection.

John 11:25
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Jesus is giving full assurance that He has the power to raise the dead, power to give life unto all who believe in Him.

John 11:26
And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me
shall never die. Believest thou this?

Christian, grasp a hold of this Scripture verse. It will shake the fear of death right out of your life. Those old shackles of fear will fall right off.

Let me tell you, Jesus said that if you believe in Him you will never die. You'll fall asleep - but you won't die. My, what a difference. Sinners don't fall asleep. They die in their sins.

It's like it is in the natural. You lie down and sleep all night - but you're going to get up in the morning. You're not dead. You're just sleeping. However, you could lie down at night, and die before the morning came. You'd never get up off that bed again - because you were dead.

Realize that Jesus is talking about it in those terms. If we believe in Him, we will never die. We have already passed from death unto life. At the resurrection, we will receive a new glorified spiritual body.

We're not going to be raised from the dead. We're going to be raised from our rest in Christ, from our sleep, in a new body. It will still be the same you, the same me. But we will be in our new bodies, to live for an eternity. It's like taking your clothes off, and putting on new clothes. That doesn't change your identity. It's still the same you, with new clothes on.

Now, the Bible teaches that there are two major resurrections. The first resurrection is when the Church of Jesus Christ will be raptured. Those who are asleep in Jesus will be raised . . . and we who are alive and remain at His coming will be caught up together with them in the clouds - see I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Bible says that those who have their part in this first resurrection are blessed and holy.

It's important that we make this resurrection. Jesus gave us so many warnings about His coming as a thief in the night, warning us to watch and pray. Those who go up in this first resurrection are those who are holy.

They won't have to give an account for a sinful life. They will be judged for their works, to receive a reward - but their souls will positively be saved. They won't have to fear judgment or condemnation. This is the resurrection unto eternal life.

The Bible also teaches of another resurrection. Down at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ, there will be a second resurrection. This will bring everyone to judgment, from wicked Cain all the way down to the wicked at the end of the millennium.

Eternal judgment

Eternal judgment isn't the judgment that's here in this life. It is judgment which sinful man must face at the end of life. The sinner who dies in his sins must stand before the judgment of God. He will be tried in heaven for his sins.

John 16:11
Of judgment,
because the prince of this world is judged.

Satan has already been judged. He's going to receive the fullness of the measure of punishment at the end of the age.

Revelation 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Satan is going to be punished forever and ever. He is going to be tormented day and night forever and ever throughout eternity. He had his first estate in heaven with God. But he fell, choosing to go the evil wicked way . . . rather than to stay in the holy way wherein God had created him.

He turned against God, causing war in heaven: And he has caused havoc here on earth ever since, fighting and warring against God throughout the centuries. But in the end he is going to be punished forever for his sins.

This gives us the full scope of how great a punishment sin can bring. The devil will receive the greatest punishment, because he's the worst of sinners. But all sinners will be punished.

Revelation 20:11-15
And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This isn't the judgment of Satan or of evil spirits. No, this is the judgment of sinful mankind.

We don't fully understand all the mysteries of judgment. But one thing is very clear. Those who didn't pass the judgment were cast into the lake of fire. If we think on that factor alone, it is enough to waken everyone to the reality that they need to be saved in order to escape the judgment to come.

Now, it's better to have your sins judged in Christ - when you have Christ in your life, your sins are forgiven. You have the promise of eternal life. But without Christ, you have to face God with that terrible load of sin.

This is the message of the eternal judgment of God, which awaits those who refuse to receive Jesus. They will be punished with eternal torment for refusing God's love and mercy.

Hebrews 6:1
Therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on unto perfection.

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Read the sequel message, Going On To Perfection.