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. (Hebrews 6:1)
Hebrews 6:1 emphasizes the importance of repentance, but it’s crucial to understand what repentance truly means. The term repent in the Bible goes beyond feeling sorry for your sins, although that's part of it. Genuine repentance involves a complete change of direction. If you realize that your path is wrong, repentance isn’t just saying, "Lord, I’m sorry," while continuing down that path. No, repentance means stopping, turning around, and moving in the opposite direction—away from sin and toward God.
As with every believer, I’m sure there are things, situations, or even people in your life that you must repent of and separate yourself from. Now, this isn’t about abandoning your spouse—don’t go home and say, "The Bishop told me to leave you!" That’s not what we’re talking about. However, the Holy Spirit knows the areas where you need to make a change.
There are relationships, habits, or environments that are detrimental to your walk with God, and it’s time to turn away from them. The writer of Hebrews urged us to: leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on unto perfection. This doesn’t mean we abandon the basic teachings of the Bible, but instead that we build upon them and grow into spiritual maturity.
The foundation of repentance from dead works is crucial, but once it’s laid, we must continue to build and grow in our faith. Dead works refer to any actions or behaviors that are void of God's life and power—things we do in our own strength, relying on our own righteousness rather than God’s mercy and power. This is why you can never hear too much about faith, especially when coupled with love. The Bible tells us that faith works by love. (Galatians 5:6) Without love, our faith is ineffective. Therefore, we must continually cultivate faith and love as we strive for perfection in Christ.
Practical Application
Spiritual maturity requires us to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas where we must repent. When repenting, don’t just feel sorry—take action. Turn away from those things and move in the direction God calls you to go.
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