one step: Hebrews 6.2

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

These verses are a part of a passage in Hebrews 6 that holds the distinct status of most-argued passage in all of the New Testament.* The reason for this debate is the lack of definitions.* The author of Hebrews uses words such as “enlightened,” “tasted,” and “shared.” While these words have meaning in the original Greek, the author’s failure to define them allow them to be taken literally or metaphorically depending upon the views that one already holds.* Furthermore, these words are used in differing ways in different part of Scripture, so leveraging the interpretive strategy of looking elsewhere in Scripture for meaning proves complicated.*

Each of us, when we read Scripture, bring our own experiences and bias to the Bible whether we realize it or not.* The heaviness of the words of the author of Hebrews makes the correct interpretation of this passage all the more important.* So what does this passage mean? Can a believer fall away from Christ and never return?

Of the many explanations of this passage, this much is certain: to reject Christ is to reject the only opportunity humanity has for salvation.* Meaning, rejecting Christ (whether “tasting” and “sharing” refer to initial, superficial experiences or full experiences or not) places the individual in a position of impossibility: It is impossible to be saved apart from Christ.*

I mentioned in one step: Hebrews 6.1 that I pursued a professional soccer career for much of my life. What I didn’t mention is that I had received a prophetic word as an eleven year-old that set me on that path. When twenty-eight year-old Benjamin stared at his unfulfilled dream, questions of the validity of faith, God, and His Word flooded his soul. I stood face-to-face with the possibility that God isn’t real or that His words are not true. It was a crossroads.

I cannot say what my path would have been or the status of my salvation had I walked away from God that day. I can say that the vague language of Hebrews 6:4-8 makes that unclear. Other passage of Scripture make it clear that I would not have lost my salvation and that I could be restored. This much is certain however: a rejection of Christ leaves no where else to go for salvation.

That day I decided that I could not allow my perception of my situation to determine truth, but I had to allow truth to determine my perception of my situation. I knew that if I could not trust God, who else could I trust? No one. If God was not there for me, what else was there? Nothing. I decided that even if I could not see the faithfulness and goodness of God in my situation, the goodness and faithfulness of God was present. I just could not see it; I needed perspective.

Since that fateful day, I have seen miracles, felt God’s presence, been further transformed and renewed into the image of Christ, and I have been granted perspective on my life that allows me to be grateful for my journey and for the words spoken to that eleven-year-old boy.

I cannot imagine a life apart from Christ. He is my salvation.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to remember that only Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Perhaps the hurt that you have about your story isn’t something to make you fall away from God, but is something worth running to Him about. Maybe today God would have you help someone close to you to deal with the realities of life through the reality of Christ.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 6:4–8). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 309–321). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 81–85). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 216–221, 223–231). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Hebrews 6.1

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.

I spent much of my life pursuing after a career as a professional athlete. I began playing soccer at the age of six years old and found myself on a winning team from the get-go. I liked falling on the ground, kicking the ball as hard as I could, wearing a uniform, and I definitely liked winning. It was during this time in the mountains of Colorado that I began to learn the fundamentals of the sport. About a decade and a half later, I found myself back in those mountains as a college athlete, competing in a tournament. Almost every week from the time I was six years old until that full-circle moment as a college athlete, I worked on the fundamentals. Years later, I again found myself in Colorado, trying out for a professional team. Guess what I spent time working on all of those years… the fundamentals.

As an athlete, I never gave up my work on passing, dribbling, shooting, controlling the ball, etc. I worked at them with the hope of mastering them. I didn’t stay there, however. Over the years I expanded my skills and knowledge into strategy, styles of play, and psychological factors. This work beyond the fundamentals also made me a good captain and coach.

The writer of Hebrews expresses frustration at the end of Hebrews 5 at the immaturity that the church to whom he writes seems to be stuck in.* He tells them that while they should be able to teach others the ways of Christ, they still dabble in the fundamentals, never building upon them.*

Beginning in chapter six, the writer of Hebrews lists these fundamentals. Scholars pair them in this way:*

1. repentance from dead works and faith in God

2. teaching about washings and laying on of hands

3. resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment.

The “repentance from dead works” and “faith toward God” describe the steps necessary to initiate faith as a Christian.* The “teaching about washings and laying on of hands” also may refer to an initiation into the faith, but may also describe the ongoing sanctification process of the Christian life.* The “resurrection from the dead and eternal judgement” refer to the role of Christ as Great High Priest as well as the future promise for the church.*

These rudimentary elements of the Christian faith, like the fundamentals of sports, are not to be left behind in the sense that they are forgotten.* The leaving that the author of Hebrews refers to involves moving beyond the fundamentals into another space that looks like maturity.*

While the author of Hebrews is passionate about his point and desires to see the church move toward maturity, he includes himself in the need for growth by using the pronouns “us” and “we.”* Understanding that we all have room to grow and mature, even as a teacher, he does not leave himself out of the admonition.* Furthermore, unlike sport, one cannot force one’s way toward maturity, but the hand of God has a pivotal role in the process as seen by the words, “if God permits.”*

We cannot change ourselves, nor can we force others to change. We can desire it and we can come into agreement with truth and we can willingly partner with God, but at the end of the day, God has to work inside of us in ways that only He can.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to accept God’s invitation to move into a place of maturity in Him. Perhaps God has been inviting you to step into that place of maturity, and today He would have you say, “yes.” Maybe today God wants you to allow Him to grow you in ways that you cannot grow yourself. Perhaps today God wants you to lay down the burden of self-transformation. Maybe today God would have you step into leading others to Him.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 6:1-3). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 304–308). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 81–82). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 204–215). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: water break

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Luke 10:19

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

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The person of Saint Patrick remains shrouded in uncertainty. Having lived and ministered in the fourth and fifth century, the remaining writings of Saint Patrick are few as are the historical documents telling us of his life. Nonetheless, what we do know paints the picture of an incredible man.

Patrick was born in the late fourth century in Roman Britain (in either present-day Scotland or Wales). At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and enslaved. After spending six years in captivity as an enslaved shepherd, Patrick had a dream telling him that a ship was ready for his escape. After traveling to the coast, boarding the ship, and crossing back to his homeland, Patrick barely made it alive. Even after reaching his homeland, Patrick almost died of starvation in his travels back home.

It was during this time of captivity that Patrick came to know the Lord. Though he was raised in a home that believed in Christ, he himself did not put much thought into it until his forced time in Ireland. After becoming a priest, Patrick had a vision calling him back to his place of captivity. Armed with the knowledge of the Lord and a unique knowledge of the people and culture of Ireland, Patrick returned as a missionary.

How could he do such a thing? How could he return to this place of pain and enslavement? What if he were to become a slave again? What if he were to lose his life? Perhaps Patrick moved forward to his calling because he was bringing with him a new-found freedom that man could not take away.

Though a risky and dangerous endeavor, Patrick was the most successful missionary to Ireland to date, acknowledged as the missionary responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Legend has it that Patrick was responsible for driving out the snakes from Ireland. While it’s true that there are no snakes in Ireland, Patrick cannot take the credit for driving them out as there never were snakes in Ireland (due to the climate and distance from other lands).

When I reflect upon Patrick, I am amazed that God would call him back to the place of his captivity. When we think of those who oppress us, we don’t often think of their enslavement. When someone is holding us captive, we do not often think about the freedom that they need in their lives. When we think of the dark places that we escaped in our own stories, we don’t often hear the word of the Lord calling us to bring light to those spaces… but maybe God does more than we think.

When I reflect upon Patrick, I wonder how much he learned about sheep as a shepherd while enslaved. As Jesus calls us all who believe “sheep,” and the lost as “sheep without a shepherd,” how much would those words have resounded in Patrick’s soul when he reflected on those in Ireland that did not know God (Matthew 9:36-38)?

When I reflect upon Patrick, I wonder if the snakes that he forced out of Ireland were spiritual serpents?

What if God is calling us to go back? What if the place of pain needs to become the place of ministry? What if God is calling us back to the place that oppressed us so that we can set captives free? What if the darkness that once enslaved us requires not something physical, but something spiritual to be done? God gave you the power to trample serpents, after all.

What if the place of pain and suffering and enslavement can be a place that God uses to bring us from a place of apathy to a place closer to him?

These things that Patrick did could only be done by the call and the inspiration of Christ.

A lot about the life of Patrick is uncertain. This much was certain: his reliance upon Christ.

From the prayer of Saint Patrick we read,

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

May you be in Christ as Christ is in you.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to see the vision He has for you and to respond. Perhaps God is calling you to go to the place of your captivity and set others free. Maybe there are some spiritual serpents that God wants you to drive out of the land. Perhaps there is a freedom that God wants to give to you that man cannot take away. Maybe God wants to draw you closer despite the difficult place you are in. Perhaps today God wants you to make Saint Patrick’s prayer your own.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick
https://hallow.com/blog/st-patricks-day-prayers-irish-blessings/
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-patrick-of-ireland-180
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/03/17/st--patrick--bishop--disciple-of-ireland-.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/patrick_1.shtml#:~:text=Enslaved%20by%20pirates&text=He%20was%20put%20to%20work,much%20of%20his%20time%20praying.

one step: Hebrews 5.1

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

As a part of the author of Hebrew’s attempt to communicate the ability of Christ to sympathize with us, he refers back to a powerful time of the ministry of Jesus: His pleas in the Garden of Gethsemane.*

If you recall, Jesus came to the Garden of Gethsemane right before being taken to the cross. During this time, Jesus leaned on his disciples for help (something He had never done before) as His soul was in anguish.* Crying out to God under the weight of the prospect of the shame, guilt, and despair that sin brings, Christ began His suffering for us.* Through pleas for another way and sweat like drops of blood, Jesus asked His Father for another way.*

It was this suffering obedience that allowed Christ to experience the fullness of the cost of obedience.* It was this suffering obedience that allowed Christ to complete (or make perfect) His work here on earth.* It was this suffering obedience in the Garden of Gethsemane that ushered in the opportunity for the suffering of the cross that frees us all from the penalty of sin.

It’s profound that in attempting to communicate the ability of Christ to sympathize with us, the author of Hebrews recalls a moment of obedience to God that involves forgiveness.

How many of us have suffered the consequences of the sin of someone else and found ourselves struggling with forgiveness? How many of us have refused to extend our forgiveness because of the intensity of the pain? How many of us have held onto our bitterness and hurt by withholding our forgiveness so as to protect ourselves from future hurt? Jesus understands.

Christ understands how hard it is to want to escape the hurt that the sins of others brings. Christ understands the difficult submission required to forgive. Christ understands the suffering involved in processing the pain of forgiveness.

Christ also understands the powerful victory, freedom, and release of resurrection.

Though Christ Jesus asked His Father for another way, ultimately Jesus submitted: “not my will, but Your will be done.” The will of the Father was not for Christ to suffer for suffering’s sake; the will of the Father was not so that Jesus would endure the consequences of others’ sin for the experience of pain. God the Father willed that Jesus deal with the consequences of our sin so that He could resurrect and we all could experience freedom.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply. Perhaps you have been attempting to avoid the consequences of someone else’s sin, but you have been unsuccessful. Maybe today God wants you to release them to Him so that the part of you that has been dead can be resurrected. Perhaps today God wants you to know that He understands how badly you hurt and He cares.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 5:14-16). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 271–274). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 73). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 176–180). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Hebrews 4.5

…Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Many times, I can’t even bring myself to approach peers with confidence. I walk up with an anxiety or fear in my chest that threatens to cause me to shrink back. I’ve learned to press through this feeling, and I’ve gotten some measure of healing from the root of it, but I’m still in process. I do pretty well at social gatherings these days, but I often have to take a deep breath before striking up a conversation, especially if that conversation is with someone that I have never talked with before. The difficulty of approaching others increases when there’s some measure of conflict involved. Maybe you can relate? Yikes!

The invitation to approach the throne of grace with confidence is easier said than done. The motivation is clear: we will find mercy and grace. The reality, however, is difficult.

For the original Jewish readers of this text, it was understood that approaching the throne of grace paralleled approaching the mercy seat in the tabernacle.* This mercy seat was in the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest could go once per year.* Sure, in this yearly moment, sprinkled blood bought the forgiveness of sins for the people once per year, but it was a dangerous ordeal going into the presence of our powerful, holy God (e.g. see, Lev 10 and 21).* Common people like you and I would never be permitted to come into God’s presence.*

Furthermore, making things even more difficult, conflict is involved. How many times do we need to come to God because we messed up or are weak or need help? During the time of the tabernacle, the High Priest came into the presence of God once a year because the people of God had conflict with God: sin.

Jesus changed everything.

Because Jesus serves as our eternal Great High Priest, we now have access to the presence of God.* Not only do we have access, but we can approach with the confidence that we will receive mercy and grace when we come (rather than death or banishment). Furthermore, we have the gift of confidence that the help that we need will come at just the right time.*

How many times have we needed something from a friend or colleague in a situation and it comes too late? Growing up I heard this saying: “an hour late and a dollar short.” The idea was that the help that was needed wasn’t enough, and it came too late. This is never the case with our God.

When we are in need of anything, when we need someone who understands, when we need forgiveness, when we need someone to move on our behalf, we can go to God at our time of need, receive mercy and grace, and receive the help that we need at just the right time.

What are mercy and grace? Ray Stedman suggests that mercy is the cancellation of deserved judgment while grace is the supply of undeserved blessing.* Sigurd Gindheim says that “grace” broadly denotes the favor of God while “mercy” refers to the goodwill of God toward those in a difficult situation such as sin, oppression, etc.* Stedman explains,

Both [mercy and grace] are needed by sinful believers such as we all are, and both are available to us when we come with confidence.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to remember that we can come to Him with confidence. Perhaps God wants you to come to Him today. Maybe God wants you to receive mercy and grace. Perhaps today God wants you to remember that the help that He offers is always enough and never late.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 4:14-16). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 271–274). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 73). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 176–180). Zondervan Publishing House.