Carol J German

Jesus is the living water that flows within you. In John 7:38, Jesus says, “Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.'” God is meant to flow through you, to be active and moving at all times. In your flesh, it’s easy to allow your faith to become stagnant.

You saw in the last four verses of Hebrews 5 from the last Bible study blog how this happens to all believers at one point or another. It’s easy to walk away from God. When you do, you become like stagnant water. Today, you will study Hebrews 6. May God awaken you to any pools of stagnant water sitting idly within your heart. Go ahead and reread the last four verses of Hebrews 5 and Hebrews 6.

Signs of stagnant water that may be lurking within you are: 1. You are slow to learn spiritual truths. You can’t seem to get past confessing and repenting of your sins. You avoid it. 2. Biblical truths are dull and boring. 3. You don’t listen when God is speaking to you. You run from any sign of conviction. 4. You lack discernment, and you are easily distracted. 5. You need be spoon-fed, or given a bottle of milk, like an infant, for you can’t understand deep, spiritual truths.

The author of Hebrews continues on with verse 1 by saying that it’s time to move on from the basic teachings about Christ. God wants you to become mature in your understanding of the Good News. What are two basic fundamentals that seem to keep a believer from going deeper, see verse 1?

Repentance from sin and having faith in God are like foundation stones in your spiritual walk. Without them, you will be filled with stagnant water that becomes foul smelling to God. Your faith cannot advance or develop without these two basics. What else can stagnate your walk with God, see verse 2?

Verse 3 says, “God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.” Are you ready to deepen your faith? Do you desire to know Christ more intimately, or hear more readily from the Holy Spirit?

Hopefully verses 4-6 will awaken you into allowing God to move things around in your heart so Jesus can flow freely. He desires you to give Him your whole self. God gave you Jesus so you can have eternal life. What is the author saying in these verses?

Yes, it is possible for someone to follow Jesus and then fall away. Why do you think in John 15, God prunes His vines? Those who do not produce spiritual fruit will be cut off, severed apart from His Kingdom. Why does Peter say in 1 Peter 4:18, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

Everyday, you and I are one choice away, one decision away from rejecting God. Your flesh is prone to wandering away from the truth. God knew this when Adam and Eve ate the apple from Satan. Yet, He never left man, even though every generation since then deserves to be tossed aside. So, He made a way for you to come back to God. The only way is through Jesus Christ.

How is the farming example in verses 7-8 an illustration of verses 4-6? God gives His blessing to an open heart who seeks Christ. That believer is allowing God’s truths to soak into his heart where he can be used for Kingdom living. He bears good crops. Check out Galatians 5:16-26 to learn about bearing good crops.

The author moves on in verses 9-12 with some encouragement. He is believing that you aren’t an infant in your faith. God has better things for you because of your salvation. What are traits of a mature believer, see verses 10-11? Take notice of what is said in verse 10, “how hard you have worked for God.” Do you wake up each morning with this attitude? Does your activities in your day build up God’s Kingdom or your own kingdom? Is your heart and mind aligned with God and His Word?

If you live by these traits, you will not become stagnant in your faith. Are you spiritually dull and indifferent, see verse 12? Here is a litmus test: When you go to church and hear a sermon, do you leave changed? When you read the Bible, does it change your thinking and how you live your life?

Who do you know, either in the Bible or in your life, that you could follow the example of? What are two traits of someone who will inherit God’s promises, see verse 12?

Rivers of living water flowing through a believer will show deep faith and have the endurance to walk by faith daily. Those with stagnant water within them keep forgetting, or they don’t bother. They don’t have time to invest in Christ.

In the final verses from chapter 6, you learn that God’s promises bring hope. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. You can read about Abraham in the book of Genesis, and learn how God is worth waiting for. While God gave Abraham His promise, Abraham had to wait patiently, see verse 15. Eventually, God delivered above and beyond what Abraham was hoping for.

Are you in a time of waiting on God? If it is His will, you will see it happen. I am in a waiting time. While hard, I know God has a purpose for it. I am called to trust Him.

God gives promises. What else does He give according to verses 16-18? What is so amazing about God giving you His promise and His oath, see verse 18?

Because God cannot lie, you can go to Him for refuge! You can have great confidence in the hope that lies before you. What kind of hope do you have, see verse 19? Where does it lead you?

The hope of Christ leads you into the very presence of God. He is the source of the living water running through your veins. What do you learn from verse 20 that makes this possible?

You have Christ, via the Holy Spirit, dwelling within your heart if you have said yes to following Christ. Allow God to drain out any stagnant water that is keeping you from going deep with your Savior and Lord. He wants to use you for His glory. The world will thank you.