Dear Friends and Colleagues in Christ,

The epistle (letter) to the Hebrews contains some very serious words on the condition of having once received the faith of Jesus Christ and then departing from it. Such words are contained in Hebrews chapter 6 verses 1-8.

1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 

2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

3 And this we will do if God permits. 

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 

7 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 blessing from God; 

8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 

These are difficult words, partly because the boundaries that are spoken of are unclear to us. The critical issue is surely the words of v. 6 “If they fall away”. in his writings Saint John suggests there are different degrees of sin and its consequences. Here, “falling away” should be taken to refer to those degrees of sin that indicate an insoluble contradiction of the “heavenly gift” of the “good word of God and the powers of the age to come”, indicating a permanent about-face to what could ever be taken to be a humble acceptance that the Lord was crucified for them: - they “crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

The context in which I am asking you to consider the power of these words - thinking also of my last two letters -  is that of nations which “were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come” … but after all that have fallen away. Through the words of the biblical author of the Epistle to the Hebrews a severe warning is being given to the nations that were once - and may still be constitutionally - “Christian nations”, but are now quite blatantly denying their heritage. 

England as the most influential nation of the United Kingdom, as well as those who in the world represent England or the United Kingdom, stand centrally in the cross-hairs of the force of these words. Canada, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and the United States of America cannot but be included because all of these were, or in some degree are, historically joined into the same heritage. 

The response to the issues of controversy of our time - e.g. abortion, marriage, sexuality, and the handling of truth itself - can give a good indication of where our “nations” will stand in the final judgment.

The Collect for the week of the Sixth Sunday after Trinity is

O God, who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass man's understanding: Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This very well-loved prayer gives, as a counterpoint to our considerations of Hebrews ch 6, the great assurance of the “good things that pass man’s understanding”, which indeed are prepared for those who love God. We should note the present tense of the word “love” - our love for God manifests as an active love, lived in the present, and indeed the petition to God is “Pour into our hearts such love toward thee …”. The quality, direction and intensity of that love is shown by the description “loving thee above all things”. Furthermore we are assured that the promises of God towards those who unreservedly love Him “exceed all that we can desire”.

Let us play our own part to turn or return our own people from the folly of bearing “thorns and briars” (Hebrews 6:8) to the abundance of the promises of God!

For directions about the services this Sunday the 11th July, the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, please see the website www.TruthWithLanguage.com  .

In reliance upon the mighty power of the Triune God to keep us faithful to and in all truth, I am in your service 

Bishop Nicholas