Verse 3
We will press on to maturity "if God permits." The writer again (Hebrews 6:1) acknowledged dependence on God for spiritual growth. We can continue to grow only as He enables us to do so.
"It seems that the apostle here addresses true Christians, as non-Christians cannot grow in their ability to experientially apply the word of righteousness to daily life and have their spiritual senses trained in spiritual discernment." [Note: Dillow, p. 434. His whole nineteenth chapter, pp. 433-55, deals with Hebrews 6.]
What does a stagnant, sour believer need? He or she needs to mature. How does growth toward maturity take place? It happens when, by God’s grace, the believer responds positively to further revelation beyond the basics. We see examples of the danger the writer warned his readers about all around us. Many Christians attend churches where they only hear the basics repeatedly. Their ears become dull, they stop growing, and many of them turn away from the faith. Some of these people follow cultic leaders who claim to offer deeper spiritual truth. Those who put themselves under the challenge of more advanced sound teaching and respond properly to it grow more mature.
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