Living a Christian Life Study 3: The Six Foundation Stones of the Christian Faith

The writer of Hebrews lists the six basic experiences we mus have with Christ before we are allowed to mature. We are not given a "building permit" to erect the edifice until the Holy Spirit, god's building inspector, finds our foundation ready. These six transforming encounters with the risen Christ are:

1. Repentance from dead works
2. Faith toward God
3. The doctrine of baptisms
4. Laying on of hands
5. Resurrection of the dead
6. Eternal Judgement

Hebrew 6:1-3 : 

¹Therefore 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,
 ²Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
 ³And this will we do, if God permit.

When the writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us to leave the principles of doctrine of Christ, he is literally telling us to go on from the beginning. We are not to stop and constantly review the first elementary truths we learned in Christ. It is possible to leave them not in the sense of forsaking them but in the sense of using them as a firm grounding underneath us while we reach on to higher truths. this can be done because these first truths form a foundation. They establish us in such a way that these truths will no longer slip away from us. Now we can rely upon the Lord as we have come to know Him in these areas.

The Greek word for foundation is themelios. The verb form not only means laying the foundation, but to ground someone, to establish them, or to render firm and unwavering. It is possible to have such real experience with God in both understanding and obeying these elementary truths that we are set on a firm footing for the remainder of our Christian walk. We have found a solid footing in god and can stand when the storms come against us.