Verse of the Day for April 30

The writer has just told his readers they need milk rather than meat, and are unskilful in the word of righteousness. Then, instead of taking them back to the beginning, he does the opposite.

Therefore 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.

Not laying again the foundation. He names the basics — repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection, eternal judgement — and declines to rebuild them.

A foundation relaid every year is not a deeper foundation. It is a building site.

And that is the danger for anyone who has spent a month on renewal. It is possible to keep starting, sincerely, and never to go on.

Let us go on unto perfection. The word is maturity, completeness — arriving at what something was made to be rather than achieving flawlessness.

April ends by refusing to begin again. Everything laid this month was laid so that something could be built on it.

Repeated fresh starts can be a way of avoiding the harder work of going on from where you already are.

Do not lay it again. Build.