(The following text is taken from a sermon preached by Gil Rugh 1978.)
In our last study we examined Hebrews
3:7-19. This was the first part of the second warning passage. The author
quoted from Psalm 95, comparing Israel's grumbling and unbelieving hearts
to those of the Hebrews. The author illustrated that God had always kept
His promises to the Israelites, and always keeps His promises to us. The
reason that every Israelite over age 20 never saw the promised land was
because they refused to believe God and rejected Him, not because God
failed to give them the land.
The warning is issued in verse 12, where the
author reiterates that we must 'Take care brethren, least there should be
in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the
living God.' The danger is that some would fail to learn from the example
of Israel. They would fail to believe the life giving message of Jesus
Christ, and turn their back on God.
In verse 14, the author contrasts an evil, unbelieving heart to the
faithful heart of a believer; 'For we have become partakers of Christ,
if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.'
This phrase is in the perfect tense, indicating an event that happened
in the past, but continues into the future. We became partakers of
Christ the moment we believed in His person and work. If we really did
become partakers of Christ, if we really did trust in Jesus Christ as our
Lord and Savior, WE WILL HOLD FAST 'firm until the end.'
The danger is that some people will profess to believe in Jesus Christ,
but then go back to their old way of worship. This was the case with
the Hebrews. Many of them were professing believers, but they wanted to return
to Judaism because of the persecution they were facing. It is a danger for
us today as well. Many people, professing to be believers, turn their
back on Christ by returning to their old, false worship because their
parents want them to, or because they do not want to break 'tradition,' or
because they are afraid people will not think that they are 'cool' anymore.
What does this say about that person's true spiritual state? It is an
indication that they never believed in the first place. They have been
deceived by an 'evil, unbelieving heart.'
What is the consequence of having an
unbelieving heart? God says, in verse 19, 'And so we see that they
were not able to enter because of unbelief.'
The majority of the Israelites were not able to enter into the promised
land because of their unbelief. This denotes the truth that disobedience
is a manifestation of unbelief. When someone rebels against God, it is
because they do not believe God and trust Him to do what He says
He will do.
Hebrews 4:1-13
Therefore, let us
fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you
should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news
preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit
them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who
have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 'As I swore in My
wrath, They shall not enter My rest, 'although His works were finished
from the foundation of the world. For He has thus said somewhere
concerning the seventh (day), 'And God rested on the seventh day from all
His works'; and again in this (passage),'They shall not enter My rest.'
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly
had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,
He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long
a time just as has been said before, 'Today if you hear His voice do not
harden your hearts. 'For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have
spoken of another day after that. There remains therefore
a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest
has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us
therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through
(following) the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living
and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the
division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden
from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him
with whom we have to do.
VERSE 1
The author begins chapter 4 saying
'Therefore.' In other words, he is saying 'In light of what we have just
seen in chapter 3,' '...let us fear lest, while a promise remains
of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.'
There should be fear among us, so that we do not repeat the mistake of
unbelief that Israel did. This will be the development in chapter 4.
Usually, we talk about 'casting out fear,' or 'resisting fear.' But there
are areas of our lives where it is healthy to have a 'fear.'
The warning in
verse 1 is to those who profess to be believers, but are contemplating
resuming to their old way of worship because of persecution. Those who do
such things ought to 'fear.' What is it that we are to fear? That
'...while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should
seem to have come short of it.' The danger is that we will deceive
ourselves, and like Israel, fail to enter God's rest.
The word 'rest' has a broad use in
verse 1, and we can see several specific examples of this 'rest'
throughout Scripture. It denotes the fullness of blessing and enjoyment
that God promises to those who believe. We have seen Israel going into
Canaan as an example of God's rest for His people. God promised them freedom
from their enemies and freedom from obstacles if they entered the land in faith.
Another example of rest is the Sabbath day.
One more example is the rest that we, as believers, receive today when we trust
in Christ as our Lord and Savior. As one can see, the word 'rest' is used in
several different ways, but it does have one ultimate meaning: the fulfillment
of God's promises to those who believe.
The problem that
the Hebrews had was not that they lacked God's promise of 'rest.' The
problem was that they 'seem to have come short of it.' Now, some may say,
'The author says they 'seem' not to have God's rest. It is only his
opinion. The author does not know what the Hebrews believe so why is he
giving a warning at all?' Well, the word 'seem', as used in the context
of Hebrews 4:1, means 'to be judged or accounted.' In other words, the
sentence means 'you have the promise of God's rest, but when it comes right
down to it, you have been found to have come short of entering into God's
rest because you never became true believers.'
VERSE 2
The fact that some of the Hebrews have never
really trusted Christ as their Savior is clear in verse 2. The author begins,
'Indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also....'
One will note the parallel between this verse and what we have seen in the Old
Testament. The Jews had the good news preached to them. What was the good news?
God promised them that if they believed Him and His Word, He would bring them
to a land flowing with milk and honey, and give them freedom from their enemies.
The author says that we have the 'good news preached to us, just as they
also....' What has God promised us? He says that if we believe in His Son,
and in His finished work on the cross, He will forgive us of our sins and bring
us into a personal relationship with Himself.
If the Hebrews had the good news preached to
them, what was the problem? The author continues in verse 2; '...but the
word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in
those who heard.' The problem was not that the Hebrews did not hear
the good news. The problem was that they did not believe it when it was
preached to them. The same is true for us today. Everyone who sits and listens
to me preach will hear the good news of Jesus Christ. And anyone who believes
the good news, and places his faith in Him as Lord and Savior will be delivered
from the bondage of sin, and enter into God's rest. But there will also be
those who hear the good news, but they do not profit from the message because
they refuse to believe what God says about salvation, and they will not enter
into God's rest.
Israel heard the good news, but most of them
rejected it and did not enter God's rest. The Hebrews had the 'word' they heard
it preached to them, but it went by many of them. These did not accept the truth of
God's Word in faith. Tragically, we see this in the church today as well.
The Hebrews had the 'word.' They
'heard' it preached to them. But they did not accept it with
faith. This pattern of unbelief is seen in Romans 10:14 'How then shall
they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?' This has been
the pattern of communicating God's message to His people throughout the entire
Bible. In the Old Testament, Moses was sent with a message. He preached it,
people heard it, some people believed it, and they experienced salvation.
Anybody can preach, but only those who are
'sent' can preach the Word of God. When people hear the message preached, the
result is either belief and salvation, or disbelief and condemnation. Earlier in
Romans 10, Paul said, 'But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your
mouth and in your heart'--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
that if you confess with you mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man
believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses,
resulting in salvation' (Romans 10:8-10). This is the message of salvation,
and we do not have to go to heaven to find it. It exists today here on earth
for everyone who believes. This is the emphasis that is made in Hebrews 4:2.
VERSE 3
In verse 3, the author clarifies the
position of those who have believed the 'good news.' He says, 'For we
who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 'As I swore in My
wrath, they shall not enter My rest,' although His works were finished from
the foundation of the world.' Those 'who have believed' are those who
'enter that rest.' It is a completed action (believed) that
continues into the present (enter that rest). Believers are continually
abiding in the rest that only God can provide. And ultimately, believers will
be building to the future, when they will enter complete rest in eternity with
Him.
Those who believe the message of salvation,
and 'enter that rest' have tranquility in their lives. They have
forgiveness of sins. They have peace from God. But God says that those who do
not believe the message '...shall not enter My rest.' The difference is
obvious: God's blessing for believers, versus God's wrath for those who reject
Him.
The author concludes verse 3 saying,
'...although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.'
This statement may seem like it does not belong in verse 3. However, if one
reads on, it is clear that it is in connection with verses 4 and 5.
VERSES 4-5
In verses 4 and 5, the author
illustrates a different type of 'rest.' He moves away from the
example of lsrael going into the promised land, and uses God's rest on the
seventh day after creation as his example. He says, 'For He has thus said
somewhere concerning the seventh day, 'God rested on the seventh day from
all His works'; and again in this passage,'They shall not enter My rest''
Again, the author continues his pattern from chapter 3, quoting from Psalm
95, but not identifying his source of Old Testament quotation, knowing that the
Jews would be familiar with the passage.
The author concentrates now on God's rest.
The point being that the rest promised to Israel was the rest that was typified
in God's rest on the seventh day after creation. We see this account in Genesis
2:2; 'And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and
He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.' Now, this
does not mean that God ceased from doing anything, but He did cease from His
activity of creating. The 'rest' God experiences becomes a picture of
the ceasing from labor and toil that awaits everyone who begins to share with
God in His rest. Notice that the seventh day is never mentioned as closing
in Genesis. It was another literal 24 hour day, but the picture is of an
eternally continuing rest.
This type of rest is connected to Israel in
verse 5. Israel did not just fail to go into the promised land. Israel
failed to experience the full blessing of rest that God promises to all
those who believe in Him. It went far beyond the promised land. The proof of
this is found in Joshua 22. In this account, God promises Israel a future
rest, even after they had entered the promised land. God's rest did not
end when Israel entered into the promised land This is why God continued to
promise a future rest.
VERSE 6
The author emphasizes the continuing
availability of God's rest in verse 6. He says, 'Since therefore it
remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached
to them failed to enter because of disobedience.' God's rest was there
before there was an Israel, and it continues until the present day.
VERSES 7-8
The author continues his emphasis on the
availability of God's rest to all those believe. In verse 7 it says, 'He
again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time
just as has been said before 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your
hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of
another day after that.' Again, God's rest is available 'Today' for
all who believe. For us who enter into His rest, we have been forgiven of our
sins, we have entered into a personal relationship with Him, and we will
spend eternity in His presence. Those who reject him have no rest. Instead, they
are storing up wrath for the day of judgment, after which they will spend
eternity in hell, apart from the love of God forever.
Verse 7 contains the warning '...if
you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.' Israel is the example to us
in this passage, and we have seen from their example that there are
consequences to rejecting and disobeying God. One of those consequences is the
fact that those who reject Him will never be able to enter His rest.
VERSES 9-10
Verse 9 identifies the type of rest that
is given to believers: 'There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the
people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested
from his works, as God did from His.' This is the same type of rest that
we examined in Genesis 2. God ceased from labor and toil. The same is true
for believers. We will be freed from the toil and persecution of this world,
and brought into 'rest' with our Lord and Savior.
We will not fully recognize this rest until
the future. We have only begun to experience His rest today. When we believe
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we begin in His rest. We experience forgiveness of
sin, and we have peace, but we still labor and toil. But in the future there
is a time when even the presence of sin will be removed from us.
R evelation 14:11 illustrates the lack of
rest for those who reject God. John says, 'And the smoke of their torment
goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who
worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.'
This verse is in reference to the tribulation, contrasting those who believe
the false worship system with those who do not in verse 12: 'Here is the
perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in
Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying 'Write 'Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord from now on!'' 'Yes, says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from
their labors. For their deeds follow with them.' The picture here is of the
believers in the tribulation who are martyred for their faith. Because of their
faithfulness they are 'blessed.' Some may say, 'Well, I do not know if
that is worth it. I am not sure I would be willing to die just so I can rest.'
Remember, the 'rest' God gives His children is eternal. Those who do not
accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior have an eternity of 'torment.'
From an eternal point of view, there is no question about where I would rather
be.
VERSES 11-13
Verses 11-13 apply God's rest to us in a
very personal way. The author says, 'Let us therefore by diligent to enter that
rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience. For
the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no
creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the
eyes of Him with whom we have to do.' Just as Israel was judged for their
disobedience, those who refuse to obey in this day will be judged as well.
Disobedience and disbelief become synonymous with one another. The illustration
is that those who disobey do not believe, and those who do not believe do not obey.
The author commands, '..be diligent to
enter that rest....' I understand this command to be directed toward
unbelievers. What is meant by '...be diligent'? Don't unbelievers just
have to believe to enter God's rest? But our diligence manifests our faith.
It is our diligence and perseverance under trials and persecution that
displays our faith. Once one trusts Christ as Savior, his salvation can never be
taken away. But the danger is assuming that you are saved, when in fact you are
not. And those who desert Christ when they are faced with persecution are likely
not saved. They lack diligence and they lack perseverance. This is what is
meant by the Calvinist Theology 'Perseverance Of The Saints.' Those who are truly
believers will be 'diligent' and persevere to the ultimate end of
glorification.
The believers will be able to persevere only
because of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Philippians 1:6 says,
'For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you
will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.' This is the
determining factor of the reality of our salvation. If we are truly saved, the
Holy Spirit will give us the strength to persevere. If we are not saved, the
Holy Spirit is not in our lives, and we will not have the strength to persevere.
Israel was in this situation. They did not
believe, and as a result, they could not enter the promised land. They went to
destruction and the torment that is mentioned in Revelation 14:11.
2 Corinthians 13:5 warns us to be alert concerning our salvation. Paul says,
'Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do
you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless
indeed you fail the test' The goal of this instruction is not to make
people doubt their salvation. It is to make people carefully examine themselves
so they do not assume they are saved whey they are not.
How are we to test ourselves? We must
'examine' ourselves to see if we are in the faith. How are we to do that?
We cannot open ourselves up, and see if Jesus Christ is in us. But we can
test our diligence. In other words, what is the character of our lives? Do
we manifest Christ's character and produce the fruit of the Spirit seen in
Galatians 5? Our answer, to these questions, tells us a great deal about our
spiritual condition and our eternal destination.
2 Peter commands us to be sure of our
salvation as well: 'Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent (the same word that
we have in Hebrews 4:11) to make certain about His calling and choosing you;
for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.' If we
examine ourselves to be sure we are manifesting the character of Christ in our
lives, we will be sure we are in the faith, and we will never stumble. Do you
see God's character in your life? Do you see Christ being manifested in your
life, and in your conduct? Some people might say, 'Those characteristics are not
showing up in my life because I am a carnal Christian.' Well, they are only lying
to themselves. Tragically, they will be tormented forever and ever in an eternal
hell.
I do believe that a Christian can be in
rebellion against God. But I think that the danger is that a person will think
that they are a Christian who is going through a 'phase' in his life, but in
actuality, he is not a Christian at all. This is the reason we are told to
'examine yourselves.'
A Christian who is in rebellion might be able
to fool his Christian friends, and his pastor, but he will not fool God. The
author says that when we examine ourselves with the Word of God as our standard,
we will be found out: 'For the Word of God is living and active and sharper
than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart.' When one examines himself through the Word of God, nothing can be
hidden. The Word of God reveals the truth of a person's salvation. It does not
matter if you go to church every Sunday. It does not matter if you put on a
happy face, and say the right thing, when you are around Christians. If you are
not saved, you may fool everyone else, and you might even fool yourself, but
you will not fool God.
The author says that the Word of God is
'living.' This is where we get the word 'energy'. This is the reason
that a good church grows and is blessed. It is not because of good preaching, it
is not because of good choir music, and it is not because of friendly people. A
church that preaches the Word of God accurately does not grow because of all
those outside factors. It grows because the Word is 'living' and accomplishes
God's purpose and God's work. It changes your life. Other churches may grow as
well, but people do not go because they want to hear the truth of the Word of
God. The reason they go is because they want to 'feel good.' And if they
examine themselves through the Word of God, they will see that their lives have
not really been changed in any way. That is an indication they are not truly
believers.
Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 says, 'And
for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the
word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it
really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.'
For whom does the Word of God work? It works only for those who have believed in the person
and work of Jesus Christ. If you are not being changed when you hear the Word of
God, there is a very good possibility that you have never believed, therefore
you cannot be changed.
The point is, the Word pierces us down to our
very souls. In the same way a sharp, two edged sword would penetrate our muscle
and bone, so too does the Word of God pierce our being. This is an amazing
message. Nothing else but the Word of God can change a depraved, wretched,
sinner into a child of God. What a weapon!
Verse 13 continues the warning that 'all
things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.'
Every thought we have, every intention we have, every desire we have, is seen
by God. If we only profess to believe in Christ with our mouths, but have never
believed with our hearts, God knows, and He will still judge you as a sinner
separated from Him. But if you believe in your heart that you are a sinner, and
that you can only experience the salvation of God by accepting Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior, He will forgive you of your sins, and allow you to enter
His rest.
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