Do a self-exam with the Word of God!

The writer of Hebrews has spent much time discussing the importance of God’s rest. In Hebrews 4:1-13, he declares that God’s rest is still available with an emphasis on its present and future impact. There is a somber warning concerning the importance of maintaining one’s faith in Christ despite increasing persecution. R. Kent Hughes, Their experience of Christ was not living up to expectations. Instead of rest, there was turmoil. They had given up their ancient religion but were suffering for their new faith. To some it seemed that the initial experience of rest was a cruel delusion. . . It is to these endangered hearts that the writer now focuses his remarks in chapter 4 as he instructs and exhorts them on participation in the rest of God.

There is much to be learned concerning God’s rest in this warning passage. Now, I want to focus on Hebrews 4:12-13, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Some have difficulty understanding how these verses fit in relationship to this warning passage. Consider these verses as a warning from the heart of a pastor to his flock. Each of us need to know that entering God’s rest is not based on one’s opinion of oneself but God’s opinion based on the light of His Word. Thomas Constable, Many Christians use this verse to show that God will judge unbelievers with His piercing Word, but in the context it refers to God judging believers to determine rewards (1 Cor. 3:11–15).

In verse 12, we see that God’s Word discerns the condition of one’s heart. Let’s consider the writer’s words that describe the nature of the Word of God. First, he declares that the Word of God is living and active. Charles Spurgeon, This is a living Book. This is a mystery that only living men, quickened by the Spirit of God, will fully comprehend. Take up any other book except the Bible, and there may be a measure of power in it, but there is not that indescribable vitality in it that breathes, and speaks, and pleads, and conquers in the case of this sacred volume. Also, the writer emphasizes the penetrating power of God’s Word, sharper than any two-edged sword. William L. Lane, The word of God poses a judgment that is more threatening and sharper than any double-edged sword because it exposes the intentions of the heart and renders one defenseless before God's scrutinizing gaze.

The following phrases enhance the precision and effectiveness of God’s Word. Note the writer’s statement, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow. William Barclay, It penetrates to the division of soul and spirit. . . It is as if the writer to the Hebrews were saying that the word of God tests our earthly life and our spiritual existence. Also, the writer notes, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Raymond Brown, This word probes more deeply than the mere voice of man however interesting or eloquent. It goes to ‘the inmost recesses of our spiritual being and brings the subconscious motives to light’ (F. F. Bruce).

In verse 13, the writer declares that everyone must be examined and give account to God. None of God’s creation can hide from their Creator. Leon Morris, We must not think that we can bluff our way out of anything, for there are no secrets hidden from God. We cannot keep our thoughts to ourselves. God sees us as we really are. Warren Wiersbe, In the Word we see God, and we also see how God sees us. We see ourselves as we really are. This experience enables us to be honest with God, to trust His will, and to obey Him.

The writer of Hebrews warns Jewish Christians not to turn back to Judaism which provided a type of God’s rest. The readers of Hebrews are encouraged to continue with Christ who is the reality. Faith in Christ alone enables every Christian to be examined by God’s Word without judgment because God judges a Christian’s new heart not his old. Our responsibility is noted by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5, Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! The Word of God truly is a two-edges sword, R. Kent Hughes, Blessed be the double-edged sword of judgment and sanctification. God cuts us deeply that we might die. God cuts us again with his Word, that we might live.

If I am not living a life that is conforming to the image of Christ, I need to examine my life in light of the Word of God. If I fail the test, I need to turn to Christ and place my faith in Him alone. Join the study of Hebrews 4:1-13 under the Books of the Bible tab. God’s rest is worth self-examination.

Make time for God’s rest - part 2!

As noted in my last blog, the writer of Hebrews began his second of five warning passages in Hebrews 3:7. He warns of the danger of doubting and disbelieving God because of hardness of heart. His focus was on warning Jewish Christians not to miss God’s rest like their ancestors did.

He continues the issue of God’s rest in Hebrews 3:12-19. It is important to remember that Hebrews and the warning passages are written to believers. Zane Hodges, Neither here nor anywhere else in his letter did the writer betray the slightest suspicion that his audience might contain people who were not real Christians. It would be much easier to read Hebrews as a believer if the writer was addressing the warning passages to false professors and not true believers. As a believer, one must rightly understand what that means for those who have placed faith in Christ alone.

The point of this warning passage is the danger of moving from belief to disbelief. Concerning the warning from Numbers 14, Raymond Brown declares, This is a picture not of casual drifters, but deliberate deserters. And Leon Morris, The rebellion he warns against consists of departing from a living, dynamic person, not from some dead doctrine. William L. Lane emphasizes the point, The allusions to Num 14 are significant because they indicate that unbelief is not a lack of faith or trust. It is the refusal to believe God. It leads inevitably to a turning away from God in a deliberate act of rejection.

One might say, how does the Israelite’s rebellion relate to my confession of faith? Warren Wiersbe, No believer today, Jew or Gentile, could go back into the Mosaic legal system since the temple is gone and there is no priesthood. But every believer is tempted to give up his confession of Christ and go back into the world system’s life of compromise and bondage. We must consider whether our belief in God has diminished. Once, I trusted him for my very life, my daily needs, my hopes and dreams. Now, my belief may be turning to disbelief. I can’t trust Him. I can’t believe a God worth knowing would allow this or that to happen to me. There is a fine line between belief and unbelief. The Israelites crossed that line etched in the desert sand. They didn’t enter God’s rest.

We must determine the meaning of God’s rest and are we in danger of losing it. Consider the words of Warren Wiersbe, The emphasis in Hebrews is that true believers have an eternal salvation because they trust a living Saviour who constantly intercedes for them. But the writer is careful to point out that this confidence is no excuse for sin. God disciplines His children. Remember that Canaan is not a picture of heaven, but of the believer’s present spiritual inheritance in Christ. Believers who doubt God’s Word and rebel against Him do not miss heaven, but they do miss out on the blessings of their inheritance today, and they must suffer the chastening of God.

The value of this passage is not just the warning but the instruction on how not to turn belief into disbelief. Times of doubt will come to every believer. F. F. Bruce, To begin well is good, but it is not enough, it is only those who stay the course and finish the race that have any hope of gaining the prize. Of course, the prize for Christians is not salvation which is a gift but the reward of serving Christ as coheirs. The writer of Hebrews exhorts Christians to encourage one another. God made us interdependent, not independent. That is why we need each other to come alongside in time of need. W. H. Griffith Thomas, One of the best ways of keeping ourselves true is to help other people, and the duty is here set forth of exhorting one another. There is scarcely anything more striking in Christian experience than the fact that in helping others we often help ourselves. The best time to deal with disbelief is noted by the writer, today.

As noted, the issue of Hebrews 3 is not the possible loss of salvation but the loss of inheriting all God has for us as coheirs. Consider Thomas Constable, The apostate generation of Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land when they hardened their hearts and provoked God by their disbelief. Is the implication that Christians who do the same will not enter heaven? Many interpreters have taken this view. However, the New Testament elsewhere teaches that all who believe in Jesus Christ will go to heaven because simple faith in Christ is what saves us (e.g., Eph. 2:8–9). . . If our subsequent unbelief resulted in our loss of salvation, the condition for being saved would have to be faith plus faithfulness, which it is not. Remember, “rest” does not equal the Promised Land (or heaven) but obtaining all the inheritance that God wants to give believers in the Promised Land (or heaven).

Taking salvation off the table should not soften the sting of this warning passage. Those who have tasted the Lord should want more. I want all of what God has for me, today and into eternity! I choose the route expressed by Charles Spurgeon, You are to hold fast, to hold on, and to hold out to the end; and the grace you need in order to do this is waiting for you if you will but look for it, and daily live under the power of it.

May God’s rest remind us of what is in store for those who believe in Christ alone. Join the study of Hebrews 3:12-19 which may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. Rest in Him by faith.

Make time for God’s rest!

The writer of Hebrews begins his second of five warning passages in Hebrews 3:7. He warns of the danger of doubting and disbelieving God because of hardness of heart. His focus is on warning Jewish Christians not to miss God’s rest like their ancestors did. R. Kent Hughes, It all began so well—but ended so poorly. Of the 600,000 men (the million-plus Israelites who began so well), only two over the age of twenty ever got to the Promised Land—and that was forty years later. The rest fell, disappointed corpses in the desert. The grand and terrible lesson of Israel’s history is that it is possible to begin well and end poorly.

The Old Testament relates truth to the Hebrew Christians from the experience of their ancestors. The writer warns that as all of the Israelites who left Egypt (except Joshua and Caleb) did not enter God’s rest, neither may they. As that truth was applied to them, it most certainly may be applied to us. Raymond Brown, It is important to note that, in the view of the author, God is still speaking to them through this Old Testament scripture. In his view the Psalms are something more than memorable hymns of rich poetic beauty. They are vehicles of God’s present revelation to his people.

The first use of the word rest in Hebrews is in verse 6 of chapter. Thomas Constable, For Israel, “rest” meant the enjoyment of all that God had promised the nation, not just entrance into the Promised Land . . . For the Christian, “rest” is the enjoyment of all that God has promised us, not just going to heaven. This includes the fullness of rewards that can be ours if we follow the Lord faithfully.

When one has seen the goodness and faithfulness of God but willfully hardens his heart in disbelief, how dangerous that is. Charles Spurgeon wisely wrote, God cannot save me. He is not able to forgive me; the blood of Christ cannot cleanse me; I am too black a sinner for God’s mercy to deal with. hat is a copy of what the Israelites said: God cannot take us into Canaan; He cannot conquer the sons of Anak. Though you may look upon unbelief as a slight sin, it is the sin of sins. Ray Stedman states, Over forty years, their real knowledge of God had not increased because their grumbling hearts blinded their spiritual eyes. A teachable spirit sustains a grateful heart.

It is easy to say that the Israelites who headed for the Promised Land were foolish to harden their hearts. It is easy to say that the Hebrew Christians should not have considered turning away from Christ. It is not too difficult to find those today who started well and ended poorly. R. Kent Hughes, The point the writer of Hebrews wants his readers to see is that it is possible to have a remarkable spiritual “exodus” and yet fall by the way when trouble comes. . . The problem today is that so many people when asked about faith point to their “exodus”—when they began with Christ. They can wax eloquent about their experience. . . Their “exodus” is a convenient memory. But to trust God now? That is a problem, for their faith is dead.

These are days when rest seems hard to imagine. Everything has been harder because of COVID19, changing weather patterns, turmoil, distrust and more. Can there ever again be rest for the weary? The writer of Hebrew deals with God’s rest throughout the rest of the epistle. This is a warning to not duplicate the foolishness of a million Israelites who couldn’t take God at His word. He loved them. He cared for them. He provided for them. He proved it daily. But, their hearts were hardened. We might say too bad for them but be careful to not miss the writer’s message for today, don’t let it be too bad for you.

Ray Stedman offers hope for future rest, . . . as we shall see, this Canaan rest was a symbol, a shadow, of a greater rest available to the people of God in the future. Join the study of Hebrews 3:1-6 which may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. Make time for God’s rest which is available today and forever.