OUR PRIVILEGES
UNDER THE GOSPEL
-- HEBREWS FOUR
In Hebrews three the author set forth the sin of the Jews
and the punishment for their actions. Here in Hebrews four he begins to show
the benefits and privileges that come to believers in Christ through the
gospel.
The Holy Spirit wanted us to understand the promise of a
"rest" that remains. There is a real danger of coming short of God's
rest and of losing it. The reason that Jews of old did not enter into God's
rest was because of a lack of faith. Unbelief will also keep us out of God's
promised rest.
One of the main points of this section was that a rest of a
spiritual nature remains for the people of God. This rest is much more
desirable than the
Our boldness in coming before God should exist because of
Jesus, our Great High Priest. In all of our spiritual weakness and struggles we
can come to Him for help.
Great privileges under Christ -- Hebrews 4:1-4: The writer of
Hebrews says that the example of the Jews dying in the wilderness because of
unbelief should motivate us to faithfulness to God. Unbelief or unfaithfulness
will cause the same end to come our way concerning our rest.
The great privilege of knowing Christ and His gospel is
ours. Let us fear lest we come short of the heavenly rest promised in the
gospel. The kind of fear which is here spoken of leads to caution, care and
faithfulness.
We have been blessed with the promise of God's
rest and of knowing how to enter that rest. God will demand a strict account of
how we how dealt with His will if we are to enter His rest. How sobering the
truth, "but God's word did not profit some because it was not
mixed with faith (obedience) in them that heard it."
Man missing the promised rest because of unbelief
in no way reflects on God faithfulness and the certainty of the promise. God
finished His work, and then rested from it on the Sabbath Day. He will cause
all who believe (obey) to finish their work and to enter into their heavenly
rest. There is a promised spiritual rest in heaven that you may enter!
Great blessings for the believers -- Hebrews 4:5-8:
Here
the Hebrew writer continues to quote from and apply Psalm 95. In Hebrews 4:5 he
refers to Psalm 95:11, "Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not
enter into my rest." The quoting of this Psalm seems to have two purposes:
(1)
To show that even in this Psalm God promised a rest that many would
miss, and (2) To show that a heavenly rest remains for the faithful child of
God.
The Spirit used two Old Testament rests to
picture a third rest yet to come. God's rest on the Sabbath Day and the rest
that some Jews entered into in Canaan, thought most missed because of unbelief,
is a picture a our rest when the preaching of the gospel is mixed with faith on
our part. The true spiritual rest was not
Great motivation for serving God -- Hebrews 4:9-13:
We
must take heed to live our lives by the word of God, or doctrine of Jesus
Christ. The gospel will quickly find you out if you are guilty of disobedience
to it. All insincerity, unbelief, and hypocrisy, will be detected by God
because, "the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart." (Hebrews 4:12) There will be no escape from the penetrating,
powerful word of God.
Man possesses spirit, soul, and body. (1 Thessalonians
5:23) Man has a physical body, a life much like the animals have, and an
immortal soul that leaves the body when earthly life ends. United these three
constitute one man. The word of God is able to separate all of these. When our
life is measured by that same word of God it will be determined as to whether
we can enter into God's rest.
The word of God is able to lay bear the secrets of the
heart. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we
have to do." (Hebrews 4:13)
Great help from our High Priest -- Hebrews 4:14-16: In
Hebrews 2:17 the idea had been introduced that Jesus Christ is our merciful and
faithful High Priest. "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made
like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people."
What kind of High Priest is Jesus? The Jewish High Priest
passed once a year into the
Even as great as Jesus is He is very kind, tender and
concerned about us. He can "be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities." He understands what it is to be tempted. He understands our
weaknesses. We have a faithful High Priest who is qualified to sympathize with
us in our afflictions, and to whom we may look for help in trials and
temptations. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews
4:16)
With our focus on Jesus let us labour
to enter His rest. Through the preaching of the gospel of Christ may we be
drawn to His perfect life and to His powerful teachings? Let us love Jesus
enough to surrender our lives to Him and His will. He promised "Come unto
me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew
11:28-30)
Repentance, baptism and faithfulness are required of all
who would enter God's rest. (Acts 2:38, Mark 13:13) Will you enter?