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Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:1-15

(1) Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

  1. Entering into the rest: Let me ask you a question. Ask you look at your own heart, is it at rest, or, more specifically, have you entered into the rest of God? I want you to ask yourself something. Do I have that deep peace of Christ Jesus filling my mind, my heart, and my life, or . . . am I filled with anxiety, strike, turmoil, and the things that are synonymous with unrest? So, once again, what is the condition of your heart? It is important that you answer this question for yourself honestly because Paul admonishes us to be careful. God has given us the promise of rest; therefore, we need to take heed to enter into that rest.

It is possible that even though God has a rest and is desiring for you to come into that rest, you fall short of it. It is very possible for many to not know or experience the rest that God has promised.

Matthew 11:28-30

(28) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

(29) 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.

(30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

So, the question remains. Are you resting in Jesus, because that is the issue. There are many who are not. There are many people who profess Christ as Lord and Savior but are still laboring under a works ethic in order to be pleasing to God and accepted by God, and there are those who, through sheer unbelief, have not made a total commitment of their lives and affairs to Jesus Christ, even though He has said He is faithful to keep that which I have committed unto Him. Many, however, have not committed. Thus, they do not know the rest.

(2) For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

  1. How do we enter the rest? We enter into it by faith. Always remember that faith and believing are synonymous. If we do not, by faith, enter into it, then we will remain in our mental turmoil and strife. Let me ask you some other questions. Do you believe that God wants you to experience the rest that is in Jesus Christ? Do you believe that God has sovereign control of your life? Do you believe that God loves you unconditionally and that nothing can separate you from Him?

Now, if you have answered those questions in the affirmative, nothing wavering, then you have entered into that rest. Because God is in control, He will take care of things, so why should I worry? The way some of us act sometimes, however, one might think that God has abdicated His throne, that He isn’t in control, but He is. If you have surrendered and submitted your life to Him, all you need to do is trust and cling to everything that Jesus has done for you, knowing that He is able, and not only able, but will intercede on your behalf.

(3) For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

  1. Belief and rest: This is a profound statement, and I have to be honest with you, I wouldn’t be much of a Bible teacher if I don’t give it the same emphasis that Paul does. Those who truly believe do enter into the rest. They have ceased from their own works and are now clinging to His. No doubt, some will say, “It is so hard to rest in faith. It would be a whole lot easier if God would just show me what He’s doing, if He would just explain to me why He has allowed this or that to happen to me, and how He is going to work it out, and what good might come of it? Now, if God would do that, then I could rest more easily.” I would argue with you that that is not real belief because belief and faith are synonymous. If you know God is sovereign and that He knows all things and is in control of all things and truly has your good in mind, then there is no place for doubt. There’s no place for looking at the externals, whether that would be my own resources or even those that might be coming against me. Those that believe and are resting are just like the prophet Elisha that even though he was surrounded by the enemy, he knew that those that were for him were greater than those that were against him; therefore, he would prevail. So, those of that mindset are completely committed and are completely at rest. It is that total commitment and abandonment to God, which is where the place of perfect peace is, for He has said, “Perfect peace has he whose mind is stayed on thee.”
  1. Concerning works: Works have been wrought by God, and all we must do is believe the Work of God.

John 6:28

(28) Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

It is imperative that we understand that it is a finished work that Jesus has accomplished for us. You cannot add one thing to your salvation. You cannot add one thing to your acceptance by God. He has accepted you in and through the finished work of Jesus Christ. You cannot add to your righteousness. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:1-3

(1) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

(2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

(3) Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

  1. The Children of Israel: The Children of Israel had begun a spiritual relationship with God, having been brought out of Egypt by the power of God. But when they came to Kadesh Barnea, they believed that it would be by their own efforts that they were going to have to go in and take the land, that by their own works they would have to subdue the Promised Land. They looked at the giants and all the problems that came with that, and they began to say, “We can’t do it. We’re too small. We’re like grasshoppers in their eyes.” Thus, they began to not believe that God would do it for them.
  1. Christians today: There are a lot of Christians today who have experienced the miraculous power of God’s Spirit in delivering them from a life of sin. Now, God holds before them this full, rich life in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, walking after the Spirit, living a life of complete obedience unto God. Many of them say, “I can’t do that. It’s beyond my capacity. I just can’t be that good.” Thus, having begun in the Spirit, they think that God has said, “Okay, I have delivered you from sin, now you take it from here.” They will even quote you the verse, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” I am sure that this scripture has shaken up many a Christian. Some use it as an excuse for their lack of obedience; some use it as an explanation as to why their relationship with God is so hard, but they almost never complete the scripture. Just for the sake of argument, let’s real all of what it says:

Philippians 2:12-13

(12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

(13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

What a difference verse 13 makes! Once again, any text taken from its context becomes a pretext for a proof text.

So, we are to believe and trust God to do it. I am resting in God, and, as I rest in God, I have that glorious peace within. Now, am I flawless? Not by a long shot! But God is working, and He is able to do what I cannot do for myself, having begun in the Spirit, I must remain in the Spirit, I must walk after the Spirit, yielding to the Spirit that God might work and that I am resting.

What if I fail? The question isn’t if but when. However, God is able to make me stand, and He is able to keep me from falling. Therefore, I believe Him and trust Him, resting in Him and in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

(4) For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

(5) And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

  1. The seventh day rest: We are told in the book of Genesis that God rested on the seventh day because all of creation was finished. Because it was finished, there was no more necessity for creative work, so God rested from His creative work on the seventh day. God then established the Sabbath Day, so He said:

Exodus 23:12

(12) Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

The Sabbath Day rest was established by God and delivered by Moses in the law, but it was a type of rest that we, as believers, are to experience in Jesus Christ. The problem is, as it is every time that man puts his hand in anything that God has done, they made a work out of the Sabbath Day of rest. Even to this day, it is crazy to see how they work at it. It is a real task to keep that Sabbath Day of rest. They have all kinds of rules and regulations concerning the Sabbath. “Thou shalt not bear any burden on the Sabbath Day.” So, they ask, “What constitutes bearing a burden?” They go to great lengths to try to define what “Bearing a Burden” is.

The Sabbath Day was only a shadow of the rest that the people of God should experience in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are told this:

Colossians 2:16-17

(16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

(17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

There are those who would judge us because of the Sabbath Day. There are those churches who have even introduced a Sabbath Day Worship to the church and have introduced the laws of the worship on the Sabbath Day to the church. If you are going to be justified by the law, you better have a full grasp of the curse that is involved with it.

Galatians 3:10-11

(10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

(11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

(6) Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

(7) Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

  1. Notice that through the text, the word “Today” is repeated over and over. Paul places an emphasis upon today. Paul, once again, quotes from Psalm 95 that says, “Today.” This was actually a long time after their failure in the wilderness; yet, they still had not entered into the rest. Yet, God was still speaking of a time when they could, even long after their failures.

So, David is pleading with the people of his day, telling them, “Today, hear God’s voice. Don’t harden your hearts. Don’t follow the example of those in the wilderness.”

(8) For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

  1. Jesus: The word translated “Jesus” here is more accurately translated “Joshua.” You must understand that Paul’s reference here is to Joshua, who took over leading the people after the death of Moses.
  1. Joshua: Though Joshua was the one who led the Children of Israel into the Land, he still could not lead them into the rest. There are those who have come to the Land of Promise who still haven’t entered into the rest, the rest that God wants them to experience as His child, that is, the rest in the completed and finished work of Jesus Christ for our righteous standing before God. There’s a great old hymn called, “The Solid Rock” that says this,

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

If that’s the song in your heart, then you are resting in Him. He has done the work of salvation for me. He paid the price for my sins, He lived that vicarious, righteous life for me, and justified me by my faith and trust in Him. Thus, it is completed. He said, “It is finished.” There is nothing that you or I can do to complement it. It is once and for all accomplished for us by Him.

If I believe that, then I am in the rest, but if I don’t believe it, I will continue in my own efforts, my own struggles, my own strivings and endeavors, trying to work and to seek that which can only be achieved by faith. It will leave you frustrated and defeated. How much simpler it is to believe that Jesus did it all and enter into the rest of faith. “For if Joshua had given them rest, then he wouldn’t have spoken of another day.”

(9) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

(10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

  1. God rested: Once the work of creation was completed, God ceased His work, and He rested the seventh day. In like manner, once the work of redemption was finished by Jesus Christ, He, too, sat down at the right hand of the Father because He had finished the work.

John 4:34

(34) Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Thus, on the cross, Jesus cried, “It is finished,” which means “Paid in full.” Man’s redemption is complete.

  1. Ceasing from our works: If we have entered into the rest of God, then effectively, we have ceased from our own works, even as God did from His. There is nothing more that God will do now to save you other than what He has already done through Jesus Christ. It is now up to you to believe and to accept that which God has provided, that is, the perfect and complete work of salvation and acceptance before God.

Because of Jesus and my faith in Him, I am accepted by Him, and I am accepted in Him. As the Apostle Paul said, “We are accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

(11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

  1. Labor to enter: I’ve always found this verse to be a little humorous because it almost sounds like a contradiction in terms. However, the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, knows the heart of man and how hard it can be for some to just let go and let God. To those of you who want to work, who want to labor, Paul says, “If you want to labor, labor to enter into the rest” because you will be challenged. As you endeavor to enter into the rest, the enemy will come along side and, at every point, will tell you that you can’t do it; you can’t live that kind of life; you can’t live a life of purity and righteousness and holiness. Don’t you believe it, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

Those things that I just mentioned are God’s work—not mine—and He is more than able to do for me what I can’t do for myself. It is imperative that I believe and trust in Him to do it. In myself and of myself, it is impossible; but through Him, it can and will be done. There is an old saying that says this: “You become that which you are focused on.” If you focus on your failures, then a failure you will be. Set your eyes on Jesus, and you will be more than a conqueror through Him who loves you and gave Himself for you.

If you endeavor to live out those things which I just said—purity, righteousness, and holiness—by the power of your flesh, you will fail every time, and the enemy will encourage you to do that because he knows that will keep you in a state of restlessness and in a state of dead works, which will lead to nothing but failure.