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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.

I. 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.

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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.

II. 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.

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(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.

III. 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.”

a. Concerning works: Works have been wrought by God, and all we must do is believe the Work of God.

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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?

b. 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.

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c. 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.

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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.

IV. 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.

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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.

V. 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.

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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.

VI. 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.

a. 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.

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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.

VII. 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.

a. 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.

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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.

VIII. 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.

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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.

a. It’s always unbelief: The Children of Israel did not enter into the rest because they were trusting in their own abilities to take the Land, and in the face of the opposition, those seeming obstacles—the giants and so forth—they became dismayed because the obstacles were greater than their own ability to overcome them. So, it was through unbelief in God’s ability that they fell.

(12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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.

IX. The letter killeth:

2 Corinthians 3:6(6) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

There are those in Christendom today who misquote this verse in trying to defend their own diminishing of the teaching of the Word of God. In defense of their own failure to place the emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God, they will often say, “Oh, but the letter killeth.” The problem with this thinking, of course, is that they are taking it out of context. The letter that Paul is talking about is the letter of the Law—trying to be righteous before God by keeping the law. That’s what will kill you, because in doing so, the Law will condemn you to death every time.

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Thus, Paul says, “The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.”

Here in Hebrews 4:12, we are told that the Word of God is alive, it is “. . . powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” Because it is such, it is “. . . piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit.”

a. Soul/Psychic: There’s a lot of worship going on today that is purely psychic or soulish in its nature and touches our emotions but not necessarily our spirits. It is often filled with liturgy, incense, candles, robes, and chants. It is really quite an experience, and as you sit there, you can become entranced by the beauty of the liturgy, and you might even leave with a sense of having worshipped God. If the Word of God was not taught, however, all you ever really experienced was a soulish experience. It didn’t really feed your spirit because it’s only the Word of God that is able to feed the spirit of man.

You don’t really grow spiritually in psychic or emotional experiences. You grow spiritually through the Word of God. Now, in the same manner, there is that form of worship within the more charismatic churches that are highly-emotionally charged with lots of singing, praising, dancing, and so forth. I have experienced this myself. Sometimes when the people leave, the people will declare how blessed the service was because the preacher didn’t even get a chance to preach. “The Spirit came down, and we were all so blessed.” Thus, they had a very powerful, emotional experience, but because the Word was not preached, it was not necessarily a spiritual experience.

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It is only the Word of God that is able to divide between the soul and the spirit. This is a very hard task for us because man’s soul and spirit are so intertwined. Thus, there is a crossover network, if you will, between the two. Therefore, sometimes it is hard for us to discern whether I have been touched spiritually or in a psychic or emotional way. In fact, the dividing line is so fine that it is only the Word of God that can make that distinction between that which is soulish and that which is spiritual.

b. Thoughts and intents of the heart: The Word of God is the only discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. I’m either going to trust in the finished work of Jesus, or I’m going to trust in my own works and in my own efforts to finish the work of redemption. If I’m trusting in my own works, I can’t rest because I’m not certain of my own works and because I can never be sure of what motive they really are. We can do things on the outside that look marvelous in their appearance, but if our hearts were honestly examined, we might find out that we did those things in order that we might look good, wanting to have the praise of men as to how humble and how spiritual I am because I did this good thing. So, my motivation is often wrong.

Matthew 6:1(1) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

So, be careful not to do good in order to be seen of men.

c. Judgment of our works: We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and our works will be judged—not based upon what we did or did not do—but what the motive was behind them.

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Because the judgment is on the motive, a lot of the good things that we have done are going to be lost. Our works will be judged by fire. If any of them remain, we will be rewarded for them.

Now, as a child of God and as a true disciple of Jesus Christ, I do many works, but I try to make sure that my motive is my love for Jesus Christ. I am not looking to my works to make me righteous, nor do I look to my works to make me accepted. I do not hold my works up to God and say, “Lord, I’ve done this and that for you; thus, I expect You to bless me.” I look for no credit for the work that I have done. It should be a natural response of my heart, motivated by an understanding of all that God has done for me. So, I want to do something for God. I long to do something for God.

Always remember what David said in Psalms 116: “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits unto me?” When I think of all that God has done for me and how He blesses me, even when I don’t deserve it, my heart cries out, “What can I give to God?” How could I ever show appreciation for the favor that He has bestowed upon me, for the benefits that He has granted me, and for the blessings that He has bestowed upon my life? Thus, even though it may be miniscule in comparison, I just try to do what I can to show God that I love Him and that I appreciate all that He has done.

d. God is always the initiator: There is no work that we can offer to God that will cause Him to respond to us. God is always the initiator, and we are the responders. Yet, many years ago when I was very young in the Lord, I would fast in order that God might work in my life, that I might get a response from God. Thus, my fasting was a form of works, and I have to admit, I gave up fasting.

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There very well may come a time when I go back to it, but if and when I do, it will be on an entirely different basis than it was in my early years because my motive was wrong. Once again, like so many others, I had read so many books about fasting and how to get God to really go to work for you. Some of them even had a calendar that you could use to keep track of your fast, and you would record the day on which you saw God move. So, it was all mapped out for you. The truth is that God is the initiator. He is working on your behalf simply because He loves you. Therefore, let us respond to His love. As a coup de gras to drive this point home, let’s turn to Matthew 7 and read verses 22 and 23.

Matthew 7:22-23(22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?(23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

(13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

X. You can run but you can’t hide: You aren’t going to hide anything from God. Your life is an open book to Him. There’s not one thought that you’ve ever thought that He doesn’t know. You cannot hide from God. David spoke to this truth when he said, “You know my thoughts before I think them.” Thus, everything is open; everything is naked before Him. God knows everything I do, and He knows why I do it. It should be that reason alone that you don’t want to depend upon your works but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that I have my standing with God in the finished work of Jesus—not by my efforts or my works.

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a. Momma knows: When I was a little kid and even into my young adult years, it seemed as though I couldn’t get away with anything. Every time I did something behind my parents’ back, my mother always seemed to know. Sometimes I thought it was because one of my brothers had told on me, but it happened even when I was alone. I would come home, and inevitably, my mother would look at me and would say, “What have you been up to?” She just instinctively knew what mischief I had been up to. Thus, I learned very early on in my Christian life, that if I couldn’t hide anything from my mother, I sure wasn’t going to be able to hide it from God. How foolish it is to even try.

(14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

XI. Heaven itself: Unlike the other earthly high priests, who would go into the Holy of Holies once a year to make sacrifice for the people, Jesus, as a superior high priest, entered not into the Holy of Holies, which was a mere shadow, but He passed into heaven, itself. Therefore, let us hold fast our profession.

(15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

XII. A glorious high priest: We have in Jesus Christ a glorious high priest, who passed into the heavens and who is there even at this moment, continually making intercession for us. Even as He does that, Paul says here in verse 15 that He is also a sympathetic high priest in that He understands our weaknesses because He, too, had become a man and experienced all temptations that men experience.

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Thus, He is sympathetic to our problems; He knows our weaknesses and our shortcomings; thus, He can empathize. This is what makes Him a glorious high priest and the very reason that we can come boldly to the throne of grace.

(16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

XIII. Coming boldly: How could anyone ever come boldly to the throne of grace except through Jesus Christ? Would any one of us in our right mind step before the throne of grace asking God to accept our works and to reward us thusly? On your best day, on your most holiest of holy days, none of us could ever rise to that occasion. If we were to be rewarded for our most holiest endeavors done through our own means, we would fail miserably in the sight of God.

There’s only one way that we can come to God without hesitation—without fear of rejection—and that is through Jesus Christ. Because I am totally reliant upon all that Jesus has done for me, and because I am totally trusting in His righteousness, I come boldly to the throne of grace, not to receive the reward of works or to be paid for something that I have done, but I come to the throne of grace that I might receive “. . . mercy and find grace to help me in time of need.”

In closing:

I approach God on the basis of His grace and mercy towards me, not because of my works or my deserving. Because I approach God on this basis, His grace and His mercy, I can come boldly and receive the help that I need. We are always in need. So often people will find themselves in trouble, yet, we often act as though prayer is a last resort, when in reality, it should be the first thing that I do.

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So many of us view coming to God as a last resort because we still hold in our minds the concept of rewards for goodness and punishment for misbehavior, which we have carried over from our childhood—Do good, get good; do bad, get bad. This is a concept this is instilled in us from the time of our birth and makes it hard for us to think in terms of grace. This is why repentance is so important; that is, the changing of our minds—being renewed in our minds—about how we come to God, or more importantly, God’s response in our coming to Him.

If you have truly embraced the grace of God, then you can come any time, for the door is open and everything you need is there at the throne of God, freely bestowed upon you because He loves you, because He is merciful, He is gracious, He is loving and compassionate. God knows my needs and my weaknesses and sympathizes and empathizes with me and for me.

In Conclusion:

So, how are you going to approach God? On the basis of your goodness, your efforts, your works, or on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ? I implore you, by the Holy Spirit, let it be the latter.