Promise of Rest- (Hebrews 4)

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.”

The example given of the Israelites disobedience and failure to experience God’s rest because of their lack of faith could leave us very discouraged.  If the chosen people of God who were given such divine favor and after seeing firsthand the miraculous power and deliverance of God couldn’t enter in, what chance do we have?  The encouragement comes now, that there still remains a rest available to God’s people.

“Therefore it remains some must enter it.”

"There remains a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His."

That time and availability for rest is now.
“Today if you will hear His voice do not harden your hearts.”

What is this rest God promises us? The first thing we probably think about is eternal rest in God’s kingdom in Heaven.  Though that is going to ultimately be our reality, this rest is for “Today”.  This rest is spiritual and it is available to us here and now.  What is this rest?  This rest is contentment, fulfillment, and peace in relationship with a living and powerful God.  This resting from our works is a diligent trust, a committed stand in the complete work of Christ on the cross.  This rest is in direct opposition to the proud and busy.  It is the antonym of merit based religion in the hearts of those still striving for God’s approval.  It also opposes the lax and fickle. This rest has no part in complacency, laziness, and selfish indulgence.

The word of God the guide to rest - (Hebrews 4:11-13)

“For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

In order for us to enter into this rest we must hear the promise of God’s word and believe it.  The words of God pierce directly to our heart, mind and spirit with living power.  If we receive these words by faith the word of God will free us from deception, and deliver us from the thoughts and intents of our evil hearts.

As was directed in the first verse of this chapter the word of God must be received in solemn fear.   We are reminded that there will be judgment not only for the un-believing and disobedient but for the redeemed as well.

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Jesus Christ the mediator of rest- (Hebrews 4:14-16) 

"Seeing then that we have a great High priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 

We are reminded to consider once again as expounded in chapter one through three, Jesus Christ’s humanity and deity.  The hypostatic union has allowed Him to be our perfect mediator to God, our truly great High-Priest.  He can sympathize with our weakness and offer us true empathy and compassion because He is a man like us.  Because of His deity He is also a perfect savior.  He lived among us and suffered, yet was without sin.  He has passed through the heavens and has been given all authority and power.  There is a way to enter into this rest, which is only made possible by Jesus. To the extent we know and trust our great High-Priest we will experience this gift of rest. ~ Selah

Setting the mind on the Spirit (Romans 8:5-6)

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:5-6)

Man was created spirit, mind and body.  The fall of man into rebellion has resulted in the body ruling over the mind and the spirit kept in subjugation. A man whose spirit is dead in sin lives to fulfill the desires of the flesh.  He is lead by the desires of the body, which is justified by the mind, and the spirit is left impotent and lifeless.  Without new life in his spirit to direct him otherwise, his mind is held captive to the body.

When it comes to the believer the spirit has come alive.  The Holy Spirit of God has quickened the believer's heart and enabled them to be set free from carnal thinking.  This miracle of the re-birth allows the trichotomy of fallen man to be reversed.  The Holy Spirit now directs the thoughts of the mind, which dictates the conduct of the body.

Living "according to the Spirit" involves a yielding and a believing in the clear will of God as revealed through His Word.   The Spiritual mind desires to know and obey the Word of God.  The sword of the Spirit 'God's word' is always clinched tightly in hand ready to wield truth against the enemies lies.
(Ephesians 6: 17)

What things do we set our minds on?  The carnal mind has unction towards the temporary; comfort, pleasure and leisure.  The Spiritual mind is set on the eternal; the glory of God through the salvation and sanctification of men.  The carnal mind seeks satisfaction in worldy things.   The spiritual mind already has found fullness in Christ and in the hope of eternity.  We can not neglect the battlefield of the mind, for this is where the war for our life and peace will be decided.  ~Selah

The Light of Life (John 8:12)

"I am the light of the world  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)

These words are proclaimed to the woman who has been condemned for being caught in the sin of adultery. Jesus has deterred her condemners and has shown her mercy himself.  "I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more." It is in this context of condemning and forgiving sin we see Jesus proclaiming that He is the light of the world.

Light does many things, but of first importance light reveals what things are.  Light reflects an objects true nature allowing it to be seen.  Jesus being light allows us to navigate through the path of life without being deceived.  This woman has been deceived to living a promiscuous life.  When ever we choose to indulge in sin we are choosing to believe a lie and walk in darkness.  Jesus reveals to us God's heart, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)  Once this woman see's the light of Jesus she can now live a life free from the deceitfulness of sin.  "He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness."

Light is also the source of all life on earth.  Light brings photosynthesis to plant life which is the foundation of all other living creatures.  Without light all of us would perish.  Jesus brings us true spiritual life.  He truly is the source and sustainer of all life on Earth. If we follow Him we will no longer be deceived to believing the lie that sin's pleasures bring fulfillment to life. When we make the decision to repent from sin and follow Jesus, we will as Christ promised "...have the light of life."   ~Selah

The significance of 40 (Hebrews 3:9)

The significance of 40- God’s Righteous judgment and testing

Let us consider the significance of the number 40 within the whole scope of scripture. 

Noah’s flood was a judgment upon mankind because God said their thoughts were continually evil.  There was rain for 40 days and 40 nights.  "For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."  (Genesis 7:4)

Moses was called to Mount Sinai to receive the commandments where he was upon the mountain for 40 days.  When he spoke these words the people trembled in fear of God’s judgment on their disobedience. “So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”(Exodus 34:28)

Once the Israelites rejected God’s invitation to enter into the land He had prepared for them, to the time they all perished (except Joshua and Caleb), was exactly 40 years.  “'And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.” (Numbers 14:33)

This was God’s time of testing them to see if they would obey His word or they would reject Him.

“And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Jesus was tested and tempted by the Devil in the wilderness as he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  

“being tempted for forty days by the devil..” (Luke 4:2)

From the death and resurrection of Christ, to the year the Romans sacked Jerusalem and slaughtered the people, marked exactly 40 years.  During which time Josepheus wrote his eye witness account of the destruction;

"The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the spectacle from without. Men and women, old and young, insurgents and priests, those who fought and those who entreated mercy, were hewn down in indiscriminate carnage. The number of the slain exceeded that of the slayers. The legionaries had to clamber over heaps of dead to carry on the work of extermination.”

Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish, and that 97,000 were captured and enslaved.

“The Jewish Amoraim attributed the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem as punishment from God for the "baseless hatred" that pervaded Jewish society at the time. Jesus prophesied Jerusalem's destruction (Mark 13:2; see also Matthew 24 and Luke 19) four decades earlier.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70)

It is un-deniable that the connection between these events and the exact distinction of 40 is no coincidence.  God gave His people 40 years before His judgment fell for their un-belief and disobedience.  God tested his messengers for 40 days before He brought His righteousness.

Consider that those killed in the siege of Jerusalem in comparison to what has happened in our nation in the last 40 years.  Even the holocaust in which over 6,000,000 Jews were murdered still doesn't come close to the carnage that has happened within this country.  

You might be shocked to know that 55,000,000 innocent children have been murdered in this country with consent of our own government since 1973.  God has shown us His amazing mercy and grace for exactly 40 years.  I can’t help but remember the truth of God’s word through the ages, and His sure judgment that came in His precise timing.  2013, the 40th year since abortion has been instituted in this country rings like an alarm clock in my ear.  Will He continue to hold back His wrath?

www.marchforlife.org

Superiority of Christ

Superiority of Christ- Hebrews 3:1-6

“Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.”

In the previous chapters we have seen two equally amazing truth’s of the identity of Jesus.  First that He is greater than angels.  He is not a created being as they are.  In fact He is the creator and sustainer of all things!  We have also seen that Jesus’ humanity was necessary for Him to be a perfect Apostle ‘messenger’ and a High Priest, ‘mediator’ for God.  If Jesus is not like us in our weakness, than his suffering and His humility is incomplete and He would be unable to fulfill His purpose as a savior.  Now we will see that Jesus is greater than the most venerated man in Israel, Moses.

“For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house.”

These Jewish believers are falling away from their faith in Christ and landing back in their comfortable Judaism.  To esteem Moses and the Mosaic law higher than Jesus’ word is like venerating the house more than the builder of the house.  Once again the deity of Christ is exalted.  He was the one that did all the miracles through Moses.  God was the one that gave him the 10 Commandments to proclaim to His people.  He is the one worthy of the glory for He was the builder.

“For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.”

The Jews had a difficult time reconciling the truth of the Gospel and the law of Moses.  They failed to understand that the law was given to prepare the people for the good news of the gospel, it was not ever meant to save them.  It was given to diagnosis the disease of sin, but it would never bring the cure

.

“Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope.”

Moses was a servant of God, but Jesus is His only begotten Son.  This understanding of Jesus’ true identity and our understanding of our own identify as His possession ‘his house’ will give us confidence and a hope that causes us to rejoice! ~ Selah

Holiness

"Be Holy, for I am Holy" (1 Peter 1:16)

God's supreme desire is to be our God and for us to be His people.  What you worship will directly affect who you are.  God says He is Holy, totally separated from all other things.  There is nothing like God at all.  When asked by Moses, "Who are you?"  God could not point outside Himself, for no created thing is comparable to God.  So He said "I AM".  He is God, there is no one like Him at all, His attributes are infinite.

It wasn't until Jesus Christ walked among us and lived an entirely Holy life, did we have any understanding of His Holiness. He is the exact image of God in a man, the perfect representation of Him.  You ask what is God like?  Look to Jesus.   He commands us not to just love each other, He commands us to love as He has loved us.  He modeled Holiness for us perfectly.

Holiness is separation from sinfulness, worldliness, carnality, lust, greed, pride, hate and all things self.  It is not merely a separation from, it is a separation unto something better, God Himself.  True Holiness is an attribute given to God alone. "Holy, Holy Holy, is the Lord God almighty, heaven and earth are filled with his glory."  Holiness can only come from knowing Him who is Holy.  He is the cause, we are the affect. To know more of God is to become more conformed to His Holiness.  The knowledge of God is like medicine, you take it into your body, and it eventually gets into your bloodstream.

May we increase in our knowledge of the Holy one, that we may be conformed to that glorious image from which we have fallen.  ~Selah