COME ENTER INTO HIS REST

Introduction

Do you doubt your salvation and think you are not ‘good enough’ and thus must work to keep it intact? Do you wonder if your best efforts may still bring you short of salvation? One of Satan’s most successful weapons against Christians is busyness. We tend to substitute our private walk with God with various acts of service seeking to please Him with these. Like the Church of Galatia, we seem to perfect our salvation with works. In this study we will take a look at the place works should occupy in our Christian life. The original readers of Hebrews were Jewish Christians who were being tempted to lapse back into Judaism, a religion of rituals and legalism because of persecution. Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land is a type of the rest God has reserved for Christians.

Focal Passage(s): Hebrews 3:7-19,4:1-11

Central Truth

Our salvation in Christ is sure and anchored. His blood is enough and we are saved by grace but our new faith must reveal a visible change in our works and lives. James 2:17-18

Memory verse: “For we who have believe do enter into that rest…” Hebrews 4:3

What Rest did the Jewish Christians need?

“Let us fear lest any of you seem to have short of it”

They were to demystify the theological theory which seemingly suggested that they needed to works and rituals to complement the atoning Blood of Christ in order to maintain our salvation. They were just to trust in the saving grace of Christ.

What is there for us(Christians) now?

A warning! We have heard the same news that became unprofitable to them when they heard it.( because they lacked faith to mix with it). What do we do? Watch on repeat their mistake.

When God calls us into His Rest, we are called into a progressive fellowship with Him, which spans the duration of our deliverance from sin into eternity. These are

Our Past Rest: SALVATION

We need to rest in our trust of Jesus as our Saviour, having accomplished it before the foundations of the earth and secured it forever. Because it has been already finished works should cease. It is a rest already ‘entered’. Hebrews 4:10, 10:14

Our Present Rest: SANCTIFICATION

It is not guaranteed yet because it carries a conditional clause ‘if ...’ and it depends upon our acting faith. The Israelites couldn’t enter the Promised Land (because of unbelief), though it was a rest promised them. This rest requires our conscious effort though it is the work of Christ in us. We should ‘labour … to enter into that rest’. It remains yet to be entered. We enter into it when we

Stop trying to impress God with our works.
Desire to know Christ intimately
Remain obedient and willing to do the Master’s will

Since it is not effort, we need to trust Christ and allow Him to work in us and through us.

Our Future Rest: GLORIFICATION

It is the promise of Heaven unto believers. ‘There remains therefore a rest to the people’. Abraham searched for the city whose Maker and Builder is God. Hebrews 4:11, 11:10

Conclusion

Good works would not get us anywhere neither can a casual mental consent to the truth of the gospel or to the deity of Christ earn us our salvation. Unbelief is acknowledging the existence of God but denying His power.

Questions

a) Is Hebrews 4:1 applicable today? Why are Christians often not able to rest in Jesus Christ?

b) What gospel was preached unto the? How can we profit from that gospel today?

c) Did God provide your salvation? How long will it last?

d) How long must you wait before you know that you are finally saved?

e) For how long are we perfected once the Blood of Jesus has cleansed us from our sins?

COME ENTER INTO HIS REST

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