Hebrews 4

Verses 1-5, “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.  For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place:  “They shall not enter My rest.” Since eternity is on the line, we need to conduct ourselves with fear and reverence toward God, so that we do not fall short of His grace. We cannot spend our time fearing and pleasing man, who has no real power over us.  Luke 12:4-5, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”  Hebrews 13:6, “So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' ”  Out of this fear should come an obedience to God. If He speaks...we listen and obey!

Do not think that just because you know the word and can tell others about the miraculous works of God that you are all set. The word must be received in belief, or faith, in order for it to be profitable for you. In other words, you must actually DO what it says, showing that you truly believe. Verse 2, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”  If you believe the word, you will act upon what you hear. You cannot continue making excuses for your sin, justifying why your actions are "technically" not sin, and using grace as a covering for your intentional sin. It is not only the things that are clearly printed in the Bible that matter. If God has dealt with you on an issue and you are refusing to obey Him, that is sin too! James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” You can sacrifice all you want to God, but if you have refused to obey Him in a matter, all the sacrifice in the world will not make up for your disobedience. 1 Samuel 15:22, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”  To refuse our Father is acting like a foolish, stubborn child and displays a lack of faith in who God is. We expect more than that from our own children don't we?

Verses 6-7, “Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”  The Jews did not enter the rest of the promised land because of their disobedience and unbelief; therefore, we need to wake up and heed the warning. If you hear Him speak and do not obey, you too are hardening your heart. So why do you think that you will enter His rest? You have been deceived by your sin and believe a lie. Verse 11, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” You will not enter eternal rest without diligence, which requires concentrated effort and hard work. We cannot sit back and coast our way into Heaven. The sway of the enemy and our flesh is just too strong. If we are not on guard, we will end up drifting away from the faith. That is why we are told to be diligent to enter, learning from the example the Jews set for us.

The word has the power to discern our thoughts and intentions, and divide the truth from the lies. Verses 12-13, “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. 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.”  We all will give an account using the word as the standard by which to measure. Ignoring the word or reimagining its meaning is not going to help anyone on this day. Therfore, we should examine our own hearts before God. II Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”  1Corinthians 11:30-32, “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

Time is too short for excuses! We need to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. God will give us the strength, if we have the desire to do what is right. But it remains our choice and free will. Sinning willfully after you know the truth is wickedness worthy of judgment not grace. Hebrews 10:26‭-‬27, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”  Knowing the days we are living in and that time is short ought to motivate you toward righteousness, laying aside filthy works of the flesh in anticipation of His coming.  Romans 13:11-14, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”