Hebrews 4:1-3

Summary retelling of Hebrews 4:1-3

The author tells us that the path to being in rest with God is still open to us.  However, we shouldn’t take it for granted.  We should fear for one another and do all we can to make sure that we reach that rest.  Remember that the Gospel of God’s grace goes out to all people equally, but not all people are willing to hear about it and respond.  Those who believe enter God’s rest, but those who do not respond to God’s gift of grace will endure His wrath and not enter into His rest.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The idea of “rest” is going to be an important idea – and in fact tomorrow we are likely going to look at three ways of thinking about “rest” in God.  So today I want to set up that conversation by getting us to think about what rest in God means.  Remember that rest in God is ultimately our goal.  Being with God is rest from being with the world.

When you hear the expression “rest with God” what do you think about?  Do you think about this life?  Do you think about the life to come?  What else goes through your mind when you hear the words, “rest with God?”

Second Thought:

It is God’s desire that all people will come to know Him.  Yet, God also gives us the ability to reject Him.  If He didn’t, then our love would not be true love because we would have no option except to love Him.  Thus, we can say that the Gospel goes out to all equally, but it does not root in all equally.  Some hear and respond to great depths!  Others hear and have no response.  This is a sad reality for me – and I only know a small percentage of the people who have ever lived. I can only imagine how God feels knowing every person who has ever lived and how vast the number is of those who have heard but did not respond.

How does this line of thinking really make us ponder the need for evangelism?  How does this line of thinking really make us understand the importance of knowing the Word of God?  How does this point help us grasp the importance of applying faith to our life correctly and being humble about when we mess that up?

Third Thought:

This part of Hebrews is very clear.  Those who are in God will enter His rest.  Those who are not in God will not enter His rest.  Of course, we must remember that only God can make the decision between who is truly in Him and who is not truly in Him.  That decision is not ours to make – especially as we look at other people.  However, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be clear in our teaching and warn people about the importance of being in and with God.  While I have no right to look at another person and tell them they are definitely not going to Heaven, I have every right to look at them and talk to them about how one receives God’s grace and becomes obedient to God so that one secures the promise of eternal life.  The same is true for all Christians.  We have every right to talk about grace: receiving it and responding to it.

Do you have confidence that you are in God?  If so, why?  If not, where can you find out how to become confident?  Is being confident in your salvation important enough to you to act on it right this moment?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 4:4-7