A Sabbath Rest For The People Of God To Keep

There is such a flippant attitude in the churches concerning salvation. This is the result of the rejection of the whole counsel of God. Teachers tickle ears with pleasant messages while ignoring the warnings. Many like Joel Osteen and the Word of Faith preachers are teaching doctrines of demons which came out of the occult and Hinduism. This is so horrible and alarming. It is polluting the world.

After addressing the Hebrews regarding the children of Israel who died in the desert, Paul gives a very serious warning that some may fail to reach the rest that is in Christ while it is possible. Paul accentuates the fact that "today" we are not to harden our hearts. Today may be the last day for a person. Our hearts may reach a hardness today and we will not be able to repent tomorrow. God is outside of time and is not waiting for the end, but he wrote to us who are in time, who are in "the vapor" who are in "today".

Do not forget Paul addressed this to "holy brothers". I have noticed before in the New Testament scriptures that Paul would address all the people as believers, but then would give warnings of unbelief and continuing in sin. Paul says those who believe are "entering" God's rest. We see in other places we are to finish the race. Brothers and sisters, I know we cannot earn our salvation, yet there is a clear serious warning in the following passages about disobedience. Why would we be warned about disobedience, if we are lost and have not tasted of God?

I have tasted of God and am very concerned about being obedient. I protect my eyes and ears, continue to to go boldly to the throne of grace, and walk in the realization I have not finished the race yet. I not only want to enter fully into God's rest, but I want to hear "well done thou good and faithful servant". "What will a person give in exchange for their soul?"

Hebrews 4  ISV  We Must Enter the Rest

1Therefore, as long as the promise of entering his rest remains valid, let us be afraid! Otherwise, some of you will faila to reach it, 2because we have had the good news told to us as well as to them. But the message they heard did not help them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened to it. 3We who have believed are entering that rest, just as he has said,

“So in my anger I swore a solemn oath

that they would never enter my rest,”b

even though his actions had been finished since the creationc of the world. 4Somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day as follows: “On the seventh day God rested from all his actions,”d5and again in this passage,e “They will never enter my rest.”f 6Therefore, since it is still true that some will enter it, and since those who once heard the good news failed to enter it because of their disobedience, 7he again fixes a definite day—“Today”—saying long afterward through David, as already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”g

8For if Joshuah had given them rest, he would not have spoken later about another day.

9There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God to keep, 10because the one who enters God’si rest has himself rested from his own actions, just as God didj from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fail by following their example of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. 13No creature can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation.

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us live our lives consistent withk our confession of faith.l 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned. 16So let us keep on coming boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

                                Trust & Obey