Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(Heb 4:6) “Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:”  The gospel was first given to Israel during the days of Christ Jesus. The nation’s leaders crucified Him. After the resurrection, the gospel continued to be preached to the Jews first. Just as with lost Gentiles, lost Jews would not believe unto salvation.

 (Heb 4:5) “And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.”  The word which will be stressed is the word “if”. Not all who journeyed with Israel arrived at the destination. Why not? They were not resting (trusting, believing) the Lord Who was leading the way.

(Heb 4:4) “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.”   The Holy Spirit is using this rest, the surety of the completion, to tell us God rested from/on His work of redemption to be and was made on the cross. We can trust whatever God says for He always keeps His Word: (Dan_4:35) “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” 

(Heb 4:4) “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.”   The “rest” spoken of here is not “a stopping for the restoration of one’s being”, but “a state of mind based upon the surety of a coming event”. A born again child of God can “have peace” regarding the future resting upon the fact that our God cannot lie nor fail.

(Heb 4:3) “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”  Think of it: the atonement for Adam and Eve (animal skins removed from a sacrifice) was based on the completed work of Christ; as well as your forgiveness in mercy shown to you; and the judgment of both the saved and lost at the end of time; all known and acted upon by God because of that work. 

(Heb 4:3) “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”  The plan of the eternal, not locked in time and space God, was known, seen, and accomplished before God made this world, or man had ever sinned. The cross was not only determined and settled in God’s mind, but also accomplished in action in the eternity of God. Everything God did from Adam’s creation to the end of the ages was  and wil be based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(Heb 4:2) “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”   “Faith” as used in the Bible is not “a mental acknowledgement of truth”. Bible “faith” is one that moves to action based upon that belief. In this case, to repentance accompanying a desire to be saved from judgment.

(Heb 4:2) “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”  “Us” and “them”: not the Children of the Wilderness and Believers today, but we who are sure of heart and those who “seem to come short of it” (v.1). 

(Heb 4:1) “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”   I made the statement, “There is a difference between being religious and truly loving the Savior.”  You see, when one loves God for His Son, the Son for His suffering bearing one’s sin, they are willing to sacrifice self in order to live to please Him. Yet, so many have no history of doing so, yet will say “I am saved”.

(Heb 4:1) “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”  There is a difference between being religious and truly loving the Savior; between professing and one’s life showing possession of Christ living in them. The Holy Spirit within the truly saved prompts them to certain actions. If one has not demonstrated such promptings, one probably is not saved.