“There is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.” – Hebrews 4:9
Hebrews 3:12-19; 4:1-3 “For only we who believe can enter his rest.”
Hebrews 4:6-9
God’s spiritual rest is available for us here now and on that day when Jesus returns.
The people first reading Hebrews were being called away from following Jesus and the difficulties it had incurred. You want to be free from hardship and oppression? Think that leaving Christianity is the way to do that? No. Believe in Jesus, the way to the promised rest of God.
What does it mean to “harden your heart” against God? (heart: thoughts, emotions, and decisions)
To become more self-focused than God focused ie: more likely to rely on myself than God, more likely to follow my direction than God’s direction, more likely to trust myself than God, more likely to love myself than God
What does God’s sabbath rest and the rest of God’s promised land have in common?
- A place of peace, free from challenge that impacts life.
- A place of peaceful uninterrupted relationship between God and people.
- A peaceful place where a life of healthy strength and joy are possible.
The saving grace of Jesus Christ:
- brings us into a right standing relationship with the living God of peace
- frees us from trying to cleanse ourselves spiritually from the mistakes of our past
- gives us a new healthy life of peace, strength, and joy to taste now that will be ultimately fulfilled in a Heavenly future
- provides us with personal identity, value, and purpose
What should we do about this?
- Receive the saving grace of Jesus and respond to it.
- Spend relationship time with God, asking for a responsive heart.
- Hold to what we believe about Jesus our powerful, qualified, gracious Savior.
- Tell someone about the saving grace of Jesus.