
Hebrews was written by the Holy Spirit to aย people who believed they knew Jesusย Christ as Savior. Most everyone who read this letter had heard the voice of Jesus, whether in reality or spiritually. Most everyone had made a decision to follow Jesus. All the readers attended church, and probably gave a tithe, said a prayer, read the Old Testament, and took communion. By manโs measure of salvation, they were there, they could stand up and testify they knew they were going to heaven when they died. Some say it is hard to understand, others say it has some passages that are difficult to interpret. Everyone says there are passages that are hard to explain to young Christians.ย Hebrews is not normally the book given to new believers to study. However, this bookย is exactly what new believers need. I believe that the writer had young believerโs in mind as he or she penned it. They need to understand this truth, and learn the importance of living in it.

This letter is powerful but difficult to understand.ย Plain but obscure. Pointed yet vague at times. Beforeย we dig deeper into Chapter 4, I must be very honestย and blunt with you, for our author is very blunt as well. Most preachers do not preach honestly about what we are going to begin discussing in Chapter 4. They either ignore it, spiritualize it or gloss it over with a thick coat of marine varnish so it appears shiny. I will not gloss it over, and if this truth makes you uncomfortable, a little squirmy, then great. This is what the Holy Spirit wants. In order to grasp the truth of Chapter 4, we need to understand the underlying purpose of Hebrews. Hebrews presents several Contrasts to bring home the truth:
CONTRASTS
A. Hebrews is a Study inย Contrasts (differences)
- ย
Jesus vs Angels โ 1 & 2
- ย Jesus vs Moses – 3
- ย Jesus vs Joshua – 4
- ย Jesus vs the Old Testament High Priest โ 5
- ย Jesus vs Abraham – 6
- ย Jesus vs Mechizedek – 7
- ย Jesus vs the Old Covenant – 8
- ย Jesus vs the Earthly Temple – 9
- ย Jesus vs earthly sacrifices – 10
THE KEY CONTRAST IS: DO YOU SHARE OR NOT?
B. Those who share in Christ andย those who do not
(they have noย life, no rest-now and forever)
- Christ came to bring many sons to Glory-He had to do what was necessaryย to restore this world to the Glory of God and to bring many sons to God
Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all thingsย exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of theirย salvation perfect through suffering.
PROOF THAT HEBREWS IS ABOUT WHETHER YOU SHARE IN CHRIST OR NOT
Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children shareย in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the sameย things, that through death he might destroy the one who hasย the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Christ had to become exactly like us in fleshย and blood so that we could share in His Life and victory
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenlyย calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
- Through Christ, we share in a heavenly calling, whereby we can hear theย Voice of God
Hebrews 3:14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold ourย original confidence firm to the end.
We share in Jesus Christ
Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once beenย enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in theย Holy Spirit,
- We share in the Holy Spirit, and He brings certain assurances with Him.
Hebrews 12:10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed bestย to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share hisย holiness.
- We share His holiness through His discipline
Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,ย for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 12:1 We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
C. How do you know if you share in Christ?
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE WORD OF GOD?
The Writer gives us the Key and it is the Word ofย God.
I want you to look at something that will at first appearย obvious, but then I want to bring it a little closer to yourย heart:
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of Godย and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by theย word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at theย right hand of the Majesty on high,ย
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed byย the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of thingsย which do appear.
Right away the author lets us know that all of creationย understands the Power of the Word of Christ!ย You will never realize the power of His Word without faith.
Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: butย the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in themย that heard it.
Hebrews 4:6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those whoย formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
Lack of Faith and Disobedience are tied together. Evidenced by refusal to hear theย Word!
The Jews in the wilderness actually begged Moses to stop speaking the Words of God to them! They stopped their ears and “NO MORE!” Hebrews 12:19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; whichย voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to themย any more:
- The truth is that many people hear the Word of Power, butย most do not know its power, because they are unwilling toย believe and obey
How Do You Know if you share in Christ?
The Word is Alive to You!
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than anyย two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints andย of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- The Word is only powerful to those who are honest in theirย heart, and willing to submit to the power of the Word
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who haveย spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the endย of their conversation.
- Faith and Obedience to the Word of God extends to thoseย who preach the Word for they Evidence the reality of Faith by their Lives
D. The Greatest Contrast has to doย with your Heart. (Chapter 3 & 4)
Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in anyย of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fallย away from the living God.
Yes, the truth is that regardless of your view of Salvation, whetherย Arminian or Calvinistic, whether you can lose your Salvation or whether youย believe in once-saved always saved-the truth is that your heart is the KEY to whetherย Jesus Christ makes any CONTRAST in your life!
God does not sit up in heaven and say โyes, you are saved because you saidย a prayer when you were 8.โ That is how we tend to judge whether we are saved or not.. That is a man-centered viewย of Salvation.
God has a different determination of whether you are saved or not. He details it in theย Letter to the Hebrews. It has to do with your heart-whether it believes or not! Godย doesnโt just listen to your confession of belief, He looks into the darkest corner of yourย heart and sees how that confession of belief interacts with your life.
God wants to see contrast, a contrast with your life in comparison to the lives ofย those who donโt care. You say you care and you are saved, but God wants to see aย contrast.
Belief that actuates the Power of God to affect yourย life everyday is the aim of Hebrews.
EVIDENCE OF A BELIEVING HEART
You are either dead to God, or you have His life. Iย donโt care how alive you think you are. If your lifeย has not been affected by the Word of God and theย Holy Spirit, you are dead to God.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh isย no help at all. The words that I have spoken to youย are spirit and life.
You can say a prayer, you can join a church, you can get baptized all in theย strength of your flesh and will, but if the Word of God and the Holy Spirit have notย touched your life in such a way that you obey in faith, you are dead.
Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, butย according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal ofย the Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 2:1-7 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which youย once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of theย power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedienceโย among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out theย desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, likeย the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great loveย with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made usย alive together with Christโ by grace you have been savedโ and raised us upย with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, soย that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his graceย in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Here is evidence that you share in the Life of Jesus Christ:
1 John 5:4-5 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.ย And this is the victory that has overcome the worldโ our faith. Who is it thatย overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Rest in Christ. Does that mean you donโt do anything? No, what it doesย mean is that you are yoked to Him and He is your primary focus. He gives ย rest to your souls no matter what news you are hearing, or what situationย you are facing.
- The Word of God that penetrates your heart on a daily basis. (Manna)
- Power to overcome the Giants of sin.
- Courage and Confidence in the face of trials and hardships.
ARE YOU RESTING IN THE REALITY OF A LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST IN HISย VICTORY?
- The FOCUS of your belief is toย actuate the REST we have in Jesusย Christ.
- The FOCUS of the Jews in theย Wilderness was to get to theย Promised Land, a place of REST
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, letย us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Hebrews 4:3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, โAs Iย swore in my wrath, โThey shall not enter my rest,โ โ although his works wereย finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
Hebrews 4:10 for whoever has entered Godโs rest has also rested from hisย works as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us therefore strive (1 below)ย to enter that rest, so that no one mayย fall by the same sort of disobedience.
- “to make effort, be prompt or earnest :- do (give) diligence, be diligentย (forward), endeavor”
- Not working as if it depends upon you, but effort born from a sense ofย urgency and need.
- Knowing that our ways are opposite Godโs ways
This is not talking about heaven. This is talking about NOW! God wants us to know andย experience the Belief that brings the Life of His Son into our lives. This is eternal life. Thisย is the Promise. This is the Rest!
As Paul said, we SIT with Jesus in the Heavenlies! We REST in Him! That Restย is evidence of our salvation.
Is Salvation confidence in a prayer, or even in a better life you think you areย experiencing?
Not according to God’s Word. Salvation results in a change in your life and your desires!
Here is Evidence that you do not share in the Life of Jesus Christ:
1. Being overthrown in the wilderness (the world).
1 Corinthians 10:5-6 Nevertheless, with most ofย them God was not pleased, for they wereย overthrown in the wilderness. Now these thingsย took place as examples for us, that we mightย not desire evil as they did.ย
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise ofย entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest anyย of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Fail to reach โ hystereล (see footnote 2)ย –to be last, behind, posterior in place or time. In theย NT, figuratively of dignity, condition, strength and the like, to be behind,ย inferior, to lack (see footnoteย 3) –ย fall short of recognition by God.
- Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that noย โroot of bitternessโ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many becomeย defiled;
Christians are to Overcome the World by their Faith and Belief in God and His Word!
- For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the worldโ our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 ย
2. Having an Unbelieving Heart

- Look at what happened in the Wilderness because of unbelievingย hearts:
Exodus 17:1-7 All the congregation of theย people of Israel moved on from the wildernessย of Sin by stages, according to theย commandment of the LORD, and camped atย Rephidim, but there was no water for theย people to drink. Therefore the people quarreledย with Moses and said, โGive us water to drink.โย And Moses said to them, โWhy do you quarrelย with me? Why do you test the LORD?โ But the people thirsted there for water,ย and the people grumbled against Moses and said, โWhy did you bring us upย out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?โ Soย Moses cried to the LORD, โWhat shall I do with this people? They are almostย ready to stone me.โ And the LORD said to Moses, โPass on before the people,ย taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staffย with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you thereย on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come outย of it, and the people will drink.โ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of ย Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because ofย the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD byย saying, โIs the LORD among us or not?โ
- Testing God by thinking He doesnโt care about your situation.
- Turning back to the world and what it has โ Achan
- Relying on your own strength to get what you want.
- Not believing and obeying God.
3. Living in your Flesh
Numbers 13:30-31 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, โLetย us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.โ Then theย men who had gone up with him said, โWe are not able to go up against theย people, for they are stronger than we are.โ
The Jews did not believe they could take the land, so they refused and desired to go back to Egypt, in spite of seeing all that God had done! Then Moses pronounced God’s judgment upon them, that they would never be allowed to enter the Promised Land. So they said, let’s go in and show God that we can do it!
Numbers 14:39-45 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel,ย the people mourned greatly. And they rose early in the morning and went upย to the heights of the hill country, saying, โHere we are. We will go up to theย place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.โ But Moses said, โWhyย now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will notย succeed? Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck downย before your enemies. For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facingย you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back fromย following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.โ But they presumed to goย up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenantย of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. Then the Amalekites andย the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated themย and pursued them, even to Hormah.
The REST of God is a REST that is supernatural, it can not be attained by fleshly efforts. They were doomed to encounter defeat!
TO GOD, THE PROOF OF YOUR BELIEF IS WHETHER ORย NOT YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO HIS REST.
- This REST is only possible in Jesus Christ!

(1) Because Christ is Exalted above the Angels,ย being the Creator God and Managing thisย Creation with His Life:
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we haveย heard, lest we drift away from it.ย ย
The Danger is that we miss out on LIFE by drifting away from our Saviorย ย He will roll up all the old and useless stuff in a coat-do you want to be rolledย up too?
(2) Because Christ is our mighty Captain, having become a man yet stillย conquering sin and making atonement for us,ย
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling,consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
ย If we are to share a heavenly calling, we will focus our lives upon Jesusย ย Jesus has shown us that He the truth from God.ย ย Jesus has shown us that He is our High Priest who can be trusted and findย comfort in.
(3) Because Jesus is the Builder and Faithful of Godโs House:
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, letย us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
ย We must watch our hearts, lest we fail to reach Godโs house.ย ย The promise of rest requires our cooperation, desire and effort.
(4) The Rest which Christ promised is His Rest but it is not a passive rest.
His Rest is built on a bed of LETTUCE, as the next post will show.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentleย and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Romans 4:16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise mayย rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspringโnot only to the adherentย of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is theย father of us all,
- 1 Corinthians 2:5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but inย the power of God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, โMy grace is sufficient for you, for myย power is made perfect in weakness.โ Therefore I will boast all the more gladlyย of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, โWrite this: Blessed are theย dead who die in the Lord from now on.โ โBlessed indeed,โ says the Spirit, โthat they mayย rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!โ
More on how to obtain this rest in the next post…
1ย “to make effort, be prompt or earnest :- do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour” James Strong, Strong’s Talking Greek &ย Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “4704”.
2 James Strong, Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book,ย Under: “5302”.
3 Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary โ New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993), WORDsearchย CROSS e-book, Under: “hystereล“.
REST: Usage Notes: signifies “to cause or permit one to cease from any labor or movement”ย so as to recover strength. It implies previous toil and care.William E. Vine, Vine’sย Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words, (Nashville, TN:ย Thomas Nelson, 1940), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “Eased”.
anapaรบล; fut. anapaรบsล, from anรก , again, and paรบล , to cease, giveย rest. To give rest, quiet, recreate, refresh (Matt. 11:28; 1 Cor. 16:18; Phile. 1:20); inย the mid. / pass. form, to be refreshed (2 Cor. 7:13; Phile. 1:7, 20; Sept.: Prov. 29:17;ย Isa. 14:3; Ezek. 34:15). In the mid., anapaรบomai, to rest oneself, to take one’s restย
(Matt. 26:45; Mark 6:31; 14:41; Luke 12:19; 1 Pet. 4:14; Rev. 6:11; 14:13; Sept.: Deut.ย 33:20; Esth. 9:16; Job 10:20; Prov. 21:16; Isa. 13:20, 21; 27:10; Mic. 4:4). In relation toย 1 Pet. 4:14, compare the Sept. of Isa. 11:2, where anapaรบomai is also applied to theย Holy Spirit resting upon Christ.ย Deriv.: anรกpausis , inner rest; epanapaรบล , to cause to rest;ย sunanapaรบomai , to rest with or together.Spiros Zodhiates, The Completeย Word Study Dictionary โ New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993),ย WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 156-157.
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