Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:11-13
I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 4:1-13, as I move on to what the commentary describes as the third division "Entering with the Word," which looks at Hebrews 4:11-13. Here, the commentary calls out how the text in v11 reinforces the exhortation to "strive to enter [God's] rest." Key to this effort is how we encourage one another daily (see Hebrews 3:12); the commentary shares how corporate worship enables this encouragement: "[t]his is one of the things we do every Sunday in corporate worship when we sit under the preaching of the Word of God. This is what we do when we sing together. This is what we do when we pray together. This is what we do when we fellowship together. We gather in corporate worship to encourage one another to be fully satisfied in Christ and in him alone, lest we fail to enter his rest." The commentary then pivots to how the text in v12-13 highlights the Word of God and the key role it plays to helps us avoid "falling away." It shares that "[s]ince God is the author of Scripture, it is not a dead book. As God lives, Scripture lives....Thus, Scripture, because it is God’s Word, is alive and life giving. The Bible is not a bunch of dead, lifeless words. It is the living Word of God. It accomplishes everything God wills. As the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah, 'so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do' (Isaiah 55:11)....The description of the Bible as a sword that can pierce and divide the soul demonstrates the invasive quality of the Word....it is Scripture that reads us. Scripture untangles the human heart and unearths sin like no other book can. No other book can discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Only God’s Word can do that....In conjunction with the Holy Spirit, the Word of God cuts through the sin and darkness of the human heart to restore spiritual health and vitality for Christ. Without the Word, we are as good as dead. God’s Word, however, eradicates the disease of the human heart and breathes life where there is death....Without the Word, we are as good as dead. God’s Word, however, eradicates the disease of the human heart and breathes life where there is death....Scripture strips us bare before our own eyes and before the eyes of God because it exposes God’s ineffable character. As Calvin famously stated, “It is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked on God’s face, and then descends from contemplating him to scrutinize himself” (Institutes, I.I.2). God gives us the gift of Scripture so that we will not follow the example of Israel’s disobedience." Worship and commune with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and read/study God's Word!
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who provides the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and Your Word, so that I am armed to not fall away...thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of these blessings. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
