Fear What?

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. Hebrews 4:1

We who have received the perfect atonement of Jesus Christ are forever IN HIM, having been redeemed from slavery to sin. The Jews who came out of Egypt with Moses were redeemed from slavery to sin and the world, which were represented by pagan Egypt. They belonged to almighty God, the sovereign of the universe. They had witnessed great miracles leading up to that exodus experience, and as they continued their journey to the Promised Land, even more miracles were done for them.

Yet they were cynical about God’s provision and fearful of their circumstances. That is not trust. That is not faith. That does not testify to the perfect love and faithfulness of God, to Whom they belonged. They had believed enough to be redeemed (purchased out of the slave market and made free), but did not believe enough to trust God for daily necessities of life.

For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.” Hebrews 4:2-5

God’s rest is the believer’s place of greatest blessing. God rested on the seventh day because His work of creation was done. Nothing needed to be added. He was satisfied with the completeness of His work.

His work of salvation is also completed, in the perfect atonement of the cross, which was clearly represented by the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of the Children of Israel, purchasing their salvation from Egypt. So, though the method of communication is different in the Church Age, the reality is the same. We are redeemed out of the slave market by His Finished Work! There is nothing we can add to that, and nothing He needs to add to that, and having done that for us, we can be assured of His constant care. Of what, then, should we be afraid? Answer: lack of faith. Failure to trust Him. UNBELIEF! That is an offense to our Lord. It is blasphemous to doubt His perfect love and provision. It makes Him angry (Hebrews 3:11,18-19).

They were still His people, but could not fully experience the blessings He had in store for them, because they had no capacity for blessing. We can talk about our salvation, our spirituality, our love for Jesus Christ all day long, but when we worry and fret over our circumstances we are not trusting Him. He did not bring us out here to kill us! He is leading us to our promised land, our place of greatest blessing; His Rest. Those fretful Jews died in the desert because they could not trust Jesus Christ to know their needs and take care of them, though He was doing just that every step of the way. They died without ever entering into His Rest. That is the one thing we Church Age believers need to fear. We are assured of eternity with Him, but our mission on earth is to represent His character and we cannot do that without total faith in His perfect Word of Truth.

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7

The exodus generation failed the test of faith, but the opportunity is open to us. His Word is still freely available to every generation of mankind, and God's Rest is always potential for those believers who will heed and trust His Word. When? Today. Any day we have exposure to God’s Word, we must not ignore it or scoff at it or misconstrue it. It is our very life. We must listen, learn and apply everything we can comprehend of God’s written Word, in order to achieve the relaxed mental attitude God wants to establish in His people.

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Hebrews 4:8-10

“Sabbath:” day-by-day, moment-by-moment, complete trust and relaxation that God’s Word is absolutely true; that everything needed for our salvation is done; that since God saved us and has left us here in the world, He has provided everything we need to navigate this world. Perfect peace of mind, no matter the apparent adversities. Worry warts don’t have peace. They have constant turmoil of soul; for fear that the One Who created and saved them cannot keep them saved, or even provide for their physical needs. They have no concept of Sabbath. They are depending on their own works. Human good is no good. Human viewpoint is bad judgment.

There is one work for the believer:

Let us therefore strive (labor, KJV) to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11

Our goal as Church Age believers: Learn God’s Word. Believe God’s Word. Relax. Enter His Rest.