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Hebrews 4:14, Matthew 15:19-20, Ephesians 3:14f

Hold Fast to Jesus

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 29, 2019

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day (and ours) focus on the externals. They worried about rituals and special observances instead of what’s in the heart. Jesus would often confront them by pointing to the reality of their defiled hearts even though they observe the washing of hands and Sabbaths, etc., according to the Law of Moses. To religious leaders it is all about “behavior” alone and what it looks like from the outside. Jesus, God’s Word, cuts through all that into the core of our being beyond the bone, joints, marrow, and discerns the condition of our heart as verse 12 says. Then in verse 13, he reminds us that no one can hide their thoughts or the condition of their heart from Him. Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 15:19-20, “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Repentance involves more than admitting that we’ve done something wrong. Repentance involves acknowledging the condition of our heart. It’s not just that we have sinned, it’s more of the fact that we are sinners by nature. Sinners cannot enter into the presence of God. The High Priest in Israel would enter into God’s presence, into the Holy of Holies, on behalf of sinners and offer a sacrifice that would make “atonement” for the sins of the people. In 70 AD the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews had no way to atone for their sins. This may have been one of the struggles with the audience of the Letter of Hebrews. But the writer wants them to know that it’s not a matter of “externals” anymore. And as mentioned earlier, Jesus is not only the perfect acceptable sacrifice, He is also the one who offers the sacrifice: the Priest. He’s not just any old priest; He’s the High Priest of us all. He didn’t enter into the presence of God in a physical, temporary Temple. Oh No! Hebrews 4:14 says, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” He’s in the very presence of God in Heaven interceding on our behalf.

One commentator writes, “Our High Priest, Jesus, has ‘passed through the heavens,’ and is now enthroned at the Father’s right hand. His exalted position is the ground of Christian confidence. The earthly High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies but once a year. Our High Priest is now in Heaven where He is seated at the Father’s right hand.”[1] The religious leaders and religious people of today want to “hold fast” to religious obligations and external performances. We’re given “five ways” to get closer to God, for example, as if Jesus didn’t bring us close enough. We’re instructed on what we should do to become better Christians is if Jesus didn’t do enough. To religious people, it’s all about what we “do” instead of what Jesus “did.” According to Paul, the way a Christian matures has to do with the core of our being, our hearts, not with our behavior. It’s about our foundation, our roots! He prays that the Ephesians, instead of trying harder, would sink their roots down deep into God’s love. God’s ultimate demonstration of His Love for us was in His Son, Jesus, on the cross of Calvary. God’s love will send the nutrients into the core of your being through which you will grow and His love in us will produce the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We don’t “hold fast” to ceremonies or washing of hands! We hold fast to the Work of Jesus which cleanses us from all sin.

[1] Charles F. Pfeiffer, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1962), 40.

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Hebrews 4:12-13, Matthew 15:19-20, Jeremiah 17:9-10, 31:3

We All Have Dirty Hands

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 29, 2019

We can’t hide from God. God is, as theologians like to say, “omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.” He is everywhere. He is all-knowing and He is all-powerful. It was once said that Jesus didn’t have to have anyone tell him about people because He knew what was in every man (See John 2:25). These “omni” traits of God are one of two things. First, they can be extremely frightening. We are afraid of a God who watches our every move and monitors our every thought. On the other hand, if we can understand what Jesus has done for us, God’s “omni” traits are quite comforting. He’s with me wherever I go. He knows everything about me. He’s able to do above and beyond anything we could think or ask. The author of Hebrews seems to be pointing this out to his readers so he can encourage them with the truth of the second approach. He writes in, Hebrews 4:13, “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.”

You and I do not have any skeletons in our closets with God. He is intimately aware of every act, thought, and even the motives of our hearts. The deepest, darkest parts of our being are all very well known by God. This verse is following up on Hebrews 4:12 which talks about “God’s Word” being able to cut through the bone and joints and marrow to reach into our deepest regions and even discern between our soul and spirit. He is able to discern “the intentions of the heart.” In Matthew 15:19-20, Jesus mentioned what man’s heart was like. He said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Jesus is identifying himself with the God of Jeremiah 17:9-10. It says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart and test the mind…”

When I preach on God’s “omniscience” (All knowing) my first point is always, “What God Knows about Me.” Of course the obvious answer to that is “everything!” He surely knows the condition of our hearts. We’re not hiding anything from Him. But the beauty in this reality, and what brings real comfort to me is that yes, God’ knows all about me but He loves me anyway. This truth was declared by Jeremiah several times. He said as is recorded in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” God’s love for mankind is the subject of the Old Testament. God’s love finds its ultimate expression on the Cross of Calvary. That’s why Paul says, “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” The Bible is the expression of God’s love for us all in spite of our crooked hearts. The Cross is the ultimate demonstration of that love. Jesus is God’s Word that cuts deep into us and exposes us and cleanses us at the same time. We’re all equal. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. I’ll never understand why we spend so much time focusing on the unwashed hands of others instead of dealing with own dirty hands.

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Hebrews 4:12, Romans 5:8

Jesus is God’s Word

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 29, 2019

I believe Hebrews 4:12 is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says, “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.” The traditional understanding of this verse argues the “the word of God” is referring to the entire Bible. If we’re going to experience God’s rest as mentioned in the first 11 verses of Chapter 4, we’re going to have to spend more time in the Bible. Now, I love my Bible. It’s God’s “word” to all mankind. Don’t mistake my words here! But if we’re going to remain true to the context of this passage, we must at least consider the author referring to God’s Message to us. He’s not talking about the details of Genesis through Revelation. He’s talking about the Good News in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the “logos:” the Word of God in the flesh. The whole Bible is about God’s love for mankind! It’s true from Genesis 1 to the end of Malachi. But in Jesus, “The Word became Flesh.” Romans 5:8 is a key verse to understanding Jesus’ role in fulfilling the whole Old Testament. It says, “But God demonstrated His love for us in this; while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God’s working with man was always a divine work of love but it seems to have been rejected in so many ways. But in Jesus, that Love cannot be denied; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Law is not “living and active” but God’s love in Jesus is! The Law does not touch our being at the deepest parts, but God’s love in Jesus does. God’s law does not speak to us at the deepest level and move our hearts to love God and others in return. But God’s love in Jesus does. When we read New Testament passages that talk about “the word of God” be careful not to relegate that to a simple understanding of the Bible in and of itself. It’s referring to the “message” (Logos) of the Bible, which is God’s love for all mankind exhibited for everyone once and for all on the cross of Calvary. This is what the whole Bible is about! If you maintain your focus on Jesus while reading your Bible you will learn marvelous truths that will change the way you see everything in the world. It will especially change the way you see God and the way you read the Bible.

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Hebrews 4:11

An Exhortation to Rest

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 27, 2019

The Bible, including the New Testament, is full of various exhortations. Many of them are connected to other ideas which must not be dismissed when trying to understand what we’re exhorted to do. In Hebrews 4:1-10, we’ve seen how “God’s rest” is still available for us to enter. It’s not the departure from Egypt that the writer is addressing or the rest Joshua would bring when they entered the Promised Land, but it was Jesus’ rest. It was a more profound kind of rest. It was rest for our souls. The writer compared it to creation rest. After six days of creation God stopped or ceased. The Sabbath (see Exodus 20 devotions) is a time to cease from all our works and focus on the finished work of God. Those who have entered into Jesus’ rest have ceased from their own works just as God has ceased from His on the seventh day. The Israelites were exhorted to stop working and focus on the work that had been completed for them. The same is true for us today. The rest for us is on the Lord’s day. It’s the day we focus all our attention on the work that Jesus completed for us and which He personally proclaimed as “finished” on the cross.

Based on all this discussion, the writer then exhorts his readers in Hebrews 4:11 saying “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” This exhortation is just like the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. How do you keep it holy? “You cease from all your works.” It’s an exhortation alright, but it’s an exhortation to “stop working” and “rest” in the finished work of Christ. Trusting in the complete sufficiency of Christ is not easy. We live in a world of sowing and reaping and it’s nearly impossible in many cases to stop relying on ourselves and our own efforts and simply trust Jesus. I like the brief comment by another commentator: “We must enter that rest. Clearly, the rest is entered by faith; but it takes diligent faith. This shows us that faith is not passive; it takes diligence to trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus and His work for us.”[1]

When the writer mentions “the same sort of disobedience” he’s referring to those at Kadesh Barnea who, instead of trusting in God and His promises, looked to themselves and their own abilities. Disobedience in this case is “unbelief” as the author mentioned earlier. The exhortation is to trust God and His work and not follow the example of those in the wilderness. The Handbook for Translators explains this Greek word for disobedience. It says, “The Greek word means ‘example,’ …it should be made clear that a bad example is meant.”[2] The point of verse 11’s exhortation is to rest confidently in God’s work. It’s not an exhortation to try harder to be a better person, or do more, or give more, or serve more. Another commentator says, “…although we live in one of the most hurried, tense, tumultuous societies that has ever existed, we can experience His perfect rest by maintaining and cultivating our relationship with Him. But we must take time out from our own busy lives to do that.”[3] If we’re ever going to experience Jesus’ rest we have to stop relying on ourselves and fully trust Him.

[1] David Guzik, Hebrews, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Heb 4:11.

[2] Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 82–83.

[3] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 84.

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Hebrews 4:8-10

Trusting in Jesus’ Work

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 27, 2019

I’m of the opinion that the writer of Hebrews is careful with his language with regard to how he addresses his readers. He wants them to be clear on the fact that he’s talking to believers here. He has referred to them as brothers and sisters earlier and included them with himself in those anticipating their heavenly homes. In Hebrews 4:8-10, he refers to his readers as “the people of God.” He writes, “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.”

The translator’s handbook makes this passage a little easier for us. It says, “If the noun rest is rendered as a verb, ‘to rest,’ then that God had promised may be translated as ‘in the way in which God had promised them.’”[1] God had “rest” in mind for His people but it wasn’t the kind of rest they would experience by just sitting down and wiping the sweat from their foreheads. God promised them something much more significant. It would be of a more permanent nature and would be a “rest for our souls.” It was a rest that wasn’t based on what we could earn or deserve. It was a rest based on a finished work of God. It was a true rest from the demands of our lives in a fallen world where sowing and reaping is the rule. It is a rest from all our “falling short.” It’s a rest from all our “failure to measure up.” It’s a rest from all the religious demands and expectations. It’s a true deliverance from the heavy burdens of life and religion that always leave us stressed out wondering if we’ve been good enough. It’s rest from those nagging reminders that we always could have done more!

“God’s rest” is the rest that Jesus calls us to. It’s Jesus’ rest. It’s a rest from the stress and strife of trying to measure up because through our faith in Christ, we know He has measured up to God’s standards for us. He came not to destroy the laws of sowing and reaping or to eliminate the laws of good and evil, but He came to completely satisfy them on our behalf. I don’t measure up. You don’t measure up. Nobody measures up! The writer of Hebrews is well aware of the fact that his readers believe that Jesus opened the door for them and welcomed them into the household of the people of God but they are insisting that to stay in that room, one must keep another list of religious obligations and expectations. There’s no rest in that room. Our eyes are on Jesus until we enter the room and then we must take them off of Him and put them on ourselves again. Once again, we’re trusting in our own works and not in the finished work of Jesus. The only way to enjoy God’s rest in Jesus Christ, is to trust completely in His work realizing it’s so complete, we can add nothing to it! There’s the rest Jesus calls us to.

[1] Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 79.

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Hebrews 4:6-7, Matthew 11:28

Rest from all our Works

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 21, 2019

The author of Hebrews wants his believing readers to understand that the enjoyment of, or entering into, God’s rest is something that must be done every day. There are moments in life where I would catch a glimpse of the grand salvation by grace through faith alone that we have in Christ, but then I go back to work. The alarm goes off on Monday morning. The boss calls me into his office. A homework assignment is due tomorrow. A task must be accomplished by a certain deadline. The bills have to be paid by the end of the month. This world of sowing and reaping in which we all live everyday will drag us back into the “you get what you deserve” system so fast it makes your head spin. But we’re not to let that destroy our faith and trust in Jesus. His rest is still there waiting for us to come back. The author writes in Hebrews 4:6-7, “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.’”

Jesus wanted us to remember him regularly in the communion service. The bread represents Jesus’ body that was offered up for our sins on the cross. The wine represents His shed blood through which we find forgiveness of all our sins. We are called to regularly reflect on the work that Christ accomplished for us. It is something we could never do for ourselves. He was the perfect sacrifice. He was the only “human” that could die a death for all mankind. He not only took upon himself our sins when He died on the cross but also through faith, He transfers His perfect righteousness into our bankrupt accounts. In Him we have peace with God through faith. In Him we indeed find true peace even though we fail in the world of sowing and reaping so often. No one lives up to the standards of the law. Admit it.

Jesus’ invitation to “come to me, all who are burdened and heavy laden” is still there. It has been preserved in Scripture for us all every day. But religion hardens our hearts! We have learned from an early age that we must pay for our own sins! We have numerous ways of saying this in our society. We made our bed and now we must lay in it. If we want to dance we have to pay the piper. If it’s to be, it’s up to me! There’s no such thing as a free lunch! If it sounds too good to be true, it is! Yes indeed, salvation by grace through faith alone sounds too good to be true for religious people. They insist on judging others on a standard of performance that is completely unattainable. With hearts hard to their own sinfulness, the religious people were confronted by Jesus with their own failures. They have hated. That means they have committed murder. They have lusted. That means they have committed adultery. Only hard hearts continue to insist on their own righteousness and measure others based on their own standards. We’ve all fallen short in our own ways and our only hope for rest is in the arms of He who died for our failures and purchased a place for us at His own expense. “Come to me,” He says, “and rest from your works.”

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Hebrews 4:4-5, John 19:30

The Work is Done!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 21, 2019

The Hebrew word for “seven” and the Hebrew word for “rest” are the same word. That of course finds its source in Genesis 2 where God created everything that exists in six days and then took a day off. That seventh day became known as the Sabbath. After the seventh day, a day of rest, God did not pick up His creative activity again. There was nothing left to do. He had accomplished it all. Pentecost says, “Because the work of creation was completed in six days, it was not necessary for God to resume work after a temporary rest. Instead, with the completion of creation, God entered into a permanent state of rest. While God worked in six days to bring creation to its desired conclusion, once that work was completed, no additional work was necessary.”[1] The author of Hebrews begins verse 4 of chapter 4 with this statement: “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.’”

There is a “rest” available to you and me today. Those who trust completely in the finished work of Christ can enjoy this rest. Those who reject Christ have no rest. My mother used to say, “There’s no rest for the wicked.” But I think this writer is referring to Christians who will not enter into God’s rest in this life because they are still trusting in working for it themselves. He has called them “brothers” too often to be speaking to unbelievers. This rest comes in relying completely on the finished work of Christ. Pentecost goes on to says, “How interesting that God Himself is the author of rest! And the divine rest God instituted following creation is still continuing today. That means that although we live in one of the most hurried, tense, tumultuous societies that has ever existed, we can experience His perfect rest by maintaining and cultivating our relationship with Him.”[2]

All the Israelites who left Egypt were God’s people. Yet not all God’s people enter into His rest. In fact, the disobedience of unbelief kept them out and it keeps us out often as well. Don’t think you can enter into God’s rest by doing something to earn or deserve it. Don’t think you can enjoy peace with God if there is still something remaining to be accomplished. If there is something more to be done then we’ll never rest. When Christ said on the cross “it is finished,” He was referring to the work of salvation. When God finishes His work, everything that needs to be done has been done. When Jesus finishes His work, everything that needs to be done has been done. There will never be rest, even for believers in Jesus, for those who do not trust fully in the finished work of Christ.

[1] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 84.

[2] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 84.

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Hebrews 4:3, Galatians 2:21

Resting in Christ

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 21, 2019

In verse 3 of Hebrews chapter 4, the writer says that along with some others he has enjoyed the experience of having entered into God’s rest. He seems to argue that it’s available for all Christians but many do not enjoy it for one reason or another. He writes, “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.” I like the way one commentator explains this verse. He writes, “At the moment—in principle but not yet in full realization—we are entering that rest. As long as we keep our eyes fixed on ‘Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith’ (Heb. 12:2), we enjoy the rest God has promised, and eventually we shall be with him eternally.”[1]

Much of the material Christians read and listen to today presents a flawed view of the Good News of God’s rest for believers. They say that the Gospel is just the starting point for true believers. It’s the door by which we enter, but once we’re in the room, we now turn back to religious expressions and practices in order to grow in our faith. My contention and that of some others is that the Gospel is not a door that gets you into the room in which you try harder. It’s the entire room itself. We enter into the Christian experience by faith in Jesus and what He’s accomplished for us on the cross. But the Gospel message of salvation by grace through faith alone is the place we must abide to enjoy God’s rest. Another commentator says, speaking about this verse, “The author’s application of this principle is that when we—by faith—enter into a life of rest, it is no longer necessary to attain, but only to maintain that rest into which we have entered by faith.”[2]

There is no rest for those who live on the cusp of God’s acceptance based on their own behavior and performance. We’ve already failed on that principle and that’s the very purpose of the law. Paul says it was given to make us aware of our sinfulness. Paul adds in Galatians 2:21, “…for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” Once we believe in Jesus we don’t move on to something better because there is nothing better. We don’t receive our salvation by grace through faith and then perfect it through our own works. The many exhortations directed at believers in the Bible are all, in one way or another, to stay or abide in Christ’s finished work on our behalf. You can’t add anything to that! Relax! Or should I say “rest?”

[1] Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of Hebrews, vol. 15, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 107.

[2] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 84.

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