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Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 11:07 am: |     |
An In-depth Study of Hebrews 4 -- Part Two
The definition of sabbatismos from The New KJV Lexicon makes all kinds of sense in the light of the entire chapter of Hebrews: "a keeping sabbath." That which "keeps" is something that remains without rot or mold or fading or other spoilage--A "keeping sabbath" is a "perpetual" one.
It is a fact that Jesus never instructed his disciples to keep the sabbath. This is not to deny that this is because they were raised in a society that did this already. However, I find it quite interesting that there is no command for the disciples to teach the Gentiles to keep the sabbath. In fact, the only times that sabbath keeping is mentioned in the writings of Paul are to say that we are not to judge one another on the basis of sabbath-keeping.
Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Romans 14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Hebrews 4, of course, speaks of the sabbath, but it shows, like Colossians 2:17, that is was an OT shadow to point to the Reality in our rest from our works to save ourselves in Christ.
To requote, this time from the NRSV:
Hebrews 4:9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
10 for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.*
* Or disbelief.
If you read back in this chapter and in the third chapter, obviously the example that the children of Israel set was the sin of disbelief.
Hebrews 3:7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, `Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'"
They did not believe that God would actually deliver the land of Canaan to them; they were afraid because the scouts sent out by Moses had come back with reports of "giants in the land." Therefore, on the borders of the promised land, they murmured and complained and refused to enter the land that God had promised them. This is what this text means when God declared, They shall never enter my rest; He would not allow them to enter the land of promise and rest from their wandering in the wilderness, not because they would not keep His commandments, but because THEY WOULD NOT BELIEVE HIM.
12 ee to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
God calls us today to enter into rest with Christ. To rest from our foolish attempts to save ourselves TODAY.
16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?
18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
This is a direct reference to the book of Joshua. Remember the story?
Continued in Part III |
Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 11:10 am: | |
An In-depth Study of Hebrews 4 -- Part Three
Joshua 1:13 "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.'
14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers
15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
Obviously the "rest" spoken of in these passages is not the observance of the seventh day sabbath, but a rest from aimless wonderings in the Wilderness of Sin.
When the children of Israel actually entered Canaan, after wandering around restlessly for 40 years, they did not even have to fight; God delivered the land into their hands. Remember Jericho?
But 40 years earlier, the children of Israel did not believe that God would keep His promise, even though He had just brought them out of Egypt with miracle after miracle. So God said they could not enter the promised land because they disobeyed, or disbelieved.
Deuteronomy 1:20 Then I said to you, "You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.
21 See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
22 Then all of you came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to."
This sending out of scouts, in itself, was a lack of faith on the part of the Israelites. God says, "I have given you this land, go and take possession of it." But the Israelites said, "Well, let's scope it out first, to see if it is feasible."
23 The idea seemed good to me;
Evidently, Moses did not quite trust God 100 percent either. Either that or he was again merely trying to placate the grumblesome Israelites. He agreed to the plan. It is a fact also, although it may be unrelated, that Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land either.
so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe.
24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it.
25 aking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, "It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us."
26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.
27 You grumbled in your tents and said, "The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.
28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, `The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.'"
29 Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them
30 The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,
31 and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."
In the same way today, many Christians do not trust that the Lord will carry us "as a father carries his son," all the way to the Promised Land. They continually say, "Yes, but we must do our part." Which indicates, as is pointed out in Hebrews, a lack of faith in the word, the work and the power of God.
32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God,
33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
34 When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore:
35 "Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers,
36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly."
37 because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either.
(A little blame-throwing on Moses' part here...)
So it is with us. The book of John says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will be saved." Yet there are so many Christians who do not believe that God meant what He said. They say, "Yes, Jesus Christ died for our sin, but we have to..." and then they rush on to list the things that we must do. This is not taking God at His word. He wants us to rest from our fruitless attempts to save ourselves. "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart. And you will find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
So what does this have to do with the sabbath?
Continued in Part Four |
Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 11:12 am: | |
An In-depth Study of Hebrews 4 -- Part Four
Hebrews makes it clear that we are to rest from our works to save ourselves in the same way that God finished His work on the seventh day and rested from it.
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
We are offered rest, just as the children of Israel were.
2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can rest in His salvation, knowing that He is true to His word and will save those who believe in Him.
3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.
4 or somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."
Some sabbatarians say that this means that we should keep the seventh day sabbath because God rested from His work on that day. But notice that God rested PERPETUALLY from His creative work on the world (i. e., "His work has been finished since creation.") after the six days of creation. He did not take up His work again on the next day after the seventh. So we are to rest perpetually in Jesus Christ and trust Him to deliver us.
5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."
6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience
Some people will refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is all-sufficient for their salvation. They will continue to try and work to make themselves acceptable to God. In this sense, they have disobeyed the Gospel. They have refused to believe that Jesus Christ is their full salvation and they need nothing but His life and death to save them to the uttermost.
7 Therefore God again set a certain day,
This is in contrast to the seventh day sabbath. This is yet another day.
calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
So you see this passage is not a call to keep the seventh day sabbath. This is a Gospel message calling all to believe in the sufficiency of the work of Christ in our behalf, TODAY. We are to enter His rest TODAY. The very fact that the author of Hebrews uses this word (today) indicates perpetuity. It is ALWAYS today. And it does not say to "rest the seventh day of the week"; it says to rest "TODAY."
Is is OK to keep the sabbath? Of course. But nowhere in the New Testament is there a call for the Gentile Christians to keep the sabbath. The sabbath, circumcision, eating meats offered to idols, even the "Big Ten" (Heb. 10)--all of these signs of the Old Covenant and shadows of the Reality to come were meaningless now in the light of the cross. The Reality--Jesus Christ and Him crucified--is the light of the world which made the shadows disappear. |
Jtree
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 11:28 am: | |
EXCELLENT STUDY DR. Patti...
Actually today, I am really taking a SABBATH (RESTING) I have been slavishly overworked in the past 3 months. Between 60-80 hours a week, Thank God, that He is there, resting my mind, so I can work steadily.
Serving Him.
Joshua |
Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 11:34 am: | |
Thank you, Josh!
So good to hear from you!
Don't work too hard, now. There are more important things in life (such as enjoying living!)
OK, OK, I won't preach. I just know about being slavishly overworked. My sweet hubby had only a single day off from working from Feb 14 until Sept 27. And I am including Saturdays and Sundays! It took a toll both on him and on our relationship (not a horrible toll, but a definite one). Fortunately, he has been granted some relief.
Anyway, thanks again!
Always good to hear from you. |
Max
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 11:57 am: | |
Any study of Hebrews that omits the results of
salvation in the life of the believer is
unbalanced and distorted. According to
Hebrews, here are the practical results of
salvation by FAITH alone.
NIV Hebrews 10:
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have
confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the
blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way opened for us
through the curtain, that is, his body,
21 and since we have a great priest over the
house of God,
22 LET US DRAW NEAR to God with a sincere
heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty
conscience and having our bodies washed
with pure water.
23 LET US HOLD UNSWERVINGLY to the
hope we profess, for he who promised is
faithful.
24 And let us consider how we may SPUR
ONE ANOTHER ON toward love and good
deeds.
25 Let us NOT GIVE UP meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but let us
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER--and all the
more as you see the Day approaching.
26 IF WE DELIBERATELY KEEP ON SINNING
AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, no
sacrifice for sins is left,
27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment
and of raging fire that will consume the
enemies of God.
28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died
without mercy on the testimony of two or three
witnesses.
29 How much more severely do you think a
man deserves to be punished who has
TRAMPLED THE SON OF GOD UNDERFOOT,
who has treated as an unholy thing the blood
of the covenant that sanctified him, and who
has INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE?
30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to
avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord
will judge his people."
31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God.
32 Remember those earlier days after you
had received the light, when you stood your
ground in a great contest in the face of
suffering.
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to
insult and persecution; at other times you
stood side by side with those who were so
treated.
34 You SYMPATHIZED with those in prison
and joyfully ACCEPTED the confiscation of
your property, because you knew that you
yourselves had better and lasting
possessions.
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it
will be richly rewarded.
36 YOU NEED TO PERSEVERE so that when
you have done the will of God, you will receive
what he has promised.
37 For in just a very little while, "He who is
coming will come and will not delay.
38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And
IF HE SHRINKS BACK, I will not be pleased
with him."
39 But we are not of those who shrink back
and are destroyed, but of those who believe
and are saved.
Blessings to all! |
Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 12:40 pm: | |
Hebrews 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
Hebrews 10 begins by telling us that the law (all of the law, btw) is a shadow of our full salvation in Jesus Christ.
SDAs claim that this refers to the "ceremonial" aspect only, but please notice the context of this chapter: this about the perfecting of the believer:
2 If it could, (make us perfect, that is)would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
If the law, as exemplified here by the sacrificial system,had a literal innate power to remove sin, then the believer would have been perfected after a single sacrifice, and would no longer feel guilt, or in New Covenant terms, feel his need of a Savior.
3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
Instead of an actual remedy for sin, the sacrifices served to make the people aware of its constant presence in their lives. This is in perfect agreement with Paul in this passage in Galatians:
Galatians 3:19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
20 A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith,
Why?
4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews is such a wonderful book. I never really appreciated it until the past year or so. In previous chapters, we read about how Christ is not only the fulfillment of, but is greatly superior to the prophets, the sabbath, the Aaronic priesthood. This chapter tells how He is superior to the law. The law could never deal with the sin problem. Here the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that, just as Paul says, the law came, and he died, so the sacrifice system did not take away guilt; in fact, just like the "moral" aspects of which Paul speaks, the law promotes and produces guilt. Paul says,
Romans 7:8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.
9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
So you see the sacrificial system served the same purpose as the rest of the law: It produced an acute awareness of sin in the life.
Back to Hebrews 10:
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, `Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'"
8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).
9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
This passage speaks of being "made holy." Holiness cannot be found without "moral" implications. The point of this passage and the Romans passage is that no one can be made holy by any law. We are made holy only by the "sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
The shadows (the law--all of it) cannot begin to compare with the revealed Reality. Whereas the law brought guilt and death* (though many wish to believe that it it brings life), the Reality brought holiness to all who will believe.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,
14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."
We see clearly in this verse that the writer of the book of Hebrews is not speaking merely of the "ceremonial" law. It would make no sense to say that the law that Christ writes in our hearts is the sacrificial system. It is the entire law; it is even more than the entire law; it is everything that the Lord requires us to do; it is sinless perfection of character. And what is this based upon? The forgiveness of sin:
17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Christ is the fulfillment of all of the law. "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4. Not just the "ceremonial" law, but the whole ball of wax: the sacrificial system, circumcision, the health laws, the feasts, our moral duty to God and man. And the "Big Ten."
In short, there is only one kind of righteousness that we can possess: the spotless perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only righteousness that is truly righteousness. You know what Isaiah says about all of our own feeble attempts to be holy. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." But Christ provided the sacrifice that truly takes away sin.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Another theme of Hebrews is steadfast confidence in the saving work of Jesus Christ.
The writer continues by telling us that since we have this strong assurance, since we know that we have been saved to the uttermost, then:
24 ...let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
25 et us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
And just what is this deliberate sin that makes us "fall from grace"? Read on:
28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished WHO HAS TRAMPLED THE SON OF GOD UNDERFOOT, WHO HAS TREATED AS AN UNHOLY THING THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT THAT SANCTIFIED HIM, WHO HAS INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF *GRACE*.
This is not speaking of sins of commission; this is speaking of the sin of DISBELIEF, as discussed in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. It is the "shrinking back" that is described in verse 38 below. Of rejecting the grace so freely offered in Jesus Christ. Of not fully trusting in God's promise to save those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ.
30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."
31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.
Is the author speaking of our own "works" here; it is obvious to me that "standing your ground" refers to holding fast to the "light"; the Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ alone. When one preaches the Gospel, persecution is inevitable, because the Gospel "is foolishness" to the unconverted and it cuts directly against the grain of the human ego that wants to actively control and be a participant in his own salvation. When I found the Gospel, or, I should say, when the Gospel found me, I thought my peers would be just as excited to hear the Good News as I was at having been opened to it. On the contrary, for the unconverted, the Gospel is a double-edged sword, and they immediately begin their campaign to smear the theologies and the characters of those who preach salvation by the mercy of God alone.
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Again, the writer of Hebrews speaks of "confidence". What is the foundation of that confidence? Notice these verses:
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain MERCY, and find Grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
That confidence comes of the assurance that the doing and dying of Jesus Christ ALONE is sufficient for our full salvation; that not just our individual sins are forgiven, but that WE are forgiven. Completely. Not because of our faith, belief, repentence, confession, sanctification or any thing in us, but BECAUSE OF THE WORTHINESS OF THE LAMB OF GOD.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
37 For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.
And of what does this "perseverence" consist?
38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
It comes of believing and not shrinking back. It comes of absolute confidence that Jesus Christ is faithful and He will save us as He has promised. The righteous will LIVE by faith. We live now as if we were already on the other side of glory. We can be confident. Christ has died and left us a glorious inheritance.
39 BUT WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO SHRINK BACK AND ARE DESTROYED, BUT OF THOSE WHO *BELIEVE* AND ARE SAVED.
There is the answer. Isn't it wonderful? And it fully supports the Gospel as clearly outlined in Romans and the Gospel of John.
He who believes HAS ETERNAL LIFE. Right now. By faith in the blood of Christ. May God keep us in the wonder and the assurance of His remarkable saving act in our Lord Jesus Christ.
|
Max
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 1:30 pm: | |
The Old Testament law, all of it, was indeed a
shadow pointing to Christ. Scripture says
Christ did not come to destroy the law but to
fulfill it. He fulfilled it by showing that he IS the
law! He is the law within us! Here's scriptural
proof:
NIV 2 Corinthians 3:3. "You show that you are
a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry,
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the
living God, not on tablets of stone but on
tablets of human hearts."
Blessings to you! |
Denisegilmore
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 4:42 pm: | |
Wow Patti,
You really did a great job on this study. It helped me tremendously. Our God is a Mighty God! This entire study couldn't have been more perfectly timed. Our Lord Jesus Christ is amazing in His love.
Thank you for putting so much time into this Patti.
God Bless you,
Denise |
Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 4:56 pm: | |
Thank you, Denise.
I am always amazed (though I shouldn't be) how the Bible always seems to provide us with answers if we just allow it to.
Thank you for your kind words.
Grace and peace,
Patti |
Joni
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 4:58 pm: | |
Patti,
I really enjoyed your rest study. I remember when I realized that I was saved by faith and not works. It was a REST. Later when I read Heb., again, about rest, I went to the OT and marked every word (rest) with a green highlighter, green is rest to me, and I found it very interesting that the children of Israel had no rest. God offered rest in many places but they refused. I am resting in Christ Jesus for salvation and from works. I now have peace. A fruit of the Holy Spirit. I just think that God is AWESOME!!! |
Patti
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 5:55 pm: | |
Joni,
Your words make me very happy!
You wrote:
I found it very interesting that the children of Israel had no rest. God offered rest in many places but they refused.
What a great study! I need to do that myself. You are affirming exactly what is being brought out in Hebrews 3 and 4! All the Israelites had to do was to trust God Who, in spite of their stubbornness and hard-heartedness, still wrought many miraculous saving acts for them.
But the greatest saving act of all was in the mission of Messiah. And, yet again, they refused to believe, preferring instead the safety of their own righteousness and traditional beliefs.
God IS awesome, Joni! It may not be that big a deal to save YOU, but it was really something to save a wretch like ME!
J
Thank you for your thoughts.
Grace and peace always,
Patti |
Cindy
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 9:17 pm: | |
Patti, so good to look into Hebrews again! Thank-you...
The "24/7" Sabbath Rest in Christ is so wonderful!!, I can't help but wonder WHY some feel they must constantly keep focusing us back on the EFFECTS of this wonderful salvation...
Can't we just REST and REJOICE!!! in the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!!!??
Is there a fear that if we preach and focus on Christ there will be no work of the Holy Spirit in anyone's life?
I maintain that in preaching the historical facts of the life and death of Jesus there is a real Power let loose!! Here, at the Cross, is where the miracle of the Holy Spirit is, and the new birth takes place!!
Preaching the EFFECTS of Redemption will not result in this miracle of the new birth, but only in (as Oswald Chambers writes),
a "refined spiritual culture; and the Spirit of God cannot witness to it because such preaching is in another domain."
"The Gospel of the Grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the revelation which it brings is not palatable. There is a certain pride in man that will give and give, but to come and accept is another thing."
"I will give my life to martyrdom, I will give myself in concentration, I will do anything, but do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ."
And this message of the Cross is something we need to hear again and again.
As the old song goes,
"Tell me the story of JESUS...Write on my heart every word! Tell me the story most precious...sweetest that ever was heard!"
Grace always,
Cindy |
Max
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 9:36 pm: | |
"Resting and rejoicing" IS focusing on the
effects of wonderful salvation! And, in addition,
so is wishing many blessings to all! |
Cindy
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 10:22 pm: | |
Okay, Max! You seem to be able to get in the last word... and I won't be staying up as late as I did last night! :-))
You are right! "Resting" and "rejoicing" in the good news of Jesus IS an "effect" of hearing the proclamation of the message of the Cross!!
I think we have some continuing disagreements over the SUPREMACY of the preaching of the Gospel; and perhaps even in what the Gospel or Good News message really is...
Still, I would very much like to meet you sometime! Many blessings upon you, too!
Grace always,
Cindy |
Max
| | Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2000 - 10:34 pm: | |
Thanks Cindy, and God's good night to you
too. |
Darrell
| | Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2000 - 3:10 pm: | |
Cindy, don't worry about Max getting in the last word, there is always another day! Patti, Bacchiocchi in his book "Sabbath in the Crossfire" makes the claim that "Today" in Hebrews 3 & 4 should be interpreted to mean the present age, rather than each day. His claim fails because of Heb 3:13, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today." Other translations say "each day" or "day after day". |
Max
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2000 - 3:24 am: | |
Patti, Jtree, Denise, Joni, Cindy, Darrell, ... ,
and any I may have missed, God bless you all!
It's been sheer delight trading Scriptures with
you!
Max of the Cross |
Terry
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2000 - 10:24 am: | |
Patti,
Thanks, so much, for the study. I have printed it out...want my mother to read it. Pray that she will, as any disparaging, even using Scripture, of the weekly Sabbath she shuns.
Terry |
Patti
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2000 - 11:18 am: | |
I hope so, too, Terry.
The sabbath is a tough nut to crack with SDAs. Even with formers. It took me awhile. And in talking with other formers, it is nearly always the last thing to be let go.
I think this is because SDAs do not merely worship on the sabbath, they worship the sabbath. It becomes idolatrous in that they replace the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives (sealing us to God) with their own sabbath-keeping. It has been their definitive distinguishing mark all their lives and they have built their lives around it. It is tough to let go of.
(Having said that allow me to clarify: It is not necessary to let go of sabbath-keeping in order to be saved; but it is necessary to let go of any notion that it has anything to do with our salvation, which is in Jesus Christ alone.) |
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