Growing In Grace

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Opening Prayer

Holy God, sovereign, faithful and generous in mercy, I wait in eager anticipation of Your word to me today.

Read Hebrews 4:1–11

^[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. ^[2] For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. ^[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 works have been finished since the creation of the world. ^[4] For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” ^[5] And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” ^[6] Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, ^[7] God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” ^[8] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. ^[9] There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; ^[10] for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. ^[11] Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Meditate

“The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of the spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to him. It is by believing that we enter into his rest (4:3); it is by obeying God by faith, and surrendering to his will, that the rest enters into us” (“Warren Wiersbe).

Think Further

What is rest (1)? Grace is rest. There is nothing we can do to earn that grace, and nothing can make God withdraw the offer. We simply rest in his grace. However, as in many other places in Hebrews, the writer says something more. Entering the Promised Land was a picture to the Hebrew nation of having arrived, but it was not the end of their obligation to honor and obey God. They had to realize in everyday life what it meant to be in the land of promise. Their rest as well as ours belongs to the future, not just the past. How they and we continue on this journey of trusting God evidences how much we have entered into the reality of receiving salvation. “For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God’s goal for us, we need to be careful that we’re not disqualified” (Heb. 4:1, The Message).

Similarly, when a person is convicted about the quality of their Christian life, saying simply “let go and let God” does not do justice to the “be careful” (1) or the “make every effort” (11) teaching of Hebrews 4. “It is God’s work to make us holy. But neither can any Christian hope to be conformed to the likeness of Christ in his everyday life simply by making sure that he does nothing about it. It is a strenuous, costly business to be a Christian. Believers must strive to enter the rest of the people of God (11)” (Raymond Brown).

Apply

It is not easy to enter into intimate fellowship with God. How goes it with you?

Closing prayer

Lord, today I rest in Your grace that saves me. Jolt me out of hardness of heart and spur me to an ongoing, vital relationship with You.

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