NEVER ENTER GOD’S REST. Hebrews 3:10-11 The writer of Hebrews reminded the readers how their ancestors tested God by displeasing Him openly and challenging Him inwardly through ignoring His ways. As a result, they did not enter the promised land, and the rest God desired for them and with them. God’s rest has several meanings in Scripture. He rested from creation on the seventh day, which began the Sabbath rest. He also intended to rest with His people in the promised land. There is rest for those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is an eternal rest of life that we do not yet experience because of the limitations of our bodies.
The condition of the hearts of the Israelites, despite the gracious “voice of God,” was to willfully test God through presumption against Him. Their unbelief provoked God’s “wrath” and holy justice, preventing them from entering the rest He intended to lead them to. Unbelief is an evil that comes from the heart when a person chooses a sinful life, religious rituals, and shuts down any desire or fellowship with God.
Some people may say that this does not apply to us, but sin and rebellion in anyone have consequences. Those who ignore the loving warning of God because they rely on their own opinions are fools. Education of the mind has no lasting value if one’s heart is not right with God. All kinds of evil come from within the heart of man. The consequences of not submitting to the “ways” and "doings” of God are missing out on the rest that fellowship with God provides.
Knowing what God does is one thing; understanding His ways is quite another. Having a personal relationship with God in life depends on knowing both what He does and why. Unbelievers are not interested in “the knowledge of God’s ways.” We don’t have to wait until we die to experience eternal life and its benefits, including aspects of our heavenly inheritance. The joy of fellowship with God’s people, spiritual growth as we read the Bible and receive answers to prayer, and the sense of hope and peace we can live with daily are part of our heavenly inheritance. We have been raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places.
Because of our profession of faith in Christ, we will face conflict and persecution of various kinds. Like the Hebrew believers, we are called to stand our ground with courage and commitment. The rest we have in Christ is a preview of what we will share with God in the eternal world that lies ahead. A sense of failure and defeat can stifle the urgency of living for Christ today. Those with weak knees and hands that hang down have not truly entered into the rest of faith.
Listen to God's voice through His living Word. Do it today. This call is not only for sinners to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, but also for us who know Him; each time we hear His voice through the challenge of the Gospel message or biblical teaching from the scriptures, we are encouraged to live our lives for God and be wholeheartedly submissive to what He says.
Trust Him, accept what He says, and all He gives. Listen to Him with ears and hearts of faith. Make God’s word your own, and live today with confidence and assurance in His love. Accept and use the power of the endless life we have. Do the will of God today and find the blessings it brings. Live a life guided by the grace of God, and trust that tomorrow can be even better than today.