Hebrews 3:12) Beware, brethren, lest there be in you and EVIL HEART of UNBELIEF in departing from the living God. (Note: Unbelief is the way of real departure from God. No longer believing.) vs 14) "For we are made partakers of Christ, (IF) we hold on to the BEGINNING OF OUR CONFIDENCE steadfast to the finish line".
Brethren let us recall some of Peters story to help us understand what it is to hold fast the beginning of our confidence STEADFAST TO THE FINISH LINE as we mentioned above. Peter started walking on the water to go to Jesus. He started out in faith. He began his course to Jesus on top of that water in faith and BY FAITH with zero doubt. Things were going great and he was high on life. He was walking by faith and not by sight. But something wrecked his confidence. Something caused his faith to start dangerously failing. Peter for faith killing reasons, he began to doubt. He began to doubt Jesus' Invitational Word to COME, and Peter began to doubt himself. That doubt, that UNBELIEF caused him to start to sink. He took his eyes off of Jesus and began to question, he began to doubt, and then doubts tormenting fear entered him and he lost his inner peace and he lost his souls rest. He began to sink.
When he was in faith nothing doubting, Peter was high on Jesus. But when doubt entered, fear that has torment oppressed him unto a major DOWNER SITUATION AND ATTITUDE. Nothing of or about Jesus changed. ALL the joy robbing stuff took place inside Peter. Real faith can make us very happy and excited in Jesus. But doubt and unbelief will rob us of that happiness and excitement. Lack of faith and confidence in Christ gives place to tormenting robbing fear. Peter, Jesus said. Why did you start doubting?
Such doubting turned Peter's Joy into Sorrow. His peace & confidence into dread and fear. Such doubt caused him to go from treading on top of the water to nearly drowning beneath it. His doubt made him enter SOUL UNREST. Jesus said to him, Peter why did you doubt? Peter did not keep the beginning of his confidence stead fast to the finish line.
Jesus Christ and him crucified and risen from the dead is the foundation, THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONFIDENCE that we BY FAITH are to stay connected to & attached to all the way to the finish line. Paul said Christ lives, dwells, and remains in our hearts BY FAITH (See Ephesians 3:17).
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Lets note some faith and unbelief history of the children of Israel. Hebrews 3:16) For the children of Israel, after they were preached the gospel, rebelled (in unbelief). Indeed those who came out of Egypt, led by Moses (Even Arron) departed from God by doubt & unbelief (Remember the golden calf).
vs 17) Now with whom was God angry with for forty years? He was angry with those who sinned, whose bodies failed and died in the wilderness.
vs 18) And to what people did God swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those people who heard but DID NOT BELIEVE.
vs 19) SO WE SEE that they could not ENTER IN because of UNBELIEF......Notice that they could not enter (The Rest God had for them) because of their UNBELIEF). Who really can?
THEN IN CHAPTER 4 HE MAKES CLEAR THAT WE ENTER LIFE/THE PROMISE LAND, SOUL REST & PEACE, SOLELY by the ASSURANCE of FAITH. Faith in Christ blood.
(Hebrews 11:19( Having therefore brethren, BOLDNESS TO ENTER into the holiest (God's Full Presence) by the BLOOD OF JESUS....
vs 22) Having now entered BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, (entered where?) INTO THE HOLIEST (We are in Gods Presence Now, What is next?), vs 22) Let us draw near to Him (At the Throne of God) with a true (Believing) heart in FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, having (knowing this) our hearts sprinkled from an unworthy conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water (We must believe this)...In other words we are fully assured that by the cleansing blood and water of Christ, EVEN BY that which flowed from HIS PIERCED SIDE & HANDS that sprinkled us, WE HAVE boldness and access with confidence to DAD AT THE THRONE (Ephesians 3:12). By the word and blood and by the Spirit of the redeeming gospel, of the Cross of Christ, by Christ and His blood, God hath MADE US accepted in the family of God HERE, and also by Christ blood, thru faith in His Blood, God as made us accepted AT His Throne THERE. So He says to us like Jesus said to Peter on the water, "COME" and COME BOLDLY:(Hebrews 4:16) (Ephesians 1:6). Hebrews 4:1-3). Do you doubt this?
Hebrews 4:1) Therefore, since a promise remains of entering HIS REST, let us fear lest any of you seem to come short of it. (There is no peace or boldness, or REST in doubt, in lack of confidence, or in UNBELIEF. All three are Joy robbers. Assurance killers. Soul tormenting agitators and Salvation enemies.)
vs 2) For indeed the (soul saving) gospel was preached to us as well as unto them; but THE WORD preached did not profit them, (Why?) NOT BEING MIXED WITH FAITH, in them that heard it. (They did not believe what was preached). (Jesus said those that believe the gospel (ENTER SALVATION) shall be saved (They Profit. They Enter Rest). But He said also that those that BELIEVE NOT (enter not into salvation) they shall be damned. Talk about ZERO REST (See Revelations 14:9-11). (Their unbelief destroyed and condemned them-Mark 16:16).
vs 3) But thank God we who HAVE BELIEVED do ENTER INTO REST......What rest? Vs 1 OF CHAPTER 4- His Rest. Christ Rest. His life of perfect peace with God). God is his God and God is our God. God is his Dad and God is Our Dad....See John 20:15-17).
So we see that in Hebrews 3:12 that unbelief is called evil and that by the sin of unbelief (Romans 14:23) people sink (Matthew 14:29-31), people fall away (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and people depart from the living God (Hebrews 3:12).
Hebrews 4:3) reveals to us that we who BELIEVE the gospel HAVE ENTERED into God and entered into Christ Rest.....And we everyday WALK BY FAITH and not by sight. By faith we stand. By blind faith? No, but by CONSTANT FAITH, CONFIDENCE, AND ASSURANCE in the blood, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as OUR DAILY WAY AND OUR CONSTANT SALVATION. This truth, this gospel of faith in Christ blood, death and resurrection remains in us and we remain in this truth with thankful hearts that believe God and in faith obey His Commandments......
vs 6) Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached DID NOT ENTER in BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF.....Since UNBELIEF keeps one from entering and causes one to fall away, and to depart from God; then it is correct to say by the word of the Lord which we have read in this blog, that BELIEF, believing the gospel preached NOTHING DOUBTING, is what causes us TO ENTER IN, and causes us to STAY IN soul rest and peace and joy, ever cleaving to Jesus, and remaining in Christ Jesus and He in us by abiding faith and trust obedience. As it is written, that Christ may dwell in your hearts BY FAITH (by your constant believing - Ephesians 3:17). This can also be prayed this way and be accurate in TRUTH, "that you would dwell and remain in Christ BY FAITH". (Read Romans 15:12-13 KJV). Amen......deno......please share freely.
Note....What we really believe with our hearts gives our hearts their convictions. When we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, we also are recognizing HIS GREAT AUTHORITY. He is Lord. He is the Lord from Heaven. Even as Paul preached, Jesus is God in the flesh. Knowing this. Believing this, we then learn to more to more bow down our lives to Him and obey His Words (1 Peter 2:1-2) and Lordship over our lives in the Peace and in the Rest His sacrifice gives us with the Father.
If we do not have real bible faith in Christ atoning, cleansing, purifying blood and sacrifice, then we will doubt almost everything. Are we saved by the Cross and blood of Christ and his resurrection? He that doubts says, hmmm, Not sure (No Soul Peace & Rest in that). Are we forgiven? He that is of a doubtful heart says, hmmm, Not sure (No Soul Peace & Rest there). Are we cleansed & made spotless by the blood of Christ? He that doubts says, I wish such were so but I am not really sure (No Soul Peace & Rest in that either), on and on it goes.
Those who are double minded about such things are unstable souls. Their doubt fills them with fear and lack of assurance. Their always in a sinking mode or condition within. They will resort to all kinds of things to drown their doubt and fear. They will go get circumcised thinking such would make them feel more saved and more accepted. IT WANT. They will skin their heads or not cut their hair thinking such has GREAT POWER TO SAVE and to make one accepted. IT WANT IF THEY DOUBT THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL THAT CHRIST PRECIOUS BLOOD SPEAKS......Christ died for our sins punishment and rose again for our newness of life and justification (Romans 4:18-25). This is the gospel. This is the saving message. This is the beginning of our confidence that by faith our hearts are to hold to steadfastly without wavering, all the way to the finish line. Jesus Christ alone is OUR ALL IN ALL.....deno.....God Bless You......please share freely.
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