“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11)
Hebrews 3 speaks of “rest.” Chapter 4 elaborates on this. God rested on the seventh day of His work of creation. The Israelites, who travelled from Egypt to the land of Canaan, were also promised a time of rest. God determines a new day when that rest can be achieved. Today is the best day to obtain that rest. Therefore, we should not delay or allow ourselves to fall back into unbelief. Relapsing into unbelief means that the rest is not for you. God swears that you will not enter into that rest. Therefore, do your utmost to obtain that rest. Be guided by the Word and submit to its authority. His Word is like a two-edged sword.
The recipients and readers of the letter to the Hebrews lived in difficult circumstances. They suffered severely from social exclusion. Those around them urged them to abandon their faith in Jesus and return to their former beliefs. The writer’s response is: ‘Don’t lose heart.’ They are urged to persevere. Remember Jesus and hold fast to your confession of faith in Him. Stick together and encourage each other to remain faithful. Keep up the fight against sin and don’t be tempted to disobey. The reward for working is rest. If you overcome the battle against sin, you will be granted eternal rest.
Fight against unbelief! Persevere in difficult circumstances! Focus on Jesus. He has entered into rest before us.
