Hebrews 4:1-11, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
I love this passage of Scripture, because it contains so much richness in doctrine. The Gospel is so simple dear reader. I marvel how anyone who professes the name of Christ, could believe that more is required to get to Heaven, than simple childlike faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible plainly teaches that we are saved by RESTING in the finished redemptive work of Christ. God the Father loved humanity so much, that He sent His only begotten Son into the world, to die on the cross for everyone's sins. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Literally, God loved you so much that He was willing to die for you. Repeatedly in the inspired Word of God we are taught simply to BELIEVE on the Son of God to receive eternal life. Eternal life is free, easy and simple to obtain, just take God at His Word as recorded in the Scripture!
Our text passage from Hebrews 4:1-11 teaches that God created the universe, and then rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2:2, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Likewise, just as God ceased from His labors and rested, the Bible teaches us to cease from our own labors, and rest completely in the finished work of Jesus Christ. This is the way to Heaven. We are not saved by what WE DO, but by trusting what Jesus has ALREADY DONE. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.
The Old Testament Sabbath Day was a ceremonial law under Mosaic law, a shadow of things to come. Hebrews 10:1, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” This is an important Bible verse to learn and understand, because it separates the foreshadowing law from the reality that it symbolized. God established the Sabbath Day in Exodus chapter 16 to commemorate the seventh day on which God rested from his creative labors. God fed the Israelites in the Wilderness, giving them the bread of manna in the morning, and the meat of quail in the evening. Exodus 16:25-26, “And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.”
On the Sabbath Day a Jew was forbidden to work, gather sticks, light a fire, or do any thing other than rest. This symbolized the coming Lamb of God, the Messiah, in whom men rest for salvation. This is why we read about an Israelite who was stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath Day, because it represented adding works to faith to be saved, which is a perversion of grace. God thought it was important enough a matter to take a man's life away from him for collecting sticks on the Sabbath Day. Numbers 15:33 and 35, “And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. ...And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.” With that truth in mind, carefully consider the gross theological flagrancy and wickedness of religious leaders; namely, John MacArthur, Steve Pettit, Ray Comfort, John Piper, Paul Washer, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Charles Finney and other reprobates, who corrupt the Gospel of free grace by adding human effort (works) to it.
We've all seen our own shadow, cast behind the light shown by the sun; but when the sun is directly overhead the shadow vanishes away. Likewise, when Jesus Christ died on the cross and raised up from the dead, He became our Sabbath Day in whom we rest for salvation. The ceremonial laws were no longer needed, because they had already served their purpose. This is why we read in Colossians 2:14-17, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Jesus is the divine fulfillment of what the Old Testament Sabbath Day represented and foreshadowed. Hallelujah, glory to God, great fluffy biscuits in the morning, what an awesome truth!!!
Dear friend, are you resting in the finished redemptive work of Jesus? Hebrews 1:11, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” The word “labour” in Hebrews 1:11 doesn't mean to do works to be saved; but rather, to simply trust the Savior. The Lord Himself confirms this truth in John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” The only “work” that you can do to be saved is to get out of the way, by ceasing from your own labors, and resting completely in what Christ has already done for you on the cross.
The bad news is that you are a condemned sinner, and so was I before I was saved (Romans 3:10-23). You and I deserve to go to Hell and be punished for our own sins forever (Romans 6:23). But God in His unconditional love made a sacrifice for you, sending His only biological Son to be rejected, despised, shamed and crucified on a criminal's cross, to pay our massive outstanding debt of sin (Romans 5:6-9). To be saved, simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He died, was buried and after three days physically resurrected from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). This is the 'Good News' (Gospel) that saves them that believe. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
I read this beautiful quote from Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) about the Gospel:
Amen! Dr. Jones taught the simplicity that is in Christ. The Gospel is the “Good News” that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and three days later He bodily resurrected from the dead for our justification (that is, that our faith in Him could be justified by a risen Savior). Anyone who receives the Gospel as their own is saved. Please make it your own dear friend! Claim it as your only way to Heaven!“Men are not saved by analyzing the truth of the Gospel. They are saved by accepting the truth of the Gospel. It is true, whether men believe it or not. It is as true as the multiplication table. Men use the multiplication table to do what the multiplication table is supposed to do. The Gospel will do what it is supposed to do. 'It is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” chapter: Preaching, Evangelism, page 123; Bob Jones University Press, Inc., © 1942
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