Truth #273 - To enter into rest, trust in His Word - Hebrews 1-4

Hebrews 4:11-13
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Truth:  If we wish to enter God's rest we must trust in the validity and power of His spoken and written Word.

The readers of this letter to the Hebrews were tempted to fall back into Judaism, so either supplant or augment their faith in Christ.  Either way, the writer of this book wants them to be careful to trust solely in Christ for their salvation and for their walk through life.  Yet, the teaching of the day was pushing them to a Christ-Plus Philosophy.  In part, like the believers addressed in the book of Colossians, they were tempted to think angels and special worship services would draw them closer to God and purer for God.   The writer of this book warns them that just like the unbelief of the Israelites in the Old Testament had failed to enter into the "rest" of the promise land, so, too, they could fail to enter into the rest, now promised in Christ.   But, the writer doesn't simply give them the warning to "be careful" and then go on to other issues.   The writer tells them that we are to "strive" to enter into "that" rest ... "for" the Word of God is ...!    The key to make sure we don't fail to miss this "rest" in the person of Christ is complete and utter faith and trust in the Word of God.  Why?  Because God's Word is powerful (obviously the Scriptures ... but more than just the Scriptures ... God's Word no matter when and where spoken is meant here).   It is God's Word that spoke the world into existence.  It is God's Word that sustains the universe (Hebrews 1:1-4).   It is God's Word that will judge the dead and the nations.   "No creature" is hidden from His sight, and all are "naked and exposed" to His eyes.   The very source of the rest (faith in His Words) will become the very tool of His judgement to those who don't rest in His Word.