Hebrews 4:1-11

Hebrews 41Therefore, since a promise remains of

entering His rest, let us fear lest any of

you seem to have come short of it… 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter

that rest, lest anyone fall according to

the same example of disobedience.

Hebrews 412 For the word of God is living and

powerful, and sharper than any two-

edged sword, piercing even to the

division of soul and spirit, and of joints

and marrow, and is a discerner of the

thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from

His sight, but all things are naked and

open to the eyes of Him to whom we

must give account. 14 Seeing then that

we have a great High Priest who has

passed through the heavens, Jesus the

Son of God, let us hold fast our

confession.

15 For we do not have a High Priest who

cannot sympathize with our

weaknesses, but was in all points

tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the

throne of grace, that we may obtain

mercy and find grace to help in time of

need. NKJV

Hebrews 4 12 For the word (logos) of God is

living (zon) and powerful (energes),

NKJV

Hebrews 4 12 …and sharper than any two-edged

sword,

NKJV

1Thessalonians 213 For this reason we also thank God

without ceasing, because when you

received the word of God which you

heard from us, you welcomed it not as

the word of men, but as it is in truth, the

word of God, which also effectively

works in you who believe. NKJV

“A sword with two edges has no blunt side: it

cuts both this way and that. The revelation of

God given us in Holy Scripture is edge all over.

It is alive in every part, and in every part keen

to cut the conscience, and wound the heart.

Depend upon it, there is not a superfluous

verse in the Bible, nor a chapter which is

useless.”

C.H. Spurgeon

Hebrews 4 12 …piercing even to the division of

soul (psuche ) and spirit (pneuma),

NKJV

1Thessalonians 523 Now may the God of peace Himself

sanctify you completely; and may your

whole spirit, soul, and body be

preserved blameless at the coming of

our Lord Jesus Christ.

NKJV

“While it has an edge like a sword, it has also a

point like a rapier, ‘Piercing even to the dividing

asunder of soul and spirit.’ The difficulty with

some men’s hearts is to get at them. In fact,

there is no spiritually penetrating the heart of

any natural man except by this piercing

instrument, the Word of God. But the rapier of

revelation will go through anything.”

C.H. Spurgeon

Hebrews 4 12 …piercing even to the division of

soul (psuche ) and spirit (pneuma), and

of joints and marrow,

NKJV

Hebrews 4 12 …and is a discerner(kritikos) of the

thoughts and intents of the heart.

NKJV

You see, the Bible does not deal with acts

primarily. What the hand does is because of

what the heart thought. The heart had the

action of the hand in hand before the hand got

hold of it. Therefore the Word of God goes

down and deals with the heart. The Lord Jesus

said, “For out of the heart proceed evil

thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,

thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt.

15:19).

My, that’s a filthy list, but that is what is in your

heart and mine. “The heart is deceitful above all

things, and desperately wicked: who can know

it?” (Jer. 17:9). No man can, but God does. The

Word of God gets down and deals with the

nitty–gritty of our hearts. It gets down and

meets us right where the rubber meets the

road, right down where you and I live and move

and have our being. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles

(Hebrews 1-7) (electronic ed., Vol. 51, p. 86).

• God’s Word brings true health, fruitfulness and

success to what we do (Psalm 1:3).

• The Word of God has healing power and the

power to deliver from oppression (Psalm

107:20, Matthew 8:8, Matthew 8:16).

• God’s Word cleans us. If we take heed

according to God’s word, our way will be

cleansed (Psalm 119:9, John 15:3, Ephesians

5:26).

• The Word of God, hidden in our hearts, keeps

us from sin (Psalm 119:11).

• God’s Word is a counselor. When we delight in

God’s word, it becomes a rich source of counsel

and guidance for us (Psalm 119:24).

• God’s Word is a source of strength (Ps. 119:28).

• God’s Word imparts life. It is a continual source

of life (Psalm 119:93 and Matthew 4:4).

• God’s Word is a source of illumination and

guidance. When God’s word comes in, light

comes in. It makes the simple wise and

understanding (Psalm 119:105 and Psalm

119:130).

• God’s Word gives peace to those who love it.

They are secure, standing in a safe place

(Psalm 119:165).

• When the Word of God is heard and

understood, it bears fruit (Matthew 13:23).

• The Word of God has inherent power and

authority against demonic powers (Luke 4:36).

• Jesus Himself – His eternal person – is

described as the Word. When we are into the

word of God, we are into Jesus (John 1:1).

• Hearing God’s Word is essential to eternal life.

One cannot pass from death into life unless

they hear the Word of God (John 5:24, James

1:21, 1 Peter 1:23).

• Abiding – living in – God’s Word is evidence of

true discipleship (John 8:31).

• God’s Word is the means to sanctification (John

17:17).

• The Holy Spirit can work with great power as

the Word of God is preached (Acts 10:44).

• Hearing God’s Word builds faith (Romans

10:17).

• Holding fast to the Word of God gives

assurance of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:2).

• The faithful handling of the Word of God gives

the ministers of the word a clear conscience.

They know that they did all they could before

God (2 Corinthians 4:2 and Philippians 2:16).

• The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is

equipment for spiritual battle, especially in the

idea of an offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17).

• The Word of God comes with the power of the

Holy Spirit, with “much assurance” (1

Thessalonians 1:5).

• The Word of God works effectively in those who

believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

• The Word of God sanctifies the very food we

eat! (1 Timothy 4:5).

• The Word of God is not dead; it is living and

active and sharper than any two edged sword.

The Word of God can probe us like a surgeon’s

expert scalpel, cutting away what needs to be

cut and keeping what needs to be kept

(Hebrews 4:12).

• The Word of God is the Christian’s source of

spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2 and 1 Corinthians

2:1-5).

Hebrews 4 13 And there is no creature hidden from

His sight, but all things are naked and

open to the eyes of Him to whom we

must give account.

NKJV

My friend, your life is an open book to Him.

People ask me, “Do you think we ought to

confess everything to Him?” Well, why not?

He already knows—you might just as well

tell Him all about it. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles

(Hebrews 1-7) (electronic ed., Vol. 51, p. 86). Nashville: Thomas

Nelson.

Hebrews 4 14 Seeing then that we have a great

High Priest who has passed through

the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let

us hold fast our confession.

NKJV

Hebrews 4 15 For we do not have a High Priest who

cannot sympathize with our

weaknesses, but was in all points

tempted as we are, yet without sin.

NKJV

• 52% of Americans agree, either strongly

or somewhat, that while He lived on earth,

Jesus Christ was human and committed

sins like other people.

• 46% disagree, either strongly or

somewhat, that Jesus committed sins

while on earth, and

• 2 percent aren’t sure.

© Barna Group, 2015.

1Peter 118 knowing that you were not redeemed

with corruptible things, like silver or

gold, from your aimless conduct

received by tradition from your fathers,19 but with the precious blood of Christ,

as of a lamb without blemish and

without spot. NKJV

“Yet He endured triumphantly every

form of testing that man could endure,

without any weakening of His faith in

God or any relaxation of His obedience

to Him. Such endurance involves more,

not less, than ordinary human

suffering.”

F.F. Bruce

Because Jesus never yielded to sin, we

know that he faced more intense temptation.

Most of us say “yes” to sin before Satan has

thrown all his weapons of temptation at us.

Jesus said “no” as Satan hurled every arrow

in his quiver. He resisted until he broke the

power of Satan (Heb. 2:14). Lea, T. D. (1999). Hebrews, James (Vol. 10, p. 74). Nashville, TN:

Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Let me illustrate this for you: A boat standing in

water can only tolerate so much pressure. If the

pressure becomes too great, there will be a rip

in the hull of the boat and water will come in,

and thus the pressure is removed. That is the

way you and I are—we give in to the pressure,

we yield, and then the pressure is gone. Jesus

never did yield, and therefore there was a

building up of pressure that you and I never

experience.

In the same way, the cars of a freight train all

have a weight limit which they can carry. If that

limit is exceeded, you will have a swaybacked

car, one that is bowed down in the middle. It

gives in—it can only carry so heavy a load.

That is true of all of us. We can carry just so

much and not any more. May I say to you, the

weight of temptation Jesus Christ could carry

was infinite—He was tested without sin.

But He was tested, and for that reason He

knows how we feel. We have a High Priest who

understands us. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles

(Hebrews 1-7) (electronic ed., Vol. 51, p. 88). Nashville: Thomas

Nelson.

Hebrews 4 16 Let us therefore come

boldly (parrhesia) to the throne of

grace, that we may obtain mercy and

find grace to help in time of need.

NKJV

In The Tomb

CHAPTER 4 PRINCIPLES

• Rest Is Promised - God provides his people

the rest of his presence.

• Rest Comes By Faith - Faith in God’s

promises through Jesus is necessary to

reach God’s rest.

• Rest Comes From Jesus – Jesus gives us

that Sabbath-rest and peace. Let us be

diligent to rest in Him.

• His Word Is Living And Powerful -

Listening to God’s message can help us

understand the barriers to God’s rest in our

lives.

• The Word Calls Us To Account –

Everything is naked and open to Him.

• The Word Gives Us Boldness - Jesus can

sympathize with our weaknesses and

failures. God offers his mercy and grace for

those who boldly seek it as we rest in Him.