Hebrews 4:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, While the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered (today) let us be afraid (to distrust it) lest any of you should think he has come to late and has come short of (reaching) it." Verse 2 says, "For indeed we have had the glad tidings (Gospel of God) proclaimed to us just as truly as they (the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them); but the message they heard did not benefit them because it was not mixed with faith (with the learning of the entire personality of God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom and goodness) by those who heard it. Neither were they united in faith with the ones (Joshua and Caleb) who heard (did believe)."
Here we find the answer to His rest that is promised through Jesus. Just like them, we haven't allowed our faith to move us into a place of rest. They did hear, but would not put faith in what they heard. For whatever reason they doubted, makes no difference. All that matters is they doubted.
As new covenant people, we have heard the Good News that came to us by God's Word and His prophets. Even Jesus Himself preached the completion of the Law through His Own sacrifice. At one time or another we've read about the cross in His Word from the prophets. Isaiah 53:1-12 (Amplified) says that, Jesus bore our sins (with the consequences) in Verse 11. We also read in Isaiah 54 :1-17 that Jesus bore our sickness, our oppression and our entire penalty that was due us, came upon Him. God declared in Verse 9 that, "For this is like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you."
When God swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, did they? Why then, do we have a problem believing God will not be angry with us or rebuke us? Is it not the same God Who swore? Why can we believe one part of His promise and not the other? This lack of faith in God's promise is why we don't enter into His rest.
God declares in Isaiah 54:14 (Amplified) that, "You shall establish yourself in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order) You shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you." Verse 15 says, "Behold; they may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from Me. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall fall and surrender to you."
God has plainly state that because of Jesus, He won't be angry or rebuke us. He won't stir up strife against us and even oppression won't be for us. Through Jesus, we are to establish ourselves in righteousness. Why then is not the "rest" of His truth living in the heart of God's people? Because, we haven't mixed what God's told us with faith.
We've used a million excuses why God's Word isn't working in our lives. We've said that, "None are righteous, no not one" and "healing has passed away" and "God is using this sickness or oppression to teach me" and the age old foolishness of, "You can never know what God may do."
There isn't any faith in any of these man made excuses that will stand up to the truth of God's Word. Like the Israelites, we've refused to put faith in His covenant of peace.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (Amplified) says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways yours ways, Says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
God didn't says that we're stupid and He is so much smarter than us. He says that we need to understand what His promises are by the mind of the Spirit. In his carnal thinking, man still tries understanding these verses concerning Jesus. But, God says that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and we should allow our thoughts to be His thoughts.
Isaiah 1:18-19 (Amplified) says, "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, thought your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool."
Let me ask you this....If my sins are red like crimson, then what happens to my crimson sins when the red Blood of Jesus covers them? They are blotted out and are completely invisible in Jesus' Blood.
Colossians 2:14 (Amplified) says that, "Having cancelled out and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bone) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force against us (hostile to us) this (note with its regulations, decrees and demands) He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to (His) cross."
The Blood of Jesus covered the crimson and it flowed together so there was no trace of it left. We've had this same promise preached to us like (like they did), but we haven't mixed faith with what we've heard. Fear has risen up in our minds and just like they did, we see the giants in the land of rest and are to fearful to go into it.
God says in Isaiah that fear and terror would rise up against us, but not by Him. We've been afraid to trust His Word for anything other than going to heaven when we die. If that part of the Word's true, then it's all true. Learn to let His Word be true in your life.
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