Laboring to enter God's rest? Hebrews 4:11

Dear Jim,

PTL and once again, with your site each time comes a whole banquet of real food, food which truly satisfies. Thank you for being faithful to share what Father gives you by His Spirit.

I did some “jumping around” in your site this time, and came across what you had written about the Bible being “the completed word of God.” I sent it along to our daughter because she questioned (rightfully, I believe) those who say it IS completed, and use that as “proof” that earlier scriptures (i.e., those dealing about the gifts of the Spirit, etc.) are now past. Ah, how we do use our beliefs to “prove” what we KNOW to be true.

We do not argue; in every case where there is a difference, I believe that a veil, ignorance, is still in place. There is nothing wrong with “ignorance”, since it simply means God has not yet opened our eyes to see something. We are all ignorant until He reveals the truth about a particular thing.

Thank you again, dear Jim - you truly are a breath of fresh air in my life.

Blessings in Him,
Joanne A.

By the way, this writing - it does hit the nail on the head, so to speak. Your comments do point out the “foolishness of man’s wisdom.” Rest=labour is, to me, an oxymoron. Thank you for clarifying such in a most helpful, and simple to understand, way..

Excellent! The detailed breakdown was great. I often find strange interpretations of the original language – almost suggests an agenda. Of course, we know that to be true.

John E

You da Man!

I believe the passage in Hebrews, like all Biblical passages, can only be understood, when revealed to us by the spirit of God. We do not gain an understanding, or a greater degree of understanding, by parsing the words in accordance with literary techniques; or by trying to come to a more precise understanding of a word used in a particular translation.
Looking at the verse which comes right before it the easy to read version says
Heb 10 “…everyone who enters God’s place of rest will also have rest from their own work just as God did.”
I not trying to be a smart ass but let me throw this in. Those who have ears to heart let them hear.
John 6 KJV
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6 ERV
27 …But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.”
28 The people asked Jesus, “What does God want us to do?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: to believe in the one he sent.”

Howdy Everyone,

Regardless of the positional aspects of truth and issues regarding opinion about what a word means, I believe we have to come down at some point to the bottom line ultimate truth that salvation is by faith alone with no hint of effort on our part. It is absolutely all of God and nothing of us. If that is true, then when Paul says in Galatians that we “walk” (live) in the same way that we received salvation, that says to me that effort in walking is also eliminated. Regardless of what anyone says, this eternal life which is encased in flesh cannot be lived outside of faith in Christ (Gal 2.20).

I remember when my son was little and sat at the table in a high chair. In teaching him how to use a fork one day, I stood behind him and wrapped his hand around the fork with my hand wrapped around his hand. Then I proceeded to pick up a piece of food and put it in his mouth while standing behind him. He got so excited that he had picked up a piece of food with a fork and fed himself! My wife and I even cheered and encouraged him in that. “See Caleb, you did it!” The reality was that I actually did everything for him despite his thinking that he had done it himself. I believe that we are just that dependent on the Heavenly Father.

When we get to the other side, we will see that He was really the One doing the work. We were just walking in the good works that He had prepared beforehand. If a legalist gets to heaven (and I believe many will because to varying extents, we all are legalists), then no matter how much he or she thought was required of them to “do” down here, they will realize that it was really the Father and not them doing it.

As the Food Lion says, “That’s just my two cents.” :)

Yours in Him,

John

“They were not being encouraged to strive in hopes of finding rest, but that they stop hesitating to believe the real promise of rest in Jesus Christ. For he had made the once and for all sacrifice for sins. Let your heart be assured that in having come to Jesus, you have already entered the rest being held out to the Hebrews.”  <~theshovel

also:   “… confidence in the rest Christ has already brought you into.” <~theshovel

i LOVE that!  in this world there is so much UN-rest and so much WORK, STRUGGLE and Stress involved just to survive the world itself.  (“but GOD…” as the apostle Paul liked to say)  with us and GOD there is ultimate rest and peace and comfort and confidence, and it is all found in Christ and the miraculous work and relationship that the FATHER has provided for the New Creation HE has made us.  )  there is no rest or peace or true comfort anywhere else nor from anyone else.  it is ours and all sourced in Him.  )  when we are overwhelmed with the sense of unrest, it is not sourced from GOD, but from circumstances, situations, other people's expectations of us, our own unrealistic expectations of us, conditioned reasoning, etc. that we experience in this world.  yet HE will work it for our good.  apparently, the experiential process for our 'good' is not always comfortable, painless, easy or controllable from our perceived end.  amen?!!!         but with GOD all is at peace and rest with HIM and us.

great to hear from you, John  :)  

I know this is kind of an aside but something really wonderful has been developing in my son over the past three or four years. He believes and thinks according to Grace! He “gets it” to the extent that it gets him “into trouble” at the Christian school where he is a high school freshman. Most of the teachers there attended Bob Jones University. My son actively questions a lot and I think they are getting pretty frustrated with him—very interesting to watch his sacrifice.

Here is another “down here” concept in that regard—the world is determined to make us pay a price for our freedom. Sometimes it is a pretty hefty price in their view but everything has already been purchased for us and belongs to us already. So, even if we pay their ultimate “price,” in reality it is nothing because we already have THE life.

John

it seems that quite often a LOT of teachers, preachers, parents, and most other human adults, like kids (or anyone else for that matter) to ask questions only when they are the questions that they 'approve', or are the ones they actually know answers to,  and/or are not some kind of 'threat' to their intelligence and/or their perceived reputations of knowing all the answers. 

the mind of the world has its own versions of what freedom is.  it is quite limited and yet varied.  the world can only do what the world can do.  it is quite unable to create and provide the ultimate freedom, as you pointed out, that has already been bought and generously given to us through Jesus Christ. 

there is no end to the things that require/demand our sacrifice, labor and funds here on this present earth.  i am so very thankful that Jesus paid His ultimate and now generously gives and supports and provides all that we have and need in this miraculous relationship that we have together in Him.  enjoying your input, John   give our best to your son.