“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.” — Romans 1:16
Welcome to The Peoples Gospel Hour!
The Bible reveals two ways which people are following to get into heaven. One way, the true way, is God’s way. God’s way into heaven is the way of peace and truth and righteousness. It is the only way approved of God. This way centers in the Lord Jesus Christ who said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The Bible declares that there is another way. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).
There are so many popular ways today filled with lost multitudes all over the land, such as the way of morality, the way of respectability, the way of religion, the way of churchianity, the way of baptism, the way of christening, the way of confirmation, the way of penance, the way of confession, the way of “doing the best I can”, the way of self, the way of education, the way of philosophy, the way of false isms and cults that crowd the street. Little wonder then when we speak to people about the way of salvation, that so many have asked, “How can I know which is the true way? There are so many different ideas and so many religions.”
But there is ONE difference between God’s way of salvation and man’s way, and that difference is found in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. You will notice that man leaves Christ out of the center of his way. You will discover that the modern false cults and isms demote Christ to a mere man and add something to what He has already done for your salvation and mine. We become children of God through a supernatural birth. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus also said, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:7)
“May the Lord bless you, and make you a blessing!” – The PGH Staff.
TPGH Headquarters in Halifax, NS
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Notes And Quotes For Today
Rest For The People of God – I
“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.” Hebrew 4:1
Hebrews chapter 4, continues with the same thought from chapter three, in this matter of unbelief which is very important to God! Rest – for the people of God! Thank God that there is such a thing as an eternal rest for those who put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! Now, this matter of unbelief mentioned in the book of Hebrews is centered on Cadesh Barnia, when the Israelites sent twelve spies, to see the land and they came back with a report, that it was a good place, a land filled with milk and honey!, but it was an evil report, because they said we can’t do it! The cities are walled and there are Giants in the land” and we saw the people had an evil heart of unbelief. On chapter four we see the emphasis on the word “ rest”
God’s rest for Israel, what He is talking about here is the promised land! To go and possess it and He promised to bless it, they were to obey Him, and serve Him and that He would bless them abundantly. What they had to do was to go in and take the land for their possession and it was to be a place of rest for them, but they did not believe God so they voted not to go! Their problem was nothing but unbelief! “ without faith it is impossible to please God!….”
With that background, the writer begins chapter four saying, “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.” Beloved we can believe the bible even though we do not fully and all understand it! The ungodly they need to fear God! There is very- little fear of God in this world! And there is not a whole lot of fear of God among God’s people, just go along the best we can as we say it! Hoping it will turn out okay! That is not the way we have to operate, we have to live by faith and not by sight!
The phrase “ the fear of God” or “ the fear of the Lord” appear in the bible 250 times! Men should fear God! He is holy! In the text we are dealing with here it is talking about people who may have not been saved! Some of them professed to be saved, are going back to their old life! Should the Christian fear of the Lord? Now many of those verses that’s what they are talking about! Believers fearing the Lord! Before we know anything of the Lord, we didn’t think about the fear of God, but there was a certain fear of God, because if we die we knew we were going to Hell! Knowing what we know what the Bible says ” the wrath of God abides on you! It is hanging on your head! ” It could even fall today!! The unbelieving are right now condemned and on the way to Hell. John 3:18 That wrath which has been withheld this far by the grace of God who is not willing that you perish but that you should come to repentance may fall upon you when God say, “ it is enough!” He said in His word, “ my Spirit shall not strive with many always!” Genesis 6.
When we talk about fear, certainly of all the people of the world Christians should be the ones to fear the Lord! The writer of this article speaking of himself said, “You know I had a fear of my father! He was not as such a mean man, he was kind, but oh! If we the children get out of order and do things he told as specifically to do and go to places we are told not to go, there is punishment sure to be addressed! If we lie there will be spanking, and there is no way out of it!”
I tell you my father did not know one word from the Bible, but he knew many biblical principles, if anything the bible says, “Lying is very bad” and it is it is the most common sin!! If we lie, and he knew, and that he found out, we are going to get the belt! Sometimes we are punished some other ways! Do I fear the Lord than my father, in the sense that the Lord knows everything that I do, when I sin, do things that I should not how that upsets the God of heaven?!! Do I fear God for His punishment? He said “ He will chasten me!” Do I repent? Make things right? Apologize for my inconstancies? God’s punishment of His children is not with belt, but it could be worth! But if that fear of God is not in the heart of the child of God, one of the two things are possible.
1. He may have made profession of faith with no reality and a real change in life.
2. It could be that he has gone so far from God, that he has hardened his heart through the deceitfulness of sin that he is ripe for the chastising of God to come upon him.
Here in our text it is talking about people who may not be saved! They are in the church but may not be saved! That theme runs right through the book of Hebrews. Well you better fear the Lord, there is a judgment! It is real! As I said I believe there is a little fear of God even among God’s people today! We just ramble on, and cut corners! What ever we think and feel we want to do we go ahead and do it! But he said, “Let us therefore………….short of it.” Notice ‘Let us” that’s us, the people in this church in Jerusalem the Jewish congregation at that time! The Canaan thing is in the shelf for a moment;
He is saying here that God has made an eternal rest, a complete salvation that is perfect, and so if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior in reality that eternal rest will be accomplished! And he said, “ beware any of you having done that, received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you have the rest of your souls! There is no more light and life!” so the rest in that verse is the rest of your soul, the rest of eternal salvation, the rest that is completed and finished
Turn over to Matthew 11: 28, “ come unto me all ye that labor… will give your rest!” that’s not Canaan, that is rest for your souls! Rest for time and eternity in the salvation that God has provided for you! So God is saying to them, (I mean he is saying to us) that God is offering to you and me rest for our souls! Rest for all eternity! Rest from sins forgiven forever! Don’t let it slip through your hand! Don’t pass by it! Trust Christ today! Not some more convenient day! Why? Because God’s time to get saved is now and today!
“.. lest any of you should seem to come short of it!” here is a man who runs a race, and that he stumbles and falls, before he gets to the finish line! Oh! my how many over the years we have seen over the years, been in the church good testimony, a good many of them professed to be saved, then after sometimes they are gone! Don’t come short of it! Go all the way! All the way with God!
Someone wisely said that modern life can be spelled in three words, ” Hurry, Worry and Bury,” !!
To Be Continued……………………………….
From The Peoples Gospel Hour Staff