Hebrews 4 (NIV)
1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’ “ And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.” 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Jesus the Great High Priest
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
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December 6th, 2007 at 7:12 am
Verses 15 & 16, I memorized long ago and they still come to mind in the middle of the night or, sometimes even more crucially, in the middle of the day. That we are encouraged to approach the throne of grace with confidence has been a motivation to me. We aren’t told to crawl to the throne or to walk backwards there or to walk hesitatingly. We’re told to approach the presence of our Creator with confidence.
That confidence comes entirely from what Jesus has done on my behalf. My confidence in no way can come from any of my own attempts at godliness. Only, only does it come because Jesus, when He rose from the dead, accomplished the impossible…..He wiped out, erased, the death that my sin deserved. I am confident in that full and final payment of His sacrifice for me. Thank you, Jesus.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:33 am
In her comment above, Debbie said she memorized that verse. This is such a good habit and it is one of the habits cultivated by people who grow deeper with the LORD.
It is not an easy process to commit something to memory, but we do it all the time with trivial things. It seems hard but the methods are evident, we do them all the time. (Read it, think about it,write it, read it again, repeat it, sing it, care about it, use it, etc)
Think about it…if you want to grow.