The Rest of Faith
Hebrews 4 is talking about entering into the rest of faith, a rest based on believing God and believing that His Word is true for us as we live here on this earth. In verse 3 of that chapter, we read that the works of God were finished from the foundation of the world. In the Amplified Bible the last part of this verse states that God’s works had been completed and prepared from the foundation of the world and were waiting for all who would believe this Truth.
We are at rest when someone has told us they will do something for us. We believe that they will. God has a whole book of what He has told us He has already done for us. All we have to do is accept what He has done and He will perform it in our lives. He is waiting for us to recognize what He has prepared for us and wants us to enjoy. Once we recognize that it is ours, then we accept it as ours. And God does His work of manifesting it in our lives in the earthly realm.
One of the things that all of us learn about faith is that we don’t need faith once we receive whatever we have been believing for. Faith is that quality that believes someone will do what they said they will do. We believe that a human being will do what they said they will do, when we know that person is as good as their word. Then how much easier it should be to believe that God (Who never lies) will do what He said He will do. Our challenge comes with the fact that He is a Spirit and we can’t see Him with our physical eyes and touch Him with our physical hands and hear Him with our physical ears.
God is a Spirit and we contact Him through our spirits, which to some people is an “iffy” thing. They are not sure that He will do anything for them. Well, if He is no respecter of persons, and if He has done it for one person, then He will do it for you. If His Word is true and works for one person, then it is true and works for you.
You see, what we must understand and accept is that God gave us His Word to let us know what He would do for us. Our part is to believe that He will do what He said He will do. That is the rest of faith, where we don’t try to make it work on our own. We rest. In verse 10 it says that we who have entered into rest have ceased from our own works. Then in verse 11 we read something which appears to be contradictory to rest. We read that we are to labor to enter into rest, lest we fall into unbelief. What does God mean here? He means that we take His Word into our soulish part of our being (mind, will, emotions) so that we are in agreement with His Word, what He has given to us. We can’t produce His Word, but we are to take His Word and feed on it continually, in order that we believe what He says, in the midst of a world full of doubt and unbelief toward God and His Word. That is our labor. What a joyous labor of love that is. His Word is so rich and so full of God Himself. His Word is Himself, Love Himself.
Now, let’s get to the scriptures in this chapter that I want to discuss with you today. In verses 12 and 13 we read:
For the word of God is quick (alive, full of life), and powerful (full of power), sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents (purposes) of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
In John 1 we read that God is the Word, so here in these two verses we can substitute “Word” for God and they both mean the same thing since God is the Word and the Word is God. These 2 verses are talking about the Word of God, the Word Himself.
God, His Word, is full of His life and full of His power. It penetrates to the very core of our being and separates the soul from the spirit and shows us the thoughts and intents of our hearts. The Word of God goes into that earthly part of our life that connects between earth and heaven, our soul, and shows us where we need to line up with, come into alignment with Him in our soul, which will then be in agreement with our spirit man, which has been born again, which has the Spirit of God dwelling in it. I know that was a mouthful, but meditate that last sentence.
When God’s Word becomes my word and I speak it out of my mouth, it penetrates to the very place where the soul and spirit divide and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. In the literal Greek, two-edged here is two-mouthed, two mouths. When our mouth lines up with God’s mouth, when what comes out of God’s mouth is coming out of our mouths, then we will have come into revelation of how God operates and we are in agreement with His Word and things happen.
Nothing is hidden from the Word of God. All things are open to Him and exposed. All is revealed by His Word. Let it happen. In that manner, if there is anything in our hearts that needs to be dealt with, the Word will take care of it.
And this chapter ends with an exhortation for us therefore to hold fast to the Word of God as our profession (confession) because Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (confession) (Hebrews 3:1). He is the One Who is sent to take God’s Word that we speak in faith and bring it as our High Priest to the throne of grace, to the mercy seat of Heaven to obtain mercy and find grace when we have a need.
Read this chapter 4 of Hebrews until you have a revelation of the rest of faith because of God’s Word.
We are at rest when someone has told us they will do something for us. We believe that they will. God has a whole book of what He has told us He has already done for us. All we have to do is accept what He has done and He will perform it in our lives. He is waiting for us to recognize what He has prepared for us and wants us to enjoy. Once we recognize that it is ours, then we accept it as ours. And God does His work of manifesting it in our lives in the earthly realm.
One of the things that all of us learn about faith is that we don’t need faith once we receive whatever we have been believing for. Faith is that quality that believes someone will do what they said they will do. We believe that a human being will do what they said they will do, when we know that person is as good as their word. Then how much easier it should be to believe that God (Who never lies) will do what He said He will do. Our challenge comes with the fact that He is a Spirit and we can’t see Him with our physical eyes and touch Him with our physical hands and hear Him with our physical ears.
God is a Spirit and we contact Him through our spirits, which to some people is an “iffy” thing. They are not sure that He will do anything for them. Well, if He is no respecter of persons, and if He has done it for one person, then He will do it for you. If His Word is true and works for one person, then it is true and works for you.
You see, what we must understand and accept is that God gave us His Word to let us know what He would do for us. Our part is to believe that He will do what He said He will do. That is the rest of faith, where we don’t try to make it work on our own. We rest. In verse 10 it says that we who have entered into rest have ceased from our own works. Then in verse 11 we read something which appears to be contradictory to rest. We read that we are to labor to enter into rest, lest we fall into unbelief. What does God mean here? He means that we take His Word into our soulish part of our being (mind, will, emotions) so that we are in agreement with His Word, what He has given to us. We can’t produce His Word, but we are to take His Word and feed on it continually, in order that we believe what He says, in the midst of a world full of doubt and unbelief toward God and His Word. That is our labor. What a joyous labor of love that is. His Word is so rich and so full of God Himself. His Word is Himself, Love Himself.
Now, let’s get to the scriptures in this chapter that I want to discuss with you today. In verses 12 and 13 we read:
For the word of God is quick (alive, full of life), and powerful (full of power), sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents (purposes) of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
In John 1 we read that God is the Word, so here in these two verses we can substitute “Word” for God and they both mean the same thing since God is the Word and the Word is God. These 2 verses are talking about the Word of God, the Word Himself.
God, His Word, is full of His life and full of His power. It penetrates to the very core of our being and separates the soul from the spirit and shows us the thoughts and intents of our hearts. The Word of God goes into that earthly part of our life that connects between earth and heaven, our soul, and shows us where we need to line up with, come into alignment with Him in our soul, which will then be in agreement with our spirit man, which has been born again, which has the Spirit of God dwelling in it. I know that was a mouthful, but meditate that last sentence.
When God’s Word becomes my word and I speak it out of my mouth, it penetrates to the very place where the soul and spirit divide and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. In the literal Greek, two-edged here is two-mouthed, two mouths. When our mouth lines up with God’s mouth, when what comes out of God’s mouth is coming out of our mouths, then we will have come into revelation of how God operates and we are in agreement with His Word and things happen.
Nothing is hidden from the Word of God. All things are open to Him and exposed. All is revealed by His Word. Let it happen. In that manner, if there is anything in our hearts that needs to be dealt with, the Word will take care of it.
And this chapter ends with an exhortation for us therefore to hold fast to the Word of God as our profession (confession) because Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (confession) (Hebrews 3:1). He is the One Who is sent to take God’s Word that we speak in faith and bring it as our High Priest to the throne of grace, to the mercy seat of Heaven to obtain mercy and find grace when we have a need.
Read this chapter 4 of Hebrews until you have a revelation of the rest of faith because of God’s Word.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 7:26 AM
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