Hebrews Interactive Online Bible Study
Hebrews Three
~ 13 day walk through Hebrews ~
~ for the edification of the bride of Christ and centering on Him in these last days ~
Welcome:
Welcome to the online Hebrews Bible study. We welcome anyone who wishes to engage with us during these thirteen days and even go through and/or post after the study has ended. Want to learn more about this study, be sure to check out the Hebrews Bible Study Page here for more info.
Verses of Impact:
“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” vs. 12-13
Oh that we would hold fast to the simplicity and purity of devotion to the Gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3) and that we would spur each other on to know Christ more and more, the faithful High Priest.
Guest Commentary:
Guest commentary for today is from brother Kjell Sorsdal – Samal, Davao, Philippines
Hebrews Chapter three
Hebrews 3
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,
“Today when you hear his voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”[a]
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.[b] Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”[c]
16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
Footnotes:
a. 3:7-11 Ps 95:7-11.
b. 3:12 Greek brothers.
c. 3:15 Ps 95:7-8
There is no difference today under NC. It is just that Jesus came with grace and truth, and the punishment is postponed. The punishment for those who are rebellious and have unbelief will be the same. They will not enter. In fact it is worse today since people keep on sinning until they stand in front of The Judgement Seat of Jesus and then it is way too late to do something about it.
Further more what is stated here under is one of the most explained away verses in the whole Scripture. But is it is just to be understood as it is written:
Hebrews 6
New Living Translation (NLT)
4 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
Hebrews 10
New Living Translation (NLT)
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
And again:
Hebrews 2
2 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
So as we can read, it was because of unbelief and disobedience that they the OC did not enter. It is this rebellious unbelief and disobedience which makes God swear that they will not come into His rest. How much more do you think you will not enter if, knowing this, you continue to sin, to disobey and to have all this doubt and unbelief in your life?
The reason you have doubt and unbelief in your life is because you don’t hear the Word of God. And even if you do hear it, you harden your heart against the truth and refuse to repent and obey.
Every day we should warn each other about this terrible thing called unbelief. It is evil and it will make us totally unfaithful and absolutely not to endure to the end. Furthermore, we have to be sure we are awaiting the Lord’s return every day. We have to turn back to our first love. We have to believe as we did when we were newborn, if indeed we ever were newborn. That is often the problem for people who have not really converted. The have not been born again.
One problem that can occur in connection to the doctrine of eternal safety; many are actually never born again. They pray a “prayer of salvation” or “the sinner’s prayer”, if you like, and think they have a free ticket to Heaven, because they are deceived by those “easy come” pastors who only have in their heart and mind agendas other than people’s salvation.
It’s as if people think they are on their way to Heaven because they use the phrase “God bless you” once every second week. They “go to church”, meaning they visit the church building, once a month and claim to be born again. They have never witnessed even for a single person, and are actually ashamed of the Gospel. How can such a person “survive” in front of the Judgement Seat when Jesus comes to deal with sin? The Scripture tells us; NO CHANCE AT ALL!
We hope and pray that they are never been born again in the first place so that they don’t come under the judgement of the Holy Spirit on a count of blasphemy. There is no possibility for forgiveness any more. And I am quite sure that they never have been born again. It is my hope and belief that that there is still a possibility for repentance. The problem, on the other hand, is this:
They have been taught a false Gospel and they have, because of their lust and desires, “bought” into that. If you “buy” false things you will become confused. Confusion will nearly always lead to a lukewarm attitude and there is no room for repentance in lukewarmth, because you think you are OK. Or, even worse, you are full of self-righteousness in the first place so you think don’t need a saviour, since you are good.
All of the above attitudes lead away from the narrow path, and keep you going further and further onto the broadway that leads to destruction. So why don’t we just admit it: we need to repent and get out of it. Check your life; do you have fruit? And if so; will it last?
(We will use a later chapter to give you the text of a booklet. It is called “Let’s reason”. It is a good checklist for all of us…….dare I say even for me!)
After Thoughts:
“Spiritual light is a special help to obedience and obedience is a singular help to increase your spiritual light.
The brevity of life–the lamp of life is almost burnt down, the glass of time is almost run out; only a very few days and nights more, and then time, nights and days shall all be no more.
What shall I say of Christ? The excelling glory of that object dazzles apprehension and swallows up all expression.
The whole world is not a theater large enough to display the glory of Christ upon or unfold even half of the unsearchable riches that lie hidden in Him. And such is the deliciousness of this subject, Christ, that were there ten thousand volumes written upon it, they would never become tiring to the heart. We used to say that any one thing can finally tire us and this is true, except about this one eminent thing, Christ, and then one can never tire, for such is the variety of sweetness in Christ.
It is greatly to your loss that you live at such a distance from God and are so seldom with him; do not think that the best ministers or choicest books will ever be able to satisfy your doubts and comfort your hearts, if you are letting down your communion with God to so low a degree.
The care of God, engaged for you, is your convoy to accompany and secure you until it sees you safe into your harbor of eternal rest.”
– John Flavel
“The August 1982 issue of Pulpit Helps contains this statement: ‘In a recent survey of one of the large, well-known theological colleges of the United States, 93% of the students studying for the ministry stated: “I have no devotional life.”’ What a crop of future preachers! How can a man speak for God if he does not walk with God?”[1]
[1] Leonard Ravenhill – Revival God’s Way, pg. 148, Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 1983, used by permission
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