Who And Who Will Not Enter Into God's Rest?

For unto us was the gospel

preached, as well as unto them;

but the word preached did not

profit them; but the word not being

mixed with faith in them that

heard it. For we which have 

believed do enter into rest,

as He said, As I have sworn

in my wrath, if they shall

enter into my rest: although

the works were finished from

the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4:2-3

     There is no excuse, no reason, no possibility to save oneself from the wrath of God because the Gospel is known, has been spread throughout the earth, to all people, so there is nothing to be said because the Gospel has and is being preached. Some may object and say: "There are people who never heard the gospel," and they would be right but not completely right. Why? Christianity was well known from the earliest of times by the preaching and missionary efforts of the apostles, and by those who traveled into those far away lands to bring the Gospel to the people. Trade, and traders traveling into the Grecian and Roman empires would come to know about this religion, Christianity, and take this knowledge back to their homelands. Philip was the first to bring the Gospel to Gentiles when he taught the Ethiopian who took the Gospel back to Ethiopia. Egypt became a Christian center, India was reached by early Christians and recorded are missionaries that predate the Second Council of Nicaea (787 A.D.). We often hear of Taylor Hudson, William Carey, David Livingston, and many others even some not so well known as is true of David of Basra who undertook missionary work in India 300 A.D. and many more who went into Kashmir, Australia, Japan, Burma, all over the world the Gospel has been and is now being preached: there is no excuse to say that the Gospel has not been presented to the world, even Thomas the apostle is reported to have gone to India. 

     So why is there so little knowledge among some people about Christianity? Great question! The influence of false religious worship, idols, many gods who the people believed to have influence over their lives, trades such as the opium trade, did not allow them to become believers in Jesus Christ, they lacked faith. The word of God was preached to them but it did not profit them. From the foundation of the world when Adam sinned God's wrath was set forth against all who will not believe. When God caused the Great Flood and Noah and his sons and their wives lived through that holocaust still there were those who would not believe, i.e., Nimrod, and when Moses led the people out of Egypt, there were those who lost faith in God and would no longer believe, after the Israelites were captured still they would not believe going so far as to not accept the Messiah Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. God has always held out Himself as the true God, the One who would save those who would believe, but many did not and they will never enter into God's rest. 

     Today, even in those countries, Germany, England, France, Spain, and the United States were the Gospel has been preached from the earliest of times, some will not believe. The world with all its pretty and acceptable offerings lead a person to follow the world and not hear or accept the Gospel. They will not enter into God's rest.

     Authentic Christians will have ceased from following the world, from their own acceptance of sinfulness in their lives, from relying on their own works to bring them into the rest of God, from believing that their own works of righteousness will save them, from resting on the works of the law, such as do the Seventh Day Adventist who hold on to the burdens of the law, this is not to say this is true of the Law, the Ten Commandments, but the works of the law that passed away with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Authentic Christians ceased from all these things as God and Jesus Christ ceased from their works of creation and redemption. What this means is: creation is finished, and redemption is finished by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. There is no new way to redemption, it is finished. 

     Will you enter into the rest of God and conjoin faith into the Gospel that is being preached to you? Only you can answer that question. I pray that you will hear the true Gospel and respond with faith, a faith that cannot be shaken. 

If thou sayest, Behold, we knew

    it not: doth not He that pondereth

the heart consider it? and He that

    keepeth thy soul, doth He not know it?

 And shall not He render to every man

    according to his works?

                Proverbs 24:12

Enter now into God's rest

Richard L. Crumb

Receiving The Priiledge Of HIs Rest

But with whom was He grieved

forty years? Was it not with them

that had sinned, whose carceases

feel in the wildness? And to whom

aware he that they should not enter

into His rest, but to them that 

believed not? So we see that they 

could not enter in because of

unbelief. 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.

Hebrews 3:17-19; 4:1

     Belief, to believe, to have the graces of Jesus Christ, to have the comfort of His promises, of all He is and will do, to become partakers with Him for eternity. All of God's holy ones, those who believe in Jesus Christ are privileged , those who hold that privilege bodily, with perseverance and open profession, and practices daily this faith, this belief living the life of righteousness are blessed beyond measure. An Authentic Christian meaning they hold Authentic Christian Faith are diligent, watchful, keeping them from apostasy, from those who seem to speak truth but when examined find that any truth that may be used is used to veil heresy. This spirit that has joined with the Spirit of God causing them to follow the ways of God are to be maintained and be evidenced unto to the end. Perseverance in one's faith is evidence of sincerity of their faith. When one's faith is founded upon the truth of God's word and not in a man, or some doctrine that seems so good, so godly, but is founded upon false teaching, even heresy, then that one will be a true and faithful witness and servant of God. 

     This example of the Hebrews when they left Egypt is such a good example for us for they left with great hopes and with some courage but when things got tough, they wanted to return back to what they were leaving even though they were harshly treated. This looking back led them to disbelieve in Moses, in God, in what they were doing in faith, the past seemed better. This disbelief led them to find excitement in practices that were not of God, to even make a bull to worship, given up of their means, their gold to just have something to worship that made them feel as though they were pleasing God. They were not they were pleasing themselves, they no longer held fast to their faith according to God, they found another god to worship as that god was the true God. They were left to wander 40 years and not allowed to enter into God's rest. 

      God never promised a successful life, a good life without trials and persecutions. No, in fact He told us the opposite: "Werein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1Peter 1:6-7). You may find it hard to rejoice in the middle of a trial or temptation but this rejoicing is forever, the trial but for a moment. When you meet Jesus you will then if you persevere will be found praising Him and honoring Him and giving Him glory for you are with Him and the past, well it is past. Also Peter added: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings: that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1Peter 4:12-13). 

     Be not like those Hebrews that when trials came they turned back, they disbelieved and lost the joy of God His rest for them. You too have a rest in God and that rest begins now, and continues into eternity when the full realization of His rest will be manifested. God did not promise that you will never have trials or temptations and take them from you, but He did say He would take you through them, that is if you allow belief, your faith, this Authentic Christian Faith to give you strength to persevere. You must persevere not God, you, me, we must exercise this faith we say we have and if we do, then we will enter into God's rest, and we will see that God took us through even if we have not seen Him work. You are a child of God, a partaker with Jesus Christ. What more do you want than that?  

And all the people answered together, 

     and said, All that they LORD 

hath spoken we will do. 

     And Moses returned the words 

of the people unto the LORD.

                       Exodus 19:9

Believe upon the Lord and be saved

Richard L. Crumb

     

Learning To Become A Partner With Jesus Christ

But exhort one another daily, 

while it is called Today; lest

any of you be hardened through

the deceitfulness of sin. For we

are made partakers of Christ,

if we hold the beginning of our

confidence, steadfast unto the end; 

while it is said, Today if ye will hear

His voice, harden not your hearts,

as in the provocation. For some, 

when they had heard, did provoke:

howbeit and all that came out of 

Egypt by Moses.

Hebrews 3:13-16

     How often should a Christian be in the word of God? Daily! How often should a Christian aid others in their walk in the Lord? Daily! When should all this be done? While it is still called "Today." The Greek word for "Today" is prefaced with an article "the" so a literal translation would be "the Today" extending the meaning into the future and also carries the meaning that there will be a time when there will be no "Today." This places an urgency upon all Christian believers to be busy in the work of the Lord. This work may take many different avenues, but all is to be designed to teach the Gospel, to aid brothers and sisters in Christ. This work is and extension emanating from the heart where faith is at work. Our work extends from our faith, not that our faith comes by our work. Some have turned this fact around 180 degrees and are doing what they believe is godly due to their work and not due to their faith. 

     If a person, a Christian does not stay daily in the word of God then the door is open so that sin may enter into the heart, hardening the heart making cause for a person to leave the faith and follow after another gospel, another culture, etc., so we must guard the heart. This evil that enters and hardens the heart comes by unbelief. Unbelief comes by means of deceitfulness often sounding as truth when in fact it is not, it is another gospel, a tickling of the ears. All men and women, children, are going through life facing many trials and troubles and are in need of strength and that strength comes to them by you and me, by prayer and by a diligent study of God's word. All of these means help a person to face "Today." At one time or another we all need that help from our faithful brothers and sisters. This cannot be done if all we do is come to Church on Sunday, hear the message, talk to our friends, and then leave to go and play, to not attend midweek services, to not go to Bible studies is no help. Love, this God/love, this principled love should be driving a Christian to be involved with their brothers and sisters and not allow things of this world to take a higher priority. Yes, we all have things that need to be done, times when all this is not for the moment possible, but unless these things necessary for health of our brothers and sisters we must make this a priority. Why?

     "For we are made partakers of Christ" (Hebrews 3:14a). The Greek word translated "partakers" means to be a participant, a sharer, a partner, to be of those who are called to that heavenly calling of God, to keep a right relationship to the earthly, Messianic kingdom. If we, as Authentic Christians are not following these words then we are provoking God, we are members of provocation and we learn from Scripture, from history how well that worked out for the Hebrews after they left Egypt. This is our lesson so that we do not do as those Hebrews did and keep our hearts from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. The word deceit means that this sin does not necessarily present itself directly, it comes by way of hidden words, it touches what has yet to be cleansed by way of sanctification and work that comes not only by your efforts to live as an Authentic Christian, it comes by the help from others who themselves are helped as they help others. This sharing, this partaking, this partnership between brothers and sisters is a magnificent thing, a marvelous and loving thing that we as Christians can share with one another. What a blessing. Do not miss out on this blessing! Remember: You are a partner, a participant in the congregation, as a member of the temple of God, what you are in Christ. All members of Christ make up His temple, that is you, and me, therefore, live according to what you are in Christ.

For He is our God; and we are 

     the people of His pasture, 

and the sheep of His hand.

     Today if you will hear 

His voice.

           Psalm 95:7

You are the Temple of God

Richard L. Crumb