Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (ESV)
This is a powerful verse, but I usually hear it quoted totally apart from its context. We talk about the power and effectiveness of the Word, but what is its connection to the verses that surround it? This is the "rest" chapter. "For good news came to us just as to them," Hebrews 4:2 says of the Israelites in the wilderness. Why? Because "the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened." But, the chapter goes on to say, "we who have believed enter that rest." After talking about rest for 11 verses the author then throws in verse 12 that we quoted above and follows with a statement of how nothing is hidden from the God. What's the connection?
God, through his Word, discerns our thoughts and intentions. He knows whether we are obeying because we fear his anger and believe that we can earn his favor if we stay under the radar and behave, or if we truly believe. Rest is entered by faith, not law. Rest is expressed in obedience that flows out of faith, not fear. Rest, Sabbath Rest (that's the word for rest used in verse 9) is not about keeping a day. It is not about keeping God happy. It is not about doing the right thing. Sabbath rest starts in the heart with what we believe and whom we trust. The power of this verse about the Word of God being living and active is that it can discern between faith and fear.
For my part, I cannot really tell whether a person is obeying God out of faith or fear. There are sometimes indications that give me an idea, but I need to be careful not to judge a brother's heart. Only God and his Word can distinguish the thoughts and intentions of the heart. But for myself, I need to ask, what is truly motivating me?
I had a weird dream last night that disturbs me, but perhaps not for the reasons one might imagine. My dream disturbs me because in my dream I made a decision based on what people might think of me rather than what was right and true. That bothers me because it reveals something about my character. I am too much concerned with what people think and too little concerned with what it means to rest in Christ. The truth is, in my dream the decision I made might have been the same whether I was fearing what people would think, or whether I was living out of my rest in Christ, but I knew the difference and so does God. The Christian life is about rest. "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest..." (Heb 4:9-10a)
Father, I confess that my heart just naturally turns to the fear of what others will think, and the pride of thinking that I can somehow earn your favor. Forgive me for turning grace into law so often. Today may I rest in you.
By His grace,
Rick Weinert
Comments
Post a Comment