We Must All Give Account

“For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:16-19 ESV)

What is the “rest” being spoken of here? If we consider the whole context of Hebrews 3:1-19, Hebrews 4:1-16, and 1 Corinthians 10:1-22 (all on the same subject), and how that relates to us today, I believe we must reach the conclusion that this is our eternal rest. This is when we leave this earth through death and we enter into the presence of Almighty God and we no longer live on this earth with all its turmoil, sin, debauchery, and upheaval. Our bodies are now at rest and we are no longer tempted to sin, we have no more sorrow, and we have no more sickness. Our trials are finally all over.

So, who gets to enter into that eternal rest? Those who believe in Jesus Christ? Yes! But with biblical faith which endures to the end. And biblical faith results in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Thus, sin must no longer reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness, and its end is eternal life with Christ (Romans 6:1-23).

So, please pay attention to the wording here, for God considers rebellion and disobedience as unbelief, and he regards submission and obedience to him as genuine biblical faith in him. And the Scriptures teach that if sin is what we obey, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, that we will not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. We will not enter into his heavenly kingdom, into his eternal rest, if sin is our practice and not righteousness and not walks of obedience to our Lord. For we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience (Luke 9:23-26).

“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.” (Hebrews 4:1-2 ESV)

Now, again, in true biblical context, “faith” is not something that we get to define for ourselves. It is divine persuasion of God as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need to turn from our sins to follow Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. And this faith is authored by and gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So, when we are persuaded of God, we die with him to sin and we now walk in obedience to his commands.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:4-10]

So, there is a warning for us here to have a holy fear that if we do not submit to Christ as Lord, and surrender to his will for our lives, and if we do not follow him in walks of obedience to his commands, in holy living, and if we do not make it our practice to die daily to sin, by the Spirit, that we will not enter into his rest. We will not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God if all we do is give lip service to the Lord and then if we go on living in sin and in rebellion against our Lord, and if we do not submit to him as Lord and do as he says that we must do. For faith = obedience.

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 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. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:11-13 ESV)

This may sound like works-based salvation, but it is not. Not one of us can be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God in our own merit, of our own wills, according to our own thinking and believing, nor by our own human effort. We can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father first draws us to Christ. We have to be persuaded of God as to who he is and as to what Jesus did for us on that cross, and then we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and now walk in his holiness and righteousness in the power of God, by the grace of God, in obedience to him.

So, is there effort on our part involved here? Yes! We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but it is God who works in us and who gives us the power and the strength to obey him and to resist the devil and to flee temptation. And it is only because of what Jesus did for us on that cross that any of us can have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But all of God’s promises to us have conditions. And Jesus demands that we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience. For if we do not, we will not have eternal life with God. For we must all give account to God.

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.