HEBREWS 6


     We were reading in the last lesson How God was angered with the
Israelites when they were crossing over to the promised land, because,
when He performed mighty miracles, they did not believe and live for
Him. We related that to the problems in our society today. We will
pick up the lesson here in Hebrews 3:11 "So I sware in my wrath, They
shall not enter into my rest.)"

     Not only for the people then, but for the Christians now, there
is a Sabbath of rest. Many call this Sabbath of rest for the
Christian, the millennium reign of Christ. Notice in this next verse,
there is a Sabbath for believers. Hebrews 4:3 "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." Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy
[is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with him a thousand years."  I believe this 1000 year
rest for the Christian will occur at the end of 6000 years of labor on
the earth. In fact, I believe we are very near that time now. It has
been just under 6000 years since Adam and Eve. God set everything up
on this earth for 6 days of work and one day of rest. It really does
not matter whether that day is 24 hours long or 1000 years long. God
does not measure time the same way we do. With Him 1000 years can be a
day.  II Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day." From this, it is very possible, in fact, probable,
that this 1000 years in Revelation is that day of rest for the
Christians.

     Hebrews 3:12 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

     Mark 7:21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders," Mark 7:22 "Thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness:" Mark 7:23 "All these evil things come
from within, and defile the man." We are born in sin, and all our life
long the lust of the flesh tries to draw us away from God. When we
become a Christian, we become a new creature in Christ. The desire of
our heart should be to please God. We may sin sometime or other and
quickly repent, but it must not be the desire of our heart to sin. We
must not have a sinful way of life. God will judge our heart. I
personally believe that the heart is the book of our life that will be
opened and judged in heaven.

     Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To
day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

     II Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day:
the night cometh, when no man can work."  We are warned over and over
in the Bible to make use of today, because we have no idea whether
there will even be a tomorrow or not. Do not put off salvation, this
might be your last opportunity. When Jesus returns we are to be
working trying to get one more into the kingdom.

     Hebrews 3:14 "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the
beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;"

     Jesus' salvation is offered to everyone, but only those who take
it, have it. Notice from this verse above, that we are not only to
receive it, but to hold fast to it. This is what I call walking in the
salvation the Lord has given us. It really is a daily struggle. Even
Paul, said that at times his flesh got in the way. Romans 7:19 "For
the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I
do." Romans 7:20 "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." This does not mean that Paul was
a sinful man; it just means that once in a while his flesh {for a
moment] would overcome his spirit.  Paul lived as good as anyone
could. He said, at the end that he had run the good race and had a
crown of glory awaiting him. Paul had no desire in his heart to sin.
If we are a Christian, that should be the way we live, too. We should
[all the time] desire to live a pleasing life to God. Galatians 3:27
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ."  Christ is in us and we are in Him, if we are Christians. We
are grafted in to the Tree of Life which is Jesus Christ our Lord.

     Hebrews 3:15 "While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."

     Galatians 3:11 "But that no man is justified by the law in the
sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith."
Provocation in this particular passage means irritation. Do not get
irritated with God. Many times when someone very close to you dies,
you first get irritated at the one who died, and then wind up getting
irritated with God about the death. For the natural man, this is a
normal thing to do. This is not a good thing for a Christian to do.
God loves us and has our best interest at heart. He did not take your
loved one to get even with you. Don't turn against God when you need
Him the most. He is our Comfort. If there is ever a time to be
irritated with anyone, we should be irritated with our own short
comings.

     Hebrews 3:16 "For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit
not all that came out of Egypt by Moses." Hebrews 3:17 "But with whom
was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned,
whose carcases fell in the wilderness?"

     We should learn a lesson from these Israelites. Every time a
little hardship arose they blamed God. They angered God many times
during the forty years they travelled through the wilderness. The trip
could have easily been made in less than 6 months, but they sinned
over and over and God caused them to wander until all of those who had
doubted that they could take the land had died off. God forgave them
over and over, just like He does us, but there was a day of reckoning
and there will be one for us too. Some day, God will say that is
enough. God is a forgiving God, but He is also a God of Judgement.
I Corinthians 10:1 "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea;" I Corinthians 10:2 "And were all baptized
unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;" I Corinthians 10:3 "And did
all eat the same spiritual meat;" I Corinthians 10:4 "And did all
drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." I Corinthians 10:5 "But
with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown
in the wilderness." I Corinthians 10:6 "Now these things were our
examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they
also lusted." I Corinthians 10:7 "Neither be ye idolaters, as [were]
some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink,
and rose up to play." I Corinthians 10:8 "Neither let us commit
fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and
twenty thousand." I Corinthians 10:9 "Neither let us tempt Christ, as
some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents."
I Corinthians 10:10 "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured,
and were destroyed of the destroyer." I Corinthians 10:11 "Now all
these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written
for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

     We see a strong warning in this that we are forewarned. These
examples of how they failed, should help us not make these same
mistakes. Look now at the hope in Jesus. I Corinthians 10:12
" Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
I Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make
a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]."  God will help us,
if we will let Him. Stay in the will of the Lord and you cannot fail.

     Hebrews 3:18 "And to whom sware he that they should not enter
into his rest, but to them that believed not?"

     The ticket into heaven, and into the thousand year Sabbath of
rest, is faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith [it
is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him."

     Hebrews 3:19 "So we see that they could not enter in because of
unbelief."

     Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned." This is just about as clear as
it could be made, those who do not have faith in Jesus Christ will
wind up in hell. To be saved, we must believe in our heart and confess
with our mouth. One more time I will give my favorite Scripture on
this. Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved."
                             Questions 6

1.  What did God swear in His wrath about these unbelievers?
2.  What do many people call the Sabbath of rest for the Christians?
3.  Blessed and holy is he that takes part in what?
4.  How many years has it been since the time of Adam and Eve?
5.  One day with God can be as a ________ years.
6.  In Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12, what is the one word that makes the
    heart evil?
7.  Where do evil thoughts originate?
8.  What defiles the man?
9.  When we are born again, what happens to us?
10. What is God going to judge?
11. How often are we to exhort one another?
12. How does our heart get hardened?
13. In 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 13, we are instructed to do what?
14. The night cometh when no man can _____.
15. What are we to be doing when the Lord comes back?
16. Jesus' salvation is offered to whom?
17. What must we do to have it?
18. As many of you as have been baptized, have done what?
19. What are we warned not to do in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 15?
20. The just shall live by ______.
21. If we are to be irritated with someone, who should it be?
22. Who was God grieved with forty years?
23. God is a forgiving God, but He is also a God of __________.
24. How were the Israelites baptized on the way to the promised land?
25. Who was the spiritual Rock?
26. How many who had committed fornication died in one day?
27. Why did these things happen to these Israelites?
28. When temptation of great magnitude comes, what will God do for us?
29. Who will not enter into His rest?
30. What is the ticket into heaven?
31. So we see that they could not enter in, because of ________.
32. He that believeth not shall be ______.