No Greater Love Than His
  • In The Son of His Love--a blog
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  • Relational Theology 101
  • Mystery of Godliness I Tim. 3:16
  • Galatians- Learning to Rest
  • The Body of Christ
  • Romans 1:16-17 The Gospel
  • Ephesians, the Father's adopted family
  • Prevailing Intercession-Henry Law
    • Psalm 2 Henry Law
  • A Practical Study of Hebrews
  • Satan's Hatred of Women
  • Quotes from old authors
  • John Welch on Romans 8:1
  • Topical Analysis of the Bible
  • LEARNING TO LIVE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
  • The Kingdom of God in Christ
    • The Kingdom Foretold
    • The King and His Kingdom Come
    • The Kingdom in its Biblical Context
    • The Kings introduction-the wild man and the real man
    • The Ultimate Test of the Father's Word-The Temptation
    • The Goal of the Kingdom Conquest
    • The Blessed of the Kingdom
    • Blessed are they that mourn
    • Blessed are the meek
    • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
    • Blessed are the Merciful
    • Blessed are the Pure in Heart
    • The Blessed of the Kingdom are the Salt & Light of the World
    • Kingdom Righteousness
    • Sermon on the mount-Getting the Law Right
    • Restoring God's Most Reflective Relationship
    • Being Sons and Daughters of the Heavenly Father
    • Understanding our Lord's Father Context
    • Breathing Pure Air in a Polluted World
    • Living in the Presence of the Secret Benefactor
    • What Serving God Looks Like
    • Self Righteous need not apply, but beggars can't be losers
    • Final Warnings From Our King
  • Audio Studies
    • Audio & Outline--On Spiritual Gifts
    • From the Futility of the Human Mind-to the Mind of Christ
    • Audio Study: I Corinthians 6:1-11
    • AUDIO-Waiting On God
    • Audio-Gospel of John
    • AUDIO-A Relational Discussion of the Holy Spirit
    • Audio-Studies on the Sermon on the mount
  • From Death to Life
  • All Creation Groans
  • Traveling down the ladder of self knowledge
  • Zions' hymn
  • Power in Weakness
  • What's In A Name?
  • The Heavenly Father's Pity/Spurgeon
  • On Affliction
  • Christ Our Intercessor
  • Spurgeon's Dream
  • Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
  • Stomping Among Lillies
  • The More Excellent Way
  • All Creation Sings Praise to the God of Heaven and Earth
  • The Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Ruler of the Nations
  • From Captivity to God's plan for peace, a future, and an eternal hope
  • Man Looks on the Outward Appearance, but the Lord of Hosts Looks upon the Heart
  • The Earth is the Lord's
  • The earth is the Lords
  • A Wedding Meditation-The Gospel Mystery
  • Be Strong in the Lord
  • The Girdle of Truth
  • Having feet shod with Gospel of Peace
  • Shield of Faith
  • Helmet of Salvation
  • Praying with all prayer & supplication
  • Sword of the Spirit
  • A Wedding Meditation
  • The Power of the Gospel is the Resurrection
  • What is this Mystery
  • A letter of encouragement to faith
  • Great is Mystery Part 3
  • The Mystery of Godliness part 4
  • Mystery of Godliness part 5
  • Seen of angels part 2
  • Preached among the nations
  • Great is Mystery of Godliness Part 8
  • Mystery of Godliness part 9
  • Great is mystery of Godliness part 10
  • A Father's Hand--on Affliction
  • Great is mystery of Godliness part 11
  • Mystery of Godliness part 12
  • Great is mystery of Godliness part 13
  • Great is mystery of Godliness part 14
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 1
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 2
  • It is the Power of God
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 4
  • Christ, the Glorious Hybrid of God
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 5
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 6
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 7
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 8
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part
  • Romans 1:16-17 Part 9
  • Romans 1:16-17 Pt 11
  • The Necessity of the Body of Christ
  • The Perfection of the Body of Chhrist
  • The Role of the Holy Spirit
  • The Application of Body II Pet 1:1-4
  • application of body of Christ #3
  • Practical application body #4
  • Part 5 The application of the body
  • Application of body of Christ #6
  • The Application of the Body #7
  • application of body of christ #8
  • Application of body of Christ #9
  • application of body of Christ #10
  • The Kingdom of God
  • Galatians 1:1-6
  • Galatians 1:6-9
  • Abraham's Gospel-Melchizedek
  • cutting the covenant
  • The Mark of the Covenant
  • Gospel to Abraham-resurrection
  • Galatians 1:10-17
  • Galatians 1:18-2:10
  • Galatians 2:11-21
  • Galatians 3:1-9
  • Beholding the Glory of God
  • Intro to Gospel of Abraham
  • Melchizedek Gen. 14:18-20
  • Melchizedek #2
  • God's cutting the Covenant
  • Mark of the Covenant
                                                                        There remains A Rest For the People of God
                                                                                                Hebrews 3:15-4:1-13

I.  The Wilderness Warning!  3:15-19 & 4:1-7
    A.  This section, including 3:7-11, is a continual restatement and repeating of Psalm 95:7b-11.  While it is a Psalm of David, Hebrews prefaces the initial quote with, “As the Holy Spirit says”.  See  I I Peter 1:10-12.
        1.  “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion”.  Vs 15  Who rebelled?  Those who saw the miracle of the Red     Sea, those who saw the Lord God descending on Mount Sinai.  And not only that, they saw His miraculous                 provision for 40 years.
            a.  Notice vs 16-19.  Israel’s behavior is defined by four words: rebellion, sinned, did not obey, and unbelief.              In other words, God considers these words as synonyms in His description of Israel’s testing Him! (3:9) They             went astray in their hearts, and this was the symptomatic evidence.
            b.  God had promised them the land of Rest, the Promised Land.  But they could not enter in because of                     unbelief.  With God, believing is seeing!  Unbelief is evil and incurs His Wrath! (4:3)
        2.  4:1-7 There is still a promise of entering His rest, and Israel’s falling in the wilderness should lead us to Godly fear!  This entering into rest is not a mere suggestion.  It is the ultimate blessing of the people of God.  To come short is to fall in the wilderness!
            a.  The gospel is the means of entering His rest.  It was preached to Israel (vs2) as well as to us,  but they did             not believe it (did not mix faith with it) Believing the Word of the Lord is to enter His rest. (Vs 3a)
            b.  He states the warning 3 more times, vs3, vs5, and vs7. 
II.  So What is the Rest of God?
    A.  4:3a, 4:8-9 “Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.  For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day (Sabbath) in this way: ?And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.”  And again in vs 10, “For he who has entered into His rest has himself ceased from his works as God did from His”.
        1.  Very plainly, God’s rest in creation, His Sabbath, is the pattern for our rest.  We must cease from our works as     God did from His.
        2.  Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, by the     washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”  God’s ultimate rest is in His Son as He testified on the     cross, “it is finished.”  Ephesians 1:4 declares that we are chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.  It             goes on to speak of the Father’s will, to gather in one all things in Christ.  The Father’s plan was before the                     foundation of the earth, so in reality, His works were already settled and accomplished in the heart of God.  Our        rest is to rest where the Father rests–in His Beloved Son in Whom He is well pleased.
        3.  Matthew 11:28-30 Gives us the Savior Son’s view of our rest.  Here he says that rest is found by coming to         Him, and learning of Him.  He is the Rest-Giver!  All that He IS, and all He has done is the source of Rest.  And         learning from Him is God’s “methodology”.

But we are bound in sin, bound to striving, trying to outshine everyone, or wishing we could.  We know no rest!  We live by comparison, ever in dissatisfaction.  How then does God teach us of Christ and bring us into His rest?  That’s verses 12-13

III.  Vs 12-13 God’s curriculum and His teacher.
    A.  Vs 12  His curriculum–the Word of God!
        1.  We are not talking about a mere book, but the book that God “inhabits”.  It is “living         and powerful,                 sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and     is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  That is the description of a book with a “personality and a     purpose”.  It is not about the dissemination of information.  It is sent to unveil the flesh dependencies of its                 readers, that flesh that keeps them striving after the wind!  It unveils false motives and egomania–any non-restful     fleshly root, and they are all non-restful. 
    B.  Vs 13  His teacher–the Holy Spirit.
        1.  “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with Whom     we have to do.”
        2.  This is in keeping with His ministry in coming as Jesus stated in John 16:8-13.  He will convict of sin,                     righteousness and judgement.  He will guide us into all truth, and He will glorify Christ!  He is always about Jesus     Christ and He is all about peace and rest.  But He must use the scalpel of the Word of God to bring us into that             Rest.
 
Conclusion: Rest is not optional.  To enter into it is salvation, to fall short is to abide in unbelief.  But God has given us totally sufficient means to enter into Rest.  He has given us His Word, and His Spirit.  And their ministry is to bring us to The Word made flesh that we may have His “It Is Finished” reigning in our hearts.

And that leads us into our next study.  As the Spirit by the Word reveals our desperate need, He brings us to the glorious resource prepared for a needy and sinful people–the Throne of Grace where our great High Priest mediates abundant mercy and powerful grace!!