Hebrews 11: Saving Faith

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:39-40 ESV)

Once again, I want to hit the punch line first before diving into the meat of the text.  We have seen a litany of examples that we might construe as saving faith. And then, we arrive at verse 39. All of these wonderful works accomplished by these Old Testament patriarchs, and then the writer of Hebrews tells us to wait a second, that wasn't the point.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

How is it that we can simultaneously be exhorted to do great works, and yet be told that the promise was not received based upon those works? What is this faith that enables such great deeds, and yet falls short in perfecting us? What is it that God provided that was better for us? Rest assured, eager reader, that the author of Hebrews knows the answer. Remember back at the beginning of our journey through Hebrews, that we made some assumptions. A key assumption is that this letter or sermon was delivered to people who already had saving faith. Here, we see the faith of the Old Testament patriarchs set in contradistinction to this saving faith. This obviously begs the question, what is saving faith?

For my long-time readers, this will sound repetitive, because I wrote a similar post back in March. But is an important topic, one that bears repeating. Let us start from the notion that we must have faith. What is faith? Is faith tangible? Is faith itself an object? I ask this in a grammatical sense as well as a metaphysical sense. Grammatically speaking, faith is used as a noun. But more properly, we should think of faith perhaps as a gerund. Take this sentence: faith is believing. Using this construction, is quite easy to see my meaning. So I ask again, is it enough to have faith?

Is faith necessarily a Christian construct? Do you have faith in the Texans' ability to win with the third string quarterback? Is this the same faith of which we speak in a biblical context? Clearly not, therefore, it is obvious that faith must have an object. So, what is the object of our faith?

Let's start small, and build up as we need. I believe in God. For many, that is a sufficient statement of faith. Very quickly, we can argue that this is not a particularly Christian claim. In fact, statistically, most people in the United States believe in God, or a god, or some supreme being. Certainly, our Old Testament patriarchs believed in God, and yet the author of Hebrews has already declared that this was not saving faith.

I believe in Jesus, that he is the Christ, the Messiah. Certainly, that is a step farther than the Old Testament patriarchs were able to take. Does this constitute saving faith? Let's look at Matthew 4 for a moment. What is the supposition that the devil keeps making to Jesus?  And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God….” Without getting into too much of a philosophical argument about it, this is clearly a rhetorical statement by the devil. The devil knows Jesus is the son of God; he doesn't just believe it, he knows it. The point is this: if the devil knows Jesus is the son of God, and the devil isn't saved by that knowledge, can we consider this to be saving faith?

Now let's turn to 1 Corinthians 15. It's a long chapter, but I want you to read it now.  Here is just a sampling of the early part of the chapter.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:3-10a ESV)

In verse 1, Paul calls this his gospel, and he exhorts us to the same perseverance as does the author of Hebrews.      Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.  (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 ESV)  

We are being saved, not by our works, but by virtue of this gospel, this news about Jesus. The whole basis of this faith, according to Paul, is the truth of the resurrection. Paul reminds us that this was an actual historical event. He tells us about witnesses, he tells us about the names of some of those witnesses, he tells us about the number of witnesses, more than 500 brothers at one time. This, my friends, is what it means to be a witness. It is a legal word, it is a word used in courtrooms. These 500+ eyewitnesses testify and witness to the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, His resurrection is the basis of saving faith.

Now, let's go back to Hebrews 11:2. …looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Once again, saving faith is linked to the events of the cross. Once again, the New Testament links salvation to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Once again, the New Testament declares the object of our saving faith.

Elsewhere, I have tried to help you understand how it is that these events on the cross connect directly with you. Biblical words like justification, imputation, and propitiation are used to describe how this saving faith is connected directly to you. The first 11 chapters of Romans deal with this subject, particularly Romans 3:21-31, which we have discussed many times before.

            But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

            Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:21-31 ESV)

It is easy to stumble over some of the language, particularly if you are still lacking the Reformation categories of law and gospel. But whether you have a clear understanding of these two paragraphs or not, one cannot deny that Paul explicitly excludes righteousness by works, and he links righteousness, justification, and salvation to faith in Jesus Christ, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood. It's all there, and it is repeated throughout the New Testament.

In conclusion, then, saving faith is faith that gives us our eternal reward, bodily resurrection, and everlasting life with Christ our King. The link between Jesus Christ and you is His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, and His future coming in glory. That is the object of saving faith, nothing more and nothing less.

--Ogre--

Hebrews 7—Melchizedek, Part 2

In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.  His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.  There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah  (Psalm 76:1-3 ESV)

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter.  Rule in the midst of your enemies!  Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.  The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”  (Psalm 110:1-4 ESV)

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.  (Hebrews 7:1-3 ESV)

Types and shadows are the tool of covenant theology that the writer of Hebrews keeps hammering.  Rather than dwell for long in the Psalter, I just want to point out that the order of Melchizedek runs through the whole Old Testament.  It is the High Priesthood of that better Covenant that is made first with Abraham, and then finally by Christ, through Christ, for his elect, who are both natural and grafted in members of the Covenant family of Abraham. 

I want to start by enumerating a few interesting tidbits.  First, Melchizedek blesses Abraham; and by giving him a tithe, Abraham recognizes Melchizedek as the Great High Priest who intercedes for him with God.  Second, one chapter later, Abraham has no need of an intercessor, because God talks directly to him.  In a moment, we will examine why that is the case.  Third, Melchizedek is called the king of peace.  Fourth, Melchizedek is dropped into the story without antecedent or genealogy, and then seemingly disappears again.  The writer of Hebrews implies that he continues a priest forever.

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.  (Hebrews 7:4-10 ESV)

This is a key point the writer of Hebrews is making.  Melchizedek is not of the same lineage as Levi.  It is very tempting to assume that Melchizedek is some sort of preincarnate, dropping into the story to set Abraham on the correct path.  But Salem was a real place, and it had a real king.  No true incarnate diety would take authority of a kingdom of man.  But as a type and shadow, this works very well.  Melchizedek blesses Abraham.  In the next chapter, Genesis 15:6, we are told that the basis of Abraham’s righteousness is his belief in the promise of God.  What purpose then is this passage of Genesis 14 in the overall narrative?  The writer of Hebrews tells us that by translation, Melchizedek is the king of righteousness.  We’ll have to take his word for that, of course.  So, in one man, we have king of righteousness, by name, and king of peace, by location in Salem.  First, Abraham receives blessing from this Great High Priest, Melchizedek, the king of righteousness and the king of peace, and then Abraham offers Melchizedek a tithe, recognizing him as greater than himself, and then God declares Abraham righteous based upon his faith in the promise and blesses Abraham.  Later in Genesis 22, Abraham will obediently offer his son as a sacrifice to God, but God refuses the sacrifice.  Remember, it will be Abraham’s Seed, Who in His incarnation is also a natural branch of Abraham, Who is indeed sacrificed to God. 

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.  (Hebrews 7:11-14 ESV)

While this whole line of argument seems obscure to us today, let’s break this down and try to view this from a redemptive historical picture.  We must start with the audience again.  The audience of Hebrews are predominantly Jewish Christians.  As such, they have spent their whole lives in the religious context of Moses and Aaron and Levi as priests.  Melchizedek not being of the family of Levi or Aaron is exactly the point.  Aaron and Levi are associated with the Law as given through Moses.  Melchizedek is not.  Jesus is not from that branch of the family. 

But there is a larger point and that is in the first phrase: Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek?  Indeed.  This is such an important question and we are so bogged down on who this Melchizedek guy is, we totally blow over this basic and fundamental question.  The writer of Hebrews just told us that we are ready to move onto advanced Christianity, so we should not need to dwell on the basics.  I agree with Paul on this point.  We never outgrow the basics, because fallen man, left to himself will always turn back to himself for answers.  So, the writer of Hebrews makes an assumption that we are meant to make as well.  Perfection is NOT attainable through the Law; otherwise, this argument doesn’t make any sense.  This is a huge point and cannot be overstated.  The answer to the writer’s question is obviously that there would be no need for Jesus as incarnate deity if perfection were possible under the Law.  This is the whole point of the Gospel.  This is what Jesus keeps pounding into the Pharisees.  This is what Paul finally understands.  This is the central point of the distinction between Law and Gospel.  The whole message of Hebrews hinges on this very point.  If we were capable of perfection through the Levitical priesthood, what further need would we have for Jesus?

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him,

            “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.  (Hebrews 7:15-19 ESV)

This section, again, gives some to think of Melchizedek as some preincarnate.  Clearly, this passage refers to Jesus.  As such, it is obvious that He arises by the power of an indestructible life.  But does that phrase also refer to Melchizedek?  No.  The line of argument is about genealogy.  Just as Melchizedek was not of the same lineage as Abraham, neither is Jesus of the same lineage as Aaron or Levi.  The indestructible life of Jesus does allow Him to continue as priest forever.  But this is not the big point of this section either.

Focus on verses 18-19.  A former commandment is set aside.  What is set aside here?  The Levitical priesthood interceded based upon the Law and the Covenant of Moses; therefore, the Mosaic covenant is no longer in force.  It was not capable of making anything perfect.  The Law is only capable of teaching us about our sin.  That was the whole purpose of the Law.  Now, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.  Remember again the audience.  Only the Great High Priest dared to draw near to God under the Levitical system.  Now, with this new hope, this new covenant, this new Great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, we can all draw near to God.  This is truly amazing stuff, and it puts a dagger into the notion of Temple worship and the Mosaic Covenant. 

And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

            “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”

This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.  (Hebrews 7:20-22 ESV)

We have already seen that this quote is from Psalm 110.  What is this oath to which the Psalmist refers?  For just a moment, let us remember all of those Old Testament covenants that we discussed recently.  Three were Law Covenants: creation, Noah and Moses.  We know that Abraham is different.  The missing covenant is that with David.  Remember that David wrote many (roughly half) of the Psalter.  This one in particular is a Davidic Psalm, and it refers to the Davidic Covenant.  Let’s go, once again, to 2 Samuel 7:8-17 and read about the Davidic Covenant.  Two key points are at once obvious.  First, there are no blessings and curses.  This is a straight royal grant.  This covenant is of the same type as that with Abraham.  Second, we come to 2 Samuel 7:12.  When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  The assumption is that God is talking about Solomon.  It makes sense within a Jewish Old Testament manner of thinking.  Notice the number of the noun offspring.  We know from later in the sentence that this is one person.  The writer of Hebrews is directly applying this verse to mean Jesus.  It is the Kingdom of Heaven that will be established.  It is Jesus who will be the Son of God.  It is the throne of Jesus that will be established forever.  This promise was about Jesus.

So, logically, if the writer of Hebrews is pointing to both the Covenant with Abraham as well as the Covenant with David in distinction to the three law covenants, Jesus is certainly the guarantor of a better covenant.  Everything that Jesus mediates is a gift from God, not tied to a blessings and curses situation.  Those three covenants have to be reconciled, but that is why we needed Jesus to come.  He had to fulfill those covenants for us. 

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.  (Hebrews 7:23-25 ESV)

This section is plainly straightforward to us today, in our Trinitarian view of Christ.  If we have some odd Arian type of theology, then this is more problematic.  Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are the archetype of this theology in our century.  But we need to be careful with so many of the liberal views that chip away at the Gospel and deity of Christ.  To these wolves, we must shout the charge of blasphemy. 

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.  (Hebrews 7:26-28 ESV)

We finish up chapter 7 with a brief discussion of the sacrifice of Jesus.  I say brief because the writer of Hebrews was brief.  I will not be nearly so succinct.  From the first line, why is it fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens?  The writer tells us.  There are two reasons and we are elaborating on the first.  He has no need to offer sacrifices for his own sins.  He doesn’t have any sin.  His sacrifice pays for our sin.  Because he was made perfect, he only had to do it once.  Goats and lambs and bulls and pigeons cannot cleanse us of our sins.  They can only cover up our sins.  This is the mercy seat language of the Old Testament.  His sacrifice is so much better.  It does more than just cover up.  It reconciles us through Christ, to God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  How is he made perfect?  This works on two levels.  He is God, so when He became incarnate, He was made perfect from the start.  But also, He is made perfect in a progressive sense by living a perfect, sinless life while incarnate under the curse of Adam.  This life creates the conditions of a perfect sacrifice.  He is wholly human and wholly God and completely sinless as such.  Perfection incarnate.  He does what no man under the Law is capable of doing.  He becomes that perfect sacrifice for us.

My friends, I am going to say this differently that what we heard last week.  It’s in the text so watch closely.  He did this once for all.  That statement cannot be more plain and yet it cannot be more overlooked and abused.  Those other priests must atone for their own sins daily (plus every year on the Day of Atonement,) because they are not perfect and the sacrifice that they offer is insufficient to the job.  Therefore, in response to this paragraph from the notes, my answers would be different.

What has the blood of Christ done for you? Where do you need His blood in your life? Often we most need the blood of Christ at those times we're victorious. Victorious times can actually be dangerous times, although **** spoke for all of us in saying he could use the challenge of victorious times right now.

The blood of Christ, for me, purchased redemption, cleansing my sin, reconciling me to God, allowing me to approach His throne boldly and with confidence on the Last Day, knowing that I am not to be judged by my own merits, but rather by the perfect righteousness of Christ that was imputed to me as a gift of Grace through the power of the Holy Spirit.  In my life, His blood has already freed me from the yoke of sin, so that my works are sanctified by that same Grace from the Holy Spirit.  Because I have the knowledge of the Gospel and what the Blood of Christ has already done for me, once and for all, I can live accordingly in gratitude and obedience to His will.  I am not ever going to be victorious in this life, in the way in which that question was asked.  My victorious time will come on the Last Day, at Judgment, when I will hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” as if I had done something to earn them.  My victory in this life is the certain knowledge of that victory that was paid for me by Christ’s blood for that victory on my behalf on the Last Day.  And that, my friends, is plenty enough for me.

--Troll--

Hebrews 6

This chapter has two distinct parts.  The first part flows from the last portion of chapter 5, discussing the elementary doctrine as opposed to the mature doctrine.  The second part sets up the explanation of the order of Melchizedek.  Let us look closely at each part and set the stage for chapter 7.

We left the last discussion with a discussion about the Word of Righteousness and the powers of discernment.  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Ephesians 4:11-14.  The mature Christian has to exercise his mind.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:2.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.  Hebrews 5:14.  Am I pummeling the equinus rigamortis?  Perhaps, but it is only because I saw him flinch.

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  

Repentance from dead works is an interesting phrase, worthy of its own series of posts.  James talks about dead faith, but what is this about dead works?  The answer is clear from all that we have discussed thus far.  Works are not the path to righteousness; works are the path from righteousness.  Why are we to leave behind discussion of what is essentially the Gospel?  Because the writer wants us to understand how all of the Old Testament types and shadows fit together with the revelation of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant.  This is the next level to which he would have us aspire.  Of course, Paul never really thought you could assume the Gospel.  He spends the first part of every letter reiterating basic doctrine, always making sure that the foundation is solid before building upon it.  In our day, this approach is more necessary than ever.

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

We spend so much time on this concept, worrying about this and that person falling away.  Really, if you have the proper reformed categories, this is a non-issue.  Let me explain.  Let’s assume for a moment that Romans 9-11 and several other places in the both the Old and New Testaments are accurate in discussing the idea of the elect.  I like making this assumption because I believe that it is true.  But for those Arminians who read this, let’s just make the assumption for a moment.  How does that presupposition effect the above passage?  The elect cannot fall away.  Jesus states that He is the Good Sheppard and He will not lose even the least of His flock.  So, to whom, then, is the writer referring that may have fallen away?  They cannot be the elect, because the writer states that it is impossible to restore these to whom he is speaking.  At this point, some might try and apply that phrase from the Synoptics of which this is an example: But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Luke 18:27.  Here is the difference.  The writer of Hebrews specifically discusses covenant blessings through the Holy Spirit.  Then, he talks about crucifying Jesus once again.  The point is this.  Not all who are part of the visible church are actually part of the invisible church.  Was Judas a circumcised Jew?  During life, did he receive the blessings of being within that covenant community?  Is he a part of the True Church?  In the same way, Baptism brings us into the covenant community.  But not all who are Baptized are part of the True Church.   

When those who do not have true faith participate in the Sacraments, particularly in Communion, they are doing exactly the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  By partaking in Communion without the faith that goes with it, they are, in a very real sense, crucifying Jesus again.  The believer goes beyond the crucifixion to the resurrection.  The reprobate only goes to the cross, but never to Easter.  Therefore, they may appear to drift in and out of covenant community during their lives, without ever truly being believers.   

This is not to suggest that we are fruit inspectors.  All sheep will certainly stray for a time.  But their path back is not blocked, for they return for true repentance, because they understand the source of their righteousness before God.  So, like the rain that falls on all ground, all those that receive the Sacraments may not produce good fruit, because that ground was not fertile.  They were not among the elect.  That ground was only going to product thorns and thistles.  Therefore, all of this drifting away was inevitable.

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

OK, my friends.  What exactly is going on in this paragraph?  Let’s start with the phrase things that belong to salvation.  Salvation is about judgment.  We cannot lose track of that point.  The door to salvation is faith in the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, in His propitiating sacrifice.  Now, let’s examine God’s justice.  For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.  Does this sentence undo every other line of scripture concerning justification?  And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  How does one have the full assurance of hope until the end?  You have that assurance by knowing that our justification is independent of these works.  Remember how this section began, talking about repentance from dead works.  God will not overlook your good works any more than He will overlook your sin, if you want to base your righteousness on your own works.  The point is that, outside of Christ, there are no good works in terms of God’s righteousness, only the righteousness of man, which Paul told us was rubbish.  Jesus Christ sanctifies our  works as well as the rest of us.  After we are justified by faith, we are sanctified by faith so that even our works now are sanctified and truly good works, not those dead works of above.  The only way to be imitators of those who inherit the promise is to be one of those who inherit the promises.  And since you are one of those, act like it.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

In Bible study, we referred to the Covenant ritual of God with Abraham.  Here is that passage from Genesis 15:17.  When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.  In these rituals, there were always TWO things passing through the pieces.  The first thing is the Great High King.  The second thing is the vassal king, and the blood of the animals was sprinkled upon the second king to remind him of the curses.  The conditions, the blessings and the curses, all fell upon the second king.  Notice the Covenant ritual of God with Moses from Exodus in chapter 24 and of the Aaron in chapter 29.  The blood was cast upon Moses, the Israelites, the altar, the Law, Aaron.  In the first example, God, the father, and God, the Son, pass through the pieces. They are clearly of the same substance.  All of the Covenant responsibility falls upon God, not on Abraham.  All of the Covenant responsibility at Sinai falls upon Israel, not God.  These are two totally different types of Covenants.  Finally, Jesus had gone behind the curtain, into the Holy of Holies, on our behalf.  He is the firstborn from the dead.  He tears open the veil and allows us to end boldly, in confidence, in His name.

He is the eternal Great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.  In the next post, we will finally come to Melchizedek.

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Hebrews 5—The Great High Priest, part 1

This is the beginning of the portion of the book of Hebrews, starting at 4:14, that deals with Christ’s role as the Great High Priest.  This book lays out the idea of Covenant, the types and shadows of the Old Testament, the basic problem of man, the solution to that problem as provided by Christ in the New Covenant, His role as the Great High Priest, and the nuts and bolts of how this Covenant works.  It is a remarkable undertaking.

Briefly recapping where we have been, Christ is great than angels, because He is God, of the same substance as the Father.  He became incarnate to become fully man, but remained fully God.  As such, although fully man, he remains much greater than angels and much greater than Moses.  We examined the Sinai covenant of Moses and the Abrahamic Covenant.  We looked at the types and shadows of the Old Testament through the lens of the Mosaic Covenant, and then through the lens of the Abrahamic Covenant.  Now, we are ready for the introduction of Jesus in His role as Great High Priest.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Starting with verse 14, what is our confession?  Are we speaking in this place of the confession of sin?  No, not really.  Some of the great doctrinal statements of the Protestant Reformation are known as confessions (Augsburg, Westminster, Baptist.)  This refers to our confession of faith in Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross.  That is how the writer of Hebrews is using this word.  What is significant about the Great High Priest having passed through the heavens?  This goes to the point of types and shadows, again.  In the earthly Temple in Jerusalem, the great high priest entered into the Holy of Holies, and there was uncertainty whether he would come back out again.  They tied a rope around his foot in case he was struck dead, so they could haul out his body and not profane the place with his body that was clearly, after being struck dead for unrighteousness, unworthy of being there.  But after the destruction of the Temple, it is clear that the Temple has moved to heaven, to the heavenly Jerusalem.  And yet why make this whole line of argument if the Jerusalem Temple was gone?  Likely because the book of Hebrews was written before 70 A.D.  The Temple was figuratively destroyed on Easter morning; the physical destruction, of epically less importance, came some 37 years later.  So, the point here is that Jesus did not just come through the Holy of Holies unscathed, He came through Heaven unscathed, and He’s there now, at that Temple, performing the role of Great High Priest.  But here is the crux of the whole argument of Hebrews: how do we, mere humans with no supernatural portion, still toiling under the curse of Adam, draw near to the throne of grace?  And when is this time of need?

Let’s focus on this because it works on two levels.  First, let’s work on the large picture of redemptive history.  The throne of grace is clearly Heaven.  We can with confidence draw near to God, who resides on that throne, only if we are righteous.  Remember here that the writer of Hebrews has followed a similar path as Paul in Romans, as Isaiah, as Jeremiah, as the Psalmist, in describing the evil of the human heart after the fall.  We have no righteousness of our own.  Remember in Philippians where Paul says that the righteousness that he thought he had was rubbish, dung.  Let’s look closely at that section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians for a moment.

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God1 and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

That is a powerful message about righteousness through faith in Christ.  We can only approach the throne of God with confidence if we have this righteousness from God that depends on faith.  That was Paul’s point, and it is also the point of the writer of Hebrews.

On the second level, let’s address that time of need.  This phrase has the potential for tremendous abuse.  This is not about making intercessions for our health, wealth and happiness.  The apostles never worried a moment about such trifles.  To help us understand this time of need, let’s go back to Paul again in Romans 7.

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

So, Paul tells us that our time of need is when we sin. Even though as believers we are free of the bondage of sin, because our bodies are still under the Law, under the curse of Adam, in  Adam, we fail in our obedience to Christ.  We know better and it bothers us tremendously.  But we can now go boldly back to the throne of God, repent and receive forgiveness.  How do we get there?  We aren’t dead yet and the Second Coming is still in the future.  We get there by prayer, through the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The first ten verse of chapter 5 are comparing the Old Testament Temple system to the New Covenant Temple under Jesus Christ.  It should be self evident in reading these verses exactly why Jesus is much superior to any high priest chosen from among men.  There is a quote from Psalm 110 stuck into verse 6 that refers to Melchizedek.

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”  The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter.  Rule in the midst of your enemies!  Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.  He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.  He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

This Psalm is clearly messianic and it speaks of the time between the Ascension and Judgment Day when Christ sits at the right hand of God, and then of Judgment Day.  Again, we see this order of Melchizedek.  Where can we find this order? 

Melchizedek appears in the story of Abram, before he was Abraham, way back in Genesis 14.  Can you see from this reference how the writer of Hebrews has been painstakingly fleshing out that Salvation is not from Moses, not from the Law, but rather Salvation is through faith, through the Covenant with Abraham.  Over and over again, we keep coming back to Genesis and that Covenant, a royal grant, rather than the conditional covenant of Moses and the Law.  We will spend more time with Melchizedek shortly, so let’s move on to the end of the chapter.

The last paragraph of chapter 5 appears to be a warning, and yet, it was presented in Bible study as a tongue in cheek jibe to entice believers to want to attain a higher level of understanding.  Let’s break down that last paragraph and see what you think.

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Starting from the first line, it may just be hard to explain, but you know that the writer is about to do just that, explain the order of Melchizedek to us.  So what is this about being dull of hearing?  We discussed this in the Hebrews 3 post concerning Psalm 94.  The writer is not just taunting the listeners, he is quoting scripture, Psalm 94.  What are these basic principles that these listeners need to be taught?  The writer is teaching them now.  They are all of the relationships between the types and shadows of the Old Testament and the Old Testament Covenants to the reality of the New Covenant in Christ.  What is it to be unskilled in the word of righteousness?  The Jews hear righteousness and think of compliance to the Law, in other words, the Jews think deeds.  The word of righteousness is about a declaration.  It is about news.  It is the Gospel.  Following the double entendre, the Word of Righteousness is Jesus Christ, Himself.  The writer is telling the audience to stop looking at themselves, and start looking to Christ.  And finally, solid food is for those who have exercised their powers of discernment.  In other words, stop trying to do something; use your mind and learn something.

I want to finish up this section with another section from Paul.  This is from Ephesians 4:11-14.        

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

These are powerful words from Paul to end our discussion.  Notice how well they dovetail with the words from the writer of Hebrews.  The quality of children, who can only handle milk, is that they are easily deceived by false doctrine and human cunning.  The quality of mature men of Christ is discernment.  Paul and the writer of Hebrews agree that doctrine is the thing.  Use your mind and get the doctrine right.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  (Romans 12:2 ESV)

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Hebrews 4

His rest.  Clearly, we need to understand exactly to what the writer refers with this phrase before we can understand this chapter.  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.  While the promise of entering his rest still stands….  Let us make no mistake about it, this statement comes completely upon the heels of the Chapter 3 discussion of His heritage and we know that this heritage is based upon the promise of God to Abraham.  These are eschatological ideas and refer to redemptive historical context.  We enter His rest after we die or on the Day of the Second Coming, whichever comes first.  Until that day, we continue to life IN Adam, simultaneously citizens of this present evil age and the Age to Come.  That is the tension with which we live as Christians.  Therefore, the promise still stands as long as we are alive and before the Second Coming.  After either one of those events, it is too late for us.  

…let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.  The key word here is seem.  Why is this the case?  First of all, we are not given the job of fruit inspection, and we don’t truly know the fate of anyone else.  We only know whether we truly believe.  Some may seem to be true believers.  They say all the prayers correctly and attend church every Wednesday and Sunday.  Others may seem to struggle in their faith, forever tottering in doubt, full of ethical dilemmas and questionable decisions.  The mysteries of the Holy Spirit are not made known to us.  Who is to say which of those two is saved and which is not.  Therefore, let us fear.

This is going to sound like a contradiction in a while when the writer talks about boasting, but you know that it isn’t.  When the writer is speaking to the whole congregation, he does not know to which group he is speaking.  There is the distinct possibility that there are reprobate present within the congregation.  This is not a statement about works, because we can see that he qualifies the comment with seems. 

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.  This is a remarkable statement.  Remember that the prior passage is about the Jews in the time of Moses.  Think about that point in redemptive history.  They had just received the Law in written form.  And yet, the writer says that good news came to them, also.  To what message is the writer referring?  Is it the Law?  No!  Israel was saved at Passover just before the Red Sea events at the beginning of their sojourn across the desert.  They were shown the sacrifices.  All of the types and shadows of what was to come in Jesus were there for them to see.  The message of the good news did not benefit them because they did not believe like those who truly listened.  Moses understood the big picture.  Abraham certainly understood the big picture.  But those Israelites who wandered the desert did not see beyond the promise of earthly Jerusalem to the promise of heavenly Jerusalem.

As you wander through verses 3-6, notice these points.  We who have believed entered that rest, in contrast with those who failed to enter because of disobedience.  Again, this is a remarkable passage.  Salvation is a passive event for the believer.  It is based upon the active work of another, Christ Jesus.  In contrast, disobedience is an active event by the nonbeliever.  The only actions of which fallen man is capable are in disobedience.  It is by listening and by faith in the promise that we receive Salvation.  Now, in the middle of that passage, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit finished His works from the foundation of the world.  And as we will see shortly, after his earthly mission, Jesus finished His works in this incarnation with His death, burial and resurrection.  Notice how all these pieces fit nicely together, Old Testament and New Testament.

Watch what happens in verses 8-10.  For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.  OK, who are the people of God?  Are we talking about earthly Israel?  Of course not.  We are speaking of Heavenly Israel, those native branches and those wild branches alike that are grafted together on the root of Jesse, Jesus Christ.  When do we enter into God’s rest?  We enter into His rest when we die or on the Last Day, whichever comes first.  Thus, we rest from our works when we die or on the Last Day, whichever comes first.  Is this about righteousness?  No, this is about the reward, Salvation.  Righteousness is from belief, from faith in the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross, a faith we receive from the Holy Spirit.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 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. 13 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.  This passage is tough and will require careful consideration.  Starting from verse 11, is the writer suggesting that our works will profit us in terms of salvation?  At first glance, he seems to be doing just that.  But then, we realize that he is explaining the purpose of the Law.  When we read the phrase the word of God is living and active, remember that this is a double entendre.  We receive the Holy Spirit by listening to the Word of God preached into our ears.  But also, remember John 1.  Jesus Christ is the Word.  He is the Word made flesh.  He is living and active.  He does discern the depths of our hearts.  He does pierce our souls.  Why the image of the two-edged sword?  There are different types of blades.  The two edged sword can cut in either direction and can also be used to stab.  It is a more direct weapon.  But the crux of the imagery is that a two-edged sword cuts both ways.  If wielded unskillfully, it is as likely to cut the one who wields it.

Finally, this section ends in judgment.  All are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.  Make no mistake.  We will all have to give an account.  And what have we learned so far from the writer of Hebrews?  Remember from the last chapter:

So, who then, ultimately are the righteous, the upright of heart?  We know from Psalms 5, 10, 14 and 36,  Isaiah 59 and 64, and Romans 1-3, that no one is righteous, no, not even one.  Look at Ecclesiastes 7:20.  Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.  So, who are the righteous, the upright of heart?  No one.  No one qualifies.  That is the point of the Law.  After the Fall, no one is capable of fulfilling the Law. 

Therefore, this whole idea of impending Judgment absolutely should put fear into us, fear of the Wrath of God.  At the end of chapter 4, though, the writer refers us back to the end of chapter 2.  Jesus is the Great High Priest.  Next, we will discuss the role of the Great High Priest.

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Hebrews 3

Therefore.  Today’s passage begins, once again, with therefore.  The last section of chapter 2 dealt with Jesus becoming a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  The rest that follows is in light of that declaration, the key declaration of chapter 2.  But chapter 3 has a large quote stuck smack in the middle of it.  So, let’s go to Psalm 95 first, and see the context of that Psalm, then return to Hebrews and see how the writer of Hebrews contextualizes that Psalm.

The theme of chapter 3, perhaps the whole book of Hebrews, is true faith.  True faith is a faith placed in the correct place.  Faith always has an object (hint: look up to blue letters just above.) Before we jump back into the Old Testament, notice the first half of verse 7 first, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says….  The writer is stating that the Holy Spirit was speaking the words of Psalm 95.  Jumping to John 14-16, we know that the Holy Spirit always speaks of the redeeming plan of God through Jesus Christ.  Therefore, the writer of Hebrews is saying that Psalm 95 is in some way about Jesus.  Now, we are almost ready to go there.

Psalm 94 is going to be our starting point.  Read it now.  Since we are already in chapter 6 of Hebrews, some of this is going to sound terribly familiar.  As you read Psalm 94, ask yourself to whom the Psalmist is speaking in verse 8.  Understand, O dullest of the people!  Fools, when will you be wise?  Now, just for a second, go peak at Hebrews 5:11.  About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  It is probably obvious that dull is not complementary.  One last section of Psalm 94 before we move on: verses 14-15.  For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.  I want you to hear these images, and just let them register for now.  Later, we will put all the images together into a collage, and from there a larger picture will emerge.

Psalm 95:1-7a fits in nicely with the Psalms of praise before and after.  But stuck into this string of praise, is 94 and 95:7b-11. 

Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” 11 Therefore I  swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

Now, in Bible study, we learned that these words refer to events in Exodus 17:1-7.  But the key to this passage is the issues of hearts and rest.

Let’s go back to Psalm 94 and see that God will not abandon his heritage, and then in Psalm 95 that the fathers put God to the test, and he loathed them for it.  This is tough stuff.  Whenever I hear nominal Christians suggest that Jesus loves me, and he just wants me to do my best, or that God loves the sinner, but hates the sin, I think of passages like this. The fathers of that generation of Israel put God to the test, and He loathed them for it.  That sort of gives pause to how we choose to pray, does it not?  What is going on in those verses?

Now, for the heart, we are asked not to harden our hearts, because justice with return to the righteous, and all the upright of heart will follow it.  Upright is a virtual synonym for righteous in this phrase.  So, this all sounds like a command.  But what we have to realize is that this is Psalms, the center of the Old Testament.  David wrote many of these Psalms.  The covenants are all in play at this point, as we are prior to the Diaspora in redemptive history.  The key point is that the Sinai Covenant, or Mosaic Covenant, is a conditional covenant.  Do this and ye shall live; do it not and ye shall perish.  This is a Law passage.  What happened to Israel later in redemptive history?  They failed at keeping the Law, and were therefore thrown out of the promised land.  So, who then, ultimately are the righteous, the upright of heart?  We know from Psalms 5, 10, 14 and 36,  Isaiah 59 and 64, and Romans 1-3, that no one is righteous, no, not even one.  Look at Ecclesiastes 7:20.  Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.  So, who are the righteous, the upright of heart?  No one.  No one qualifies.  That is the point of the Law.  After the Fall, no one is capable of fulfilling the Law. 

But, we also have the part about God not abandoning His heritage.  Which covenant is still intact after the Diaspora?  Stop looking at Moses, and set your eyes upon Abraham.  That covenant is a royal grant that is guaranteed by God.  Upon what basis was Abraham deemed righteous?  Was he obedient to the Law?  I would remind you of the episode with his wife in Egypt.  He is declared righteous because he believes in the promise of God.  He did not earn this declaration by his works.  He did not deserve this declaration.  He received this declaration based upon his faith in the promise of God.

Reformed theology, and remember that the Episcopal Church is a reformed church, understands that the Bible is pounding away at the notion that the heart is evil, that man is not capable of good.  So, when we are told not to harden our heart, we are being asked to do the impossible.  All that we are capable of doing as fallen people is to turn away from God and harden our hearts.  It is God who seeks us.  God, through the power and work of the Holy Spirit, gathers the sheep and gives them the gift of faith.  We, the elect, receive that faith in the work of Jesus on the Cross and his propitiation on our behalves, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And now, finally, let’s go to Chapter 3, starting with verse 12.   

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 

Remember who the audience of Hebrews is: a believing community of Christians, who are predominantly of Jewish heritage.  The faith of the elect is through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, that is a faith that cannot be turned aside.  Jesus will not lose even one of his flock.  So, who then can these others be who are able to harden their hearts?

The answer is within that word that follows along from Old Testament to New Testament, describing the set of people known as believers: remnant.  To understand this whole comment, the Calvinist doctrine of visible and invisible church is helpful.  Suppose instead of church, we are talking about the Old Testament covenants.  There are clearly benefits to being a Jewish citizen during the time of David, unless your name is Uriah.  But while all Jewish citizens share in these same benefits, only a few are both in the family of Israel and also believers in the promise of God to Abraham.  Most of Israel viewed the covenants through the conditional covenant of Moses at Sinai.  Therefore, the object of their faith was on their own righteousness (or perceived self-righteousness) rather than upon the righteousness that is a gift from God through his promise as it is made known to us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, there were some who benefited from being with the overall covenant community, but were not, in fact, a part of that remnant of whom the Bible speaks.  In the same way, the church is full of a group of people who benefit from being members of that community.  But some of them may not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They might not have been given the gift of true faith through the power of the Holy Spirit.  These people would be sitting in church on Sunday, and listening to the sermon given by the writer of Hebrews.  These people are not true believers.  They will harden their hearts towards God.  This is the natural state of man.  Except for the Holy Spirit and His gift of belief by Mercy and Grace to the remnant elect, there we would all be, everyone of us.

So, who falls away and who holds fast to their faith in Jesus’ redeeming work and propitiation on our behalf to the end?  The people who give lip service to the gospel, but lack true believe: those will fall away.  The people who have received the gift of true faith in Christ’s redeeming work: those will persevere to the end, but not of their own doing.  It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that it is possible for anyone.

Now, look at verses 16-19.  Who were those who rebelled in the time of Moses?  Who were the ones who persevered and entered into His rest?  Verse 19 says: So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.  It’s right there in the text.  Belief is the criteria for boldly claiming the inheritance. 

In chapter 4, we are going to discuss this idea of His rest.

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