November
9, 2003
Hebrews 4:11-16:
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one
will fall by following their example of disobedience.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation
is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before
the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest, who had gone through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do
not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who had been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without
sin. Let us the approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we
may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
When you read many of the ancient fathers in church history, one thing that
stands out in comparison to what Christians often write today is that the
early church fathers have a great deal to say about our souls. Their writings
often focus on the idea of taking care of our souls. They write as if they
considered themselves “soul doctors.”
It’s strange that modern writers rarely talk about our souls.
Today, when discussion centers on the soul, it is usually about saving the
soul. Oddly, writers offer little more than that on the subject. And even
the concern with saving souls is talked about less and less. Silence about
the soul apart from saving it would seem to communicate the idea that once
the soul is saved, and is therefore safe, then there is little need for further
attention to the soul.
In the Bible, the word soul, which is sometimes referred to as our
heart, is that part of us that actually runs our life. Our life is not controlled
by our external circumstances, our thoughts, our intentions, or even our feelings,
but our lives are run by our souls--or our hearts.
As one writer says, our heart or soul is
...that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates, enlivens
everything going on in the various dimensions of the self. It is the life-center
of the human being. It regulates whatever is occurring in each of those dimensions
and how they interact with each other and respond to surrounding events in
the overall governance of your life. The soul is "deep" in the sense of being
basic or foundational and also in the sense that it lies almost totally beyond
conscious awareness.
The human soul, or heart, or spirit, call it what you like, is an inescapable
reality of every human being. When you hear of some outrageously good or bad
behavior on the part of someone, you can be sure of one thing, that behavior,
or that action issued forth from the reality of the state of that person’s
soul.
The Bible is consistent in telling us that we must take care of our soul.
Remember how your mother used to say, "You only have one set of eyes, so make
sure you take care of them." This is the predominant concern of the Bible
concerning our souls.
Proverb 4:23 makes this point: "Above all else, guard your heart, for
it is the wellspring of life."
But this idea is far more central to Biblical revelation or teaching than
its use as merely a wise saying from Proverbs.
For instance, Jesus insisted that it is from out of the heart that our life
issues, so He constantly emphasizes that we must make sure our hearts, or
our souls, are right. This is why in the Sermon on the Mount He would insist
that there is a big difference between praying so that other people can see
you and admire you and think well of you, and going into a secret place and
pouring out your soul to the Father.
Jesus raises the penetrating question in Matthew 16:26: “What good will
it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"
What does it mean to lose your soul? Can you actually do that? Do you know
anyone who had done that or who is in the process of doing it? Jesus gives
an example of a rich farmer. Remember what the farmer says, and whom he says
it to. In Luke 12:19 we read, "And I’ll say to myself, you have plenty
of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy: eat, drink, and be
merry."
When the farmer says this to himself, he is saying it to his own soul. He
uses the same Greek word that Jesus uses when He warns about losing your own
soul.
What is happening here? The man is speaking to his soul. He acts deceptively
with his own soul. He has abandoned his soul, his real self, for externalities,
failing to care for his soul. And his real soul, that deepest part of him
speaks to him in return. The farmer’s response is to silence his soul: "Shut
up soul, and just be satisfied with externals."
And so he loses his soul. Jesus summarized the point of his story with these
words: "This is how it will be for anyone who stores up things for himself
but is not rich toward God."
Of course this is the premise of the Bible concerning the soul. Our soul
is the deepest part of our being. Its life is derived and sustained by God.
And so in order for the soul to be healthy, it must be rich toward God. It
must take its life from God. Otherwise there is no hope that we can have a
healthy soul.
What does the soul have to do with this passage? Everything. What we are
talking about is a rest that God has for us as believers. This is not an optional
rest. It is to be the possession of every believer. The clear implication
is that to fail to enter this rest is to fail, period, in life.
Last week we looked at the one place where Jesus talks about rest. He specifically
says that His is a rest of soul and that He will give it it to us, that He
wants very much to give to us. Surprisingly, He says that His rest will be
that of taking His yoke upon us. We find that this, then, is the rest that
the author of Hebrews writes about. It is the rest, not of inactivity, but
of being linked to the life of Jesus. Jesus calls this rest becoming yoked
with Him. This kind of rest for the soul is an infusion of life from God;
this is how it must be, because the life of our soul is a derived life and
can only be healthy by drawing continuous and consistent strength from God.
In Hebrews, rest is called a Sabbath rest. The Sabbath rest is to be a reminder
that our life, our entire life, flows from God. For
we live in God’s world, one where the nature of this world, the reality of
this world exists by God’s appointment; therefore, what God wants to accomplish
through our lives is not dependent on our talents, abilities, our smarts--not
on anything. God wants our lives to be the sort of lives that can only be
explained by His life in us. The Sabbath rest was designed to help us remember
and to live in this reality.
Many biblical passages support this idea that we are dependent on God in
all we do. According to Ecclesiastes 9:11, “The race is not to the swift,
or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the
brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”
This is a true observation about our world. Of course, it doesn’t mean that
the race never goes to the swift, or the battle never goes to the strong,
or food never goes to the wise, etc. Rather, the observation is that our actions,
independent of God, cannot bear the weight of our trust because it will fail
every single person, sooner or later. This is why the proverb says, Trust
in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.
We also read in Psalm 147:10-11 that “His pleasure is not in the strength
of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those
who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
Jesus describes being yoked to Him as a deep soul rest. It is the way we
were designed to live. Why does the writer of Hebrews describe this rest in
4:9-10 with these words: There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people
of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work.
This is much more than simply the idea
that we cannot earn our salvation. It is a much deeper reality, and a daily
thing. What it means is that we must abandon the idea that we
can make our life come out right, whatever ‘come out right’ means to us.
For some,
to come out right might mean to be successful;
to come out right might mean to live in peaceful circumstances;
to come out right might mean to have people speak well of us and think well
of us;
to come out right might mean to take control of our finances so that we’re
financially secure;
to come out right might even include ministry goals of some kind.
The rest of the soul that Jesus speaks of here is the rest that comes when
we give our life to Him in such a way that we allow Him to be responsible for the outcomes. This means
that we give up envying people because they seem to have more success even
though we are just as talented. This means we continually stop trying to manipulate
our circumstances or the people around us so that they will cooperate with
our own agenda.
As an example, take note of the conversation between Christ and Peter when
Peter is fishing. Jesus appears on the shore for the express purpose of restoring
Peter in order to encourage him, to assure him that his failure has not ruined
his life. He asks Peter three times if he loves Him, echoing the same three
times Peter has denied knowing Him. And then Christ tells Peter three times,
“Feed my sheep.” Peter gets the point. He is encouraged. He
understands then that the Lord has just assured him that he is still going
to use his life, that Peter’s life is not over. His relationship with Jesus
is not over. It is only just beginning.
And then we read an intriguing ending to this dialogue in John 21:18-22:
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." I tell you the truth, when you were younger
you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will
stretch out your hands, and someone else will lead you where you do not want
to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would
glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me."
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.
(This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had
said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord,
what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that
to you. You must follow me."
Understand the implicit and complete trust that Jesus is demanding here.
He is saying something to this effect: "If you are going to follow me, you
must abandon the outcome of your life to me. You must trust me so much that
you really think my way will be the best way for you. My plans will lead to
the best end for you. No matter what that means."
Again, you see how this ties into what Jesus means when He claims that by
losing your life, you can find it.
George Mueller is famous for the orphanage he founded in Bristol, England.
With this orphanage he supported hundreds of orphans over long periods of
years, and he raised the children in the fear and love of the Lord, all by
faith. His story includes many examples when they did not have enough food,
and yet at the 11th hour, someone would come with the food or the provision
required. Mueller was not, however, a “supersaint.” He had to learn this life
of depending on God just like all of us do. He wrote these words, "There
was a day when I died; died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences,
tastes and will; died to the world, its approval and censure; died to the
approval or blame even of my brethren or friends, and since then, I have studied
only to show myself approved unto God."
You know what people said about George Mueller? They said he had "the twenty-third
psalm written on his face."
This is the Sabbath rest that the Sabbath has always pointed to. This is
the deep rest of soul that Jesus gives to all who are weary and burdened and
who come to Him.
And what a rest it is.
It means we are at rest from trying to make it all work.
It means we are at rest from trying to justify our existence.
It means we are at rest from making our lives “successful.”
This rest is not automatic. Although it may seem like an oxymoron, it takes
labor to enter this rest, and to stay in this rest. For as we read in verse
11: Make every effort to enter that rest. Make every effort.
That verse points us to two paragraphs expound on this idea of entering
into a Sabbath rest:
First are verses 12-13: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper
than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered
and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
In other words, to enter God’s rest requires a transformation from within.
And change does not come easy to the human heart. Change is not something
that we can do unaided. But God has given us tools to help us. And the tool
that is mentioned here as being instrumental is the Word of God.
God’s words to us! Remember that the writer of Hebrews begins the letter
saying that in times past God has spoken to us many times, and in various
ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us through his Son. Thus God’s
Words tell us quite specifically of the revelation that we have of God through
the life and the active presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. This Word of
God is sharper than any human sword or knife.
And what is the proof that it is sharper than any blade made by human hand?
Look into your own soul for the proof. There you will find that God’s word
will reveal to you what is going on in your heart.