Hebrews 4
by Philip Layton
All who come to God through trusting Jesus will enter a Sabbath-rest
Discussion Questions
- Is the Sabbath-rest when we get to Heaven or does it start from the moment we accept God’s gift of salvation (vv 1-13)?
- Despite being fully human and being tempted as we are, Jesus did not sin (v 15). Could this be possible without the belief (see Romans 3:23) that he was also fully divine?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag. Don't forget this week's Children's Challenge!
Going Deeper From 'Words of Life'
Temptations surround us. Some are hard to resist. Many of them we think are non-consequential. Certain foods, for example. Why not that piece of scrumptious chocolate cake? Or that second helping at dinner? Keeping healthy is important. But some temptations are more serious, having repercussions that seriously impact others – as well as ourselves. We know what they are.
This Scripture portion tells us our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, was tempted – in every way, just as we are tempted. Yet , he was without sin. He resisted. He said no. We can do likewise. To the small temptations; to the far more significant ones. And Jesus has promised to be with us in order that we have the victory!
Yes, the Hebrew people knew of Jesus, but only superficially:
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity (6:1).
The word 'therefore' is used over and over again in this letter, intended for God’s people and vital for their spiritual growth. They were trying to survive on milk, when they needed solid food in order to move forward. For not to grow in Christ is to become stagnant, stinted, even stale.
Therefore , we are all to mature in our walk and relationship with him. Why? In order to grow closer to the Lord; to be with him in Glory. This is indeed our hope:
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf (6:19, 20).
Our anchor. Our stronghold. Let’s live today in the fullness of his glory, knowing Christ is for us – our hope for many years to come!
Beverly Ivany
Tags: Hebrews