Hebrews 4

When the Promises Are Mixed with Faith

1 For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified.2 We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith.

3 If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest."4 Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,"5 but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest."6 So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient.7 God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear . . .

8 And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today."9 The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people.10 God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God.11 So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.

12 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey.13 Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it-no matter what. The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

14 Now that we know what we have-Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God-let's not let it slip through our fingers.15 We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all-all but the sin.16 So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

Hebrews 5

1 Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins2 should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it's like from his own experience.3 But that also means that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the people's.

4 No one elects himself to this honored position. He's called to it by God, as Aaron was.5 Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you!"6 In another place God declares, "You're a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek."

7 While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him.8 Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do.9 Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek,10 he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.

Re-Crucifying Jesus

11 I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening.12 By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one-baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago!13 Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways;14 solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.

Hebrews 6

1 So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God;2 baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment.3 God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!

4 Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit,5 once they've personally experienced the sheer goodness of God's Word and the powers breaking in on us -6 if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can't start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible. Why, they've re-crucified Jesus! They've repudiated him in public!7 Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!"8 But if it produces weeds and thistles, it's more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested.

9 I'm sure that won't happen to you, friends. I have better things in mind for you-salvation things!10 God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it.11 And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish.12 Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.

God Gave His Word

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line.14 He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have-bless and bless and bless!"15 Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him.16 When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up.17 When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee -

18 God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.19 It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God20 where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.