ONLY JESUS SATISFIES
Hebrews 3:1-19

Introduction:      How difficult do you think it would be for a Hebrew believer to accept that all the Old Testament laws and practices were no longer of any value? All his life he had been raised to hold the laws of Moses in the highest esteem. Suddenly, he was being told that the ways of Moses were no longer valid. He was to look to Christ alone to meet his every spiritual need. He was done with the Law of Moses – its sacrifices and its priesthood. That is the problem addressed in this chapter: can we believe that Christ alone is enough? Can we trust Him alone as our source of righteousness and acceptance? To make his point, the author first shows how Christ is superior to Moses (verses 1-6). He then takes an example from Jewish history to illustrate the danger of doubting the sufficiency of God (verses 7-11). Finally, he concludes by giving us three obligations associated with our faith.

I.          THE PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH (VV.1-6)

A.        Its Result (v.1a)

·         We Become Holy Brethren.

We are brethren because we have been born again into the household of faith. We are holy, not because of a perfect performance, but a perfect position – all of one in Christ. (See 2:11 )

·         We Receive A Heavenly Calling.

The Jew has an earthly calling. Every covenant and provision of God for the Jew is linked to the Promise land. His hope is to live in Israel and see the world ruled from Jerusalem . The Christian has a heavenly calling. Every provision of God for the Christian is to be found in Christ.

ü      We have been made the righteousness of God IN HIM. (2 Cor. 5:21)

ü      We have acceptance IN THE BELOVED. (Eph. 1:6)

ü      We are spiritually complete IN HIM. (Col. 2:10)

ü      We are (already) seated in heavenly places IN CHRIST JESUS. (Eph. 2:6)

B.         Its Reasonableness (vv.2-6a)

·         Because Christ Is Superior In His Position. - "Apostle and High Priest"

An apostle occupied the highest office in the New Testament. The High Priest occupied the highest office of the Old Testament. Today, Christ alone occupies both positions. As an Apostle, Christ was sent to represent God to man. John 1:14, 18 As a High Priest, Christ represents man to God.

·         Because Christ Is Superior In His Performance.

Moses was faithful, but not perfect. Christ was both faithful and perfect. See John 8:29

·         Because Christ Is Superior In His Person.

Moses was only a servant serving IN the "house" of God. Christ is the Son serving OVER His own "house."

C.         Its Requirement (v.6b) "whose house are we, if…"

This statement provides a transition between what the writer has just said and the point that he is about to make. Moses was sent from God to deliver the people OUT of Egypt and INTO Canaan , but he only got the job half done. Yet we are told (verse 2) that Moses was faithful to his appointment. So, what happened? Somewhere between Egypt and Canaan , Israel lost their confidence in God. They believed God could get them OUT, but they didn’t believe He could get them IN. They let their unbelief rob them of the blessings of Canaan .

These Hebrew believers were in danger of making a similar mistake. They had trusted Christ for salvation, but they were clinging to Moses for the practical righteousness that came from the law. They just couldn’t believe that "Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believes." (Romans 10:4) Consequently, they were in danger of missing the "abundant life" blessings of their salvation. They needed to hold fast their confidence in Christ alone to meet their every spiritual need.

II.         THE PATH OF UNBELIEF (VV7-11, 15-19)

These are progressive steps on the path of unbelief, each worse than the one before. If a person persists through all three, the result will be a hardened heart.

A.        Delay – "Today"

·         Today Is A Word Of Promise.

It tells us that God is prepared to act in our behalf in response to our faith. He is ready to meet a need, overcome a problem, deliver from temptation, etc.

·         Today Is A Word Of Urgency.

It reminds us that delay often leads to disappointment and defeat. When God reveals truth, He expects us to act promptly.

B.         Doubts – "if"

·         The word “tempt” in verse 9 means to question the character or trustworthiness of.

Israel questioned God’s goodness. They asked, "Why has God brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should be a prey?" Num. 14:3 Israel questioned God’s ability. They asked, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" Psalm 78:19-20; Numbers 11:4

·         It is not a sin to have doubts. The error is in yielding to them.

C.         Disobedience – "hear"

·         To hear God’s Word means to receive it and respond to it in the proper manner.

God’s will is revealed in His Word. When we refuse to "hear" God’s Word, it means that we have chosen our own way over His revealed will. That is disobedience.

·         When we refuse to obey God: We "tempt" and "provoke" God because we doubt His ability to provide our needs and keep His word. See verses 8, 9, 16

Others are hurt by our disobedience. (Their children spent forty unprofitable years in the wilderness. God swore that they would not enter into His rest). The Israelites were saved, but they never enjoyed the "milk and honey" of Canaan . They didn’t lose their salvation, but their unbelief caused them to forfeit the abundance and victory Canaan represented.

III.       THREE PRIORITIES OF THE FAITHFUL (VV.12-14)

A.        Exercise Caution (v.12)

·         Any believer can become "infected" with an evil heart of unbelief.

This warning is addressed to "Holy brethren," truly born again believers.

We need to continue to examine our hearts for delay, doubts, and disobedience.

·         The Christian who falls into a pattern of unbelief will eventually depart from the Living God.

This doesn’t mean that they lose their salvation. It means they abandon God, the ONE PERSON who can satisfy their every need, and live by their own wits in dependence upon their own abilities.

B.         Encourage Others (v.13)

·         Because of what it will do for them.

There are those in our fellowship who are struggling in their Christian walk today. We need to be sensitive to the needs of those around us and be quick to offer a helping hand (not an accusing finger) – a word of concern (not of criticism). We never know when our encouragement may be the lifeline needed by someone who’s at the end of his rope.

·         Because of what it will do for you – "lest …"

When we are concerned for others, it keeps our heart sensitive to the things of God. It makes us ask Him for wisdom and offer ourselves to meet the other person’s need. When we can ignore the needs of others, it’s a sign that our ears are closed to the voice of God and our heart unwilling to be used by Him.

C.         Endure In Your "First" Faith (v.14)

·         How did you begin your Christian life? By believing that Christ alone could save you.

·         It is that same simple faith that allows us to be partakers of Christ every day.

Partaking of Christ is compared to the "rest" of Canaan . It means receiving from Him all that we need to experience God’s best.

Conclusion:       In this chapter, the writer has emphasized the importance of trusting Christ alone to provide all we need for a victorious Christian experience – the "rest" which God has promised to His people. Next week, we will look at the nature of God’s rest and learn how we can experience the fullness of God’s "so great salvation" that the Israelites missed who died in the wilderness because of their unbelief.