The Letter to the Hebrews
Draw Near To The Throne Of Grace
Hebrews 4:11-16
Imagine that you are part of an army that’s trying to advance through enemy territory. You are trying to battle through enemy soldiers and get home. But you face two difficulties. One is that the enemy is deceptive – masters of camouflage. So you can’t even see them before they are right in front of you and it’s too late. And the other is that the enemy is powerful Which means that even when you can see them – they can overwhelm you.
Sounds hopeless, doesn’t it?
But there’s good news. A helicopter delivers two amazing weapons to you. One overcomes the enemy’s deception so you can see them from a mile away so you can steer clear of them. And the other overcomes the enemy’s power so that -- even when you do confront them – you can overpower them every time.
So with those two weapons it’s no longer hopeless. In fact, because of these two weapons – you will surely advance through enemy territory and get home.
We are the army. We are seeking to advance through enemy territory and get home to heaven. But sin is deceptive – a master at camouflage. And sin is powerful – and can overcome us.
But there is good news. God has given us two amazing weapons – one which can expose sin’s deception – and the other which can conquer sin’s power.
To see that, let’s turn to Hebrews 4. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Hebrews 4 is on page 1002 in the Bibles we are passing out.
In last week’s passage the author talked about how we believers can look forward to entering God’s Rest at the end of our lives. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection this is our certain destiny. It’s God’s Rest – which means we will have the heart-filling joy of knowing God in Jesus Christ forever. And it’s God’s Rest – which means at that point the battle against sin will be over and we will never have to fight sin again. So because of what Jesus has done – and because you are trusting Him – you will surely enter God’s Rest.
And with that in mind look at what he says in v.11 --
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
Now that word “strive” might puzzle you. Because in some Christian circles the word “strive” has negative connotations. But the Greek word has no negative connotations – it simply means to exert great diligence and effort. And the author of Hebrews is calling us to exert great diligence and effort to enter God’s Rest.
But why? Why must we strive in order to enter God’s rest? It’s not because our striving earns God’s rest or makes us good enough to enter God’s Rest. No. We are only saved because Jesus paid for our sin on the Cross, and because when we trust Him He forgives all our sin and covers our remaining sin with His perfect goodness. So it’s not that our striving makes us good enough or earns us anything.
So why must we strive in order to enter God’s rest? Read the whole verse – and we can see why –
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
We must strive so that we will not fall into the same sort of disobedience Israel fell into – which means that if we don’t strive then we will fall into that same disobedience.
Remember the Niagara Falls illustration. We are in the river above the Niagara Falls – and unless something changes that river of sin and unbelief will sweep us over the Falls to our destruction. But when God saved us He did two things.
One – He threw us the rope of His Word – all that God promises to be to us in Jesus. And if we strive to keep holding to this rope it will keep us from going over the Falls and will pull us to the safety of God’s Rest on shore.
But God didn’t just throw us the rope of His Word and hope we would hang on. He also promised to keep us striving to hold to this rope all the way to the end. God will keep you striving to trust – holding to this rope – until you are pulled to the shoreline of God’s Rest.
But that picture shows us why we must strive. It’s because if we don’t, the current of sin and unbelief will pull us away and over the falls to destruction. So we must strive to hold on to this rope.
But the good news is that God will keep us striving – God will keep us holding on to this rope all the way to the end. And one of the ways He does that is by giving us commands like this one in v.11.
So that’s why we must strive to hold on to the rope. When we feel unbelief arising in our hearts – the unbelief of bitterness or lukewarmness or love of money or self-pity – we must strive against it so we won’t be swept away into disobedience and fall from God.
But there’s a problem. The problem is that our sin can deceive us. Our sin can deceive us so we that even though we are sinning – we don ‘t think we are sinning. Even though we are letting go of the rope we don’t think we are letting go.
Here are some examples of how deceptive sin is --
- It’s OK to take extra time off at work – I’m not being paid what I’m worth anyway.
- Or -- I’m not going to care for the poor – how do I know they won’t misuse the money?
- Or – I don’t need to share the Gospel with anyone – that’s just not me.
- Or – I don’t need to read the Bible – I know what it says.
- Or – it’s OK to drink too much -- I’ve had a stressful day.
Can you feel how deceptive sin is? And so in vv.12-13 the author answers the question – How can we avoid being deceived by sin? And in vv.12-13 he tells us that God has given us a weapon which exposes every deception we will ever face. What is that weapon?
Look at v.12 –
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.
So the Word of God is living and active – it’s not just words in a book. God has given these words power to do something we desperately need.
And what is that? The author says the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow. So the Word of God can slice through every thought, feeling, and attitude -- and do what?
Underling that word “discerning.” It will discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. So the Word of God is able to slice through every thought, feeling, desire, attitude and enable you to discern when it’s sin.
And this is crucial because of v.13 –
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.
So it’s crucial that we not be deceived. It’s crucial that we discern sin when it rises up in our hearts.
Again – imagine that you are a soldier heading through enemy lines trying to get home – knowing that you face an enemy who is so deceptive you can’t even tell they are there until it’s too late. But God has given you this book – the Word of God – which will help you see them so you can steer clear of them.
But to activate this weapon we must open it. Open it and read it. Open it and read it and pray over it.
OK – so let’s say you are feeing bitter because Friday someone else got the promotion. And it feels so right to be bitter – I mean after all you’ve been there longer, and the guy who got the promotion lied about how much he contributed to the team. So it just feels right to be bitter. But -- can you see what’s really happening? An enemy soldier of sin is rising up in you without you even knowing it.
But then let’s say that yesterday morning you were getting time in God’s Word and you read Ephesians 4:31 – “Let all bitterness … be put away from you.”
And the sharp two-edged sword of God’s Word slices through your thoughts, your excuses, your rationalizations – and you see that your bitterness is sin.
That’s how this weapon works.
But at this point you face another problem. It’s good that you have discerned the enemy soldier of bitterness. But he is powerful. So what can you do? How can you overcome that bitterness – or any sin?
The author of Hebrews tells us in vv.14-16. So let’s ask – what should we do when we see sin rising in our hearts?
Read vv.14-16 --
14 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.
And in these verses he gives two steps to take when we see sin rising up in our hearts.
First – in v.14 -- hold fast our confession that Jesus is our forgiving and sympathetic high priest. There’s two parts. One is in v.14 -- that Jesus is our forgiving high priest. In the Old Testament the high priest was a man who was appointed to offer sacrifices to God for the people’s sins. And Jesus the Son of God became a man so he could be our high priest – he offered the sacrifice of Himself on the Cross so we could be completely forgiven. So part of the confession is that Jesus Christ is our forgiving high priest. appointed to offer sacrifices to God for our sins.
The second part is in v.15 – that Jesus has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin – and so he sympathizes with our weaknesses. Jesus has felt the pull of temptation – without every succumbing to temptation. He knows how hard sin can pull. So he sympathizes with us when we are being tempted.
So when we see sin rising in our hearts – the first step is to hold fast to our confession that Jesus is our forgiving and sympathetic high priest. You see sin rising up in your heart – and you see Jesus. He holds out forgiveness to you – not condemnation, forgiveness. And he feels sympathy to you – He says “I know. It’s hard. I feel for you. I understand.” So hold to that confession that Jesus is our forgiving and sympathetic high priest.
But don’t stop there. Too many Christians try to stop there. But there’s a crucial second step – in v.16 -- with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
See, when you feel bitterness rising up in your heart – and you hold fast to the confession that Jesus right now is standing in heaven holding forgiveness out to you and feeling sympathy for you – that makes you want to draw near to Him.
And so you turn your heart toward Him. You talk to Him. And you ask Him to give you mercy and grace to help you in your time of temptation.
And when you turn to Him, directing your heart to Him, talking to Him in prayer, meeting Him in the truth of His Word – every time He will by His power overcome that sin.
Let’s go back to that bitterness. You were unjustly passed over for the promotion – and feel bitter. So how can Jesus overcome that bitterness?
Imagine that right after you were unjustly passed over for the promotion you won the PowerBall lottery – $136 million after taxes. At that point – would you still feel bitter for not getting promoted? Not a chance. Why? Because the cost of losing the promotion was swallowed up with the gain of the lottery win.
Here’s the point. In Jesus Christ you have a lottery-sized Treasure – forgiveness now and His presence to fully satisfy your heart now and forever. But when you are bitter over the promotion it’s because you are not seeing, feeling, trusting Jesus as your Treasure. Which is why bitterness is sin.
So when you draw near to the throne of grace, and ask for Jesus’ help, and set your heart upon Jesus as revealed in God’s Word, Jesus will so help you feel Him as your Treasure that the bitterness from the promotion will be conquered.
Questions?
So you are a solider behind enemy lines, facing an enemy who can deceive and overpower you. But you have nothing to fear.
Because as you use God’s Word you will discern every deception. And as you see Jesus as your forgiving and sympathetic high priest – and you draw near to the throne of grace you will have power over every sin.
So be encouraged. The Word of God will expose every deception. And the throne of grace will overcome every sin. And you will enter God’s Rest.