Hebrews 3 | What's the lesson for me today?
Believers Believe
Not very long ago, I taught a message at my old church in Gilbert, Evident Life Church. While I was there, I taught what has served to be one of the most instrumental teachings I have ever given. The title of it was "Believers Believe". What a concept! My text that I came out of was Hebrews 3:7-4:10. So I will confess my own personal bias toward this lesson as I sit and reflect on this truth. Believers believe.
It is very interesting how the writer of Hebrews recognizes the problem of unbelief in the midst of this. The people hardened their hearts toward God. They tested God, despite seeing what He had done for forty years. They went astray in their heart and did not know God's ways. So the result was that they could not enter the rest God prepared before hand. As I look around at many proclaimed believers today, I see where that rest is lacking. I have seen in myself where that rest was lacking. The writer of Hebrews begins with an inserted warning. Beware!
"Beware!" says Hebrew's author. There is something that threatens you. There is a sincerity of caution that we must take. We must beware lest there be something in us that could serve as the same detriment as the Israelites in the wilderness. Interestingly, the writer of Hebrews is not cautioning them against spiritual warfare here. He is not raising the alarm on their enemies being present. He is not concerned with their health, finances, government, or any such thing as what we concern over. He is concerned with their belief. If there is an evil heart of unbelief, the next place it leads is to depart from the living God. And how many have you seen walk in such a way? They begin to doubt and that doubt begins to drift. We have elevated Christian skepticism so much that it is now a normal thing among believers to not believe. How shameful for the people of God to not take Him at His word!
We are instead encouraged to exhort one another! Spur each other on in the faith! Do not be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hold fast your confidence steadfast to the end.
What we are faced with is a terrifying challenge.
It is very interesting how the writer of Hebrews recognizes the problem of unbelief in the midst of this. The people hardened their hearts toward God. They tested God, despite seeing what He had done for forty years. They went astray in their heart and did not know God's ways. So the result was that they could not enter the rest God prepared before hand. As I look around at many proclaimed believers today, I see where that rest is lacking. I have seen in myself where that rest was lacking. The writer of Hebrews begins with an inserted warning. Beware!
"Beware!" says Hebrew's author. There is something that threatens you. There is a sincerity of caution that we must take. We must beware lest there be something in us that could serve as the same detriment as the Israelites in the wilderness. Interestingly, the writer of Hebrews is not cautioning them against spiritual warfare here. He is not raising the alarm on their enemies being present. He is not concerned with their health, finances, government, or any such thing as what we concern over. He is concerned with their belief. If there is an evil heart of unbelief, the next place it leads is to depart from the living God. And how many have you seen walk in such a way? They begin to doubt and that doubt begins to drift. We have elevated Christian skepticism so much that it is now a normal thing among believers to not believe. How shameful for the people of God to not take Him at His word!
We are instead encouraged to exhort one another! Spur each other on in the faith! Do not be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hold fast your confidence steadfast to the end.
What we are faced with is a terrifying challenge.
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
-Hebrews 3:16-19
-Hebrews 3:16-19
Let me spell out for you what is being marked. Who rebelled against God? Was it not those who were saved? Who was He angry with? Was it not those who having been saved continued in sin? Who did not enter the rest? Was it not those who did not obey? Now we see all of these things and our brain runs to, "We aren't justified by works but by faith!" Oh how this truth has served to hinder our ability to read what Scripture so clearly portrays! Verse 19 makes it abundantly clear. They could not enter in because of unbelief. Everything meets at this point.
Faith and faithfulness are not two separate things. The one who has genuine faith will be faithful. The one who is insincere in their faith will be plagued by unfaithfulness. Can we see the truth that believers believe? Let us stop casting doubt and treating it like good stewardship. The nature of the believer is to believe upon the Lord. Exhort one another in faith. Let yourself be exhorted in faith. Beware, lest their be in you, O reader, an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
What lesson are you taking today?
Faith and faithfulness are not two separate things. The one who has genuine faith will be faithful. The one who is insincere in their faith will be plagued by unfaithfulness. Can we see the truth that believers believe? Let us stop casting doubt and treating it like good stewardship. The nature of the believer is to believe upon the Lord. Exhort one another in faith. Let yourself be exhorted in faith. Beware, lest their be in you, O reader, an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
What lesson are you taking today?
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2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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