Home / Commentary / Hebrews / Hebrews Chapter 4
We can miss out on entering God’s rest (receiving our inheritance); hearing God’s word must be united with faith.
Faith and obedience will allow us to enter God’s rest. God rested on the seventh day when he finished His works, this is a picture of our opportunity.
There remains a rest (inheritance) other than the one that was available to the Israelites.
Believers must be diligent to be obedient so that they enter God’s rest (receive their inheritance). God is able to discern all, even the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.
Our high priest is sympathetic and available to help us persevere in our faith. We can have confidence before God.
In chapter 3, Paul used the Israelites as an example of a group that did not obey God and did not believe His promises, so they failed to enter His rest (finish the work and receive their inheritance). Similarly, we see in this chapter that we also can miss out on God’s rest if we are not obedient. This does not refer to believers losing their salvation of being justified in the presence of God, but rather the opportunity we have to share in Christ’s inheritance if we hold fast.