OK, well, we come back to Hebrews
and chapter 4, and I want to look at the verses towards the
end of the chapter, verses 9 to 16. And my title is, Come Boldly
to the Throne of Grace. In religion, in especially legalistic
religion that calls itself Christianity, there's a lot of stress put upon
keeping what they call the Lord's Day, Sunday, as keeping the Sabbath
day in its Christian form. You know, they say, oh, the fourth
commandment, you shall remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,
and oh, that is a permanent, that is a creation ordinance,
that is a permanent, unchanging, aspect of the moral law. It's
as moral as not killing and not committing adultery. We must
do it. And so, therefore, we don't do
it on a Saturday anymore, which was what the original intention
was. We do it on the Sunday. We'll call it the Lord's Day,
because John was in the spirit on the Lord's Day at the beginning
of Revelation. And they say the reason why we do this is because
God's creation pattern points to it. the seventh day of rest. God created all things and on
the seventh day he rested from all his works. I'm going to make
a very radical statement here. God's creation pattern of seventh-day
rest does not point to Lord's Day observance. There's a society,
the Lord's Day Observance Society, and if they had their way, they'd
have people stoned for not doing certain things on the Lord's
Day. God's creation pattern of seventh-day rest does not point
to Lord's Day observance. Should I tell you what it does
point to in the Scriptures? If I know anything of what's
revealed here, it points to the kingdom of God triumphant. It points to salvation accomplished. It points to God's people elect
before the beginning of time. Loved by the Father, given to
the Son, in union with Him. Redeemed by God, become man in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Redeemed, bought, purchased with
precious blood. It speaks, that rest speaks of
them in the bliss of heaven. All of the Old Testament patterns
pointed to it. Indeed, that creation, seventh
day, pointed to that rest of eternity. That's what it pointed. It didn't point to keeping Sunday
like a Sabbath day. It pointed to the eternal rest
of the people of God. The fourth commandment in the
law of Moses, you shall remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,
was a type, was a picture, was a pattern, was a blueprint, but
it wasn't the reality. It pointed to that eternal rest
in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Israelites in bondage in
Egypt, under the burden of cruelty and of slavery in Egypt. They
were taken out of that promised land. You know the story of Exodus.
They were taken out of the promised land. And they were promised
a rest in that promised land. And that promised land is a picture. It's not the reality. It's a
picture. So anybody looking at the Middle East today and saying,
oh, there's Israel coming back to its promised land, which was
what always God wanted for them. No, no, no, no, no. That's a
complete political... It's a political disaster, quite
frankly. that was the picture pointing
to Israel coming into Canaan was a picture pointing to the
people of God coming into that eternal kingdom of God in heaven
in that rest that is promised to the people of God it all points
to rest in Christ and rest and sabbath are the same thing it's
the same idea it's the same word a sabbath rest it's a rest in
Christ a rest in Christ for what arresting Christ for the righteousness
that God requires. You know what, where is it, it
says in Hebrews 12, 14, follow after holiness without which
no man, you know, pursue peace with all men and follow after
holiness without which, if you don't have it, you shall not
see God. But where do we get it? We strive,
we strive, says religion, we strive to be good, we strive
to turn over new leaves, we strive to keep this law and that law,
and to not go here and not do that, and not do these things
and not do that things, and we watch one another and we da-da-da-da-da.
No, no, we rest in Christ, looking unto Jesus. It's in him that
we have all that's required. Colossians 2 makes it clear,
verse 16 of Colossians 2. Paul says to the Colossians,
let no man therefore, and I know therefore always links what's
gone before, but you'll have to read that for yourself. Let no
man therefore judge you in meat, what you eat, in drink, what
you drink. or in respect of a holy day,
or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days. Don't let any man
judge you. Why? Because all of those things,
all of those types, all of those religious practices are a shadow
of things to come. But listen, the body, the reality,
The truth, the eternal truth, that is Christ. Don't let any
man beguile you of your reward in voluntary humility, etc. Don't
go along with it. Don't go along with it. They're
shadows, but the body is Christ. Oh, they say, the legalists say,
Ah, that's just talking about the ceremonial law of Israel
in its temple worship, etc. But not talking about the moral
law. Ah, no, the Fourth Commandment
is part of the moral law, and therefore keeping Sunday as a
Sabbath day is... It's like adultery and murder
and so on and so forth. No, we must have that. And many
today are like the Jews of Paul's day, as Peter read earlier in
Romans 10. Let me remind you of verses 2
to 4 of Romans 10. Paul bears the Jews, his brethren
according to the flesh, he bears them record that they have a
zeal of God. There are a lot of people in
religion who have a zeal of God. But it isn't according to knowledge.
It's not according to the truth. For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness
and make themselves fit for heaven, they haven't submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God. What does that mean? It means
this, they haven't believed what God has said about the only place
a sinner is made the righteousness of God. Do you know where that
is? It's in Christ and Christ alone. He made him who knew no
sin to be sin for us. He bore our sins in his own body
on the cursed tree. that we, his believing people,
might be made the righteousness of God in him. That's what it
is to submit to the righteousness of God. Not going about to establish
our own righteousness, but submitting to the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. the wriggling and squirming that
religious folks do to try to get out of what that verse clearly
says to the people of God. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. You know they say the law, the
Ten Commandments, are the believer's rule of life. Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Is
that not clear? Is that not clear? Of course
it is. Absolutely crystal clear. Many today are like that, like
the Jews of Paul's day. The eternal purpose of God is
to land his eternally loved elect multitude, his people, in the
rest, in the Sabbath of his triumphant kingdom. The wilderness-wandering
Israelites, when they came out of Egypt, Many of them, most
of them, did not enter the rest of the promised land. It was
a promise, it was an abundance of prosperity and of peace, but
they didn't. enter it, and that rest was symbolical
of the kingdom of God in eternity, but they didn't enter it. Why
did they not enter that promised land of rest, of symbolical rest? Hebrews 3 and verse 19 tells
us, we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. It was unbelief. They didn't
believe God. They didn't believe him. Belief
is critical. It's faith. It's faith resting
in Christ. Do you have a good hope of arriving
in the eternity of God? Well, let me ask you, do you
believe God? If you do, you have a good hope.
So this morning I want to look at the rest for God's people. Secondly, the labour to enter
that rest. Sounds contradictory, doesn't
it? And then thirdly, the means of confident approach and access. So, an enduring rest for God's
people. In verse 9 of chapter 4, there
remaineth therefore a rest, a keeping of Sabbath to the people of God. There remains, now, there remains
a rest, a keeping of Sabbath to the people of God. And the
implication is that If that remains, then other things ceased, and
they no longer remain. Some things no longer remain,
but there remains a rest for the people of God. The Old Testament
patterns, the Old Testament pictures, all those types of rest, they
have ceased. They have ceased. Why have they
ceased? Because Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believes. The shadows, have been overtaken
by reality in Christ. They were just shadows, they
weren't reality. They were just blueprints, they
were not the building in which you could live. But there remains
a rest. They've all gone, but there remains
a rest. What? Verse 10, verse 10 of chapter
four. For he that is entered into his
rest, into the rest that is in Christ, that is in God, he also
hath ceased from his own works as God did from his. He ceased
from his own works. to earn acceptance with God,
which will give access to that eternal rest of God. Ceased from
his own works? Why? Because Christ has done
all that is necessary. On the cross, he finished the
work of satisfying the demands of the law for that multitude
of sinners, his people, whom he'd whom he was determined to
save and has saved. He said, it is finished. He didn't say, right, I've started
it, now over to you lot to finish it off with your good works of
sanctification. No, he didn't say that. He said,
it is finished. to seek to add our righteousnesses,
and that's what the scripture calls them in Isaiah 64 and verse
six, is it? I think it is. That might be
verse four. All our righteousnesses, the works that we do to try to
make ourselves righteous with God, it says they're filthy rags.
And to seek to add to what Christ has done is like sewing our filthy
rags of our own righteousnesses onto the perfect garments of
salvation that Christ has accomplished. You know the verse in Isaiah
61 and verse 10. I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God. Well, there's enough to be sad
about in this world, isn't there? Isn't there enough to be desperately
sorry in this world about? But I will greatly rejoice in
the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God. Why? For he has clothed me with
the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe
of righteousness. As a bridegroom decketh himself
with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. He's made his people fit for
his presence. He's given them that wedding
garment without which you are not allowed to be there. Those
who try to bring people under the bondage of legal servitude
for improvement with God, they talk about progressive sanctification,
They put those people, the people to whom they preach that message,
they put them in eternal peril. You say, that's a bit shocking,
isn't it? Aren't you being a bit extreme? Can't you be a bit more
compassionate and gentle with these others? They might not
seem things quite the way that you do. No, they're deliberately
teaching people to look elsewhere other than at Christ and him
alone. In Galatians chapter four and
verse 21, Paul is making this argument. He says, tell me, you
that desire to be under the law, don't you hear what it says?
Don't you hear it? You know, it's strict. It really
is. If you desire to be under it,
remember, it's strict. And then in verse 2 of Galatians
chapter 5, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised,
and that's just one of the laws that the religious Judaizers
were trying to bring these Galatians back under, and the same applies
today, you can see equivalents all the way through. I, Paul,
say unto you that if ye be circumcised, if you submit to these rites
and rituals of religious men, Listen, Christ shall profit you
nothing. Christ shall profit you nothing,
for I testify again to every man that tries to do something,
every man that is circumcised, tries to do something to keep
this law, that he is a debtor to the whole law. Oh, you can't
just pick and choose. You can't just say, oh, I'm gonna
trust Christ for all of this, but this thing, I'm gonna try
and do that myself. No, no, you're a debtor to the whole law. You're
on your own. You've got to live by it. The
law says this, cursed is every man that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law to do them. And
he means perfectly and endlessly. And we come nowhere close to
that. Verse four, he says, Christ is
become of no effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law. You have fallen from grace. Do
you see how serious it is? So what is Hebrews 4 and verse
9, there remaineth a rest for the people of God? What is that?
What is the rest that remains for the people of God? It is
now the rest of faith. Now in this life, in these bodies,
it is the rest of faith in Christ. It's the rest of faith in what
he has done, his completed work of redemption from sin's curse.
By faith I see him made flesh like me, yet without sin. He,
my God, my almighty God, became man. God contracted to a span. He became like me, the likeness
of sinful flesh, yet without sin. And at the cross, he was
made sin. He was made my sin. He bore my
sin in his own body on the cursed tree, and he paid the penalty
to the justice of God. He paid its debt to divine justice. How did he pay it? The most precious
commodity, the precious blood of the Lamb of God. We're going
to sing at the end. There is a fountain filled with
blood, drawn from Emmanuel's... Emmanuel? God with us. There
is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins,
and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. I hear it proclaimed in the gospel,
as Peter was reading in Romans chapter 10. I apprehend its power,
the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. I
believe it was for me because he's brought me to believe that.
And I rest confident that I am qualified for entry to heaven. If God before me, who can be
against me? Though fleshly sin and tendency to disbelieve challenge
that God-given faith all the time we're in these bodies, he
keeps me trusting. It may be weak at times, but
he keeps me trusting. He carries me through to that
eternal rest without sin, where faith is sight. Faith is the
sight of the soul, but there, faith is sight. Hence the pictures
are fulfilled. The pictures of the types are
fulfilled. This is the rest that remains. Hebrews 4 verse 9, there remains
a Sabbath keeping, a rest to the people of God. This is the
rest that remains when all the pictures are wound up and ended.
If you keep the Sabbath rest in Christ now, you will surely
keep it into eternity. What was the penalty under the
law for not keeping the Sabbath day, for disobeying the fourth
commandment? What was the penalty under the
law? Answer, it was death. The Sabbath day was the seventh
day, which is Saturday. They were to keep it holy. They
were to do no work whatsoever. It's recorded, you'll see in
my article. It's recorded in Numbers 25,
I'm not quite sure, that a man picked up sticks on the Sabbath
day to light a fire to cook some food. And the congregation saw
it. And do you know what happened
to him? He was stoned to death. The whole congregation threw
stones at him until he died. Do you know what the penalty
is for not keeping the Sabbath holy now? It's eternal death. You say, that's a bit harsh,
isn't it? No, it still is. It still is. It still is. If
you do not enter the rest of faith in Christ now, you will
suffer the eternal penalty of eternal death. Just look at John
chapter 3, just for a moment. John 3. And verse 18, you know
this is the chapter where God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son. And verse 18, he that believeth on him,
on Christ, is not condemned. But he that believeth not is
condemned already. Why? Because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Look at verse 36.
He that believeth on the Son, on the Lord Jesus Christ, on
God in Christ, he that believeth on him and what he has accomplished,
he that rests in him, he that keeps the Sabbath by faith in
him, has everlasting life. Has it now, not will have, has
it now. And he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life. Do you see how stark that is?
that the wrath of God abideth on him. And you know that our
God is a consuming fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. So then, if our rest is
in Christ, should we just sit back and do nothing? And the
answer is yes and no. Confusing. Yes, we rest in Christ
alone, adding nothing of our own works, for sure. That's what
verse 10 says. He that is entered into his rest,
he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his on
that seventh day of creation. But no, verse 11, look at, go
straight on. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest. Lest any man fall after the same
example of unbelief. Let us labor, let us strive to
enter that rest. And it's a God-given means. God has given the means. He's
given the means to the end. The end being the rest in Christ
in eternity. He, Christ, He is the Word of
God. That's the name on His thigh
in Revelation 19. Or is it 17? Might be. That's the name on his thigh,
the Word of God. He is the means to the end. The
Word of God is the means to the end, for the Word of God is Christ,
and Christ is the Word of God. He is that means to the end,
which is his eternal rest. In John 12, John 12 and verse
44, Jesus cried and said, he that believeth on me believeth
not on me, the man that you see, and you look on seeing nothing
special about him, but you believe on him that sent me, the eternal
God who dwells in unapproachable light. He that seeth me, seeth
him that sent me. I would see God. Oh, if only
I could see God. Look at the Lord Jesus Christ,
for he that seeth me, he said, seeth him that sent me. He said,
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness, for this world is dark in its
ignorance of the truth of God. And if any man hear my words
and believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me and receiveth
not my words hath one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken
of myself, but the Father which sent me. He gave me a commandment,
what I should say and what I should speak. He told, Christ spoke
the word of God. He's the prophet of God to us,
the ultimate prophet. And I know that his commandment
is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore,
even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. He gives us the
word of God. He is the word of God. This book,
the Bible, speaks of Christ. For in all the scriptures, these
are they which speak of me. He said that to the Pharisees
in John chapter five. Concerning himself, he expounded
to the disciples on the Emmaus road, beginning at Moses and
the prophets, the things concerning himself. He opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures, to see that this is God. God become man for the purpose
of redemption. This word will show you the way
to God. This book, this Bible, will show
you the truth of God. This book will show you and lead
you to the life of God, because all of those things are Christ.
He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to
the Father but by me. Read it, study it, seek to hear
it preached. We've got so many means these
days to hear the Bible, the scriptures opened up. Do that. Labour to enter into that rest
by following the means that God has given to that end. The preaching
of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
it's by the foolishness of preaching that it pleased God to save those
whom he's calling. He uses it to call his elect
out of spiritual darkness into his marvellous light. It's the
most tremendous... You might not think so when you
look at this world and everybody around you. but to know something
of the truth of God and the gospel of his grace and the fulfillment
of all things in Christ and to believe him. It's the most highly
privileged state you can ever be in. Not just audibly preached,
but you can listen to recordings, you can read in books. There's
some lovely material in books, if you look in the right places.
But there is special blessing in gathering with others to hear,
where two or three are gathered in my name. Jesus said, I am
there in the midst when you gather together in my name. The internet
is great, but if you can, don't forsake the assembling of yourselves
together, as is the manner of some, says Hebrews 10.25. This
book, the Bible, is unique. You can't have degrees of uniqueness.
It's unique. There's only one. It's the holy
Bible. Holy means special, different,
separate from everything else in the world. It's a holy Bible. By this word, God lights the
path for his people to the celestial city of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Psalm 119, verse 105, your word. is a lamp to my feet and a light
to my path. It shows me where to tread in
a dark world. It gets to the heart of things.
Look what it says here. in verse 12, for the word of
God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing, it's all blade, it's all sharp edge, two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and
of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart. It gets to the very core, it
gets to the very heart of things, this word of God, it's unique,
it pierces In the Old Testament, there was a wicked king called
Ahab who thought he could go on being wicked and God wouldn't
get him. But the day came when it says that an archer fired
a shot. It says something like, at a
chance, or he had no idea where it was going to go. And under
the hands of God, that arrow found its way through a little
gap in the armor of Ahab, and it killed him. Psalm 139 verse
23 says, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know
my thoughts. See if there's any evil way in
me, because this book is the test. According to this book,
look, verse 13, when this word shines light, neither is there
any creature that is not manifest in his, God's, sight. He sees
all, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of him
with whom we have to do. All things are naked and open
to God's eyes. A man called William Gurnall
wrote this. There is not another sword like
this book. The sword of the Spirit is the
Word of God. There is not another sword like this in all of the
world that can cure with cutting. It cuts, but it cures, it cures. There is not another arm that
can use this sword effectively. Not the most powerful of preachers,
but if the Spirit of God applies it, the deadest soul will come
to life. What have you done with this
Word of God? We must all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ to account for it. What have you done with
this Word of God? Have you heeded the gospel? Have
you bowed to its truth? Have you believed it and rested
by faith in Christ? If you have, then it is well
with your soul, as that hymn says. You will hear these words
the moment we enter his presence. These are the words that you
will hear. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And we come, turning
to the last couple of verses of this chapter, the ones that
we read at the start, verses 14 to 16. Seeing we have a great high priest,
we've got a glimpse of the majesty of our God in Christ, and when
we get that, it brings us low, because he is so majestic. As
Isaiah 6 said, when the year King Uzziah died, that was it,
Isaiah went into the temple and he saw a vision of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We know that from John chapter
12, it was Christ. And when he saw that, his train
filled the temple, And Isaiah said, Isaiah was the prophet
of Israel. Isaiah thought he was the holy
man. And when he saw him, he was absolutely undone. Woe is me. I am undone. There's no strength in me. Woe
is me. Because his eyes had seen the king. His eyes had seen God. If we would have a glimpse of
the majesty of God in Christ, it would bring us low like it
brought Isaiah low. Our God is our end, our objective,
our eternal rest, our majestic sovereign dwelling in unapproachable
light. But fear not, look what it says,
seeing then we have a great high priest that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus who is God, who is the Son of God, let us hold
fast our profession because we've got a great high priest and he's
one that There's a double negative. We have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmity. In other words,
he is totally touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He
was in all points tempted, tried, tested, like we are in flesh,
yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
because he is our high priest. Almighty God, if you got that
vision as Isaiah did in the temple, in Isaiah 6, it would bring us
low. But Jesus is our Jehovah Jesus. Jesus means saviour. He is our
saviour God, God our saviour, Jehovah Jesus. He is the friend
of sinners, that's what the Pharisees accused him of being, a friend
of sinners. Oh, praise God, he is a friend of sinners. He is
the manifestation of the hidden God. If you would know God, look
at me, Philip, and what we just read just before in John 12.
Look at me. Who looks at me sees the Father. He is my brother. He is my husband. He is my saviour. No man cometh
to the Father but by him. He is prophet to us in that he
brings us the word of God from heaven. He is king over us in
that he rules all things for our eternal good. He is the one
who causes all things to work together for good to those that
love God. You know, you say, I despair
at the politics of this world and this nation, what a mess
it's in. The heart of the king is in the hands of God. Whatever
the government might try to do, the heart of the king, I don't
just mean King Charles, I mean the government, all those that
would, All those that would attempt to rule in this world, the scripture
assures us that whatever they do, it's ultimately directed
by God. He's not only our king, but he's
our great high priest. It says that in Hebrews 3 and
verse 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of
our profession, Christ Jesus. He's our high priest. He's the
one who makes us holy with God. He's our intercessor between
us who in the flesh are sinners and God who dwells in unapproachable
light as the Holy One. He is the one mediator, as Paul
writes to Timothy, between God and men. There is one mediator. There is only one mediator. You
don't want a priest. He is our high priest, the man
Christ Jesus. He understands us. You know the
difference between sympathy and empathy? Do you know the difference? Sympathy means, oh, I feel sorry
for somebody, but I don't know what they're going through, because
I've not been through it. Empathy is, you know, because
you've been through it. He empathizes with us, yet without
sin. He is the only priest of his
people. He is the only priest. All others,
does it matter? Does it ruffle your feathers
when you hear religion talking about, have you seen a priest
about this? There's only one priest, it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
Any Anglicans or Catholics who dress themselves up in robes
and have people call them father and prance around in their robes
and their adornments, they're impostors, complete impostors,
and they will give account to God the Judge for what they have
done, taking upon themselves a role which is only Christ. Yet in Him, in Christ, all His
people, each and every one, From the highest, whatever that means,
to the lowliest, all of them are what Peter says in 1 Peter
2 verse 9. You, believers, if you believe
on him, you show that you are a chosen generation. Chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world. You are a royal
priesthood because you have access through that way made through
the rent, the torn veil of the temple on the day that Christ
was crucified. through that blood of the everlasting
covenant. You are a royal priesthood. You
are a holy nation. You are a peculiar people in
the sense that you are completely separate from this world, this
lost world. We all, all of us, who believe
because we're that royal priesthood, we all have direct access to
the holy of holies, but don't any of us attempt to intercede
for somebody else with God? There's only Christ. You don't
say, I will intercede with God for you, you point to Christ,
look to him. Go through the way he has opened
with his precious blood. In him, almighty God is with
his people. If you are in him, whatever you're
facing, God is for you. If God be for us, who can be
against us? If God be for us, what trials
or testing can ultimately be against us? Trials and sorrows
and tears and struggles, but who can be against us? Who shall
bring any charge against God's elect? Christ has died and risen
for them, and his people have died and risen in him. So come
confidently, verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly,
confidently, to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. Isn't that a comfort?
Mercy and grace to help in time of need. Come confidently to
our prophet, priest, and king on his throne to obtain that
mercy and find that grace for every difficult situation we
must pass through until he brings each and every one of us for
whom he died into his glorious Sabbath rest. Amen.