In the book of Hebrews, the author launches into what would, today, be called a riff. A riff to convince you that the promise of entering God’s rest is not only available to you, but that you should do so without fail!

A “riff” originally referred to a standout musical phrase in a song or melody, usually repeated. But as happens with words that hang around long enough, riff has taken on a new meaning. It has become a word we hear often these days, and it has a similar purpose, only without the music. Because of this modern usage, Miriam-Webster Dictionary added to its definition that a riff refers to a rapid, energetic, often improvised verbal outpouring. Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s what happened in this Scripture.

The author of Hebrews launches his riff in Hebrews 3:7 and doesn’t run down until Hebrews 4:11. He repeats certain phrases in musical riff fashion, AND his words, even on paper, come across as a verbal outpouring. A passionate verbal outpouring.

What he says, repeatedly and emphatically, is this:

• Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your heart like the Hebrews under Moses did. If you doubt God like they did, it will only lead to rebellion and disobedience, and keep you from entering God’s rest.
• The promise of entering God’s rest still stands! It is before you. Don’t fall short of entering it. In fact, make every effort to enter that rest!

What is God’s rest, and why does it matter so much?

God’s rest was a term first used by God to describe the Promised Land, and the promised life the Hebrews would enjoy there. A life of being landowners instead of slaves. A life lived on rich lands that would give them joy with its abundance. A life lived in peace and safety from their enemies, and all achieved by God’s promise to live in the midst of them always, to be Present with them. A life guaranteed by a covenant agreement that God would be their God and they would be God’s people.

The Hebrew people agreed to all this when the mighty miracles of God’s deliverance from Pharaoh’s grip were still fresh in their minds. The greatest miracles man had ever witnessed, miracles which testified of God’s power, love and goodness to them.

Yet the memory of all that could not stand up to their hunger, their thirst, and their fear of the giants they would face in the Promised Land. So that when those things challenged them, they grumbled against God, not just that they were hungry for meat, thirsty and afraid, but that obviously these were signs God didn’t care for them after all. They accused him of bringing them them out in wilderness just to let them and their children die there.

This made God so furious that He swore that they would never enter His rest — never go into the Promised Land.

Notice that His wrath wasn’t kindled just because they grumbled over meat and water. His wrath burned white hot because they did not believe Him. They doubted God, and in their doubt, they maligned God’s character.

Yet, TODAY, He says, you must enter God’s rest without fail.

I love how the author says this over and over: Today, today, as long as it is called today, don’t harden your hearts against hearing God’s voice!

Guess what day it is, Beloved? It’s TODAY! Always.

We may not be in the shoes of those ancient Hebrews, but we have the same choice before us. Here’s what I mean:

• We have come into a covenant, through Christ, in which we are promised that God will be our God, and we will be His people.
• This covenant, the New Covenant of Christ, includes the promise that we will all know God, and be taught by Him. Because His Presence will be with us, living in our midst every hour of every day. How? By the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts.
• The Bible offers countless descriptions of what our life will be like in Christ, as we walk with the Holy Spirit. The promises abound, and include everything from forgiveness when we sin, to a genuine fellowship with God. In fact, the Bible says we are actually called into that fellowship.

This is what God calls entering His rest. This is our Promised land, our promised life. But like the Hebrews, we can only get there — we can only enter rest with God — by putting faith in what He has actually promised. And what is that promise?

The faith we are called to exercise is much more than simply believing God exists and paid our sin price. You need faith in hearing His voice, faith that you can be personally taught by God. Faith that, even when total surrender to God about your unknown tomorrows feels a little scary or uncomfortable, you can be confidence that God, who died for you, will always lead you to life. You can trust in His goodness.

Those who doubt God are restless and easily given to disobedience.

We are no different than those Hebrews. Show me a person who believes IN God but doesn’t really believe God is truly Present in His heart, and I’ll show you a restless soul.

A soul stuck in thinking it’s up to him or her to make life okay for themselves.

A soul afraid to trust and surrender to God.

A soul who, having no real confidence that the Spirit is continually present with them, lives an unrestrained life. As if God won’t see or mind them living however they please.

The promise of entering God’s rest is before you TODAY.

There is only one way to enter God’s rest: by believing His promises in the New Covenant of Christ,* and inviting the Holy Spirit to take up full residence in your heart. Then, to live every day of your life as a response to His Presence and voice.

God’s rest — your promised life — builds in you day by day when you hear God’s voice. When you listen for His words of wisdom, and live by them. When you seek the Spirit’s direction, and follow it.

The promised life comes as you come to rely on the Spirit’s strength instead of your own. It comes as you lean into God’s comforting Presence. When you share life with God as you would your best friend.

Yes, I know, that all ends up sounding like work, not rest. But I testify that life shared with the Spirit IS rest, because He has done the work. Your only true work is to believe.

Once you do, once you have full faith and confidence in God’s New Covenant promise that you will personally know Him, your soul and spirit will come to fully rest with God. Faith is evidence that you are resting in the work God did to make it all happen. Faith is evidence that you believe with all your heart. It’s all settled in you, and God is no longer on trial with you (as He ever remained with those Hebrews in the wilderness).

Not only is it restful in there where you share life together, your relationship with God builds to a kind of joy you can’t buy for any amount of money, or get from the world.

This, Beloved, is what God and His spokesman in Hebrews is begging to you to enter. Without fail.

God’s rest is a relationship, not a pretty religious catch phrase.

Everything Jesus promises you in the New Covenant is realized through this relationship. Perhaps you have noticed that a life filled with religious activity is not necessarily restful. I’ve known a lot of worn out Christians.

Jesus sacrificed himself to make it possible for you to enjoy real and nourishing fellowship with Himself and the Father. His passionate prayer to the Father before going to the cross included these words:

For you granted [the Son] authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:2-3 NIV)

There it is, the definitional of eternal life: knowing the Father and the Son. This is an eternal relationship, but you don’t wait to go to heaven for it to begin; it begins TODAY. While you still live on earth this relationship is made possible by the Spirit dwelling in and with you. When you shed your body and join the Lord in heaven, you won’t need the Spirit, because then you will know the Lord face-to-face.

Nowhere in Scripture is there even a hint that you don’t begin to know God until you get to heaven. If you read the entire New Testament just with that question in mind, you will find the overwhelming evidence that your eternal life and promise of knowing God begins the day you enter the New Covenant.

Yes, it is progressive, and no, you won’t know Him 100% until you’re in heaven. But to enter God’s rest is to enter this life of knowing Him now. TODAY, as the author of Hebrews says so emphatically.

With all this in mind, you should go read the riff. Because now you know why it matters so very much.

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*The promises of your New Covenant are listed in Hebrews 8:10-12, repeated in Hebrews 10:15-17, both quoted from God’s original announcement of them in Jeremiah 31:31-33.

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