600,000 men, including their women and children were led out of Egypt by great wonders and signs from God.  Yet none of them will inherit eternal life.  God swore by Himself that they would not enter His rest.  Though they were witnesses of His majesty among them, they did not combine their witness with faith.  What does this mean?  Does this apply to us today?

Hebrews says that those people heard the Gospel just as we have.  But they did not combine it with faith.  Read the account in Exodus.  Then read the witness against them in Hebrews.  Then consider this:

What have we heard?  We have heard that God sent His son into the world to save the world by offering Himself as a sacrifice for any who would receive Him.  But what does it mean to receive Him?  You have heard that Christians refer to Jesus as Lord.  Nevertheless, many refuse to turn away from the things of this world.  They retain a perceived “right” to do as they please without considering the Will of God in their daily lives.  To do this is to act just as those 600,000 who are never to see Life.

Those 600,000+ saw the plagues God sent upon Egypt.  They received the orders from Moses regarding the Passover.  They obeyed by a certain fear, born of the sights and sounds they witnessed.  They received valuables from the people of Egypt as they left.  And in this way, they plundered the slave masters who had beaten them for no reason.  They encamped against the sea as Egypt’s army approached.  They witnessed the fantastic miracle of a parting sea.  And they walked across the sea on dry land.  They watched with great surprise as the power of death at the hands of Egypt was crushed by tons of water; not one soldier survived.  They were given food and water; food from heaven and water from a rock.  Yet they complained constantly saying, “It would have been better for us to have died in Egypt.”  For this reason, God swore on oath that they would never enter His rest.

God is willing to reveal Himself to those who separate themselves from this world and worship Him through Jesus.  And in this way, we are now counted as those being tested as they were.  How many millions have already received that same oath against them?  To those who think that calling themselves something makes them that something, God remains concealed.  There is a place where we enter in.  Those who submit to Jesus’ Lordship know of that place.  While those who insist on having their own way, do not know of that place.  To them, this article speaks of something they know nothing about.  They will discount its value without consideration of what I am saying here.

What does it mean to see the wonders of God and not combine it with faith?  Simply put, it means that we recognize the work of God in our lives and put our faith in His guidance, protection, and willingness to sustain us in all things.  We turn our troubles over to Him.  We obey the call to read His Word the Bible.  We learn to pray according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  And we grow in the knowledge of the Lord as we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  These are actions, which display a faith born of the witness of His Glory, which is given to all people.  And as we walk under these things, we learn to do the Holy Works of God.  We no longer do as we please.  Rather, we learn to do as we are taught.  And in the end, it is God who will receive the Glory for His works among us.  No more of this: “God will receive me for I am a good person.”

Those who are found empty of these things are not inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven.  Though you observe many rituals and words, they are void and empty if you do not submit your life to the Lordship of Jesus.  How can I say this any clearer?  How many men have tried to warn us of these things?  Yet, how many still think that to mouth words is sufficient.  Have those who believe this ever heard it said that they honor Him with their lips, but their heart is far from Him?

Millions today think that if they do enough good deeds God will welcome them into the Kingdom of Heaven with respect and glory.  But do they do the deeds of God?  A good deed in the eyes of man has as much a chance of being a good deed of God as a frog has of becoming a gnat.  God said, and we would do well to give this great consideration, that every good deed of man is as filthy rags (the rag of a woman’s period).  How can He say this of such selfless work on the part of man?  Is it selfless indeed?  Aren’t you doing these things so that you will receive?  Even if you do not expect to receive from men a return for the work you do for them, you do expect to receive from God because you perceive yourself as such a good person.  Your good deeds, done from your own mind are selfish acts of rebellion.  God alone knows what is Good!  And your not turning to Him for guidance and restraint of selfishness will be counted against you.

I do not know how to say this any clearer.  I do not want any who hear of the Lord Jesus to receive that oath of curse.  How I long to see the number of God’s people grow.  However, you will have none of it!  Why?  Why won’t you listen to these words?  Why won’t you reason regarding the Gospel?  Why do you insist on being worthy of God’s praise without God’s leadership in your life?  Why?

Jesus alone has done the will of God in the body.  And He alone will be the source of salvation.  Nothing we can do will usher us into the Glory of God the Father.  It is Jesus alone, who has that privilege.  I caution you to consider this truth with sobriety.

By His Grace.