Hebrews Chapter Four, Progressing From Hearing To Faith

 

But the spoken word did not profit them. What does it mean to profit? The word means “advantage or benefit” and comes from the Latin “profectus” meaning “progress,” according to Oxford. They did not progress from hearing to listening. The gospel accorded them no advantage or benefit because they disregarded its message; therefore they disregarded the efficacy of that message. The gospel has no power to convert when the individual has no interest in believing.

Pride prevents belief, because the gospel’s message is indicting before it is salvific. Self finds no place in the annals of those who believe the gospel, because it is all about the Son of God and His accomplishment. For the (self) righteous, this is an affront to common sense and human dignity. God will accept me for who and what I am, no questions asked…says the person who ignorantly never bothers to actually inquire about what God has spoken. They have spoken, and since self is enthroned as deity (and it has been ever since Eden) the will bows to the power of self. The power of the gospel can save us from self. There is a song I enjoy by Hillsong United, entitled “Lead me to the cross.” One verse in it is, “Rid me of myself, I belong to You, Oh, lead me, lead me to the cross.” We are our own greatest enemy to faith and salvation.

 

The RSV translates the latter portion of the verse, “because it did not meet with faith in the hearers.” The Majority Text and the Nestle-Aland render this part, “since they were not united by faith with those who heeded it,” NKJV footnote. In application the NIV renders the verse, “because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.”

 

Either rendering showcases that hearing alone is insufficient. The gospel must be mixed with faith before its power to save demonstrates itself. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” Romans 10:17. In fact, the remainder of Romans chapter 10 is an indictment against Israel that, having heard the gospel, they rejected it collectively and reaped God’s judgment upon their nation. Paul puts forth Psalm 19:4 as his first piece of evidence that Israel heard the gospel. The natural gospel in this instance, since the psalmist praises the glory of the created order that clearly points to a divine Creator. Reaching back to Moses in Deuteronomy 32:21 we find that God clearly indicates nations beyond Israel will be a part of God’s redemption plan, and this plan will confound and enrage Israel. Paul’s final two citations involve Isaiah 65:1, 2 as God relates that the Gentiles would find God, or rather He would call them who did not first seek for or ask for Him; contrarily He juxtaposes this with defiant Israel. He, through the prophets and the ages, held out His hands to a disobedient and contrary people. He sought reconciliation, hence His holding out His hands to embrace repentant Israel, but they refused to come to Him on His terms and relied on carnal works rather than God’s grace, earning not salvation but wrath.

 

Hearing and faith: one must follow the other. But what follows faith? “Good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2:10. Jesus explained it this way, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19, 20. The observation of all things commanded entails by its wording the good works performed out of sincere love of the brethren. Caring for someone requires more than words. God cared for us, and in that care He died on our behalf to bring us life. There are works, and there are good works. The former are works we perform out of obligation. Void of the Spirit for the unsaved, or ignoring the Holy Spirit in that particular saint, we work to achieve salvation, keep salvation, or earn blessing or notice. All of these works and more find their genesis in self and pride. Our effort turns inward, not to God in faith, or fellow man in love, but to self and our proud interests. The latter are works done of the Spirit as He works in us and through us to continue His purposes for the church and creation. These cannot be done for selfish gain but for selfless love. Christ wasn’t seeking vainglory by dying; He wasn’t looking to garner the Father’s favor. He went to the cross because He loved the Father and sought His will, even when God’s will led Him to the cross.

 

Compared to works, the latter (good works) are defined further in Titus. We read, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work,” Titus 1:15, 16. The chief trait for good works is determined by whether or not one is pure. Have we been washed in the blood of the Lamb? Further, are we submitting to God the Holy Spirit in His individual and corporate leadership of the saint and His church? Those who are disqualified for every good work are defiled and unbelieving. Or rather, perhaps they are defiled BECAUSE they are unbelieving.

 

The motive for any work has shifted when faith is replaced by effort. This passage easily and excellently describes the natural disposition of the Hebrews during Moses’ day. In works they deny Him; that is, they deny His headship. They cast aspersions upon His character by a patented lack of trust. We further learn, “that those who believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.” Why? “These things are good and profitable to men,” Titus 3:8. Good works service others when done from a selfless love motivated by the God who demonstrated love’s very character. Works done to earn salvation will receive only condemnation; Jesus wants a relationship with His people, not human effort in some poor attempt at earning God’s priceless gift. Works done for a motive outside the desire to serve God from a pure conscience and a love for fellow saints will cause us to suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:15, 2 Corinthians 5:10.