Theme: WORKING OUT OUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING
Text: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it”. – Hebrew 4:1.
Comment: That Christians of today have a number of examples of past generations at their disposal to learn valuable lessons from is a matter of divine grace. St Paul drew the attention of Christians to this fact: “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11, [see also verse 6]; Romans 15:4) The knowledge of eternal happiness that awaits us in the Kingdom of God fully set up here on earth should instil in us the determination to serve God faithfully. Nothing should make us to lose our focus as was the case with the natural Jews in the days of Moses the prophet which St. Paul referred to in today’s text. Rather, we are expected to labour “to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief”. (Hebrews 4:11; 3:12) We should therefore not be “slothful in business” but “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”. – Romans 12:11.
Like the Christians at Philippi who were commended for their obedience, we should endeavour to obey the laws of God and the instructions of the elders of the Church for our own good. Moses the prophet wrote: “And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.” – Deuteronomy 6:24. See also Jeremiah 7:22,23.