We see from Chapters Three and Four that the Book of Hebrews denies completely the Evangelical teaching that Christians need not be concerned about sin in their life. The true Christian life is one long battle against worldliness, lust, and self-will so that we may enter the rest of God.

Sometimes people read my writings and think I am saying we need to add works to the grace of salvation. I can understand their thinking this way but this is not what we are stating.

First of all, we cannot overcome sin and behave righteously in our own strength. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the wisdom and strength to overcome sin. God is not expecting us in our adamic nature to keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles without the wisdom and strength of the Spirit of God. God has provided grace to help us as we call on Him. His grace is sufficient to enable us to overcome every sin.

Second, the daily overcoming of sin is of the very nature of salvation. As long as we think of Jesus as a ticket to Heaven we never will understand the necessity for righteous behavior. If instead we think of Jesus as the Way that leads to eternal life, and that the Way must be pursued each day, we can see then that overcoming sin and living righteously are not a righteousness that we attempt to add to the perfect work of God but are themselves the perfect work of God.

When we think of salvation as being God's forgiveness so we can be admitted to Heaven, then we can see no real reason for overcoming sin and behaving righteously.

But if we think of salvation as deliverance from Satan and change into a new righteous creation, then we can see that overcoming sin and behaving righteously are what salvation is all about.

You don't stick good works onto faith. True faith by its very nature always results in good works. Faith lives in works. There is no such thing as an abstract faith that does not change our behavior.

An abstract faith that does not change our behavior is not Bible faith at all. It is a set of beliefs, a philosophy. Such a set of beliefs is not salvation. It will lead to salvation only as the individual acts on the beliefs and turns them into faith.

Joshua was exhorted by the Lord to not depart from the Word of God. This is what has happened today. We have departed from the written Word of God and have substituted vain traditions in its place. This is why God is not prospering us with a clear testimony of righteous behavior.

Let's see how we enter the rest of God.

You are going along at peace with yourself and the rest of the world. You are attending church and feel the Presence of God in your life.

Then something happens. You are insulted or you lose your job or you are threatened with a lawsuit or something you want badly is denied you or you get bad news or you are offended or frustrated in some manner.

Now you must make a decision.

To be continued.