DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE WORD MIXED WITH FAITH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE WORD MIXED WITH FAITH

"Therefore, since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." (Hebrews 4:1-2)

Why is it that when God's word is preached, some people are profited by it and it changes their lives, but for some people, it seems to just go over their heads? It flies by them without impacting their lives. I think we get a hint in this focus verse. Some hear the gospel, but it is not received by faith, so it doesn't bear much fruit.

Remember that the "therefore" is there for a purpose, relating the Scripture to a previous thought. The writer had been referring to the nation of Israel being denied entryinto the Promised Land – into God's Rest – because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). They had heard God's promise to Moses that they would inherit the land, but they did not believe it. Their lack of faith caused them to wander in the Wilderness for 40 years, and kept the older generations from receiving God's promise.

When I bake a cake from scratch, the recipe calls for various ingredients. One of the most important ingredients is baking powder. If I don't mix the baking power into the dough, the cake will fall flat. I remember baking a cake one time and accidentally left out the baking power. The cake did not rise. It was as flat as a pancake. That is what happens when we don't receive God's Word with faith. All the hearing in the world will have no effect until we hear it with faith.

We know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The point is that we must believe God's Word when we hear it or read it. When there is true faith, there will be action that follows, because faith without works is dead. That is the proof that we have heard the word of God mixed with faith – when it affects the way we live.

How many of us hear God's word preached Sunday after Sunday but walk out of the Church unchanged. The reason is that we don't receive it mixed with faith. Faith will make God's Word alive in our lives. We must not be just hearers of the Word but also faithful doers.

Love, Dad