Brethren Beware

Introduction

I encourage you to be opening your New Testaments to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 3, as we continue our study in this nine o’clock hour in the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 3, about the middle of the chapter, there appears a warning issued by the writer of Hebrews that may seem rather startling. When he says in verses 12 through 14, Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have made we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Does that sound like people who have believed Jesus is the Son of God?

Even people who’ve been baptized into his death can lose their souls in eternal hell. Indeed, this is not a popular thought. I’m sure in this audience, most every one of us of adult age can say, Yes, I know someone who has been baptized, and if you were to ask them today, they’d say, Yes, they believe in Jesus as the Son of God. But they won’t be here today or any other place of worship. It’s not because they couldn’t come, it’s that they’ve chosen not to come. In fact, weeks have passed. Months have passed. And they have become rather unfaithful, though if you were to ask them, Are you a Christian? They’d answer yes. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? They’d say yes. Is it possible that a person who has once obeyed the gospel can so depart from Christ as to be lost in eternal hell?

It’s a serious thought, isn’t it? In fact, recently we had a worker in our house helping install some technical instruments. And as he was in the office, he said, Oh, you you must be a pastor. That’s his way of saying it. And I said, Well, I am a gospel preacher, and yes, I am an elder of a congregation. And in that sense, a pastor, but that ensued a conversation. His father, he said, was a preacher. But he went on to say that his father didn’t really like to preach about sin or fearing God. He preached love. And that we ought to love the Lord, and we really love the Lord, we will obey him. And from one point of view, I could say, well, that’s right.

But I said, do you mean you don’t talk about sin itself, about people who maybe have strayed from the Lord? Well, no, no, no, no. And somehow, even the talk went to the massacre at Pulse Nightclub of recent days. And I said, of those people even who were there, 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning, do you think, and my question was, how many of those you think were getting ready to go worship the Lord later that same day? Oh, no, no, he said, that’s. I believe there were several of those who believe in the Lord and they’re saved regardless. And that, of course, just summarizes some of the things we were saved. How popular is that view? It’s certainly unpopular to say anybody is lost. God loves us and by his grace, we’re saved.

And if you’ve been obeyed the gospel and you’re a Christian, you don’t have to worry about it. Eternal life is yours, no matter what you’re doing. The book of Hebrews is a letter, or certainly one of the New Testament epistles, that we all need to read. Not only this passage, we’ve already had one, where after describing Jesus Christ as the spokesman for God, as indeed the one through whom God speaks to us today. And then in chapter 1, after describing how even the angels worship him and serve him, that he is greater or superior to angels, some seven different Old Testament passages were quoted to prove that very point in chapter one. And then as you start chapter two, the scripture says, therefore we give or must give the more earnest heed to the things we’ve heard, lest we drift away.

And in verse 3, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? And not only these passages, as we start the study of Hebrews, but you will see as we go through the book of Hebrews, over and over it’s written to Christians, warning, lest we turn away, lest we drift away, what will occur. Indeed, the letter opens with the exaltation of Jesus, that he’s worthy to be God’s spokesman as the Son of God. Even as we considered in our study of last Lord’s Day morning from chapter 2, that he is greater than the angels, and yet he was made lower than the angels. Why did God become man was the lesson or the question last week, as we said in chapter 2. For even though he’s greater than angels, he was made lower than angels when he became flesh and blood.

But as flesh and blood, he accomplished what angels could not even do. As man, he, though lower than the angels in a position that way, he did what angels could not do. And that he delivered us, our mankind who obey him from the power of the devil by his sacrifice for our sins. He indeed enabled all men who would come to him in faith to defeat the devil. We can resist the devil. We have forgiveness of sins through his blood, and therefore we’re released from the bondage that the devil holds men in death. Hebrews 2, verses 14 and 15. And by that also he became our faithful high priest, who can make reconciliation for our sins, as the priest would offer sacrifice for sins. The Jews understood that work of the high priest.

1. Christ Is Superior to Moses: Whose House We Are If

But he also is a priest who has walked with us. And therefore he has sympathy. For he walked as other men walk, and he therefore is a merciful and faithful high priest who can help us in our time of need. But as he starts chapter 3, he says something that must have caught the attention of every Jew. And indeed it’s written to Hebrews, so mainly these are Jews who would be first reading it. Where he says in chapter 3, verse 1, therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him, who appointed him as Moses also was faithful in all his house. For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses.

Inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but he who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward. But Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the whole. Firm to the end. As I said, no doubt, this catches the attention of every Jew. And maybe rather startling to say not only is Jesus Christ superior to angels, he’s superior to Moses. Moses, who was the lawgiver. Moses as the one who helped lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage into the promised land.

Moses, you mean Christ is superior to Moses. And that’s the very argument that he’s making here. That indeed, even as one who builds the house is greater than the house. Moses was but a servant in the house. But Jesus Christ not only built the house, he is the Lord over the house, whose house are we? What is he speaking about? No doubt the church of the Lord, those who would obey the gospel. And therefore Jesus Christ not only made it possible for us to become part of the house of the Lord, or the family of God, but he indeed is Lord over, for God set him over all things of the church, which is his body, Ephesians 1 verses 22 and 23. So that’s why he says in verse 1, consider.

2. Do Not Harden Your Hearts as in the Rebellion

Think about who Jesus Christ is. And what you notice particularly now in verse 6. When he says, Christ is a son over his house, whose house we are if. If, that’s a small word, two letters. We’ll look at its importance. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end? What does he mean by that? If. The next four verses are quoted actually from Psalm 95, verses 7 to 11. Where here the writer includes it. He says, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. In the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested me, tried me, and saw my works for forty years.

Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said they always go astray in their heart. And they have not known me my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. What is that Psalm talking about? And now applied here in the letter of Hebrews. First of all, in verse 8, he says, Do not harden your hearts. And he’s making an application to whom? Well, as verse 1 would say, holy bread and partakers of the heavenly calling, he’s talking to Christians, isn’t he? Don’t harden your heart. You mean a Christian can harden his heart? Once we’ve said we believe in the Christ, we’ve come to the understanding of God’s love and God’s grace, we’ve obeyed the gospel, and he’s warning us that we can harden our hearts.

Instead, there ought to be the attitude, even that as we hear God’s word, we obey it. Be doers of the word, not hearers only, James 1 and verse 22. So what he’s really saying is don’t turn away with a deaf ear. He uses the word rebellion in this verse and refers to the many times that the children of Israel murmured against God. Notice, in the days of the trial in the wilderness, and you no doubt know the story in the Old Testament. How many times, though, though Moses led them out of Egyptian bondage, yet instead of showing grace and love of God, how many times did they murmur and complain? Give us water, give us food, give us flesh. And even though he blessed them all along the way, providing their need and necessities, when they got to the to the door, you might say, of the promised land, they sent out twelve spies.

And what happened? Ten brought back an evil report. We can’t go in there. Instead of having faith in God, like Joshua and Caleb said, let us go up at once. The ten spies began to say, Oh, those cities, they’re all up to heaven, and those people they are like giants, and we’re like grasshoppers in their sides. We can’t go in there. Murmured against God. And what did God do? As a result, though he had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and promised them that land flowing with milk and honey, their complaint, verse 9, your fathers tested me, tried me, saw my work for 40 years. They tried the patience of God. Can you believe that? God, therefore, while he earlier would forgive them and guide them, and yet there came a time, as verse 10 would say, they always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.

God became angry with them. Angry with that generation. So that only those above age 20 when they left Egypt, all perished in the wilderness under 20 and under when they left Egypt now, got to go into the promised land. The only exception was Joshua and Caleb. They’d heard God’s word through Moses, but it was to be said, they have not known my ways. They didn’t really submit themselves to God. Have the attitude that God will trust in him and he will provide and he’ll bless us and therefore we’ll serve him whatever. So what did God do in verse 11? When we look back at this story and understand even the Old Testament story, do we say, well, God was unfair? Or do we say as verse 11?

3. Beware, Brethren, Lest Any Depart

God would say, I swore my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. God took the promise away from the sinful and unbelieving generation. You know that story in the Old Testament. Very clear. And with justice and righteousness, God indeed did not let those unbelievers enter into the promised land. So what’s the point in the Hebrew writer? Why did He quote these verses from Psalm 95? That’s where our text, verse 12, begins. Where then he says, Beware brethren. Again, who’s he talking to? Brethren. As verse 1, partakers of the heavenly calling. They’re those who teach a doctrine, we call it once saved, always saved. And they have to twist this verse greatly to make it apply. And say, Well, he was only talking about people who were not really saved to start with.

That’s their argument. Oh, there will be some who claim to know the Christ who become unfaithful is the argument, but they were never really saved is the argument. My friends, you can’t really honestly twist these verses that way. When he says, first of all, he calls them brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Just the very words departing. Now, each of you are in this building, this auditorium. Can you depart from it without it really having been in it? The fact that you’re in it, that very verb itself, you can depart. But you have to be in it to depart. And so therefore the writer is speaking about brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, and is warning lest we depart.

In fact, look at the connection back with verse 6 that we emphasized earlier, when he says, Whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope. Firm to the end. Here he talks about people who can be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. So I send deceitful. I’ll tell you one way is there are people who, as I said, probably on the hearts of every one of us in this audience, you probably have some relative, maybe. Or certainly some close friend, or somebody you know once obeyed the gospel and was faithful, and yet they turned away. They aren’t faithful today. But if you were to ask them, are you a believer in Christ? Oh, yes, I believe in Jesus. Have you been baptized for remission?

Oh, yes, I’ve been baptized for remission of sins. And they trust that it’s all right, because now that they once have obeyed, someone put it this way, they may say they don’t believe in the doctrine once saved, always saved, but they practice it. As though once they’ve really obeyed the gospel, that they’re going to be alright. And what’s happened? They become hardened. You mean their conscience, their spiritual arteries have become clogged. They aren’t worshiping the Lord. It ought to grieve every one of us who continue in the faith, but let’s acknowledge what’s the scripture saying. To the deceitfulness. What’s happened by deceit? They’ve been lied to. They believe something that’s not true. And certainly that’s the work of the devil, who Jesus himself said is a liar, the father of lies from the beginning is a liar.

4. An Evil Heart of Unbelief: Those Who Did Not Obey

Even the Garden of Eden, what did he say to E? God didn’t mean what he said. You won’t die, you’ll be as gods. It’d be to your advantage. And he still tells us that way. And so what they’re wanting here is, guard yourself. Brethren, beware. The devil has always made men think that it’ll be alright. But evil heart of unbelief, what does it mean to be an unbeliever? Does that mean to be an atheist? No. The Israelites didn’t become atheists. They didn’t quit saying we believe in God. Why don’t you notice the definition in this context while we’re here? Look at the last two verses of chapter 3. In verse 18, the question is raised to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest?

But to those who did not obey, right? Now the last verse. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. You put those two verses together and you have a definition of unbelief. It’s people who do not obey. You can say you believe, but if well, actions speak louder than words, don’t they? And for the children of Israel, though they did not become atheists, the fact that they did not obey made them unbelievers. And what is the warning for us? That even we too can depart through an evil heart of unbelief by quit obeying. We must stay in constant contact with other brethren and encourage them. As as verse as verse 13 would say, exhort one another daily, while his call today, while there’s opportunity.

To warn them that believing is not mental agreement, it’s not enough. We often, or should at least, use John chapter 12, verses 42 and 43. When we hear people say, Oh, I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but as though that’s all it takes to be saved, and those same people may teach or practice that baptism is not essential. John 12, 42 and 43 speaks about the rulers of the synagogue, how many believed in Jesus Christ, but they would not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. You know, the ruler of the synagogue may believe Jesus, Son of God, but when they wouldn’t obey him, that was not a belief that would save.

Bible, look at the next book in your Bible in James chapter 2. In James chapter 2, we have a clear definition of the kind of faith that will save. When he says in verses 14 through 17, what does it profit, my brethren? If someone says he has faith but does not have works, can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Someone will say, You have faith, I have works. Show me your faith. Without your works, I’ll show you my faith by my works.

You believe that there’s one God you do well, even the demons believe and tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works and by work by works faith was made perfect? The scripture was fulfilled, which says Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. Not by just the acknowledgement of a mental agreement, I believe. There must be the obedience, or else it is unbelief. So when he says back in chapter 3 and in verse 13, while it is said today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt and led by Moses? Now with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned whose corpses fell in the wilderness? To whom did he swear that they would not enter in his rest? But of those who did not obey. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. The series of questions, most of them rhetorical, are obvious. The answers are rather obvious. So while it is a sad trait, how will it be? Coming judgment day. For those who once known the Lord truly said they believe, but have been deceived by hardening of their own hearts, deceitfulness of sin. What a sad day it’ll be to face the Lord in judgment and to hear.

5. Exhort One Another Daily

Depart. I didn’t know you. You quit serving me. And while that’s a sad thing for us who may be believers, and we may think about our loved ones who we know are in that condition. What’s our role? Back up in verse 13. Exhort one another daily. While it is called a day. Exhort to warn. Don’t just fold your arms and let it go by. Do what you can to stir their hearts. To expand passages like this is a good place to start. And there’ll be others in the book of Hebrews that’ll also be the same that says, Exhort one another daily. Another good passage really to say, why do we even come together on the Lord’s day? In Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 25, there are those who resist sometimes where it says, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another.

6. Can a Believer Become an Unbeliever?

And so much the more as you see today approaching a passage that says, We ought to come together. Why we worship together like this, that we might be encouraged, that we might be exalted, and that we might exhort one another. But also the importance of exhorting our unfaithful brethren. Indeed, we have the promise of eternal life. We don’t hold it now. The argument that some make who teach once saved always say, Well, we’ll go to passages like John chapter 5 and in verse 24, where in John 5, 24, Jesus said, Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in me who sent me has everlasting life. And shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. So that passage indeed sounds like once saved, always, right?

If you believe in the Lord, then you shall not come into judgment. Or maybe passages like Romans chapter 8, 35 through 39, that speak how that nothing shall separate us from the love of God. Two great passages. But I want you to notice the emphasis. Those who believe. The kind of beliefs that is made perfect through obedience. It doesn’t say faith only. It doesn’t say just have a mental agreement. You see, the argument is not can a one who’s been saved also be lost. The argument really ought to be can a believer become an unbeliever. As long as we believe and serve the Lord faithfully, we ought to walk where the heads held high, with a sense of assurance that we are in a saved condition.

Conclusion

That you ought to know where you stand before the Lord, even as I speak this morning. Where are you? If the Lord should come this hour, would you say, Come, Lord Jesus? I’ve done the best I know to do. Or can there be something in your heart that you know, well, I’m not sure I’m quite ready yet. There is some things I intend to do later. You ought not to be that way when you leave the building. If there’s something you need to do, then do it today. Make yourself right with the Lord. And that ought to be the kind of concept. Can you get to the point where that won’t bother you? Can you become hardened about what you think you need to do, but you just have put off?

Don’t let that happen. That’s what he’s warning about in this very chapter. Beware, brethren. Now notice one more in verse chapter 4 and in verse 1, while we have Hebrews open. Where after describing these children of Israel to whom they did not enter because they did not obey, because they did not believe. Chapter 4 and verse 1 continues. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear, lest any of you seem to have come short of it. Or dropping down to verse 11. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Understanding what happened to the children of Israel and their disobedience, here’s the warning. Let us. We have a promise. We have the promise of heaven.

Titus 1 and verse 2. God who cannot lie has promised that. First John chapter 2, 25, it is assurance. There is a promise. Hope. That is realized is not hope, Romans 8.24. So only in the sense that it’s in the promised version. But because of that, we can walk with a sense of assurance and a sense of gratitude. And there ought to be outpouring of thanksgiving as we give praise to the Lord in our song and our prayer and our studies this very day. Because those of us who are believers, who have obeyed and continue to obey, can walk with a sense of saying, Salvation is mine because of what Christ has done for us. And as we have continued to be faithful and be faithful even unto death.

May God help us to be ourselves in that condition and help us to warn our brethren and to exhort them, those who have become unfaithful. May God help us to serve Him faithfully. Would you bow with me in prayer? Almighty God, we thank you so much for your blessings. We’re so thankful that we’ve come to know of your love for us and of the gift of your only begotten Son, who Himself was willing to come in the flesh, even as He was tempted in ways as we are, yet without sin, was willing to suffer on the cross to pay the penalty that we really are due because of our sin, and that is death. We’re thankful that through Him we have the forgiveness of our sins.

We pray for what Father that you will help us to continue faithful even unto death ourselves, that we may realize and never let it grow old or cold to us the great cause of the death of Christ, our sin. And to realize the great gift that you’ve made possible through Jesus Christ. We honor you on this the Lord’s day. And we keep in memory that death and suffering of our Savior. And we pray, Father, that you’ll help us always to be faithful, even with the rejoicing of the hope that we have through Christ Jesus. Under that great day. We pray, Lord, that we’ll hear those words, well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of the Lord. Bless us now throughout the rest of our services this morning.

Save us finally, for we humbly pray in the name of the Christ. And amen.