Class Notes: 1/14/2009

Heb 3:12 God's warning regarding believers unbelief and his antidote for unbelief


We are discussing the warning for believers to" Beware" found in Heb 3:12; The Greek word "blepo" is used in the imperative mood. In this case the believer is "to see" or to "watch out for" to "beware" or to "pay attention" or to "be on guard" against having an evil unbelieving heart or stream of consciousness.

Heb 3:12; "Take care", brethren, (Church age believers today) that there not be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. Literally, to "keep standing off from the living God".

The verb translated "falling away" is the Greek word "aphistemi" that when used intransitively means to stand off from, to withdraw from, to leave or to go into apostasy because of unbelief.

We have seen that unbelief is resisting the work of God the Holy Spirit who is convicting both believers and unbelievers regarding the next step God's plan for their spiritual life.

Since believers are warned against unbelief and we saw that the way unbelief is overcome is from listening to the word of God Rom 10:17; so we started a study on faith.

We saw last time that faith begins at the point of salvation by grace through faith alone in TLJC alone and that faith is not of ourselves Eph 2:8; at the point of salvation the believer receives eternal life that is irrevocable and protected by the power of God.

Since God has provided that eternal security and eternal stability for believers through TLJC and his work on the cross, by means of faith perception we see that he will also provide temporal stability or temporal security for believers in time. Rom 8:32;


When the believer becomes aware of this doctrine, the believer begins to understand that not only is Jesus Christ their eternal salvation, He is also their temporal security.

Their security is not the money they have accumulated. Their security is not their social or economic status. Their security is not a home or human friendship or relationship.

It is not in the job they hold, not in the future they hope to have. Security does not depend upon living by their intelligence or, their strength, or any other ability that they may have that is considered useful for success in the devil's world.

The believer's security is only from one person and one person only....TLJC because he "is the believer's life". Col 3:4;

We have seen that the first category of faith that the believer enters is receiving TLJC as Savior and the assurance that nothing can take away this "so great salvation."

In Doctrine Class the believer learns that TLJC, is the one who keeps them "from falling and he is the one who will present me blameless before the presence of his glory with great happiness" Jude 1:24.

Believers learn that they have received "an inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, that will not fade not away, that is reserved in heaven for those who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." 1Pet 1:4-5;

They learn that their eternal destiny is resolved once and for all, and they know that it was TLJC who resolved it because" he is their salvation" The Lord provided it all. they did nothing to earn it, they did not work for it. they did not deserve it, nor did they add anything to it.

They simply trust in Him, they simply believe what God's word clearly says and they understand that for them as far as eternity is concerned, after death, there is nothing but blessing with God forever.

There will no longer be death, there will no longer be mourning, or crying, or pain; for the first things have passed away" Rev 21:4;

They learn that "to be absent from the body in physical death is to be 'face to face' with the Lord" 2Cor 5:8;

They learn that Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: He who believes in me, will live even if he dies" John 11:25.

Believers learn that at death they will be in a place that is so wonderful it is beyond human description. That beyond death there is nothing to fear, there is nothing harsh or unpleasant to anticipate forever and ever.

This security and destiny becomes a reality for each one at the moment they believe in Jesus Christ. After that, the more Bible Doctrine the believer learns the more faith and confidence in TLJC they have for their situation in time and eternity.

The more the believer knows what the Bible says, the stronger their faith becomes. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Rom 10:17;

The process of receiving faith by hearing is described by David starting in Psa 27:4; where he describes a pattern of Bible study and assimilation of God's Word.

v4- "One thing I have asked from the Lord....." As soon as I am born again if I am a normal spiritual baby, I have a desire for spiritual milk. Spiritual milk is contained in God's Word. "One thing I have asked from the Lord....." Regeneration brings a desire for doctrine, for Divine Truth.

v4 cont-"That I shall seek ...." The second part of the pattern is study or seeking. It says, I will seek the Truth, the milk or food that God gives. First of all then there is motivation. I now have a desire to study the Word.

Before I believed in TLJC the Bible was just another book for which I had little interest.

I heard that a lot of controversy existed over this book, but I found other books much more interesting to read, but now, since I have believed in TLJC I am now interested.

For me, the Bible has become a real and living book. The Bible is God's Word. It is a Book which has stood all the tests, all of the controversies, all of the opposition of the ages, and continues to exist, right up to this moment, as a best seller, even though at the same time it is the most attacked Book in the history of mankind.

The Bible is God's Word in written form, and in it I have promises and principles to apply to every circumstance of life. I am suddenly aware that not only is the Person of Jesus Christ my temporal and eternal security, but also that He has very graciously given in addition to salvation, the written promises and principles for use in time.

As I utilize and apply these principles I come to the know the scope of the temporal security he has provided.

v4 cont- "One thing have asked from the Lord...." Motivation is desire for the Word. "That I shall seek" .… "Divine Truth must be sought at its source, and the only source is, the Bible.

v4 cont… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life....." He is talking about life on this earth in time , not in eternity.

David says that he wants to dwell in the house of the Lord. What is this house of the Lord that he is referring to?

It cannot be the temple, because the temple was not built yet. So he must be referring to the tabernacle.

For Israel, the house of the Lord, or the tabernacle, was their doctrine.

The Israelites could not literally dwell in the tabernacle, but they could keep on thinking about the Person of Christ, the promised Messiah, as He was revealed in the tabernacle, it's furniture and the sacrifices and offerings that were continuously being performed there.

So David's reference to the house of the Lord is analogous to the Bible, or God's Word.

In David's day the revelation of God was different. Instead of having it in writing, they had it in the form of ritual that they could see.

Many of the Israelites could not read or write, and therefore would be handicapped in the assimilation of Divine truths if they were only available in writing.

In order that they might understand everything involved in spiritual phenomena, they had, for example, a brazen altar that illustrated Christ dying for their sins. In the first part of the tabernacle the holy place.

There was the table of showbread, a reference to Christ as the bread of life.

There was the golden lamp stand that represented TLJC, the light of the world, and a golden altar speaking of the intercessory work of TLJC. Separating the holy place from the Holy of Holies was a veil that spoke of the incarnation of the Person of Christ.

Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant that contained those things which spoke of sin, reminding them of reconciliation, atonement and propitiation. The ark was covered with gold, representing His deity. The wood of the ark spoke of the humanity of Christ bearing the sins of the world.

On the covering or lid was the mercy seat illustrated TLJC as a propitiation. Every article in the Tabernacle was a visual testimony of some phase of the Person or work of TLJC as the impeccable God-man who is undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever.

Since the "house of the Lord" was their Bible, when David said, "I want to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, "he was talking about living in the Bible.

He was talking about assimilating God's Word; he was talking about daily, habitual exposure to the Word of God by listening as it was taught by the Levitical priests, such as the prophet Nathan just as we do today. Rom 10:17; Heb 10:25;

Psa 27:4; cont- "… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord"

The Hebrew word translated "beauty" is "Shaal" that can also be translated "pleasant" or "grace".

"The word "behold" is the Hebrew word "chazah" that means to meditate in a searching manner. It means to see something in a way that one is being enlightened and entranced because of the incredible beauty of what is being seen.

We look into God's Word and discover His grace - not only in salvation, not only in His power to preserve and deliver, but also in restoration of fellowship through the acknowledgement of known sin. 1John 1:9; is a perfect illustration of grace.

There is also grace in prayer: "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace....." Heb 4:16;

There is grace in power: "… be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" 2Tim 2:1;

There is grace in stability:"… the true grace of God Stand firm in it" 1Pet 5:12;

There is grace in restoration: "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God… "Heb 12:15.

Everywhere we look in God's Word we see His grace. We see our failure, inability and unworthiness, and yet, as fallen, powerless and unworthy as we are, Divine operating assets are provided, by grace and through faith... the persistent consistent PMA of Bible Doctrine and by it God moves us into cognition of his security for time and eternity.

Psa 27:4; cont….The final phase in the verse is meditation. "To meditate in his temple." The Hebrew word is "bakwar" that also means to "inquire" or to "look after" or to "inspect" so it means to make a reconnaissance.

When the Bible was written the word "inquire" was also used to describe the examination of a sick patient. The idea is to investigate the Word so that the Word investigates us.

Psa 27:11; says "Teach me your way, O Lord" .

As a result of learning His way, we are guided and per verse 11. we are lead on a level path, or literally - in an even path, a path which is easy to follow and easy to discern.

v11 cont- "Lead me in a level path, because of mine enemies." Our enemies are the kosmic system, the OSN and satan and the fallen angels that work against us and inhibit us from having Divine guidance and from fulfilling God's will for our life that we have seen is to believe. John 6:29,40;

Knowledge of God's Word as it is habitually and continually absorbed on a daily basis is the faith that grows from that faith that "is not from ourselves" as small as a grain of mustard at the point of the believer's salvation by grace through faith alone in TLJC alone.

Once the believer begins to learn doctrine, they begin to learn the promises, then they can begin to exercise their faith by applying those promises to their experience in the faith rest life.

David refers to this in Psa 27:5; "For in the time of trouble he will conceal me in his tabernacle..."

As we have seen, when David wrote this, the tabernacle referred to the word of God. In this case, the analogy is to the promises of God that are found in his word.

In times of trouble, God conceals and shelters the believer in the promises of his Word when the believer believes them.

In passages such as Rom 8:28; and Exod 14:13-14; 1Pet 5:7; Psa 55:22;and as had happened to David personally as described in.1Sam 17:37; 1Sam 17:44-50;

There are many, many promises in God's Word that are available to be claimed by the believer in all situations and at all times.

Psa 27:5; cont…., "For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent". refers to Bible Doctrine.

There are many principles of doctrine found in God's Word that are applicable to every believer. When in a time of trouble and trial and under stress, believers can take a single doctrine, such as the doctrine of Divine Essence, and develop it as a rationale and apply it to the problem.

The doctrine of Divine Essence, could be developed as follows:

As a part of his essence, "God is sovereign. Since He is sovereign, He has a plan for me in time. He has security for me in time, and in eternity."

Recall that "God is also absolute righteousness therefore, whatever He has provided for me in time must be as perfect as He is perfect. God is also perfect justice; therefore, His provision is fair. It is something that is easily obtainable.

It is something that can be appropriated by grace and through faith under the filling of God the Holy Spirit. It does not require that the believer have some kind of superior ability only positive volition to God's word.

Since God is also love, and as a believer he loves me with the same love that He has for His only begotten Son, I know He will carry me through this difficult situation.

Believers can also recall that God is Eternal Life and that they share in that eternal life. Since He has provided the most difficult thing by providing eternal life and eternal security they know that He can easily provide security for me in time in all situations.

God is omniscient so He knows my situation. In fact, He knew it billions of years ago. Since billions of years ago He knew every condition they would face in time, and He made perfect provision for it.

God is also omnipotent so He is able to deliver through this situation.

God is omnipresent so He is right here with me presently observing this problem.

God is immutable so. He is faithful in helping believers in any and all the difficulties, trial and troubles in life."

This is one single doctrinal principle can be applied to any situation.

Believers are to live by faith and apply doctrinal principles and promises so that "they are hidden in His tabernacle in, in the secret place of His tent"

When believers do this they are stabilized in time as David describes in the last phrase of Psa 27:5;… "He will lift me up on a rock."

This idea is also presented in Psa 40:2;

The believer has stability in time because they have discovered that the secret to security in time is, based on the work of TLJC on the cross and then listening to his thinking as it is revealed in his word and applying it.

They have believed in Jesus Christ and then they have grown up spiritually by absorbing the Word and they are now able to apply it in every situation, through their recall and application of the faith or the doctrine that they have learned in their daily experience of listening to their savior TLJC. Rom 10:17; and by doing this they are simultaneously taking care not to have an evil unbelieving heart that stands off from the living God. Heb 3:12;


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