Again, I enjoyed Brother Garrett's careful consideration of the "rest" of God of Hebrews.
I find much truth in Brother Garrett's article, but it has a Calvinistic proximity to the truth without utter accuracy, just as the root confusion of faith and knowledge.
I concede to Brother Garrett and consider it error to argue that the intent of the author of Hebrews was to undermine the idea of temporal preservation of those truly called of the elect by the exhortation to press into the promised rest of God. Certainly, obedience is presented overwhelmingly as what is consistent with truly being effectually called (Hebrews 5:9), and that the promises of God are unto eternal inheritance.
But, it seems clear that the intent of the author cannot be to fully equate the promises of God with eternal heaven, or that the author does not present these promises as promises that can be enjoyed in time; even by just a cursory reading of Hebrews. Hebrews 4:11's "rest" is possessed in a temporal sense, as Brother Garrett admits hypothetically, but argues against in his article. He already concedes the principle of the point, though, he just doesn't want to concede it in this passage.
I want to begin by examining Hebrews 11:13, 39, and 40:
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (vs. 13)."
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect (vs. 39,40)."
Obviously from these texts, O.T. saints did not, in a temporal sense, obtain the promises of God in the same way that N.T. believers can obtain and enjoy them. It is, therefore, incorrect to say that the author of Hebrews fully equates obtaining the promises of God in time with obtaining them in eternity, as O.T. saints obviously did not obtain these promises equally with N.T. believers.
To argue as Brother Garrett does in Hebrews 4:3-11 against any temporal sense of obtaining the promises of God, contradicts what is obvious from these texts: that the promises of God are obtained and are applicable in their obtainment in time.
Now, this does not exclude the association of a temporal apprehension of these promises with the full obtainment of these promises in an eternal obtainment of them in Jesus Christ, but fully associates them. There is no basis to affirm eternal inheritance apart from laying hold on eternal inheritance in time.
Now, coming to Hebrews 4:3-11, Brother Garrett stated:
"It is based upon these words that credibility is given for seeing conversion as how Christians first enter into God's rest. Though this is not denied to be taught in Scripture, it does not seem to be what Paul is affirming in these words. For the words "do enter," A. T. Robertson says, is from the Greek word eiserxometa and is "emphatic futuristic present middle indicative of eiserxomai." In other words, "We are sure to enter in, we who believe." Thus, though the KJV seems to point to what is a present reality in translating as "do enter," the Greek shows that Paul is still looking to the future for fulfillment. All he is affirming is that true believers are the ones who will enter.
Since saved people have "ceased from" their own works for salvation, and have trusted in Christ alone for salvation, Paul's words in verses 9-11 are interpreted to be a reference to conversion and to a present entering into God's rest. But, if we are honest, we must confess that this is not likely the meaning of the Apostle."
First, Brother Garrett's analysis and use of A.T. Robertson is faulty. The words "do enter" in Hebrews 4:3 are only future in the latter use of 'eiserchomai'. The text contrasts the fact of present entering by those who believe in Eiserchometha, which is in the present tense, passive voice, and indicative mood, with eiseleusontai, which is in the future tense, middle voice, and indicative mood.
The text plainly asserts that those who believe have already entered into the rest of God, which destroys the idea that entering into the rest is excluded from a present, temporal reality. Brother Garrett is wresting this text in the Greek to apply the rest of God solely to eternal rest.
Next, Brother Garrett speaks of "being honest" with Paul's words in Hebrews 4:9-11, indeed let us be honest. From verse 3, it is clear that Paul states the fact that those that believe have already entered into the rest of God. Verse 9-11 plainly indicate that individuals that are truly the people of God, have a rest they need to press into. Surely, if they do not, it could mean that they are the "people of God" in name only, but it also could mean they have yet to enjoy the fullness of their eternal inheritance in time.
Brother Garrett stated:
"First, the works that God ceased from doing were good works, whereas the works that are ceased from, if the above interpretation is accepted, are sinful works. If we cease from our works "as God did from his," then we will be resting from honest toil, not from evil works.
Second, it does not make sense to interpret "he that is entered into his rest" and "ceased from his own works" as a reference to what has already been experienced and yet interpret "let us be diligent to enter into that rest" as also what has already been experienced. Why exhort to future entrance if it has already been entered?"
The sense in which the regenerate are exhorted to "cease from their labors" is not in the sense of the wickedness inherent to those deeds, though such deeds are at best commingled with evil, but from striving to establish their righteousness by works when this righteousness is established in Christ. God resting is not analogous to the rest in Christ that men are exhorted to rest in, except in the sense that God rested at all. Paul's point is that it is not untoward for man, therefore, to base his works on the finished work of Christ, resting as a point of basis on that which was, "finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3)."
The second point of Brother Garrett only fails to make sense to him because he is wanting to disallow entering the rest in a temporal sense with having entered eternal rest in Christ. There could be a degree to which one has entered into the rest temporally, but still not be enjoying the full degree of gospel rest; hence, the exhortation. Verse 10 need not imply a contradiction with verse 11, not all to whom Paul writes are truly resting in Christ like they ought to be. Verse 10 refers to the ideal to be obtained, and verse 11 the exhortation to the ideal. The fact is, verse 10, like verse 3, establishes that some have already entered in a temporal sense into the rest with which Paul is contextually dealing.
Brother Garrett stated:
"Finally, the entire context of Hebrews 3 & 4 shows that a future and final deliverance is in view."
I agree that the entire context is of eternal inheritance in Christ, but this need not imply that what occurs in time is not associated with eternal inheritance. This inheritance is temporally enjoyed by those who labor to enter into it, and if one temporally fails to enter into the rest of God, they manifest that they were never partakers of Christ (Hebrews 3:14). A true possession of eternal inheritance is by those who are preserved by God in some degree of temporal faith, trusting in the sufficiency of God to save.
The fact that some believers died in the wilderness, as Moses, Miriam, and Aaron, not enjoying the full degree of the promised rest of God, does not prove that they were faithless like the majority of that generation that fell in the wilderness. I agree with Brother Garrett here. But it still proves that their disobedience prevented them from entering into the promised rest. They certainly should not be fully categorized with that faithless generation, but they are categorized among them in the sense that they did not enjoy in time the same degree of fullness of the rest of God as those that entered into that rest, like Joshua.
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