Entering Into the Lord's Rest

This week's assignment comes specifically from Hebrews 3-4, and is about entering into the Lord's rest.

Christ wants us all to come unto Him, but sometimes we end up being our own worst enemy...

In Hebrews 3:10-11 we learn that the generation of Israelites that Moses had led out of Egypt were denied entrance into the Lord's rest because of their hard-heartedness.  Paul points out in the beginning of chapter 4 that they had the same opportunity to hear the word of God, but they didn't "mix... [it] with faith".

So, how do we "mix" the word of God with faith and avoid being denied entrance into the rest of the Lord?  Matthew 7:21-23; John 7:17; and James 1:22 all point out that we must act in faith and DO the works of the Lord, because hearing it and professing to believe it just isn't enough!  I especially love the simplicity and directness of the scripture I referenced in John: "If any man will ^ado his ^bwill, he shall ^cknow of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

President Joseph F. Smith spoke of what "the Lord's rest" means to him:

• “The ancient prophets speak of ‘entering into God’s rest’; what does it mean? To my mind, it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. We know of the doctrine that it is of God, and we do not ask any questions of anybody about it; they are welcome to their opinions, to their ideas and to their vagaries. The man who has reached that degree of faith in God that all doubt and fear have been cast from him, he has entered into ‘God’s rest.’ . . . rest from doubt, from fear, from apprehension of danger, rest from the religious turmoil of the world. . . .” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 58.)  

We need to be believing!  We need to follow the counsel of Paul and of the other prophets -- hear the word of God and then do it!  When we harden our hearts and choose doubt instead of faith, we are blocking ourselves from returning to Christ.

I want to end with this powerful scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 84:23-24:

23 Now this ^aMoses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to ^bsanctify his people that they might ^cbehold the face of God;

 24 But they ^ahardened their hearts and could not endure his ^bpresence; therefore, the Lord in his ^cwrath, for his ^danger was kindled against them, swore that they should not ^eenter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.

You will be able to endure the Lord's presence as you become like Him.  To become like Him, you must do the things that He did, live the way that He lived, and be believing!