We are in Chapter 3 in the Book of Hebrews. This will be the last message in Chapter 3. We have had the second section of teaching in verses 3, 1 through 7, and now in 3, 7 through 4, 16, we have the warning drawn from this teaching. The essence of the warning is in Chapter 3, verses 7 through 15. The warning was illustrated from Israel's failure in the wilderness. Here's what happened. The first generation passed away, and they were not allowed to enter the land because of their lack of Lack of faith, unbelief, yes. The failure was one of unbelief. Did you know that disobedience is unbelief? When we disobey, it's unbelief. They disobeyed. Then the writer applied this to these Hebrew Christians in verses 12 through 15. We'll read that. Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and 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 become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. While it is said today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. What is the warning? If the first generation of Israelis that came out of Egypt could not enter the land of rest because of unbelief, neither will these Hebrews enter God's promise of rest for them if they fail to trust in him. their unbelief would bring about their fall. So these Hebrews were called to be aware, lest there was in any of them an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Now, unbelief leads to a hardening of the heart. And a hardening of the heart opens the door for the deceitfulness of sin to enter. There is none of us here capable of handling the deceitfulness of sin. And the deceitfulness of sin leads one into a fool's paradise from which there is no escape except repentance. And in order for repentance to take place, one's sin must first be exposed. And we hate exposure. When we have sinned, whatever shows us up for what we are, as God through Nathan exposed David, then repentance must take place or the darkness grows deeper and deeper until there is nothing but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation from God. And the scripture says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So we have seen the content of the exhortation for these Hebrews to beware. And now we come to two reasons for this exhortation. We begin then with the first reason for the exhortation. By the way, let me encourage you to study this word rest. See if you can come up with what you're talking about. We begin then with the first reason for the exhortation for Christians to be aware lest an evil heart of unbelief enter. It's found in verses 14 through 15. We'll read it. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. While it is said, today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Why would the writer exhort these believers to beware lest there was in any of them an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God? Well, the first and foremost reason, because true believers have become partakers of Christ. We're nearing Christmas. And now we have the opportunity of becoming partakers of Christ. How unthinkable then to depart from him. Note first the verb have become. It is the perfect tense verb. The question is why the perfect tense is used here. It won't mean much to many, but let me just say for those for whom it might, I view this as an extensive perfect. Some translations, like the ESV, translate it as a present tense, like this, for we share in Christ. They see it as an intensive perfect. What is an extensive perfect? You can learn some grammar. You'll forget pretty quick. It emphasizes a completed action of an action that happened in the past. It started over here somewhere. It's done already. It's done. If I am correct, it means that these people have become Christians with abiding results. How do you know somebody has become a Christian with abiding results? You don't know until they die or the Lord comes. They are faithful Christians to the very end, so they have believed with abiding results. So the perfect tense is used, as I see it, because if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast right to the very end, then we have become partakers of Christ once for all. The completed action is in view because the beginning of one's confidence has been held steadfast to the very end. We could put it like this. We have become partakers of Christ once for all if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the very end. Negatively, we could put it like this. We have not become partakers once for all if we do not hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. So some people drop out. Now, we must ponder the words partakers of Christ. What is a partaker of Christ? The word partakers is someone who shares in or partakes in something with another. For example, look at Hebrews 2.14. Look at the verse. It says, inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. The Lord Jesus Christ shared or partook of flesh and blood just like the rest of us have. He became one of us. We're in the Christmas season. That's where he became one of us. We have flesh and blood, and he shared in the same with us. He partook of the same. But now in our verse, the Lord does not become partaker with us. We become a partaker with him. How can we be partakers with him? Turn to Romans chapter six. The question now is, in what way do believers become partakers with him? How? We begin in verse one. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more, death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives, he lives to God. When we get baptized, we identify with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, which we share in when we become true believers. We share in all of that with him, both the death, the burial, and the resurrection. It is the union of the believer with Christ. He shared with us in flesh and blood, and we share with him in his death, burial, and resurrection. So if that is true, how can we continue to live in sin if we have truly become believers? We have only become partakers once for all with Christ, perfect tense, when we have held the faith steadfast to the end. We might partake for a while and then drop out, giving heed to the pleasures of sin. You can go to no church where they haven't seen this. It is possible to drop out. If these were only professing believers, listen now, if these were only professing believers, what can professing believers drop out of? They can't drop out from Christ, they never were in him. Only true believers can drop out. Consider now then the word confidence. What is this confidence? The word confidence used here is different than in some of the other passages. Here it is the word hupostasis. If you're familiar with Hebrews 11.1, you will be familiar with this word. It is that upon which our faith is founded. It is the foundation of our faith. And that is, what is the foundation of our faith? The gospel. Note, second, that it is not just our confidence. It is the beginning of our confidence. Well, how was it with these Hebrews at the beginning of their confidence? Let me show you. No, you turn to it. You want to see it for yourself. Chapter 10. Chapter 10, verses 32 through 35. Depending how long we go, you might have memorized these verses by the time we're done. Verse 32, but recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, after you became Christians, you endured a great struggle and sufferings. partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulation, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. Have you ever seen someone who's always kind of pushed out, and they're mistreated, and they're mistreated, and you side with them? You side with them? Now you come under the same mistreatment. And that's what they had done. Partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. For you had compassion on me, in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods." Listen to this. They lost their goods, and they joyfully accepted this plundering. Here's the beginning of their confidence. knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward." Wow. In the beginning of their confidence, they had great struggles and sufferings. They had stood with other believers, and it brought them much trouble. They had identified with the writer. And he sounds like Paul here, because he was in chains. There are a good many of the Hebrews who started out well, and then when their expectations that Christ would come soon and set up his kingdom, when it didn't materialize, they began to go down. The confidence of these Hebrews who once gladly suffered the plundering of their goods is waning. And now they are in the danger of apostatizing. This confidence must be maintained to the end. So we ask, what end? What end? Well, I believe it is to the end of one's life or till the Lord comes. Right to the end. Matthew 24, speaking of the tribulation, believers says, he who endures to the end will be saved. He who endures to the end. The clear implication is that he who does not endure to the end will be lost. they have not become partakers of Christ with perfect tense abiding results. Now let me read verse 14 and 15 once more. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. While it is said today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. When do we need to respond to God? Well, the day we hear his voice. Whenever he speaks to us about something that needs attention, that is the day to obey. Verse 15 says, while it is said, today. While anyone is alive and he hears the voice of God in that day, if you will hear his voice, hasten to obey. Whenever we hear his voice, that day is today. May I ask you a question? God has found something wrong inside, and you hear his voice. How many of us respond today? Are you like I am? I have to know for sure I have to do this. It takes me quite a while until I'm sure I have to do this. Notice the word if. We are to respond today if we hear his voice today. When God speaks to us about any wrongdoing, it is a voice we do not like to hear, neither me nor you. We don't. But we do realize how, do we, let me say that, do we realize how great a privilege it is to hear his voice? Oh, it feels like anything but a privilege. But what a sad day when we cannot hear His voice. What a sad day. Many, many unbelievers in our land cannot hear His voice. They are buried under layers of sin. They can be told spiritual things as plainly as they can be said, and there's nothing going in. There are enough times when we as Christians cannot hear. Is it so? I cheated on an assignment in Bible school one time many years ago. I can say I did not purposely cheat. But I could have been kept from graduating because of that one blot. I heard some students talking one day. They were talking about this assignment, and the teacher said, we are not allowed to use helps. And when I heard that, something washed over my entire body. And I had done so. I had handed in this assignment already. It was too late. It was too late to do anything about it. The teacher already had my assignment. And I had used HELPS. Oh, I struggled. And the struggle reached the level where I did not care any more about the outcome. I went to the teacher of the class. Have you ever come there? Doesn't matter anymore what happens. I got to get rid. This teacher was one of two teachers that were the last ones he ever wanted to go tell something. Well, he saw. He saw. I guess he saw my heart. And later, later I became a teacher together with him on a course. And I left his office. You know how? It is a sad day when we cannot hear God's voice anymore. It is a very huge privilege to hear him say, you have this thing to clean up. Oh, I know about conviction. I know about hearing God's voice. But thank God I heard his voice and obeyed. Let me say this. If we do not hear his voice, we will never get saved if we're not saved. And if we don't hear his voice as Christians when we have some sin, it will have bad consequences. I have pondered sometimes how God speaks. I've pondered sometimes how can't some people hear the voice there? Some time ago, a person came to repent to me about a certain matter, and I pondered in my heart, Lord, how did this person not get convicted about this or this or this? Looks bigger to me than this. And they came to me cleaned up. I am sure if God had spoken to them about this or this, they would have cleaned it up, because they wouldn't have cleaned up this other one if they hadn't been obedient. We must let God be God, and every man a liar, God knows. You see, it is when we hear His voice today. We must let God be speaker to other people, and speaker to us. We are good at trying to be a helpmate for the Lord, but He knows best. Well, that day we hear His voice is the day to hear or to obey. To hear means to obey. And when we don't, our hearts grow harder and harder. So verse 15 warns the believer to not harden his heart as in the rebellion. There may be a lady listening to me right now. Last Sunday, after the message, she said, all those things you describe, bitter envying, self-seeking, all this, I've got it all. I've got it all. Is there any hope for a hard heart? May I ask you? Is there? You see, that day we hear his voice is the day to obey, and when we don't, our hearts grow harder. So verse 15 warns the believer to not harden his heart as in the rebellion. The word used here has the idea of to provoke, to provoke. That's what Israel did to God. They provoked him to anger. The internet gave this definition of to provoke. Stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one in someone. Stimulate or incite someone to do or feel something, especially by arousing anger in them. Last, deliberately make someone annoyed or angry, to provoke, to anger. Now we might say, well, I would never deliberately do that to God. When we disobey, that's what we do. We provoke him. Could I ask, do we do that? The second reason given for the exhortation of the previous verses is found in verses 16-19 like this. Verse 16, Indeed, was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? We come now to a rather difficult verse. The way the verse is written, it says that all who came out of Egypt rebelled against Moses. And that raises this question. Did all of those who came out of Egypt, all of those in those 40 years, did they all rebel? There's a New Testament verse that would seem to contradict this reading. It is 1 Corinthians 10.5. Here Paul speaks about the very same time, and here's what he says. Paul says that God was not well-pleased with most of them. That indicates He was well-pleased with some of them. According to this passage, it was the majority of those who came out of Egypt that rebelled against Moses. The translation, then, of our verse is important. I won't give the various translations and just give you the one I think is right. It comes from Young's literal translation. By the way, if you're doing any of this kind of work, Young's literal translation, Darby's translation are always worth consulting. This translation was done in 1862, 160 years ago, and I'll read verses 16 and 17 according to this translation. For certain, having heard did provoke, but not all who did come out of Egypt through Moses. But with whom was he grieved 40 years? Was it not with those who did sin, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? Now this harmonizes with the other verse I read for you. And the certain ones mentioned made up the majority of those who came out of Egypt. Joshua and Caleb were among those, and they were faithful followers with the Lord and entered the land. The New King James Version says, for who? Young says, for certain, certain ones. The word is tis. It occurs 448 times in the New Testament, and the King James Version translates this word certain, meaning certain ones, 104 times, and some, 103 times. It never translates this as who. Now, I'm not a King James only man, but I think the translation here has ground. Verse 17 of Hebrew 3 bears witness with the understanding that it means certain ones or some. It says, Now with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned whose corpses fell in the wilderness? This verse doesn't indicate that it was with all of those who came out of Egypt. It was with those who sinned. To say that all those who came out of Egypt rebelled does not do justice to the doctrine. There is a doctrine called the doctrine of the remnant. Who has heard of it? It's a very consistent doctrine throughout the scripture. There has always been a remnant. There is a remnant today. If you would take all of mankind today, there's a very small part. Make up the remnant. They're saved. And so if all of those who came out were lost, we would not have had a remnant anymore. Here's what we can learn from this. When the majority go wrong, The minority that do not go wrong suffer with the majority. That's how it works. Verse 18 of our text, and to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest but to those who did not, what? Obey. Unbelief and disobedience. Faith and obedience. So to whom did God swear that they would not enter his rest? To that first generation who came out of Egypt. However, the next generation did enter that rest. Now this rest is a very difficult subject. I'm going to give you some of it this morning. We've got much more of it to come in chapter four, if you would read the chapter. You know what? Do not sit there and just swallow what I say. I'm going against a huge, I don't know of anybody who stands with me fully. Now there's some that hint at it. I don't know of anybody who stands with me in this. But in studying all of this, I can't quite go along with what I used to think of this thing. So you study it. You can all study. You've got the abilities. So we'll be studying this rest more later. But it caused me many, many hours of research. And I want you to not accept what I say without thinking critically about it. I will just say, I am giving you my view, and be careful to take it as that. But I want you to notice that here, for the first time, it is called, you have to look at the verse and maybe circle the words, His rest. His rest. This is God's rest. It's his rest he's talking about. And the believer can enter God's rest. The question is, can we enter it now? Or do we enter it when we die or when the Lord comes? When do we enter this rest? This study is for you. So we must ask, just what is God's rest? Tell me, where does God first speak of His rest? Genesis 2, I think, but you're correct. At creation, after creation, God rested. When God was finished with creation, which was the first six days, He entered His rest. Listen to Genesis 2, 1 through 3. Thus the heavens and the earth and all the host of them were finished. And on the seventh day, God ended His work, which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work, which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made." As I see it, there is God's rest. And how do we enter rest? How many of you would like rest from some things? Anybody here? All throughout history, Israel has waited for what? What? The Messiah, and he would bring? Peace, okay, he would bring the kingdom. He would bring the kingdom. They're still waiting, by the way. This kingdom we know as the what? See, I'm gonna end up going over time again. You guys are so slow, I'm gonna go over time. What's the answer? The millennial kingdom, yes, yes. I think it may well be that this rest that the believer can enter is the rest of the seventh cycle of 1,000 years. Do you know how close we are to that? The Jews have always expected that kingdom to come at any time, but millions of true Christians have died. Here's what I propose. When anyone dies, a true believer They enter a rest, not the rest. A rest from their labors here on earth, but they do not enter God's rest until the millennium comes. Now, don't throw me out yet. You have to listen into the next chapter. But at that time, they are resurrected, and then they enter God's rest. And this is what the Jews have always been waiting for and wait for to this very day. So, I take it that those who are true believers, who die before the millennium, enter their rest at that time, but they do not enter They have not been resurrected, nor are they on earth. And when that happens, they will enter that rest. They will be resurrected at the end of the tribulation. They will enter that final time that is called the rest of God. If these Hebrews would fall away from Christ, they will never enter this rest. Twice in chapter 4, this rest is spoken of as His rest, God's rest. That means God's rest. It's His. We will come to those passages and look at them in later messages. Now, anyone who enters the rest experienced after death has ceased from his labors. All those who enter the millennium enter God's rest. Now, I have read numerous writers who think this means the true believer can enter God's rest here and now in this lifetime. The idea is that the true believer who has learned to live by faith and has ceased from his own works trying to earn salvation, he has entered God's rest. We'll talk more about that in a later message. I used to think that, but I'm not sure one can make that work systematically, so I'll be very happy for any help from anyone here. Turn to Revelation chapter 6 to see this rest. This is man's rest, the one that we enter when we die. Revelation chapter 6, we're in the tribulation time. These people are being martyred during the tribulation. And verse 9 says, when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. The people referred to here are those who died during the tribulation time. They enter where all enter heaven. I believe the judgment seat of Christ happens right here when they enter. It is after this that they are given white robes, and we read on in verse 10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Well, you know what? They have just killed them. That's why they're in heaven. Then a white robe was given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest, rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. So they are told to rest for a little while. Why a little while? This happens during the tribulation, likely the second half, where the persecution is the greatest. At the most, three and a half years, they'll be there, and they'll be in the millennium. It's a little while. Revelation 14.12, turn to it, speaks of that second half of the tribulation. And it says this, oh, I think it's maybe 14.13. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, write, blessed are the dead who die on the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them. Why are those who die from here on blessed? Well, to be alive is a horrible, horrible thing. Because this is the most horrendous time of persecution for believers that will ever happen on earth. And as soon as they die, they rest from their labors. They have ceased from their works as God did from his. In a short while, they will be resurrected and enter God's rest, the millennium. So verse 18 of Hebrew 3 said, and to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest but to those who did not obey? Unbelieving Israel provoked God to anger. They stimulated God's anger. They incited him. They saw miracle after miracle. And yet when a new trial came, there they were, harking back to Egypt, forgotten how bad it was. They saw the ten plagues in Egypt. They saw the waters open before them at the Red Sea. They saw those same waters fall back over the Egyptian army. They saw the bitter waters made sweet. Every day they received manna from God. They saw God give them meat when they had cried to Him. They saw Israel win in war as long as Moses' hands were up. They saw God bring water out of a rock. And then at Mount Sinai, they worshiped a golden calf. They provoked God. And God said, you're not going in. He had to wait 40 years till all of those died off before they could enter the land. Now, all of this great deliverance out of Egypt and into Canaan is a picture of salvation. It pictures death, burial, and resurrection when they came out of the Red Sea. I suggested in the previous message that I see Canaan as a picture of the millennium. I think it cannot picture heaven. in that there is still sin in the millennium and there was still sin in Canaan when they entered. It is suggested by many that it also pictures the believer entering his rest of faith. There are some more references in Chapter 4 to the rest that is spoken of here, and some of them cause me to doubt this last view, one which I have held up to this point without really studying it a great deal. It is the most difficult question. That's why, you know, over Christmas, you're going to have lots of time to study, won't you? Five times in this passage, we have the word today. Today. Today, if you hear His voice, in all the time from creation until the end of the millennium, there is a day called today. We are in that day. Now, we might apply this word today to unbelievers, meaning that today is the day of salvation, and that would not be wrong, but that is not what this is talking about. It's talking to a backsliding people today, if you hear his voice. Coming out of Egypt pictures initial salvation or justification, and now they were in the wilderness and they're on the way to Canaan. How many times, let me ask you, how many times does this life seem like a wilderness to you? How many times are we at the end of ourselves and we do not know how to go forward? The older you get, the more it may happen. I marvel again and again at what pleases God. He has chosen that the just shall live by faith. We read a psalm a while ago that said, his way is in the sea. before us stretches out the trackless sea, and we must make our own path by faith. Which way should we go? And here's the way. Move forward by faith. When Israel stood before the Red Sea, Egypt was catching up behind them. Before them was the sea. They couldn't go to the left. They couldn't go to the right. And Pharaoh was behind. And where should they go? And God said, that way. The sea. In Exodus 13, 15, God said to Moses, why do you cry anymore to me? They're standing before the sea. Oh, well, where am I going to go? Why are you crying anymore to me? Go forward. But how will we go forward? A million people and the sea. And when they got to the water, Moses stretched out his hand and the sea opened up and they crossed over on dry land. They had to commit to the impossible. The generation that came out of Egypt has died off. God had said that they would not enter his rest, and as they stood before the Red Sea 40 years ago, in Joshua 3, they once more stand before a water, and this time it's a flooded river. It's swollen to the banks. They are ready to cross, and it's flooding. How do you take a million people over a river that's flooding its banks this time of year? Well, they had to cross over by faith. They had to, God waited with opening the water. Anybody know how long he waited? How long did he wait? After the priest's feet were wet. What's that? After the priest's feet were wet. After they put their feet in the water. How do you do that? By faith. Well, they had to cross over by faith. They had to put their feet in the water by faith. And then the river opened up. And when you consider it, faith is one of the central subjects of the entire Bible. I have come to this conclusion. All of salvation is by faith. Justification is by faith. Sanctification is by faith. Election is by faith. Predestination is by faith. I am convinced of it. Romans 9, one of the key chapters for Calvinism, has one thread that runs right throughout the chapter. You might want to turn to it. It is this. What runs throughout the whole chapter is faith. Israel failed not because they were not elect, they failed because they failed to believe. When you read Romans 9, it is easy to come to the conclusion that God chose some and rejected the most and there's nothing you can do about it. But check it through. It all has to do with faith. For example, look at verse 16. So then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. It has nothing to do with you. God might do it and he might not. You're in tough shape if he didn't choose you. But what is the answer to such verses? Salvation is not by works. It is not of him who wills nor of him who runs. It is of God who shows mercy. And to whom does he show mercy? Tell me. To those who love him. To those who keep his commandments. The Bible is so plain about that. Now, just turn to verses 30-33. That's what I want to get at here. Verse 30, what shall we say then? Here's the conclusion to the whole chapter of Romans 9. Here's the conclusion, that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of, there's our key word. Why did God turn from the Jews to the Gentiles? Because the Jews failed to exercise faith. But the Gentiles did, verse 31. But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Israel did not attain to the law of righteousness. Why not? Why not? Verse 32, why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law, for they stumbled at that stumbling stone. You can find that all throughout the New Testament, they stumbled. Why? Verse 33, as it is written, behold, I lay in Zion as stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whoever believes on him will not be put to shame. They stumbled over Jesus Christ, Why? They failed to believe in him. Faith is what the whole chapter emphasizes. And why could the first generation out of Egypt not enter Canaan? Verse 19 of Hebrew 3 says, so we see they could not enter in because of, what was it? Unbelief. I have wondered what most preachers would say to this statement. Listen to me carefully. Before one can get saved, one must please God. Tell me, what would you think of that? You see, the Jews sought to please God by their own doings, or as we call it, works. But when we try to accomplish anything with God by doing works, we despise Him. Why could that first generation not enter Canaan? Because they did not please God. So verse 19 says they could not enter in because of unbelief. Listen now to Hebrews 11.6. Listen carefully, the faith chapter of the Bible. But without faith, you tell me, It is not possible to please Him. When we exercise faith, we please Him. He is pleased, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Unless we learn to put our feet in the water, we cannot please God. There are three kinds of works. I'm going to leave this out. You see, you know what? The last two messages, I've cut off 500 words. Because you're so slow at answering my questions, I'm going over them. Sorry. So I'll have to go to the conclusion. There are three kinds of works. You just know what they are. You can find them in the Bible. Good works, number two. Bad works, and? Dad works, yes. Maybe I'll put it in the next message. I'm going to conclude. We have only become permanent partakers of Christ when we have persevered to the end. Why should we beware lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God? Because we have become partakers of Christ. We are part of him. How horrible then to depart from the one who saved us. How horrible to have been as filthy as a sow in the mud, then washed, and then back into the muck. It's what Peter says. We are then exhorted to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. If we hear his voice speaking to our heart, that is the day we are to obey his voice. That first generation in the Old Testament heard his voice and refused to obey, and thus they rather provoke God. Poked and poked and poked until he said, you're not entering in. God was angry with them. It is a side of God. We see him as the God of love. God gets angry, read the Bible. And that is the same fate that awaits the believer who turns away from God. The end result is that they will not enter God's rest, and we'll see more of that in chapter four.