The Apostle Paul uses the expression “Our holy brethren?” in verse one of Hebrews 3.  There is only one kind of brethren relative to the Christian walk–the holy kind.  A professing Christian is either holy or unholy–a contender or a pretender.  True brethren serve one God–Jehovah.  The Word “one” is paramount in God’s spiritual world (Eph. 4:4,5).  Jesus said that His brethren were those who obeyed His Father (Mat. 12:46-59).  In God’s view it is all or nothing.  So much for so-called sinners saved by grace.  In this instance, Paul’s use of the word “our” referred to true believers–true God lovers who love the Lord and prove it by obeying His Ten Commandment Law (Jn. 14:15,23; 15:10/ Mat. 19:17).

True believers have received THE (only) heavenly calling.  So much for two church systems and hundreds of denominations (religious cults).  Paul then names the man Jesus as THE example of THE calling–the “walk” commanded by God (1 Jn. 2:6).  There is only one calling–one plan for the believer’s life.  We are told that “God has a plan for your life.”  As 1 John 2:6 tells us, His ONE plan is for us to obey Him as did Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus is the true believer’s PROFESSION.  We are to PROFESS Him through our words, deeds and thoughts.  To profess God as our Father and Jesus as our BROTHER, we must rid our lives of sin.  Sin professes Satan, the father of sin.  Sinners saved by grace PROFESS that sin is a normal part of the “Christian walk.”    And Satan smiles, knowing that the church is walking in Adam’s spiritual footsteps.  To profess Jesus as our Savior and not to honor Him as our Lord/Master is religious nonsense.  Unless He is our Lord (absolute ruler) in this life, He will not be our Savior in the next life.  Does this sound familiar?  Probably not.  During 81 years of church experience I never heard or read such a statement.  The key word for the past 1800 or more years is “repent.”  The only time the word “obey” was uttered was I was told that, because of Adam’s sin transfer miracle, it was impossible.

In verses 2-5 Paul compares Jesus to Moses, both of whom He lauds and praises.

In verses 6-12 Paul tells us that Jesus is the LORD (governor/master/absolute ruler) over God’s true church–a tiny group within the church masses.  The 2.5 billion churchites who profess to be Christians are those whom God refers to as “My people, who are called by My name” (2 Chron. 7:14).  Note in that verse that God said IF His people who are called by His name will humble themselves, pray, seek His face and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS He would hear and answer their prayers for national healing–He would stop cursing them (vs 13).

This also applies to the individual.  As Jesus said in Mat. 22:14, all of God’s people are called to obey Him, but few answer the call.  Note that, though He calls them “My people,” He also calls them “wicked.”  They call themselves by His name while continuing to sin, carry Bibles, wear crosses, preach, build church empires, etc.  One ordained minister said about herself, “This old sinner saved by grace is going to ….”  The idea of turning from her wicked ways never entered her mind.  But then, why should she?  After all, she’s saved, sanctified, sealed, born again and rapture-ready.  These are the lies she was taught and the lies she teaches.  In Hebrews 7 and 14 Paul said that IF the Hebrew Christians would hear God’s voice and exhibit the holiness of Christ until the end they would enter into His rest (receive salvation–Mat. 10:22).

In verses 15-19 the apostle warns the people not to be like their ancestors whom Christ (the Rock) brought out of Egyptian slavery (1 Cor. 10:4).  Paul warned them in verse 15 that refusing to hear God’s “voice” (Word spoken through His ministers) and embrace His Words (obey them) would provoke Him as had their ancestors (vs 16,17) when they grieved Him, causing Him to punish them for 40 years while that generation (20 years old and above) died in the Sinai Desert.  Why?  Sin–disobedience to His Law (1 Jn. 3:4).  He swore that they would not enter into the Promised Land because they did not BELIEVE His Word.  Bear in mind, that was is the land God promised Abraham’s descendants because of his obedience.  It is said of Abraham that he “believed the Lord and it was accounted to him as righteousness.”  However, for the righteous label to be put on him he had to obey what he believed.  What if he had not sacrificed Isaac?  What if he had not left his native country and traveled to the Promised Land?  What if he had not circumcised himself and his servants?  Would he be known today as the father of the faithful?  I think not. Spiritual “works” are required for faith to have its designed effects.

To prove this point God had the Apostle James write that in order for one’s faith to have any effect on his spiritual life one must obey that in which one has faith–God’s Word.  Faith is simply taking God at His Word (Rom. 10:19).  James tells us repeatedly that faith without WORKS (obedience to God’s Word) is dead faith (2:10,14,17,18,20,24,26).  Faith, he tells us, cannot save the soul.  Faith saves only if it is “professed” (vs 1) through obedience.  Church doctrine refutes this Scriptural Truth.  Church consensus holds that, salvation having already been bestowed upon the church member, the level of his/her heavenly blessings will be determined by how faithfully he/she repents of his/her inevitable sins.  We are told that, thanks to Adam, sin is as much a part of the Christian walk as smiling.  I have determined that smiling has replaced obedience within “the church.”  Four times I have been chastised by total strangers for not grinning.  Nowhere in the Holy Bible does it say that Jesus smiled or told anyone else to smile.

Note that in verse 12 Paul calls the Hebrew Christians his spiritual “brethren.”  Jesus identified His brethren as “… whosoever does the will of My Father in heaven ….” (Mat. 12:46-50).  God’s Word is His will in print.  To doubt God’s word is to “depart from the living God” and prove that one “despises” both Him and His Son (Lk. 10:16).  In verses 18 and 19 Paul wrote that those who did not believe (and obey) would not enter into His “rest” (the millennial reign of God on earth following Christ’s return).  Read The Three Resurrections and Life After Death: What? When? Where?  Key words–Three and Death respectively.  L.J.