Hebrews 3:3-6 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honor than the house.… I. First of all, THE HOUSE? WHAT HOUSE IS THIS? "Whose house are we." It is a house composed of all true believers. It is a spiritual edifice. Only look at the contrast; the house of bondage and the house of light and liberty; the former under Moses as a servant, and yet a master — the latter under Jesus the Son, and He also the Master. Oh I what a precious truth it is, that the believer passes from the one to the other. II. Now, let us CONSIDER THE PROOF THE TEXT GIVES TO US WHEREBY A MAN MAY KNOW WHETHER HE REALLY BELONGS TO THIS HOUSEHOLD. It does not say, "If you hold fast your confidence and the rejoicing of the hope," you shall belong to this house; but it says, "Whose house we are" if we do so and so. That is the proof of my being a member of that house. Observe here the contrast is not between belonging to the house of Christ and no house. Observe, it is not between having religion and no religion. It does not say, "If you have confidence, and if you have hope, you prove that you are religious, as contrasted with those who have no religion"; but you prove that you belong to the house of Christ, as contrasted with the house of Moses. That shows us that whatever a man may say about his religion, yet if he has not confidence, he has gone back to the Mosaic dispensation. Now I do say to you, this house of Christ, as contrasted with the house of Moses, is a glorious house. It has no parallel in the universe. There is nothing like the household of God, belonging to Christ; even angelic intelligences, though a part of that household, are eventually not to be compared to the members of Christ's household. The believer is brought into such a union with God's own Son, as communicates to him a blessedness unknown to any other creature. Even now, look at the wonderful privileges to which believers are called — fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and Community of nature with Christ; Christ having humanity, we having the Divine nature! Only conceive what is held out to us — the glorious promise that we shall behold the glory that He had with the Father before the world was! The apostle says, "whose house are we, if we hold this fast"; if this is manifest in our feelings and deportment. We must get that kind of confidence that neither hell nor earth can shake, and that is to be got by implicit trust in the promises of the Lord. So again the expectation: you are to hold fast the confidence "and the rejoicing of the hope." What hope? That He will come again; "the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ"; that is the hope. There is a rejoicing of common expectation; but the expectation of the Christian must be definite. Let me give you two or three important practical rules for retaining this confidence and hope. 1. First of all, thoroughly understand the relationship into which you enter when you enter the house of Christ. Understand thoroughly your relation to God the Father. It is in proportion as you see that, together with your relationship to the Son and Holy Ghost, that you feel confidence that you shall hold fast. Feel this: if God be my Farther, will He give me a stone if I ask Him for bread? Certainly not. Then how much more will He not give me His own Spirit if Christ be my own Saviour? Will He withhold the robe of righteousness in which I may stand before Him? Certainly not, if Christ died that I might have it. If the Holy Ghost be an indweller of my soul, will He quit me? Certainly not. 2. Then another thing bear in mind that you should hold fast; that this work is the work of the Holy Ghost, through whatever instrumentality the Holy Ghost may operate on you. Learn, therefore, to exercise an unqualified dependence on the Holy Ghost. While you are using every possible means, learn to be always dependent on the Holy Ghost, as completely as though you did nothing, at the same time remembering that the Holy Ghost does work by means. 3. Another thing: remember that the path of duty is the path in which all these things are met with and enjoyed. (C. Molyneux, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. |
    |