Yeah, but . . .

Hebrew 4: 2

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

This can be a disturbing verse when you consider it. It says that although a group of people had the Word preached to them, it profited them not. It is even more disturbing when you consider from whom they would likely have heard the preached Word. This was the new church and they were hearing the Word fresh from the people that walked with Jesus. Maybe they even heard Jesus himself. The writer of Hebrews heard the same Word preached that this other group of people heard but it did him much good and them no good. So, what was the difference? The writer of Hebrews tells us that the Word did not profit this other group because they did not mix their faith with it. What’s this? We have an important role to play in how much the Word of God is going to affect our lives, how much it is going to profit us?

This is really important for us to understand. We should never put ourselves under condemnation because there is no condemnation in Christ, but in order for the Word to profit us we must first believe it. How many times do we read the Bible or hear it preached and yet do not really believe it? We often have a “Yeah, but” response. Yeah, but that is the Old Testament, yeah, but that was the apostles, yeah, but that passed away with the early church. We can come up with a lot of reasons not to believe the Word of God as it has been told to us by God. It can be hard, but we have to make a decision to actually believe what is written there. Then we must add our faith to it in order for it to profit us. I am sorry to say that it is not enough just to hear the Word of God. You actually have to do something with it. You have to believe that it is true, that it is for you and then you have to have faith that it is going to work for you. Make a conscious decision to start reading and hearing the Word as if it was God speaking to you alone and to you directly. Hear it as if it was the first time. Let God’s Word to you penetrate your innermost being and then add your faith to it. Believe it is going to work for you and it will.