Chapter 5 - Are You In The Mix?
Now let’s look at Hebrews 4:1-2:
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
So they did hear it, but even though they did her it, it never became faith. They heard, and you can believe what you have heard – past tense – but they did not mix faith with it!
For instance, you can go to the store and buy instant cake mix – instant means immediate cake. You can go and get instant cake mix, but you also know you cannot take that cake mix home, open the package, put it down your throat, and have cake. It will not look or taste like cake. In this case you understand that “instant” does not mean that it is cake in the form in which you bought it. You understand that it will not be cake until you take it home and mix it with other ingredients. The store does not give you those ingredient when you buy the cake the store expects that if you really want to eat this cake. You will add the necessary ingredients to what you have in order for you to make it.
Charles Spurgeon use to say, that all Gods promises are pre-signed checks, all I have to do is fill then out, and cash in. Likewise, the promises of God are instant; they are already done! God has said, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God…” (2 Corinthians 1:20). They are instant. However, in order to eat of the good of the land, you have to take the Word home and mix it! No one can mix it for you. You have to mix it. God is not going to mix it.
Many have thought that faith comes with the Word. No, it does not! If faith came with the Word heard, then they would have had faith when they heard the Word. We have red in the Bible, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they herd did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who herd it.”(Hebrews 4:2). So, if the Word alone brought faith, they would not have had to mix it.
They hear the Good News just like you and I are weekly hearing Good News. But the Word that they heard (past tense) did not profit them, because it was a Word that was heard, not a word that they were hearing, and only a hearing Word will profit you. A heard Word will not heal you, ony a hearing Word. A heard Word will not deliver you, only hearing Word. Hearing is present tense. Only a hearing Word will profit you. If I am believing God for something, my job is to take the Word heard and make it a Word I am hearing. The mixing bowl is your mouth, and the beater blade is your tongue. The question is, are you in the mix?
