Berlin Immanuel Church members held Wednesday service on September 7, continuing in the study of the book of Hebrews. Verses 7-11 in chapter 3 starting with a warning for believers not to harder their hearts as Israel did in the desert. Our lives are often as a desert, a wilderness of pain and suffering and the land of rest seem to be unreachable. The reason why part of the Israel wasn’t able to enter the rest is because of their disbelief (vs 19). It is disbelief that produces a heart that complaints and grumbles, a heart that hears but is hardened like in the parable of sower and doesn’t produce the fruit of faith. Two things are needed for salvation – God’s word and faith. God has already spoken perfect truth in Christ, but we must hear and accept in our hearts, knowledge is insufficient, a change in heart must take place.

Those who were born again in spirit and truth, those who are of house of God (vs 6) hold onto courage and hope till the end. This passages teaches us that perseverance and true faith are crucial for salvation. It is by faith we are justified and by faith that we live in this world, as Israel in the desert. And it is by faith we enter the glory. We can be like Judas who was one of the twelve, yet wasn’t clean (John 13). We can be like Nicodemus, religious and believing because of the benefits of faith, belonging to a group, but the only thing that saves is faith which is a matter of heart, a personal relationship with Christ. Berlin members pray to make their hearts meek and soft and not only hear God’s voice today but head to it and act out the truth in their lives daily.