For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Hebrews 4:2
Someone has estimated that as many as a million Israelites died in the wilderness as they were making their way from Egypt to the promised land. That is an incredibly large number of funerals for Joshua, Caleb, and the other faithful Israelites to have attended before the crossing of the Jordan. We know why they died. After being led to the border of the promised land, the people heeded the evil report of the bad spies. Ignoring Joshua’s and Caleb’s good report, they turned their back on God’s promise, and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, until a new generation was ready to proceed. Like us, they heard the Gospel. It was presented differently from today’s Gospel, but it was still God’s requirement for them if they were to enter into His blessing. They heard God’s message. But they did not apply faith to what they heard. So their carcasses were disposed of in the sands of disappointment and failure. The same happens to those who fail today to mix faith in with their hearing of the Word of God.
We weren’t the only ones to hear the Gospel; in fact millions more have heard it than we often realize. Whether it is the 92 million who Googled John 3:16 after seeing it in Tim Tebow’s eye black, or the many who glance at a Gospel text along the highway or on a sign posted in a prominent place, the Gospel has been heard. Even the atheists look up Gospel texts as they invent ways to mock them. Millions hear Gospel messages every day over the radio or on the Internet. But how many of all of those people are ever saved? We don’t know, but the percentages are very small. Those who hear and believe are saved; those who hear and ignore or reject or postpone are forever lost. The difference is faith. Only by faith can we profit from the preaching of the Gospel.
But profiting from faith does not end when we first trust Christ and are saved. God has so much more for you and me than a fire escape from hell and a ladder to Heaven. He also has a daily salvation, in which we by faith obey His Word and trust Him to bless, preserve, and prosper us. It is good for us to read the Word of God; in fact, it is essential if we are to learn what God is like and what He wants us to be like. Obeying God’s Word is also good; in fact, it is essential if we are to be Christians with a clear conscience before the Lord. But the real profit comes when we not only read and obey the Word, but also fully trust God to use His Word to transform us into the image of Christ. A wise man once said that when a child of God looks into the Word of God and sees the Son of God, the Spirit of God transforms him into the image of God, to the glory of God.
The Word of God will profit us today, but only if we trust God to apply His Word to our souls. – Jim MacIntosh