Sword at the entrance
 

Eden's garden had a sword at the entrance.

Joshua was ready to enter Canaan, and saw an angel with a sword.

Heb 4 says we must enter the rest, and mix the word with faith, because the word is a sword we require at the entrance to CUT AWAY UNBELIEF so we enter.

Joshua's day saw the unbelief die off when a whole generation of doubters died. Then Israel could enter... past the sword. Circumcision had not been undertaken for the 40 years in the wilderness, so the knife cut and removed the flesh. Joshua was told by the angel that the angel was not FOR HIM or FOR his enemy. The angel was CAPTAIN. All of these factors are related. FLESH and PRIDE and UNBELIEF must go, so we trust God to lead. Then we can enter.

The sword at the entrance means self cannot save self. God's word must cut away the unbelief in our hearts that thinks we can somehow save ourselves, and realize instead that the WORK OF THE CRoSS SAVES. Self must be denied to believe the cross saves and not our piddly two cents' worth of good works. Unless we FULLY believe in the work of the cross, we aren't getting in. So, the word is there to cut out the unbelief by preaching faith in the blood to our hearts. And that lets us enter!

The book of Revelation has the same tree of life Eden had, but it's in a city built by the Last Adam, Christ. But before all of that, Christ stands in Rev 1 with a sword coming from his mouth. That's the WORD of Christ that cuts away unbelief so we can ENTER this New Jerusalem!

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

Doesn't satan also believe? What is the difference in belief and faith?

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

Belief and faith is believing for the work for the cross for salvation, denying ourselves the thought we can save ourselves, and fully without wavering accept the fact HIS work on the cross saves us. Satan''s state has no room for salvation. He's patently damned. Believing our good works cannot save us is apples and oranges to the state of the devil.

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

Hebrews 4 falls on the heels of Hebrews 3 where we read all of Israel did not enter Canaan. And 4 begins saying we can fall as well, and the problem is failure to mix the word with faith. So, when we then read we must labour to enter the rest, the labour is the mixing of the word with faith. And the reason we are given word to encourage us to labour this mixture of the word with faith is found to be the word of God. The word of God can be relied upon since it is more alive than any sword and cuts out the very unbelief that keeps us out of the rest.

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

but you have just conflated the two, when we are told that satan also believes. I'm not trying to disagree with you here, but i have noted that belief and faith are the same thing to you, when "satan also believes" tells us that there is a difference on some level. What is that difference?

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

I already said satan has no relation to this issue, since the faith in the work of the cross to save by eradicating our good works, through eradication of self-righteousness that produces good works, cannot apply to the devil.

Faith and believing are the same scripturally. You are not trying to outright disagree, but are just trying to circumvent the cross for our righteousness. You stumble at the cross. I know it's foolishness to the greek, and far from the sign the Jews require. But it's the power of GOD, not of us, unto salvation.

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

The context in which Heb 4 notes the sword being the word is with the high priest to whom we go in times of need. Christ is high priest and takes LIVING SACRIFICES, who denied themselves to the ultimate by realizing they cannot save themselves by works, and cuts into the heart. The faith in the word is what lets Christ cut into our hearts. ANd the more we believe that word, the more unbelief is cut out. And this makes us truly dead to self and sin and alive unto God in very behaviour. All this concept is lost without a proper placement of the cross.

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

well, i'm not sure what you mean by "faith" here, and i suspect you mean "belief." If you really have faith that the above is true, about the Word, then why discount all of those uncomfortable action phrases that i keep repeating? Iow why are They in There?

Nice op btw, not meaning to discount that. But i would like to see you more reconciled with "become like little children."

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

I discount none of the scriptures you quoted. But you do not believe me when I say that. LIke I said, all the fruit references are truth. I have never denied them. But you cannot accept it when I say none of that is possible without FIRST realizing the righteousness granted to us by the work of the cross, and our faith in that as our means of righteousness, must be in place. It's like my words disappear when you read them whenever I say the work of the cross GIVES us righteousness before we commit righteous deeds, which is what John meant. He said you know who is already made righteous by the ones who commit righteous deeds. So while I deny nothing the bible says or anything from the bible you quote, you deny every reference I make to the bible's words about the cross being the CAUSE of our righteousness.

And we become like little children by SIMPLE FAITH! In the cross -- thereby impressing no one, least of all ourselves, and easily accepting what He said without doubting! Let go of works unto righteousness and try it! It is harder to make yourself righteous than to let go and let Him make us so!

Re: Sword at the entrance
 

This is a good example of how the sword is at the entrance. Self and it's good works cannot get past. The sword must cut out the unbelief in the cross that makes us think we can somehow earn our way in there. Fruit is AFTER the horse pulls the cart, after we believe the work of God to make us righteous as a gift. And once we have that righteousness, THEN we will work. And then and then only can the entrance be ours to use. Until then, though, the sword lets us know our unbelief is not getting in. That way the fruit grows but salvation by works goes.