REST-OUT-OF-WORK
TODAY
Hebrews
4:3
“Now
we who have believed entered that rest, just as God has said, ‘So I declare on
oath in My anger, They never enter My rest.’
And yet His work has been finished since the creation of the world.”
Believers long for rest.
Good news: We can rest out of
work TODAY. This is centered on faith in God. Apostle Paul writes, “For we also have heard
the gospel preached to us, just as they [Israelites] did; but the message they
heard was of no use to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”
(Hebrews 4:2 emphasis added).
Paul charges
believers in Hebrews 4:1: “Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest
still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short
of it.”
It’s all about faith. It’s all about belief.
Spiritual and eternal rest will ultimately be fulfilled in
the new creation of a new heaven and a new earth. (See lesson, linked below). Just as Israelite’s promised physical rest to
enter Canaan, salvation-rest is a promise ONLY achieved by faith.
God’s rest is a reality to believers of Christ. The rest God calls us to enter is not our
rest—but HIS rest—which we’re invited to share.
For rest, like salvation, is attained through faith in Christ, not
through works.
When we die to self, Jesus can live through us. Then we bear fruit for the kingdom of
God. Not by human effort. We rest in the finished work of Christ. We don’t worry. W never freak out. We’re cool, calm and collected.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor,
for their deeds will follow them.”
(Revelation 14:13).
Believer’s salvation-rest by faith contrasts the
Israelites’ bad example of disbelief.
They never made it to their physical rest in Canaan!
What about the many people struggling to get back on
their feet today? They see no end to
their struggles. No rest. They need a miracle.
Take
Home Nugget
God can turn
situations around for our good through prayer.
Work-out-of-rest means to prepare well, then trust Him. We trust that God’s working our miracle
behind the scenes. That’s rest for
believers.
Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “There remains therefore a
Sabbath-rest for the people of God; who enters God’s rest also rests from his
own work, just as God did from His. Let
us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall
by following their example of disbelief.”
Holy Father, strengthen my belief so I
can enter your rest-out-of-work today, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Happy
Labor Day to U.S.A. on September first.
J.D.
Griffith
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