Rest in Christ
"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. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard it did not combine it with faith (Hebrews 4:1-2)."
This rest God promises His own is knowing that because of the finished work of Christ, we don't need to prove ourselves to anyone or try to do good works to gain God's approval. We simply rest in the fact that Jesus has done it all for us at the cross. It is believing by faith that He took all of our sin and our shame and nailed it to the cross. By His blood, and His blood alone, we are free. God loves us the same regardless of what we "do." I feel somewhere in each of our minds, we tend to think that if we are helping others, reading His word, praying or doing "godly" things, that God loves us more, but that is not true. Yes we can grieve the Holy Spirit by sinning and being disobedient, but that does not change God's love for us. satan would love nothing more than for us to stay busy doing things that we neglect our relationship with our Father or we start believing the lie that our salvation is based on works. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)."
When we realize deep in our hearts that there is no way we could ever earn our own salvation and depend solely on Jesus, we stop striving and we stop worrying about what others think. We rest in the fact that God is sovereign or in other words, in complete control, and He will guide, protect and comfort us all the days of our lives. With this rest from God comes peace, not as the world gives, but where we know beyond any doubt, that everything that happens to us must first pass through our Father's loving hands. And because His plans for us are always good and loving, we need not fear. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)."
Since before the beginning of time, God had a plan to restore us to Him. The God of all creation desired a relationship with each one of us. The only way for that to happen is to have a perfect, spotless, sinless sacrifice take our place. That sacrifice was the Lord Jesus. We could never do enough or be good enough to be righteous before a Holy God. There is no one that does not sin (1 Kings 8:46).
All of our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). So then, God made a way where there was otherwise no way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6)." Jesus did not say I am a way, no He said I am the way. Any religion that teaches something different is a lie. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a different gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:6-10)."
Hold fast to Jesus and cling to the truth. The world will try to persuade you to believe things that are contrary to the gospel of Christ. satan will try to deceive you into thinking lies like: you can do it on your own, you really are a good person, there are many ways to heaven or there isn't a hell just to name a few. Keep your armor on. Any thought that does not line up with the word of God needs to be cast down. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)."
Stand on the Word my friend and don't rely on man to teach you, but the Holy Spirit, who will guide you and give you revelation. Do not entertain thoughts that are contrary to His word. Know who you are in Christ and rest in His unfailing love. He is your rock and your fortress and He will never leave you. "Find rest O My soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:5-8)."
This rest God promises His own is knowing that because of the finished work of Christ, we don't need to prove ourselves to anyone or try to do good works to gain God's approval. We simply rest in the fact that Jesus has done it all for us at the cross. It is believing by faith that He took all of our sin and our shame and nailed it to the cross. By His blood, and His blood alone, we are free. God loves us the same regardless of what we "do." I feel somewhere in each of our minds, we tend to think that if we are helping others, reading His word, praying or doing "godly" things, that God loves us more, but that is not true. Yes we can grieve the Holy Spirit by sinning and being disobedient, but that does not change God's love for us. satan would love nothing more than for us to stay busy doing things that we neglect our relationship with our Father or we start believing the lie that our salvation is based on works. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)."
When we realize deep in our hearts that there is no way we could ever earn our own salvation and depend solely on Jesus, we stop striving and we stop worrying about what others think. We rest in the fact that God is sovereign or in other words, in complete control, and He will guide, protect and comfort us all the days of our lives. With this rest from God comes peace, not as the world gives, but where we know beyond any doubt, that everything that happens to us must first pass through our Father's loving hands. And because His plans for us are always good and loving, we need not fear. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)."
Since before the beginning of time, God had a plan to restore us to Him. The God of all creation desired a relationship with each one of us. The only way for that to happen is to have a perfect, spotless, sinless sacrifice take our place. That sacrifice was the Lord Jesus. We could never do enough or be good enough to be righteous before a Holy God. There is no one that does not sin (1 Kings 8:46).
All of our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). So then, God made a way where there was otherwise no way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6)." Jesus did not say I am a way, no He said I am the way. Any religion that teaches something different is a lie. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a different gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:6-10)."
Hold fast to Jesus and cling to the truth. The world will try to persuade you to believe things that are contrary to the gospel of Christ. satan will try to deceive you into thinking lies like: you can do it on your own, you really are a good person, there are many ways to heaven or there isn't a hell just to name a few. Keep your armor on. Any thought that does not line up with the word of God needs to be cast down. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)."
Stand on the Word my friend and don't rely on man to teach you, but the Holy Spirit, who will guide you and give you revelation. Do not entertain thoughts that are contrary to His word. Know who you are in Christ and rest in His unfailing love. He is your rock and your fortress and He will never leave you. "Find rest O My soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:5-8)."
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