Hebrews 4:9-11
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
In the last episode, we talked about the Church being a place of rest. This is somewhat figuratively speaking, because what the Church is, or indeed should be, is a gathering of “rested” persons. Coming into the rest is the qualification of becoming Church with us.
How do you mean Pastor?
Yes, the Church is the Body of Christ. You don’t belong except you first come to Christ. And when you do: “rest is in the bargain”. Being in Christ Jesus and not living in the “rest of God” is akin to a woman who is legally married to a wealthy man but still goes about in rags and doing menial jobs. And all this by choice.
Jesus pledges rest as part of the bargain when you come to him.
Mathew 11:28-30 MSG
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
This rest doesn’t mean ‘no-work’. NO. It means a new life “in Him” – Christ Jesus.
You don’t enter into it by getting busy finding one religious activity or the other to do. Or running from one mountain or the other to pray. You don’t even enter it by reading the Bible ‘cover-to-cover’ every year. No.
You get this life by quieting down inside, esteeming Christ Jesus and the grace He purchased for you, and entering into Him to find life.
John 5:39-40 ERV
“You carefully study the Scriptures. You think that they give you eternal life. These same Scriptures tell about me! But you refuse to come to me to have that life”.
Friends, there is rest for a weary soul when we fix our gaze upon Him. To see his glory, and see ours too.
Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
-Dr Nich Mbaezue-Daniel