Continuing our series on ‘Understanding the Life of Faith and Grace’, today we explore how these two foundational Kingdom principles empower us to enter the rest of God, where we are fully assured of His provision and rely on His completed works. From the beginning, God demonstrated His grace by preparing everything for mankind before creating him, anticipating all our needs, and blessing us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Our response to what God has provided by grace must be to trust and rest in His provision. Hebrews 4:2 emphasizes that entering God’s rest requires a delicate balance of grace and faith, saying, ‘For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.’ The key to entering Gods’ rest lies in believing and acting upon His Word, mixing it with faith.
Hebrews 4 emphasizes the promise of entering God’s rest, saying, ’since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it … For we who have believed do enter that rest’ (vs.1-3a). This concept of rest originated in Genesis, where God rested after completing and perfecting His creation: ‘… on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done … in it He rested from all His work which He had created and made’ (Genesis 2:2-3). This principle of resting in God’s completed works was later given to Israel as they journeyed in the wilderness; it was meant to liberate them from the toil of Egyptian slavery and teach them to rely solely on God’s provision. Yet, despite God’s desire for them to enter into His rest, many fell short, as King David recounted in Psalms 95: Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness… So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’ ” (vs.7-11). This serves as a reminder that ’though the works were finished from the foundation of the world’ (Hebrews 4:3b), it is still possible to miss entering into that rest. Therefore, the Bible urges not to harden our hearts (Hebrews 4:7), but to accept the truth of what Jesus has done for us.
Hebrews 4:9 tells us that ‘there remains therefore a rest for the people of God’, which signifies ceasing from our works, trusting that God has done it all for us, and embracing all He has made available for us in Christ Jesus. The key to entering this rest is found in Hebrews 4:12, which shows us that the Word of God is essential for understanding and living in the rest He provides. The Word of God carries both the promises of God that ensure our victory and the power to transform and make us what it talks about. You cannot change yourself, it is the Word that will work in you over time into the expression of the Christ we all desire. Apostle James also reminds us that God gives grace to the humble, those who accept His Word and what Christ has done (James 4:6). True humility is trusting God’s promises over our own reasoning, knowing that His promises are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). This knowledge, found in humbly accepting the truth of the Word, then changes the way we pray and commune with God. We cease from being begging outcasts, but we take our position of authority as sons and co-heirs, who know that all things have been given to us, and that ours is to resist the enemy whenever we face resistance, and he will surely flee. Therefore, let us endeavor to enter His rest, continuing steadfastly in His Word, becoming fully convinced of His promises, and steadfast in our faith to lay hold of His abundant grace.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your abundant grace and the rest You have provided through Christ. Help us to trust fully in Your promises and remain steadfast in our faith so we can walk in the fullness of Your provision. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
