The Promise of Rest
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone 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 disobedience” — Hebrews 4:9–11
“After creating the heavens and the earth, God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made” (Genesis 2:2). This means that God ceased from His effort, it was a rest of satisfaction. The principle of the Sabbath for God’s people was built on this premise as captured in (Exodus 20:8–11 and Deuteronomy 5:12–15). This Sabbath points to a greater reality. In Christ, our rest becomes a place and a state of mind where man’s effort ceases, and man enters a new reality in the person of Christ. Christ is the protagonist concealed in the old testament and revealed in the new. By His coming, He provided a permanent rest for His people. Christ heralded the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, an end of an era of earning rest through effort, the ultimate end of man’s struggle. God did first in creation, what He did in redemption. Man’s best response to creation was appreciation. Man’s best response to grace today goes beyond appreciation into belief, a conviction into belief in the finished works of Christ thus granting man free access is granted into rest (Ephesians 2:8–9). A simple belief of the good news means an end to works, a ceasation of effort and a free entry into grace and rest. Therefore, true Sabbath is not a day, it is a person and in Him we find complete rest from all labours of self-effort, not just a day set aside per week, but a constant consciousness. Jesus has now become our rest from works.
But why does rest continue to elude many lives? We grapple with stress from work and stress from works. There is a sense of restlessness that is perpetuated by ignorance. Anxiety is supposed to be unnatural to the recreated man in Christ but many times we find ourselves constantly unsettled and rattled by life’s circumstances. Living in rest is not first about activity and non-activity, the foundation of rest is a revelation. It is one thing to believe God and another to understand what it is that you believe about God. You find your rest in an inward encounter with Him, as you grow in the knowledge and character of God (Fruit of the Spirit), rest takes effect naturally. Your circumstances may not change, but your peace will remain unbroken, you become a conduit for rest and peace in your sphere.
How then do we live a life of rest?
1. True rest is a revelation of the finished works of Christ
An understanding of this brings insight into the greatness and perfection of the gift of Christ within us that we may know what has been given to us. God is not waiting to be impressed by your performance or your activities, every need to perform ended at “it is finished…”
Christ is not doing something new, we are only learning to discover what has already been given.
Rest in God’s love and acceptance of you, you’ve been justified and acquainted, all that is required of you is to believe
“Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for “The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith.” — Gal 3:11
God is absolutely in love with you. Your very essence excites God. You are no longer trying to attain some place of contentment or achieve a rest where you discover His approval, His favour has been freely given and that now becomes our source of new energy for a new life.
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late. For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard — Heb 4: 1–2
Do not disqualify yourself from this rest, what disqualified the Israelites who perished in the wilderness was their unbelief.
You may believe in God, but what you believe about Him?
2. Rest in the revelation of His Grace and Goodness to you
You are the object of His compassion, God is for us, He is impressed with us and is in love with us. If you do nothing for the rest of your life, He will be just as impressed with you. God does not love you for your potential, He loves you for you, whether you mess up or achieve great things or not, He loves you still. We no longer rest for only one day, but forever we cease our labouring to attain God’s favour! This is the ultimate good news!
3. Rest in the revelation of how God sees you
We need to have a revelation of how God sees us. This revelation is about seeing through the eyes of God. You can’t enter and accept the fullness of what God has accomplished for you in Christ if you do not see the depth of it as Christ did. True rest starts with seeing. God sees you as His own and He went far enough to buy you over, even at the detriment of His only Son. You mean that much to Him and He sees you as the precious Jewel that you are. Rest in this reality.
4. Rest in the revelation of God as your reward
God’s promise to us in Abraham is to be our exceeding great reward. God is our reward and not anything we can secure through Him or from Him. “Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward…” — Gen. 15: 1 We do not do the things we do to escape guilt or attain any reward, our reward comes from the joy of fellowship and intimacy with our Father.
This deep intimacy births an eternal joy, one that is greater than any temporary reward of wealth, relationship or achievements. This is what we express when we worship in gratitude. Gratitude is a way of thinking which forms a pathway in our minds, this pathway always points and leads to God, bringing a sense of fullness and completeness irrespective of the situation or condition around.
Gratitude trumps all fear, it trumps every reward (its presence or absence), gratitude is true worship and true worship is rest.
There is a rest of satisfaction that we have entered into, we only need now to grow in the revelation of this rest by discovering our identity in Christ!
Written by Ferdy Adimefe
Ferdy Adimefe is a serial entrepreneur passionate about culture and creative industrialization. He curates expressions centered on faith, innovation and technology. He is a Father, Husband, Author and conference speaker; He is also a Pastor at The Tribe Lagos.
