Entering Into His Rest

Hi Everyone,

I've been thinking lately about the concept of entering into God's rest. Here are a few verses about the topic.

Mathew 11:25-29 "At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Hebrews 3:1-chapter 4:11 "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.
That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

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 did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger,'They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 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."


There is a reality of resting in Christ--a rest that we have once we have placed our trust in Him. Jesus Christ came and fulfilled what Moses was unable to do. There is a rest--the searching and turmoil from a spiritual standpoint is over--He (Jesus) took the burden of our guilt, sin, and shame upon Himself----and we rest in Him--trusting that He did what He said He did.

But this rest is not a cease from our service to Christ out of gratitude to Him for the rest of our lives. In reality, we are working harder than we ever have before---but not for ourselves--for Christ--and Jesus Christ alone---and in HIS strength--not our own! The AMAZING thing is that HE IS ALSO WORKING THROUGH US!! Everything is done because we want to truly obey Him being used as He sees fit so that we are effectively used for the furtherance of His Kingdom while we are here on earth--it's part of many reasons of why we don't just "all go to heaven" at the moment of salvation.

In Jesus There is REST FOR THE SOUL!!!

What is it that disqualifies someone from this entering this rest today? Unbelief--or better said--not placing their complete trust in the person of Jesus Christ--and His death on their behalf.

Those that have "entered His rest" are indeed blessed....beyond measure. Blessed is the man whose sins the Lord does not count against him.

REST IN HIM TODAY---BUT SERVE HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND FAITHFULLY WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH!!!