Rest to the People of God

                                                                                                                                              

Aloha Dearest Family,

Today we will look at a life altering verse for many people (myself as well), 

"There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. " (Hebrews 4:9) 

This is a great comfort for countless thousands of people. Because of the work that Jesus Christ accomplished, we now have rest. We are no longer working to earn God's favor and acceptance. We already have it. The struggle is over. We are purchased with the blood of a perfect sacrifice and so we stand before God without spot or blemish. We now have a rest to our souls. But two verses later there is a verse that had puzzled me for many years. 

"Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest.." (Hebrews 4:11a) 

If we already have the rest, why does God say that we need to labor to enter into that rest. I thought the work was already done for us. I really didn't understand this verse until God recently opened my eyes on this subject.

The "rest" in Hebrews 4:9 initially refers to Israel entering the promised land. After more than 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 more years wandering in the wilderness, Joshua was finally able to bring them in and conquer the land of Canaan. But they would have to fight to take it. The children of Israel had to put on their armor. They needed to gird on their breastplate, put on their helmet, and pick up their sword, spear and shield before they went to do battle with the enemy. They had to physically fight the inhabitants of the land, and because God fought with them, they were able to conquer 7 major nations in this land to win it.

After these battles, the land was divided up between the tribes of Israel. They finally had rest. But the work was not yet over. Each tribe had to drive out the remaining inhabitants in their own territories. This was Israel's first mistake. They failed to drive out the nations living in their own territories and this caused no end of trouble for Israel. Even though they had rest as a nation by taking the promised land, they still had to "labor" to enter into their rest by getting rid of the bad influences that were still in the land. How does this apply to us today?

Jesus Christ has won us the victory. In dying for us on the tree; he fully paid the price for our redemption and brought us back to God. He has given us the "rest". He paid for it with his life. But the work is not over yet. We, individually, have to go in and drive out the old habits and evil influences from our thinking patterns. The battlefield is not a physical one, but one that is fought in our own minds. Our enemies are the rulers of the darkness of this world, 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:11-13) 

The fight is for thoughts and ideas that we think. The devil wants us to think the thoughts and ideas that come from him. In order to fight this battle we need to put on the armor of God, 

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (Ephesians 6:14-17) 

Before we go into battle we need to put on our armor. This is how we stand against the influences of the devil. Without this armor we can easily be defeated in the battle and the "inhabitants" in our brains (wrong thinking) are not driven out. Remember, the battlefield is fought in our minds.

Let's look at II Corinthians 10:4 and 5, 

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations  (reasonings), and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 

It is interesting that these verses compare the storming our minds like the storming of a castle. Look at the phrases "pulling down of strongholds", "casting down imaginations" and " bringing into captivity". We are to pull down the strongholds that we have erected that is against God. We are to cast down every imagination or reasoning that is against the knowledge of God and we are to bring every contrary thought into obedience. We can only think one thought at a time and we choose what thoughts we hold there. But how are we going to be able to accomplish this? We saw this first in the listing of the armor of God; the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. This is how we battle the enemy that wants to control the thoughts in our minds. We substitute our negative, defeated thinking patterns for the ones found in God's Word. 

"For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) 

Here again the Word of God is depicted here as a two edged sword ready to do battle with the evil influences in our lives.

Remember, Jesus Christ has already given us rest but we need to decide to enter into that rest by driving out the old thoughts and patterns that we have let live there for far too long. Let us choose to put on the whole armor of God each day and claim victory so that we can have rest for our souls.

                Love Always, Ray