8.24 Christianity in resting in, and proceeding from His finished work

The promised-land for Israel was a land of grace and rest. In Deut 6:10-11, God said to Israel that He would “give you large and beautiful cities which you DID NOT build, houses full of all good things, which you DID NOT fill, hewn-out wells which you DID NOT dig, vineyards and olive trees which you DID NOT plant...” They DID NOT have to toil for it. It was God’s unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor. Why? Because they are beneficiaries of the covenant that God made with their father Abraham.

Today what is the promised-land for the Christian believer? It is certainly not a physical promised-land. It is the promised-land of rest in His grace. It is ceasing from our works (works of the law to attain to righteousness) in order to rest in His finished-work on the cross. It is to receive righteousness and all the promises of the New Covenant on the basis of His grace. This is God’s unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor. Why? Because we are beneficiaries of the New Covenant that God made with Jesus, who represented us.

When Christ said, “It is finished,” the redemption work was completed and the debts of sin fully paid. We were qualified for the blessings of the New Covenant (Eph 1:3, 2 Cor 1:20). Hebrews tells us that we are to cease from our works and be diligent to enter that rest.

(Heb 4:8-11)
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a REST for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also CEASED FROM HIS WORKS as God did from His. Let us therefore be DILIGENT TO ENTERTHAT REST…

After 1,500 years of laboring under works of the law to attain to righteousness and to earn their blessings, they fell short. Israel was tired under the yoke of the law. They had to do it but they couldn’t do it. So Jesus told them that He was their answer. He told them to come to Him – all who labor and are heavy laden under law, and He would give them rest.

(Matthew 11:28)
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Some of us may think that resting in Christ means being idle. That is not the case. Resting in Him means drawing from the power of His finished work to perform another kind of works – called works of faith. It means allowing Him to work in us and through us. This is a force far greater that what we can achieve on our own ability under works of the law. I will cover in detail works of faith further down this series.

So the exhortation for us is to labor to enter His rest of grac. Are we depending on our works or are we resting in His finished work? Are we struggling to perform, or are we resting in His power to perform in and through us? Be diligent to enter that rest.