REST

The Writer of the book of Hebrews (called WRITER H for this discourse) expresses his fear for the Hebrew Church in Heb. 4:1. They were a people coming from a background of Works (I mean Human works, as a means for salvation). Judaism and the Law of Moses taught them that. Then they received redemption but were back meddling with works...For this, it was feared that they were coming short of Rest, and so, coming short of the Glory of God. They were coming short of the specifications of the true Christian Experience. They were living a sub-standard Christian life.

Yes, to come short of Rest in our Christian Experience is to come short of the standards of God for it. And it was a source of concern to men like Writer H who had a deep insight into redemption. Any work outside the scope of the FINISHED WORKS OF CHRIST is called a DEAD WORK. It can't help one bit. It is impotent towards spiritual progress. That's why it is called 'DEAD'. Let us know what is in the curriculum and what is extra-curricular. Once we get into works again, we are coming short of God's glory. We are stepping down from Grace. We are falling short of Gods expectation, and it is a cause of concern.

For this same reason, the Hebrews were stagnated spiritually. They could not eat meat. They could only drink milk. They were babes although they might have fantasized about being spiritually mature. HEB. 5:12-14. They thought they had gone far, but they were wrong like some of us might have been, for repentance from dead works is in fact an elementary principle of Christ. It is PRESCHOOL 123. It is milk, not even meat. To learn not to be saved by your own works but by the works of the Saviour is basic milk!

Writer H puts it this way:

"Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Surely we don't need to speak further about THE FOOLISHNESS OF TRYING TO BE SAVED BY BEING GOOD OR ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF FAITH IN GOD." Hebrews 6:1 (The Living Bible)

Our man, if you notice, did not call this a principle of Religion or a principle of the Christianity. He called it a principle of CHRIST. There are still many of us in the Church who are not touching Christ. This principle is for those who want to touch Christ first-hand. Therefore it is rendered by the NKJV as an ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLE OF CHRIST. Many Christians often experience what is not in the "Christian experience". I've had my share of this.

You might have thought that doubt and fear are the main opponents of Faith. But no, DEAD WORKS rather are. And confidence in Self is the arch enemy of confidence in God. That which I can accomplish of my own strength in making myself more "spiritual" is that which verily stands in the way of what God can accomplish in my life. It hinders my ability to learn the way of simply putting my Faith in Him for all spiritual progress. "MY" activity and exertion makes God an observer.

Ladies and Men, after repentance from Sin, there's yet another course of repentance - Repentance from Dead Works. It too is a pre-requisite for a higher course - FAITH TOWARDS GOD Heb. 6:1.

But it's not late. "Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart as in the rebellion." And we have Writer H's recommendation in the eleventh verse of Hebrews fourth chapter:

"Let us therefore labour to enter His rest...."

If there be any effort from our part, it should be towards entering His rest. Here comes the re-ordering of our spiritual priorities. Every spiritual activity, be it prayer or study, is a vehicle for the discovery of an aspect of the FINISHED work of Christ. Any time we inwardly see what has been in done in Christ concerning an aspect of life, we gain possession. It becomes ours. We gain that ground in redemption. And Whaala!!! We have forged ahead in Christ. We have moved further. We have entered into that REST. (REST is about what has been done by the Saviour and our relation to that)
And if this happens to us progressively, we shall soon find that we have gone far in having a Living Faith in the Son of God who saved us.

Selah!

©Pastor Faith Oluwagbesan
Lead Pastor, FGC CWB