Meditations on Hebrews 4 – a call to "rest"
Scripture never ceases to amaze me. It is almost as if there is a running account somewhere of the things I need in my life, and then God is just inserting those things into His Word daily. The really intimidating thing is that He did, but it was ‘before the foundation of the world’, so to say.
Today I’m reading Hebrews 4. I’ve read this passage plenty of times before. Today, things are striking a new area of my heart, one that is quite tender I must admit. The tense of some of these words are so amazing! Check out the tenses in verse three, “For we which have believed do enter into rest…” In talking about the place of rest God describes in the OT, He says that some didn’t enter because of “unbelief” (4.6). The writer then reminds the reader, although there is still work to be done, there is an ultimate rest coming: “There remaineth therefore a rest” (4.9). But now the crazy part enters into the picture. It’s one of those exchanged life situations that I am still struggling to wrap my mind around. He adds, “For he that is entered into his [God's] rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”(4.10) Now there’s the jaw dropper of the passage. The writer says the one who is already entered [note the present - past tense combo there, it notes a one time action that is still continuing] has ceased from his own works. This teaching leaves us needing to draw some conclusions.
- First, does the writer mean that one who has entered into the rest of God will not continue to work the works according to their own way and self interests?
- Second, does the writer mean to say the one who is in the rest of God will leave off from working altogether? Does the believer have the comission to sit still and watch others labor?
- Third, [and this is what I believe is the implication he is making] is the writer saying for the believer to cease from earning their salvation because of their works? We should note the comparision just before this passage. What was it that caused the OT saints to miss out ont he rest of God? Unbelief. So, what would be the reasoning behind sharing that just before this teaching about the relationship between our works and rest? Likely, it is to say there is no work that is good enough. There is no path reliable, and no righteousness attainable for the man seeking to come to God. However, God has a way. That way is for us to relax [rest] and let Him do those works [the cross, his Son, the Spirit, regeneration, sanctification, etc.] which bring man to Him.
Oftentimes I get overwhelmed with the responsibilities that I face daily. I am a young man; inexperienced to say the least. Yet I have all this responsibility and seemingly no ongoing training that I am not seeking for myself. So, I get down at times with the reality of what is on my shoulders. It begins to crush me. Some nights I lay in bed and let the tears welt in my eyes just to try and ease out some of the pressure building inside. When those days come, it seems as if it is always just a matter of time before God reminds me of this truth from Heb 4. This is not my load. I am just resting underneath the one who’s load it is. The only thing crushing me are my own nightmares, reality is – no monsters in the closet. Last time I was struggling in this way, God used this verse to speak to me. I pray this will speak to others as well:
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” [Col 2.6]
How did we receive him? Faith. Without reservation. Wholly relying. So why do we walk so differently?
moving with a purpose
Why do we move and have no purpose? Would you wake up in the morning three hours earlier than your normal routine requires simply to sit and stare at a wall? Of course you wouldn’t. It makes no more sense to gather as a congregation of Christ-followers and have no clue why, staring at a wall without purpose.
I remember when my wife (then girlfriend) came to visit me at college. There was a concert on campus one night, and this was a big deal for the college where I was. So, she came up to share the experience with me. After the concert, we were hanging at the coffee shop on campus, and had one of those moments. You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones guys try to pretend they don’t remember and ladies never forget. We were staring at each other, kind of rocking back and forth, and looking giddy to any onlookers, I’m sure. When the moment was kind of drawing to a close I said, “tell me what you’re thinking…” to which my wife replied, “I’m trying to tell you.” Now, as your typical 20 year old, I had no clue how to interpret the secret code. So, I asked a friend of mine in the dorms. He said she was telling me to “move with a purpose”. Good advice then, good advice now.
So, as a church, how often do the average visitors to our churches walk away having no clue what the secret code was they just witnessed. Even further, how often do they wonder at the purpose for the movement. Any movement without purpose it utterly dangerous.
