The second “let us” in Hebrews is in 4:11, “Let us therefore be diligent”. Here in verses 8-10 God is showing us that the rest of Canaan was not His ultimate rest, for after Joshua had led the people into this rest, another day, another rest, is spoken of which comes to us only through Christ Jesus. When we enter this rest in Christ we no longer strive to be good enough, or to obtain God’s favor through our good works and self-reform. When God finished His work of creation in Genesis 2:1-2 “He rested…from all His work…” I believe meditating on what He had created and taking time to delight in it! Likewise when we come and rest in the finished work of Christ, we no longer labor to be accepted, for we are “accepted in the Beloved” Ephesians 1:6. This does not mean we become inactive for verse 11 continues, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest…” The word from which diligent is translated means to exert oneself, make every effort, and seeing a need promptly does something about it…” We meditate on what He has done and delight in it. Now what we do takes on a whole new perspective as we pursue Him, being prompted by the Holy Spirit, and His word, we lay aside our past evil behavior and zealously effect the change He has wrought within us, not to obtain it but to maintain it, resting in Him and growing in this new life. Ephesians 4:22-24 puts it this way, “that you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt concerning the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.” “Let us be diligent” to pursue His righteous thoughts, words, deeds, and to enter into His rest, (yes His rest) while making every effort to please Him! I believe we can see this playing out in Philippians 2:12 where the Apostle commends them for being obedient (i.e. hearing as a subordinate, listening attentively, and conforming to that authoritative command) and then tells them to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”.
Provision for rest
By Rose Hill
God provides for us a rest,
With His salvation we are blessed.
To obtain it we need not strive,
For in Christ we are made alive.
But we must be diligent to enter in,
Making every effort to be pleasing to Him.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright …1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. used by permission.