Two little words that pack a powerful punch is “let us” and they are used often throughout scripture, many times in the book in of Hebrews alone. The first of these is in 4:1 where God is reviewing how Israel failed to enter Canaan’s rest because of unbelief and consequently their failure to obey! The message to us today is “since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.” For us this rest is not the rest of Canaan as in Numbers 14 and Deuteronomy 1, but is that rest of which Canaan is a picture. Commentators are divided as to whether this is the rest of heaven or the rest of a Spirit filled believer during this life. I have no argument with either since both can be solidly backed by scripture, and this like many scripture’s is capable of more than one interpretation. Today we will briefly glimpse our present rest in Christ through whom, and in whose work, we place total dependence for this rest! It is not through keeping the works of the law “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness…” Romans 10:4, nor by good works for it is “according to His mercy He saved us…” Titus 3:5, neither can we obtain it by self-help methods, outer reforms, or religious activities, for in His sight “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”, Isaiah 64:6, leaving us inside “full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” Matthew 23:27. This rest can only be obtained and validated by His work within us, not by our works! Fearing lest we come short of obtaining and entering into His rest, whether present or eternal, is not a distrust in God’s goodness to give it, but should be viewed as a cautious watchful fear-walk like that which causes us to refrain from touching a hot stove or falling off a cliff because we got too close to the precipice! We conclude today with Jesus words in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
His rest
By Rose Hill
So let us come to Jesus with a watchful fear,
And His message of rest our ears will hear.
He is willing to help with every test,
And this gives to us much peace and rest.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright …1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. Used by permission.