So, we ended Part 1 with the promise we would discuss, not just another day of rest, but a SPECIAL day. Here it is in Hebrews 4.
8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come.
9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.
Wait a minute!! What did that say? Not only do we have a place of rest, but it is a “special” rest still waiting for the people of God. It is the “much more” mentioned in Romans. It is the better covenant mentioned in this book of Hebrews. It is special, because we are not only peculiar people of God, we are special people. We are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus. Come on.
10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.
When you get a revelation of the truth that Christianity is not a works oriented, performance based process, and you realize that you can receive rather than always trying to achieve, you will enter into God’s rest. It is then that you will be free from the bondage of religion and legalism so you can rest from all the false teaching of laboring to be right with God.
OOOHHH this is good. I’m getting set free all over again. Every time the enemy tries to tell me “it can’t be this easy”, or “you’re taking the grace of God too far”, the Lord downloads the exact truths from the scriptures that I need. All I have to do is receive them. It’s the same for you.
11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
Now finally, this is what anyone that still has some religious spirits on them has been waiting for. A place where they can say “See. I knew there was something we had to DO”. Well, I can’t argue with that premise. The problem is to make sure you study this verse 11 to find out what it is that you must DO.
This is the one place in the New Testament where God actually gives you permission to work. He says “let us do our best”. In the King James Version it says “Let us labour therefore”. To Do what? To ENTER into His rest. How? Through faith that it is 1.) God’s promise of entering His rest, and that promise STILL STANDS. 2.) God has prepared this rest. 3.) Only we who believe CAN enter his rest. 4.) It was His work and the reason He rested is because all His work was done. 5.) God set another time for entering His rest and that time is today. 6.) Not only do we have a place of rest, but it is a “special” rest still waiting for the people of God. 7.) Once you get a revelation of this truth, you will be set free from the bondage of religion, legalism, works and performance. It is then that you will be able to rest from any labor and simply BE.
Galatians 5:1 doesn’t work without BEING in Christ at that place of rest. It reads “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law”.
It is Jesus who truly set us free. Make sure you don’t fall for the tricks of the enemy. He is in the religious business. So, if he can get you focusing on works, performance, traditions of men, and false doctrine, he can keep you from resting. That will prevent the furtherance of the Kingdom in your life.
Paul penned this scripture after writing one of my favorite scriptures. It actually preaches the whole sermon on grace in three verses. It’s found in Galatians 2:19-21. Here it is in “The Message Bible”. I’ve used this in previous teaching, but I don’t apologize for the repetition, because this is just too good.
“What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.
Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. IF a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.”
All I can say is WOW!
Paul begins by telling us what happened to him. It says he tried keeping rules and working his head off TO PLEASE GOD. How many in the churches across the world today are sitting in their pews hearing a message of works and performance. Sitting there fretting about whether they are good enough for God to love them, to heal them, to deliver them. Wondering if they’ve done enough. It’s bondage and look at the results. Paul says “IT DIDN'T WORK”. Of course it didn’t work, because there’s nothing left to do.
Paul says he gave up that approach, because it didn’t work, so he became Christ’s man. Paul says that Christ’s life not only showed him how, but ENABLED him to do it. Jesus does and has done all the work. Then He enables us to live or receive all that He’s done. When Paul got this he said he identified himself COMPLETELY with him. The word completely immediately reminded me of what Paul wrote in Colossians 2:9,10.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are COMPLETE in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Paul states he identified himself completely in Him. For the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him. Then Paul says that we are COMPLETE IN HIM. So, if we are complete in Him and the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him, then it dwells in us if we identify completely with Him. Oh come on. Are you shouting yet? You ought to be.
To continue. Paul writes “my ego is no longer central. It is NO LONGER IMPORTANT that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to IMPRESS God. Christ lives in me”.
Whoa. Paul says it’s not about him. His ego is not controlling him anymore. He’s put away his pride and it’s not important that others look at him and think “just look how spiritual he is. He truly is a great man of God”. Paul has invoked what T. D. Jakes says is the 11th commandment – “I don’t care”. Hahaha.
How many people are so concerned how religious or spiritual they appear to others. They hire a surveillance team to make sure nobody from their “church” is in a store to see them buy a bottle of wine or six pack of beer. But Paul says it’s no longer important that I appear righteous before you. Let me say when you get set free from religion and legalism by the ridiculous, radical, inexhaustible grace of God, you’ll be set free from the tyranny of other people and the tyranny of yourself.
If you are in bondage to what others think about you, you will never be free. As long as you need other people to have a good impression of you and understand you, you will be owned by anyone willing to lie to you or about you. How many are in bondage in this way today?
Now this next statement will drive a religious legalist into rage. How dare Paul make a statement like this. Who does he think he is? Here’s what Paul said. “I am NO LONGER DRIVEN TO IMPRESS GOD”.
The reason Paul could say this is because God is already impressed with those who are in Christ and have entered into His rest. He could say this because he was in Christ completely and therefore complete in Him. He could say this because he knew who he was.
Paul wrote “Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that”. DO YOU GET IT??? If you haven’t gotten it yet, Paul continues with the following to help you further.
“Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old RULE-KEEPING, PEER-PLEASING RELIGION would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. IF a living relationship with God could come by RULE-KEEPING, then Christ died unnecessarily.”
I don’t think I need to even comment any further on that. After all of this, Paul pens Galatians 5:1 that I want to include here once again. He writes “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law”.
To BE or not To BE, that is the question I leave you with today. Why anyone would want to choose that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion over the personal and free relationship with God is beyond me. Like Paul, I refuse to do that and repudiate God’s great grace. Your choice. Grace and Peace.
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