When I bought my car last year, there was a 'bumper to bumper' warranty that came with it for the first 36,000 miles or 3 years. Recently the leather on the driver's seat started to crack and tear, so when I had in for service, I asked the service manager about it. Later when I picked it up, he said, "There's a flaw in that and we're ordering a new one for you which we will install at no charge to you, Jerry." It's great to know that at least until August, 2009 - there will be no auto repair costs in my budget. There is a kind of 'rest' that is produced by the guarantee and confidence that comes from my experience with a dealership that backs it up. I enjoy another kind of confidence, a real sense of settled peace, in an area of my life that is much more important.
My soul is at rest and I am full of confidence in God's promise to save and keep me in His grace! This was not always so. When I was still a school age kid, there were days when I was not 'good,' and because of an immature understanding of the salvation that is ours through Christ, I reasoned that my lack of goodness was cause for fear. I heard a lot about Jesus' returning at any moment for those who loved Him. "Rapture fever" was everywhere in the 1970's! On those days when I knew I had done wrong, I would get off of the bus and run all the way to the house, throw open the door, and yell, "Mom!" If she answered, a great flood of relief would come over me. I figured my Mom was the most righteous person I knew, so if she was still around, then Jesus had not returned and I was not 'left behind.'
Thankfully, since then I have found His grace is greater than my sin and that there is reason for confidence in His saving work. In His grace, there is rest; a real and settled peace for our souls. Here is how the writer of Hebrews explains it: ". . . there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world." (Hebrews 4:9-10, NLT) "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)
The writer of Hebrews warns, again and again, about the possibility of turning away from the living God. "Make every effort...." is a phrase that is used repeatedly in Hebrews to encourage us to press on, to grow in holiness. The Word asserts that apostasy (rejecting the truth that saves us) is a distinct possibility. But, the warning is not a cause for terror! When we grasp the dimensions of the grace that is found in Christ Jesus, when don't have to run and hide like Adam and Eve did when they sinned. As the Scripture quoted above teaches, when we fail, when temptation rises up and we make the wrong choice, we are invited to 'come boldly to the throne... and receive mercy." The greater our grasp of grace, the deeper will be our commitment. When we understand that Jesus Christ is a priest who really understands the temptations we experience, we will be authentic, transparent before Him, and thus find the Spirit's power to overcome. If we believe, even a little bit, that we are capable of 'saving ourselves' by being good, serving well, or through some great sacrifice, we will never be at rest in Him.
In chapter 9 of Hebrews, we are reminded that once people had to bring the blood of animals to God for the covering of their sins. The writer reasons with us saying, if the blood of bulls and goats could take away the penalty of sin before God, "think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God. " (Hebrews 9:14-15, The Message)
Don't let yourself live in fear, in an 'up and down' kind of Christianity that focuses on good works as the source of confidence! Look to the Cross of Christ. Come boldly to the throne of a gracious God and take the grace provided fully by Christ, whose offering for sin is complete. Be at rest in Him, and thus, filled with confidence that allows you to live a holy life that is heart-deep, truly authentic. From a place of blessed assurance, go and do great work, motivated not by fear, but by love and gratefulness.
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