Entering God's Rest: Living from the Finished Work of Christ

Have you ever felt like you're constantly striving, always trying to earn God's favor or achieve some elusive spiritual breakthrough? What if I told you that everything you need has already been accomplished, and your job is simply to rest in that truth?

This profound concept of entering God's rest is at the heart of a transformative message found in Hebrews chapter 4. It's a call to shift our perspective from one of constant striving to one of confident receiving.

The passage begins with a sobering warning: "Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it." This immediately grabs our attention. There's a rest available to us as believers, but it's possible to miss out on it.

So what exactly is this rest? It's not about physical relaxation or ceasing from all activity. Rather, it's about entering into the finished work of Christ. It's recognizing that Jesus has already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation, healing, and victory.
The author of Hebrews points out that some failed to enter this rest because of unbelief. They heard the good news, but it didn't profit them because they didn't unite it with faith. This highlights a crucial truth: God's Word and promises must be mixed with our faith to become effective in our lives.

Here's a revolutionary thought: You don't have a faith problem; you have an unbelief problem. As a believer, you have the faith of Christ within you. The challenge is often overcoming the unbelief that tries to counteract that faith.

This unbelief can manifest in various ways:

1. Disbelief - actively rejecting God's Word
2. Lack of knowledge - simply not knowing what God has promised
3. Natural unbelief - being led more by our five senses than by spiritual truth
4. Unbelief in those around us - allowing others' doubts to influence us

The good news is that God is actively working to help us overcome our unbelief. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

God's Word has the power to penetrate our innermost being, separating what is soulish (our mind, will, and emotions) from what is truly spiritual. It exposes our motives and helps align our thoughts with His truth.

This process isn't always comfortable, but it's necessary for us to fully enter God's rest. It's about learning to live from our spirit-man rather than being led solely by our natural senses or emotions.

Consider this powerful illustration: When your house is connected to the power grid, you don't call the electric company every time you want to turn on a light. You simply flip the switch, knowing the power is already there. In the same way, we don't need to beg God to do what He's already done. We simply need to appropriate what's already available to us through Christ.

This truth is beautifully exemplified in the story of Smith Wigglesworth and a man without legs. When prayed for, the man insisted he would "believe it when he sees it." Wigglesworth, understanding the principle of faith, told him, "If you had faith, you'd go buy shoes."

Though initially angry, the man eventually found himself in a shoe store. When asked his size, he hesitated, then blurted out "nine and a half." In that moment of faith-filled declaration, his legs and feet miraculously grew out!

This story illustrates a profound truth found in Isaiah 45:11: "Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: 'Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, and you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.'" Some translations render this as "command ye Me." It's not about bossing God around, but rather about confidently declaring and establishing what He has already accomplished.

So how do we practically enter this rest?

1. Recognize that Jesus has already done the work. Stop begging for what you already have.
2. Align your thoughts and confessions with God's Word. Speak life and truth over yourself.
3. Learn to receive. Many of us know how to ask, but we struggle with simply receiving what God has already provided.
4. Live from a place of confidence in Christ's finished work, not from a place of striving or earning.
5. Be diligent about entering this rest. It may seem paradoxical, but it takes intentionality to consistently walk in this truth.
6. Allow God's Word to expose and correct any unbelief in your heart.
7. Surround yourself with faith-filled believers who will encourage you in this journey.

As you begin to grasp and walk in this truth, you'll find a new level of peace and power in your spiritual life. You'll stop seeing yourself as constantly "behind" or needing to catch up. Instead, you'll realize that in Christ, you already have everything you need for life and godliness.

This doesn't mean life will be without challenges. But it does mean you can face those challenges from a place of rest and confidence, knowing that the victory has already been won.

Remember, you're not waiting on God to do something new. You're learning to appropriate and walk in what He's already done. This is the essence of entering God's rest – living from the finished work of Christ.

So today, take a deep breath and relax into this truth. Let go of striving and enter into the rest that Jesus has provided. It's available to you right now. Will you receive it?