Dear ones,
When fellowshiping with western Christians, you quickly become immersed in their doctrine of “resting” in Jesus. As a matter of fact, for a short time we attended a home church where the self-appointed head buffalo supreme leader unbiblically gave “it” a name, and that name was “The Resting Place.”
Rest is a warranted doctrine-teaching from God Jesus and we can see it in His mighty Word:
Matthew 11:29 (NASB)
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You will find rest for your souls.
But…and a big but, notice it’s rest for our souls. Not rest for your daily life in the Spirit in God’s kingdom war against the kingdom of Satan’s world here and now.
In my previous example of the named home church, the supreme leader would declare for us every week to essentially chill out, to sit back, almost like a yoga session. There was never any sanctioned outreach to serve since anything of this nature needed his good-housekeeping seal of approval. It was stifling. And demonic.
And they were too busy “resting.”
If you belong to a group like this, I strongly suggest that you bolt, for any prayerful admonishment will most likely be met with the left foot of fellowship.
When I finally was led by the Spirit to engage his theology and urge them all to search the Word as a group, he blew up. So, my wife and I were commanded via email (that’s right: email) that we were never to grace the doors of his home or “people” ever again.
Rest for our souls. A very good thing, given by the Almighty. We praise and thank Him for this gift. Let’s press in for this blessing.
Our souls. What is our soul? We can probably agree that our soul is the essence of who we are as a person – our person-ality. Many of us speak of our mind, will, and emotions when we define that term. We can’t lay a hand on that personality, but we see it in full action with any person. Like Jesus’ description of the wind, not seen but its effect is clearly viewed!
So, if we take Jesus’ yoke upon us, and a yoke goes around a neck and there’s some work, then we will find rest for our souls. Hallelujah!
One final word on rest here. In the book of Hebrews we find the author admonishing (shaping the will with warning) his audience that final eternal rest in heaven is totally dependent on our obedience. Holy daily living. Action instead of just talk.
Very unpopular stand today. Most people I know think salvation and enduring to the end is purely automatic and a given – our right that God must and will perform for us. They ignore most of His Word to validate their feelings.
But what does our brother declare to us in his Spirit-inspired work?
Hebrews 3:18 (NASB)
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
A warning. God swore we must obey to enter the final rest? How come you’ve never heard that in your church and little home group? In the Hebrew parlance, believing means obeying.
Hebrews 4:1 (NASB)
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.
Another warning. We have a promise, but it’s conditional. Come short of “it”? What is “it”? What is he speaking of here?
Eternal life, final and abiding.
Hebrews 4:3 (NASB)
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
So, we’ve entered into a portion of that rest how. Part of the “already-not yet” concept of spiritual life in the kingdom of God at this time. After all, the kingdom God is our Father’s eternal purpose which He carried out through Jesus Christ (Eph. 3.11)
But wait a second. Did God just say He “swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest?” Yep. His final and abiding rest.
Hebrews 4:9 (NASB)
So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
The issue then is if we endure to the end, will we then be finally declared “people of God?”
And finally, we lead into striving in the New Testament, with this verse as a transition:
Hebrews 4:10 (NASB)
For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Rested from our works. Our works. Another dirty word these days. Yet the Holy Bible rightly proclaims the word “works” over 90 times in the New Covenant.
90 + times.
God’s works prepared for us beforehand in predestined love that we should walk in them…. is this doctrine declared?
Certainly. God will not leave us orphans.
Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Now then.
If rest is for our souls, what about all these works? And the words and warnings of Jesus and the apostles pertaining to “striving?” Let’s take a brief look.
The main Greek words that describe this phenomenon are:
Agonizomai (ag-o-nid-zom-ahee), a verb, and agon (ag-on), a noun, meaning to strive, contend, to enter a contest, conflict, anxiety, and agony.
Agony…the apostle Paul will use it too years later to sign off in his farewell letter to Timothy, just before Paul lost his head in Rome.
The history of this word group is fascinating. It ushered up a contest. Ever wrestled? Oh my, the most intense physical activity in the shortest period of time.
Also, the word was used for warfare. With its pain and death.
And Luke, the beloved physician, familiar with struggles between life and death, used it to refer to the continuous struggle that must take place if one is to enter the kingdom of God by its narrow door:
Luke 13:24 (NASB)
“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Many are not able to enter into Jesus’ kingdom that He turns over to His Father.
Many. No matter what the modern day mission people claim to inflate the numbers of “decisions for Jesus,” the word used by the King of those not making it is: many.
And the word is also used to describe fighting, if we were to physically fight to bring in the kingdom the world’s way. Of course, we’re to love our enemies, not fight them. But you get the idea:
John 18:36 (NASB)
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
The Complete Biblical Library put’s Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 9.25 like this: “It is used figuratively here to represent the rigid denial a Christian must bring into his life just as the athlete exercises self-control in all things. The stress here in on personal discipline.”
Rigid denial. Complete self-control.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (NASB)
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
And striving to do God’s will:
Colossians 1:29 (NASB)
For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
More verses:
Colossians 4:12 (NASB)
Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
1 Timothy 4:10 (NASB)
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
Paul was fighting the good fight of faith. Agonizing the good agony. And then he used these words again to describe his victory
1 Timothy 6:12 (NASB)
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7 (NASB)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
Even Jesus used it to describe His own “agony” in the garden the night of His betrayal, and desertion of His friends, the disciples.
Luke 22:44 (NASB)
And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.
Conflict. Struggle. Opposition. Hardly rest in our bodies or lives.
Philippians 1:30 (NASB)
experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Colossians 2:1 (NASB)
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
1 Thessalonians 2:2 (NASB)
but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.
Let us run the race..for we’ve already laid aside the sin and any encumbrance that can easily entangle us – if we let it.
Hebrews 12:1 (NASB)
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run (agon) with endurance the race (agon) that is set before us,
So beloved, rest for our souls. And striving to enter the narrow door. Let us be not of the many, but of the few. Pray that God would favor us by grace to walk worthy and count us as the approved.
How did the Savior Himself end the most powerful message in human history to his disciples (Matt. 5.1) about entering His kingdom of God? This is not written to the pagans, but His devoted slaves following hard after His will.
“Enter (keep striving to enter) through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
