THE REST OF FAITH. Hebrews 4:1 The story of the children of Israel not entering the promised land because of unbelief would have been well known to the Hebrews. Today, some people know a lot about Christ because they have studied the Bible, read books about Him, or have been taught about Him by others. They have knowledge about Him, but have never placed their personal faith in Him. They do not know Him in a personal way. The Gospel they have heard is not "mixed with faith." We must believe in Him, and then the works we do support the confession and reality of the faith we profess. We trust Christ first for salvation and then do what He says out of love, making us want to please Him.
God promised Israel they would enter the Promised Land, but the first generation doubted God’s word and ability to lead them and instead listened to ten spies. They believed the report based on their own abilities and fears, and as a result, that generation did not experience the blessing of God’s promise. Their children did, but they died in the wilderness because of unbelief.
The possibility of failing to enter the rest that God offers is as real as the offer of rest through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s covenant promises still stand. The covenant made with Israel is focused on the Messiah, and when the Lord Jesus Christ comes in glory, the nation will be in its promised land with Jesus reigning as King of kings in Jerusalem.
There is a new covenant (New Testament) that God has made with people of all nations, based on each person's personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. “He that believes on the Son, has everlasting life.” “Him that comes to Me I will in no wise (way or circumstances) cast out.” This promise (covenant) that is “left,” or still remains, applies to people who may neglect or not claim the blessings that are available to them. To the Hebrew Christians, there was the danger of trying to add law-keeping to God’s grace. These are “dead works” that distract from the Lord Jesus and the complete work He accomplished on the cross. Such a person needs to humbly, carefully, and honestly bow before God, search the scriptures, and lay hold of the promises of God by faith.
“Fear” and “rest” are the two things to consider when reading the word of God. If we focus on certain parts of scripture but neglect and ignore others, we will have plenty of reasons to fear. To claim some and hide from others is to deny God’s right to our obedience “mixed with faith.” By nature, we tend to favor what appeals to us, and this one-sided attitude results in neglecting what we need to hear and learn. Holy fear leads to holy living in fellowship with God and His people. That is where our rest and its accompanying joy become real to us.
A believer now has rest and will have it in heaven hereafter. The rest we experience here is the rest God gives—that is Himself. God is our rest. “We rest in Him, our Shield and our Defender.” The Lord Jesus Christ completed the work He was given and entered into His rest. It is in Him that our “restless souls” find peace. We don’t have to wait to start enjoying the rest we have in Christ and all that is His.
The blessings of forgiveness and knowing God accepts us through our Lord Jesus Christ give us rest now. When the Lord comes for His own people, we will enter into a greater and more complete experience of eternal rest. We enjoy our spiritual inheritance now within the limits of where we live, but there we will be free from the hindrances of the world, the flesh, and the devil.