LET US LABOR. Hebrews 4:11
The impact of this verse is not that we routinely go about laboring, but rather to be diligent and make every effort to enter into the Sabbath rest that God has provided for those who love Him. This does not mean we are to work as hard as we can to be saved, nor is it a call to earn salvation, but an exhortation to believers in Christ. Instead of following the example of the Israelites in the wilderness, we are challenged to enter into the rest that salvation brings by faith in God. Our Lord Jesus Christ has provided that rest, but we need to make every effort to take for ourselves what God has provided. Never take these things for granted. Everything God has provided requires a decision and commitment on our part. Do we live complacently from day to day, or do we daily take up the cross and follow our Lord Jesus Christ?
Giving diligence to a matter is the opposite of not giving “earnest heed,” or “neglecting” what we have been given. Apathy, complacency, laziness, and a nonchalant attitude toward the things of God will keep us from the rest of the soul that God’s grace has provided. “Earnest care” and “godly sorrow” are attitudes that benefit God’s people. The idea behind this phrase is like being aroused from a state of lethargy or a dream-like drowsiness that deceives us and gives our enemies the opportunity to take advantage of us in our stupor.
The “rest” here is spiritual—a divine gift given to those who are diligent in their pursuit of God. Believers tend to sin as long as we remain in this body of sinful flesh, but we are kept in this “rest” from falling away. The example of unbelief (disobedience) describes those who are not saved. We cannot walk with the Lord “holding faith and a good conscience” when we are not holding fast to the boldness of faith. If our hearts become hardened, we need to take heed and ensure that we are truly born again.
When we have died with Christ, been raised to walk in newness of life, and are seated with Christ in heavenly places, we need to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth. To know what the scriptures teach does not mean a person knows “the true God and Jesus Christ.”
When a child of God firmly resolves to enter into this rest, their whole heart is moved “today” to trust the Lord Jesus, cease from self-efforts, and through faith and patience, claim the rest and blessings that come from bearing His yoke. Meekness, which is power under control, lowliness of mind, and spiritual understanding, makes this a positive step and a reality we can claim and live in —the good of this perpetual Sabbath rest.