Resting

December 22, 2016

Devotions:

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:9-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        What is the rest for the people of God? It is that God has ceased from His works.  He has completed what He set out to do in His creation.  Even though it looked like Satan had side tracked God's plan for his man, God continued to see it as a finished works.  Jesus was crucified from the foundation of the world.  So when Adam sinned God did not get all anxious or upset that His plan for His creation was spoiled but He stayed in rest.  He looked forward to the solution, the cross of Jesus.

        Even so we must continuously look to the finished work of Jesus on the cross which is the fullness of our salvation.  In looking at the cross we see no room for human work to finish what Jesus and the Father did.  So we operate out of a finished work of God where He is totally satisfied with those who are born again because we are in Jesus, not because of our works.  With our starting point of salvation the completed works of Jesus on the cross then we demonstrate the good works that God has preordained for us to do.  These are love works that come out of our fellowship with Him.  Before the cross mankind had a limited understanding of the love of God and thus had a limited love for God and His fellow man.  The more we understand God's complete salvation for us through Jesus the more we fall in love with Him and the more we want to do for Him out of our love for Him and His love for us. We then have no fear of punishment because Jesus bore all our punishment on the cross.  It is in beholding and knowing God's love for us that establishes us and sets us free from sin.

        Keep your focus on Jesus and His finished work on your behalf.