Rest for the people of God

One of the best ways to discover if someone is under the law is by determining what a person is focused on. If a person is focused on what you are doing or what they have done, then you have your answer; they are under the law. It may not be the Mosaic Law, but it could be the law of their denomination, the law of their religion, or their own personal law they have made up. If a person is focused on God, in Christ, then chances are they are under grace or, at the very least, headed in the right direction. Referring to the Mosaic Law, one of the best quotes I have heard was, "The Law was God's contribution to Man's best effort to be like Him." Basically, the Old Covenant is Man reaching up to God with self-effort to be accepted by Him; i.e Law. The New Covenant is God reaching down to Man through Jesus Christ with love and acceptance; i.e. Grace. Therefore, the question must be asked; "Are you willing enter God's rest?" Hebrews 4:1 says, "Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it." There is no rest when your focus is on you and trying to get your flesh under control. Continuing on, in Hebrews 4: 9-11, we read, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." Do you notice that the ones said to be disobedient are the ones working! The ones who are trying to reach up to God in the energy of their own flesh are the ones being disobedient. Are you willing to die to all self-effort and rest in the saving grace of Jesus Christ? Again, if your focus is on yourself, you are under law and if your focus is on Jesus Christ you are more than likely under grace. For example:

Under Law Man Says:                                                    Under Grace Jesus Says:

Look at what I'm doing for You!                                    Look at what I did for you!
Look at how I went to church.                                        Look at how I went to Calvary.
Look at how I was raised in my denomination.              Look at how I was raised from the dead.
Look at how I gave my money.                                      Look at how I gave My Life.
Look at how I confessed my sins.                                  Look at how I took away your sins.
Look at how I stood against sin.                                     Look at how I died for your sins.
Look at how I judged the lost world.                              Look at how I saved the lost world.
Look at how I marched against evil-doers.                     Look at how I suffered for evil-doers.
Look at how I bowed down to You.                                Look at how I became one of you.
Look at how I healed the sick.                                        Look at how I raised the dead.
Look at how I spoke in tongues.                                     Look at how I spoke in love.
Look at how successful my life was.                              Look at how successful my death was.

The only thing that remains to ask is, "Are you willing to enter into the New Covenant with full assurance of faith?" Hebrews 10:19-23 says, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." That is it; God is faithful. No matter how hard we try and no matter how sincere we are, we cannot live up to the holy and righteous standard of God. We are not faithful. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This is impossible to do no matter how we spin it. He didn't say. "Try to be perfect" or "Give your best effort to be perfect." He said, "Be perfect." He said this in order to bury us and drive home the point that the only way we could be right in the sight of God was through His grace and mercy found through faith in Jesus Christ. Thankfully, in Christ, God is faithful. All we can do is humble ourselves and admit that we can neither save ourselves or maintain our salvation through our works. You must rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf and live your life in thankfulness; confidently entering the Most Holy Place because you are forgiven, alive to God, holy, blameless, sanctified, justified, unconditionally loved, totally accepted, a citizen of heaven, a joint heir with Christ, saved from God's wrath and free from fear. By one act of faith in Jesus Christ, your eyes can now come off of you and what you're doing and placed squarely on Jesus Christ and what He has done. Amen!