I mentioned to a friend yesterday that I would be writing my blog this morning, and he recalled the blog I wrote last year commemorating Labor Day. He said it was the first of my blogs he had read, and it kept him coming back. I have to admit, I didn’t recall what I had written, but his comment peaked my interest, so I went back and re-read it. Consequently I’ve decided to repost it. In the spirit of the holiday, I will take this day of rest too.
In 1894 Congress set aside the first Monday in September as a time to celebrate the contribution of American workers to the strength, prosperity and well-being of this great country. It was proclaimed “Labor Day”, and originally constituted a “day off”, or a “day of rest” for the workers. So in that spirit, “Happy Labor Day” to one and all, and I hope you enjoy your day of rest with your friends and family.
Since today is about experiencing rest from our labor, I would like to carry that theme into today’s posting and talk about God’s place of rest. Joshua 1:13 tells us, “Remember the word that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, saying, “The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.” The “rest” promised to the Israelites was the land of Canaan. That was their destination; their “Promised Land.” Had they continued to live in accordance with God’s will, their work and effort would have come to an end and they would have experienced rest, peace and prosperity as they communed with God.
However that was not the case. Rather than being obedient to their God who was leading them through the wilderness and displaying miracle after miracle, they continued to live in doubt and fear. Remember, God had already promised them the land of Canaan. All they had to do was go in and take it. But their fear was greater than their faith.
Now if we fast forward to the New Testament, that story is referenced when the author of Hebrews writes in 3:15, “Today you must listen to his voice. Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled.” Since those who first heard the message were disobedient and did not reach their destination, God set another time for entering his place of “rest”, and that time, according to the psalmist David, is “today”. (Note the fore-shadowing of the New Covenant. The Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land. All they had to do to receive their blessing (or gift) was to be obedient and trust God that he would bless them and lead them home.
WHAT IS OUR PLACE OF REST TODAY?
As followers of Jesus Christ, God invites us to join him in his place of rest. You see…God’s plan for our salvation is perfect. He knew that we could never achieve his standard of perfection through our own effort. History would, and has, proven that. But today we can enter our place of rest, not by our own effort, but by accepting God’s gift to us. And this is a Gift of Grace because we did nothing to earn it, and we were certainly not worthy of it. But this gift is from a loving father who wants an eternal relationship with his children. As followers of Jesus, we are “heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm” (Ephesians 1) and all the promises in the Bible. Now it’s no longer about our work and effort, but about our faith in the finished work of Jesus.
The Promised Land the Israelites were seeking was described as a fertile land, a land where their crops and livestock would flourish. To them it was a land of milk and honey; a land that would fulfill their dreams. As Christ-followers, we are also looking forward to our Promised Land (Heaven), and we too are expecting paradise. But the wonderful truth of being in Christ is…we don’t have to wait until we die to begin experiencing God’s kingdom! His Kingdom has come to those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are a new creation in Christ, so we can begin experiencing a new life right here, right now…even in this fallen world.
WHO IS THIS NEW PERSON?
Perhaps the most unsung benefit of this new life is the “rest”, or peace and serenity that results. Apostle Paul clearly portrays the confusion, strife and hopelessness found in a life directed by our sinful nature. In Galatians 5:19-21, he states: “…your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, contempt, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Now contrast that with a new life directed by the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. This is a life that produces, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 1Corinthians 14:33 confirms this: “God is not a God of disorder, but of peace”.
As we begin to see the truth of God’s word manifested in our lives, the more our faith grows and the more we mature as Christ-followers. It doesn’t take long to realize that the peace and serenity we are now experiencing is what we have always wanted, but unfortunately we had been looking for answers in all the wrong places. For instance, conforming to the patterns of this world is clearly not the answer, because the harder we try to fill that “hole in our soul” with worldly “things”, the more we sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of hopelessness. While we may find the temporary “fix” we are seeking, there is only one eternal answer that fills our need. And that answer is Jesus Christ.
The source of our “rest” comes from knowing who we are in Christ. Our new identity tells us we can stop working for His approval. We are now his “masterpiece.” (Ephesians 2:10) Accepting his Gift of Grace is our ultimate display of trust in God, and because of that choice we can now come boldly into His presence. Romans 8:1 tell us, “There is NO condemnation for those in Christ”. Therefore we have confident assurance we will eventually enter our Promised Land, BUT we can begin living the abundant life right here, right now because we are sin-free; worthy and acceptable to God; we are adopted into his family; and made the righteousness of Christ because of His work at the cross…not because of anything we did.
So the good news for us today is…if you are in Christ, you’re IN! Think about that today as we celebrate Labor Day…our day of rest.
My question to you today is, “Are you experiencing the peace and serenity that comes from your new identity”
May God Bless you, and feel free to respond to this post, and please “like” it and share it with other social media friends.
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
Leave a Comment