The Rest! # 1

The Rest! # 1

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).

There was a rest for Adam in Paradise - which he lost by sin.

There was a rest for Israel in Canaan - which many forfeited by unbelief.

There is a rest for the Christian in Christ - which can only be enjoyed by faith.

And there is a rest for all the saints in Heaven - to which we can only be admitted at death.

To one of the last two, the Apostle refers; some think to the former, and some to the latter. We shall consider the words referring to Heaven: our Father's house, our Saviour's home, and our eternal dwelling place!

To the weary and way-worn - there is something delightful in the thought of REST, and they love to think of Heaven as the place where they shall "rest from their labors."

REST gives us the idea of repose - the calm, quiet repose of the soul; refreshment - the refreshment of the exhausted spirit after conflict, sickness, or toil; restoration to vigor - after debility, lassitude, and fainting.

Heaven will be a rest from sin - which will no more grieve us; from sorrow - which will no more trouble and distress us; from fears - which will no more harass and perplex us; and from conflicts - which will no more agitate and suppress us.

It will be a rest with God in His glory, with Jesus in His immediate presence, with saints and holy angels in full perfection and blessedness.

This rest is FUTURE - it remains for the people of God.

This rest is PERFECT - free from all mixture of anything that will agitate, give pain, or cause grief.

This rest is UNINTERRUPTED - nothing will ever occur to disturb, distress, or agitate us more.

This rest is GLORIOUS - as bright as the meridian sun, as balmy as the most pleasing morning, as glowing with holiness, splendor, and majesty.

This rest is ETERNAL - and this is best of all. The possibility of a change, of a return to former scenes - would spoil all. But that rest will be enduring - as changeless as the Divine nature, and as glorious as the Divine perfections.

Blessed be God for such a rest for the weary, suffering, and downcast believer in Jesus! Oh, to keep the eye fixed upon it, and the heart expecting it - amidst all the troubles and trials of time!

This rest is FOR the redeemed people of God. Not for the Jews as such, nor for the Gentiles as such - but for the Lord's people. The people He has chosen for Himself, as says the Apostle, "God has chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

This rest is for the people He claims as His own, being set apart for Himself in His eternal purpose, redeemed to God by the blood of the Son, out of every nation, country, people, and tongue. He claims them by His Holy Spirit in the day of power.

This rest is for the people whom He Himself teaches, as Jesus said, "it is written in the prophets - they shall be all taught of God, everyone therefore that has heard and learned of the Father, comes unto Me." Divine teaching is educating for eternity, and God thus educates all His own people. The people He prepares - for Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Jesus has gone to prepare the place for His people - and the Holy Spirit comes to prepare the people for the place. To this end, He creates them anew in Christ Jesus, and makes them fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

~James Smith~

(continued with # 2)