The Believer's Rest

[Gideon300]

Rest. What is it exactly for the Christian? That it matters is plain from God's word: "…For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.........." Hebrews 4: 10 & 11

In the natural realm, we work and then we rest. God also worked 6 days to create the world we live in and all that inhabits the earth. Man was created on the sixth day. The next day, God was resting. Do you imagine that Adam and Eve were working that day of God's rest? It's not clear. However, it seems highly likely that Adam and Eve would be resting also.

Rest comes from obedience, in ceasing from our own works and resting in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Rest is a consequence of faith. In other words, we quit trying and start trusting.

Adam and Eve came into a completed world, with no sin, no sickness, no disease and no death. God gave them a great commission. They did not have to sweat and toil for clothes and food. They needed no clothes as the climate was perfect. They simply took fruit that grew on the trees. The fruit did not grow by striving and straining. It was all provided for them. All they had to do was eat.

All is provided for the believer. We also do not need to work for our salvation. Jesus secured the salvation so great that even we cannot mess it up. We need to enter into it. And this is where it gets difficult.

God has good works prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). So rest is not sitting around doing nothing or whatever we please. It is obeying God, walking in the Spirit and bearing fruit. When we live in this way, life's problems (and there will be many still) become much easier to bear.

We will examine what comes after "rest" in another post.

 

[shittim]

Thank you and bless you, brother!

 

[GWH]

Rest. What is it exactly for the Christian? That it matters is plain from God's word: "…For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.........." Hebrews 4: 10 & 11

In the natural realm, we work and then we rest. God also worked 6 days to create the world we live in and all that inhabits the earth. Man was created on the sixth day. The next day, God was resting. Do you imagine that Adam and Eve were working that day of God's rest? It's not clear. However, it seems highly likely that Adam and Eve would be resting also.

Rest comes from obedience, in ceasing from our own works and resting in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Rest is a consequence of faith. In other words, we quit trying and start trusting.

Adam and Eve came into a completed world, with no sin, no sickness, no disease and no death. God gave them a great commission. They did not have to sweat and toil for clothes and food. They needed no clothes as the climate was perfect. They simply took fruit that grew on the trees. The fruit did not grow by striving and straining. It was all provided for them. All they had to do was eat.

All is provided for the believer. We also do not need to work for our salvation. Jesus secured the salvation so great that even we cannot mess it up. We need to enter into it. And this is where it gets difficult.

God has good works prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). So rest is not sitting around doing nothing or whatever we please. It is obeying God, walking in the Spirit and bearing fruit. When we live in this way, life's problems (and there will be many still) become much easier to bear.

We will examine what comes after "rest" in another post.

Yes, Jesus refers to his rest for souls as a light yoke and easy burden in Matthew 11:28-30.
The effort is as easy as an act of faith or will to love him = believe in him as the incarnate Lord/Son of Man (Matt. 12:8).

 

[God-fearing]

How does the rest found in Genesis compare to the rest found in Paul's writtings?

 

[Eli1]

Thank you for for another beautiful post @Gideon300 .

 

[homwardbound]

Rest. What is it exactly for the Christian? That it matters is plain from God's word: "…For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.........." Hebrews 4: 10 & 11

In the natural realm, we work and then we rest. God also worked 6 days to create the world we live in and all that inhabits the earth. Man was created on the sixth day. The next day, God was resting. Do you imagine that Adam and Eve were working that day of God's rest? It's not clear. However, it seems highly likely that Adam and Eve would be resting also.

Rest comes from obedience, in ceasing from our own works and resting in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Rest is a consequence of faith. In other words, we quit trying and start trusting.

Adam and Eve came into a completed world, with no sin, no sickness, no disease and no death. God gave them a great commission. They did not have to sweat and toil for clothes and food. They needed no clothes as the climate was perfect. They simply took fruit that grew on the trees. The fruit did not grow by striving and straining. It was all provided for them. All they had to do was eat.

All is provided for the believer. We also do not need to work for our salvation. Jesus secured the salvation so great that even we cannot mess it up. We need to enter into it. And this is where it gets difficult.

God has good works prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). So rest is not sitting around doing nothing or whatever we please. It is obeying God, walking in the Spirit and bearing fruit. When we live in this way, life's problems (and there will be many still) become much easier to bear.

We will examine what comes after "rest" in another post.

Thanks, I love the post in truth. I see obedience comes from Faith given me to be obedient to God by God in risen Son, where the work needed to get is done for us all by Son 1 John 2:1-27 to stand in trust Col 1:21-23 by God we are made perfect to love all in the same mercy and truth given us first to do it automatically, not have to think about it anymore'
Thanks as we each and all continue to grow new in this new life given us in the risen Son for us all
Psalm100:4, 103:12, Ezekiel 36:26

 

[GWH]

Thanks, I love the post in truth. I see obedience comes from Faith given me to be obedient to God by God in risen Son, where the work needed to get is done for us all by Son 1 John 2:1-27 to stand in trust Col 1:21-23 by God we are made perfect to love all in the same mercy and truth given us first to do it automatically, not have to think about it anymore'
Thanks as we each and all continue to grow new in this new life given us in the risen Son for us all
Psalm100:4, 103:12, Ezekiel 36:26

Yes, love for God makes cooperation with Him joyous rather than onerous.

 

[homwardbound]

Yes, love for God makes cooperation with Him joyous rather than onerous.

Thank you, for seeing, this truth from God to us all, I am over joyed in this love for God too, by responding, not creating

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

So rest is not sitting around doing nothing or whatever we please. It is obeying God, walking in the Spirit and bearing fruit. When we live in this way, life's problems (and there will be many still) become much easier to bear.

I can testify to this that walking in the Spirit empowers a Christian to obey God and bear fruit!

I used to struggle to try to keep up with what God wanted, but I didn't fully understand yet what God was talking about in the Bible regarding walking the Spirit.

But God laid it on my heart as I studied what He said in the Bible to trust Him and let Him work to conform me to Jesus, not resisting any good changes. So I finally put my trust in Him and OH MY GOSH! Obeying God through the Holy Spirit was so much easier. I was flabbergasted!

I wish I had learned that from the start. God is AMAZING!

 

[Cameron143]

How does the rest found in Genesis compare to the rest found in Paul's writtings?

It's the same: it's Christ...Matthew 11:28-20.

 

[Gideon300]

Thank you for for another beautiful post @Gideon300 .

I've been distracted by events in the world and getting over involved in unnecessary disputes about doctrine. It's time to get back on something more edifying and more encouraging. I appreciate the positive comments, it encourages me in my walk with Jesus.

 

[Gideon300]

How does the rest found in Genesis compare to the rest found in Paul's writtings?

It's the same. God rested from His work of creation. Jesus finished the work required for the new creation, spiritual, not physical. What did Adam have to do with the natural creation? And what do believers have to do with the new creation? God rested because His work was complete. We should enjoy the completed work of Christ.

Imagine being forced to live in a forest, no tools, no, shelter, no water and no food. Then someone offers you a modern home with everything that you need. You could not afford it, but it's a gift. Would you not leave the forest and take move into the home? Too many Christians think that they have to work for what God has provided as a gift. We have no ability to save ourselves, so God has done it all in and through Christ. Move out the "forest" of self effort and move into the great salvation that Jesus has for us.

For sure there is an outworking of that salvation. But we start with the knowledge that it is complete.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is the pattern. You will note that the first three chapters, especially 1 & 2, are expressions of the wonderful salvation that is ours in Christ. The exhortations of how to live in the light of that are found in the last chapters. Too often, preachers gloss over the first 3 chapters and concentrate on behaviour. This is placing demands on people without telling them how to meet those demands.

The vast majority of believers have access to a Bible. If your church is not teaching the foundational truths, study God's word for your self. Ephesians is a good place to start.

 

[Rob7]

It's the same: it's Christ...Matthew 11:28-20.

Amen Brother..

Rest in Genesis:
In Genesis, rest is introduced in the context of God’s creation. After six days of creating the world, God rests on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2–3). This rest is not because God was tired but to establish the Sabbath as a model for humanity. The Sabbath represents a time of physical, mental, and spiritual rest. It’s a day of communion with God, a time set aside to remember His creative power and to rejuvenate spiritually.

It’s not just physical rest, but a spiritual rest that signifies trust in God's work and His creation. This idea of rest is tied to obedience and worship as it helps us reconnect with God’s original intention for humanity—living in harmony with Him and with creation, as it was before The Fall, in Eden.

Rest in Paul's Writings:
In Paul’s letters, the concept of rest takes on a deeper spiritual significance, particularly in the context of salvation. For Paul, rest is not just about a day or physical reprieve but points to resting in Christ—a rest from works-based righteousness. For example, in Romans 4 and Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul stresses that salvation is a free gift from God, not earned through works, which mirrors the spiritual rest described in Genesis but takes it to a deeper level of trust in God's grace.

For Paul, the rest is freedom from legalism and finding peace in God's redemptive work. This ties into the idea that, while Genesis establishes physical rest and Sabbath observance, Paul's teachings focus on spiritual rest, where believers are called to cease from trying to earn salvation by their own efforts and instead accept the grace of God.

These two aspects of rest, can be reconciled, by seeing both the Sabbath rest in Genesis and the spiritual rest found in Paul’s writings as parts of a larger redemptive narrative. The Sabbath rest points to the spiritual rest in Christ. In other words, the physical rest God instituted in Genesis is a symbol of the deeper, spiritual rest Paul speaks about. Both are meant to lead people to trust in God and experience peace with Him.

SO ;

• Genesis introduces rest as a physical, Sabbath rest, symbolic of God's completed work and the harmony He intended for His creation.
• Paul takes the idea further, showing that rest is also found in spiritual freedom, particularly from the burden of earning salvation through works, and it is found in the completed work of Christ.

As a "Reformationist" I encouraging believers to observe the Sabbath ( the seventh day ) as a sign of trust in God, while also embracing the rest in Christ that Paul teaches as a way of entering into God’s salvation and peace.

 

[Suze]

Rest. What is it exactly for the Christian? That it matters is plain from God's word: "…For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.........." Hebrews 4: 10 & 11

In the natural realm, we work and then we rest. God also worked 6 days to create the world we live in and all that inhabits the earth. Man was created on the sixth day. The next day, God was resting. Do you imagine that Adam and Eve were working that day of God's rest? It's not clear. However, it seems highly likely that Adam and Eve would be resting also.

Rest comes from obedience, in ceasing from our own works and resting in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Rest is a consequence of faith. In other words, we quit trying and start trusting.

Adam and Eve came into a completed world, with no sin, no sickness, no disease and no death. God gave them a great commission. They did not have to sweat and toil for clothes and food. They needed no clothes as the climate was perfect. They simply took fruit that grew on the trees. The fruit did not grow by striving and straining. It was all provided for them. All they had to do was eat.

All is provided for the believer. We also do not need to work for our salvation. Jesus secured the salvation so great that even we cannot mess it up. We need to enter into it. And this is where it gets difficult.

God has good works prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). So rest is not sitting around doing nothing or whatever we please. It is obeying God, walking in the Spirit and bearing fruit. When we live in this way, life's problems (and there will be many still) become much easier to bear.

We will examine what comes after "rest" in another post.

Thank you , I hadn't considered that Adam and Eve came into a world where they didn't have to do anything other than b in the garden and pick some fruit to eat and just enjoy being there with God . They were at rest , until they sinned . Isaiah Ch 57 V 20+21 .

 

[Gideon300]

Thank you , I hadn't considered that Adam and Eve came into a world where they didn't have to do anything other than b in the garden and pick some fruit to eat and just enjoy being there with God . They were at rest , until they sinned . Isaiah Ch 57 V 20+21 .

God gave Adam and Eve a commission. It was to subdue the creation and to rule over it. So it was not a life of sitting around around eating grapes while an angel fanned them. However, it was not to be a life of striving and struggle.

Personally, I believe that God wanted Adam to subdue the Serpent, aka Satan. Satan had been cast down from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18) and was confined to the earthly realm. He is called the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). As is all to obvious, Satan instead tempted Adam to disobey God and to enter into the same sin that Satan committed (Isaiah 14:140.

That's why Lord Jesus has to come as Man, even though He was and is God. Lord Jesus is the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). Lord Jesus did everything that God required of Adam. Then He gave us His power and authority to enforce the victory He won over Satan. God's will shall be done. The Man (Jesus) and His wife (The Bride of Christ) will prevail. The plans and purpose of God cannot be thwarted.

 

[seanoflongbeach]

I just created a thread asking about this.

The admin might as well delete it because this answers my question.

 

[homwardbound]

Thank you , I hadn't considered that Adam and Eve came into a world where they didn't have to do anything other than b in the garden and pick some fruit to eat and just enjoy being there with God . They were at rest , until they sinned . Isaiah Ch 57 V 20+21 .

there is to me only the done work that is still being gone for the next person to enter on belief God Father and Son as Won (One) for us all to be in ant at rest in this mess here on earth still working to be in by Hope
When one sees clearly from God, one, anyone will be at rest in the midst of it all, can handle it all. Troubles are not easy, yet can be beneficial in learn g from them to rest in, while in them
Adam and Eve worked the garden, maintained it, yet never saw it as work, until the satin g from the tree of Evil, that acted good and to this day does that spiritually, getting people involved and going after people not involved with them
As only, Daddy, PaPa, Father reveals completed truth to whomever, whenever Dad chooses to, as is being done all over the world. The risen Jesus Son unto Father is the connection. The death was/is the restoration
Thanks Suze, I heard I was to say this, so that evil does not deceive you, not tha tit has, yet is always trying to deceive anyone anywhere
I work, (Not I) God through me in risen Son given me, and am still learning new daily