Faith Rests - Third Peter

One of the great mysteries of faith is that it works out of a place of rest. This goes back to creation when God rested after he completed his work. (Genesis 2:2-3) We who believe are privileged and required to rest in God’s rest. That is the meaning of the Sabbath, which was an enforced rest from our labor in order to recognize that God is the Creator – Redeemer – Sustainer. God’s rest becomes our experience. We rest and are refreshed in God’s rest.

Rest also comes when our enemies have been defeated. In WWII the American people had no rest until both Germany and Japan capitulated. Until the final mopping up operation over evil, there will be no lasting experience of peace. Peace comes with victory at the expense of the vanquished whose ability to harass and harm has been quashed. Joshua, who was a forerunner of Jesus, led Israel to a partial victory over the Canaanites, giving them a measure of peace which allowed them to occupy the land.

The author of Hebrews informs us that a complete experience of God’s peace and rest is available to us in Christ, who defeated our spiritual enemies when he died on the cross and rose again from the dead.

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. ³ For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS"; ⁵ and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Hebrews 4:1-10 (NASB)

Faith understands and accepts Christ’s complete victory on our behalf. His resurrection sealed his defeat of sin, death, sickness, demons, and Satan. We are not trying to achieve victory. It has already been given to us.

However, in God’s wisdom, the final experience of that victory has been delayed until Christ returns again. The victory has been won already, but it will not be enforced and “finalized” until then.

Our sins are forgiven because Christ already paid for them once and for all time. (Romans 6:10, Hebrews 7:27, and Hebrews 9:26) Our sicknesses and diseases are healed because Jesus already paid the price. (Matthew 8:17 and 1 Peter 2:24) Death is defeated because Jesus died for us and rose again. (Hebrews 2:14-15) Demons and Satan are under our feet because Jesus triumphed over them through his resurrection. (Colossians 2:15 and Luke 10:18-19)

Whereas the Jews celebrate the Sabbath at the end of the work week, Christians celebrate the Lord’s Day in memory of our Lord’s resurrection at the beginning of the week. The Jews rest after working, but Christians begin to work from a place of rest. This is how faith works from a place of rest.

We get “out of rest” when we begin to think that results depend on us instead of God. This is the genesis of legalism.

Legalists try to do what they believe God has not done or is not doing. They believe that they are required to “make it happen.” True faith realizes that God has already completed his work. Now it is up to the Holy Spirit to make it part of our experience. We cooperate in the matter, but always from a place of rest. The work of faith always initiates from a place of rest.

The mystery of faith is that we work while we rest. The Holy Spirit works through us the works of God, while we rest in the finished work of Christ.

Paul described this better than I can.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NASB)

We do not work to attain God’s favor or to help God. We work because we have God’s favor and to prove the sufficiency of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The gospel is a proclamation of Christ’s finished work and his current reign. Jesus went about proclaiming God’s rule that would be released fully at his resurrection.

"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, Luke 4:18 (NASB)

The gospel includes the promise that he will come again to complete what he began. Christ’s Second Coming will be the final installment of God’s great salvation at which time the dead will be raised, all people judged and consigned to their eternal destinies, and Christ installed as God’s permanent King over all creation.

In God’s eyes it is already done. When Jesus announced, “It is finished,” on the cross, it was. (John 19:30) God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10 and Revelation 1:8) and calls into being what is not yet (Romans 4:17). God is not limited by time as we are. He sees us already glorified with Christ (Romans 8:30), even though for us time-bound beings it remains in the future. From God’s perspective, the most real way to see things, our salvation is finished already.