1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian The Sabbath | Page 10

Sunday
Hebrews 4:9-11
9

There remains, then, a Sabbath- rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who
enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us,
therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following
their example of disobedience.
Here we have a clear statement in the New Testament that God wants us to enter our
Sabbath rest. The writer is not just speaking about physical rest every seventh day, but a
spiritual rest in Jesus Christ. We have to realise that we cannot live the Christian life in our
own strength. We need to learn to live by faith in what Jesus has done for us. Central to
the lesson of the Shabbat is the fact that rest comes after God has completed His work
and we experience the benefits of what He has created for us. This was true of Creation.
God complete His work and created a perfect environment for Adam. The first human
beings started from a position of rest because God had done all the necessary work. The
same is true of the Work that Jesus did for us through His death and resurrection. It is all
done. We are able to enjoy the benefits of His work by faith. But if we are to enjoy this
spiritual rest He has provided for us, we have to cease from our own works. Our own
efforts will not cleanse us, they will not make us holy and they certainly will not bring
salvation to us. Jesus has done it all. We have to learn to rest in that fact.
What is the Sabbath dream? What is the goal of this whole concept of REST? It is our joy.
It is our complete contentment and enjoyment of everything our loving Father provides
for us as His children. Isaiah 58:14 says, “. . . then you will find your joy in the Lord. . .” This
is the prize – your joy in the Lord. Finding your joy in the Lord is much better than the
alternative of stress, anxiety, uncertainty and the inability to find rest. Why settle for less
than what God has made available? Why not obey Him, trust Him and enter His rest?