Rest in Christ

There is rest in Christ! If God says it then surely he means it!

God promised Abraham that He would give to his descendants the land of Canaan.

Sometimes because of their sin and unbelief, the fulfilment of this promise was delayed. But the day came when they entered the land.

Friends, God’s promises never fail even though our sin may delay the fulfilment of them.

‘And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.’

Friends, GOD IS FAITHFUL ‘for He is faithful that promised’!

‘There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.’

If God has promised, He’ll do for us just as He did for the children of Israel.

When they fully trusted God, putting aside their doubts and fears, the promise was fulfilled and they entered into that place of rest.

Friends, there’s rest to be found in Christ. He’s the fulfilment of that Sabbath rest and if we don’t enter into it it’s not because of His unfaithfulness – never!! It’s because of our doubts and fears.

‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with (or rest in) God through our Lord Jesus Christ:’

(This Greek word translated here as peace is translated in other parts of the NT as rest!)

What about when they had entered the promised land? There were still pockets of Canaanites in the land that they by God’s help were to drive out over time.

This is where things began to go wrong. They didn’t drive them out, in fact they started to copy some of their ways. They became influenced by them and their gods and the evil of other nations surrounding them. Then God left them to their sins and they lost that rest.

When they returned to God, rest returned and He helped them to win any battles. When they turned from God to the idols they were surrounded by, He also turned His face from them and left them to be overcome by their enemies.

‘If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’

Friends, there’s rest in Christ if we’ll just believe it and lean into it.

Has He not said ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’

They had peace and rest in the land all the while they rested and trusted in God and His sufficiency!

There’s peace in Christ if we keep our eyes of faith fixed on Him and don’t go after the gods and distractions of this life.

Friend, if you’re a true believer you already have this place of rest in Christ, you are IN Him and He in you, all that remains is for you to constantly lean into that!

Lean into the fact that Christ is enough.

Lean into the truth that He is faithful.

Lean into the fact that all you need – Christ – is IN you, always ready to help you.

Lean into and rest in that abiding place you have in Christ Jesus!

Jesus said ‘I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.’

Do you believe it? Will you rest in it?

Trust in Him to drive out the enemies and rest in His sufficiency for each battle you face!

REST IN HIM!

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Josh 21:43, Heb 10:23, 2Tim 2:13, Heb 13:5, John 14:20, Rom 5:1.