Guiding Scripture: Hebrews 4:9-10 (NIV)
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.”
The Rest God Has Promised
Jesus, Our Righteousness
Jesus came to fulfil the law (Matthew 5:17). He lived a sinless life and became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, He accomplished what we could never do—He made us righteous before God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This means that we are no longer trying to earn salvation; it has been given to us freely through faith.
Renewing the Mind from Works-Based Faith
Many of us grew up believing that our relationship with God depended on our good behaviour. We were taught that when we performed well, God was pleased, and when we failed, He turned away. But the gospel tells a better story. We are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6), not because of what we’ve done, but because of what Christ has done.
Romans 12:2 urges us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. As we meditate on God’s Word, we learn the truth that sets us free from a performance-based mindset. We come to understand that we are already redeemed, already blessed, already accepted—because of Jesus.
Faith Is the Doorway to Rest
Grace has been provided, but it is accessed through faith. Hebrews 4:2 says that the message did not benefit some because they did not combine it with faith. The promise remains, but it must be mixed with belief.
Do you want to please God? Then walk by faith. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
When we rest in Christ, we stop striving. We stop trying to earn what has already been given. We begin to walk in peace, joy, and confidence, knowing that we are secure in His love.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for finishing the work on my behalf. Help me to stop striving and start resting in Your righteousness. Renew my mind with Your truth and teach me to live from a place of grace. Amen.
No responses yet