Part 1 – Introduction: “Rest” for the Trusting Christian

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The "At Rest" Christian.

Jesus came to Israel saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST. (Matt. 11:28) Jesus first offered His “rest” to Israel, who then was under “the Law” and under Israel’s corrupt religious leaders (Matt. 23:2-4, 33). God offers rest to all those of all dispensational ages who would only ‘trust in Him.’

Today, many believers cannot or will not… “rest” in Christ. The root of the problem for many believers is in what they’ve been taught and believe concerning their relationship with the Lord. They mostly believe this religious lie …. that You must do good works in order to secure your salvation and to keep in God’s favor.’

Sadly, many of these folks are actually ‘saved’ but they are the ignorant victims of Satan’s religious lie program, saying You must perform to make all the Bible’s promises and precepts work for you.” They ignorantly cling to Israel’s promised blessings under the Law, while ignoring its promised curses;  which says “If you do this and don’t do that, then you will be blessed, but if you fail you will be… cursed(cf. Deut. 28, para.).

Most don’t realize that today Israel is “fallen,” and set-aside (Rom. 11:10-11, 25), that Israel’s program is non-operational during this Gentile age of pure grace. Actually, Israel never abided in His ways except fleetingly. Israel’s program of law and works by itself never brought Rest since His Rest Requires Faith, Trust In God.

Satan’s ongoing religious lie program today is for Christians to try and apply Israel’s works-based program of Law-keeping to grace age believers… even after being saved by grace through faith” in Christ alone. Sadly, these deceived Christians go on trying to apply the Jewish Law/Covenant program to themselves; ignoring the Holy Spirit inspired words of their Apostle, Paul; “…Ye Are Not Under The Law, But Under Grace.” (Rom. 6:14b).

We might better refer to such Christians as unbelieving believers.’ They believe in God, Jesus and His cross, but mostly only historically, not seeing the true worth of the cross for them today. They don’t see or believe Paul’s words concerning the absolute all-sufficiency of the cross, and the Lord’s ever-present care and power in their lives. Thus, they don’t know they are ‘secure’ in a sealed relationship with the Lord (cf. Eph. 1:13b).

Most have either not heard, or don’t believe that the resurrected Christ’s “Spirit of life” lives within them, and that He is their loving, sustaining, empowering, and governing life. They don’t recognize the liberty and ‘rest’ that God has gifted to them under His program of the pure “grace of God” during this age of grace.

“For God so loved the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have (His) everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

 “Being justified FREELY by his GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” (Romans 3:24)

 “For by GRACE are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of GRACE and of the GIFT of righteousness Shall Reign In Life by one, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free GIFT Came Upon All Men Unto Justification of Life.” (Romans 5:17-18) For he that is entered into his (God’s) REST, he also Hath Ceased From His Own Works, as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:10 (KJV)

Yet, most believers today labor under the demands and traditions of man-controlled hierarchical religious organizations that preach or imply law-keeping traditions, so… they fail and feel like failures, condemned. They suffer under a performance-based acceptance systems’ that requires “good works” for salvation and for God’s favor. They cling to Israel’s laws and “promises” that don’t apply to “the church…the body of Christ” today. So, they don’t enjoy the blessed life of rest that is theirs since the day they were saved.

These suffering believers cling to doctrine that includes the keeping of Israel’s religious Laws ofconditional blessing’ that repeatedly says IF thou…” To this, religion adds manmade regulations. Having marginalized Paul, who is uniquely “the (one) Apostle to the Gentiles(Rom. 11:13), they mix some words of Paul’s “gospel of the grace” with Israel’s Law, plus Jesus’ words that were spoken to and only for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). They don’t know or understand the uniqueness of Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God,” and the ongoing grace and power of Jesus’ crosswork in their lives; thus, they miss out on enjoying the inner “peace” and “rest” of such a loving, pure grace relationship (cf. Rom. 15:13, 33).

We as “grace” believers living during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) have already been freely forgiven of our sins and “blessed with ALL spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). Having Christ’s life now ‘In Us,’ we “are complete In Him(Col. 1:10). Now we grow by learning the truth of His Word and living in accord with what we know of Him as He lives His life… through us.  

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ Liveth In Me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith (and faithfulness) of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

The true grace believer has the inner “peace of God.” They ‘rest’ in their unbreakable eternal union with the indwelling “spirit of life of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2a). Genuine grace believers know there’s no need to offer their own pitiful, vain, religious works as additional to Christ’s cross-work.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5)

Paul wrote of Abraham, as ‘the father of all who live ‘by faith in God, saying, “Unto him that Worketh NOT, but Believeth On Him (Trusts In Him) that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is Counted for Righteousness (Rom. 4:5).

Genuine grace believers do not re-crucify Christ afresh as by the Roman Catholic liturgy of ‘the Mass,’ nor participate in its rituals or rites. We have no need to make penance or pass through ‘purgatory’ in order to make a way for us to become accepted to God in heaven. Paul tells us we “are (already) accepted in the beloved.” Neither do we need to make vows or promises to improve ourselves. All these are manmade ideas and contrary to being “saved (and kept saved) by grace through faith... the gift of God, not of works.” (Eph. 2:8-9). We come to the Lord and are accepted ‘just as we are’ through faith “in Christ” alone, trusting in His crosswork for us.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1-2)

The blessedness of a life lived under God’s grace… excludes man’s religious works to try and make one’s self acceptable to God; such works are clearly rejected by God.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by (works of) the law; ye are fallen from grace.(Galatians 5:4)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“… you are not under Law (as slaves), but under grace (as subjects of God's favor and mercy).” (Rom. 6:14b)

“if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless].” (Rom. 11:6 (AMP)

Psalms 1:1-2 says that the man who shuns “the counsel of the ungodly,” and “the way of sinners,but rather “meditates and delights in the law (instruction) of God,” is “blessed.” This “counsel of the ungodly” often came from the ranks of Israel’s ungodly religious leaders. Religion has long been a hindrance to the believer growing in the Lord and enjoying His blessed “rest.” As today, Israel’s prophets spoke lies and their ungodly ministers ruled by their own authority.

“The prophets (of Israel) prophesy falsely, and the priests (of Israel) bear rule by their (own) means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:31).

John the Baptist and Jesus both spoke boldly against Israel’s religious Pharisees and Sadducees concerning the hypocrisy of their manmade teachings and ‘traditions’… used in place of the word of God.”

“But when he (Jesus) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7)

Ye (scribes and Pharisee, v15) serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matt. 23:33)

“But he (Jesus) answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? (Matt. 15:3)

We see this played out again today among so many so-called ‘Christian church organizations,’ groups, and TV preachers, who similarly “wrest (twist) the word of God unto their own destruction.” (cf. 2Peter 3:16).