“Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.

For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest…”        Hebrews 4:1-3

The only rest is the rest we have in God our Saviour. This is not the eternal “rest” of the saints, but the life of faith we receive here and now. The eternal rest follows on from the life of faith and rest, as we live in this world for God.

The rest is offered in this time and space that we inhabit and is freely offered in the message of the gospel. Rest in God had been procured by Christ in His death on the cross so that sinful people can enter His rest and live lives for His glory.

There are those who obey the message and those who disobey. There are those who will never enter the rest in God. Forgiveness and peace with God are for those who believe and they live in God’s rest in this world as well as the next. We must make sure we do not fall short of this.

Jesus Christ has entered His rest and brings rest to all who trust in Him. When Jesus rose from the dead, He entered His eternal rest, since all His labours for the salvation of His people were accomplished. Jesus the Saviour has sat down in the place of authority forever. Those who seek His rest will also enter into that rest with Him.

The Israelite nation from old, rejected their Messiah. They heard the message and rejected it. They heard the good news of salvation through the Messiah, but their evil spirit of disobedience kept them out. The treasure of the message of faith became of no value to them, so they refused God and His provision.

The New Testament Christians who heard and believed were now at peace with God and so now experience this rest.

God now regards those who refuse His rest, in anger, and promises that those who refuse Him will never find that rest. This promise comes from anger against unrepentant sinners. This is not just against the Old Testament unbelievers, but all people who refuse the message.

I pray that the people around me who are in my life, will come, hear and believe…