The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Tragedy of Seem"
"No greater tragedy occurs in this world than born again believers failing to avail ourselves of our rest in Christ, the only means possible whereby a life of faithfully walking with our Lord in trust and obedience can be known."
Every born again believer has entered into the spiritual sabbath rest of God, meaning we have "ceased from our own works" in order to trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:10).
"We which hath believed do enter into rest" (Hebrews 4:3).
However, through unbelief, we can appear to have not entered into rest.
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Hebrews 4:1; emphasis added).
Failure to trust God and His Word results in the believer walking in the illusion of "seem" rather than the reality of rest. By definition, all Christians have trusted the Lord Jesus alone for salvation, renouncing all faith in our own efforts, and complete trust in the redeeming work of Christ. Indeed, one cannot be a believer apart from casting one's self wholly and solely upon the grace of the Savior.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5).
Regarding "seem" and illusion, the writer of Hebrews addresses the truth that believers are called to live the Christian life by the same dynamic of grace through faith that began our Christian life. "Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28). The Jewish believers to whom Hebrews is addressed, however, were tempted to return to the law of Moses. This would have nullified their capacity for accessing the power of God to live in the faith and faithfulness possible only through the Lord Jesus. They would have appeared to have not entered into rest, although the truth was that they had in fact done so when they initially trusted Christ. "Seem" and "illusion" would have dominated their existence, a tragedy when considering how near and dynamically present their Lord resided in their hearts and lives. They would have fallen victim to the temptation to "neglect so great salvation" provided through the abiding presence of so great a Savior (Hebrews 2:3).
No greater tragedy occurs in this world than born again believers failing to avail ourselves of our rest in Christ, the only means possible whereby a life of faithfully walking with God in trust and obedience can be known. Our spiritual enemies know this, and ever seek to deceive, distract, and discourage us regarding the complete centrality of God's grace in the Lord Jesus, and our access of such enabling by faith. As in the new birth, we live the Christian life by wholly and solely casting ourselves upon our Savior for the power to think, speak, act, and relate in accordance with God's will. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6). We rest in Him, and then work for Him by working from Him. This is truth. This is reality. This is life, the life of Christ that alone makes possible a life truly lived. Anything else is "illusion" and "seem." Yes, we who believe have entered into rest in Christ. Let us indeed "have grace" that we may avoid the tragedy of appearing not to have done so.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
(Romans 5:1-2)
"Now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."
(Ephesians 5:8)
Weekly Memory Verse
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.
(Romans 15:8)
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