If we were to describe our life here and our life in the state to come, we would say without doubt that here, it is a life of service, and there a life of recompense. It is doubtful that due to the providential disposal of our lot anyone has missed the life of toil and service, except a privileged few. Paul when looking to his earthly life says he was occupied “. . . in labours, in watchings, in fastings;” (2 Cor. 6:5). He was not exempt from the drudgery of the way by privileged position. John speaks of future days: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from now on. ’ Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labour; for their deeds will follow them.’ ”(Rev 14:13)
No matter how holy, righteous and necessary our works here, there is a tendency to wish for the ultimate rest. Paul’s task was to plant churches, raise dead souls to new life, release the captives of darkness and set free the oppressed. But he looked and stretched for that future day when he would lay down his crown at Jesus’ feet and enter the final rest of God. “There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.”
The context is this; God has set forth and instituted a day of rest in commemoration of his rest from creation. Years later he declared to his chosen people a rest through Joshua who would lead them into victory and settlement in the Promised Land. Both these rests were typical and pointing forward to a Sabbath rest in heaven. There is yet, therefore, an eternal Sabbath to dawn upon us.
This rest was for, and only for the “the people of God.” God’s mercy is for everyone, “for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust,”(Matt 5:45). but his rest is only for blood-washed kingdom people. As we read Christ’s admonition in his mountain-side teaching we see he localised his offer of life to the “poor in spirit”(Mat 5:3) those who mourn for sin and those who were amazingly meek. It is their inheritance; it is the valid title deed for the “pure in heart.”(Matt 5:8).
Who then are the ‘people of God?’ They are those with whom Moses desired fellowship: “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;” (Heb 11:25-26). Moses was marked out by his love for the brethren, and his sacrificial life revealed that. His deportment was consistent with someone who eschewed the environment of privilege in Pharaoh’s court. We do not read of any particular ‘pleasures of sin’ he adopted, but sufficient that his lifestyle lay itself open to possible misdirection and compromise. He rejected those of ungodly association and chose poor slaves; the lowest of that society. It is evident he was part of that august company called ‘the people of God.’
Those people are marked out as significantly exclusive, Peter describes them like this; we are now “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.”(1 Peter 2:9) Designated and honoured as such so that we can “show forth his praise of him who has called [us] out of darkness into his own marvelous light.”(same source as last time). A ruined race, outcasts of paradise, redeemed unto eternity. Christ stooped to lift us up, he bled to heal our wounds, he died that we might never die, and he suffered that we might reign. Our appreciation is endless.
Lastly, “for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”(Phil 3:3) That’s it, we worship in the Spirit; there is no other way to worship. The people of God glory in Jesus Christ, and praise him above all things. His living word instructs, his promises support, his priesthood intercedes, his kingship overrules and his governance provides wisdom. Thus we have no confidence in the flesh, for flesh fails and betrays us, it spots our white garments, it restrains prayer, it clogs the river of God and it clips the wings of aspiration.
There are many forms of rest; rest from the daily toils, rest from the anxiety of duty, rest from the sorrows of painful suffering and rest from a seared conscience unable to forgive. Whichever and whatever, their number is legion. But one day we will shake them all off like autumn leaves blown by a gentle breeze, and finally we will be free from temptation and conflict. Erstwhile we await our final transformation; we walk diligently according to the signposts of God.
