“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:11
Our text this morning took the term “rest” from the book of Numbers 12 to 14; And the “example” is Israel in the wilderness. After escaping slavery in Egypt, the Israelites reached the border of the Promised Land (Canaan). Out of fear and lack of trust in God, they refused to enter, rebelling against him. Because of their unbelief and disobedience, God declared that the adult generation would not enter his “rest” (the Promised Land) and would instead die in the wilderness. They heard God’s promise but didn’t trust him enough to enter the promised land. The bible says rest is available to us, but it takes trust and a willingness to let go of what we’re gripping.
This profound and essential to our inner life in Christ: outward thing, insofar as they are grounds of self-glory and rivals to Christ, must be despised. And until all other things hold less value than knowing Christ, there is no deep rest. True rest is active surrender. This is not talking about peace with God.
The peace with God is given freely at the cross, but the peace of God is deepened daily as everything else is counted loss. We all know the unease of a half-surrendered heart. We know what it is to have peace with God and still be restless inside because we are still clinging to something we will not let go.
Paul had an impressive life of devotion. He listed his résumé, his heritage, his track record, and his moral credit rating!
“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more : circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” Phil 3:4–6
But for the knowing Christ, he said, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” Phil 3:7-8
If you find yourself experiencing an inner restlessness today, take inventory of what you are holding onto. Is there an achievement, a fear, or a desire you have hesitated to surrender?
Entering God’s rest calls for diligence because our hearts cling to self-reliance and mistake our credentials and religious effort for rest. The “unbelief” in our text was refusing to trust God’s word enough to let go of self-effort, and a heart holding a backup plan will always be restless. True rest is active surrender: opening our hands daily and admitting nothing compares to knowing Jesus. Peace with God was secured at Calvary, but the rest of God is entered day by day as we lay down every rival trust and rest in Christ alone.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 1:2
