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Hebrews 4:9-13

⁹ So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, ¹⁰ for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. ¹¹ Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This text has two things that, at first glance, don’t seem to go together – striving and rest. Striving is effort. Striving means that you work hard because you aren’t sure if you are going to make it. That’s why you strive. And rest? Well, rest is rest. It’s the opposite of striving. Typically, striving and rest only go together when the later follows the former. People strive so they can go home and rest for the evening or the weekend, or they work for decades so that eventually they can retire and rest. But that is only how things are in this fallen world.

Christians rest from their works just as God did from His. Genesis 1-2 records how God created all things. Each day of creation follows a pattern. God spoke and created light, and there was evening and morning day one. God spoke and created the sky, and there was evening and morning day two. God spoke and created land, seas, and plants, and there was evening and morning day three. God spoke and created the sun, moon, and stars, and there was evening and morning day four. God spoke and created birds and fish, and there was evening and morning day five. God spoke and created animals and people, and there was evening and morning day six. The pattern breaks there. But Scripture does tell us about the seventh day.

Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.” Notice that two things are missing. First, God doesn’t speak. God is silent on the seventh day because He is done creating. And second, there is no mention of evening and morning. In the text, the seventh day, the holy day of rest, doesn’t end.

God rested from His work. God didn’t rest because He was tired. He rested because everything was completed. The beautiful thing that happens here in Hebrews is the declaration that you, Christian, enter into the same eternal, holy Sabbath rest that God had on that seventh day (Heb. 4:10). But what works do you rest from?

There are two options. Some might suggest that it is the work you have to do while living in a fallen world. But that rest only comes after you die, and you only have to go back to Heb. 4:3 to see that the Scriptures say believers have already now entered into God’s rest. So, it can’t be the rest that comes only after death. Instead believer, you rest from the work of self-justification and self-salvation (Ro. 3:20 and Eph 2:9).

Christian, you have entered into the rest of God. You find your rest as you simply allow God’s Word to do its work in your heart as it pierces to the division of soul and spirit and discerns the thoughts and intentions of your heart. That Word of God convicts you of your sin revealing that your thoughts, words, and deeds are sinful in God’s sight. And that same Word invites you to faith in Christ who says, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” or better translated, “I will rest you” Mt. 11:28).

Now, none of this is to say that Christian life is easy. No, the Christian life is hard work and full of danger. We all need to realize that we could stumble and fall away from the faith. In fact, that is what the first eight verses of Hebrews 4 warn us about. God’s people, the Israelites, did not enter the rest of the Promised Land because they did not believe God. They fell away. They were the soil on the path, the rocky soil, and the thorny soil (Lk. 8:4-15). They failed to enter into God’s rest. Scripture is very clear about the dangers of falling away.

We need to hold fast, keep our eyes on Jesus, and not stray away. That is striving. But that striving is only possible because of the rest that has already been won for us. It is a rest that has already been given by God. So, the Christian life can be a restful striving.

Your rest has already been won by Jesus. Jesus came into the world to do the work that you and I could not do. He came to battle against sin, death, and the devil. Jesus’ faithful striving led Him to the cross where He endured the wrath of God because of our sin. Jesus faithfully walked all the way to the cross for you. And on a Friday, the sixth day from the cross, Jesus cried out as He died, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). His striving for your salvation was done. Jesus was laid to rest in a tomb on the Sabbath, the seventh day because all His work to redeem you was complete. And Christ rises on the first day of the week, the first day of the new creation.

Now, Jesus is ascended to His and your heavenly Father. So when you strive, you do it with Jesus on your side. Jesus knows your weaknesses and fears. And because of His work, He pours out His forgiveness every moment of every day. The rest He won and purchased for you is guaranteed, perfect, and stored up for you ready to be revealed at the Last Day (1 Pet. 1:5). You can rest because of Jesus.

Bella, today you are Baptized. Today, you have been joined to Jesus your Savior (Ro. 6:3-11) and have been clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27). That means, dear Bella, that today you have entered into your rest with God. Jesus has done absolutely, positively everything that needed to be done for your salvation. You are wholly and completely given over into holy rest.

Bella, and all you saints, because you and I are always tempted to think there is something left for us to do to be saved, God desires that you continue to be pointed to the holy, eternal rest that Christ has given you. Here, assembled in God’s presence with your brothers and sisters in Christ, God reminds you of the holy rest you have now. There is nothing left for you to do. Every time you come here, you receive that rest by listening to God’s life-giving Word and letting that Word do God’s work in you.

That is why we use our liturgy. It is one of the best ways to deliver the holy rest that comes only through God’s Word. We enter God’s presence by hearing His Word and singing His praise. We confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. We hear His Word and confess our faith that is taught in that Word. We receive instruction from that Word and pray to Him as His beloved children. We are fed Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And we receive His blessing and benediction as we depart so we can carry that blessing with us through the week.

Bella, and all you saints, keep listening to the Word faithfully and diligently as it is preached and enacted in the service because your present access to God’s eternal, holy rest depends upon that Word. And that Word will never fail you. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.