Faith-Rest

First comes God-consciousness to the soul of every human being. He realizes there must be a designer. As a natural man, he cannot understand God’s plan of grace. The law, history, poetry and prophecy of the Bible confuse him. If, at God-consciousness, he desires to know more, God makes the gospel known to him. Upon receiving and believing the gospel (the good news that Jesus has paid the penalty for his sins and that salvation is free by merely receiving it) he becomes a new creation: child of God. IN CHRIST. He now has the Holy Spirit indwelling and can comprehend the Word of God.

The believer who truly wants to know God will seek to understand God’s Word. That is the only way to grow up in grace, but we need help. The Holy Spirit is here to help us. In the Church age, we have the completed canon of scripture, so the whole realm of Bible Doctrine is accessible to us, but we need guidance in learning and categorizing it, for our advancement to maturity and for our testimony in the world. Starting at Genesis and reading through Revelation will give you a “feel” for God’s authority and God’s plan, but there is a system of law, history, poetry, gospels and prophecy. Some of it has direct application to the whole human race, some to the nation Israel, some to the Church, and some is prophecy yet future for the Church and for Israel, and for the earth. God gave us pastor-teachers who are gifted for this service and are trained in the original languages and categories of doctrine. In God’s system, the pastor-teacher is given authority to do that job in the local church. If you reject his authority, you will not learn. If you are praying but not studying, you will not grow. If you are trying to do good works without knowing God’s expectations, you are spinning your wheels. We are instructed to learn God’s Word and pray for understanding.

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32

“but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” I Peter 3:18

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5. Wisdom is knowledge properly applied.

David lived in the age of Israel. The Holy Spirit didn’t universally indwell each believer then, but He did temporarily enable certain Godly believers, for the purpose of understanding and teaching His Word. Some were especially gifted for this knowledge. David was one of them. He was a beloved child of God, a spiritually intuitive poet and also a prophet. His lifelong close fellowship with the Father gave him insight into truths that were not commonly known in Israel. David and a few other similarly spiritual and gifted men had the privilege to learn directly from the Father and the opportunity to share with Israel and with all future believers the wonderful truths of our Lord. They wrote of things they had not seen, but believed, because the Holy Spirit imparted those truths to them. In David’s case, he did experience a great deal of pain and tribulation, like Jesus, as well as the deep, loving fellowship with God that is expressed throughout His Psalms. We in the Church age have seen the prophecies of the Messiah’s first advent be fulfilled, though David and the other prophets who wrote of it did not live to see it. They believed it, however, just as firmly as we believe it, after the fact. They knew these things by faith. Just as we do.

Throughout history, God’s people have identified with Him by faith. He has revealed Himself in His Word to all generations. It is faith in His Word that saves us and sustains us in the devil’s world. When His people maintain trust in His perfect Word, and conduct our lives by it, that is a practice we call “Faith-Rest.” It means we are at rest in the absolute truth of God, Who has promised to provide everything we need in this life and eternity. It means we have Sabbath every day, because God has done all the work, and asks us to simply believe and trust Him.

Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and others practiced Faith-Rest, by trusting in the provision of God for all their needs, even though they didn’t understand their own situations. The Exodus generation spent 40 years in the wilderness because they didn’t trust God to supply all their needs, in spite of all He had miraculously done for them. He continued to provide throughout those 40 years.

Hebrews 4:1-3 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.  For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

“As I swore in My wrath,
They shall not enter My rest,”

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

They were saved people, but they didn’t fully trust God’s promises. They never entered His rest. We must not make that mistake. We have the Word. We have the promises. We know (or are learning) His essence (Sovereignty, Righteousness, Justice, Love, Eternal Life, Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Veracity, Immutability). There is nothing too great for Him, and He loves to bless us.

Memorize His promises. Claim His promises. Rest IN HIM. David did, and he shared that faith with us. We can do it, too.

Psalm 25:4-5

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

For You I wait all the day.