Believe and rest.

Church,

Many take pride in themselves because of what they do. They see themselves valuable because of what they can do today. Yet, it is only when they’ve reach the end of themselves, that they know for sure that after all is said and done, Christ alone remains.

Only a few boasts in the work of God in Christ, the work as testified by the gospel. Only a handful.

When a group of individuals had asked Christ,

““What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”” (John 6:28-29)

My friends, since Jesus had said that God loves you, trust his word and not your capacity to attempt buying or securing God’s love. I once was there myself. And it was very burdensome. Some of you are still there today by doing what you’ve seen others done in the past.

Yet, as Paul had once said by grace to the Christians at Rome,

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” (Romans 5:15)

Rejoice that the gift doesn’t subject us to hopelessness, but to eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Anxiety causes restlessness.

But the joy that rises from the gospel causes one to enjoy eternal rest.

Believe and rest, because God loves us even before we had even heard about Him. He loves us before we were even conceived in the womb.

Believe in the love of God, Christ Jesus, not for the material things we would covet of others for they come and go. Believe in the love of God, Christ Jesus, for the things that His Spirit serve us daily, the things that came and stayed in us: His peace, His adoption of us, His rest.

Many believe that Jesus died on a cross. Yet, only a handful believes that he rose again from the grave. The difference is that if we believe that Jesus only died then the only thing left to celebrate is how well the schemes of man work. But if we believe that He died and rose again then we get to celebrate the power of God who lowers and lifts up. We are not of those who only believe that He died, but of those who believe and know that He rose again just as well because of the Spirit who makes his residence within us.

And as Paul has sought to reassure us,

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:11)

Believe and rest in Christ alone.