Turn to the book of Hebrews again,
chapter 3. Of course, I will not read those
two chapters again. I read those last week. Hebrews chapter 3 and 4. What is rest? The word literally means to stop
activity and repose. To relax. But it is to relax
primarily, it is to repose, it is to relax because work is done. It's not to be confused with
laziness. It's not to be confused with
being tired. It is to stop activity and repose. This principle holds true concerning
God's rest. That's the title of my message,
God's Rest. Last week I looked at unbelief
exposed. And remember this, unbelief excludes
from God's rest. Isn't that what this says? God said, I swear in my wrath,
they shall not enter therein. But, but, one of the greatest
words ever written in scripture. But, According to this passage,
it says this, there remaineth therefore a rest to the people
of God. In spite of man's constant and
incessant unbelief. In spite of man's constant and
incessant rebellion against the promises of God, there therefore
remaineth a rest for somebody, and they're described here as
the people of God. Now somebody says, what chapter
and verse is that in? Look it up for yourself. I often find that we preachers
are always trying to give chapter and verse. There is no doubt
that chapters and verse division have been a great help in finding
scripture. But remember, as they were written,
there were no chapters and verses. And when these men quoted other
writings, you had, if you wanted to find it, guess what you had
to do, Mack? You had to spend forth a little
effort and go look it up. Today, it's almost as if everybody
thinks the preacher's supposed to do all the work and then We
just come and listen and everything's fine. Tell me where it's at.
Quote the scripture. Sometimes it won't be a quoting
of scripture. Sometimes it will be referring
to what the scripture says. Be that as it may. That's just
a little side note. There remaineth therefore a rest
to the people of God. And of course the necessary question
is, and who are the people of God? Right? And we can look at it from a
purely technical aspect and say this epistle was written to Hebrews. And it was. That's what it says. Hebrews. Written to Jewish people. people that are of the Jewish
or Hebrew or later called Jewish ancestry. But it's clear from
chapter 3 that the writer here is not simply talking to people
who are Hebrews, he's talking to people who are Hebrews that's
been called out of darkness and into the light of Jesus Christ.
Paul was clear in Romans 9, they are not all Israel which are
of Israel. Who are the people of God? It's
not just being a Jew. That's certainly true. But let
me ask, are the people of God those that were predestinated
and elected? Yes. That's certainly true. And you know that I would not
in any way, God forbid, that I would in any way try to lessen
that truth. Sure, the people of God are those
that God predestinated to be unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ, and the people of God are those that He chose
in Christ before the foundation of the world. Sure, that's true,
but it's more than that specifically here. It's more than that. It says this, for we which have
believed do enter into rest. That's what it says. Believe.
Right? For we which have believed, do,
not might, not shall, but do. It's an active, ongoing, entering. That seems to sound contradictory,
but it's an active, ongoing, entering into this rest. But here's another question.
Believe what? Believe who? According to chapter
four, it's believe the gospel. Let us therefore fear lest a
promise being left of entering into his rest, any of you should
seem to come short of it. The very people he's talking
to here. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto
them, that is those unbelievers that were excluded from the rest. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we
which have believed do enter into rest." You can boast all
day long in predestination and election, but if you don't believe,
you've got no right to think you've entered into rest. You
don't enter into rest by predestination and election. You enter into
rest by believing. That's what this teaches. Those
who were predestinated were. Those who were elected don't
just wake up one day and rest. They don't just have some religious
experience and then rest. They believe. and they believe
the gospel. Now I read several commentaries. Forgive me of that. I basically usually read commentaries
to find out or to at least look for other references that I'm
not aware of concerning a certain text. Do you understand what
I'm saying? It is amazing, especially in more modern day commentaries,
how much error is preached concerning these two chapters. Talk about
rest, they talk about heaven. This ain't talking about heaven.
This is talking about now. Now. And I'm not even going to
say, well, it might could even include. This is talking about
now. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider when? When we get to heaven?
No. Consider when? Consider now,
the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
Why? Because now, while it's called
today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in
the provocation. If you think what it's going
to be is I'll wait to the end and find out if I'm going to
enter that rest, you are not in that rest. You're not in that
rest. Now listen to me. One of you
asked me several, a few months ago, why is it that some of our
brethren emphasize gospel instrumentality so much? I can't answer that
for them. You'd have to ask them. that
question. But I will tell you why I emphasize
it so much and we'll make it a point now to emphasize it so
much because it is absolutely essential. It is vital. You will either hear and believe
the gospel preached or you will not enter into rest. And I'm not here to argue on
some certain points where some men may or may not be wrong or
right. I've done that before. I've exercised myself in that
folly before toward you and probably skewed some of you in the wrong
direction because I got sidetracked on one point or another trying
to prove what I felt ought to be proved. This is one truth. And Joe and I have both been
expressing it for months now. God will send another sinner
to you to preach the gospel to you, or you will never, ever
enter rest. That's right. Because I don't
care if you read the Bible yourself, and God Almighty gives you life
by His Spirit, and you read this Bible yourself, and God Almighty
reveals Christ to you. If you read this Bible, you are
getting the truth through a man. That's exactly right. A man wrote
this letter. Well, I read mine in Matthew
chapter 4 verse whatever. Who wrote Matthew? Matthew did.
Well, I believe what Moses wrote. He wrote of Christ. That's exactly
right. Who wrote it? Moses wrote it.
This is God's ordained way. And don't look to Moses because
you ain't Moses. Don't look to Abraham. You ain't
Abraham. You are you. And it pleased God
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. One
preacher, one commentary, and it's more of a Greek commentary
on, you know, specific Greek words, but it's a commentary.
And he got to chapter 4 verse 2 and said, we really can't say
the gospel was preached to them. And I read it and I thought,
What? But let me tell you, oh, he made
all his arguments from the Greek words. What does this say? And
I checked the Greek to see. It says what it says. For unto
us was the gospel preached. For unto us was the good news
announced, as well as unto them, but the word preached. did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard
it. Those people back yonder heard the gospel, just like we
hear the gospel today, and it was preached to them. What Moses
wrote down was what he was telling the people. It was what he was
preaching to the people. As a matter of fact, Moses wrote
down what Abraham did, and Christ said of Abraham, Abraham saw
my day, and he rejoiced in it, and he was glad. There are people who actually
believe, Old Testament saints, yeah, they interdressed by believing,
but we really can't say what they believed on this. They believe
in God. No. They believed in the promise
of the coming Messiah. That's what it was all about.
That's what Adam believed. That's what Eve believed. That's
what Abel believed. That's what every believer has
believed, that God Almighty is true to His messianic promise. believe the gospel. Some must
enter therein. It says that too, doesn't it?
Some must. Why? Because God said so. Because
the works, when it comes to this rest, the works were finished
from the foundation of the world. We'll look at that, God willing,
here a little more in a moment. But some, it says, must enter
therein. And believers do enter, thus,
believers are those Who must enter? They were ordained to
enter. Who? Believers. We get hung up
on, but I want to say elect. Don't say elect. Say believers.
Say believers. What was the king that signed
the decree for the Israelites to leave Babylon? Which one was it? No. Cyrus no he might be Anyway,
there's one of them back there, and he'll he said he's my chosen
servant There was an election that didn't do him any good spiritually
did Huh, what am I saying? I am being playing with words
what I'm saying you don't rest in election you rest in Christ You don't rest in predestination,
you rest in Jesus Christ. You don't believe in predestination
and election, you believe Christ. I figure there's going to be
many that have very little idea of what the profundity of election
and predestination really means, but they believe Christ. They've
entered into rest, and there's others who could probably tell
you that doctrine far more adequately than I can, and yet they don't
know Jesus Christ. They've not entered into rest. Now someone may say, if you read
the commentaries, they indicate this, as I've said before, they'll
talk about heaven, rest. Or maybe both, it's kind of both,
now and then. But there's one thing here, true.
Wherefore, holy brethren, because of what I've just written to
you, partakers of the heavenly calling consider the apostle
and high priest of our profession, and then he says it, who? Christ
Jesus. And then he sums up chapter four
with seeing them, we have a great high priest. So everything back
in between those two statements is dealing with who? Jesus Christ
as the apostle, the one sent, and the high priest, the one
who goes to God for me. The apostle is one sent, specifically
for the blessing of a people. And a high priest is one who
goes to God for a people. And he's the apostle and high
priest of our profession. Everything in this is about Jesus
Christ. Because there are some who say,
well, it doesn't say here Jesus Christ is our rest. No, it doesn't
say it in those words, but it teaches it all throughout these
two chapters. Just like one fellow said, he
said, well, the Bible nowhere says we're saved by grace alone.
And as Don Fortner says, you're right. He's right. It doesn't
say we're saved by grace alone. It teaches it everywhere. Now, men say, but if it just
said it that way, you still wouldn't believe it. I mean, I was talking
to a fellow the other day about Judas. He just came up in the
conversation that we were having about religion. And I told him
that even Christ said he knew who believed not and from the
beginning who would betray him and that Judas even had a devil
from the beginning. And then he turned around and
said, well, I believe Judas was saved and then he was lost. So even when it says it, I mean,
Christ prayed that none of them is lost, talking about the 12,
but the one, and he called him what? That was before he betrayed
him, the son of perdition. So even when the Bible does directly
say it, we still, apart from grace, we don't believe it. No, it doesn't say here, Christ
is our rest. It doesn't say those words, but
it teaches it in every, every aspect of these two chapters. Notice, this rest is not called
the believer's rest. It's never called here our rest. It is called His rest. The writer talking about God.
It's His rest. The writer calls it my rest,
but he's quoting what God said in the Old Testament when God
said in the first person, singular, my rest. It is called his rest. It is called my rest. That is,
it is God's rest. Now listen, for he that is entered
into his rest, that is, the believer has entered into his rest. That's
what it says. That's what it's teaching here.
For he that is entered into his rest, that is, God's rest, the
believer has entered into God's rest. Then he goes on and says,
he also hath ceased from his own works. That is, the one who
has entered rest, and who's that? The believer, right? That is,
the believer then, having entered into his rest, he has ceased
from his own works. The believer ceases from works
for righteousness before God. Yeah. Yeah. The believer has
ceased from his works for justification before God. The believer has
ceased from his works for any merit before God. And then the
writer says, as God did from his. Making reference to the
seventh day of creation. Why did God rest? on that seventh day because the
work was done. God rested, that is, God went
in to repose, Joe. He relaxed because his work was
done. The believer doesn't enter into
rest because his work is done. The believer enters into rest
and ceases from his own work because God did the work. And
it's done. Unbelief says, I refuse to rest
if I haven't done something to earn it or merit it. That's the
fallacy of unbelief. It refuses to rest unless it
thinks it's merited the rest. Belief rests when it knows it's
done nothing to merit the rest. Yay, even more. Belief rests
in Christ even knowing that I have many, yea, thousands of demerits
against me resting. I have no right to rest based
on anything I've ever done. For he that is entered into his
rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his. That is, God did the work to
merit the rest. Thus, that's why God says it's
my rest. Do you see it? Now we are resting,
but we're resting in His rest. We are resting, but we're resting
in my, not my rest, but my God's rest. Somebody says, I just don't see
that. I know. If you don't, I know. I know. And it's easy to get angry at
people when they don't see that. Especially when you've seen it
for a while. Right? But remember how blind you were
at one time. Remember how you didn't see it
at one time. Oh, God help us to have a little
grace and compassion toward other people. Now somebody said, now somebody
thinks that means, well, then you've got to tone down the message.
Oh no, you can't tone down the message. Just don't brag about
yourself as though, boy, look how blind they are. I see. Look how busy they are in their
own works. I've ceased from mine. The only
reason you and I have ceased from our own works is because
God Almighty revealed to us the work's done. There's no need
to do any more work. Just rest. In the rifted rock I'm what? Resting. In other words, this
song, Sweetly Resting, means it's taken from where God told
Moses, I'm going to put you in the cleft of the rock. In other
words, there's a special place hewn out there for me to hide
you in. Right? And when Moses was stuck
in that cleft, he could just rest. Rest. Rest. No, it's called his rest. It's called my rest, that is,
God's rest, because God owns it all lock, stock, and barrel.
God merited the rest. Look at it. when he gives an
illustration. And in this place again, if they
shall enter into my rest, based upon what? Verse four, for he
spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise. And this is not talking about
the Sabbath day. This is talking about the seventh
day of creation. No, Sabbath day was given later
as a command. But in the first, I mean, before
Mason there was ever, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
It says this, what? And God did rest the seventh
day from all his works. Jesus is not up in glory trying
to work out our salvation for us. He's finished the work and
he is now resting too. Now I know, granted he never
He ever lives to intercede. I understand all, but that's
not the point here. The point here is entering into
the rest. How can I do it? Believe. Believe
God. Believe the work's done. Believe
the work's done. Two things. This rest is called
a rest. In the Greek it would just be
rest, but it means a singular, a certain thing. This is called
a rest in verse 4 and 9 because it is mirrored by the seventh
day. And just think about that. God
rested, why? Because the work of creation
was done. God's people can rest, why? Because
the work of creation and salvation is done. Therefore if any man
be in Christ He is a new what? creature and Some say more appropriately
and I believe is true. He is a new creation We are created
in Christ Jesus. We are his workmanship Believing allows us to rest,
yea, even to enter into that rest because we acknowledge God
created me and made me what I am as a believer. I read another
commentary and it talked about the condition, God promised this
rest on the condition of faith. It don't say that, and it don't
ever teach that in this book. Faith is not a condition you
must meet. Faith is a gift God must give. Faith is not a fruit of our free,
so-called free will. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit.
Now I'll take God's word even over my own thoughts when it
comes to that matter. It's called a rest because it's
mirrored by the seventh-day rest. Creation was done. God rested.
Why? Because God had done the work. And we rest now in Christ. Why? Because God did the work.
And it is called a rest because it's distinct from and superior
to the rest associated with Joshua, chapter 4, verses 7 and 8. That
was indeed really no rest at all. This is the fallacy, as
Earl used to tell us, this is the fallacy of this thing of
thinking Canaan is a picture of heaven. And then people are
proud of the rest of heaven. No, Canaan wasn't a place of
that kind of rest. It was a place of constant battle
and turmoil and fight. Wasn't it? But you know what? They never,
ever really had rest under Joshua. Constant battles. And they would
become slack and what? Leave a little group out over
here. And what happened? That group would grow in power
and persuasion, Mac, and next thing you know, they'd be under
attack from them people. Was it not? No. It is mirrored by the seventh
day rest, that is this A rest. There is A rest for the people
of God. But it is distinct and superior to that rest that was
associated with Joshua. There are other rests. The Sabbath
day rest. The rest in Canaan. There was
the Sabbath day rest. There was a seven year rest when
you planted your crops for six years. And on the seventh year,
you planted no more crops. You let the land, what? Rest. Rest. I did that by laziness
last year. I just didn't plant one. I'm
hoping it'll help the soul a little bit. But that was laziness, Mac. Just too sorry to get out there
and clean the weeds up and put the seeds in the ground. But
there's all kinds of rests. But here's the second thing.
This thing, this rest, is called that rest, then in 4 and 11,
because it must be distinguished from all other rests. You see what I'm saying? There's
all kinds of rests. Legitimate rests. But they're
not that rest. You see it? They're not that
rest. The believer ceases from his
works because he rests in the merits of Christ's works alone. That's what believing does. Now
somebody says, but I don't always do that. Then name it for what
it is. What is it? Unbelief. Name it for what it
is. See, the difference between a
believer and an unbeliever is not that the believer has no
unbelief. It's that the believer believes and he acknowledges
his or her unbelief for what it really is. An unbeliever thinks
they have caused their very unbelief, faith. And says, I don't disbelieve
God at all. This rest is called that rest
because it must be distinguished from all other rests. First of
all, Christ's works, according to this very passage, you can
read it, chapter 4, verse 3, Christ's works are of eternal,
immutable, predetermined weight. For we which have believed do
enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest. And when you read that, your
mind easily gets tangled. What? What? Why did he bring that part up
again? Because of this clear distinction between both this
rest and other rests and faith and unbelief. He speaks first
positively, for we which have believed do enter into rest.
But then he reminds us, remember, some did not enter into rest.
God swore in his wrath they wouldn't enter, why? Because of unbelief.
And he even warns us, we're only partakers of Christ if we hold
the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. We, we,
we, It is also in verse six of three,
if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope
firm unto the end. Why? Christ is a son over his
own house, and that house is said to already have been built. He is not building this house.
That house is built, and I'm only a part of that building
if I hold my confidence and rejoicing of hope firm unto the end. Well, I'll just rest in election.
No, you won't. You will constantly be struggling
trying to prove to yourself whether you are one of the elect or not.
When God's people that have been given the gift of faith, they
hear the gospel and what do they do? Believe. They believe. Granted, they may have to cry
out, Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. But they
believe nonetheless. So again, Christ's work is of
eternal, immutable, predetermined weight because he says, we which
have believed do enter into rest. There are some, they didn't enter
into rest. They're not going to enter into
rest because of what? Unbelief. And then he says, although
the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Christ is said to have been in Revelation chapter 13 and verse
8, is as a lamb slain from the foundation. of the world. Peter says he was foreordained
before, even before the foundation of the world, but was manifest
in these last times, what? For you. According to Ecclesiastes,
the preacher, what? Preacher? Yeah, that's what he
calls himself back then. Ecclesiastes, the preacher, what
God doeth, it shall be Forever now that word is the same Hebrew
there as eternal in other words it has no beginning and it has
no end You see as far as God is concerned What Christ would
do when he came into this world was already settled immutable
and sure it was done It was done What God do with it should that
which hath been is now Right that which hath been is
now. That which is past is already been. In other words, God's not
coming up with anything new at all. The works were finished
when? Even from the foundation of the
world. Christ put it this way, let me
just read this, this one John chapter 5 and you can turn to
it if you want but I don't I haven't read time you get there. But
I have a greater witness than that of John. For the works which
the Father hath given me to what? Finish. The same works that I
do bear witness of me that the Father hath what? Sent. There's the apostle. Sent me. Again I say the believer ceases
from his own works. because he rests in the merits
of Christ's works alone. Rest is ceasing, listen to me,
rest, resting in Christ is ceasing to attempt to pay for my crimes
against God. Have you ever sinned against
God and then you're mine? One of the first things that
happens is I need to do something to make up for that. You ever
done that? You know what that's called?
Unbelief. But then if you are one of the
people of God, if God Almighty has given you faith, that it's
not long before God begins to strike that thought into the
dust. And you say, you know what? I
need to rest in Christ. I cannot pay for my crimes against
God. If you've ever not read the Bible,
and then say, well, I need to read it more. Or have you ever just thought,
well, I don't read the Bible like I ought to. I mean, Penny had
somebody tell her just last night, she said, you're too young to
be telling me anything about it. I'm older than you and I've
been reading the Bible a whole lot longer than you've been.
Didn't she tell you something like that? Huh? No. Rest is ceasing to attempt to
pay for your own crimes against God. Just stop doing it. Cease
from your own. If you believe God, then just
stop trying to pay for your own crimes. But that can't be right. He paid for them. He was made
sin for us that we might be made. There's the foundation of the
might be made. He was made. Was He made sin?
The book says He was. That we might be made the righteous. Not even imputed the righteousness
of God. Imputed righteousness comes by faith. But God's people
are made the righteousness of God in Him. One of these days
I may preach on the difference between those two things. And
there is a difference between those two things. Scripture calls it the righteousness
of faith. But Christ himself is my righteousness before God. Here's another thing about rest.
Rest is ceasing to attempt to work out your own righteousness
before God. Just quit. God's people are to
walk in righteousness. But we cannot do it, to try to
use that to present before God. Because the book is clear, even
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Where? In God's sight. There is nothing I can do, even
being empowered, Joe, by God's Spirit, that would go before
God as something God would accept me for. Because of. But here's another one. Now think
about this. This is tough too. Why is it? That's why it says
labor to enter in. It's a battle. It's a struggle. Remember, it
says, for he that has entered into his rest has also ceased
from his own works as God did from his. Let us labor therefore
to enter. And most people see that as a total contradiction.
But it's not a labor of activity. Remember, it's a labor of attention. Listen to what God says. Therefore, chapter 2, verse 1,
we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have
heard. Why? Because receive with meekness
the ingrafted word which is what able to save your souls. No, rest is to... Think about
it. Rest is to cease to cower every
time the sky turns dark. That's what true resting is.
And if you ever, when the sky, you know what I'm talking metaphorically
here. I'm talking about literally the sky gets dark. But even that
can give you this eerie feeling, doesn't it? See one of them great
big black thunderclouds come rolling in. It makes you feel
a little uneasy, don't it Joe? But what is resting? It is ceasing
to cower every time the sky turns dark. When you do cower, what
is it? Unbelief. Acknowledge it for
what it is and then rest in him why because all things Work together
for good to them that love God to them that are the called Heavenly
calling brother protectors of the heavenly calling them that
are the called according to his purpose Whatever happens to you,
whatever comes your way, whatever happens beside you, whatever
happens behind you, whatever happens to this side of you,
whatever happens in front of you, whatever falls right on
top of you, God Almighty put it there. And it's for your good. He doesn't say we understand
how that's so. He just said we know. Why? Because faith rests in Christ. Here's the last thing. Christ's merits for the people
of God are done. According to this very book,
Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 and 3, Christ already purged our
sins. Therefore, quit trying to purge
them yourself. Right? He purged our sins, then
what did He do? What's the next word? He sat
That's repose, right? He purged our sins, then Mac,
he rested. So why would I not rest? If I
do anything other than that, it's an insult to Christ. You
see? Because he rested when he was
done with it. He purged our sins. According to Hebrews 9 verses
11 through 14, He's already obtained eternal redemption. Therefore,
stop trying to do anything that would redeem you before God.
Matter of fact, so much so did He redeem us that it also says
that based upon that redemption, and that's what Joe was talking
about this morning, blessing will come that God will purge
your conscience from what? Dead works. but to then what? Serve the living God. That's
almost the exact same thing He's saying in chapter 4 and verse
10 and 11. Purge your conscience from what?
Dead works. What are dead works? Works that
you're doing, trying to earn the rest. That's a dead work. Now for these Hebrews, a lot
of that had to do with all of those sacrifices and stuff. They're
dead works. They're of no meaning now. You hear what I'm saying? They're
of no meaning now. And they never took away sin. You hear what
I said? They never took, not one drop,
not thousands of drops, not gallons of animal blood. It never, ever
took away one sin. Redemption is done. Also, Hebrews
10 verses 9-14, Jesus Christ has already sanctified and perfected
a people. Rest. Well, I need to be more
set apart. Yeah, you probably do. So do
I. But when it comes to this sanctification
and perfection, just quit working. It's already done. In light of
these, the question I must ask myself is this. Do I believe
this? Do I believe He's already purchased
the end? Do I really? Do I believe He's already obtained
eternal perfection? Do I believe He's already sanctified
and perfected a people? Do I really believe that? Do
I believe this? I do. I do! I don't say that. I'm not saying
that to brag. I'm not talking about bragging
to you. I'm saying I do! I believe Christ. I believe the
record that God gave of His Son. And you know what that is? Rest. The only time I struggle with
that is when I don't believe it, like I should. It's the only
time I struggle. It doesn't matter what's come
my way, even when some of the calamities of the past that befell
me, when I was enabled by the Spirit of God to believe the
gospel, all of a sudden a repose came over me. I'm serious. But every time I turn my eyes
to the circumstance, or look at myself, or see what I should
have done better, or maybe not done at all, it's just constant
turmoil, isn't it? When God enables you to what?
Hear and believe. That's why we just keep preaching
the gospel to one another, don't we? Because that's the only place
you're going to get any Do I believe this? But even more
particular, here's the question I have to ask myself. Do I believe
Christ? Do I say, it's not Christ, I'm
gonna let you do it all. No, Christ, you done it all. You remember what he cried on
that cross? He said, it is, what? It's finished. Do I believe him? Not just do I believe the Bible.
A lot of people say, oh yeah, he's finished. Finished what?
He finished all the work. Therefore, I can rest. I can
rest. Father, help us to rest, Lord. God, we know that it takes a
sovereign act of Your mercy and compassion to both bring the
Gospel to us, Lord, and also bring us to the Gospel in faith. Oh God, we thank You for that.
God help us to walk in it, and live in it, and rejoice in it,
that rest that's in Christ Jesus. I thank you in His name.