What does it mean to rest?
We rest from trying to atone for our sins.
We are not resting from doing work.
God gave Adam a job.
"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Genesis 2: 15)
There is nothing more restless than not working, in fact.
"As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed." (Proverbs 26: 14)
Rest has nothing to do with not doing anything, as much as we no longer do something to make ourselves OK with God.
We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1: 3), and we are called to rest from our dead works to make us right with God:
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 14)
We are called to receive, and keep receiving God's grace and righteousness through Christ:
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)
The rest which Jesus gives to us (Matthew 11: 28-30) is a rest from frustrations in our self-efforts.
We are called to see Him as taking care of all things, and as we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, we receive more from Him!
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