Rest

I am not a systematic reader of the Bible. The right word in my dealings with the scripture is spontaneous. I read whatever I fancy there and then, or I pick passages randomly. I was in a random mode this morning, and when my eyes fell on the page I had opened the following verses sprang out of the book:

"We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.” (Isaiah 26:1-2)

Isaiah must have been a tad surprised over this, because what he passed on says that those who keep faith will enter the new city of salvation. He might have been a bit dumbfounded as well hearing God utter something contrary to what he had been reared to obey, because the covenant he was subject to demanded perfection under the law to enter God’s salvation.

We all know that failing to observe the commandments and the law was called sin under the old covenant. Sin in the new dispensation must thus be not keeping faith. Paul confirms this in Rom 14:23: “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

My conclusion is obviously that we are not to be concerned with our works, doings, attitudes and so forth, but be preoccupied with faith only - which is Christ, who He is and who we are in Him. The reason why Jesus left us with His peace is found in verse 12 in Isaiah 26: “O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.”

Let us all enter His rest through faith, because it is finished!