When we were born again, it was an eternal life that we received. The very life of God Himself was placed in our spirit. We have become one spirit with Him. In God's heart and mind, we were translated when we were born again according to Colossians 1:13 (Amplified) which says, "(The Father) has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love."
As far as God's concerned, we're already there. It's not something He's going to do, but something that's already done. We're still acting as though we're unsure about whether or not we're going to heaven. God's brought heaven here to live in us. Everything He has laid up in heaven, He has given for us to use and enjoy now. Colossians 2:9-10 (Amplified) says that, "For in Him (Jesus) the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form (giving complete expression of the divine nature)." Verse 10 says, "And you are, in Him, made full and having come to the fullness of life (in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-and reach full spiritual stature) And He is the Head of all rule and Authority (of every angelic principality and power)."
We sometimes read into the Word that the things it says about us are for a time in the future. God, Who is outside of time, has already done what His Word has declared. We keep waiting for another time and place in which we can be made holy, righteous and pure before God. As far as God's concerned; it is finished. What more can He do to make us clean that He hasn't already done in Jesus?
We insist on trying to make ourselves more holy by implementing rules and regulations on one another. We don't believe the truth of God's Word and rely on religious teachings about making ourselves holy. Paul writes in Colossians 2:18-23 (Amplified), "Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions (he claims) he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit." Verse 19 goes on, "And not holding fast to the Head, from whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God." Verses 20-22 say, "If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as though you still belong to the world? (why do you submit to rules and regulations)? -such as Do not handle (this), Do not taste (that) Do not even touch (them), Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines." Verse 23 says, "Such (practices) have indeed the outward appearance (that popularly passes) for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature) (Instead, they do not honor God but were only indulge the flesh)."
We read what God's Word says concerning the forgiveness of sin, but continue allowing ourselves to be treated (or even treated and spoken of ourselves) like we're still sinners. God's Word says that we're been made righteous with His Own righteousness and yet, we still act like it didn't happen. The Word tells us that we're able to use the very power of His Name and authority and yet, we live like it isn't true. We've allowed ourselves (or put ourselves) in a place where it's for some time in the future.
All of the religious things we've inistituted to make us feel like we still have something to do with our salvation and it's the very reason we have no rest in His finished work. The only thing left undone with Jesus' work on the cross, is for us to believe in it. We cannot rest in the fact that it's already done. If we will only trust in what Jesus has done, then it's really very easy to live for God.
Walking with God is easy, whereas, walking in religion and tradition is not. As we learn through God's Word all that has been made available to us through Jesus' Name, we walk in a place of rest. The struggles we have on this earth are mostly from those who wish to impose (or oppose) their own ideas of Christianity on us.
The moment we begin walking in an area of the truth that others don't understand, the trial of our faith is enhanced. We either conform to popular opinion or we suffer persecution at the hands of others. The closer you walk with the Lord, the more opposition you encounter.
It's been this way ever since Jesus came and will probably be this way until He comes again. There will always be those who won't recognize the power of the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean that they haven't received salvation, but that they don't understand what all it means to us for the here and now. The thought of heaven and being in His presence forever is the things all of us have faith in. But, being in God's presence now is something we should all have our faith in.
This is what His "rest" has promised. It's not just heaven, but heaven on earth as His children. Surely, His Name has as much power in it as it did when Jesus told His disciples to go and heal the sick, cast out devils and complete all the works He told them to do. These weren't even born again men. Surely, there must be more power now that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us and now that He, Himself has taken up resident within us. It's "Christ in us, our hope in glory."
We've allowed the world, man's idea of religion and our own prideful flesh to rob us of what we're inherited in Him. From that day in the Upper Room, until now, heaven has been poured out on us by the very presence of the Spirit of God Himself. The love of God, the power of God, the Spirit of God, the righteousness of God, being made heirs of God and being joint heirs with Jesus have been poured out on us from the Spirit of God. About the only thing we've yet to inherit, is a glorified body and that's not far off by the signs of the times.
Just rest in what Jesus has made ours by His sacrifice. Don't be concerned about what men might say about you. If they persecuted Him for saying that He was the Son of God, then they will persecute you for saying the same thing. Satan would rather have you in a place where he can accuse you, then have you rest in the truth that you've been delivered from him. Remember, whosoever the Son has freed, is free indeed.
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