There are so many things we're learning in these last days before Jesus returns. These are things that have always been in the Word, but haven't always been revealed to us. Even while Jesus was on earth as a man, there were things He didn't reveal to His followers because the time to reveal them wasn't right. As the time of Jesus' return approaches, the revelation of His promises are being opened up like never before.
As the Church, we have a job to do that all of creation has waited for since the fall of Adam. We're to be generation that will usher in the Lord's return. I've believed since the time I got born again (and still believe) that we're the generation who will be here when Jesus returns. And, because we are that generation, the Father has opened His Word to us like never before.
We're learning things about the Lordship of Jesus, about the depth of His Word and who we are in Him. It's difficult for some to understand because it's so different from what they were raised in denominational churches for years. We don't differ much from those Jesus spoke to when He was on earth. We've become so rooted in our own understanding that we wrestle against the revelation from the Word that is so different from how we thought.
We were raised in or at least exposed to local churches, different doctrines and different denominations. Each of these believed they were correct and each had their own way of living for God. Mostly, each of them had a portion of the truth that was mixed with man's idea and customs that were part of our own design.
The time has now come for the Body of Christ to learn and receive the fullness of the truth. Some of the things we've learned have been good and some things we've learned are not. Some things are like what Jesus said, "You can't put new wine into old wine skins." The revelation the Holy Spirit is bringing to the Church today, will not mix with some of what we knew before.
It's been difficult for us to really "rest" in God's truth over the because we only saw a small portion of His truth. We've wanted to believe and have wanted to do and be what we thought God wanted and expected us to be. We had a right heart and motive behind are deeds, but we didn't have the light from the Spirit that is flooding our planet.
Some of the things weren't really the Word, but man's idea about the Word. In this generation, we're going to need to expel some of the things we believed about God. And, we're going to have to embrace some things we didn't accept before. Every man-made doctrine about Jesus is now subject to change under the light shed by the Holy Spirit.
As we receive new light by the Holy Spirit, we can see things differently than before. There's been much division in the Body of Christ over the centuries, but the time has come to heal the differences and bring things into harmony. We've had much trouble trying to "rest" in God's truth because we haven't actually had a full revelation of His truth until now.
There's been so much controversy over the years, that we really didn't know what to believe. Now though, the time of revelation about the truth of our Passover Lamb is at hand. We've almost always placed the things of God into a futuristic point of view. We'd say that "Someday all these things will be true " and "Someday we'll have them." We put off the promises of God for when we died and went to haven.
What is to be different in these last days is the same things that startled the people in the Luke 4:18-21 (Amplified) where Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord (is) upon Me, because He has anointed Me (the Anointed One, the Messiah) to preach the Good News (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are down trodden, bruised, crushed and broken down by calamity) To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord (the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound)." Verse 20 says, "Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing (attentively) at Him." Verse 21 says, "And He began to speak to the; Today this scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing."
Like they did then, we have a hard time believing that "Today, this scripture is fulfilled." It's not that we don't believe they won't be fulfilled, but just not now. We always seem to put it off to some future point or to a place in history where it was only for the Early Church.
What God's revealing to His Church in these last days before Jesus returns, are what He desired for His children since Jesus rose from the dead. He wants us to know everything needed for His family to be free and whole has already been accomplished. There's nothing left to do, but to believe and "rest" in His finished work. We've somehow still felt like we're not totally in God's favor and presence in spite of what the Word says.
We've differed in our trust in His promises for the Holy Spirit, healing, authority, ability, acceptance and holiness, along with other things that have left us in a place where we couldn't "rest" in what Jesus has done. We were always in a place where we were still struggling to belong or be accepted.
When we come to know Him the way the Holy Spirit will reveal Him to us in these last days, we will stop struggling to be what He has already made us to be and "rest" in Hi finished work. We still see more of our own failures in ourselves rather than His perfection. We're always being reminded of our mistakes to the point where we see no "rest." Once the truth of His perfection in us is revealed, we can stop trying to perform and begin resting in His performance.
For at least 2,000 years, we have thought our acceptance with God was based on our performance. If we would do everything right, then we could be blessed. And, if we couldn't, then we would be cursed. We placed ourselves under a burden of proving ourselves worthy of God's blessing. What God expects us to do, though, is to realize that Jesus is worthy and we are worthy because of Him and not ourselves.
We've been taught that we will only be righteous when we get to heaven. The Word says in Romans 3:22 (Amplified) that, "Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (And it is meant) for all who believe, For there is no distinction."
We've read what the Word says about being righteous, but we've been unable to "rest" in what the Word says. We've always felt that we needed to do more than simply believe and therefore, we could never "rest" in Him. We try becoming righteous based on our own performance which can never measure up. So, we cannot really be at ease in God's presence and His righteousness.
It's not that we don't wish to please God, but that we cannot please Him without faith. Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (out)."
This scripture tells us that isn't not our performance that is pleasing to God, but our faith in what He did for us through Jesus. This is why no matter how hard we try pleasing Him by our own performance, it doesn't work. Why? Because it isn't faith in Jesus, but pride in our own selves that we trusted in.
As long as we continue trying to receive God's blessings based on anything other than our faith in Jesus' finished work, it will not work. We can never be good enough to receive righteousness. If we could, then we wouldn't need faith in Jesus. We can never be good enough to deserve healing. We must receive it by faith in Jesus' finished work. This is the "rest" God wants us to enter into.
We allow ourselves to be cheated out of God's best for us (which is Jesus) when we try receiving based on works and our own ability. This is why we can't enter His "rest." Without Jesus, we can never be "good" enough to deserve anything. That's why it's "grace, through faith." Without faith in this grace, we are still in works to receive and works won't get it done.
This has been the reason we haven't been at rest or at peace with ourselves. God our Father, though, has always been at peace with us through Jesus. Isaiah 53:5 (Amplified) says, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement (needful to obtain) peace and well being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes (that wounded) Him we are healed and made whole."
Our peace was paid for by Jesus and not our own selves. Once we can believe what He did for us was everything that needed to be done, then we can enter His rest. Stop trying to do it on your own and rest in what Jesus has done. God is at peace with, but we are not at peace with ourselves. Therefore, we feel we're not at peace with Him. Our peace (our rest) isn't based on feelings, performance, sacrifice, prayer, fasting or religious days. Our peace comes from faith in His grace. Grace has supplied everything for us, but it is faith in this grace, that we must receive it. This is why it's impossible to please God without faith. The only way grace can be of any benefit to us, is if we, by faith, will accept it without our own efforts to earn it.
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