2Cor.5:17(Amp) says, "Therefore, if any person is ingrafted in Christ Jesus (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether), the old previous moral and Spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come."
1Pet.2;2(Amp) says, "Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire), the pure unadulterated Spiritual milk (of the Word) that by it you may be nurtured and grown unto completed salvation." Every baby needs milk, in order to grow and begin developing. As the baby gets older, he/she must go from the milk to solid food or meat, in order to grow, strengthen and continue in life into adulthood. The milk of God's Word lets us begin to understand who we've become in this new creation, while the meat of the Word, brings knowledge and understanding how to grow into the mature Christian child of God, we've been to be.
It's all the Word of God, but there's growth in it for all who desire to know and understand our Heavenly Father. Heb.4:10-11(Amp) says, "For he who has entered into God's Rest also has ceased from the weariness and pain of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His Own. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that Rest of God (to know and experience it for ourselves), that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience into which those in the Wilderness fell."
"Those in the Wilderness" were the people God delivered from Egypt's bondage, but who wouldn't trust Him to take them into the Promised Land. God's Presence stayed with them and provided for their every need, but they failed to trust Him to deliver them to the Promised Land. In order to grow up into mature Christianity, we must learn by the meat of God's Word that Jesus has provided everything by His Sacrifice and that our works of the flesh aren't needed to complete His Finished Word.
In order to rest in what Jesus has already accomplished, without falling back into tradition and religious works to "make things work," we must simply rest in Him by faith in His Word. We can't be righteous on our own or by our own works and must Rest in the Truth that in Jesus Christ, we've been made righteous. We don't work for it, because Jesus has already provided it for us. The Rest Jesus has provided doesn't only bring righteousness, but also our justification and total cleansing from sin and trespass. We are already "Heaven ready," and pure in God's eyes, through Christ Jesus.
This Rest is simple faith in Jesus and what He has already done everything needed to enter the Very Presence of God, without guilt or condemnation from our past lives. We are new creations in Jesus and have no past at all. This is only accomplished by Revelation of the full Truth of what the Sacrifice Lamb really means to the new creation people of God. Eph.3:11-12(Amp) says, "This is in accordance with the terms of the Eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in the Person of Christ Jesus our Lord. In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to believe the boldness, courage and confidence of free access and unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear."
We can come to the place in our walk with God, where we confidently know we can come directly into His Presence, by Resting and growing up into maturity in our new creation. Jesus said in John10:9(Amp), "I AM THE DOOR: anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will Live), He will come in and he will go out freely and will find pasture." Jesus is the Door by which we have boldness to come directly into the Father's Full Presence and our Assurance Rests in Him. This is the Rest, by which we now live.
It's no longer by sacrifice, religious works or by Law. We must rest in the Truth that Sacrifice of our Lamb Jesus accomplished everything needed to make us righteous and acceptable to the Father. We're only required to rest by faith, in our Sacrifice Lamb. The carnal mind finds it difficult to totally rest in Jesus, but resting in Him is growing up into completed salvation. Receiving the meat of the Word is comprehending all that Jesus' Sacrifice has given us and done for us, through His obedience to the purpose of God. When we understand that we don't need to depend upon our own righteousness, then we can rest in assurance. Jesus bore the entire Curse of the Law, which came upon the people for their lack of ability to be righteous before a Holy God. Jesus has given us His Own Righteousness and ability, by His Sacrifice, so that we can rest in Him and enter God's Throne Room of Grace at any time.
We've struggled with this Truth, because we look at our own weakness instead of relying on His Strength and Righteousness. We still feel like we're unworthy and unable to enter God's Presence, but when we understand and know that it's Jesus' Righteousness and not our own, then we can boldly enter by faith in Him, God's Throne of Grace, to obtain Grace and Mercy to help when we need it.
Faith isn't a "magical thing," but is simply trusting in Jesus, as the One Who has done everything needed to remove any barriers that stood between us and God. The Blood of Jesus has removed all that mankind couldn't remove on our own and when we put faith in Him (not ourselves), we grow unto completed salvation.
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