I read that a man greeted his friends with a gentle rebuke: "You did I met praying? . What a great way to welcome friends. I wonder how many friends he kept.
I think my greeting to you this week is rather: "You do I encountered trying to relax? "Are you a quiet pond or an ocean in turmoil? Are you completely satisfied in Christ alone, or are you looking for another man who can add something to your walk with God? In the midst of the storm experiment you peace or do you see your foundation crumbling? Have you discovered the only thing, or are you troubled by "many things"?
I have good news for you. I encourage you to read on to discover the secret of resting in Christ, and the deeper meaning of the Sabbath.
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"For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. "(Matt. 12:8)
The Sabbath (or any other thing belonging to the Old Covenant) had in mind a spiritual fulfillment in Christ. Jesus is not bound by any rules or tradition that says you should or you should not. He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the Sabbath does not reign on him.
We who are in Christ, respect the Sabbath but the Sabbath is not for us a day of the week. This is certainly not a day to attend religious services. It has nothing to do with the calendar. If we want to respect the Sabbath, we just need remain, continue to live in Christ as a branch remains constant and is connected to the Vine. Because the branch is based in the Vine. The branch does not fight by winning all sorts of trouble or effort to produce fruit at a price many contortions. Instead, he simply lives in union with the Cep, and in this sense he is resting. He confides in the Life of the Vine to produce fruit. This is the principle of Sabbath rest.
Now let this rest in Christ. You might assume that, as the Son of God, He had the freedom to say and do what He looked good. But it clearly says "I do nothing of myself. This is my Father who dwells in me does the works. "That's what the rest, my friend. He is the Master, the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus excelled in the art of observing the Sabbath. What does this mean? This means say, I do nothing of myself. My teachings are not from me, but they belong to Him who sent me. And I do nothing except what I see to my Father and I said nothing apart from what I hear from my Father. It's extraordinary. That's what it means to rest in the Lord.
Well, our relationship with Christ must be exactly identical to the relationship of Christ with His Father. I do nothing outside of Christ. I said nothing apart from Christ. And I do not say nothing by my own strength, but I trust the Lord's life to Jesus in me and through me what I can not do by myself.
Or if you prefer, is what Paul describes in Galatians 2:20: "This is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." I, but Christ. This is the secret of the Christian life. And can I afford to add: "More than I, but Christ," that's life normal Christian. That's how it should happen, and since the very beginning.
Remember the first day of Adam's life, just after its creation, was a day of rest. Well the Christian life begins the same way. If anyone is in Christ, the Bible says or she is a new creation. You are born again, you are born from above. And the first lesson you learn is that the spiritual life in Christ, not do is be, it is not working, but resting.
How it is disappointing that the church prostitute - the system does not teach religious-how to enter the rest. She wants you to work immediately. Therefore you overexerting yourself, trying to be holy, trying to be like Christ, trying to please people - the pastor, elders and members your church. You feel sometimes that you'll never do enough. You can never give enough, you're never quite available to do things you never attend enough meetings. And how guilty you feel, if you ever say 'no', or when you do not do enough.
Your first day in Christ is a day of rest. Do not be bound by a timetable. This first "day" in Christ can take weeks or years. We seek the spiritual principle of the Sabbath, we are not talking about a period of twenty four hours. It's one thing you will learn and live for the rest of your life. How are these unfortunate people that do not start in the rest of Christ. They were saved, and start working for the religion and are living as slaves in Egypt instead of staying in the Hebrew land flowing with milk and honey. Thus, after years of slavery, they become institutionalized, and they think that the Christian life is supposed to happen.
While it is true for many people, but it should be quite different. Your first day in Christ is a day of rest. The work will come later. But your first day as a new creation is one day of rest. It will be a day of rest as you learn what it means to abide in Christ, live in Him, resting on his work fully completed. This is the basis and foundation of everything else. If the word "season" helps you understand the word "day", well think of the Sabbath as a season.
But the first lesson is to learn to relax. This is the principle of the Sabbath.
I hope you begin to discern the length and depth of these things. From this perspective, you see how silly it is to make you a mountain on Sunday or Saturday, the Sabbath or Lord's day, what you can do and what you can not do. These are arguments for grandchildren. Let us toward maturity. Let's drop the childish things and become men and women with spiritual wisdom and discernment. God is looking for a spiritual condition, a spiritual result, and for this He will work in your heart deeply. This is the basis of the New Covenant.
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