“Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short” (Hebrews 4:1 CSB).
While there is a future aspect to the rest described here in Hebrews 4:1, there is a present aspect to that rest as well. For instance, Hebrews 4:1 tells us, “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands…” The present tense of this passage implies a present-day reality. But since there is work and labor associated with the pursuit of God’s agenda for our lives today, how can this be?
The answer to this question is relatively straightforward: we can enjoy God’s rest today when we cease to relate to God on our terms through our own efforts. For example, there are two ways for human beings to relate to their Creator: self-initiated or God-initiated. A self-initiated relationship with God reflects the following mindset: “God will accept me if I perform a specific work” On the other hand, a God-initiated relationship says, “God will accept me if I approach Him through Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf.”
These two approaches are mutually incompatible. Those who pursue a self-initiated approach to God do not recognize Jesus’ atoning death on the cross as the only way to establish a relationship with their Creator. If we approach God through faith in Christ alone, we must abandon any attempt to get right with Him based on our own efforts.
The Old Testament Law serves to illustrate this point. It has often been said that the Old Testament Law is similar to the links in a bicycle chain. Even though most of the links in a bicycle chain may be intact, one broken link will immediately render the entire chain useless. This illustration represents the dilemma facing those who wish to establish a “works-based” relationship with God.
You see, a person who fails to keep the Law in its entirety is guilty of violating all of it. As James 2:9 puts it, “…whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (ESV).
In contrast, those who accept a God-initiated relationship through Christ receive the additional benefit of rest from the labor of attempting to get right with God through his or her efforts. It is only through living such a life that we can we find lasting rest and contentment in a constantly changing world. Therefore, as Hebrews 4:1 reminds us, “Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised rest” (GNT).