The present and future spiritual rest from the guilt, bondage and condemnation of sin. Matthew 11:28 – 29.
Restlessness and complete disorderliness and unpredictable confusing (chaotic) situations are the results of the verdict and pronunciations made upon the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea after the fall of Satan from heaven –Woe unto you the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time. Revelation 12:12. The devil’s frustrations and desperation for the little time left for him to unleash terror and cause havoc became evident to further wage war against the creatures and creations of God (for the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-​fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:19 – 23) when he could not devoured the child who was to rule all the nations of the world with the rod of iron: and the woman also, who gave birth to him was helped to fled and escaped the wrath of the serpent to destroy her. What’s next for the old serpent – the devil? He now directs his envious, consuming and destructive wrath against the remnant of the seed of the woman – believers and unbelievers alike, especially those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Christ. Satan manipulated and subtly sowed strife and enmity, hatred and separation between God and man through the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (consumption of the forbidden fruit) to disrupt and destroy the cool of the day (rest and refreshing) fellowship between God, Adam and Eve. Thank God for the blood of Christ that sealed the peace (rest from sin and power given to abstain from fleshly lusts that wages war against the soul) deal between us and God, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled if we continue in the faith grounded and rooted and shall not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Colossians 1:20 – 23. Through Christ death, God reconciled repentant sinners back to himself because his Son obedient life made them righteous before him who were once as lost sheep (restless, helpless and homeless from sheep-​fold) but is now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls. Christ gift of his imparted righteousness is our justification and access to fellowship and walk with God as his children. Except for the sinners and hypocrites in Zion, who shall never have peace with God, neither remain in his rest (the sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers? Thou shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby) but the obedient righteous children of God shall be bold and fearless as lion, they would couched (rested) as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse (waked, disturbed, terrified or troubled) them up? Genesis 49:8 – 9. Isaiah 33:14 – 21.
There is no present and either shall there be any future spiritual rest or peace for un-​repentant sinners with God, for if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?1 Peter 4:18. As long as those who are in Christ Jesus, who are now in the present rest and are enjoying it are having peace with God by walking in the Spirit through the application of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that has set us free from the law of sin and death, they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. It is good to know how the power of God is keeping them through faith unto salvation. This is not by any other means but through their obedient to walk in the Spirit, to put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and to walk in the newness of life as elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, (present rest and assurance of eternal salvation) be multiplied. 1 Peter 1:2 – 5.
Our Lord’s invitation and promise to all that are labouring and are heavy laden under the oppression of sin and Satan as of prisoners rattled, demented, haunted and spiritually restive by their sin (there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. Psalms 38: 3) to come unto him to have rest for their souls is conditioned stimulus under two things: (1) come and learn of me (ii) take my yoke upon you – effect — you shall find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28 – 29. To repent from sins and become a true obedient disciple to learn daily at Christ feet and to receive his word and lay it in your heart to walk therein is the rest wherewith the Lord may cause the weary to rest. Isaiah 28:12. With Christ, you can have power to lay aside every weight (beam and mote in the eye causing spiritual blindness, restlessness, cloud of darkness over you, spiritual depression and sadness) and the sin which doth so easily beset you, and run with patience the race that is set before you. Hebrews 12:1. Sin left un-​confessed and not forsaken would bring spiritual dread (evil– fearful anticipation and expectation — but whoso hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33) and it also opens the door for the adversary to touch and trouble any child of God expeditiously when the works of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; when it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. Isaiah 32:17 – 20. Eternal rest is not guarantee if we do not find rest for our soul with God (Note: 1 Peter 4: 1 – 6) before we depart from this world of sin to the abode of the righteous. It is the weary who has found present spiritual freedom, rest and peace with God from their sins (wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest Hebrews 3:7 – 11) who shall enter the true eternal rest (Spiritual Canaan) from their labours in the place where the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary (those who had labored to enter – strive to enter in through the straight gate and narrow way) be at rest. Job 3:17.