The Sabbath was a day of rest in the Old Testament and not a day of worship as many believe. The Old Testament Sabbath was a picture of the type of rest afforded the New Covenant Believer by Jesus Christ.
When we who believe upon Jesus Christ as the Source and His Cross as the means by which we receive from God and purposefully choose to fight THAT good fight of faith DAILY and deny ourselves; our abilities, talents, intellect, etc., we are then able to pick up our cross (the blessings Jesus afforded us at Calvary) and follow Him. Then and only then are we able to enter into HIS rest.
“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
The Cross of Christ was a place of great suffering for our Lord but for those who believe, Calvary is a place of great blessing. It is in fact the only place we can commune with God. Faith in our doings, no matter how religious or Scriptural they are, is not faith that God can honor.
Will he bless us? Certainly. Look at Israel in the wilderness…yet they were out of God’s Will and perished.
As a matter of fact, when our faith is in those things which are indeed Scriptural for victory over sin (what GOD has declared sinful, not man), our “faith” is not actually faith but ambition. It is a vain attempt at victory and in no way restful to our soul.
The only fight the Believer is commissioned to fight is the fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is there that we take His Yoke and learn of Him. It is there that Mary sat as Martha worked. It is there, at the Cross of Christ, the we find rest unto our souls.
“28 Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 