Katika Waebrania 4, we read about entering God’s rest. But what is God’s rest? How do you enter God’s rest according to the Bible and live from His rest and experience the peace of God in your life?
The road to peace and eternal life
Bwana asema hivi, Mkombozi wako, Mtakatifu wa Israeli; Mimi ni Bwana, Mungu wako, nikufundishaye ili upate faida, anayekuongoza kwa njia ikupasayo kuifuata. O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! basi amani yako ingalikuwa kama mto, na haki yako kama mawimbi ya bahari (Isaya 58:17-18)
The road to peace and eternal life, is the road of faith in God and obedience to His Word.
Without imani and without obedience to God’s Word and His voice, you can’t please God and walk on the path of the righteous.
On the path of the righteous walk those, Ambao wanaamini katika Yesu Kristo, the Son of God and obey Jesus and stay loyal to Him.
Pasipo imani haiwezekani kumpendeza Mungu (Waebrania 11:6)
Without faith it’s impossible to enter His rest and receive the things, that God has provided for those, walio ndani ya Yesu Kristo.
The life in Jesus Christ is all about faith in Him and to stay in Him; neno.
When the redemptive work of Jesus was accomplished on the eighth day, God could enter into His rest. Because His old creation; Mzee, who was separated from God and fallen from his position and affected by evil, ilirejeshwa (kuponywa) by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His blood. Man had the ability to become a son or daughter of God; Mwanaume mpya, who is reconciled with God and restored in His position and has in Christ the highest (kiroho) dominion on earth. Now everything was good, ndio vizuri sana (Soma pia: Siku ya nane, siku ya uumbaji mpya).
Unaingiaje katika pumziko la Mungu?
In Hebrews chapter 4, we read about entering God’s rest. We can only enter His rest, by faith through regeneration in Him and be obedient to Christ and His words.
The people of Israel were wasiomtii Mungu, when they dwelled in the wilderness. They didn’t believe in God’s provision, and kept doing their own will.
They went their own way, and they tested and evoked God to anger, by creating other gods. But they didn’t only made other gods, as a substitute for God, they also murmured and complaint, became disobedient to His law, sinned etc.
God hated their attitude. Every time that God gave them a chance to repent, but they often times, they were not willing to repent. Mungu aliona, that His own people didn’t trust Him, and therefore they didn’t obey God.
God had shown His love to His people, by leading them out of the land of Egypt, bringing them out of the oppression of Pharaoh, leading them through the water into the wilderness, and by protecting them day and night, by feeding them, by taking care of them, and by doing many wonders.
Longing for their old life
But it wasn’t good enough, because His people kept complaining. They were longing for their old life in Egypt, when they had plenty of food and drinks. They were willing to go back and be oppressed by Pharaoh, in return for food and drinks, instead of living in freedom and have God as their Provider.
His people were rebellious and didn’t want to listen to God and obey His words. While God loved them so much, because they were the apple of His eye. He wanted the best for them, and wanted to take care of them. But they didn’t trust Him. Because of their disobedience and because of their rebellious behaviour, God promised them, that they would never enter His rest.
There was only one man of that generation, who was allowed to enter God’s rest and enter the promised land, and that was Joshua.
Joshua entered the promised land, with a mpya kizazi. Joshua was faithful and obedient to God. He kept His commandments and His law.
Why did Joshua keep His commandments? Because He loved God with his whole heart, and trusted Him.
When you trust God, you will obey Him
Bila imani, you will not be able to trust Him and obey Him. When you really trust God, then you shall also obey Him. You shall follow-up His advice. His Word shall be in you, and you shall keep His Word, and stay obedient to His Word.
Kwa imani katika Yesu Kristo, you are redeemed from the powers of darkness, and now you belong to Jesus. When you become again, you will become a son of God and live in His Kingdom. When you enter His Kingdom, you shall enter His rest. You will not enter by your own works, but by faith in Jesus Christ and by becoming born again in the Spirit.
Maadamu unakaa ndani ya Kristo, you shall stay in God’s rest
Ilimradi wewe stay obedient kwa Neno Lake, na kuzishika amri zake, you shall stay in Christ and stay in God’s rest. Kwa hiyo, you shall experience peace in your life.
But you can leave His Kingdom any time you want. As soon as you become disobedient to the Word of God; kwa mapenzi yake, na amri zake, you shall leave Him and His Kingdom, and you shall depart God’s rest.
When you leave His Word, you shall leave His peace, and shall fall.
Kwa hiyo, the devil only wants one thing, and that is to bring you into a place, where you will become disobedient to God, and live in rebellion against His Word.
Wakati wewe permit sin in your life, and become disobedient to God, you shall experience turmoil. Amani, pumziko la Mungu, that you experienced before, shall be taken away from you.
Why the wicked have no peace?
God says in His Word, that the wicked, the people who live without God, don’t experience peace and that they are like a troubled sea:
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Hakuna amani, asema Mungu wangu, kwa waovu (Isaya 57:20-21)
Waovu, makafiri; hizo, who don’t know Jesus Christ, live without God, and do what pleases them. The unbelievers have no need for His advice, they don’t need His love, His care, nor His provision. The unbelievers have appointed themselves as god over their lives and have made their own worldly facilities, that have taken over God’s provisions. They live in sin and iniquity. They walk on their own path, the carnal path, ambayo husababisha kifo cha milele.
‘Usiingie katika njia ya waovu, and go not in the way of evil men’
God warns you not to enter the path of the wicked, and not go in the way of evil men. The only way to not enter this path and way, is by staying obedient to God’s words and keep walking in faith and obedience to Him.
You have choice. Therefore you can choose the way of the world, with all its turmoil, or choose the way of Jesus, that gives you rest, na amani, and leads to eternal life.
Believe in Jesus, na kuzishika amri zake, and He shall keep you in His rest and in His peace. When you keep His commandments, then you shall stay in God’s rest and experience peace in your life. Ndiyo, then your peace shall be like a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea.
‘Kuweni chumvi ya dunia’
