Resting in the Sustaining Power of God
Rest is not something we get much of these days. For most of us our lives are dictated by quotas, timelines, meetings, and activities all vying for a slot from the 24 hours we have each day. Many people have to schedule rest into their week if they are going to find time for it. Are you resting in the sustaining power of God? Did you know that you don’t have to schedule rest into your race of faith? Rest is already built into it. Many Christians struggle to find this amazing rest in Christ. This rest that Paul is speaking of here is not something you have to find, for it has already been provided for us in Jesus Christ.
In Paul’s introduction to 1 Corinthians, he pens these words in chapter 1:4-10 “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord….” What encouragement this verse must have brought to those first-century Christians. Our salvation, from start to finish, is by the grace of God. Paul told the Christians in Corinth that Jesus Christ would sustain them to the end guiltless in the day of our Lord. What great rest we find in these verses as those who have come to know and love Christ.
The Greek word for sustain is bebaioó. It is used 8 times in the New Testament, and each time the verb speaks of God’s action of rendering something firm. God will sustain us to the end, guiltless. The word guiltless means blameless, above reproach. Take a moment and let that amazing truth sink in. God will sustain/establish you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. These Corinthians Christians, like us today, were waiting for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Chris at his return. This truth brings us much rest and encouragement in these last days.
Here are a few more scriptures to confirm this truth. Colossians 1:21–22 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saint.“ 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Jude 24–25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
I hope that these scriptures bring both rest and encouragement to you today.
In Christ,
Pastor John
In Paul’s introduction to 1 Corinthians, he pens these words in chapter 1:4-10 “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord….” What encouragement this verse must have brought to those first-century Christians. Our salvation, from start to finish, is by the grace of God. Paul told the Christians in Corinth that Jesus Christ would sustain them to the end guiltless in the day of our Lord. What great rest we find in these verses as those who have come to know and love Christ.
The Greek word for sustain is bebaioó. It is used 8 times in the New Testament, and each time the verb speaks of God’s action of rendering something firm. God will sustain us to the end, guiltless. The word guiltless means blameless, above reproach. Take a moment and let that amazing truth sink in. God will sustain/establish you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. These Corinthians Christians, like us today, were waiting for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Chris at his return. This truth brings us much rest and encouragement in these last days.
Here are a few more scriptures to confirm this truth. Colossians 1:21–22 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saint.“ 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Jude 24–25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
I hope that these scriptures bring both rest and encouragement to you today.
In Christ,
Pastor John
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