The book of Hebrews is a book loaded with themes that are intertwined with the great theme of the epistle, which happens to be Jesus’s exaltation at the right hand of God. One of those intertwined themes is the rest of God. The author of Hebrews likens the rest to which we are called to that of the Sabbath rest to which God entered after he had completed the work of creation.

In chapter one we read that after Jesus has made purification for our sins, he sat down on the right hand of God and entered a place of rest.

…when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high… 1:3

…Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?… 1:13

The writer of Hebrews picks up the theme of this rest in chapter three and expounds on it through chapter 4. In 3:1, he says, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus…

What is this heavenly calling?

Well, if we follow the flow of thought, the Heavenly calling begins with faith in Christ, and leads to resting in Christ. Though the last use of the word rest is found in 4:11, the theme of rest continues throughout the epistle. For example, entering boldly into the holiest by the blood of Jesus in 10:19, is an extension of the thought process of the rest we are to labor to enter into in  4:11.

Jesus entered into his rest at the Father’s right hand after he trusted God and obeyed him fully. We are called to the same path of obedience and faith, which will lead us into the rest to which we are called. In the gospel of John, Jesus had declared that the work of God is that we believe on him who God has sent. ~ John 6:29

All spiritual warfare that comes against the servant of Christ challenges him to relinquish his faith in Jesus in some way. Conversely, the work of the Spirit in the life of a believer leads him into a life of fully trusting Jesus in all things.

One cannot fully trust someone whom he does not know, but the more we know someone, the more we can rely on them and trust them. The Spirit of the Lord leads us into fellowship with the living Christ at the Father’s right hand, and as we fellowship with Jesus through the Spirit,  inward trust grows, and when that trust fully matures we enter a place of rest in the Lord.

This is why it is such a shame that so many believers get caught up following self appointed prophets and apostles, looking for the latest revelation or word while missing the heavenly call to fellowship with Jesus and enter into his rest. Paul alludes to this rest to which we are called when he says the following in Philippians 3.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:8-14

The high calling mentioned by Paul in Philippians and the heavenly calling mentioned by the writer of Hebrews lead to the same truth, knowing Jesus and trusting him fully in all things, and thus resting in him.

May God grant us a hearing heart so that we labor to enter into the this rest.