Resting Work

eWhy we need to sleep is a question puzzling medical science. They see no absolute need of it, physiologically. Could it be that sleep is imposed on us to limit our time to develop evil or could it be to teach us a lesson? Genesis 1 says that evening and morning were the first, second day Etc. day. Why evening first? Why rest before work? Maybe this is just the lesson He wants us to learn. Though physically we cannot save up rest, He is asking us to not work before we work. In spiritual terms, we can either rest from our work or rest for our work. The first, resting from work, means we have accomplished something and are resting from it. Physically, this makes sense. We work hard and are tired, so we rest. Spiritually, just the opposite is true. God wants us to rest first, recognizing that it is not us that does the preparation for the work, but Him. The ability to work comes from Him. Just so, the sequence of salvation is: rest first, work second. Believe and obey, is the sequence. First come and know me, rest from your burden of sin and self-works, then go work for me in the power of that rest. Rest on the accomplished work of Jesus, then go forth in the power of the Spirit to carry out His mission through us. As Boehnhoffer says, “No one can truly believe who does not obey; no one can truly obey who does not believe.” The two are inextricably intertwined, but belief must precede works or works are just that, works. Belief turns work into a joyous response to the love He has shown us in Christ Jesus. Belief makes works into a response to salvation rather than a means to salvation. Belief does not excuse from obeying or this would be cheap grace, but belief does take the drudgery of earning or working my own salvation. So, in our daily cycle of days, rest precedes work, night before day, so we can see this spiritual truth. Spiritual rest precedes spiritual work; accepting Jesus as our savior precedes our ability to work for Him. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 12/12/11