The New-covenant Sabbath

The New-covenant Sabbath; the Relationship of the Writing of the Law in Our Heart to the Rest of God

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:10)

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (Isaiah 28:12)

The fourth chapter of the Book of Hebrews presents the rest of God as a goal toward which we should be striving.

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)

The rest of God is the state in which the saint is abiding in the perfect will of God at all times, under all conditions, for eternity.

The rest of God is compared, in the fourth chapter of Hebrews, to the Sabbath day, and also to the land of promise.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. (Hebrews 4:4)

For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. (Hebrews 4:8)

The rest of God is based on the fact that God finished all His works at the time of the creation of the universe, and now is resting.

For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Hebrews 4:3)

Each saint is to struggle to enter the rest of God, to cease from his own ways, his own pleasures, his own words, and to honor God by following God’s ways, by embracing God’s pleasures, speaking God’s words. We enter God’s rest by entering the death of Christ and entering His resurrection. When Christ is living in us we fulfill the Sabbath commandment perfectly.

The old covenant commands us to live in God on the seventh day of the week. The new covenant commands us to live in God seven days of the week. We are directed to present our body to God a living sacrifice.

The requirement to present his body to God a living sacrifice was not placed on the Jew of the old covenant. He kept the Sabbath one day of the week. We enter the eternal Sabbath, the eternal rest of God, as our adamic nature is crucified and the risen Christ is formed in us.

The demands of the new covenant are much greater than the demands of the old covenant. The grace given under the new covenant is much greater. The promises to the faithful are much greater under the new covenant. It is a superior covenant based on superior promises.

Indeed, our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. He who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than the Prophets of Israel.

The writing of the Law in our heart, which is required if we are to attain bodily resurrection to righteousness, immortality, and glory, is the way we enter the rest of God. We enter God’s rest as we cease from our own works and permit the Lord to crucify and then resurrect our inner nature in His own Life —which is equivalent to writing His Law in our heart.

Isaiah indicates that the daily writing of the Word of God in our heart is associated with speaking in tongues and with the rest of God.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:10-13)

The writing of the law of God in our heart is accomplished one line at a time. Speaking in tongues assists in the process of transformation, for as we speak in tongues we learn to cease from our own strength and wisdom and lean on the Lord.

The end result of leaning on the Lord, allowing Him to slay our old nature and form His own Life in us, is that we "go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." We find rest as the old Adam is crucified and Christ is formed.

The mark of full entrance into the rest of God is the clothing of Christ-filled inner man with the white robe of righteousness and resurrection glory. After the full transformation of the inner nature it is only the work of a moment to raise the deceased flesh and bones and clothe them with immortality.