THIRD QUARTER 2021
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #3
JULY 17, 2021

“THE ROOT OF RESTLESSNESS”

 

 

In our first Sabbath school lesson of this new quarter, we looked at the importance of resting in Christ and some definitions of rest. In our second lesson, we saw how unrest and rebellion went together and were catalysts for each other. So here we are in lesson three entitled “the roots of restlessness”.

 

I would actually suggest that maybe the word “roots” should be singular i.e. the “root” of restlessness. Paul in the book of Hebrews puts his finger on the problem quite succinctly. It was there that we experience the deep pathos in the voice of God as we hear that He was “grieved” for 40 years (3:17) because they would not enter into His rest and many of them died in the wilderness.

 

The next two verses clearly tell us that the reason that they could not exit the wilderness and enter into the land of Canaan (symbolic of our entering rest in Christ) was because of unbelief. And so, the human race has two problems. One is that we suffer from an innate and incurable selfishness. The other is that we often choose to disbelieve and refuse the remedy which has a perfect success rate, proven by a multitude of longitudinal studies.

 

That remedy of course is the righteousness of God received by faith. Unbelief robs us of assurance and causes us to try to solve our problems in our own strength. That is the root of all of the things that mitigate against our rest in Christ. Trying to get better without the help of God does not work and it just causes even more frustration and unrest. And one failure after another would cause anyone to be depressed and hopeless.

 

Yet “here is the secret of strength. It is Christ, the Son of God, the One to Whom all power in heaven and earth is given, Who does the work… The soldiers of Alexander were reckoned invincible. Why? Was it because they were naturally stronger and more courageous than all their enemies? No, but because they were led by Alexander. Their strength was in his leadership. Under another leader they would have often been defeated.

 

When the union army was fleeing panic-stricken before the enemy at Winchester, the presence of Sheridan turned their defeat into victory. Without him the men were a quaking mob. With him they were an invincible army… Well, our Captain is the Lord of hosts. He has met the chiefest foe of all and has vanquished him single-handed (Lessons on faith, E.J. Waggoner).

 

The way to find rest in a restless society is to hear and respond to the call of Christ when He says, come unto Me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Rest comes in the assurance that you’ve been justified through His grace and in His blood. When a person’s heart is gripped by that truth and fully believes, the first fruit will be peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

 

Ephesians one gives us 4 things that everyone on the planet can be sure of: One, that God has given to you all spiritual blessings in Christ. Two, that He has chosen you in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Three, that it gives Him great pleasure to predestinate you to adoption by Christ Jesus to Himself. And Four, that you have been accepted in the Beloved (in Christ). If God Himself in Christ accepts you, why should you stress or be at unrest even if the whole world rejects you? He loves you and has taken the first initiative for your salvation.

 

Another thing people are often restless about is their sins. There are two sources that point to our sins. The first one is the devil. He points to our sins that are already under the blood and keeps dragging them back up hoping to discourage and condemn us. But remember, he’s just doing his thing as the accuser of the brethren. The second source that points to our sins is the Holy Spirit. He points to sins that are not under the blood, that He might take them away and give us victory and peace and joy in their place. Although the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts us of sin, He never steps outside of His role as the Comforter while He is doing it.

 

Sometimes, just by looking into the 10 Commandments, we can feel restless by what we see. But remember, although the law may be true in its assessment of our sins, where sin abounds grace much more abounds. Everywhere that sin abounds, no matter how bad it may seem, right there, in that place, at that time, is the place where grace much more abounds. The law points us to the exceeding sinfulness of our sin, only that it might lead us to the even more abounding grace that has within it the victory and will reign on our heart like a king.

 

Remember also that the devil is always trying to steal your identity in Christ. He is the great identity thief. When Christ was tempted on our behalf in the wilderness, the first thing the devil did was to say, “if you are the son of God”. He was trying to get Christ to doubt His identity and he does the same with us today. But we must continue to believe what the word of God says about us even when we don’t feel like it and sometimes against our feelings.

 

Our rest is assured, because God worked! The Sabbath is a memorial of His perfect work of creation and His perfect work of redemption! The last great conflict on earth is not primarily about two different days, but about two systems of salvation. The one (signified by the Sabbath) relies upon the fact that man can have full assurance in Christ and His word and rest in Him (while having no confidence in himself). The other (signified by Sunday) relies upon the word of man giving no assurance and needing to “prop itself up” by oppressive laws. Its adherents receive no rest day or night.

 

So in closing, maybe here would be a practical way to express God’s assurance to us in prayer. “Dear God, this morning I accept again my position in Christ as your child. I accept and receive the fact that I am blessed, chosen, predestined and accepted in the beloved. Now live out thy life within me oh Jesus King of kings, be thou the glorious answer to all my hearts questionings.”

 

~Pastor Rob Benardo