THERE is a progression in the upward movement in Christ – to repeat, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13, 14). I could expand at length on this, and have. But since I went long with my introduction last time, I want to keep it short this time.
My opening comments will be brief, pointing to a key statement our author makes in our reading below:
The earlier reckoning, concerning our assurance of salvation and security in Christ, is preparation for the later reckoning in regard to identification.
THIS is true of all of life, we learn upwards from one thing to the next, connecting the dots as it where to get to the “bigger picture.” …As such, let us pick up our reading where we left off, pursuing the wisdom inscribe here.
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10; Isa 30:15; Job 2:10; Jas. 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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Chapter 52—The Rest of Reckoning – Part 2
The actual “labor” mentioned in verse 11[Heb. 4:9–11] has to do with believing. It is quite an exercise to reckon that we died unto sin and self, when we are keenly aware of their presence and manifestation in our life. It is also “labor” to believe we are new creations in Christ, when we are so definitely alive to the old man. The earlier reckoning, concerning our assurance of salvation and security in Christ, is preparation for the later reckoning in regard to identification.
Diligent reliance upon the specific truth of the Word, in the face of all else to the contrary, is our only ground for rest. We cannot cease from self in any other way. We cannot even rest in Christ apart from counting upon the revelation of God’s Word. No matter how far we progress in our growth, there will always be a degree of this “labor” involved—turning from the testimony of the temporal to the eternal witness of Scripture. This is especially necessary because self will never change; it will always be sinful, never possessed of one good thing. We must ever count upon the exchange of the cross to separate us from the influence of self, freeing us to rest in the life of our Lord.
Knowing, and resting in, the finished work of our identification causes us to be neither slack, nor self-confident. Rather, knowing what He has done for us on the cross, and with us in Christ, makes us all the more hungry and eager to know experientially what is already ours positionally. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
