Wednesday: Rest in Peace
For long centuries now, Christians have been awaiting Christ’s return. It is, truly, the culmination of all our hopes — and not just ours, but the hopes of all God’s faithful throughout all history.
Read Hebrews 11:13-16. What great promise is there, not just for the people of old but for ourselves, as well?
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In many ways, these verses make no sense if the common and popular version of death were true. What is the passage talking about, these people “not having received the promises”? They’re dead, supposedly now up in heaven with Jesus enjoying their great reward. When, for example, Billy Graham died, over and over we heard how he was now in heaven with Jesus.
There’s an irony, too, in this view, because often when someone dies, we hear, “May he [she] rest in peace.” But what is going on here? Are such people resting in peace, or are they up in heaven doing whatever they are supposed to be doing (such as watching all the “fun” down here)?
How does Jesus describe death? Read John 11:11.
In fact, the idea of their resting “in peace” is, of course, the truth about what happens at death, isn’t it? The dead, truly, are at rest. “To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. ‘If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death,’ ‘he shall never taste of death.’ To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life is hid with Christ in God, and ‘when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.’ John 8.51-52; Colossians 3:4.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 787.
Jesus compares a person’s condition between death and resurrection morning to an unconscious sleep (John 11:11, John 11:14), but He also emphasizes that both the saved and the lost will receive their reward after the resurrection ( John 5.28-29). He highlighted the necessity of being prepared for death, whenever it comes.
| What comfort do you get from knowing that your deceased loved ones are, indeed, now at rest? |
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Aha! We are on safe ground here. We understand the state of the dead and can provide lots of biblical evidence that we are right. "The dead know not anything!" But so often our satisfaction with having got it right may be tinged with a spot or two of pride. Is there something we need to learn about the state of the dead?
Our lead text for the day provides food for thought:
The real essence of this is not how we argue the case, but how we live now.
Thanks Sir Maurice for the contribution. In all these the question I kept asking myself is how well I'm I leaving? If JESUS comes toady will HE find me faithful? whether sleeping or alive?
The scripture passage being explored today is Hebrews 11:13-16 that begins with the words "these all died in faith...". If you look closely at those words it is saying that they died in faith because they were living in faith. What does it mean to live in faith?
While Hebrews 11:1 is often rolled out as a 'dictionary definition' of faith, I find that Romans 4:21 provides a better functional description of what faith actually is: "being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised" (Berean Study Bible). And while faith is not something we summon up ourselves, neither is it something that is 'downloaded' into us without our involvement. Faith is both the process and the result of an ongoing collaborative partnership with the Holy Spirit. Consequently faith is something that grows by consistent exercise/practice (Romans 1:17).
How does all this actually work our in our daily life? If faith is being persuaded that God is able to do what He says, we need to grow in our knowledge and understanding of who God is and what it is that He says He will do. Thus, time getting to know God through studying His Word is essential. Again, this is not something we do ourselves - we absolutely need the Holy Spirit as our teacher (see 2 Corinthians 2:11-16).
And then we need to take what we are learning and apply it in our everyday life and living situations. Again, this is not something we do of ourselves - it too absolutely involves partnership with the Holy Spirit who in each situations will convict us of the right options, the wrong options and which of these we are leaning towards (see John 16:8; James 1:5-8).
Maybe you are feeling you are not up to doing this? The good news is that all you need is a genuine hunger and thirst for wanting to know God and His ways - God will give you the energy and resources to have that hunger and thirst fulfilled. Hebrews 11:16 reveals that the 'faith giants' of Hebrews 11 had this hunger and thirst because they had reached a point in their lives where they were longing for more that what this world offered.
Where are you at in your journey for today? Are you sufficiently satisfied today with what this world has to offer or are you sufficiently sick and tired of it that you are genuinely looking for more?
Just to add a little to what you wrote Phil, I would point to two passages that help me define both how we receive and will demonstrate faith. In Romans 10:17 we find the Source of faith, and in Mark 2:4,5 we see how faith is demonstrated and observed by others who can recognize it.
One's faith can be seen by others according to Mark 2:5, which means that if we have faith, others will see evidence of it, if they are able to discern such things. (This goes for unbelief as well!) Some will claim our faith to be false, fanatical, or even a threat to others. In this world, Jesus said, we will have tribulation, and Paul states that "all who live godly(by faith) in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" for that faith (which must evidently be evident).
The hunger and thirst comes from a knowledge of the truth, otherwise, how would we hunger and thirst for it? We always seek for the known don't we? Who seeks for something they don't even know exists? I never once hungered for mangoes my entire life until I finally tried one. As the Beatitudes describe it, we "hunger and thirst for righteousness"(Matt 5:6) after we have seen its beauty, and realize that we are actually lacking of it ourselves(Matt 5:3-5). Doesn't this bring us back to Romans 10:17? Oh, and maybe Matthew 4:4 as well.
Sometimes what you have said is the case - and sometimes it is not. Yes, people can see something better than they have and then think, "I want that". Advertising works on (hijacks) this principle.
But I meet people frequently whose way of life and living has stopped working for them and they are hoping there is something else - some other option - but they don't yet know what that option is.
However, Romans 10:17 is applicable in both instances.
As this series of Bible study lessons comes to its conclusion, i see that we should take note of this:
> Whatever is personally going on in your life (our lives), Jesus longs to give you "peace that passes all understanding."
> He is there for you, today, tomorrow, and forever. His plans are greater than you can ever imagine.
Remember Jesus words: " 'He who endures to the end shall be saved' "( Mark 13:13 NKJV).
Trust His strength to see you through life's challenges and be at peace.
May God help us all.
Frederick, that is right on! With you permission I am going to copy and paste this post to my daughter who is trying to heal a broken heart and is struggling with why God allowed this to happen. She is 29 and thought she had found her spouse.
While preparing for church last Saturday, I got a message about the demise of my Aunt. This made me remember the number of family that have gone to sleep ( My Dad, his only brother, my Grandpa, Grandma and now Aunt)? This is too hard to accept but the only thing keeping us is HOPE of seeing them on that glorious day. I believe they are resting in CHRIST and HE will wake all on the resurrection Morning.
The Father has been at work to provide rest for man for a long time; since the Beginning. There has always been a remnant who have not 'bowed their knee to the image of Baal'; this remnant is according to the election of grace - Rom.11:4-7KJV.
I see the 'Rest in Peace' to be two-fold - - the end of the struggle to remain faithful, and the entering into the new life promised to those who remained faithful.
Yes, ongoing theological debates are about where we are or will be when we close our eyes for the last time here on earth; but to what end? Of what *spiritual* benefit is it if we know exactly whether we are 'sleeping' until Christ's return, which form we have when sleeping, or, as Mrs. White quotes Colossians 3:4 - 'when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory"?
I think it is much more important to know, to make sure, that we know where we are right now, while we are still alive. Are we tucked away in the strong harbor of Christ's Faith, save from the storms raging all around us? Are we benefiting from His Rest right now, being at peace with God about our life, ready to let it go? Are we 'resting' in the promises as we anticipate the life to come?
If not, then let us assure ourselves by learning more about the unwavering Love of God who holds all that pertains to life safely in His hands.