Hebrews chapters 3-4 speak of God's rest for those who believe his promises.
Promise 1: Christ died for the sins of the world (that's an awful number of sins and includes all of mine) (1John 2:2).
Promise 2: Because Christ died for all our sins, when we confess those sins the Father is faithful and justified in forgiving our sins AND in cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).
Promise 1: Christ died for the sins of the world (that's an awful number of sins and includes all of mine) (1John 2:2).
Promise 2: Because Christ died for all our sins, when we confess those sins the Father is faithful and justified in forgiving our sins AND in cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).
Paul learnt this secret, for in Romans 7:25, after acknowledging his carnality and the huge battle he had with sin (even to the point of utter wretchedness, vss 14-24), he was able to give thanks to God for deliverance ... through Jesus Christ our Lord... and end with a pragmatic acceptance of the situation, "so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin".
For those who would pick up on this and say O well let us live according to the flesh, Paul has previously said Romans 6:2 "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Paul expects those who are born of God's Spirit to exercise their minds (not the flesh) to serve the law of God.
Christians need to follow Paul's advice: believe in God's promises and (with the mind) serve the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus for it has made us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
This law of the Spirit of life can be referred back to the great and precious promises 1 and 2 mentioned above and expounded by Paul in Romans 8:3-8:
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
If we acknowledge our sins God is faithful and just in forgiving those sins and in cleansing us from all unrighteousness....this is God's promise, believe it, count on it, reckon it to be true, and enter his rest
