Off With the Old, On With the New

WALKING: OUR WAY OF LIFE IN THE WORLD- PART II

“Off with the Old, On with the New.”

Ephesians 4:17-24

Introduction: Singer Marie Osmond exclaims she dropped 50 pounds on Nutrisystem. The Turbo 13 weight loss program is designed to help members lose up to 13 pounds and seven inches overall in the first month. For a limited time, customers who purchase a 28-day plan like Turbo 13 can receive a one-week supply of Nutricurb Bars, Turbo Shakes and Turbo Boosters free. Really, just by eating differently can you lose weight? As if to add insult to injury, the so called, “Before and after weight loss” pictures look so different and beautiful. Are they not?

            The real goal is not the weight loss, but to learn how to eat healthy, do exercises and maintain a balanced life style. It is one thing to lose weight and the other thing is how not to fall back into the same old bad eating patterns before you lost your weight. Does God really care what you weigh? The answer surprisingly is No! God does not care what you weigh because the Bible says that man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart (I Samuel 16:7)

            But he does care about how we take care of His temple which is our body. We read in I Corinthians 6:19-20, “Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are called to glorify God in body and spirit. What God really cares about is that we live a lifestyle that is honoring to him and fruit bearing so that we not only enjoy God’s blessings but also, we will be a blessing to others.

            For the past few Sundays, we have been learning together in Paul’s letter written to the Gentile, Roman believers living in the seaport city of Ephesus. We have noted that in the first half of his letter, chapters 1-3, Paul indicated who the Ephesian believers are “In Christ” for example, he said, “You are saints, redeemed, chosen before the creation of the world to live holy and blameless, you are citizens of the kingdom, sons and daughters in God’s family the Church.

            In Chapters 4-6, Paul lays out some practical steps for the Ephesian believers to behave like who and what all they are in Christ.  I believe these steps will help the believers through the ages on how to live out practical Christianity in a world that is so contrary to the principles and values of God. Last week we have learned how to make Jesus proud by living in manner worthy of His Calling. We looked at one aspect of “Putting up with One another in Love.” Today, we will look at what it means to be “Off with the old, On with the New.” Ephesians 4:17-24.

I.  OFF WITH THE OLD:

            Vs 17, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” ESV. “So, this is what I want to say, I am bearing witness to it in the Lord. You must not longer behave like the Gentiles, foolish minded as they are.” (TKNT). After having established the fact that Gentiles in his audience have been admitted to the people of God (2:11-22), now Paul admonishes them to abandon the Gentile lifestyle.         What was the Gentile lifestyle like? God has always wanted his chosen people the Israelites to live by a different set of standards than those nations they were either living in or surrounded by. In other words, they were to “live exceptional lives.” Consider these scriptures: Leviticus 18:3, “So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.”

            Leviticus 20-23-24, “Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from all other people.”       These two scriptures highlight the fact that God does not want his people to pollute themselves by mixing in with the Gentiles, practicing their rituals and imitating their life style.         On the contrary he wanted them to be set apart from and live a step above the culture around them. For that very reason, most Jews regarded most Gentiles as worshipers of false deities, sexually promiscuous. In Vs 18-19, The apostle Paul further amplifies the darker side of the Gentiles by stating that their understanding is darkened. They are cut off from God’s life because of their deep-seated ignorance, by hardening their hearts. They have lost all moral sensitivity. They were given themselves over to whatever takes their fancy. They got off greedily after every kind of uncleanness.

            What was causing the Gentiles to behave badly? It was their darkened understanding.  Human behavior is always linked to their understanding.  Pat Tiller notes, “People do not behave badly because they make a rational, voluntary choice to do so. Behavior originates in the mind and in the heart that is ignorant of the truths of chapters 1-3.”  

            Our mind and heart inform and dictate us how to behave. When our thinking is dark either by ignorance or wrong knowledge or lack of wright knowledge we are not going to make good choices. We will make dumb choices, and do dark activities for which we will have to regret later. What was described as the Galatian lifestyle in verses 18-19 is so prevalent in our 21st century. Let me give you a real-life example.

            Ted Bundy infamously known as the worst serial killer of the 70s, in his final interview with Dr. James Dobson, admitted what made him a monster killer, “As a young boy (and I mean boy of 12 or 13, certainly) I encountered, outside the home again, in the local grocery store and the local drug stores, the softcore pornography. It fueled your fantasies, Dr James asked.  Ted answered, “Fueled …Well, in the beginning, it fuels this kind of thought process. Then, at a certain time, it is instrumental in crystallizing it, making it into something which is almost a separate entity inside.

            And that points you at the verge, I was at the verge of acting out on this kind of fantasy.”[1]Do you see the connection between a darkened mind and violent behavior? Studies show a correlation between pornography viewing and violent crimes. A 1995 analysis of 33 different studies showed that viewing pornography increases aggressive behavior, including having violent fantasies and even actually committing violent assaults. A University of New Hampshire study showed that states with the highest readership of pornographic magazines like Playboy and Penthouse, also have the highest rape rates.[2]    

            What was Paul’s admonishment for the Ephesian believers? That they must no longer behave like the Gentiles. Which implies that once they too were behaving just like the Gentiles, but now since they have been redeemed and their sins were forgiven, they must behave differently. They must stay clear from sin that so easily entangles them.

            Similarly, we too once were living like the Gentiles, with futile thinking and obeying Satan and his principalities. Pleasing our flesh and doing the things that were not pleasing to God. That is called, “The Old Self.” The old self that Paul is referring to here probably referring to the kind of person the Christian used to be. We are now called to put of our old self.

            Paul gives reasons why we should put off our old self in I Corinthians 6:11, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Since becoming the children of God, we should no longer live like the way we used to live in the past, instead we are to cultivate new habit patterns that are pleasing to God. Paul gives some practical advice on how we can be “off with the old, and on with the new, in verses 20-24.

III. ON WITH THE NEW

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[1] https://www.academia.edu/4921305/A_Transcript_of_Ted_Bundys_Final_Interview

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-little-known-final-interview-of-ted-bundy-porn-motivated-me-59610[2]

WALKING: OUR LIFE IN THE WORLD

WALKING: OUR LIFE IN THE WORLD

Ephesians 4:1-16

Introduction:  It was said of Alexander the Great, one night during a campaign, he couldn't sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds. As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death. The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life. "Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?  “Alexander the Great asked the soldier. "Yes, sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice. "Soldier, what's your name?"          Demanded Alexander the Great. "Alexander, sir. “Alexander the great asked again: "What is your name?" "My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated. A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is your name?" The soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir." Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye. "Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change your conduct."[1]

            Similarly, some who call themselves Christians should either change their name or their conduct. It is not just enough to call ourselves Christians but are we living a life worthy of our calling? Are we walking the walk we talk? Last week we began discovering a threefold process of Christian maturity based on the book “Sit Walk Stand” by Watchman Nee. We looked at the first word, “SIT” which talks about our restful position in Christ. Our Christian experience does not begin with walking, but with sitting. Every time we reverse the divine order, the result is disaster. Our sitting with Christ should be followed by our walking. Sitting describes our position in the heavenlies. Walking is the practical outworking of that heavenly position here on earth.

             Bu it is important before we move on, to recap what we found in the first three chapters. In our Wednesday study Pat noted, “If we have difficulty believing and comprehending these deep truths, then our behavior will be problematic.” So, it is important to grasp: Our sainthood. Usually we joke about it, but why not believe it and humbly live it. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ch 1:3).  We were chosen before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (1:4).

            In love we have been adopted as his sons (1:5). We have redemption through his blood and we have the forgiveness of sins (1:7) Rich grace has been lavished on us (1:8) We were chosen to be for the praise of his glory ((1:12) We were included in Christ, and were marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (1:13). After telling us all that Paul back tracks in Chapter 2 and reminds us that we were terribly lost and spiritually dead (2:1).

            Just like everybody else you lived just the way you pleased. You obeyed Satan and were doomed for destruction. That’s where God’s amazing grace caught hold of us and made us come alive spiritually. The father blended our life together with his beloved son in ways that we don’t fully understand no. In ages to come God will showcase his incomparable grace and kindness through us.  In the grandeur scheme of things as Gentile believers we were before we knew Christ, were separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

            This morning let’s look at what Ephesians have to say to us about walking? Eph 4:1-2, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” Let’s break these two verses. “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you.” The word “therefore” marks the transition from doctrine to duty, principle to practice, belief to behavior.

            Everything from this point on is about what we should do and how we should live based on the principles of chapters 1-3. Paul again references here his status as, “a prisoner of the Lord.” By doing so he reminded Ephesian believers that the faithful Christian walk can be costly. Paul had paid the price by being imprisoned for obeying his call. So, he has the right to call us to obey our call, even if it means imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. The later part of the verse reads, “urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,”

I. WALKING TO MAKE JESUS “PROUD”

            In the letter of Ephesians, the word “Walk” is used, eight times. It has two key meanings “to walk around,” Figuratively speaking it means, “to conduct oneself; or to order one’s behavior. It also means “Progress.” “Walk” is frequently used in the NT to refer to daily conduct. “Worthy” has the idea of living to match one’s position in Christ. In other words, we behave our conduct ourselves in a certain way to make Jesus proud. Is it possible to make Jesus proud?

            I believe it is possible, when we walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. There are a whole host of people who have gone before us, the writer of Hebrews calls them, “great cloud of witnesses.” During their time on earth they walked in a manner worthy of their calling. They did not waver in their faith, they did not give up their hope in the promises of God and they followed God in obedience, even unto death.

            Their names were recorded in Hebrews 11^th chapter. Hebrews 11:13-16, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth…Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God...” These men and women though they were citizens of the heavenly kingdom lived on earth like foreigners and strangers. They often went against the popular culture by holding on to their heavenly calling.

            They did not cave in under pressure but did what was right in the eyes of God through their excellent behavior. They lived their lives in a manner worthy of their calling. So, God was proud of them. Let’s ask ourselves these questions, how is my conduct today, is it appalling or pleasing to God? Is Jesus pleased or ashamed of my behavior?

            Earlier we noted that we are a heavenly people, but it doesn’t mean that all we do is to sit gather in fellowship of other believers, sing praises, read scriptures and wait expectantly for the time to come to go to heaven. If that’s all what we do then our heavenly calling is meaningless. In chapter 4, we are given an opportunity to work out our heavenly calling in the context of our

Churches, homes, offices, shops, schools, colleges, communities and government. That is what walking or behaving to make Jesus proud all about.

            Coming back to our passage, Eph 4:1-2, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”  Paul is earnestly persuading the believers to walk in a manner worthy of their heavenly calling. He shows them how to do so practically by giving a command and four qualifications. First the command, “bearing with one another in love.” Or Putting up with one another in love.

II. PUTTING UP WITH ONE ANOTHER (Charlie brown & Lucy)

            During our Bible study, when we came to this verse someone said, Paul is asking us to do something impossible, is that really impossible? Yes, to put up with one another is not easy but it is not entirely impossible, if so Jesus would not have commanded us to do so. To put up with one another implies that in the family of God we should expect to irritate and annoy one another at times. As long as we live on this earth we cannot escape annoying people, it is possible that we will rub one another the wrong way, including in a place like Hope church.

            Therefore, our goal is not to get people to stop being annoying but to work on ourselves so that we can learn to put up with one another. Paul lays out four qualifications to help us in this process of growth, and they are: humility, gentleness, patience, and love.” By humility we respect people as they are made in the image of God. With patience we accept those who may annoy us, and out of love, we may sometimes suffer for the sake of others.

            We exercise gentleness, following in the footsteps of our King Jesus who said, “learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29. We are living in a society where aggressiveness, and brashness is considered as virtues whereas humility and gentleness is considered as weakness. In the Kingdom of God, it is the opposite, we are called to behave differently than the rest of the world.

            I am sure you may have heard about or met some truly humble and gentle people, who were not necessarily week by any standards. Growing up in India I was deeply impressed by the life of Mahatma Gandhi, through his humble, gentle and nonviolent ways without firing a single bullet brought the entire British empire to its knees, whereby he brought freedom to India.

            He is affectionately called, “The Great soul.” Mahatma Gandhi held the sermon on the mount with great respect. Mahatma Gandhi said of it, “Christ’s Sermon on the Mount fills me with bliss even today. Its sweet verses have even today the power to quench my agony of soul.”        He also believed that Indians could delve very deeply into its meaning: “The Sermon on the Mount left a deep impression on my mind when I read it. I do believe with you that the real meaning of the teachings of Jesus will be delivered from India.”[2] There is so much violence and hatred in this world. The need of the hour is to find people who are gentle and gracious. Could we, who call ourselves Christians, with a heavenly calling step up and fill this need?

            More can be said about how to behave in manner worthy of our calling. For today let’s head the command that is coming to us through the apostle Paul and learn to put up with one another in love. How do we practically do that? By growing in humility, gentleness, patience and love, by modeling after Jesus our King and desiring the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

            Many Christians may have all the right doctrine, but live contradicting lives. Similarly, you may know all about chapters 1 to 3 of Ephesians, but how much of what you know do you put into practice on a day to day basis? For now, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten our hearts so that we might see how our behavior has been, and where we need to change. May the Lord continue to work in all of us by the power of His Holy Spirit, cultivating humility, gentleness, patience and love so that we may live in manner worthy of our calling. Amen!

           

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[1] https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/114990-change-your-name-or-change-your-conduct

[2] https://www.americamagazine.org/content/all-things/sermon-mount-hindu-reading-part-1

SIT: Our Restful Position in Christ

SIT: OUR RESTFUL POSITION IN CHRIST

(A Three-way Process of Christian Maturity)

Ephesians 2:1-10

Introduction: This past Monday I had a Quiet retreat at St. Joseph Retreat House in Milton. For the past several years it has become my practice that once in four months I would make time for such Quiet Retreats. I typically get to the retreat center around 10:00 A.M, after getting into my room, I will turn off my cellphone, sit at the table and quietly go over my prayer journal and reflect on what I wrote, last time when I was there. Silence and quietness are so palpable in that room, all I could hear is the clicking of my watch, my breath and my racing thoughts.

            After sometime, I settle down, sit back in a comfortable chair and read a book and reflect. The world around me may be racing, but here I am in the presence of God sitting all by myself, away from my family, home, ministry and Hope Church, but never too far from my loving heavenly father. I could feel his presence ever so warmly filling my heart. I hear his gentle and still small voice whispering in my ears saying, “I love you my son, I am pleased that you could take time to honor me by being with me on this day.”

            Whatever I do that day all is done quietly, without talking, singing, and even praying out loud, but all along being made aware of His ever-abiding presence. By the end of the day, I am refreshed, renewed in my faith, re-charged and ready to get back into a world that seems to spin out of control. God is calling his children to come away, sit at his feet and rest for a while.

            But you may say, I am busy where do I find time? You are right, you can never find time to be alone with God, there is always something urgent to do. We spent all our energy trying to take care of the urgent while sacrificing the important. At the end of the day what really matters is your relationship with God and your relationship with your family if you have one. What are you doing to nurture those two most important relationships in your life?

            We have been studying the book of Ephesians. The apostle Paul after unveiling to the believers their eternal riches in Christ, and affirming the hope of their calling, goes onto introduce a process of Christian Maturity. In order to expound this process, I will be sharing three key factors from an old book, “Sit Walk Stand” by Watchman Nee in the 50s’ based on the book of Ephesians. These three words, “Sit, Walk and Stand” clearly show us the way to victory in this life and for eternity. The first word, “SIT” talks about our restful position in Christ.

            Before we get to our key thought, here are few other truths from chapter 2: Understanding our depraved past helps us appreciate our present, and future glorious inheritance. We were dead because of our offenses and sins. We were travelling on the broad of destruction, keeping up in step with the world and following the ruler of the kingdom of the air.

            Because of his great love, rich mercy and unlimited grace we are alive in Christ. This work of salvation is not by works so that no one can boast. God has reconciled all people to Himself through Christ’s blood shed on the cross. This reconciliation is twofold: The reconciliation of all people to Himself and the reconciliation of all people to one another by means of a new entity called the Church or Christ’s body. He brought this reconciliation by destroying the dividing wall of hostility which existed between the Jews and the Gentiles.

            What do we know about this dividing wall of hostility?  Gentiles were allowed to enter the outer temple enclosure in Jerusalem. This outer court was also called the court of the Gentiles. They were physically prevented access to the inner courts of the temple by 4.5-foot-high barrier (this is Paul’s dividing wall of hostility in Eph 2:14). The Jewish historian Josephus pointed that 13 stone slabs with writing in both Greek and Latin were placed at intervals on the barrier warning Gentiles not to enter (Do not Enter Signs).

            The inscription notes, “no foreigner should go within the sanctuary.” The Archeologists have discovered two of these warning slabs which state, “No foreigner is allowed to enter within the railing surrounding the sanctuary and the court enclosed. Whoever is caught will be personally responsible for his ensuing death.” Can you imagine what fear that must have instilled in the Gentile worshippers?  Paul, narrowly escaped death, for reportedly bringing a Gentile into the inner court of the temple. (Acts 21:27-31).

            Paul and other Jewish followers of Christ recognized that the God who had previously resided in the temple had now entered humanity in the person of Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection had in effect broken down the dividing wall of hostility, effecting spiritual unity between Jews and Gentiles. As a result, Paul knew all people now have been granted access to God through their saving faith in Jesus Christ.[1]

            When you believe in Christ, and accept his gift of salvation, it doesn’t really matter who you are, where you are from, or your skin color, the language you speak, you now belong to the family of God. However, the irony is when Christ could break down the dividing wall of hostility we have certain people, including Christians who would rather see walls built up to alienate and divide people one from another. We need to ask ourselves, is it the will of God?

            Listen to the prayer of Jesus, John 17:20-23, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” More can be said on these themes. For now, let’s move to our key thought, Vs, 6: “He raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in King Jesus! What does it mean that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places?

I. SIT: OUR RESTFUL POSITION IN CHRIST

            In order to understand it, we will read the following scriptures together. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:17-21) ASV

            “And raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: … for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.” (Ephesians 2:6-9) ASV

            Notice these two phrases: “God…made him to sit, and made us to sit.” Let’s consider the implications of the word “sit” It reveals the secret of a heavenly life. Christian life does not begin with walking; it begins with sitting. The Christian era began with Christ, of whom we are told in Hebrews 1:3 “he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” With same equal truth we can say that Christian’s life begins, “In Christ.”  That is to say, when by faith when we see ourselves seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

            Most of us make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but it is reversal to the biblical truth. Our natural reason says, if we do not walk, how can we ever reach the goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we ever get anywhere if we do not move? 

            But Christianity is contrary to the world’s wisdom. In this world, everything is about “doing.” Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big Done and with “being, before doing.” That’s why Paul opens up his letter with this statement, “God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Eph 1:3), and we are invited to sit down and enjoy what God has already done for us and not to set out to try and attain it for ourselves.

            Walking implies effort and work, whereas God says, we are saved, not by works, but by grace through faith in Christ, which means resting in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. Christian life from start to the finish is based upon this principle of utter dependency upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

            Watchman Nee explains, “Sitting is an attitude of rest. Some thing has been finished, work stops and we sit. It is paradoxical, but true, that we only advance in the Kingdom of God as we learn first of all to sit down. What does it really mean to sit down?  When we walk, or stand we carry the weight of our own body on our legs, but when we sit down, our entire weight rests upon the chair on which we sit.  We grow weary and tired when we walk or run, but when we sit down for a while we feel rested, because the strain no longer falls upon our muscles and nerves, but upon something outside of ourselves.” This is how it works in the spiritual realm as well.

            We are seated with Christ means, to rest our whole weight, our load, our burdens, ourselves and our future, everything upon the Lord. We let Him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves. Jesus is inviting the weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest. Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

            Some of you perhaps are overwhelmed and burdened by the challenges at work and at home. If you are in that position you need to hear our savior’s invitation to come and learn from him and find rest to your soul. Resting in the Lord has always been God’s principle of maturity.

For instance, in the creation story God worked from the first day to sixth day when everything is done he rested on the seventh day from all his work. God ceased to work on the seventh day.

            The seventh day became the sabbath of God; it was God’s rest. How about Adam?  He was created on the sixth day, he had no part in all what God has created in those first six days. God’s seventh day was in fact Adam’s first day.  Whereas God worked six days and then enjoyed His sabbath rest, Adam began his life with the sabbath, for God works before He rests, while man must first enter into God’s rest, and then alone can he work.

            That is why it is so important that we honor Sunday, the Lord’s day, a day of rest. When we come to Church on Sunday, to worship Him, to rest in His presence, to study and listen to His life-giving Word, to fellowship with our brothers and sisters, hopefully by the end of our time we feel refreshed, then we go home and cease from work and rest some more. When Monday comes we are ready to face the challenges of the week with grace and renewed strength from God.

            Unlike in many countries, in our country the sabbath, the Lord’s day, for us Christians Sunday, has come under great attack. Throughout the week many force themselves to work very hard, so that they can make more money, while others are forced to work two or three jobs. Some even work seven days a week. When Sunday comes, especially young families are busy taking their children to sports and other entertainment. America runs on Dunkin! No wonder why we constantly feel fatigued, and restless, because we are not slowing down to rest.

            In Hebrews 4:9-11, we read, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” We are made to sit with Christ in the heavenly places means, we believe and rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We are consciously laying down all our burdens upon Him, entering into his rest by sitting in His presence, when we do that we are refreshed and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish all that He has called us to do on this earth. Amen!

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[1] NIV Archaeological Study Bible, page 1917