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About the Writer:
Carol Ann
Caster

Carol Ann rejoices with enthusiasm in all God is and shares a strong passion for writing biblical truths in a matter-of-fact way. Her heart for sharing the power of God and the importance of our dependence on God and not on ourselves is her primary objective in all her writings. Carol publishes a bi-monthly newsletter "The Agape Light" and this article is an excerpt from the January/February 2006 issue.

 

The True Blessing of Sabbath Rest

By Carol Ann Caster

“For by Grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

In his inherent unredeemed nature, man resides in the tendency of “I will”. This innate drive was birthed from Satan’s womb of pride and has driven mankind from its inception. The unrest it produces is only matched by the deadness of the works that are therein manifested. None of the works orchestrated by man will be adequate to satisfy a Perfect and Holy God. Even in man’s boasting, his falling short of that perfection forces him to raise the bar even higher. The greater the heights he attains, the more driven he becomes. But to determine the quality of his work, it must be tested. God has set the standard; all works will be tested by fire.

We are told by the Word of Truth, that as God’s children, we have been created for good works. The Word of God has been implanted in us as seed that He desires to bring forth and reproduce. God is Life. It is through Faith that the works of God are birthed. In the Book of John Chapter 6, verses 27-29 it is written:

“ ‘ Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.’ They said therefore to Him, what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? ‘ This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ ”

The word “believe” is derived from the root word “pistis” which is the same word for “faith”. It means to be persuaded by the knowledge of and confidence in the Word of Truth. Our belief in Who God is enriches the soil in the field of our heart, into which the seed of His Word in implanted. Out of the abundance of that heart, our mouth speaks the Word of Life. Through this declaration of Faith, the works that God prepared beforehand are manifested.

Just as we could not save ourselves, neither can we produce any good work of our own efforts that will please Him in any way. It is in the place of Sabbath Rest that we are most productive. Yoked to Him, we simply move in the flow of His creative

power. We are the privileged participants of His finished work, and are living out the manifestation of those things He prepared before the foundation of the world.

We find the assurance of this rest in the words of Jesus in Matthew 11: 28-30:

“ Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I AM gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

Oh Beloved let us enter into that place of rest where we cease striving and know that He is God! The more we trust in what He has already done, the more we will see those things that bring Glory to His Name reflected in our lives.

All Praise and Honor and Glory be His forever!

 

Copyright © March 2007 – Carol Ann Caster. All rights reserved.

 

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