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Dr. Lewis Gregory<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cFor he that is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His\u201d<\/strong><\/em> (Hebrews 4:10 AKJV).<\/p>\n Labor Day in the United States<\/strong> has traditionally been a day to cease from one\u2019s labors and rest. God offers a lifetime of rest to all who will cease from their fleshly labors and enter His rest. Easier said than done! It is very difficult for most of us to give up on all our \u201cso called good works.\u201d I know it was for me. My thinking went something like this. \u201cI\u2019m trying as hard as I can, doing all that I can, the best that I can. It may not be the greatest (admittedly I was defeated), but I\u2019m giving it all I\u2019ve got. If all my hard work has only gotten me this far, just think what would happen if I gave up. Why, it would be a disaster, and I would become passive.<\/p>\n A common misconception<\/strong> – Since then I\u2019ve discovered this kind of thinking to be all too common among Christians. Ceasing from our fleshly efforts in order to enter God\u2019s rest is actually shifting from a works-oriented<\/em> approach, to a grace-oriented <\/em>approach to living. Ironically, many people have mistakenly thought that an emphasis on grace will lead to a life of passivity. The concern is that a strong emphasis on grace\u2014which declares that the responsibility for our lives belongs to Christ and that He will take care of everything for us\u2014will cause many to become passive. Nothing could be farther from the truth.<\/p>\n When you truly realize your union with Christ, you are not about to sit back and do nothing. Passivity is the last thing on your mind. Once you have discovered what it means to be a new creation in Christ, you are finally ready to do something of eternal consequence. As you begin to realize your true identity in Christ, it actually liberates you to an even greater level of activity\u2014Divine activity. You are fully equipped for godly living. At last, you\u2019re free to do what God has put in your heart to do.<\/p>\n Graceful living<\/strong> – Paul, the chief proponent of this truth, was no slouch. In fact, he was one of the most active Christians on biblical record. Here is what he wrote, \u201cBy the grace of God I am what I am . . . I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:10). Did you notice he said he labored much more than everyone else? He is not bragging\u2014far from it. It is merely a statement of fact. Yet, in a sense, it is bragging, though not about himself. Who did Paul credit for such fervent activity? He emphatically stated that it was God who made him who he was, and enabled him to do what he did. He described this remarkable phenomenon as the grace of God. Paul declared that his labors were a result of God and God alone. He was bragging all right\u2014on God!<\/p>\n The grace of God does not result in passivity. Paul made it very clear that this life of grace, as a new creation, is anything but passive. He told the Colossians, \u201cI also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily\u201d (Colossians 1:29). Paul declared that such a lifestyle is a labor, which involves striving, and results in work being accomplished.<\/p>\n What was the source of Paul\u2019s labor<\/strong>? The energizing source of his dynamic labor was none other than the indwelling Christ! He also asserted that everything he did was a result of God\u2019s work in his life. It was Christ who did the work, but He has chosen to do it in and through human personalities. That\u2019s you and me. We have been granted the marvelous privilege of being co-laborers with Christ. We are the human instruments through whom He has chosen to accomplish His Divine purposes. Divine activity is to be the order of the day for those believers who are living by the grace of God as new creations in Christ.<\/p>\n On one hand, you don\u2019t do anything; yet, on the other, you do everything. You, in your human strength, are not to do anything. However, you, in the strength of the Lord, are now able to do all things! In Philippians 4:13, Paul wrote, \u201cI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.\u201d This can now be your motto.<\/p>\n Two examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n The same is true for you.<\/strong> If you feel as though your life is going nowhere, then it\u2019s time to get with the program. The transforming truth of the new creation made it possible for the apostle Paul to do God\u2019s work. Likewise, you must be about your Father\u2019s business! May this Labor Day be the beginning of a lifetime of resting in the Lord. As you do, you will find His grace sufficient for all your labors. And you can rest assured that your labor will never be in vain in the Lord!<\/p>\n Dr. Lewis Gregory Source Ministries \u00a9 2011<\/p>\n\n