The Paradox of God

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest (Heb 4:11)

There are so many things about God that are paradoxical. For example

• God is the creator and sustainer of all things, yet He calls us to be stewards of His creation
• God is the holy and perfect judge, yet is gracious and merciful
• To God, the nations are dust on His scales, yet he cares about the smallest insect and the least of his children
• God's grace is free, yet it must be clung to tenaciously

Each time I read through the book of Hebrews, I become more convinced that its human author had a bigger view of God than most of us will ever have. And he felt this compulsion to push the envelope for the sake of his flock (and by extension, us) so that they would hold fast under persecution and temptation. Heb 4:11 is but one example in a book that really exalts Christ of how we must hold on, even as we are being held on to.

I will not delve into the nuances of the word strive. Rather, I would like us each of us to consider how we (each of us personally today) should be striving to enter God's rest? Will it be different for each of us? Sure, since the things that cause us unrest, the sins that so easily entangle and distract and allow us to drift away from our Savior are different. But the reality is that the author of Hebrews loved is church so much that in the power of the Spirit he commanded them (and us) to strive to enter God's rest.

Can we do that today? Can we begin to see and respond to the reality that God's economy is multi-dimensional and that we each have roles and responsibilities and expectations that go way beyond simply praying a prayer, acknowledging and creed and coasting for 50-60 years waiting for our eventual rest? The author of Hebrews sees this as a recipe for disaster.

To God Alone be the Glory