The Oberlin Evangelist

September 11, 1839

Lecture XVI.

THE REST OF FAITH--No. 1

by the Rev. Charles G. Finney

Modernized by Cliff Collins

“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.” (Hebrews 3:19, 4:1)

The following is the order that I will direct your attention:

I. Who is the Apostle speaking about in this passage, and what is it that they could not enter into?

II. Why couldn’t they enter in?

III. I will show that the land of Canaan was a type or symbol of the rest of faith.

IV. What is implied in this rest?

V. How may we fall short of this rest?

VI. How may we possess this rest?

I. Who is the Apostle speaking about in this passage, and what is it that they could not enter into?

The context of this passage reveals that the Apostle is speaking about the Jews; and they could not enter into the land of Canaan.

II. Why couldn’t they enter in?

It is stated in this passage that they could not enter into Canaan because of unbelief. The Jews had arrived on the borders of the Promised Land. Moses selected twelve individuals to be spies, and sent them to spy out the land. They went up and surveyed the land, and returned bringing some of the fruits of the land. Ten of them then told the children of Israel that it was a very good land, but that it was impossible for them to take possession of it. They said that the towns and cities were walled up to heaven, that the country was inhabited by giants, and therefore, they would be unable to take possession of the land.

All the spies agreed with this testimony except Caleb and Joshua. This discouraged the people and produced a rebellion that prevented that generation from taking possession of Canaan. Their confidence in divine assistance was completely shaken, and their unbelief prevented any attempt to possess the land, which they would have done with complete success. Because those who were sent out to reconnoiter brought this evil report, and they failed to encourage and lead the people forward, God turned back that generation, and they wasted in the wilderness. God was so incensed against them for their lack of confidence in His help, and for a lack of confidence in His ability and willingness to give them the land, that He “swore in his wrath, that they should not enter into His rest”. (Hebrews 3:11)

III. The land of Canaan was a type of the rest of faith.

It is clear from the context of our passage that the Apostle was saying that the land of Canaan is symbolic of the rest of faith. The land of Canaan was to have been their rest after their perilous journey from Egypt. In this land, they would be secure from the power of all their enemies. The third chapter of Hebrews ends, saying, “They could not enter into this rest because of unbelief”. The fourth chapter begins by exhorting the Jews, “to fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it (the rest of faith)”. And in the third verse it says, “we who have believed do enter that rest”.

IV. What is implied in this rest?

1. This rest is not a state of spiritual laziness.

2. This rest is not waiting for God to do His and our work. Some people are waiting for God. Their idea of His sovereignty is to throw on Him the responsibility of doing, not only what belongs to Him, but also what belongs to them. They seem to forget that holiness in a person is his own act, and they talk as if God will make them holy; that they don’t have to exercise their own powers properly and diligently. Others are waiting for God to convert their children, their neighbors, and the world, without any instrumentality on their part, stating that God can, and will do His own work, in His own way, and in His own time. They completely overlook the fact that when God works, He works by and through means. This waiting for God is anything but the right view of the subject. It is anything but faith that leads to these views, leads to this course of conduct, and leads to this state of spiritual laziness. This waiting for God is anything but gospel rest. Faith always implies a diligent and constant use of the proper means to accomplish God’s will. Faith not only recognizes the fact that God will do this and that, but also that He will do it using the proper means. As a result, true faith in God leads to anything but neglecting to use the appropriate means to accomplish the desired goal.

3. This rest of faith does not imply that the Church is to be sanctified, and the world converted, without the diligent and effective co-operation of those who are co-workers with God.

4. Nor is this a rest from labors of love.

5. Nor is this a rest from watchfulness. The rest of faith is not rest from any of those holy efforts that are indispensable to guard against our enemies in this life, and while we live in an enemy’s country. Nor does the rest of faith imply resting from diligently using all the means of instruction, and of grace, both for our own and others’ edification, and salvation.

6. The rest of faith does not cast off our responsibility, and allow us to drift in any direction by the tides of influence that surround us.

7. Nor does this rest imply an exemption from temptation. Christ was tempted in all points like as we are. And, from our circumstances in this world, it is impossible that we should not continue to be the constant subjects of temptation from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Nor does rest imply exemption from all heaviness and distress of mind. Christ carried a heavy load. Paul had great heaviness and continual sorrow of heart because of his brethren. And Peter in his general epistle to the saints says, “You have been grieved by various trials”. (I Peter 1:6) Nor does rest imply exemption from severe trials and mental conflicts, because we can expect these things as long as we are in the flesh. The gospel clearly teaches that it is given to us, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His sake.

What does gospel rest imply?

1. Gospel rest implies a complete rest from all our own selfish works that promotes our own interests, material or eternal.

2. Gospel rest implies a rest from all our self-righteous efforts.

(1) Self-righteous efforts are attempts to recommend us to God by our own works.

(2) Self-righteous efforts try to avoid punishment. We try to escape from the wrath of God using our own efforts.

(3) Self righteous efforts originate when we are convicted, and we perform self-righteous efforts in the strength of our own resolutions. They are not influenced by the love of God in our heart.

3. This rest implies a state of mind that doesn’t feel that it needs to do anything in its strength. Many people live in a state of mind where they feel pressed with a need to do anything and everything in a way that God will accept. And yet, because of their unbelief, they agonize over the thought that they are not strengthened by the Spirit of God to the point where it causes them to do what their convictions of duty demand from Him. This is an unsettling, restless state of mind, and it is the exact opposite of the rest of faith. Faith so leans on God, that it brings our mind into a state of sweet rest and confidence that God will help, and that there is no need to do anything in our own strength.

4. This rest implies a rest from all the anxiety produced by unbelief on every subject. Faith rests in God for time and for eternity, for direction and help, and provisions in material as well as in spiritual matters. Rest excludes worry.

5. Entering into rest implies rest from the fear of death and hell. Faith produces that perfect love that casts out fear. It casts out the fear of future needs; the fear of the judgments of God, the fear that our enemies, spiritual or physical, shall overcome us, and it casts out all fear that torments.

6. This rest implies freedom from a sense of condemnation. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

7. We enter a rest from the reproaches of our conscience. In a state of unbelief, our conscience often inflicts severe wounds on the peace of our soul. But, when we take possession of the rest of faith, our conscience is as quiet as a lamb.

8. Entering into rest implies rest from the stress and afflictions that occur in life. Our soul is able to remain calm and sweet in situations that would otherwise agitate and distress our mind. By this, I don’t mean that individuals will have no trials; but that this state of mind will enable them to pass through their trials with a composed and heavenly temper. Mrs. President Edwards says about herself, that for some years there were two trials that she thought she would be unable to bear. One was the loss of her husband’s confidence, and ill treatment from him; the other was the loss of the confidence and respect of the people of the town in which they lived. But, when she fully entered into the rest of faith, she said that it did not appear to her as if those things could, in the least, affect her happiness or disturb her peace of mind. She felt as if she was as far above being upset by anything that could occur in the providence of God, as the sun is high above the earth. She felt that to be treated with the utmost disrespect by her husband, to be cast out by the people of the town to perish in the snow, would not break up the deep tranquility and rest of her mind in God.

9. Entering into rest implies rest from the dominion of temptation. In this life, we can always expect temptation, more or less. But this rest is a state of mind where temptation won’t prevail. Temptation will attack us, and make a greater or less impression on our minds, in other words, it will agitate and ruffle our feelings in proportion to the lack of our faith.

10. Finally, entering into rest implies rest from the strength and dominion of sin in all its forms. The case used by the Apostle Paul in the seventh chapter of Romans to illustrate the influence of God’s law over one who is carnal and sold under sin, is a striking example of that state of slavery to lust and passion in which great multitudes, both in and out of the Church, are living. And the striking transition from that state of mind into the state of mind described in the eighth chapter, clearly illustrates what I mean by an individual passing from a state of slavery and sin into a state of liberty and rest.

V. How can we seem to fall short of this rest?

The word “seem” in this passage doesn’t imply what is commonly meant by the English word seem, as if our falling short was only in appearance and not real. But from the way it’s used in other passages of scripture, it is clear that this word is intended to express the actual falling short, as if the Apostle had said, “Lest any of you should be seen to come short of this rest”.

1. We may fail to enter into this rest if we mistake the nature of this rest, and think we have it when we don’t have it. Many seem to think that rest consists in spiritual laziness or in some exemption from responsibility where the mind allows itself to drift without resistance in any direction that the corrupt currents of this world might drive it. They have this idea that all things are lawful to them; that almost any kind of indulgence is consistent with spiritual purity and the love of God. To them, gospel rest is simply casting off responsibility; it is a lolling and wallowing in their own filthy indulgences.

2. Many fail to enter into this rest, because they don’t realize that a state of rest exists. They don’t seem to know anything about the tranquilizing effects of faith, and that state of deep rest in God, which those who possess the promised rest enjoy. They think that Christian warfare consists in that mental conflict that they know is going on within them, between their hearts and their consciences. They are aware of a continuous mutiny between the conflicting powers of their own minds, which they express by saying they are constantly sinning and repenting. However, nothing more is meant than that their hearts and consciences are at war with each other. They appear to be total strangers to the sweet peace and rest of mind that results from a harmony of the powers of their own mind, where their conscience and their heart are united. Understanding from the Bible that their warfare must continue throughout this life, and mistaking their inward conflicts for Christian warfare, they take it for granted that no such rest, as the rest that I’ve been talking about, exists.

3. Many fail to enter into this rest because they think it belongs exclusively to heaven. Now, the fact that this rest will be more perfect in heaven than it is on earth is undeniably true. But, it is the same in kind, on earth as in heaven, just as holiness is. Now if people don’t become holy on earth, how can they hope to be holy in heaven? And if this rest is not begun on earth, it will never be enjoyed in heaven.

4. Many fall short of this rest by thinking that the world, the flesh, and Satan have put the attainment of this rest totally out of the question. It is amazing to see how little of the gospel is understood and received by the Church today. It would seem that, in the minds of most of the Church, the gospel itself has not made adequate provision for the entire sanctification of men in this world of temptation. It is as if the only way we could overcome these enemies is by having God rapture His children out of their reach; and that Christ came not so much to destroy the works of the devil in this world, but to take His people out of this world and get them off of Satan’s territory. They believe that God destroys the flesh because He is unable to overcome it; and that God will burn up the world because He is unable to prevent His people from falling into sin. Now it appears to me that God’s glory demands that the battle should be fought, and the victory should be won in this world. The Apostle Paul says that, under the grace of God, we are not only conquerors but also “more than conquerors”. (Romans 8:37) Not only that, anyone who can assume that the world, the flesh, and Satan are too strong for Christ, so that He cannot save His people from their sins, certainly has a very limited knowledge of the Bible and of the grace of God.

5. Ignorance of the power of faith is another reason why people do not enter into this rest. They don’t understand faith in the existence, power, goodness, providence, and grace of God. They don’t understand that any unwavering confidence in all He says and does, would naturally bring them into the rest I am talking about.

For example, suppose a ship at sea becomes caught in a severe storm. Everybody on board is thrown into confusion, dismay, and despair. The ship is driven by a fierce wind towards a lee shore. Now suppose, that in the midst of all the uncertainty, fear, and almost distracting anxiety of the passengers and crew, a voice should be heard from heaven. They know that it is the voice of the eternal God, assuring them that the ship will be safe, that not a hair of their heads will perish, and that they should ride out the storm in perfect safety. It is easy to see that the effect of this announcement on different minds would be in precise proportion to their confidence in its truth. If they believed it, they would not give up the helm, go to their quarters to rest, and let the ship flounder before the waves. But standing, every man at his post, and managing the ship in the best possible manner, they would work while enjoying a quiet and composed mind in proportion to their confidence that all would be well. If any did not believe that voice from heaven, their anxiety and worry would continue, and they might wonder at the calmness of those who did believe it; and even reproach them for not worrying as much as they are. You might see among them every degree of feeling from the despair and deep forebodings of utter unbelief, up to the full measure of the consolation of perfect faith. Now the purpose of this illustration is to show the nature of faith, and to demonstrate that entire confidence in God naturally hushes all the tumults of the mind, and settles that person into a state of deep rest. Faith does not produce inaction, presumption, or spiritual laziness any more than the revelation that I mentioned, would produce inattention to managing the ship.

6. Another reason is that many are discouraged by the misrepresentations of those spies who were sent to spy out the land. It is a painful and an alarming thought that so many leaders in the Israel of God today, which is the Church, believe that they went up and investigated the whole land of spiritual experience, and with almost one united voice they return to the Church, and tell us that we are unable to go up and possess the land. Of all those that were sent by Moses to spy out the land only two had any faith in the promise of God, whereas all the rest united in their testimony that they were unable to possess the land. They said they could not attain the rest of Canaan in this life. This reminds me of the Church today. Leaders are appointed to direct and encourage the people, by first acquainting themselves thoroughly with the ground to be possessed, and then carrying to the people the confidence of faith and encouraging them, not only by the promises of God, but by their own experience and observation, that the land may be possessed. Instead of this, they bring up an evil report. They discourage the hearts of the people of God. They maintain that the grace of God has not made sufficient provisions for them to take possession of the land of holiness in this life. They preach that the world, the flesh, and the devil are mighty Anakims. To overcome them is completely out of the question. The only hope that remains is if we flee from their territories and get out of this world the best way we can. Now, I am afraid that what will happen to them will be the same thing that came upon the spies in the days of Moses. They were driven back, and their carcasses fell in the wilderness. God swore in His wrath, that they should not enter into his rest. And, it’s not only them. That entire generation who were deceived by those spies could not enter in because of their unbelief. They wasted away and died without rest in the wilderness. How many generations of the Church of God shall be wasted away in the wilderness of sin in exactly the same way? How long will generation after generation of spies continue to bring up their evil reports, discouraging the hearts and confirming the unbelief of the people, and effectively preventing them from taking possession of that rest which remains for the people of God?

7. Many are discouraged by the present and past attainments of Christians. The consideration that holy men of former and present times have known so little about full gospel salvation causes them to stumble. They could, just as reasonably, let the past and present state of the world shake their confidence in the fact that the world will ever be converted. And indeed, whether they are aware of it or not, I suppose they have as much confidence in one as in the other. They aren’t aware of the fact that they are full of unbelief concerning the world’s conversion, but they are aware that they have no confidence that they can obtain rest from all their sins in this life. There is a reason why they sense unbelief in one situation and not in the other situation. Entering into rest is placed before them as something that can be done right now. In trying to get rest from their sins, they experience the chilling influence of unbelief. Converting the world is something that they’ve never tried to do. They don’t understand that it is their duty to convert the world. As a result, a lack of confidence concerning this is not the object of their attention. Certainly a state of mind that has been discouraged by the past or present history of the Church, would of course feel the same discouragement, and have the same reason for discouragement, concerning the world’s conversion.

8. Others fail to possess this rest because they are ignorant of the real attainments of the ancient and modern saints. They have never seriously examined the history of eminent saints either ancient or modern, and therefore, they don’t know what the grace of God has actually done for others.

9. Many fail because they are concerned about their reputation. They have so much fear of being called heretics, fanatics, perfectionists, or some other disgraceful name, that they resist the Spirit and truth of God.

10. Pride and prejudice prevent a careful and honest examination of the subject. I have been amazed, and I might add ashamed, to witness the great ignorance of the Bible and of the real merits of this question, in articles that have appeared different periodicals recently. They remind me of the conduct of Dr. Hill in the recent General Assembly, when the question of slavery came up. He stood up and read certain passages of scripture, with as much assurance as if he believed that the abolitionists never knew those passages existed; as if he thought it would be completely clear that these scriptures were a “Thus says the Lord” in the face of all abolitionism. He afterwards suggested that he was master of the subject, and did not seem to understand that all his arguments and his scriptures, and all his grounds of objection had often been weighed in the balance and found wanting. I also see this when I read the various articles that have appeared recently against attaining entire sanctification in this life. The least I could say would be in the words of President Edwards, that “they have not considered the matter very well”.

11. Many fail because they are too proud to confess their ignorance and lack of spirituality, and they are too proud to seek the truth with all their hearts. Many individuals don’t know their own ignorance and their lack of spirituality, and many who are convinced of their ignorance and their spiritual destitution, seem to think it is indispensable to their usefulness to hide their defects and keep up the appearance of sound knowledge and piety. Some have made it a principle to speak as little as possible about their own experience in the divine life.

12. Many are ashamed to be taught by ignorant Christians, even though they are spiritual Christians. There are few ministers and Church leaders today who don’t need to receive some most useful and wholesome lessons from some obscure female or some other unnoticed person in the Church. Unless a person is willing to sit at the feet of any spiritual child of God, he is never likely to know what that rest is that remains for the people of God.

13. Pride of learning and dependence on their own powers of criticism, have done and are doing a lot to shut the learned world out of faith. There is a great tendency, in certain intellectual minds, to substitute their own reasoning for faith, to believe what they can establish by reasoning and argument, and to hold as fanatical or doubtful any depth of spirituality that they can’t fathom by their “inch of line”. They don’t know that the confidence they have in things that can’t be established by reason, is not faith in the truth of God, but a leaning in their own understanding. They set aside God’s testimony unless it is backed up and established by their own profound reasoning and criticisms.

14. Another reason why so many never enter into that rest is that they settle down into a stereotyped orthodoxy and become opposed to all advances in religious knowledge and experience.

15. Others fail because they are waiting and struggling to become properly prepared before they go up and take possession of the land. They don’t understand that they are to immediately enter into this rest by faith. They are waiting for certain feelings and views to prepare them to exercise faith, not knowing that these very views and feelings are the results of faith. Thus, they expect the effect to come before the cause.

16. Others fail through sheer carelessness. The Apostle exhorts the Church to take heed in this matter, and certainly, without attention and inquiry, this rest will not be attained.

VI. How may we possess this rest?

You can immediately possess this rest by anchoring down in naked faith on the promises of God. Take the illustration that I gave earlier, of the ship at sea. Suppose that ship was dashing on the rocks, and a voice from heaven should cry out, “Drop your anchor and all will be safe”. Suppose they believed that. With confidence and composure, they would drop the anchor, understanding that it would fasten them and thus, they would ride out the storm. Anyone can see that this composure of mind would be entered into immediately by an act of naked faith. In the same way, there are no circumstances that we are placed in, where we can’t enter into rest immediately by anchoring down in naked faith on the promises of God. Let the first six verses of the 37th Psalm illustrate what I mean. “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Now suppose an individual is burdened down by the persecution of his enemies, or his physical circumstances are so desperate that he doesn’t know what he’s going to do for bread. Let him grab a hold of these promises, and peace and rest will flow into his mind, and light and joy will spring up like the sun breaking through an ocean of storm.

Take the promise in Isaiah 42:16. Suppose your soul is surrounded with darkness, perplexity, and doubt, concerning what direction it should take, or concerning any other matter. You are burdened down under a weight of ignorance, and crushed with a sense of responsibility. Your agony and your trials are deep. Listen! Hear Jehovah saying, “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.” Now who does not see that faith in this promise would immediately make your soul as quiet as a weaned child. It would quickly become as calm as an ocean of love.

Look at Isaiah 41:10-14. Suppose a soul is under circumstances of great temptation from the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is ready to exclaim, “my feet are slipping, and I shall fall into the hand of my enemies, I have no might against this host. All my strength is weakness, and I shall dishonor my God.” Listen again! Hear the word of the Lord. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you’. Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you’, says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” What we have here is an ocean of consolation to a mind that has faith!

Now what are you waiting for? Anchor right down on these promises! They can give you instant rest. Nothing but faith is needed to put you in possession of it. Nothing other than faith can do you any good. There is no need for you to run around; there is no need for you to wait to arrive at this rest by degrees. You need to enter into this faith immediately. You can possess this land right now, in the twinkling of an eye.