Nothing Left to Prove, Nothing Left to Earn

The classic dysfunctional relationship is often characterised by the need of people to seek and earn approval, and prove themselves over and again. Conversely, as far as any relationship we might have with God is concerned, we have nothing left to prove, and nothing left to earn. It’s all there waiting for us to simply accept God as our friend and shepherd. And the greatest reward for a relationship with God is “rest,” deep within our soul.

Imagine a life with no more torment, less anxiety, and more abiding peace; imagine smiling more and loving every day, not just the weekends.

We can have the same relationship with the living God as Moses did.

The LORD replied [to Moses], “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

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–Exodus 33:14 (NIV).

Philip Graham Ryken says that God’s Presence is literally his Face. The concept is God will make his face shine upon us, and turn his face toward us, as in the Priestly Blessing of Numbers chapter 6. The ‘face of God’ is translated as the ‘closeness’ of the personal relationship that God offered Moses.[1]

The glory of God’s grace (his face) is first, and most of all, rest. The rest of peace converts into joy and vice versa. God promised to stay with Moses as he promises to stay with us. Such assurance facilitates an abiding joy (despite our difficulties) that simply must be experienced to be believed.

And God offers us the same thing as he gave to Moses. By virtue of that fact we have nothing left to prove and nothing left to earn.

Why do we continue to try to please God when we already have, through Christ’s redemptive work of the cross? We can do no more, and need not do more. Sure, our love for God compels to work hard, do good things and always attend to all our relationships, forgive etc, but we don’t do it from guilt, but from rest. We don’t have to do these things; we want to.

The rest of God is pure grace. His face is turned toward us, and it shines upon us, as he relentlessly seeks a personal, intimate relationship with us, through his eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we know God, we love him and he directs us.

We’ve got nothing left to prove, nothing left to earn, and there’s nothing left to worry about. Now, that is ‘rest.’

Copyright © 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Acknowledgement to Ps. Steve Ingram for the title of this article, a refrain from his sermon delivered at Parkerville Baptist Church, Western Australia on 14 December 2008.

[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus – Saved for God’s Glory, R. Kent Hughes (ed.) (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2005), p. 1030.