Bible Reading: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11: 28-29
To stay alive in Christ is a result derived from the admission requirements to the school of rest. So we will be looking into this verse throughout. Jesus says, come unto me, bear my yoke, and learn from me. Without the completion of these three things, we cannot abide in him and remain. I will want us to know quite well that the word abiding is different from visiting; that is why some give their lives to Christ today and take it back the next day, week, month, year’s quarter, or year(s).
When people approached some men of faith and asked them, how they have managed staying faithfully in Christ despite the luring, trials, challenges and temptation all round. All the explanation they can give as response, if at all there is any, will surely point to this three steps.
After coming to Christ, we need to bear his yoke and learn from Him, not doing this has make many to rise and fall in sin.
You cannot say you give your life to Christ and you despise His teaching. When a man says he has become Christ follower, this as well means, he has accept Jesus as his Christ and as his lord, CHRIST and LORD. That is, as his saviour and commander, as his messiah and dictator.
That day should be the day he will be willing to let go heavy burden and labour, surrender all to Christ: his will, time, purpose, ambition, aims, goals, and the like. I will try and dwell much more for simplicity sake. When you surrender, this does not mean you are to lose all, but means Christ will decides for you on them. It means, you bring Christ into consideration and consciousness of all matters. After many years I gave my life to Christ, many do approach me to ask how to live without blemish, and if that is quite possible for all in the faith community. These set of people are the type that do have attendance in church programs and departments. Then I first it think over within me, what exactly are the apostles, teachers. Pastors, evangelists and prophets doing, If their long time members and or workers could not figure out his or her relation to holiness and righteousness. I am not condemning, but just trying to see the reality and functionaries of the five fold minsty as Ephesian 4: 11- 13 says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Nevertheless, it is a good thing and privilege of grace that I met such people. Sometimes I found it so difficult to explain to some of them, while looking at their spiritual stature, just like apostle Paul found it difficult with the gifted Corinthians. But what I keep on saying is that Christ is the solution, no natural man is good, none is holy and no one is without sin or stay righteous, because he is an ordinary man, only the spiritual reborn can live above sin, work of flesh and death. Read respectively, Psalms 51: 5; Matthew 19: 17; Romans 3: 23; Matthew 12: 35; 1 john 5: 18; I john 3: 9.
So it is not I who live, but Christ in me. There are many preachers that they don’t know any other way to explain it better, than to say just accept Christ and through him alone can you be spiritually minded by His grace. Yes quite well it is through Christ alone. Apostle Paul says, Christ strengthens his disciples to do all things, including the impossibilities; living above sin and staying faithfully in the kingdom.
A death targeted locked life or death captived souls are limited to carnal thinking, views, expressions, opinions, reasons, perspectives, impulses, appetites,, hooks, minds, and pleasure. And these are the workflows of wretchedness in abundance, just as apostle Paul described in Romans 7: 14-25
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
You won’t be able to explain much, because the life is no longer yours, the day you encounter and surrender all to Christ withholding nothing. It then automatically becomes that of Jesus Christ, repaired and restructred, fixed and fit for the kingdom use, fashioned to triumph, strengthened, equipped and monitored by His spirit. Now the spirit of Christ from within lifts up your inner man, bringing your whole being to check, and unto subjection. He brings unto obedience of Christ, all knowledge that exalts itself above God; organising your life in alignment with His will, modulate your being in agreement to His word. All these are the spiritual programming expected to be executed at the period of reconciliation.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Coming unto Jesus guarantee a lot of things, of which peace, provision in abundance, doing exploit, strength, fruitfulness, and rest are inclusive. This particular verse recorded it that Jesus calls, He announces unto every souls who were overburdened, that in him alone is absolute rest. Many have been in slavery to sin and death, controlled and commanded by demons against their will, just like that mad man of Gadarene will do unpleasant things to his body. Today Jesus says, relief, ease, refreshment and recreation is available and possible to such victims, but it starts with coming unto him and earnable by taking his yoke and learning from him.
John 3: 16-18
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
This portion of the holy scripture recorded the condemnation of earth and its effect to those who dwell therein, just like Apostle John said in his first epistle and the book of revelation that this earth is under the sway of wicked one and it is divinely pronounced woeful.
1 John 5:19 “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
Revelation 12:12 “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
But accepting Jesus will lift away this ministry of death and nullify its condemnable power written against us
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Only Jesus has in possession, the rest to that diverse kind of heavy Ladens and the antidotes to that harsh, hard and sharp labour. But you will need to seek him in order to find it, leaning on him and learning from him also to sustain it.
What brings heavy laden to man? SIN, the identity or flag of demonic kingdom, rule and reign. Defined as transgression to the law, described as disobedience and termed as unrighteousness, which do manifest either by commission or omission. Man was fashioned with a lighter responsibility of being a keeper, dresser and harvester in God’s garden, no more no less. All pre-planting, planting and post- planting operations is done. Adam was not formed to laboured, he was formed to manifest godhood on earth, staying alive with God forever, but when sin surfaced in his life, he became a labourer and tiller of the ground that he even lived under sorrow and eat out of curse. Hence, everything man does compulsory require struggles, including spiritual intimacy, its maintenance and balancing.
It takes a lot of stress and toiling for man to stay undefiled, just, righteous, and holy. Many biblical pictures were given. Enoch, a man who lived for three hundred and sixty five years, when he clocked three hundred years of blameless spiritual walk and perfect intimacy with God, God took him, why? Noah was pictured insane in his generation for standing the cause of God, Abraham was instructed to flee, in order to be free from any demonic influence that could come from his city, environment, friends or relatives. Lot almost lost all to the sodomites and citizens of Gomorrah. Daniel, Noah and Job went through torments and hell here on earth before God could later boost of their last longing intimacy. (Ezekiel 14:14, 20)
Every one of them had greater challenges to keep his intimacy strong with God, these prompt most of them who were writers to conclude that no man can be righteous or good, when they looked and scanned everywhere and discovered that they were the only one standing, but this ministry of condemnation is lifted now through Christ Jesus.
Let me show you something, but before then I need to ask these questions: how many places or regions have job reached? or How many lives had Solomon sampled? They might probably have guessed as Elijah did, when he said to God that there is no more true prophets again except him, but God told him that there are still seven thousands who are still living, serving blamelessly and faithfully. Is this changing your mind now, don’t back up immoral life with the fact that it was said, no man without sin. John the beloved explained better in his first epistle from the first chapter to the last. When you understand the work of grace, you will understand that you can stay faithful without blemish. You can be good, righteous, just and holy just like the men of old accomplished through the consciousness of Christ even when been concealed. How much more greatly possible is unto us, when Christ is revealed. Jesus says by taking this three steps: come unto me, bear my yoke and learn from me you will teach the full stature of the spirit.
COME UNTO ME
Before a healthy relationship can be maintained or sustained, it needs to be structured and built. struggling on holiness, righteousness, living a life that pleases God will continue, if we still choose to maintain distant relationship with God. Jesus said, He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). These three personalities of Christ must be fulfilled in a man, in order to have access to the father. “I am the way… No one gets to the father except through (by) me”, Jesus said. Now from our Bible reading Matthew 11: 28-29, Jesus said, come unto me (Jesus who is the way), and I will show you the way to the father. Come unto me and I will cause you to have a recreation of intimacy. Come unto me and I will cause you to have restoration of sonship, come unto me and I will show to you, how to reach the point of righteousness
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Getting into Jesus reveals the secret map to reach the city of holiness and also grants the spiritual tickets to dwell therein.
There are many people that came to Jesus, but couldn’t find rest. I need you to know that the word ‘COME’ as used here implies having an encounter and surrendering all withholding nothing. This is more of the reason I will explain the words of Jesus in John 6:44
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Many came to Jesus recorded in the holy scripture and couldn’t follow him, not to talk about abiding in him, because they have come by themselves. The father had neither called them nor done the drawing. How do God draws? This I believed our inner man should be questioning right now, desperately looking for an answer if actually you are reading with all care and all you. That certain rich ruler asking for how to gain life eternal came on his own for personal gain, he was not drawn by the father. (Luke 18:18- 24) request for the topic, the rich ruler brethren I am asking today, who are you to Jesus, his fan or his fam? Many are in the christian society today that they don’t believe in Christ, but only accept the belief of the people that believed in Him. They are not Christ followers, but only following His follower. This had greatly spread round, as people try to substitute their Prophet for the Holy Spirit. They are delighted in worshipping their Pastor than God himself. They greatly preferred to read books, even at this delicate time of heresies, strange and false doctrine than reading the Bible. I don’t say reading book is bad, but let’s all interpretation be in alignment with the discussion.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
God is the word that was in existence before all time, the word was with God. The personality of the word is God, God cannot be separated from His word. Just as God never fails, so is His word. (Request for the exposition on John 1:1) Jesus says, no one come to him except God his father draws him. God was the word before the beginning, a definite article THE, this verse was not translated as ‘God is word’, but God the word. The father that draw people to the circle of encounter is the word. He did with moses, in the third chapter of the book of Exodus, and also with Apostle Paul from the book of Act. Everyone that had an encounter with God in the holy scripture were all convicted under the atmosphere of the true word of God, and nothing have changed till now. Some preachers preach emotion and motivation. At that moment, some where gripped and rush out for altar. Some crusaders place men on conditions, some teachers teach condemnation that could pressurise the listeners to rush out for altar call. Most especially, many who go out for evangelism; after evangelising, they stand in gap of the Holy Spirit and force people to say confession prayer. 7 of 9 of these audience are not drawn by the true word, but by the preachers emotion, teachers conditions, terror and fear. By the way the rush in, in the same or with double acceleration they rush out. The scripture says, no one comes genuinely to Christ, except such is drawn by God. Faith is build by hearing, hearing the word of God. The genesis of your spirituality, the foundation of your steadfastness in faith is the word of God. I want you to understand and always remember this very well.
John 6:45
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
Come Unto Me:
when you come unto Jesus, it means you must have determined, coming to journey, be delivered and recovered. Remember that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. The way that will link us back to God, the way that will cause our distant relationship to be unprecedented closer. The way where truth and life is unfolded. This truth set us free from the bindings and blindings of Satan, and from the life of unrighteousness (Romans 6:16). It makes them a story of the past that can’t affect our new day.
When we come unto Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, he will also unfold himself to us as the life. A new life will set in, thereon we will be able to live victoriously over the lifestyle of labouring and tilling, being reconciled and restored back to our initial delightful relationship with God.
Remember that no one comes to Jesus, except the father (The Word) draws. There is an active force that draws souls in the Word, the Holy Spirit. Him alone is able to discharge the functionaries of conviction (John 16:8); When He brings conviction, this fashions an encounter and facilitates total surrender. The word of God is revelatory and transforming (Hebrew 4:12). When a man convincingly come unto Jesus, believed in his heart and confess with his mouth (Romans 10: 8-11). Even without laying of hands, the spirit of Jesus takes over his life. The genuineness of our confession from us breeds the reality of his spirit to us.
COME UNTO ME
A man burdened and labouring is the subject while Jesus is the object. The coming is a personal decision and it is not for self gain or fame. Jesus says, when you come I will give you rest, while from the next verse, He said you will need to find rest. Do this make sense to you. Verse 28b “I (Jesus) will give you rest” while in verse 29b “You (man) will find rest. Briefly I will explain that, biblically, before you can find, you must seek. This is explained plainly in the popular verse of the scripture Matthew 7:7 which say, … Seek and ye shall find.
Matthew 11:29
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU
you will take the yoke upon yourself by yourself. The yoke is not just anyhow yoke, but that of Christ. This is a life time solution to get rid of demonic burdens and self struggling. The last verse of our bible reading, described this kind of yoke to be easy and with light burden. Jesus knew that overburdened souls needed rest, so He said, “come and I will give you rest”. This kind of rest is unattainable, when you come with a motive of just visiting, you need to come after a clear decision of remaining in Him, as long as you live. Bear my yoke and learn from me, then you will find rest. It is the acceptability of coming to Christ, determination to bear the yoke and continuity in the word of God, that successfully grants deliverance and rest from miseries of sin and death. Failure to be guided and guarded by this three principles opens man to defeat in life.
YOKE is mainly designed for two parties or persons. Just like oxen who were yoked to work on a farmland, their mission becomes the same, their pace is of no difference. This is as same as bearing Christ yoke. Sharing same mind, walking at same pace, setting same goals, bounded in agreement, intimated strongly and developed an unbreakable relationship. At this process, we are ready to go for Christ cause, be wounded for His sake, remained Christ focus and Christ consciousness. Nothing will be there to distract us, no matter how attractive, necessary, tempting, important, they may be , all we will keep on seeing is Christ as a friend, companion, partner, guardian and helper.
John 15:14
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”
TAKE MY YOKE
Yoke is build to maintain relationship. the tenth chapter of the book of Isaiah said, yokes shall be broken, this means, yoke is more than or more like a bond. After a man comes unto Jesus, he needs to develop a strong bond with him. Determine to walk with him, no matter what friends or relatives will say, no matter what office work, career, ambition is demanding. No matter what his day, time, business and other matter is requesting. Then Christ and God will manifest through him, from this he can live righteously and just.
John 14:20-21
“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Jesus says, love less your family. Is this not shocking. We won’t be able to cover the intentions and go more deeper to that aspect in this note.
Matthew 10:37-38
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
This stage is bound to come in the journey of Christ growth chart, it cannot be skipped. Jesus keeps hammering it to our hearing. He made it known in different matters that, the journey of a Christian as burden, but the burden is lighter than we could weigh. This burden has no weight, but it is a burden that comes when we decide to, and we bear the yoke of Christ (Matthew 11:30). This is not the process to struggle within or without, but the process to find rest unto our souls. You may keep wondering, Bible actually say that, but while trying to live it, the experience is not always as easy and with relief.
This will make me to reference back to what, I have discussed earlier. If the word had drawn you, there is an active force that will break the yokes which are not of Christ. (Isaiah 27:10, Galatians 5:1); the Holy Spirit that fashions conviction, will create an avenue for encounter that can facilitates total surrendering. Just like He did with Moses, the burning bush is the avenue created, the thought and decision of Moses facilitates its total surrender. It is a faith programming that is executed by the word of God. Now after you have come to the point of surrendering all, what else should looks difficult to you? Or what else will cause you to struggle? Except if you are still withholding something. If the first step is not processed rightly, there will be a continuous failure when trying to bear the cross.
To take away that heavy laden, we must have accept to bear Christ burden. At this point, we need to understand that every creature on the sixth day have a burden to bear, a thing to do, a mark to draw, a legacy to lay, commitment to give, service to render, and responsibility to bear. God says, Adam should keep and dress; Jesus says, discipleship requires bearing cross. No freedom is gain from any demonic oppression and spiritual torments, expect if we are ready and determined to be yoked with christ. Apostle Paul’s says in Galatians 6:17 “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”
There is no rest from troubles and snare of the domineering spirit of sin, except we are ready and determined to accept and manifest the life of Christ.
1 John 3:8
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Minds are created to be filled with thoughts; either carnally, which is the expression of defeated, burdened, condemned and death locked life, or spiritually, which is the expression of possibility, triumphant, restful and graceful living. The consciousness of Christ within us defers our concentration from the world and its lust (1 John 2:15). When Apostle reached this stage in Christ growth chart, he confesses that “what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” Philippians 3:7.
Bearing the yoke is activating the power of grace for denouncing the works of flesh, and gradually, there will be no more struggle and wretchedness. We keep moving closer to the place of rest, and holiness will begin to surface, also righteousness will start taking perfect shape in us; approaching the full image of God. From this point, all things speak for the glory of God.
Our restoration attracts attestation. People see Christ in us, not because we dressed innocently, modestly or decently, or because of religion, or because of our punctuality in church programmes, but of our just and faith filled lifestyle.
Withdraw from the queue of those who seek for Christ and still look forward to be successful in their spiritual walk by self efforts and struggles. The young rich man came to Jesus, asking what he can do to have eternal life. He believed in his competencies; having full self confidence, relying on flesh. Anyone in this man’s shoe will steadily continue to rise and fall in sin, but Jesus answered him to surrender all things and follow Him. Christ is the answer and not our intellectuals, efforts, might or smartness. When you come to Christ and bear His yoke. It won’t be you any more but Christ spirit in you.
Zechariah 4:6 “…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Remember the yoke is for two parties or persons; it won’t be you alone, but you and Him. And in verse 28, He had said that, He would bear all your yokes, if you can bear His, which is lighter.
Let me talk to you in another dimension.
“Take my yoke upon you AND LEARN FROM me.”
When you are joined with Christ, He will be doing it, and yours is to follow His lead. When Apostle Paul left the second process for the third, he said, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1. What Christ did is what you do, where he stopped is where you will stop, what he despised is what you will despise. How he behaved is how you will behave. Christ alone becomes your example to check all matters, mentor over issues of life, and role model of your faith (Hebrew 12:2). Even when you denomination is wrong, that won’t affect you, because you are learning directly from the spirit of Christ.
LEARNING FROM ME
Learning from the life of Christ, from the person of truth and grace (John 1: 17). We need to know that It doesn’t jist stop in learning, but crowned with observing. You can not come this far and still refused to yield to or obey whatever he teaches. What you learn needed to be practiced and you will also be tested. That is certain, so we should bear that in mind.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Christ is the word made manifest in flesh (John 1:14), learn from the word; be it when concealed or revealed. When the Spirit of God opened my eye to see the revelatory part of this verse. I come to understand and discovered that, it is not working, when we come to Christ, but despise the word. What will sustain a man to remain in Christ is his continuity and delightfulness in the word, because after coming to Him, is bearing His yoke, and now learning from Him till we reach the full stature of Christ. Spiritual stamina is not determined by prayer strength, because everyone prays, even those who are not of Christ. Spiritual maturity is gloriously expressed daily as one’s life is taking delightfulness in the word and meditate on it thoroughly.
Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
These words of Apostle Paul also testify to these three processes, as he admonished the Israelites in Rome to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, surrendering it to Christ, as Christ cleanses them and minister reconciliation. Then he furthered that they should not be conformed with the world, therefore putting the world behind them and the cross before them. No matter the chances, opportunities or excuses, they are to stay focus, bearing the yoke of Christ. He then ended it by telling them to renew their minds continually, so as to stay fit, just, holy, righteous and perfect. The word of God keeps our mind renewed. with this, carnality cannot be generated in us. Mind renewed by the word continually is shut against worldly lust, thoughts, splendours and pleasure. How do you think Jesus overcame all the temptations of Satan, (Matthew 4: 11) this is a secret been revealed to us today. Renewing our mind will shape our lives till they spell out holiness and read aloud righteousness. The functionality of renewing is activated by practicing, observing or obeying.
Conclusively, coming to Christ restores relationship, bearing his yoke maintains relationship, while learning from him (the word that became flesh) sustain the relationship. This is while I called it a process. One thing is needful to stay alive in Christ and that is reaching the sustainability process of faith. The life of anyone with this spiritual stature and growth charts echoes the following verses:
1 Corinthians 11:1
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
This is possible because that life would have been a letter of commendation; an epistle of Christ.
John 10:30
“I and my Father are one.”
Speaking of the unbreakable yoke with Christ. (John 14: 20-21)
Philippians 3:7
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
A life glass casing faithfulness, righteousness and holiness
Philippians 1:21
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
A mind that have thrown down stronghold, brought all opinions, philosophy, and tradions to check and obedience of Christ, delighted in the word, spiritually sounded and minded.
1 Corinthians 6:12
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
Selling all out, releasing everything to God withholding nothing, ready to be wounded and prisoned for the continuity of the cause of Christ.
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