15 This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
“Only in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.” —ISA 30:15 NLT
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.” —ISA 30:15 NIV
It’s not about me.
It has never been about me.
It’s not about my performance.
That’s a hard one for me to admit, because I am driven to perform. I’m driven to “earn” your love, acceptance, approval and affection by out-performing the “competition” — whoever the “competition” happens to be…
It’s not about my perfection.
Again, that’s difficult to admit, because by nature I am a perfectionist. By the way, it’s an exhausting way to live, because regardless of how hard you try or how much effort you exert, there are always these glaring deficiencies demanding more energy, more effort, more time and more attention.
It’s not about keeping a set of rules.
It’s not about checking all the boxes off on my “to-do list.”
Decades of classical Pentecostalism born out of the holiness movement has caused me to create a checklist in my mind of the things I must do to earn the affection and attention of God.
All the boxes checked off? God smiles with approval.
One box left unchecked? Then expect a frown, or maybe even a hammer.
It’s not about sustaining my current Bible reading streak.
It’s not about maintaining prayer or fasting as a religious duty or discipline.
Richard Foster’s book, The Celebration of Discipline changed my life. But spiritual practices only born out of duty, discipline or drudgery never results in transformation, it only leads to exhaustion.
It’s not about looking right or “appearing” right.
For years, this was the default position of my mind and heart. You’ve got to “look right.” You’ve got to “appear right.”
Wear the suit. Paste on the plastic smile. Hide the hurt. Hide your heart. Dress the kids. Paste the bow to the top of their little heads. Look like the perfect little family for the perfect little “Olan Mills” photo opp. Then, people will love you. Then, they people accept you. Then, maybe you’ll belong.
But acceptance bought at the price of authenticity never lasts.
It’s not about looking right or “appearing” right.
It’s about actually being made right by trusting in what Jesus has done, not in what I can do.
It’s about repentance.
In the NT, the word repentance is the Greek word “metanoeo” and it means “to change your mind.” It involves me turning away from my sin and self-effort and turning in complete trust, dependence and reliance to God.
Repentance involves a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of purpose and a change of life.
Repentance is intellectual. It involves a change of view, a change of perspective a change in the way I see myself, my sin and God.
Repentance is emotional. It involves a change in the way I “feel” about myself, my sin and God. Repentance weighs the cost of my sin against the holiness of God and is overwhelmed by what my sin cost a loving, holy and just God.
Repentance is volitional. In other words, it involves my will. Repentance is a choice that I make to turn away from sin and self-effort and to wholly rely upon God and what He accomplished thru Jesus.
Check out the line in Isaiah 30:15 again.
“In repentance and rest is your salvation…”
Salvation begins with repentance. It continues with rest.
Rest is the difference between religion and Christianity.
Religion is always spelled D-O. It’s about what I have to DO to be made right with God. Christianity is always spelled D-O-N-E. It’s about what Jesus has DONE.
Hebrews 4:9-11 describes the rest we are called to as follows:
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. —HEB 4:9-11 NLT
Jesus Himself described His invitation like this:
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” —MATT 11:28-30 MSG
This the invitation of Jesus to bone-tired, exhausted, weary people like you and me. It’s not an invitation to work on me. It’s an invitation to rest in Him.
Don’t miss the next line in Isaiah 30:15.
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength…”
Wow!
In other words, it’s not about trying diligently, it’s about trusting completely.
Psalm 37:5-6 describes our need to fully trust God.
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. 6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
—PS 37:5-6 NIV
The Message reads, “…He’ll do whatever needs to be done. He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with His approval.”
What a promise.
In their excellent book, The Cure: What If God Isn’t Who You Think He Is and Neither Are You, authors John Lynch, Bruce McNicol and Bill Thrall describe the importance of trusting God like this:
“When our primary motive becomes trusting God…we suddenly discover there is nothing in the world that pleases Him more! Until you trust God, nothing you do will please God… pleasing God is actually a by-product of trusting God. Pleasing is not a means to our godliness. It’s the fruit of godliness, for it’s the fruit of trust. Trusting is the foundation of pleasing God.” [1]
Read Isaiah 30:15 slowly again.
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
“Only in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.” —ISA 30:15 NLT
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.” —ISA 30:15 NIV
Ask yourself:
- Have I come to God in true repentance?
- Am I willing to rest in what He has done, not in what I can do?
- Do I fully and completely trust in what Jesus accomplished on the cross when He died for my sin, in my place. He became sin, so that I could receive His righteousness?
- Will I stop sweating it? Will I starting trusting Him?
It’s not about me.
It’s all about HIM!
[1] John Lynch, Bruce MiNicol and Bill Thrall, The Cure, p 17.