Labor to Enter the Rest? -- Grow in Grace and Knowledge of Him

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." (John 14: 1)

No one can “let not” your heart for you, one pastor told me. When I heard that, I thought that someone was bringing me back under law. It is my job to stay in peace?

And how do I "let not" in the first place? It seems like a contradiction. . .

Point of fact, the answer is right there in the same verse:

"Believe also in me!"

Jesus repeats the same command that he gave to the devout Jews earlier in His ministry:

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6: 28-29)

In another Gospel, Jesus presents Himself as our rest:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28)

All of this comes together very powerfully in the Book of Hebrews:

"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4: 11)

Because of Jesus' death and resurrection on the Cross, the work has been finished in Him (John 17: 4; John 19: 30),  our job is to enter into the same rest, in which Jesus Christ is everywhere working on our behalf.

Instead of striving in our efforts, we are called to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18), and the more we see of Him, the more we see Him as God who saves, the greater our rest:

"For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

"Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:" (Acts 2: 25-26)

The more that we see Jesus -- our yesterdays, our todays, and our forever, the Author and Finisher of faith -- the more that we can rest in the belief that He has all things taken care of for our good!