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In Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

I wanted to throw these comments down before I forget to -- sometimes the old guys say it best -- here's a brief excerpt from J.C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospels concerning this passage:

"Mark what a simple request Jesus makes to the laboring and heavy-laden ones. 'Come unto me: Take my yoke upon you, learn of me.' He interposes no hard conditions. He speaks nothing of works to be done first, and deservingness of His gifts to be established. He only asks us to come to Him just as we are, with all our sins, and to submit ourselves like little children to His teaching. 'Go not,' He seems to say, 'to man for relief. Wait not for help to arise from any other quarter. Just as you are, this very day, come to me.'"

Note especially that Jesus does not speak of works to be done before coming to him. Christ is not as much concerned with what your works are until you are his. Notice how God gave his law to his chosen people, Israel (after he chose them as a nation). Notice how Christ tells the adulterous woman to leave her life of sin after he had already told her that he had forgiven her. This should go without saying that what we do after professing Christ is very important. What we do is evidence of a changed heart -- and without the evidence of fruitful perseverence, then we should question whether we were really his to begin with. To all who may stumble upon these few words who don't have this rest Christ speaks of, I simply ask you to quite simply go to him just as you are.