I absolutely LOVE this scripture:
Heb 4:11 Therefore, let us exert ourselves to enter into that rest, that not anyone fall in the same example of disobedience.
Heb 4:12 For the Word of God is living, and powerfully working, and sharper than every two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of both soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge of the thoughts and intentions of the heart;
Heb 4:13 and there is no creature unrevealed before Him; but all things are naked and laid open to His eyes, with whom is our account.
I could post the entire chapter--even the entire epistle...but the part that really strikes me is verse 11: Let us EXERT OURSELVES (KJV: LABOR) to enter into that rest.
What a thought! LABOR to ENTER REST.
Now surely, the full fruit of the "entering this rest" is in resurrection. But that isn't to say that we also do not now EXERT OURSELVES to "enter it" now, with what grace through faith He has given/is giving us.
There isn't anything easy about COMING to the point you are talking about. Not only does it not seem like it is three steps forward, two back...sometimes it seems to me like it is one step forward and three back. It's not NATURAL to extend grace and forgiveness to everybody all the time. It must be learned. And how it is learned is through EXERTION, which must in most of our cases include failure. The Lord is not up in heaven looking to strike us down for these failures. We FAIL in order to learn. It is US who needs to be "able to judge of the thoughts and intentions of the heart" and see the "creature revealed". He already knows, understands, and has prepared a place for us.
Lord Jesus is our example. Follow Him. He didn't have an easy time of it either, to say the least. But He endured, and with His life in you, so will you. It's settled already, we just need to catch up.
These 'small' issues are dealt with before we are fit to deal with the larger ones. And the ones closer to 'home' are to be dealt with before we are fit to extend them in any meaningful way to the whole world. Hang in there...of the INCREASE of His Government, there shall be no end.
End of sermon.