The New Testament does not present the spirit Paradise as the goal of our salvation, in spite of our long tradition. We must look for a more scriptural, more fitting spiritual fulfillment of Canaan if we hold this to be the rest of God.

There is a Heaven where God, Jesus, the saints, and the holy angels are resident. I am not at all certain the spirit Heaven is as we have pictured but I feel confident it will exceed in glory anything we can imagine at this time.

However, to make eternal residence in Heaven the goal of our salvation causes problems when we are discussing the rest of God. In the first place, there is no passage in the Old Testament or the New that presents eternal residence in Heaven as the goal of salvation.

Second, the thought of resting forever in a mansion in Paradise really detracts from our zeal in pressing forward to the stature of the fullness of Christ. What good will it do us in Heaven if we are willing in this present life to endure the rigors of becoming a new creation? If there are no temptations or problems where we are going, why are we experiencing such rugged training?

The issue of both Testaments is the Kingdom of God, the government of God that is to come to the earth, not a mansion in Heaven.

The New Testament sets forth two major attainments as being the goal of our salvation. The first attainment is conformation to the image of Jesus Christ in our spirit, our soul, and our body. The second attainment is untroubled rest in the center of God's Person and will.

Our ability to successfully perform the eternal role in God's Kingdom, for which we were predestined, depends on our being conformed to the image of Christ and living in untroubled rest in God's will.

These are the two great goals of the redemption of the elect of God.

Repenting, being baptized in water, being born again, being baptized with the Holy Spirit—these are the authority and power to attain the Divine goal of conformation to the moral image of Christ and rest in God's will.

As to conformation to the image of Christ:

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29—NIV)

As to rest in God's will:

That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so the world may believe you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:21-23—NIV)

It is not enough just to be in the likeness of Christ, to have the love He has, to have the power He has. Satan himself desires to be like Christ, like God.

It is the second part of the goal that Satan resists. He would never consent to be one with Christ and the Father.

So we have image, but not just image. We have image and union to consider—the image of Christ and union with God through Christ.

To have image alone is not enough. We must be at rest in the center of God's Person and will.

To have union alone is not enough. We must have the moral character and behavior of Christ.

To be continued.