It appears that the true Christian disciple is fairly rare today. There are numerous people who attend Christian churches but are not Christians. They never have left the spirit of the world. They are living primarily in the lusts and desires of the flesh and soul because in their heart they have not left Egypt. We do not know what their end will be but it is certain they are not entering the Kingdom of God.

We will devote this essay to a discussion of the land of promise, of Canaan, as it applies to the Christian discipleship.

One reason for the lack of proper Christian orientation to God's plan of redemption is a misunderstanding of the goal of salvation. As long as one views going to Heaven as the goal of redemption there is not a clear understanding of cause and effect in living the Christian life. If we are required only to wait to die and go to Heaven, and if we go to Heaven by a mental assent to doctrinal truth, then there is no vital reason why we should count everything as dung that we may "win Christ." Why should we go to such painful lengths when every believer will receive the same reward?

But going to Heaven is not the goal of the Divine redemption. The goal is the fullness of God in Christ and the relationships, roles, responsibilities, tasks, and other opportunities that result from being part of the fullness of God. That goal is not attained by waiting to die and go to Heaven but by the most arduous, sincere, disciplined, and concentrated effort to follow the Master. Apart from a sternly disciplined effort it is not possible for the believer to please God or to march in the front ranks of those who are commissioned to bring the Kingdom of God into the earth.

The true Christian discipleship is typified by the journey from Egypt to Canaan. The Christian life is not one of static mental assent to doctrine but of daily pressing forward in faith. The just do not live by doctrinal faith but by personal, experiential faith in the living Lord Jesus. They are pressing forward to the saving of their soul.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition [destruction]; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:38,39)

The issue is not one of believing or not believing in theological facts but of pressing forward towards God's will or drawing back from God. Faith lives only in works. There is no such thing as abstract faith, a faith that does not live and move and have its being in works. Faith apart from works is dead.

The current understanding of the goal of the Christian salvation is incorrect. Our goal is not to make our eternal home in the spirit realm.

To be continued.