God has given us a vision. He has shown us what He had completed in vision before the creation of the world. The total restoration has been completed in God's mind all the way to the new heaven and earth reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now God is resting. Our task is to follow the Lord Jesus into that rest, into that finished work.

Let us state again: we are not teaching that all people ultimately will be redeemed or that Satan or his angels will be redeemed. The restoration will be of all that was spoken by the Hebrew Prophets; not of all things but of all that was spoken by the Prophets. The Hebrew Prophets did not state that all men eventually will be saved or that Satan will be saved.

Entering the rest of God is not always easy because of the opposition from Satan, from the world, from our own lusts, from our self-centeredness and self-seeking, from well-intentioned religious people.

We are faced with the work of restoration, with the task of fulfilling the vision.

How do we set out to do what already has been finished in vision? It is only as we answer this question correctly (and there are several incorrect answers) that we can make a success of our Christian discipleship.

How does one work out what already has been accomplished? How does one cease from his own works and press into the rest of God? (see Hebrews, Chapter Four).

The major principle to consider is, God speaks of nonexistent things as though they already are in existence:

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)

"And calleth those things which be not as though they were"!

This statement is referring to Genesis 17:5:

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."

God spoke in the past tense referring to facts not yet in existence.

God says a thing is so even though it is nonexistent in the material realm. How do we respond to this method of operation?

Is it a fact or isn't it? Was Abraham at that time a father of many nations, even though Isaac had not as yet been born, or wasn't he?

It is obvious a correct approach to the vision will produce miracles while an incorrect approach will result in confusion and emptiness.

God has spoken several things to us Christians—acts of restoration that have not as yet taken place in the material realm:

We who are in Christ are new creatures. Nothing of our old personality remains. All is new, and all is of God (II Corinthians 5:17,18). Is this true of us Christians?

We are dead to sin (Romans 6:1,2).

We have been raised to the right hand of God, far above all other authority and power (Ephesians 2:6).

We were healed of all our diseases (I Peter 2:24).

We were glorified (Romans 8:30).

We have passed from death to life (John 5:24).

To be continued.