The Book of Jude applies the wilderness wandering to the perils of our journey.

Therefore when we present the pilgrimage of the Hebrews through the wilderness and their invasion of Canaan as a type of our Christian experience we have solid backing in the New Testament.

Exactly what, then, is the Christian land of promise, the land "flowing with milk and honey"? What is the ultimate victory of the Christian battle? Toward what are we moving? Of what joy and blessing are the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews speaking?

There is more to the Christian inheritance than our initial acceptance of Christ, since the letter to the Hebrews, which was written to experienced Christians, uses the expression "any of you should seem to come short of it." Come short of what?

Is the Christian's promised land Heaven? Paradise? The new Jerusalem? The resurrection from the dead? Christ Himself?

These terms are not all synonymous except in a broad sense. They all have to do with the promised land, the "rest" of Hebrews, Chapters Three and Four. But it may be true that the Lord's people are not always certain how the above terms are related.

The land of promise of the Hebrews was described specifically in several passages of the Old Testament writings. The land of promise of the Christians also has been set forth in the Scriptures but it is much more comprehensive than the Old Testament goal.

The redemption that is in Christ has a specific beginning, a specific working out in our life, and a specific conclusion—a goal, a "mark" toward which we are to press (Philippians 3:14). All of the goal is summed up in Christ. As we proceed we shall endeavor to set forth some particular aspects of the goal.

In many instances we Christians have little or no idea what our promised land is. We are as a runner with no finish line, a contender for an uncertain prize, a soldier given unclear commands, a sailor on a ship with no destination—at least none that is known to us. Therefore we cannot address ourselves to the struggle as we should.

Other than the prospect of Heaven we are not sure precisely what we are to be accomplishing, what our inheritance in Christ actually is. But the Apostle Paul was pressing toward a "mark"; and we know from the context of Philippians 3:14 that Paul's "mark" was not referring to Heaven.

We do know we have been saved from wrath and we believe we shall go to Heaven when we die. Beyond that we are not too clear where we are going, what we will be doing, or what we ourselves will be like.

We must look to the Holy Spirit to interpret the Old Testament type of the land of promise so we can set ourselves toward the true goal of the Christian life and not become encumbered with the aimlessness, carelessness, and indifference to spiritual growth that can so easily weaken Christian fervor.

In this essay we will be pointing toward Christ Himself—the full grasp upon all that He is—as the fulfillment of the land of Canaan. It is apparent that the Apostle Paul viewed Christ Himself as the "rest" of God, the goal of the Christian discipleship.

Would you like to journey with us as we press on to the possession of the fullness of God's promises in Christ?

To be continued.