But numerous enemies are entrenched in the good things God has for us, particularly in the nations of the earth and the farthest reaches thereof. They are entrenched even in our own body, soul, and spirit.

So in order to dwell in untroubled rest in God through Christ we have to continually pray and believe God until we are able to conquer every enemy that would keep us from dwelling in untroubled rest in God.

The exhortation of the Book of Hebrews is that having begun as a Christian we should not die in the wilderness of unbelief and disobedience. We should press forward in faith each day until we are living in the perfect center of God's will through the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can do this, you know, if we are willing to give our whole attention to it. This is the mark set before us, the heavenly calling. For this we have been grasped, and we are to lay aside all else that we may lay hold on that for which we have been grasped.

We have to forget that which is in the past if we are to reach forward to the goal of participation in the first resurrection, the resurrection out from among the dead, the resurrection that will occur at the return of the Lord.

As the Apostle Paul would say, "Let as many as are perfect be thus minded."

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me" (John 8:28—NIV)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:4—NIV)

Restoration

He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (Acts 3:21—NIV)

The concept of restoration is central to the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

In the beginning God gave us a wonderful world—all that heart could desire. In addition, God Himself was present on the earth.

Then, due to the evil suggestion of Satan, we lost our paradise on the earth. The Divine curse fell on us. Adam's descendants were born in sin and rebellion. Sickness, death, and every other corruption soon took the place of the peace and joy of the Garden of Eden.

But all is not lost. God has given us a program through Jesus Christ by which all that we forfeited shall be restored—and much more added. There will be a new sky and a new earth—probably vastly larger than the original. It will be a new world of righteousness. All sin will be gone forever. There will be no more sea of people who do not have a portion of Christ and God in them. This we have to look forward to.

Instead of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, the glorified Church will descend from Heaven through the new sky to rest forever on the new earth. God will be present on the earth once again, this time dwelling in Christ and the saints.

To be continued.