Because we are forgiven through the blood of the Lamb, God will "pass over" us in the Day of Wrath. We will not be cast away from God's Presence if we have been faithful to Jesus to the end of our life on earth but will be brought forward to eternal life on the new earth.

We have discussed also the concept of the creating of the Church. The members of the Church first must be saved through faith in the blood of the cross before they can press on to their rewards of priesthood and rulership. This may appear to be a needless observation; but we are discovering in the present spiritually dangerous hour, when God is removing the seals from the Scriptures, that there are believers who are attempting to enter the rigors of victorious discipleship but have not had sufficient grounding in salvation. They do not have a firm enough grasp on the blood atonement. They do not know how to rest in the midst of the fray when the adversary is too strong for them. When they exhibit weaknesses and sin in their personality they become confused and condemn themselves.

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Leviticus 23:27)

The reason the Day of Atonement, the Levitical observance that typifies the cleansing of the believer, is placed sixth in the series of seven feasts is that we are not strong enough in the beginning of our redemption to survive the stress of Divine judgment. We are unable to hold steady while Christ attacks the worldliness, lust, and self-will in our personality.

There is no relief from the pressure. The battle lines are drawn. The conflict will continue and then climax in the Battle of Armageddon. After that there will be a thousand-year period during which Christ perfects His Bride and also receives to Himself the nations as His inheritance.

Many will be tossed to and fro—now and in the days to come. Out of the confusion, despair, pain, panic, shakings, thunder, and glory will emerge the Wife of the Lamb and the victorious Kingdom of God.

May we suggest that the spiritually ambitious believer seek to be content to enjoy his level of spirituality and permit the Holy Spirit to strengthen him for the age of moral horrors that lies ahead. Even the righteous are saved with difficulty. If we would press toward the rest of God, we must learn to rest while we are pressing toward that rest. There is a rest that is the way and then there is a rest that is the goal. Christ Himself is both the rest that is the way and the rest that is the goal.

The rest that is the way and also the goal has two great dimensions. The first dimension is that of our change into the moral nature of Christ. We are to become like Him in love, joy, peace, courage, faithfulness, devotion to God, and in every other aspect of personality and attitude.

The second dimension of the rest of God is our union with Christ in God so every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we take flows from God through Christ through us. We are to be part of the wheel in the wheel (Ezekiel 1:16).

The saint desires to be close to the Lord, to have loving, joyous relationships with God and people, and to have areas of service and responsibility that give meaning to our existence. All of these flow from and are an inseparable part of our change into the image of Christ and our union with God through Christ. Such is the nature of our Canaan, our land of promise, our "rest."

To be continued.