Because we do not know what the goal is we have no way of measuring the worth of any doctrine or spiritual movement, such as the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture, the prosperity doctrine, the "laughing revival," or the current emphasis on repentance. We go forth to get people "saved" but have little idea what this means. We cannot measure spiritual growth and so growth is not emphasized very often, except growth in numbers. Our emphasis on growth in numbers results from the fact that we associate multitudes with success. Yet we do not know whether or not multitudes are desirable because we do not know what the Lord is emphasizing.

Today there is a revival of repentance in the United States among Bible-school students. Yet we have no way of measuring the worth of this. If we go to Heaven by grace, if God sees us only through Jesus and for eternity He will be showering "grace" (whatever that is) on us up in Heaven, then a revival of repentance is desirable but not actually critical.

We do not know what God's purpose is. As a result, we do not know what we are doing. The result of this confusion is the moral destruction of the United States and the resulting civil strife, because secular governments have only the Christian churches to give them moral guidelines. We are hovering on the edge of civil war in America in 2000—largely because the Christian churches do not understand the goal of salvation.

Canaan is not a type of Heaven. Canaan is a type of the rest of God. The rest of God is not Heaven and has little to do with Heaven. The great rebellion against God began in Heaven. The rebels do not reside in the highest Heaven now because God cast them away from His presence into the lower heavens. It is from their vantage points in the air above us that the deposed heavenly nobles corrupt the earth.

To enter the rest of God is to work with the Spirit of God until all worldliness, all lust, and all self-will have been driven from our personality. Perfect obedience must be created in the personality of each son of God. No disobedience of any kind, small or great, to the Father's will is permitted.

To enter the rest of God is to have Christ fully formed in the personality.

To enter the rest of God is to have the Father and Christ make their eternal abode in us and to delight ourselves continually in our closeness to Them as They express Themselves in us.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

To enter the rest of God is to receive back our flesh and bones from the grave and to be clothed upon with a marvelous spiritual body that reflects our years of crucifixion on the earth.

To enter the rest of God is to inherit all that God has created.

But, as in the case of Canaan, our land of promise is occupied by an enemy who is fiercely determined to prevent our entering our inheritance. Our inheritance has been paid for by the blood of the cross. But the enemy will not surrender the property he holds illegally. The only solution is war!

To be continued.