From the first century Satan has influenced Christian thinking. Satan has advised the churches that God has forgiven our sins so we can leave the earth and go to the spirit realm to live forever. Eternal residence in Heaven has become the supposed goal of redemption. Lately there has been added to this the concept of a "rapture" to bring people to Heaven more quickly, that is, before they die.

This is not the Divine program. The Divine program has as its purpose the removing of sin from the inward nature of man, and then, at the return of the Lord, the raising of the flesh and bone of man and the clothing of his frame with a body of eternal life.

Once man has been raised he is able to live once more on the earth. Also a kingdom is being perfected, a kingdom that will govern man so he does not fall into sin again.

The main purpose of the two thousand years of the Christian Era has been the developing of a Body for Christ. Christ, Head and Body, is the Kingdom of God, the royal priesthood that will come from Heaven and install the rule of God on the earth. When all the creation has been made subject to Christ, Christ will turn over the Kingdom to the Father and God will be everywhere in His creation, all things having been gathered together in Christ.

To be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:10—NIV)

The reason Satan has fought so hard to convince Christian people that their goal is to go to Heaven is that Satan views the entire physical realm, including the bodies of all people, Christians as well, as his proper, rightful domain. As long as we go to Heaven, Satan maintains control over his "dust." But when we attempt to gain control over our body, or any other part of the earth, Satan will fight fiercely. Satan and all the wicked will fight against Jesus Christ and His saints when they return to install the rule of Christ over the earth.

Our goal as a Christian is eternal life. What we have now is a deposit on the salvation, the fullness of life that is to come. We have been sealed by the Lord to indicate He has set us aside to the day of redemption, the day when the Lord Jesus returns with our reward of eternal life.

We are spiritually alive now, but we will be truly alive, spirit, soul, and body, when the Lord returns—provided we have chosen to live in the Spirit of God rather than in the fleshly pursuits of our body.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (I Corinthians 15:22,23—NIV)

Those who belong to Jesus Christ will be made alive when He comes. This means their body will be redeemed by being filled with the Holy Spirit of Life.

Because our goal is eternal life, spirit, soul, and body, our objective actually is the resurrection from the dead. The resurrection from the dead is the "blessed hope" of the Christian life, the hope we shall not perish but have eternal life.

To be continued.