Christ Himself is our Security. Christ Himself is our Guarantee of always having as much protection as we need, as much home as we need, as much comfort and independence as we need, as much money as we need.

Christ Himself is our Confidence in the future. He is central in the hearts and minds of the saints in the realm of security. In Christ, Eden is restored. Paradise is restored.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalms 18:2)

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ. (Philippians 4:19)

The Ark of the Covenant, the chest kept within the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, reveals the Character of Christ and also the character of the mature saint. The articles placed within the Ark of the Covenant, the jar of manna, the Ten Commandments, and Aaron's rod that budded, speak of security, pleasure, and achievement.

The jar of manna represents security. The mature saint has learned to trust God moment by moment for food, clothing, shelter, health, strength, and every other element of safety and well-being.

As we have stated, the three issues facing men are "money, women, and monuments" (another way of describing security, pleasure, and achievement).

We are associating women with pleasure and joy because they often go together. After a man thinks he is secure he turns toward the second great loss of Eden—that of pleasure.

Pleasure is the realm of interest, stimulation, excitement, creativity, relaxation, gratification of appetites and desires. It also is the domain of worship.

The greatest pleasure any creature of God can know and, in fact, that God Himself can know, is pure love for another person.

God's love pouring into Christ; the love of God in Christ pouring into us; the love of God in Christ in us pouring into other people—these are the motivations for the things God creates.

There is no other aspect of life that approaches in significance the love of God in Christ in us.

God's love in Christ in us flowing out to others is the highest priority of all. It is the only true basis for the creation of eternal relationships and things.

There is no other pleasure as great as the flowing of God's love. God's love is more powerful by far than death itself. It is the power that will raise the dead bodies of the saints.

Adam and Eve were driven from Paradise, and then the search for pleasure began.

The Ten Commandments, which were kept in the Ark of the Covenant, are God's judgments against Satan and his followers. The Ten Commandments have to do with relationships, with morality. The Ten Commandments point us toward the holiness that God loves. Holiness is Christ, is oneness with God and other people through Christ, and is freedom from relationships with unclean spirits.

Satan and his followers are helplessly chained in the area of relationships.

To be continued.