The Apostle Paul says each believer will be ministered to until he or she attains to the unity of the faith, to the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity as measured by the stature of the fullness of Christ. Thus the perfect Head will receive a perfect Body.

There is a picture in the New Testament of the perfect Head and Body. It is the holy city, the new Jerusalem.

If the reader is familiar with the Tabernacle of the Congregation, as described in the Book of Exodus, he may note that the Tabernacle building is a representation of Christ.

If we stood the Tabernacle on end, with the Altar of Burnt Offering being the feet, the Ark of the Covenant would be the head of Christ, crowned with the Mercy Seat, the Glory of God.

The voice of Christ would be the Altar of Incense, crying "Not My will but Yours be done" while continually offering praise and worship to the Father.

In the right hand of Christ would be the Lampstand, the power of God.

In the left hand of Christ would be the Table of Showbread, speaking of His body and blood—the Life of the world.

The Laver would be the hip area, speaking of strength and fruitfulness.

The Altar of Burnt Offering would be the bronze feet of Divine judgment.

Here we see the Messiah, Christ, the living Word of God Almighty.

Because the Tabernacle is the image of Christ it also is the image of every son of God who has been conformed to the image of Christ. When God declared that He has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, this is precisely what God means. God has declared it! God shall indeed perform it!

Our role is to join to our faith courage, hope, trust, stern obedience, and much patience. God's role is to do what He promised.

The Bible is a contract. Although a few of the details change from time to time the goal of the contract remains the same. It is that people do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

God is one signer of the contract and will never break contract. We are the other signer of the contract. If we break the contract it becomes null and void. One signer of a contract is not obligated to keep the terms of the contract if the contract is broken by the other party. We seem to have forgotten that today.

The new Jerusalem is an actual city that will be located at a specific site, according to our understanding.

However, the new Jerusalem is vastly, infinitely more than this. It is a representation of Christ and His Bride; of the Head and Body of Christ; of the glorified Christian Church.

He who is brought to maturity as measured by the stature of the fullness of Christ has had formed in his personality all the attributes of the new Jerusalem.

His destiny is to live on a new earth under a new sky. Therefore he is not to cling to this present world as though this were the best our God can do.

To be continued.