The life of God’s children is a journey toward eternal life. It is a magnificent journey, a conglomeration of many events. It has many ingredients such as joy, peace, sorrow, weaknesses, transgressions, unbelief, belief, pardonable sin and glory. No true believer in Christ will have missed any of the above before entering God’s rest. In fact, it is believed that the true attribute of a believer is to confess before God and if necessary, before men of the journey he or she so far has made. Many have done it including the likes of Ezra, Nehemiah, David, Solomon, Daniel, Peter and Paul, not only of their people, but also of themselves. Israel as a nation too did it. The reason for their confession is not from a tradition of men, but from what they have obtained from God. The elements such as sorrow, weakness, transgression, unbelief and pardonable sin as often as are present inhibit the journey of God’s child. They try to ensure the journey is long and hopeless. On the other hand, the ingredients such as joy, peace, belief and glory facilitate an uninhibited journey. When the former are overrun by the latter, God’s children enter His rest.
An uninhibited journey is what God desires for His children. “These are the journeys of the sons of Israel, by which they came out from the land of Egypt by their armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron” (Num. 33:1). However, their journey was neither a day nor weeks, but years. Though they had the leaders Moses and Aaron, who were magnificent servants of God, their journey almost seemed hopeless. In fact, it is right to say that it was because of Moses and Aaron that fewer than many at least entered the Promised Land. They became the servants that constantly removed or overcame the inhibitions caused by the disobedient Israel. They did it by the power of God. Had it not been for God’s choice of Moses and Aaron, what would Israel be? Certainly, a nation that was not! It was Moses on more than one occasion that pleaded God to spare Israel. It was Aaron who under the burdensome Law began constantly serving at the altar of God for the atonement of Israel. They did not consider it burdensome, but as stewardship obtained from God. They understood the glory that God has bestowed on them to lead His people to peace and joy.
Through many willful inhibitions Israel reached the Land of Promise. When sorrow, weakness, transgression, unbelief and sin become a part of our life, the journey becomes rough and tumultuous. Nonetheless, there is present a reprieve, but only until each one’s sin does not become the unpardonable sin. What can take the present day congregations into God’s rest is the presence of leaders such as Moses and Aaron among them. Unbelief, pardonable sin and transgressions can all become unpardonable sin. Note that it was unbelief that ended up being an unpardonable sin for those Israelites that did not enter the Promised Land. How long can one continue in unbelief, pardonable sin and transgressions? It is only as long as God appraises them as pardonable. Therefore, it is also written in the word of God that all liars, cowardly, unbelieving, immoral persons, murderers, idolaters, and the like will certainly receive the second death.
It is quintessential for the churches to understand the need for an uninhibited journey. It must first begin from the leaders who are prepared to say, “I will say to God my rock, ‘Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?’” (Ps. 42:9). It does not mean that God has forgotten, but that you have known how to find Him. He was silent, because of your inhibited journey. You have allowed the enemy to oppress you. How can God forget His children except when they willfully inhibit their journey? Unless the leaders are prepared to call upon God reprieve will vanish. He who has known the power of God will overcome the oppression of the enemy. It is time for the churches to remember Christ, who by of the power of God overcame every power of the adversary. It is by this power He remained sinless; His journey toward heaven was always uninhibited. Truly, such a journey is not possible for a mortal. For this reason, God dwelt among men to make the impossible possible that mere mortals like us might receive pardon through believing. He suffered death that we may pass it. He who believes in the Son receives the power of God to overcome. His power gives us a tremendous advantage to remain sinless. As long as we seize the opportunity to plead God to consider us for His pardon, His power will embrace us and our life will be a journey toward eternal life.
“For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of those facing the temple was a hundred cubits” (Ezek. 42:8). In the days of the Law there was a need for chambers in God’s temple to lodge those who performed the services of the temple. There they lived, ate and performed the works of the temple. At all times they were to be holy. The most holy things were also kept in those chambers. This was all designed by God at the time when the Law was first given to Israel for the sake of their uninhibited journey into the Promised Land. Later, through the prophet Ezekiel God again had to measure the chambers, since their purpose was totally neglected by Israel. In fact, they spoiled them. Their unbelief in God that led to weaknesses, transgressions and sin was the reason for neglecting the temple. This eventually caused them great sorrow as God remained silent toward them. They were severely oppressed by the enemy. A similar lifestyle is being repeated by the churches today. The temple or the church of the living God has been utterly ignored. The longer they ignore the greater the risk of their sin becoming the unpardonable sin. The holy things that ought to be present in them are absent; the offerings that must be made from them and the works that ought to be performed by them are not being done. They have revised them to powerlessness. For this reason, the many present day churches have not known the true power of God. All this is because of mere unbelief, a belief that is without blamelessness.
Listen to what the Spirit says, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22). If all things are under the authority of Christ and if He is our head, then the only way we possess anything over which He rules is by believing Him. Whether they are the heavenly things, the blessings or heaven itself, they ought to come from Him alone. For there is no other way God gave men to become the church of His Son. And when His power is not believed to the fullest, our journey toward eternal life has been inhibited. Then, has not our belief emulated the unbelief of Israel in which case they did not enter the Promised Land? Instead of being justified by belief we have been judged because of unbelief. This is a greater shame! Therefore, make sure that the unbelief in you may not become an unpardonable sin. You are Christ’s fullness, if you uninhibitedly believe in Him. He fills all things in you! And when the men that lead the churches are filled by Christ, it is the start needed for the churches to glorify God. Then, who is there to threaten you? Perhaps, there will be those that persecute you. But, do we not know that Christ, the power of God, greatly abounds in persecution? Then, there is nothing present that can eternally inhibit us for an uninhibited journey to heaven. “The Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement” (1 John 5:8).
Of what does these three agree? That Jesus Christ, the Son of God came through water and blood. By believing in this Jesus we overcome the things that inhibit our journey toward heaven. One can speak extensively of the three i.e. the Spirit, the water and the blood, but if he does not possess what they agree on i.e. the testimony of God concerning His Son, his knowledge will only increase his pain. However, if you accept the word concerning Christ, you believed in the Spirit. If you accept that He came with water, you believed that He came in the flesh to give you the assurance of resurrection. If you believe that He came with blood, you believed it has the power to sanctify you. These three are sufficient to possess Christ. The Spirit brings into you the power of God. The water gives you the confidence to face the hatred and persecution of men. The blood of Christ is ever present for you to ensure your journey to eternal life is not inhibited. This is the advantage of learning to fully believe in Christ. Your knowledge of Him will increase your joy beyond your imagination. And, it is written that “Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory” (Rev. 16:9).
You have been exempted! It is because you have come to agree with what the Spirit, the water and the blood has testified. O, what marvelous grace you have been offered! Who would have known or who would know the time of those plagues and the days of excruciating pain? But when we are full of faith that gives victory, the time of the plagues and pain is irrelevant to us; isn’t it? Let them come at the time when God has appraised man’s unbelief. But, His children shall remain untouched. That time is the time of no return for men that do not desire to believe. The things that inhibit salvation have completely overcome them. The saints watch and perceive the righteous judgments of God. They go about their way glorifying God. They continue to encourage one another until that time that their Lord calls them to rest. Proclaim these things to the churches that they do not fail in their journey toward eternal life. Do not worry “for it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matt. 10:20).