This is our Promised Land! This is our place of "Rest" and this is for now! This is our "Today"! Lets not make the mistake of thinking, Canaan Land represents heaven! It doesn't! There is no sin in heaven and no enemies to conquer! Israel's journey into Canaan represents our journey into Christ-likeness.
It's amazing how much resistance there can be to the concept of spiritual Christ-likeness for the "here and now". Today is the day of salvation. Today is when we are to enter Gods Rest. There are definite spiritual purposes chosen by God to be experienced in the "here and now". Heaven is a wonderful place! It is our physical destiny, our citizenship is there (Ph.3:20). Some things well never experience until we get there. There is however much to be experienced now that will not be experienced there. To be "Born Again" must happen now because it doesn't happen in heaven. To be physically healed is an experience allotted for now. There'll be no healing in heaven because theres no sickness there. To have God provide a financial miracle is something that will never happen in heaven. The list can go on but the point I hope is made. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day of full salvation! Today is the time to enter in and experience Christ-likeness in our lives.
The first generation of exodus Israelites had their unique challenges and we have ours. They failed to believe God. They chose to look at things through humanistic perspectives. They looked at themselves and saw the impossibilities. They balked in unbelief and rebelled in disobedience. They refused to go forward in God and as a result wandered aimlessly through the desert of doubt fear and unbelief. It's absolutely tragic but this same thing can happen to New Covenant Believers. They know what it is to repent of sin and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savor yet never really experience too much in the way personal Christ-likeness in their lives. They never seem to get free from the Adamic nature and are plagued with things like, bitterness, hatred, envy, pride, selfishness, their pursuit is or worldly fame and fortune. They seem in love with the things of this life more than the things of heaven! They never experience full salvation. Oh yes they've experienced God freeing them from Egypt, they've come through the Red Sea, as it were, but they have never cross through the Jordan River.
Now is the time for Christ-likeness, not when we get to heaven! Col. 3:5 ¶ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. 6 Gods terrible anger will come upon those who do such things. 7 You used to do them when your life was still part of this world. 8 ¶ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. This is for "Today" These kind of things are not dealt with in heaven! The transformation into Christ-likeness is our "Today Salvation".
1Pe 2:2 You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk,. For the nation of Israel the fullness of their salvation was when they entered "INTO" Canaan and physically took possession of it. For New Covenant Believers full salvation is entering "INTO" Christ-likeness.
