1158. Failure and Falling

Failure and Falling

"Wherefore let him that thinketh be standeth take heed lest he fall" (1Co_10:12).

Of all the fighting men, who started out from Egypt, only Caleb and Joshua reached the Land of Promise.

We need to read and pray over Hebrews, the 3d chapter. Note the warning words, "Take heed lest," and "Let us fear lest."

We too have a Canaan before us, yet few ever enter in. The average Christian lives and dies in the wilderness. He never enters the life of blessing. He knows naught of the practice of power, the perfection of peace, the possession of promise and the partaking of plenty.

All of this was realized in Canaan. The type, however, does not stop with Canaan, as a picture of the "victorious life." Canaan is also a type of millennial rest.

Canaan cannot typify Heaven. There are no walled cities there; no sons of the Anakims, no times of defeat; no nations to be overthrown. Canaan does typify the age of millennial rest.

Believers who are carnal may find that, like Moses, they may be permitted to see the promised land, without entering in.

Saints may be raptured, without obtaining a reward. Saints may be raptured without returning to reign. Saints are sealed and cannot lose their salvation, they may lose their crown.

Those who have been carnal will reap no gracious harvest, for "He that soweth to his flesh shall * * reap corruption." Those who are carnal and have builded with wood, hay and stubble will themselves be saved, but their works will be burned–they shall suffer loss. Believers may lose their reward.

As we turn our faces toward the wilderness, strewn with the bodies of the carnal Israelites; as we remind ourselves that they failed to enter in, let us also fear lest a promise having been left us of entering into His rest, some of us should seem to come short of it. We are made partakers of Christ IF we "hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end" (Heb_3:14, A. S. V.).

We are not discussing "salvation" we are not even speaking of the rapture of the saints; we are talking of the reign.

"If we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him." Those who do as these Israelites did, will miss the full reward.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR