The Children of Israel displayed their faith in God’s salvation by leaving Egypt. Passing through the Red Sea, they were saved from bondage under Pharaoh—a typology of deliverance from the bondage of sin and the Devil. However, during their journey to the land promised to them, a majority of them perished in the wilderness, another typology.

And wherefore were they destroyed? —by failing to trust in the Lord, fully follow Him, and obey all of His commandments, as written:

“But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

After being saved from Egypt by faith after passing through the Red Sea, the Children of Israel failed to continue in belief when they were tested in the wilderness of Sin. After they received salvation, they hardened their hearts when they faced trials and suffering.

They became angry with God and complained to Moses when they were required to pay the price necessary to inherit the kingdom that was promised to them. They refused to rest on the promise that the Lord would bring them through the wilderness and give them rest in the land. Offended by their sufferings and trials, they murmured against God and fell into various lusts and temptations that ended with their destruction. They were not allowed to enter the Promised Land, and the promise was passed on to their children.

All that happened to them is an example to us who believe. Salvation is given at the Red Sea (the blood of Jesus). It then leads through the perils and temptations in the wilderness until the passing over Jordan, where the promised land is fully attained.

Jesus himself was tempted in the wilderness and overcame all things that were necessary for his death and resurrection for our salvation. When people accept his sacrifice for sins, they are gifted with the spirit placed in their hearts and the promise of hope. Some of the promises are only fully realized at the end of the journey when we rest and are made as he is.

There are battles along the way, with the promise that God will go before us into the battle and give us the victory. When the spies returned from spying out Canaan, the majority of them discouraged the people by bringing back an evil report. The people believed them above God and refused to go in and take possession of the land promised to them.

Israel was commanded to fight; we must also fight, or we will also fail to possess the kingdom promised to us. There are seven nations greater than ourselves that must be driven out, but God promises victory if we believe and fight.

We must sanctify ourselves unto holiness by fighting for perfection every day until the perfect day—and greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. We must perfect our faith, not rest on it, as we have not yet entered his rest.

The teaching of “faith alone” is not biblical; the phrase appears once in the whole Bible, in James 2:24, and it says the opposite. James says, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

True faith is never alone; it is accompanied by action, and without action, faith is dead.

Devils believe in God; they also believe in salvation. Devils see souls delivered from their hands as they pass through the Red Sea, where they cannot pursue them through the blood of Jesus. However, devils do not believe every word of God to salvation, or they would not have resisted unto damnation.

Only by faith in every word of God can one live, not by initial acceptance without the faith to act upon every word of God after salvation. Those who draw back after beginning the journey perish in the wilderness of temptation and are lost.

Jesus said, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Only if we endure to the end are we accepted into heaven. “Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:6)

“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:14).

“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:11). There is no “once saved, always saved” without continuing in the faith by laboring until the end.