November 97
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THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT

Part Five November 1997

The Lord is beginning to dispel all the spiritual darkness that covers the earth, and the gross darkness that shrouds the minds of many people. (Is. 60:2) He is doing it by imparting the Light of His glory and presence within us, causing us to show forth the Light that He is. This is taking place in the Spirit and by the Spirit. (See Is. 60:1 & Mt. 5:14-16) Some are spiritually asleep during this night of nights, and others are drunken with the cares of the life of this world. But as sons of Light, or sons of the Day, we are spiritually alert, awake and aware of all that is taking place at this time.

While the people of the world and those in Christendom were spirit-ually slumbering and sleeping, the Lord raised His elect remnant to new heights in the Spirit. He did it by appearing as Light within us. He also has sown us as the seed of the kingdom of God in the earth. (See Hos. 2:23) As natural seed brings forth new life, so we are that spiritual seed that is bringing forth new spiritual life for all mankind. The Lord also is awakening us to the glory of this new Day. Thus, we read, "Awake, my glory [my inner self]; awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awake the dawn]!" (Ps. 57:8, Amp.) We have been awakened early, at evening time, to announce the dawning of the morning of this new Day. As alert and awakened sons of this new Day, we are being changed by the appearing of Christ as Light within us at this time. By His Light within us, the darkness of this night is being dispelled so that everything everywhere shall become the full brilliance of the greater glory of the kingdom of God.

Again we read, "O God, my heart is fixed - steadfast [in the confidence of faith]; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory [all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image]! Awake, harp and lyre; I myself will awake very early - I will waken the dawn!" (Ps. 108:1-2, Amp.) Our hearts or minds are truly fixed in the strong confidence of the faith of the Son of God. We are assured that all the plans and purposes of our Father shall be fulfilled in every detail, just as He planned and purposed it all to take place. So we sing praises to Him with the glory within us, which includes all the inner faculties and powers of one created in His image and likeness. We know we are not yet in His full image and likeness. But we also know that all the faculties and powers (Christ) to fully create us into His image and likeness are already within us. The glory of Christ is within us and He is bringing us to fullness and completeness. And that inner glory assures us that our hearts are fixed on Father's purposes. As we continue to grow and mature, taking on His full image and likeness as we grow, we are also awake unto the dawning of the new morning.

Until that blessed hour, the elect are to be "the children (or, sons) of light" (Jo. 12:36), because of His Light within us. We "were some-times darkness, but now (we) are light in the Lord: (called to) walk as children (or, sons) of light." (Eph. 5:8) This Day of the Lord did not overtake us as a thief in the night when it came, for we are not in darkness. "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thess. 5:5-6)

But what are we to watch for? We are to watch for the appearing of Christ. At this time, Christ is appearing within His chosen sons, imparting the Light that He is within them. By His Light within, we are dispelling the darkness around us. He also is awakening us to the new Day in which we now live. In the fullness of time, Christ shall appear in the greatest manifestation of His glory ever. Then He shall shine throughout the earth in a brilliance that will far outshine the sun. By His glorious appearing, the new morning shall dawn in the full brilliance of the glory of Christ, to turn this long, dark night into endless Day. When the dawn of the new morning takes place, all shall be awakened by His Light and Glory. During this nighttime, all but the elect are "sleeping" the sleep of spiritual dormancy. Those who sleep are spiritually asleep during this night, and those who tend to get drunk with the cares of this life, will be drunk at this time.

 

"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 5:8-9) Those who were sleeping during this night of tests and trials shall be awakened to the judgments of the Lord. While the rest of the world was spiritually asleep, God was judging His elect, chastening us and cleansing us of our iniquities. We are being judged and chastened of the Lord, "that we should not be condemned (judged and sentenced) with the world." (1 Co. 11:32, see also 1 Tim. 5:24 & 1 Pe. 4:17.) Our judgment unto correction is coming to an end! As we have been judged and corrected of the Lord, so also must the rest of the world. But we shall not be judged and corrected with the rest of the world, for our judgment is nearing completion. Having been judged in advance, we are prepared for the next appearing of Christ as our Savior. When Christ appears at the dawning of the morning of this new Day, we shall "obtain (full) salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." As sons of God we are spiritually sober, for we have put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of salvation, which represents the wonderful hope of full salvation. And we are blessed with the assurance that God has appointed us to obtain that full salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus explained the high calling of His disciples, which was to inherit the kingdom of God and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. He said to them, "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (See Lu. 22:24-30) The twelve tribes of Israel are a specific people in the world today, just as they were in Old Testament times. And those twelve tribes of Israel shall be judged by the Lord's disciples.

In speaking to His disciples as He did, Jesus fully recognized the trials and temptations they had gone through with Him. Jesus said because those disciples remained with Him all through their adversities and trials - being literally put to the proof through those difficult times - they would then inherit the kingdom. This establishes a pattern for us also. The early disciples were appointed to the kingdom as a result of the tests and trials they endured and by being obedient to the work of the Spirit within them. Even so do we inherit the fullness of the kingdom of God by enduring the sufferings of Christ - by being tested and tried through our experiences of hardships, trials and adversities. We are entering the fullness of the kingdom "through much tribulation." (Acts 14:22) And if our trials are increasing, it is because Father is pressing us into the fullness of His kingdom with greater haste and intensity. Because we endured our share of the sufferings of Christ, and are proven by experience to be true, faithful and righteous, we shall eat and drink of Him at His table in His kingdom. We shall also sit with Him on His spiritual throne to judge the world in truth and in righteousness.

 

The Reign of Christ Includes the Judgment of the Rest of the World

The kingdom of God is that power of God that puts every enemy under the feet of Christ. The kingdom of God also is the reign of Christ that establishes and maintains order in the earth by bringing judgment unto correction upon all unrighteousness everywhere. It is also true that the kingdom of God is established in the earth with judgment and with justice to endure forever. Then everything in the world will be based on the righteousness of Christ, which shall endure forever by the power of His zealous love and care. Thus we read, "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Is. 9:7)

By the power of the government, throne, and reign of Christ, true justice and righteousness shall be established and maintained in all the earth. Christ and His sons shall bring judgment upon all disobedience and unrighteousness everywhere. By the coming or appearing of the Lord, all mankind shall be judged and corrected of their iniquities. (Is. 26:21) The Lord will eventually defeat every enemy in the earth and in the whole universe. And He will do all this by reigning! When the kingdom of God fully governs the earth and every enemy is under the feet of Christ, evil, bondage, poverty, sickness, death, chaos, confusion, injustice, and misrule will no longer exist anywhere.

As He sits on the throne of His kingdom, Christ thus brings the new order of His kingdom to the world. He will "establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." This chapter begins with a reference to the dimness, vexation, affliction and the gloom of judgment. But when we see the Lord's judgments in their true perspective, there is no place for doom and gloom. Perhaps the best version of Isaiah's prophecy in chapter nine is the Amplified Translation. "But [in the midst of judg-ment there is the promise and the certainty of the Lord's deliverance] there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined." (Is. 9:1-2, Amp.) Of course, this prophecy applies more specifically to the time of the birth of Jesus, but its prophetic truths also apply to other parallel times of transition and judgment.

From observing conditions around us, it is plain to see that we are in an era when the Lord's judgments are coming upon the world. But this is not a time of doom and gloom for us. The word of the Lord for us, who have already experienced the "anguish" of the Lord's judgments, is "there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish." While the Lord's judgments upon all unrighteousness in the world may be swirling all around us, we have the assurance of "the promise and the certainty of the Lord's deliverance." There is no gloom for those of us who have already experienced the judgments of the Lord. As we endured our chastisements and corrective judgments, we walked in darkness and in the shadow of death. But it is to us who once walked in darkness who "have seen a great light." For those of us who once dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, "upon them has the light shined." This Day is this prophecy fulfilled in our lives!

All the doom and gloom we have heard regarding the Lord's judg-ments is quickly removed by the pure word of the Lord. When David was made king of all Israel and the ark was returned to Jerusalem, he sang a prophetic song of thanksgiving to the Lord. A portion of David's song of thanksgiving is: "Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because He cometh to judge the earth." (1 Chr. 16:30-33) At the time of the reign of Christ in the earth, He also "comes" to judge the earth, for the judgment of the world is included in the reign of Christ!

While the Lord reigns, He also judges the earth. The world shall then be stable, that it be not moved. The word "stable" means to set up, to establish and to fix. Nothing is going to happen to destroy the earth. But with the greater manifestation of the kingdom of God in the earth, the world shall be stabilized, corrected and established. The greatest instability of the world has already taken place. The instability and insecurity of this world is behind us now. The reign of Christ and the manifestation of the kingdom of God in the earth will make the world more stable so that it cannot be moved. By His present earthly reign, the Lord will fix everything that is wrong with the world. He will also stabilize and establish the world "that it be not moved."

When the Lord judges the world at this time of His earthly, kingdom reign, the whole creation, including the heavens, the earth, the sea, the fields, the trees of the wood, and all that is therein, shall then be glad and rejoice and shall "sing out at the presence of the Lord, because He cometh to judge the earth." If we had ears to hear, we would hear the creation singing praises to the Lord, who now judges the world. Is this a time of doom and gloom? Indeed not! It is a time for the elect and for the whole creation to sing and rejoice at the presence of the Lord. The world, which for six long days has endured the bondage of cor-ruption, shall be fixed, healed and set free of its many bondages by the power of the reign of Christ, Who both reigns and judges in all the earth. The Lord's standard for judging the world is His righteousness, and for judging the people, it is His truth. (Ps. 96:10-13)

The righteousness of Christ and the inspired, anointed truth of God are also the standards by which the Lord judges us. Until we have become a pure manifestation of the righteousness of Christ, we shall continue to be processed by the tests and trials the Lord sends our way. And if there is any unbelief and rejection of the truth of God hidden anywhere in the inner recesses of our minds, God must deal with us, applying His rod of correction to us, until we are fully prepared to receive all the truth that He is! When you read a new truth, the first inclination of your carnal mind will be to reject it. But remember, we have much truth yet to receive from God. When we have received all truth, we shall be transformed to become all that He is. Until then, we will keep our minds open to receive all the truth He would reveal to us.

The Psalmist said, "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment." (Ps. 37:30) When we see the judg-ments of the Lord in their true perspective, we will speak of His judgments as being corrective and redemptive, not something negative and full of darkness, gloom and despair. The Psalmist gave us a positive view of the Lord's judgments. He said, "Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah." (Ps. 76:8-9) And, "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance." (Ps. 89:14-15) Also, "For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it." (Ps. 94:14-15) And, "The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed." (Ps. 103:6)

The present time of darkness during this night of nights heralds the coming of the day of the Lord. It is the time of the judgment of the nations during the reign of Christ in the earth. Paul wrote, saying, "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thess. 5:2-3) The Greek word for "day" here means the time from sunrise to sunset, or typically and spiritually, any period of time. It is a time period that begins with the rising of Christ in the hearts of His elect; a day that "cometh as a thief in the night." During this "day," the people of the world shall not escape the "sudden destruction" (mean-ing, ruin or punishment) of the corrective judgments of the Lord on all unrighteousness! In His process of kingdom restoration, the Lord must judge all the other people in the world. He also must eliminate all evil and unrighteousness in the world, as He is doing with us, so that only His pure righteousness shall prevail everywhere.

Conditions in the world today are gradually and slowly improving because of the reign of Christ in the earth. The work of God in His kingdom reign today is that of defeating all the enemies of Christ and putting them under His feet. With the defeat of every enemy of Christ, we will see more of His love, peace, justice, and righteousness manifest on earth. As the Lord puts His enemies under His feet, the world will gradually and slowly get better. But we will not be deceived into thinking that all shall be peace and safety in this world! The Lord must still bring judgment unto correction upon the world of the ungodly. We had to endure our corrective chastisements as a result of being judged of the Lord, and so also must the rest of the world. And He is obviously doing this through the strange storms, floods, natural disasters, and other problems that have been taking place, not only in this country, but also in other areas of the world.

God is a righteous God, and He must judge all sin and unright-eousness everywhere. To be the just God that He is, the Lord must judge all mankind and bring forth His righteousness in the lives of every one, for His glory and honor. And He will use His saints to help Him do it! Paul wrote this truth in the form of a question, saying, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1 Co. 6:2) We shall indeed judge the world of sin and unrighteousness by the wisdom of the mind of Christ, and by being righteous even as He is right-eous. But we need the fullness of the mind of Christ and His new nature to judge the world in righteousness. And this is what our Father is doing with us now. He is giving us His nature and His mind! God has a due order and a time when He shall judge the world. He shall "revenge all disobedience, when your (our) obedience is fulfilled." (2 Co. 10:6) The judgments of the Lord are coming on the world "as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." As sons of Light, and of the Day, we were fully prepared for it!

 

While our King Reigns, Princes "rule in judgment"

The prophet Isaiah declared, "Behold, a king shall reign in right-eousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." (Is. 32:1) As the kingdom of God comes to the earth in a greater way and Christ reigns on the throne of His Father, as He is beginning to do now, His "princes," which we are, shall also "rule in judgment." Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords, while the "princes" are the sons of God who reign with Him. The reign of Christ in the earth takes place the same time as His judgments. Although the kingdom of God is the reign of Christ in the earth, His reign also includes the judgment and correction of the world in righteousness. And the prophet Isaiah declared that the "princes" shall do the judging. This agrees with the prophetic statement given by Paul, who said, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1 Co. 6:2) The Psalmist said, "But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness." (Ps. 9:7-8) Thus, Christ not only reigns from His throne in the kingdom of God, but He also judges the world in righteousness while He reigns.

How wonderful is the truth declared here! The Lord "shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness." To "minister" judgment sounds more merciful and compassionate. It pictures the Lord as being more loving and charitable to all mankind. The word "minister" means to judge as an umpire, and to strive to fulfill the law. It shows the Lord as a judge correcting mankind, and also as an attorney pleading the cause of his clients. When we see Christ and His saints ministering judgment to the people of the world, we see this corporate Christ judging all mankind. We also see this corporate Christ pleading with God, as Moses did (Ex. 32:11-14), for the pardon and salvation of all. It is a beautiful illustration of our ministry of reconciliation, which is purposed of God to reconcile the world unto Him, "not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Co. 5:19)

Isaiah declared that "princes shall rule in judgment." But the Psalmist said that the Lord "hath prepared his throne for judgment, he shall judge the world in righteousness." From reading these two passages, we can see that the "princes" of Is. 32:1 are the same as the "he" referred to in Ps. 9:8. The Psalmist sees the saints of God as being so in union with Christ their Head that they are one and the same. When the Lord is finished with us, having perfected us and made us one in Him, there will be little difference between us and Christ. Both the Head and the body shall be in such blessed oneness, unity and harmony in Christ that we shall be one new man, which is the Christ-man, the Lord of glory. We shall be one body in Christ, deriving our Life from the Head. What sweet fellowship, harmony, and unity shall exist when we are made fully one in Christ! Then we shall be one in Him in the same way that Christ is one with the Father. And the glory that the Father gave to Christ shall be ours also. Then, we shall be made perfect IN ONE, that the world may believe that God has sent Him/us into the world. (Jo. 17:20-24)

When our union in Christ is full and complete, we shall be lifted again to higher realms in the Spirit, to know the Love of God as we have never known Him before. The prayer of Jesus for our union in Him closes with these words, "And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." (Jo. 17:26) How we long for that glad day when the Love of God shall be fully imparted to us, so that His Love shall flow out of us with unrestrained grace and mercy. The flow of His Love from within us will be natural; it will be the characteristic of our new nature to manifest His love. It will be the result of the outflow of His loving nature from within us. His Love in us will then be full and complete, so that He will be the only expression we have. All other expressions and manifestations will be removed from us, leaving only the fullness of the Love of God as our total and complete expression and manifestation. When we are made fully one in Christ, we shall manifest Him to the world, not ourselves.

Jesus said this transformation - this impartation of Love's dominion - would take place within us as He declared His name to us. He has declared His Name to us and shall continue to declare it, until the Love of God is the natural and full expression of our lives. The Name of the Lord includes His authority and character. When the Name of the Father is declared unto us, by the Spirit, it means that our Father's authority and character has then been committed unto us. Our Father's authority gives us the right and the privilege to manifest Him and all that He is to the world. With Father's authority comes the privilege of sonship fulfilled, which, in its fullness, brings us to the divine privilege of fatherhood, making us totally creative beings! We shall be one with our Father, possessing His creative ability and authority.

When the Father's character is committed to us, we then possess all the wonderful attributes of our Father. As He is Creator, so are we creators. As He is Love, so are we love. As He is gracious, so are we gracious. As He is merciful, so are we merciful. And as He is Truth and Life, so also shall we be Truth and Life. We shall be all these things, not by trying to manifest these characteristics by the works of the flesh, but by the natural outflow of the Spirit of God from within us. Every characteristic of the Father will then be within us, so that we shall manifest the Father and the glory of His kingdom in all we do. Jesus manifested the Father's Name in all that He did (Jo. 5:43 & 10:25), and so also shall we (Rev. 14:1). What a wonderful work He will have wrought in us!

The prophet Isaiah described the attitude of the elect during this strange and peculiar night time. He said, "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." (Is. 26:8-9) All who love the appearings of Christ, as well as His truth and righteousness, will also love and desire His judgments. We submitted to His judgments, and to the benefits of them, before the general judgment of the world began. And we desire that everyone else be judged and brought into harmony with God and His kingdom, just as we have been. His judgments will correct everything and everyone, thereby establishing His kingdom and its principles among mankind in all the earth. During this night of nights, we desire the Lord first and foremost. We are seeking Him early, for we know He will lead us to the perfect Day (Pro. 4:18). Then we shall be changed, and His glory shall shine forth in a brilliance much greater than the sun.

Then the prophet described the coming of the Lord in judgment with these words, "For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Is. 26:21) When the Lord comes forth in the Spirit to judge the people of the world for their iniquity, as He may be doing now, every person shall be judged and corrected. Then they shall cease committing the sins and iniquities of old Adam. Also, everything that once was covered or concealed will be disclosed and revealed. Every bit of harm done by man's inhumanity to man shall be uncovered and revealed, thus disclosing the blood that was shed unjustly, as well as those who were slain in an unfair manner and without just cause. All the hidden, secret iniquities of man are now being exposed by the Spirit of God. Jesus spoke of this time, when He said, "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops." (Lu. 12:2-3)

The sons of God, who are also declared to be sons of light (1 Thess. 5:5), were prepared for this Day. This is the time when God is obviously uncovering and disclosing many secret, hidden iniquities of man. He is shining the Light of His truth on all darkness. Public figures, such as government leaders, trusted officials, and sports figures, are being exposed and their iniquities are being revealed. Without a doubt, we have never seen these revelations on the scale we are seeing them now. It is not that this generation is more evil than previous generations. It is just that this is the time when God is uncovering man's hidden iniquities, exposing them to the Light of His Spirit, so those iniquities can be dealt with. Even the mean and hateful words spoken in the darkness, or in the ear of someone in a closet, shall be uncovered and "proclaimed upon the housetops."

The harmful thoughts and doctrines of God's people who dwell in Zion shall also be revealed and dealt with, for "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain." (Is. 11:9) All God's people, regardless of their calling, must be cleansed of that hurtful, harmful attitude that results from erroneous doctrines of devils and of hell. God also is dealing with His elect about the attitudes that may be hidden in the inner recesses of our minds. If hatred, lust, greed, and other evil thoughts are hidden deep within us, our speech or our deeds, spoken or done in secret, will expose us; and we will be judged and corrected. All the darkness within us must be uncovered and revealed. And this is what Father is doing with us now. As we receive more of the Truth that He is, the darkness of all the errors and partial truths that are still within us shall be replaced with the glorious Light of the fullness of His Truth and Life. In this way, we are receiving the fullness of the mind of Christ. We are thus being changed from glory to glory, until we shall stand in His image and likeness, prepared to bless the world with a manifestation of His greater Light and Glory.

The scriptures show that God will judge all mankind everywhere by the reign of Christ. The prophet Daniel was given a vision of four great beasts, or four kings, who were to rise out of the earth. The spiritual visions he was given grieved his spirit and troubled his mind. But then the Lord revealed the meaning of it all to him, by the Spirit. After Daniel received those visions, the Lord said to him, "But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." (Da. 7:18) Daniel was grieved and troubled by some of the events that would occur before the reign of Christ in the earth. But he was undoubtedly relieved to know that the time would come when the saints would take the kingdom, and possess it until every enemy is under the feet of Christ. And when every enemy has been put under His feet, time shall be no more and God shall be all in all. We all have the carnal mind within us, as Daniel did, and we may have been troubled as he was by the events that took place during the end of the church age. But the Lord in His mercy intervened in our darkness and gave us glimpses of His Light, showing us that better things and better times awaited us.

Then the Lord revealed to Daniel that one of the "horns" he saw "made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the king-dom." (Da. 7:21-22) We may not know, or need to know, what or who the "horns" or "beasts" were that Daniel saw. But we do know they represent something that is to make "war" with us and prevail against us for a time. (See 2 Chron. 7:13, Joel 1:4 & Rev. 11:7-12) According to these scriptures, they may be spiritual powers that have troubled us. Whatever they are, they were sent of the Lord and purposed of Him to prepare us to both judge and reign with Christ from His sovereign throne of all power and authority.

Spiritual powers may assail us, make war with us, and prevail against us for a time. But this condition can continue only "until the Ancient of days" comes. That which makes war with us and prevails against us has a designated purpose in God and a designated end. Every trial, regardless of the source, is not destroying us but is leading us to our resurrection, that we might reign with Him in Life. When we see our trials in their true perspective, we will rejoice in what God is doing, not only in us but also for us and with us. The carnal mind sees judgment as more darkness, but the mind of Christ sees it as a posi-tive, corrective aspect of the kingdom, leading to its fullness.

Daniel saw that judgment was given to the saints of the most High. Jesus said, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." (Jo. 5:22) The maturing sons of God, who are truly one in Christ in the full sense of the word, are a part of that Son company. Those saints in full spiritual union with Christ shall receive the authority, honor, and privilege to render judgment. They shall not give their own judgment, but shall give forth that righteous judgment that comes from His pure mind. Daniel also said, "the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." The phrase, "the time came," means that the divinely appointed time or season has arrived when the saints must possess the kingdom. Here again, we see the importance of TIME! In His omniscient wisdom, our Father predetermined just exactly when each of His purposes would be fulfilled. And nothing or no one shall ever change either the TIME when His purposes shall be fulfilled, or the purpose itself. Wisdom has declared, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." (Ecc. 3:1) Jesus spoke of a specific time or "day of judgment" (Mt. 10:15, 11:22 & 24), and so did Peter (2 Pe. 2:9, 3:7), and John (1 Jo. 4:17), and Jude (6). Judgment was given to the saints, and then the fullness of TIME came for them to possess the kingdom.

 

The Kingdom of God as Seed Planted Within Us

To help us understand the kingdom of God within, Jesus gave us the parable of the sower. In this parable, Jesus spoke of four types of people and how each one reacted to the word of the kingdom. When a person hears the word of the kingdom, which includes the good news of the Gospel of our redemption, and receives it into the "good ground" of their well-prepared hearts, the seed of Christ is then planted within them. There are three other types who did not fully receive the word of the kingdom after hearing it. The first group heard the word but did not understand it. Of them, Jesus said, "This is he which received seed by the way side." The second group heard the word of the kingdom and then immediately received it with joy. But when tribulation or persecution arose because of the word, they were offended. These are they who "received the seed into stony places." The third group received the seed of the kingdom after hearing it, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choked that word, making them unfruitful. These are those who "received seed among thorns." (See Mt. 13:18-23)

Since we are writing to the fourth and final group - to those who received the seed of Christ and of the kingdom of God in the well-prepared, good "ground" of their spirits and minds, and who under-stand it, we will focus our writing on that group, for they are the Lord's chosen elect. But we should also know that God has a plan for all mankind, including those who may be among the other three groups referred to in Jesus' parable of the sower. They will all come to understand and to enter the kingdom in their due order, for no person is beyond the redeeming love of God! This poem titled "Outwitted," by Edwin Markham, shows the distinction between the unbelief of the church system and the greater love of the elect:

He drew a circle that shut me out -

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But LOVE AND I HAD THE WIT TO WIN:

We drew a circle that took him in!

When we were saved, the seed of Christ or the seed of the kingdom of God, was planted within us. Just as the male sperm enters the womb to fertilize the egg of the female, so the seed of Christ was planted in our spirits by the Spirit of God to begin a new life within us. This is called conception! It is not yet a birth, for we have not yet been born again! The seed of Christ is within us, but there is not yet any outward sign or evidence of the inward work of Christ. He is still within us as a seed, but Christ is hidden and buried within us just as a seed of corn is hidden in the ground until it sprouts forth in a new life. By the appearing of Christ to us in resurrection power and life, the seed of Christ within us shall then burst forth to manifest the glorious resurrection Life that He is. Then we shall truly be born again! And that birth will be the manifestation of the sons of God!

The term "born again," as taught by the church system, is incorrect. In fact, there are few truths the church system has correct. A brother once told me that the only truth most Christians know for sure is that Jesus died for them. Everything else the church system believes and teaches should be questioned. For this reason, the Lord is judging and correcting us, removing from us all the false doctrines of the church system. The term "born again" includes the entire process from conception to birth. The word "born," as used in John 3:3, 7, & 1 Peter 1:23, is taken from the Greek word, "gennao," meaning to procreate, beget, breed, generate, multiply and to have offspring. That word may be used to indicate everything from conception to birth. The word "again" comes from a Greek word "anothen," meaning from above or again. Thus, we have been impregnated by the Spirit of God and shall be born again in the fullness of God's time, to manifest the totality of the Life of Christ. When the sons of God are fully transformed to manifest the Life of Christ, they shall then be born again of the Spirit.

To understand the purpose and function of the seed of Christ within us, we only need to observe a natural seed. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, a seed has three parts: a protective outer skin, or seed coat; a food supply, or endosperm; and the embryo, which contains the life of that particular plant. Christ is the inner seed within us; He is the embryo of God's Life in us. We are the other two parts of the seed. The coat, or outer body, as well as the endosperm, or food supply, of any natural seed that is planted in good, well-prepared soil must first die to provide sustenance for the inner life of the seed, or for the embryo. It is the embryo, or Christ, that produces a new life. So also must the outer coat of our bodies and the endosperm of our souls die to reproduce the new Life of Christ. It is not Christ that shall die, for He can never die again. (Ro. 6:9) But it is the coat or shell of our bodies along with the endosperm of our souls that shall die to reproduce the Life of Christ that is now within us. And Christ is the embryo; He is the divine Life-Seed within us that shall be manifest in the fullness of time. When we understand the truth of the natural seed, we will then see that we are responsible for feeding and sustaining the embryo of the seed of Christ within us, unto the final hour when Christ shall burst forth out of us in the full glory of His resurrection Life. And that will be our real born again experience!

Jesus is our firstfruits! He is our pattern and example of all things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Prior to His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus said to His disciples, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die (as He did), it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (Jo. 12:23-25) Here is the principle of Life in a nutshell! According to the example of a natural seed, our bodies in this world are as the outer coat that covers and hides the embryo of the seed of Christ within us. And our souls are as the endosperm, or the food supply of the seed, that must sustain the embryo of the Christ within unto our final transformation.

If our minds or our souls are centered on the Lord and His precious word of truth, the Christ within, or the embryo of the seed that He is within us, will be sustained and nourished by His truth. If, on the other hand, our souls love this life and are occupied with the things of this world, the Christ within will not be properly sustained unto our transformation. Such a person will be saved in the end, but their salvation will be a very primary or basic salvation. As for me, I desire the fullness of Christ! By His grace I hope to attain to all that He is. But we can only attain to His fullness by denying the things of this world and anchoring our souls and all that is within us on Christ. Our minds must be centered on the Lord and His truth to be renewed. When our minds are renewed to become the mind of Christ, we shall be transformed. (Ro. 12:2) This is not accomplished by the works of the flesh but by the leading of the Spirit. It is as we eat of Him, by the Spirit, that He Who is within us as a seed shall burst forth to reproduce after His likeness. Then we shall be born again of the Spirit to manifest the fullness of the Life and the glory of Christ.

Jesus also said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Lu. 9:23-24) The word of the Lord is clear: all who seek to save their lives in this world will lose it. But the elect, who surrendered their lives to Christ for His purposes, are saving it unto Life eternal. We no longer control our own lives, for Christ is seated on His throne within us. Paul also explained the principle of Life out of death, saying: "But perhaps someone will ask: `How is the resurrection achieved? With what sort of body do the dead arrive?' Now that is talking without using your minds! In your own experience you know that a seed does not germinate without itself `dying.' When you sow a seed you do not sow the `body' that will eventually be pro-duced, but (that seed) bare(s) grain, of wheat, for example, or one of the other seeds. God gives the seed a `body' according to His laws - a different `body' to each kind of seed." (1 Co. 15:35-38, Phillips)

Whether by a spiritual, typical death in this life, or by the literal death of our bodies, we are planting a seed in the kingdom of God. The pre-sent life the elect are now living in this world is a death experience, for we are denying the life of this world that we might live His Life. We are living His life, not our own! (Ac. 17:28, Ro. 14:8, Ga. 2:20, Phil. 1:21, Col. 3:3) If we literally die, our bodies and souls are then planted as seeds in the kingdom of God, along with the embryo of Christ, to bring forth a new life. The body we plant in the earth is not the body that shall come forth out of the grave, for our bodies are as a seed that shall bring forth a new life. But let us remember this important truth: it is not the embryo of the seed of Christ within us that dies, for He can never die again. It is the seed coat and the endosperm of our bodies and souls that must die so the new Life of the embryo of Christ may come forth. Then, God will give us a body according to His law of Life. Our new body will be determined by the type of seed we have planted, or by the life we have lived in this world. At death, our body is "sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." (1 Co. 15:42-44, See also Ro. 6:4-11, 2 Co. 4:11-12, Ga. 2:20 & Col. 3:3-4) Read also Rev. 11:7-12 for a vivid description of the death of the saints, whether typical or literal, and of their coming forth in resurrection Life and glory.

The Christ within is continually working within us to transform us into His image and likeness. When we are transformed or changed into His full image and likeness, whether through a typical death in this life or through a literal death, we shall be born again of the Spirit to become spirit. Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." In other words, when we were born of the flesh, we became flesh; we were given a body of flesh with a carnal mind. Then Jesus added, "and that which is born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT." When we are truly born of the Spirit, we shall then possess the incorruptible Life of the kingdom of God in all three areas of our being. The salvation of God will then be completed in us. No longer will we be of the flesh in any part of our being, for we shall then be "born of the Spirit" to become spirit.

Peter spoke of our present state when He said we are "BEING BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Pe. 1:23) The truth of God's word is clear! We have not yet been born again, but we are "BEING BORN AGAIN" by the incorruptible seed of the Christ within. The term, "being born again," shows that a progressive work of the Spirit is taking place within us to bring us to birth. The seed of Christ was conceived within us when we were saved. We are sons of God now, but it does not yet appear what we shall be. We do know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 Jo. 3:2) When we see Him as He is, we shall be born again of the Spirit, to become manifest sons of God, showing forth His full image and likeness. Now, we are in the process of "being born again" of the Spirit to become Spirit. And the living Word of God, anointed of the Spirit, is that Life which causes the seed of the Christ within us to grow spiritually unto full stature and maturity in the kingdom of God. May we daily receive the Truth and the Life of Christ in a greater measure, for by Him, we are being transformed.

Paul and Emily Mueller

P O BOX 25055, PORTLAND, OR 97298-0055

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