|
|
A PREPARED PEOPLE WITH A HOLY PURPOSE
Part Ten October 1999 Our Father God is a loving, merciful, and wise Creator. Ever since the
beginning, our Father has been creating man in His image and likeness. Before
man existed, the Lord God spoke to the triune Being that He is, to say, "Let
us make man in our image, after
our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Thus, Adam was created
in the image and likeness of God. But that image and likeness of God was
corrupted, and Adam was lowered to this base realm of sin and death, and all
mankind with him. Paul tells us this did not take place because of Adam and
Eve's own willful disobedience, but by the will and purpose of God (see Ro.
8:20). And all mankind have been living in this lowly realm of sin and death
ever since that fateful moment when Eve and then Adam partook of that forbidden
fruit. Those who understand the sovereign ways and the omnipotent purposes of our
Father God, will readily understand that God makes no mistakes. Our Father God
is not capable of mistakes, nor can He ever fail in anything He begins to do. He
does not start a program with a purpose and then abandon that program and
purpose before it is completed. Our wise and omnipotent Father begins a program
with a sovereign purpose; and then decidedly and with determination and zeal,
works progressively, silently, and slowly but surely, to fulfill that purpose.
He does not function in time, as we know it, nor is He limited or governed by
it. He inhabits eternity and faithfully fulfills all His purposes in the eternal
now with those contrite and humble elect ones who live with Him in heavenly
places (Is. 57:15). The plan and purpose our Father began with Adam in the
beginning is now becoming a greater reality. He is indeed creating a man, a
corporate man, in His image and likeness, beginning with His chosen and elect
ones, who walk in this new and more glorious kingdom Day. God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are unseen, invisible realities! All
that is false, temporary, and perishing is of this world, while all that is
real, enduring, and life-giving is of the Spirit. The Godhead is invisible and
unseen; but Christ, the Spirit of the Son, is that part of God that is
potentially visible, in the Spirit and by the Spirit. He is declared to be
"the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature" (Col.
1:15). That which Christ is, is what the whole creation shall ultimately become.
As the firstborn of every creature, Christ is the image and the likeness that
all mankind and the whole creation shall become. And as His firstfruits of all
mankind, we are now becoming what He is by seeing Him as He is! Those who worship at the false altars of man's religion live by the laws of
the "do and don't do" realm of Babylonish religion. Some of them live by the law
of the scripture, which says, "there shall no man see me and live,"
(Ex. 33:20, see also Jo. 1:18, Jo. 5:37, 1 Ti. 6:16, 1 Jo. 4:12). I am sure we
all know that the Bible contains truths for all Christians on any and all levels
of spiritual growth and attainment. The original Greek word, translated "no man"
(as in Jo. 1:18 & 1 Jo. 5:37), means not even one man, or no single person,
which is an individual without Christ. An Adamic man, or a person without the
indwelling Christ, has no spiritual access to God and cannot see God and live.
If we, who do have access to God, will see Him at all, it is certain that we
shall not live the same either after seeing Him. But we shall be changed to live
a greater and higher life in the Spirit. Also, it is not God that we shall see
to be changed into His image and likeness; it is Christ. Christ "is the
image of the invisible God;" He is the image and the likeness of God that
we shall see. When we see Christ, we will have seen all that God is, to become
what He is! Those who live in and by the Spirit will also see the truths of their higher
and more noble walk with God throughout the scriptures. Others may live by the
law, which says, "no man hath seen God at any time." But we will live
and walk spiritually according to the inspired word of our Father. John said of
Christ, "when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is" (1 Jo. 3:2). And Jesus said, "Blessed
are the pure in heart for they shall see God" (Mt.
5:8). Again, He said, "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here,
which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming
in his kingdom" (Mt. 16:28). Six days after
Jesus spoke those prophetic words of truth, He appeared in the transformed glory
of His kingdom with Moses and Elijah in the presence of three of His disciples
(Mt. 17:1-5). Thus, the glory of the kingdom of God, when fully manifest, is the
glory of the transformed saints of the Lord. The glory of the kingdom of God is the glory of our "adoption"; it
is the manifestation of the sons of God, which is, "the redemption of our
body" (see Ro. 8:23). The full salvation and redemption of the physical
bodies of the elect saints of God, or of the sons of God, IS the
manifestation of the sons of God. There is no other manifestation that
will satisfy the purposes of God, fulfill the demands of the anointed Word of
God, or of the suffering, groaning creation. Only the manifestation of the sons
of God, which is our bodily change, will set the groaning creation free, and
begin the restoration of all things, as promised by all the prophets of God from
the beginning of time. Not only is the whole creation groaning and travailing in
pain together, waiting for our bodily change, but so also are all those elect
ones "which have the firstfruits of the Spirit" within them. Every
created thing is groaning and travailing, waiting for our manifestation, or for
our bodily change, including ourselves. As sons of God in union with Christ, we
are the only hope the groaning creation has! Not one of the elect should ever
have any other objective than to be changed into the full image and likeness of
Christ. This is the expressed will of God for all the sons of God! And all the
elect of the Lord, or those who have "the firstfruits of the Spirit"
within them, including the Spirit of sonship, are walking in the perfect will of
their Father! It is by seeing the Lord that we are progressively being changed into the
image and likeness of Christ. Paul wrote the Corinthians to tell them,
"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known
Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth (or from now on) know we him no more"
(that way, or after the flesh, 2 Co. 5:16). Therefore, we will not see Christ as
a man of flesh (Jesus) with these natural eyes or with our natural sight. But we
shall see Him as He is in the Spirit (Christ), with our spiritual eyes. And when
we see Christ, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, we will be progressively changed
to take on the full image and likeness of Him whom we have seen. There will
certainly be that immediate, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, last trump
transformation (1 Co. 15:51-52). But we must first see Him as He is now, that we
might be prepared and made fit for that glorious and immediate, spiritual
transformation. The curse of sin and death, which plagues the whole creation, including all
mankind, will never be removed until the sons of God are manifest. People will
continue to sin and will get sick and die as long as the whole creation is
living under the curse. According to the plan and purpose of our Father, only
the manifestation of the sons of God will release the creation from this
tormenting bondage to sin and death. Therefore, it is imperative that all who
are chosen of their Father to become sons of God should continue to grow in the
Spirit unto their full and complete transformation. By the revelation of the
Spirit, I sense that the hour is upon us when the Lord will renew our souls,
through a spiritual process of crucifixion and resurrection, and then join our
restored souls to our anointed spirits, making us one spirit within. This will
be the renewal of our soul, or of our mind, which will result in our complete
and total transformation (Ro. 12:2). The whole creation is waiting for us to receive our adoption as God's sons,
which is, the redemption of our bodies. Paul eloquently wrote of this in the
eighth chapter of the book of Romans: "The whole creation is on tiptoe to
see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own. The world of
creation cannot as yet see reality, not because it chooses to be blind, but
because in God's purpose it has been so limited - yet it has been given hope.
And the hope is that in the end the whole of created life will be rescued from
the tyranny of change and decay, and have its share in that magnificent liberty
which can only belong to the children of God! It is plain to anyone with eyes to
see that at the present time all created life groans in a sort of universal
travail. And it is plain, too, that we who have a foretaste of the
Spirit are in a state of painful tension, while we wait for that redemption of
our bodies which will mean that at last we have realized our full sonship in him"
(Ro. 8:19-23, Phillips). In the above verses, the Apostle Paul gives us a true picture of our Father's
purpose in sonship, which is the manifestation of the sons of God. True sonship
is not about evangelizing the world, teaching others about this walk,
establishing sonship churches or fellowships, or creating sonship ministries to
advance those purposes. All these things are carnal, worldly, and belong to the
old dead, church order of the past. True sonship is about setting the
suffering, groaning creation free from its bondage to sin and death!
And the only way this goal shall ever be realized is by all true sons of God
receiving their new bodies. True sonship is about the called and chosen sons of
God growing up in Christ unto their full maturity and their literal, bodily
transformation. Any other purpose given for sonship is false, carnal,
man-oriented, and destined to fail. The resurrection life of Christ is a free gift promised to all mankind (Ro.
5:15-21). When a person comes to Christ, that one immediately receives the
promise of resurrection life. The believer may die, as all people do, but the
seed of Christ was planted within them when they believed, and that divine Seed
will grow to ultimately bring forth the life of Christ in that person. But first
the chosen sons of God must receive that Life! Then, many others shall receive
it also. There is coming a day, or an event, when sin and death shall be forever
conquered, first in the firstfruits, then in all others! No longer will sin and
death ravage mankind as it has done for six long millenniums, but all shall live
the Life of Christ in fullness. While this is true and shall be fulfilled in the
life of every person who has ever lived, God has an established, progressive
order for the manifestation of His Life. God's order for the manifestation of His Life begins with this promise:
"For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive" (1 Co.
15:22). As all mankind died in Adam, even so in Christ shall that same all
mankind be made alive. How can it be written any clearer than this? Yet, many
fail to understand the simple language of this scripture because they are
indoctrinated with error by their pastors, teachers, and preachers. The whole
world knows that death was passed on to all mankind through the first Adam. We
see this truth confirmed daily as friends, neighbors, and loved ones sin, become
ill (not necessarily because of sin), and then die. Just as the death of Adam
was passed on to all mankind, so also shall the Life of Christ cause that same
all mankind to live the sinless, deathless life of Christ. While all mankind shall freely receive the resurrection Life of Christ in
fullness, God has an established order for the manifestation of that Life. The
next verse says, "But every man in his own order: (First it is:) Christ the
firstfruits; (secondly, or) afterward (it is) they that are Christ's at his
coming" (1 Co. 15:23). Christ is the firstfruits of resurrection Life! He
is the first One designated of the Father to partake of that Life, since He is
the Author of it (He. 5:9). Jesus died to bring forth that Life and to become
the first to receive it. As a result of His death, resurrection, and
glorification, Jesus became "Christ the firstfruits." The second in
God's order for the manifestation of His Life are all the sons of God, who also
are declared to be "they that are Christ's at his coming." This is
where we come in! We are the sons of God who are called of our Father to be the
second in God's order to receive the Life of Christ. We are "they that are
Christ's at his coming." As sons of our heavenly Father, we have a
tremendous responsibility to Him and to the suffering, groaning creation. The
whole creation, yea, every created thing, is standing on tiptoe, as it were,
waiting "to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their
own." And we cannot and will not disappoint them! When the sons of God have received that Life in fullness, all other enemies
including death, shall also be put under the feet of this completed Christ.
Paul's anointed message of Life tells us, "Then cometh the end, when he
shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have
put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till
he hath put all enemies (including those within us) under his feet. The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (1 Co. 15:24-26). The declared
purpose of the reign of Christ over all the heavens and the earth is to defeat
every enemy, and put them all under the feet of this glorious Christ. The
anointed word of the Lord is clear, "he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
And we are participating in the reign of Christ, as co-kings with Him, by
submitting our lives to Him as those "that are Christ's at his coming."
The process of our change is not something we can do of ourselves. If it was
something we could do ourselves, some would have entered into that Life long
ago. Some have tried it and failed. Years ago a certain woman wrote to friends
on her mailing list telling us that she was pregnant with the first manifest son
of God. Another woman claimed she was the first manifest son of God. But these
and others failed to bring forth the expected and predicted manifestation! Many
carnal, fleshly attempts have been made in the past to bring forth that first
manifest son, by which the creation was to be delivered and set free. But all
those carnal, fleshly attempts failed. And all other fleshly attempts will fail
as well. Only by the Spirit will we see the real thing! Only by the work of the
Spirit of God within us will we see, witness, and participate in, the genuine
manifestation of the sons of God. There are those times when the Spirit of God does a new work on behalf of His
people, a spiritual work they may not be able to see or recognize. The Lord told
Israel through His anointed prophet, "I will work a work in your days, which
ye will not believe, though it be told you" (Hab. 1:5 & Acts 13:41). We saw
this prophecy literally fulfilled during the Latter Rain outpouring of the
Spirit from 1948 to 1953. Many Christians saw the mighty power of God manifest
to bless and deliver His people during that visitation. But when they saw the
sharp sword of the Lord separate His people, dividing the true believers from
the doubters and the religious unbelievers, the sheep from the goats, and the
wheat from the tares, they rejected Him. Those Christians could not believe that the Lord comes, by His Spirit, with
the sharp sword of His word and His Spirit, to separate those who hear the word
and do it from those who cannot hear. (Please read Matthew chapter ten, verses
32 to 40, for this most important lesson.) At that time, some immature
Christians rejected Christ, and then returned to their churches and the stale
programs of man as a dog returns to its vomit and a clean sow to her wallowing
in the mire (see 2 Pet. 2:20-22). The result of that glorious visitation of the
Spirit was, the Lord did all He purposed to do. He gathered a remnant to
Himself, and then left a treasure of truths in the realm of the Spirit for all
who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and the spiritual ability to receive His
truth and then walk it out. He also trained some of us to know the way of the
Spirit, and to hear His still, small voice when He speaks. It is possible that not all the elect of the Lord will have the spiritual
ability to sense the moving of the Spirit at any hour of this night. Some may
need to be awakened by the Spirit to hear the word of the Lord and become
motivated to sense the reality of the work of the Spirit in the earth. For
example, the prophecy of Isaiah foretold of a time when the people of God would
not be fully aware of the glorious moving of the Spirit. So the word of the Lord
came to the prophet, telling the people to "Arise, shine;
for thy light IS COME, and the glory of the Lord IS risen upon
thee" (Is. 60:1). Obviously, the wonderful and brilliant Light of the
Spirit had come to the people, but they did not know it or recognize it. They
sat there in spiritual darkness so powerful that it covered the earth, and in
gross darkness so overwhelming that it also covered the hearts of the people.
Some of the Lord's chosen ones did not know that the Light of the Spirit had
come to them, to begin to dispel all the darkness around them. Then Isaiah told the people that in spite of the darkness that covered the
earth, and the gross darkness that overwhelmed the hearts of the people, the
Lord would arise upon them, and His glory would be seen upon them. When the
glory of the Lord comes upon the people of God, His glory will then dispel the
spiritual darkness in the world, according to God's purpose, no matter how
severe or gross that darkness might be. The prophet told them that the glory of
the Lord would cause Gentiles to come to their light, and kings to the
brightness of their rising. Then Isaiah called to the people again, saying to
them, "Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they
gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and
thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side" (Is. 60:2-4). The message of the Spirit is the same today as it was when Isaiah was given
that prophetic word of truth. The Spirit is saying to every one of the Lord's
elect of this hour, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Lift up thine eyes
round about, and see..." All the action called for in this message of the
Spirit is spiritual action. God is calling on us to arise, shine, and lift up
our eyes in the spiritual realm, not to do something in the natural, or literal
realm. Our Father is calling on us to end all our carnal, physical, religious
works, and wait on Him. It is time for us all to become more spiritual! It is
time for us to restrict our outward religious activities, and to sharpen our
spiritual abilities to see and hear in the Spirit. God is saying something and
doing something today! And we must see and hear all He is doing, by the Spirit,
to be a part of it! Before His ascension, Jesus said, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son
of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of
heaven" (Mt. 26:64). The "hereafter" Jesus referred to was the time after
His resurrection and after He had ascended and returned to His Father in the
heavenly realm of the Spirit. Now, whenever we see Him as He is, we will see
that Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning over
all things everywhere in the glory and power of His kingdom. We will also see
Him coming in the clouds of heaven, or in clouds of Spirit (as in 1 Thess. 4:17,
Hebrews 11:39-12:1 & Rev. 1:7), to appear to all those who love His appearing.
By the appearings of Christ within us, we will know all He is doing in the
earth, and will become a part of His kingdom purposes. This is a new Day! With the beginning of this new Day, God has given His
elect new and greater ability to see in the Spirit. Now, we are seeing Christ as
He is, to become what He is. Our vision of our Father's kingdom, and of His
purposes for that kingdom, have also increased. By the Spirit, we now see Christ
"sitting on the right hand of power." The right hand, according to
Strong's, is the feminine hand that usually takes or receives. His power is that
ability, force, or miraculous power, to do all our Father has purposed to do.
Christ is "sitting on the right hand of power." Now we see Him
gradually taking authority and power away from the governments of man, and
receiving unto Himself greater, kingdom power and authority, both in heaven and
on earth, to rule the nations with His rod of iron. While Christ sits on that
right hand of all power in the Spirit, and we with Him, He is slowly but surely
changing men and nations, bringing them into conformity with the principles of
His kingdom. He also is receiving glory, honor, praise, and worship from the
whole creation, especially from those who acknowledge His reign (Rev. 5:13,
7:11-17, 19:1-6). Therefore, His right hand is taking and receiving, while
Christ sits and reigns on the throne of His Father. The Way of Sonship Revealed in the Life of Job Job was declared to be "perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and
eschewed evil" (Job 1:1). He also was a son of God, declared so by the word
of the Lord (Job 1:6-8). In spite of his apparent goodness, the Lord took
everything from Job, including his wealth, his health, and his family. Job's
entire difficult ordeal took place to prove to satan that Job was not serving
God for the blessings he received, but purely because of his love for his Father
(Job 1:6-12). But God had another purpose in bringing all those tests and trials
into Job's life, as we shall see later. When everything was taken from him,
"Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the
ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away:
blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God
foolishly" (Job 1:20-22). Job responded to the tests and trials of this life the way every true son
should: he worshipped God and acknowledged His Father and His eternal purposes
through it all. But when he thought he had suffered long enough, Job apparently
questioned God's purpose in those trials. Job's friend, Elihu, said he heard
Job's words, saying, "I am clean without transgression, I am innocent;
neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he (God) findeth occasion against me,
he counteth me for his enemy. He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all
my paths" (Job 33:8-11). We may mistakenly think the Lord is treating us as
one of His enemies when He tries us, as Job did, but we are His beloved sons,
and His rod of correction in our lives proves it (He. 12:5-11). Elihu then reproved Job for saying that. He said to Job, "Behold, in this
thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. Why dost
thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. For
God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision
of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may
withdraw man from his (own, self-centered) purpose, and hide pride from man.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by
the sword" (Job 33:12-18). Obviously, the test and trials of this life, along with dreams and visions of
the night, are purposed of our loving Father to awaken us spiritually and open
our ears, that we might hear what He is saying to His elect at this time. This
is the other purpose our Father had in disciplining Job, and it is His purpose
for us as well. Our Father, Who also is our Creator, is creating us in His image
and likeness. He regularly prevents our souls, which is the governing area of
our physical lives in this world (see Lev. 4:2, 5:1-4, 15, 23:29-30, Ro. 2:9,
13:1), from going our own self-centered way and from going down to the pit of
sin and death. When He prevents us from going our own self-centered way, which
is more of a negative leading, our Father is also positively and progressively
leading us to the fullness of Christ and the wondrous glory of His kingdom.
Elihu's message to Job continued by pointing out the truth that mankind also
is chastened "with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with
strong pain: So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat"
(Job 33:19-20). Many may continue to go by way of death, but God is leading His
elect onto the path of Life. He will be gracious unto us and will deliver us.
Then, our "flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he (we) shall return to
the days of his (our) youth (when we were with God in the Spirit): He shall pray
unto God, and he (God) will be favorable unto him (us): and he (we) shall see
his face with joy: for he (God) will render unto man his righteousness. He
looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was
right, and it profiteth me not; He (God) will deliver his (our) soul from going
into the pit, and his (our) life shall see the light. Lo, all these things
worketh God oftentimes with man (or with us), To bring back his (our)
soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living"
(Job 33:25-30). What a wonderful plan Father has for us! When our Father's creative work in our lives has been completed, we will then
fully understand what David meant, when he said of the Lord, "He
restoreth my soul" (Ps. 23:3). Truly, the Lord has been "my
(our) shepherd." All through our wilderness journey in this life, we did
not want. He made us to lie down in green pastures of kingdom plenty. He led us
beside still waters, that we might be spiritually refreshed. He also led us in
paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Though we walked through the valley
of the shadow of death on this journey, we feared no evil. He was with us every
step of the way. His shepherd's rod and staff comforted us, for He led us
faithfully and gently, protecting us from trouble and evil, as a true shepherd
would. When we hungered for more of Him, He prepared a table before us, even in
the presence of our enemies. He anointed our heads with the anointing oil of His
Spirit, and our cups overflowed with spiritual blessings. His goodness and mercy
followed us all the days of our lives while we were in this earthly realm. And
now we know we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen!
Our Souls - Prepared for the Manifestation of our Sonship As we wrote on page nine, Job was a son of God. And all true sons of God, who
were chosen of their Father and set apart unto the high calling of sonship,
shall become manifest sons of God in the fullness of
time, by the work of the Spirit within them. True sonship is about becoming
manifest sons of God! To prepare us for that glorious
manifestation, God must yet deal with our souls. I believe this is the next
thing He will do for us all. Job expressed this truth, when he said,
"He (God) will deliver his (our) SOUL from going into the pit, and his
(our) life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God
oftentimes with man (or with us), To bring back his (our) SOUL from the
pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living." Both our soul and our body are parts of us that are not yet fully redeemed
and restored. But our loving, Creator-Father is continually working in us, both
to will and to do of His good pleasure, "to bring back (our) SOUL from the pit,"
that we might "be enlightened with the light of the living." We rejoice to know
that Father has a plan, which He is working out in us now. That plan will fully
restore both our soul and our body, and enlighten us with a greater Light of
Christ than we have ever known. That Light will be "the light of the
living;" it/He will be the Light of Life, the Light of Him Who is
the Light of the world (Jo. 8:12). When we are fully redeemed and restored in
mind and soul, and filled with the Light of Life that Christ is, then our bodies
also shall be transformed. Then we will be joined or married to Christ in
greater fullness, to fulfill the word of the Lord (Rev. 19:7-9). This is the truth Paul declared, when he wrote, "Be ye transformed BY THE
RENEWING OF YOUR MIND" (Ro. 12:2). The word "mind" comes from the Greek
word "nous," meaning the mind, or the intellect, in thought, feeling, or will.
Since the meaning of that Greek word includes our feelings and our will, it
could just as well be translated "soul." The soul includes our will, our
emotions, and our feelings, as well as our thoughts and our mind. When our soul,
or our mind, is renewed and joined to our spirit, making us one spirit within,
our bodies will then be transformed, and we shall become the full image and
likeness of Christ. Knowing of the merciful, redemptive plan and purpose of our Father for His
chosen elect, which we are, we may rejoice as David did. He undoubtedly spoke
for all of us, when David said, "I have set the Lord ALWAYS before me:
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore
my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall REST IN HOPE. For
thou wilt not leave my SOUL in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness
of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Ps. 16:8-11).
Let us take a good look at the truths David expressed in this Psalm. When we
do, we will find that there is a depth of truth in these words of David that are
beyond mere, elementary sonship truths. First, David said, "I have set the
Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall
not be moved." If the Lord was always before David, and at his right hand,
where was David? He was in heavenly places IN GOD, with the Lord, or Christ, at
his right hand. Think of that! David was seated in heavenly places with God and
in God. David's heavenly, spiritual, Father was as near as anyone could ever be
to him, for David was WITH God and IN God! We know from scripture that Christ is
at His Father's right hand in the heavenlies of Spirit (Mt. 22:44). But David
said the Lord was always before him, "because he is at my right hand."
This places David in God, with Christ at his right hand in the heavenlies of
Spirit. What a glorious mystery, now being revealed to us by the Spirit!
Because David was with God and in God, in heavenly places in the realm of
Spirit, David knew he could not possibly be moved away from the blessed hope he
had. His spiritual destiny was forever settled and fixed in God. Because of his
relationship in the Spirit with God and with Christ, His Lord, David knew,
beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the triune being that he was would be fully
saved and restored in the fullness of time. Christ had not yet died for the sins
of the world, to impart His Life to all mankind. Yet David was so secure in the
hope of his ultimate destiny in God, that he went on to say, "Therefore my
heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption." David's heart was glad, his glory, or his spirit within him, rejoiced,
knowing his body of flesh could REST in the hope of his literal transformation
unto Life abundant. Because his spirit was in God in heavenly places of the
Spirit, David knew his merciful Father would not leave his soul in hell (the
realm of darkness and tests), nor would His Holy One, or the Christ within, see
corruption. We are in Christ, and this is our promise also! The Lord is now
dealing with our souls, to illustrate the wonderful truth that He will not leave
our souls in this hell, nor will He allow the Holy One within us to see
corruption. David's spirit rested in heavenly places in God, as our spirit should also.
And because David's spirit was in heavenly places in God, he knew, by his
spiritual relationship with his heavenly Father, that all was well. David then
knew that both his soul and his body were secure in the plans, purposes and
promises of God. By his faith in God and in His word, David knew his soul would
be restored and joined to his spirit, and that his body would be transformed to
manifest the newness of the resurrection Life of Christ. If our spirits are
resting in heavenly places in Christ, as David's was, we also shall reap a
spiritual harvest of Life abundant. We will then know, with full faith and
assurance in God, that our souls will be restored and then joined or married to
our spirits, making us one spirit within. Then, when our souls, minds and
everything within us, are united to become one spirit, we shall be transformed
in our bodies. Blessed be the Name of the Lord! David believed God and His every word of truth! And because he believed God
and His word, David may have been among those chosen ones who were released from
the bondage of death when Jesus died on the cross. Matthew tells us that when
Jesus died, He "yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple
was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the
rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went
into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Mt. 27:50-53). Of
course, the Bible does not name those "saints," but I believe one of them was
David, the former king and the sweet psalmist and singer of Israel. His
spiritual position was IN GOD before he died and before the promised
deliverance. And this is where we should be also! If we expect to become fully manifest sons of God, clothed in the righteous
garments of His Life, we also should "set the Lord always before
me," as David did. This means we will remain in heavenly places in
Christ and in God, communing with Him and worshiping Him in the Spirit, as we
believe for, and anticipate, our full salvation. It may have been Paul who wrote
to the Hebrews. Whoever it was told them, "Now the just shall live by faith:
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we
are not of them who draw back unto perdition (ruin or loss); but of them that
believe TO THE SAVING OF THE SOUL" (He. 10:38-39). Before we may
ever expect to be changed into the full image and likeness of Christ, our souls
must first be redeemed or restored and then joined or married to our spirits,
making us one spirit within. And this is what our merciful, loving,
Creator-Father is doing with us now. Blessed be His holy Name! The Christ within dwells in our spirits! When Christ, Who also is the Word,
came to dwell within us, our spirits were redeemed and the Seed of the Word of
God was planted within us (Mt. 13:23, 31-33, 37). That Seed grew within us from
a very tiny seed, to become a blade, then an ear, and will finally grow to the
full corn in the ear stage (Mk. 4:28). When that Seed came to greater maturity
within our spirits, Christ, the King, set up His throne in our spirits to more
completely rule and reign in our lives. By the reign of Christ within us, He has
conquered us and made us willing to do all His holy will. And now, from His
throne in our spirits, Christ the King continues His reign within us by
beginning the process of our soul's salvation. As He continues to reign within
us, our souls shall be restored, resulting in our total transformation and the
manifestation of the sons of God. Another Psalmist expressed something of the desire we all may have. Thus, we
read, "How amiable (or, how beloved) are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
My SOUL longeth (to pine after or desire), yea, even fainteth (or is consumed
with the desire) for the courts of the Lord: my heart (our innermost being) and
my flesh (our body) crieth out for the living God" (Ps. 84:1-2). Every part
of us that is not yet redeemed, which includes our soul, our mind, our feelings,
our will, our emotions, and our flesh, continually cries out for the heavenly
courts of the Lord. Our innermost desire is to gain entrance into the tabernacle
of the Lord; that we might dwell in completeness in and with the living God. We
have had our fill of all that speaks of sin and death! Now we want Him and His
abundant Life in all His glorious fullness! We long for His heavenly, spiritual
tabernacle, to dwell with Him in Life forever and ever! When our souls are fully redeemed and joined or married to our spirits, we
may then join David in saying, "I will praise thee, O Lord my God,
with all my heart (or, with everything within me): and I will glorify
thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast
delivered my SOUL from the lowest hell" (Ps. 86:12-13). When a
person has been in bondage all their lives, they may not realize the extent of
the bondage that once enslaved them, since they have nothing to compare it with.
So it is with us! We have been in bondage to sin and death all our earthly
lives, but we do not fully realize the extent of that bondage. We have never
known real freedom, as it will be in the Spirit when at last we are released
from the carnality of this life. Therefore, we have no way of comparing this
carnal, earthly life with the glory of the Life to come. But when we are
privileged to experience the fullness of the Life of Christ and of the kingdom
of God, in every area of the triune being that we are, we will then realize that
our Father has indeed delivered our souls from the lowest hell. Then the whole
creation also shall be delivered of the curse of sin and death. And what a
deliverance that will be! The work of God, which is beginning to take place in the lives of those who
are called to sonship fulfilled, is that of creating a corporate man in the
image and likeness of Christ. It is His work to take us out of the old man,
which is the man that was created to be "a living soul," and place us
in the new man, or in the "last Adam," which is "a quickening
spirit." Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this, saying, "And so it
is written, The first man was made a living soul; the
last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Co. 15:45, Ge. 2:7).
Our Father is creating us into the image and likeness of Christ, which also will
make us "a quickening spirit," (as in John 7:37-39).
This means that we are being transformed, changed, or altered into the image
and likeness of Christ in the realm of the Spirit and by the Spirit, to become
"a quickening spirit" just like Christ. We are being changed from soul
to spirit! We are being delivered out of the carnal, soulish realm, and
translated into the heavenly, kingdom realm of the Spirit. We will know we have
been changed and have become spirit when we no longer bear the image and
likeness of old Adam. Until then, we are not yet totally changed, nor are we
completely finished. Yet, God's work concerning each one of us is already
finished in the Spirit. And I am quite sure every one of us are ready for this
glorious transformation unto Life, and for this spiritual relocation to more
majestic realms of greater heavenly splendor and glory! Paul explained our change or resurrection quite well, when he wrote,
"There are illustrations here of the raising of the dead. The body is "sown" in
corruption; it is raised beyond the reach of corruption. It is
"sown" in dishonor; it is raised in splendor. It is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body;
it is raised a spiritual body. As there is a natural body
so will there be a spiritual body. It is written, moreover,
that, The first man Adam became a living soul. So the last Adam is a
life-giving Spirit. But we should then notice that the order is
"natural" first and then "spiritual." The first man came out of
the earth, a material creature. The second man came from Heaven and was
the Lord Himself. For the life of this world men are made like the
material man; but for the life that is to come they are made like the
one from Heaven. So that just as we have been made like the material
pattern, so we shall be made like the Heavenly pattern. For I
assure you, my brothers, it is utterly impossible for flesh and blood to
possess the kingdom of God. The transitory could never possess the everlasting"
(1 Co. 15:42-50, Phillips). The word "sown" is used in the above passage to indicate that our physical
bodies shall be planted or sown in the earth, to return to the dust from whence
they came. That which is of the earth must return to the earth. There are many
thousands, more or less, of sons of God who died in the faith. They believed God
and His every word of truth, but were not among those firstfruit saints who
shall be changed into His likeness. So Paul gave particular attention to those
saints who died in the faith, which included himself. But it is not necessary to
die to receive the promise of the abundant Life of Christ. There are some elect
saints now living who shall not die, but who shall be transformed without dying
to inherit the fullness of the Life of Christ. It is my fervent prayer that some
who read these lines will be a part of that chosen and set-apart, firstfruits
company. Paul explained this also, when he wrote, "For whether we live, we live
unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live
therefore, or die, we are the Lord's" (Ro. 14:8). What a
wonderful truth this is! It matters not how we leave this realm of sin and
death, "we are the Lord's." Of course, it is much
better to be changed into His image and likeness without dying. But whether we
live or die, we are the Lord's. Notice that the term, "the Lord's,"
is in the possessive form! This tells us that our Father owns us, possesses us,
controls us, inhabits us, and occupies us. He has the absolute right of
ownership in our lives, for He kept us and maintained us throughout this earthly
journey. And the Lord obtained that right when He became the King of our lives,
to rule and reign over us in righteousness. Since we belong to Him, our Father has every right to determine how we shall
enter the fullness of the kingdom of God. If He determines that we will die to
enter the kingdom in fullness, so be it! We are at peace with our Father and
with His eternal, kingdom purposes. Therefore, we submit to His absolute and
perfect will. If, on the other hand, He determines that we will be changed
without dying, that would be wonderful! We would then make sure we are worthy of
that high calling by resting in Him and allowing Him full control of our lives.
In either case, we are the Lord's, and we shall inherit the fullness of the
glorious Life of Christ and His kingdom in due time. Paul also tells us that the first man became a living soul. This is what we
are now. But, thank God, we shall not always remain in this carnal, fleshly,
imperfect state, as a living soul. But we are being changed to fully become
spirit! We are primarily spirit! We came out from God (Ecc. 12:7) and were born
into this realm of flesh, sin, death, and self-hood. We were born of water to
become flesh. Then we were begotten again (conceived) of the Spirit to a lively
hope (1 Pe. 1:3-5). There is a vast difference between being born again, and
being only begotten again. All who are truly born again cannot possibly sin.
There is no sin within them, for they have been born again of the Spirit and
raised into the new and higher realm of the Spirit. We have only been begotten again or conceived of the Spirit! It is possible
for us to sin, but we will not. We are being kept from sin by the power of God
within us, so that the wicked one will not touch us (see 1 John 5:18). We have
not yet been born again, but we are now in the process of being born again of
the Spirit to fully become spirit (Jo. 3:3-6), by the operation of the Spirit
within us. We are becoming a part of the second man, which is Christ, the Man of
the Spirit from heaven, or the Christ-man, Who dwells in the realm of the
Spirit. We are now part of the first Adam, for we came out of the earth as a person of the earth. But now we are being created in the likeness of the last Adam, Who is the Lord from heaven. It is not accurate to say that Christ is the second Adam, for this implies that He is not the last. But Christ is the last Adam, for there is to be no other than Him! We are becoming a part of Christ, Who is the last Adam. "For the life of this world men are made like the material man; but for the life that is to come they are made like the one from Heaven. So that just as we have been made like the material pattern, so we shall be made like the Heavenly pattern." For many of us, the life of this present world is passing away. We are now becoming a part of the life that is to come, which is the abundant life of the kingdom of God. Amen! Paul and Emily Mueller P O BOX 25055, PORTLAND, OR 97298-0055 |
Return to: Home Page Kingdom Resources |