October 99
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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

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