September 1999

This Day/age is progressing from evening to midnight! As we approach the midnight hour, spiritual darkness in the world will increase. But our Father is preparing His elect for the imminent appearing of Christ at the midnight hour of this new Day (Mk. 13:35). The midnight appearing of Christ may be one of the most important spiritual events we have ever experienced. Evening time has come and gone, and Father's time clock is moving toward the midnight hour. Therefore, it is very important that we have a sufficient supply of the oil of the Spirit to make it to that wonderful hour. When the midnight hour has arrived and the cry has gone forth, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him," the elect, who are the wise virgins, will have a sufficient supply of the oil of the Spirit (Mt. 25:1-13). The wise virgins will readily acknowledge that our supply of the oil of the Spirit is not maintained by religious works or by any outward-flowing ministry or service. Only by worshiping the Lord and ministering to Him in the Spirit, do we receive and maintain a steady and constant supply of the precious oil of the Spirit within us.

The Soul, to be Crucified, Resurrected, and Joined to our Spirits

As we wrote in our August booklet, our souls are to be crucified and then resurrected, according to the pattern of Jesus, the first Son. Father's purpose in doing this is that our souls might be fully restored and then joined to our spirits. This union of soul and spirit within us will eliminate all the duality that is still within us, and will unite us more completely with the Spirit of God. This is a vital step in our transformation (Ro. 12:2)! Man is a triune being, as God is. We are one spirit; we also have one very complicated and fragmented soul, and one body. The scriptures also suggest that there is a spiritual body reserved for us in the realm of Spirit (see 1 Co. 15:44b). Our spirits are fully redeemed and are one with God's Spirit. But our soul, which includes the mind, the will, the feelings, and the emotions, generally is "enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Ro. 8:7). The soul, as it is now, is carnal and of the flesh. The soul is sometimes troubled, and may at times influence our whole being with its trouble, sorrow, and depression, until sometimes we may find it difficult to function. We spend much of our time in this world taking care of our soul, and satisfying some of our soul's carnal appetites and worldly desires.

But Father has a plan for our carnal souls. It is His plan that these carnal souls be taken to Calvary, in spiritual type, to be crucified and resurrected, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, and then joined to our redeemed spirits, making us one spirit in Christ. The Greek word for "carnal" means the flesh, implying the human nature, with its frailties, physically or morally, and its passions. The unredeemed soul is that part of us that is carnal and fleshly. Our soul, as it is now, is not subject to the law of God, nor can it ever be. Therefore, our souls, as they are now, can never be a part of the kingdom of God. As long as there is any carnality at all within us, we cannot enter the kingdom in fullness, to partake of the endless Life of Christ. But our Father made provision for our soul's transformation, through a spiritual death and resurrection, patterned after that of the first Son. To enter the kingdom of God as a whole and complete being and be transformed, our souls must first be completely changed and fully redeemed. We must be "transformed by the renewing of your (our) mind" (or soul, Ro. 12:2). This is the next step in our spiritual growth unto perfection!

This verse (Ro. 12:2) begins by saying, "And be not conformed to this world..." The word, "conformed," means to be fashioned according to something. Paul is telling us here that we are not to be fashioned according to the world and its corrupt practices, but we are to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." The word, "transformed," comes from the Greek word, "metamorphoo," and refers to a metamorphosis; it is a complete change into another form, shape, or structure. The word, "renewing," means a renovation; it refers to a complete renewal, by reinvigorating and refreshing us, so that we become a new creation in Christ. This is not just a simple make-over job! This is a complete work of renewal and reconstruction, which will fully create us into the image and likeness of Christ.

The word, "mind," as used in Ro. 12:2, means the intellect, or the human mind, in thought, feeling, or will. Obviously the word "mind," as used here, includes the soul, with its thoughts, feelings, emotions and will. It is that part of us that is not yet changed, renewed, or fully redeemed. The seed of Christ was planted in our spirits when we came to Christ. And that immortal, incorruptible Seed of Christ has been working within us ever since our initial salvation, cleansing us within and making us pure and righteous, just as He is pure and righteous.

The Seed of Christ, which was planted in our spirits when we were saved, is the Seed of the kingdom of God. That Seed has all the characteristics of Christ and His kingdom within it/Him. The Christ-Seed continues to work within us to renew our minds or our souls unto our full and complete transformation and salvation. His Seed within us is as leaven that was placed in three measures of meal, or in the triune being that we are (Mt. 13:33). That Seed, which is as leaven within us, is changing all three parts of us. Our Father began with our spirits, and is now working on our souls, to eventually transform our bodies. When the Christ-Seed within has changed us in all three realms, we shall then be all that Christ is!

A marriage union must take place within us if we are to be fully joined to Christ in that greater marriage union yet to come (Rev. 19:7). Our souls are seen in type as the feminine part of us. It is that part of our total being that is still impure and imperfect. Therefore it is written of our feminine souls, "his wife hath made herself ready." The feminine part of us, which is our soul, is as an unclean bride that must be made ready to be joined to the pure, masculine spirit, which we are. We are primarily a spiritual people! Our spirit is what we are in God; but our soul is that part of us that relates to this earthly life.

Our soul sometimes gives us trouble and tries to drag us down to the low levels of carnal desire and worldly, human expression. There is nothing wrong with some of the expressions coming from our souls, for our souls can only manifest and express what we are in this life. But our Father would deliver us of this realm of sin and death, and complete our salvation. He will do this by changing us in all three areas of our being. The next step in our total transformation is for our souls to be cleansed and then joined to our spirits. Therefore, our souls must be made ready for a marriage union within us by being purged and cleansed of the Spirit of God. The process God uses to do this is His spiritual process of crucifixion unto resurrection, according to the pattern of Jesus, the first Son. Our souls will be typically and spiritually crucified, resurrected and then joined to our spirits, which are already one with God's Spirit. Then our soul and our spirit will become one spirit in Christ, through a marriage union within, resulting in our bodily transformation.

There is only one way to get our souls ready for this marriage union within, and that is by communing with our Father in His heavenly, spiritual sanctuary. There are some important spiritual issues before us as we approach the midnight hour of this new Day. First and foremost, we need to maintain a constant supply of the fresh oil of the Spirit as we await the midnight appearing of Christ, the Bridegroom. Secondly, we need to let the Spirit of God prepare our souls for that glorious marriage union to come. Then our converted souls shall be renewed and joined to our spirits in a spiritual marriage union within us. And the only way we can satisfy the divine requirements for these two major events is to regularly ascend the heavenly, spiritual sanctuary of the Lord, to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

The wise virgins of this hour are those who attend the heavenly, spiritual sanctuary of the Lord regularly, to commune with Him in the Spirit. Only by this spiritual method shall the wise virgins receive and maintain a fresh supply of the oil of the Spirit within them (Mt. 25:1-13). We cannot increase our supply of the oil of the Spirit by religious works! The wise virgins are like David, who said, "I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved,.. moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of LIFE; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance" (Acts 2:25-28).

David said he "foresaw the Lord ALWAYS before my face." What do you suppose that means? It can only mean that David regularly ascended the heavenly, spiritual sanctuary of the Lord to worship Him in Spirit and in truth, as we must do also. He saw the Lord before his face in the Spirit and by the Spirit. David had these experiences in Old Testament times and under the law. How much more of that freedom and liberty in the Spirit should we experience in this new Day, and in the new order of the kingdom of God! It should be the immediate and constant concern of all the apprehended ones of this new Day to enter into these provisions, which are freely and abundantly provided for us in the Spirit. Forget the in-part-ness of man's dead order! Do what David did! Ascend to the heavenly, spiritual tabernacle of your Father and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Then you too will see "the Lord ALWAYS before my (your) face." Then, you will share with David the wonderful experiences that belong to all true sons, which is, "my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One (the Christ within) to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of LIFE; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance."

When Paul closed his first letter to the Thessalonians, he said to them, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 5:23-24). Those who are laying up for themselves treasures in heaven, or in the realm of Spirit, have also committed their whole spirit, soul, and body unto the Lord. By this act of spiritual committal, the Lord is thus preserving our whole being unto all the appearings of Christ yet to take place. By all the appearings of Christ in His glory, our souls shall be changed and married to our pure spirits, and we shall be totally transformed. It is therefore important that we have a sufficient supply of the oil of the Spirit until the next appearing of Christ at the midnight hour. And we can only do this by ascending the heavenly, spiritual sanctuary of the Lord regularly, to worship Him in Spirit and in truth!

The psalmist, David, expressed the desire we all have, when he said, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God (as in Col. 3:4)? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance" (Ps. 42:1-2, 5). It is our souls that often become "cast down" and "disquieted" within us. Our souls will then spread their carnal, soulish, moody, and depressed feelings to our whole being, potentially leaving us almost totally worthless.

When this happens within us, we tend to deny the truth of God and resist the moving of His Spirit in our lives. The truth of God then becomes a lie, and the devil's lies and the teachings of man then become the truth. It is also possible that some of our present decisions regarding the will of God are based almost entirely on our soul's feelings and emotions, and less on the will of God through the wisdom of the mind of Christ. There is a fine line between our soul's carnal-minded opinion and the wisdom of the mind of Christ, which resides in our spirits. For this reason, our souls must be dealt with by God. And He is beginning this process of soul's redemption now. Unless our souls are redeemed and renewed, this duality will remain within us, making it impossible for us to be transformed in our bodies.

Paul told us, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4). John confirmed this truth, saying, "when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jo. 3:2). It is by the appearings of Christ, or by "the help of his countenance," that we are being changed. There may be a future time when these scriptural promises shall come to pass in greater fullness. But we may/must see His face regularly now! We may see Christ as He is in the Spirit, seated in heavenly places in His spiritual temple, and at the right hand of our Father, where He is ruling and reigning over all things everywhere. It is by "the help of his countenance" - it is by seeing Him as He is - that we are being changed in our souls unto our full and complete transformation in the fullness of time.

In one of his Psalms, David told of the distress and trouble of soul that he was experiencing. He spoke the truth for himself and for all of us, when he said, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast" (Ps. 57:1). Our spirits have no problem at all with the calamities of this life. But our souls consider trouble and calamity to be a very hard thing to endure. Our spirits have a correct understanding of all the calamities of this life. In our spirit, we know full well that all these troubles are ordained of our Father to purify and purge our souls. In our spirits we know all that happens to us, whether positive or negative, is purposed of our Father to prepare us for the marriage of soul and spirit within us.

Our souls, which includes our carnal minds, are the negative side of our total being! Our souls mistakenly believe that every calamity is evil, and cannot possibly result in a good, redemptive purpose in God. The soul of man loves to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, dividing good from evil, and attributing all evil to the devil and all good to God. The soul also loves the law, and considers it to be the hope of the world, and the punishment for all the transgressions of the law as the just due for all law-breakers. But our spirits within us, which are one with the Spirit of God, are partaking of the tree of Life. This causes us to cry out against the law and the carnal-minded punishment of all transgressors. In the spirit, we know that man "shall be judged by the law of liberty," and that "mercy rejoiceth against judgment" (James 2:12-13, see also Micah 6:8). In our spirits, we know that Christ alone is the hope of the world, not Christ and the law, or Christ and anything else joined to Him. In the spirit, we see that He stands alone as the one and only hope of the world.

Like David, our souls might also say, "My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men (or the people of the world), whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword" (Ps. 57:4). In our spirits, we know why the sons of men might be a problem for us. We understand they must manifest and express all the evil and the darkness that is within them. This must take place now, for that which has been withholding "the mystery of iniquity" has been "taken out of the way." And when that which has been withholding the mystery of iniquity is removed, then that wicked one must be revealed, to be manifest in the lives of the vessels of dishonor, and then destroyed (2 Thess. 2:7-10). David said of those "sons of men, They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah" (Ps. 57:6).

While he endured the struggles of his soul, David said, "I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah." Then he tells how the Lord will help him: "God shall send forth his mercy and his truth" (Ps. 57:2-3). When the Lord gives us of His mercy, He is showing us His merciful plan of redemption for all mankind; and He also is making us more merciful. When He gives us of His truth, Father is giving us the understanding of our high calling, including the ultimate destiny of all mankind, which shall be a manifestation of His love, grace and mercy.

The soul that trusts their Father for deliverance also is the soul that waits on the Lord. David sang this psalm to the Lord in which he professed his absolute faith and confidence in God and in His ability to change him and many others also. He said, "Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved" (Ps. 62:1-2). If we would see our souls as David saw his, we would then realize that the Lord is our only hope; He is our only salvation. By Him, there is ultimate victory! There is none other but God in whom we may trust. And with this hope and confidence in Him alone, we shall not be greatly moved from trusting the Rock of our salvation.

David also realized, as we do, that some people "imagine mischief against (another) man. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency (or from his/our exalted spiritual rank or character): they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah." But then he added these significant words of truth: "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." Then David encourages all of us to trust in the Lord, as he did. "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart (our inner-most center) before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah" (Ps. 62:3-8).

Finally, David informs us of the low estate of all people (as if we didn't know), perhaps including some near to us. "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance (or if we put them all on a scale and weighed them): they are altogether lighter than vanity. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. My soul followeth hard after thee; thy right hand upholdeth me" (Ps. 62:9-63: 2, 5, 8). The challenge for us now is to keep our souls, including our will and our minds, centered on the Lord and His anointed word. Like David's, our souls thirst for the Lord. Our souls follow hard after the Lord, knowing we shall be satisfied with His every provision.

In Psalm sixty-six, David told of the mighty and glorious work of God among the nations and the peoples of the earth. All the Lord has done and is doing among the nations should encourage us to believe Him for our own deliverance. Then he said, "O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place" (Ps. 66:8-12). What wisdom David expressed! It is wisdom that can only come from the mind of Christ in one who had experienced all that we are going through at this time of our soul's deliverance and salvation.

The wise man, Solomon, told us "the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down dew." Then he said, "My son, let not them (wisdom, understanding and knowledge) depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet" (Pro. 3:19-24).

When the Lord called us out of religious Babylon, and we obeyed, our souls were delivered of Babylon's many iniquities. The prophet, Jeremiah, passed these wise instructions on to us, when he said, "Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity (or, "let not destruction come upon you through her [punishment for] sin and guilt," Amplified); for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her (Babylon) a recompence" (Jer. 51:6). (Recompence: to give Babylon what she deserves for her iniquities.) Every word of instruction from our Father is important in our walk with God unto our perfection and full salvation. As we obey His word to us, we are being delivered of the many bondages of this world, and are being prepared for that so great salvation.

The Characteristics of Our Old Mind

Paul told us about our old minds. He wrote, "And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet

now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel..." (Col. 1:21-23). Many mistakenly believe that they no longer have the old carnal mind, which is "sometimes alienated and (which makes us) enemies (of God and His truth) in your mind by wicked works (such as unbelief)." But Paul makes it abundantly clear that we shall be presented holy and unblameable in God's sight, not at the moment of our conversion, but when our salvation is complete in the fullness of time. He tells us our full salvation has already been provided for us and is both sure and secure, IF WE CONTINUE in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel.

Until our old minds and souls are renewed and joined to our pure spirits, remnants of the old mind will continue to interfere with our faith in God and our acceptance of His present truth. The indisputable evidence, showing that we still have the old carnal mind after being saved and filled with the Spirit, is seen in the creation of the Babylon world systems, with its religious systems and denominations of man. Multitudes have come to Christ in the last two thousand years. Yet those same multitudes, some of them Spirit-filled, are responsible for the creation of the religious systems of man, called Babylon, which exist in great abundance today.

It is religious Babylon, for the most part, that is responsible for the lack of spiritual progress in the lives of most Christians. They will either reject the truth of God or will dilute it with their carnal-minded unbelief. Obviously, all Christians still have the old carnal mind within them, if only in part. That same carnal mind of unbelief exists in some among us today who are expecting to become sons of God in due time. If all the Lord's people had His new mind in fullness, which is the mind of Christ, we would not be troubled by the religious confusion that exists among us today.

God has a chosen, set-apart remnant today whose utmost desire is to be changed and transformed by the Spirit of God, and to become like Him in every area of their triune being. The hour is now at hand when Father is beginning to deal with our old mind, which is the carnal mind of old Adam. This is the next step in our spiritual progress unto the fullness of our salvation. To make this next step in God and receive of His fullness, including a renewed soul and His new mind, we must walk, "not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Ro. 8:4-6).

The word "mind," as used in verse five, comes from the Greek word "phroneo," meaning, to exercise the mind, to be disposed in a certain direction. The mind that is stayed on God and on His truth, is the mind that is inclined, disposed, and even predisposed to deny the carnal mind its expression, giving greater precedence to the wonderful things of the Spirit and of the kingdom of our Father. Those who shall be transformed will have that same spiritual mind, which is the mind of Christ in fullness!

Paul gave us a further word of admonition concerning the kind of life we should live in this world. The kind of life we live in this world will affect our ultimate, full salvation, not our initial, primary salvation. All mankind shall receive the basic, primary salvation. But those who are being changed into the full image and likeness of Christ at this time shall receive that full salvation, to become Father's firstfruits. They are all sons of God. And they must obediently and faithfully walk according to these spiritual, kingdom principles as set forth by the Apostle Paul. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Ga. 6:7-9).

The wisdom of Paul to the Galations is clear enough for all who have ears to hear. Every day of our lives in this world we are sowing seeds that shall bring forth a harvest in the fullness of time. If we are sowing seeds of the flesh, according to the old mind of Adam, we shall surely reap a harvest of corruption, resulting in more sin and death for us and for the suffering, groaning creation. If, on the other hand, we are sowing seeds of Godly, Christ-likeness in the kingdom of God, according to the principles of the mind of Christ, we shall then reap a harvest in the kingdom of our Father, which will be His abundant and eternal Life.

We may get weary with all this "well doing," along with all the accompanying tests and trials, but we shall surely reap in due season, if we faint not. Then all mankind and the whole creation shall witness the end of sin and death with the glorious manifestation of the sons of God. And they shall all receive the benefits of that Life! It is Father's plan that the firstfruits, which we are, should partake of the Life of Christ in greater fullness first. Then all others shall receive of that Life also! The Word tells us that "some must enter therein" (He. 4:6)! Hopefully, it will be some of us who will do so! Can we not see from this how important our righteous walk with God is at this time?

Again, Paul told us how we are to order our lives in this world as we await our full and complete salvation. He told us we should "put off concerning the former conversation (which includes our behavior) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:22-24). To "be renewed in the spirit of your mind" is, I believe, an ongoing work of the Spirit within us. Paul said the same thing in another way, when he wrote the Corinthians, saying, "I die daily." He died daily to evil communications (including associations and companionships), which he knew would corrupt good manners. He knew the truth of the resurrection, and did not want to allow his life in this world to corrupt the way of the life of Christ within him, as he walked the kingdom path toward the fullness of the Christ Life.

Paul referred to our souls and minds as "the spirit of your mind," for that is what they are. Our minds are not literal or physical parts of our bodies; they are of a more spiritual nature. The brain is the center of our nervous system and, along with the rest of our nervous system, they are physical parts of our bodies. The spirit of our mind functions by using the brain and the rest of the nervous system as the physical means of sending out the messages that control our bodies.

It is the ongoing work of the Spirit within us to renew our souls or our minds. Paul died daily to the old man of sin within him, and so also must we. We continue to struggle with that old man within us! But, blessed be the Lord, there is coming a day, a glorious event, when we shall be completely and thoroughly changed by the Spirit of God. Daily we now reckon the old man to be dead. We continue to put off his evil behavior. In due time, our souls and our minds shall be completely renewed, and we shall come forth in His glorious image and likeness. Now, we must reckon the old man to be dead daily and continually! But in God's time we shall awaken from this death to discover that we are in His likeness (Ps. 17:15, Ro. 12:2), never again to do battle with the old man of sin that once was within us.

More Characteristics of our New Mind, or the Mind of Christ

Paul admonished us: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." This is the new mind, or the mind of Christ, which we shall have in fullness when Father has completed His work in us. We often read only this verse and fail to read the entire text, which tells us how we shall receive the mind of Christ. Paul continued, by saying, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-8).

Jesus was God in the flesh! Although He was equal with God, He made Himself of no reputation, and was made in the likeness of sinful mankind. When Jesus was on this earth, in the form or fashion of a man of flesh and blood, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the death of the cross. The mind Jesus had, which is the mind of Christ, predetermined that He should come to earth as a man, humble Himself, and become obedient to the death of the cross. This is the same mind Paul said we should have. By the wisdom of the mind of Christ, we also shall humble ourselves to become obedient to the spiritual death of the cross, according to the pattern and example of Jesus. The death we shall die will not be the same death Jesus died, but it will be a spiritual death of the carnal nature and the carnal, soulish mind that we all have. It will be the final death of the old man! Having died a spiritual death, we shall come forth, as Jesus did, highly exalted, equal with God, in the form of a servant, and in His image and likeness. Then there will be no flesh left within us that would trouble us or cause to take the credit.

The path to receiving the fullness of the mind of Christ was set forth by Paul, when he wrote, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (the mind - to be mentally disposed in a certain direction) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3). We may boast about being risen with Christ, but if we care more for the things of this world than we do for the things of God, then we are clearly not dead or risen at all. If we have truly and fully risen from that death with Christ, our affections, which includes our soul, our mind, our will, and our emotions, will be disposed and ordered toward the heavenly, spiritual direction. Only then are we truly risen with Christ, so that our true Life is hid with Christ in God.

The truly dead in Christ were described by John when he saw this Christ body in the Spirit and by the Spirit. He saw that when this elect company had finished their spiritual testimony, the beast made war with them, overcame them, and killed them. Their bodies lay on the street of that heavenly, spiritual city, which is the new Jerusalem. And since their's was a spiritual death, there was no burial and consequently, no graves. Those who minded earthly, worldly things rejoiced over their death. They rejoiced and sent gifts one to another, because those prophetic ones tormented the normal earth dwellers, who minded earthly things. But after three and a half days of prophetic time, "the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them" (Rev. 11:3-12). The book of Revelations is a spiritual book with a spiritual message! It tells of the formation and completion of the fullness of Christ, which includes both Christ, the Head, and Christ, the body. Thus, all that takes place in this eleventh chapter is strictly of a spiritual nature!

The dead in Christ, who shall be raised with Christ to a new Life, have surrendered their ministry, if they ever had one, to their Father. All their old Pentecostal-administered, ordered and directed gifts and ministries are to be placed on the altar, in spiritual type, to be surrendered to their Father who gave it to them. Then those gifts and abilities may be blessed of God, returned, and then ordered of their Father according to His new kingdom principles for this new Day. This is a strange time of transition! The elect of the Lord are now called of their Father to make the transition from the old dead, church order of the past, to the new and greater order of the kingdom of God.

All who shall rule and reign with Christ in the glory of His kingdom must have their old gifts and abilities reconsecrated and rededicated of the Lord, and blessed of God, according to the new and higher principles of the kingdom of God. This is the scenario that I believe is set forth in the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelations. Since we are not doing anything in the outward, religious sense, most who see us think we are dead. And that is the way Father wants us to be for now! It is those who are truly dead in Christ who shall be raised to that abundant, incorruptible, and immortal Life of Christ!

In another of his psalms, David prayed a very beautiful and meaningful prayer to the Lord. It is a prayer, or an expression of the Spirit within, which all of us should express to our Father. David began by saying, "I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am holy (or, godly and dedicated): O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: UNITE MY HEART to fear thy name. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell" (Ps. 86:1-4, 11, 13).

In this prayer, David expressed the travail of soul that we all experience. He began by declaring his need to the Lord, which we must do also. Then he asked that the Lord would, "preserve my soul." We begin this spiritual journey to our soul's redemption by seeing our need, as David did. He saw that his soul needed to be preserved and kept by God until his soul's final deliverance (as in 1 Thess. 5:23). And then, realizing the duality that was within him, David cried out to the Lord to "unite my heart." When we see and fully understand the duality of mind and soul that is still within us, we will, like David, cry out to the Lord, asking Him to "unite my heart." We are thus asking God to make us one in our innermost being. The word, "heart," as used here, means the interior part of us. It refers to the center of our being, or to that which is within us, especially including our souls.

We are then asking God to cleanse our souls and all that is within us of all the carnal filth and the duality of mind that is within us, so that our souls might be joined to our pure spirits, which are one with His Spirit. Until the Lord cleanses us within and unites our hearts to make us one within, there is no possible way for us to be joined to Christ in that greater marriage union that is yet to take place (as in Rev. 19:7-9). But our loving, merciful Father is working within us to deliver us of the carnal mind of unbelief, which is predisposed to reject the present truth of God. He is removing from us all unbelief that would keep us from our glorious inheritance in the kingdom of God, which is the transformation of our bodies. All who will go on with God to experience the wonders of His kingdom are expressing this prayer of David's! O that God would make us one within, that our souls might be joined to our spirits, making us one spirit within!

The attitude of the maturing sons of God was described by Paul regarding the doing of the word and not just the hearing of it. He wrote, "Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" (2 Co. 8:11-12). The Lord does not require something of us we do not have. If He has called us to sonship, it is an indication that He has given us the spiritual ability to perform all His will and word. But if we only speak the word, without doing it, we risk becoming carnal-minded hypocrites seeking unlawful entrance into the pure, holy, and undefiled kingdom of our Father. The "willing mind," to which Paul referred, is also called a "ready mind" in verse nineteen of that same chapter. It is the mind that is predisposed, and always willing and ready, to both believe and obey God's word. May we all have that willing and ready spiritual mind, which is the mind of Christ in fullness!

Peter spoke of the elect "receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." He referred to that so great salvation (see He. 2:1-8), or to the fullness of salvation, of which the prophets prophesied, and of the grace that should come unto the Lord's people. He spoke of the sufferings of Christ, and of the glory that should follow, which is "the salvation of your souls." So wonderful and glorious is the salvation of the soul, and its result, that the angels desired to look into its truth and fulfillment (1 Pe. 1:3-12). That which God is about to do with His chosen elect is beyond understanding; it is much greater than anything we can imagine. If we knew of the glory that shall come into our lives at the appearing of Christ, we would make every effort, spiritually speaking, to prepare ourselves for that great glory. We would seek Him daily, asking that our spiritual lamps be filled to overflowing with the precious oil of His Spirit.

Then Peter told us we should "gird up the loins (the creative portion) of your mind, be sober (discreet and watchful), and hope (expect and trust) to the end (never give up) for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation (appearing, disclosure, manifestation) of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13). The loin of our mind is the creative portion of our soul or our mind; it is that part of our mind that is always forward-looking, always anticipating with faith and optimism that which our Father shall do, not only with us, but also in the world around us, to advance or further His kingdom in the earth. It is that mind that is always creative, always predisposed to believe and receive from the bountiful hand of our Father. And that mind, which is the mind of Christ in fullness, will never give up hoping, trusting, and expecting the appearing, the disclosure, or the full revelation of Christ in His elect, resulting in the manifestation of the sons of God.

John also spoke of this new mind, or of the mind of Christ, when he said, "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). Eternal life, which is the life that we seek, is in Christ, the Son, Who also is the true God. Christ, the Spirit of the Son, has come to us giving us "an understanding, that we may know Him that is true." The word "understanding," from the original, means deep thought. It is the faculty, or the ability, power and aptitude, to think deeply with understanding. It is the "understanding" that is given to all who are called to sonship fulfilled. When He gives us that ability to understand and know Him that is true, we then know Him in the Spirit, as well as the truth of our high calling in God. We may not understand Him and His truth with our carnal minds; but we do understand and know Him and His truth with the "understanding" He has given us, in the Spirit and by the Spirit.

With the understanding of the mind of Christ, we are also able to know the difference between being born again and being begotten of our Father. John referred to both, when he said, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (1 John 5:18). There is a vast difference between being "born of God," and being "begotten of God." Those who are "born of God" cannot possibly sin, for they have been birthed into a new and higher realm of life in God and in His kingdom. They cannot sin for they have been born of the Spirit to become spirit (Jo. 3:6), with a new body like unto His.

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (Jo. 3:5-6). To be born of water is to be born of the flesh. At this point in our lives, we have only been born of water, or of the flesh. And that which is born of the flesh IS FLESH! There is no escaping the truth that we have only been born of the flesh! But we long for the fulfillment of the blessed hope within us when we shall be born again of the Spirit to become spirit. Then, we shall enter the fullness of the kingdom of God, to partake of the wonderful fullness of the glory and Life of Christ in kingdom abundance, thus releasing the whole creation from its long and painful bondage to sin and death.

That second, spiritual birth is the blessed hope of the saints in Christ! When we have been truly born again of the Spirit, we will no longer have this body and soul of sin and death. But we shall be transformed by the Spirit to become spirit, according to the words of Jesus. Until that blessed hour or event, those who have been "begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." We have been begotten or conceived of God, by the Spirit; the seed of Christ was planted within us when we first came to the Lord to begin our walk with Him unto His fullness.

We have not yet been "born again"; we have only been "begotten of God." And being "begotten of God," we must keep ourselves "in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ UNTO ETERNAL LIFE" (Jude 21). As we continue to keep ourselves in the love of God, the wicked one cannot touch us or influence us with his carnal, evil thoughts and suggestions. Our Father is now leading us to experience the next step, or the final step, in our progressive walk unto His fullness, which is the renewal of our minds, or our souls. Our souls are now being renewed unto our full transformation. Then we shall truly be born again, by the power of the creative word of the Lord (John 3:3-6, Ro. 12:2).