THE CREATION COVENANT

 There are many covenants found in the scriptures. The first covenant that was ever formed was the covenant of creation. A UNILATERAL covenant is a covenant that is one-sided in nature. God decided to do something and did so without any assistance from any part of creation. God did not confer with anyone nor did He consider any creation at the time.

God, Elohim, decided to create; He decided what to create, how much to create, what was to be created, when it was to be created, and for what purpose it was all to serve. The format of creation and consummation of creation was to be conceived and decided by Him.

God did it all acting within the counsel of His Will and within the bounds of His nature. He created within the limits of His nature, which He had set for Himself. Because of His immutable (unchanging) nature, He had to act within the parameters of the nature He set for Himself.

Since God is LIFE and seeks to create life, He moves within the realm of life and all that HE does will cause life to be made manifest. In some cases it is immediate, visible, life to us and at other times He has a timetable within creation for it to be manifested. He has been creating man in His image for thousands of years now.

Life is in His nature. Death is not in His nature - although He uses it in the process of creating life. God acts within the confines of His nature and can do nothing outside of what He is. By the same token you and I also act out of the very nature that we are. We can function in no other possible way.

The first covenant that God established automatically precludes it has a beginning and an ending. It is finite. If something has a beginning it also has an ending. All things come out of God but not all things have God in them. God makes all things but not all things have His substance in them.

Time begins when something is created and time ends when that which is being created reaches the state of completion. Now, something that always was, needs no time nor does it need creation because it always was. Some have suggested, due to the influence of the religions of the east, that we pre-existed with God and in the formation of all things.

One of the fallacies of such a statement is that if we were eternal" beings, and by that I mean self-existing, then we would not need God at all to create us. If we were Gods in the truest sense, we could have changed the scenario long ago. But because we are PART OF CREATION, we are not self-sufficient.

CREATION HAD NO PART IN ITS OWN CREATION. If it did, it would have been what is called a two-sided covenant or a BILATERAL covenant. If creation had a part in its own creation, it would have been equal with God. The two would have decided how to create it all, if it were a bilateral covenant.

Many have supposed that (Job 1:6, 2:1) when the sons of God presented themselves before God that this was in THE beginning of creation. But this is not so. The heavens were created BEFORE the sons. DARKNESS was created before the sons. The PLANET EARTH AND ALL THEREIN was created before the sons of God were created. Adam, a son of God (Luke 3:38) was made of the DUST OF THE EARTH. The earth had to be created before Adam so that he could be made. Even Seth was called a son of God in the ancient Hebrew text of Genesis 4:26. Again, we are still talking about the natural creation, not the spiritual truths which are somewhat different.

These sons of God were not spirit beings of pre-earth times as some have presupposed in their minds. The sons themselves were first created out of the earth (Genesis 2:7). The first thing that was created was the natural sphere (1 Cor.15:46). While the sons were created beings, they had no first cause part in creation. They were created AFTER everything else was created. Besides, that which is created cannot create of its own self.

Yes, the first cause of all creation without any assistance or consultation of any sort was God. It has to be so in order that He would be glorified and receive all glory. "To, God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ..."(Ro.16:27)"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared..." (Isaiah 64:4).

Some have told us that they were with Him from the beginning. We were not impressed. But supposing to be, we asked whether these precious folks could tell us what the complete future holds, beyond this earthly realm, beyond the planets, beyond time, and if they could fill in the details, it would be appreciated. They could not inform us.

Ah, there is only one ALL-WISE God. He is God alone. There is none other beside Him.(Ps.86:8) Not even the Elohim that He is creating in His image can ever become what He is. For the sons of Elohim can never be their Father. Oh, they too become fathers in time, but they can never be their Father or equal to Him.

You and I may deny the law of gravity and declare that it doesn't exist. But that would not nullify it. We may enter a realm in God like Philip did and supercede the law, but we are still UNDER the authority of God. The covenant of creation has an order to it. It is run by the laws of God. God is creating a kingdom. Kingdoms have laws of government.

The covenant of creation has a purpose that encompasses all things that were created. The expanse of that covenant is that ALL things are within creation, EXCEPT God. Thus, we find that all other covenants, whether it be the law of sin and death, the law of life of the Spirit in Christ Jesus, or any other is subject in its power to being conformed or within the bounds of the covenant of creation.

Nothing can act on its own merits. Nothing can function without the bounds of the covenant of creation. Everything that is, is bound within its own nature of creation and to stay within that sphere. A man cannot become a reincarnated animal, plant or another human. To reincarnate means: "to put again into the flesh". Resurrection means: "to take out from the dead". In other words, the two are different as night and day.

Resurrection, a totally Christian idea, means to be completely delivered from the flesh of Adam and to be given a whole new nature. But reincarnation means to place again into flesh - the same type. Jesus our pattern was NEVER reincarnated. Neither shall we be. The never-die movement that came out of West Virginia in the 1930's believed that Christians would continue to come back into bodies of other humans until the appointed time for the change of their bodies for glorified bodies. Many of their ideas came from Edgar Cayce of North Carolina who was a psychic who believed in eastern mysticism and reincarnation.

The covenant of creation consequently places boundaries, which determine the interaction of creation as well as the limits of creation. Jesus moved within the bounds of what He was - a human. He didn't become a butterfly. Why? Because the make-up of what He was, determined what He could be. He was created with certain limits, which were set by the covenant of creation, which in turn was put into motion by God.

Mankind, Adam, was created by God to fulfill certain purposes. Man was created with vanity within his breast as Romans 8:20 states: "For the creature was subject to vanity, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected the same in Hope." Adam, a son of God, was made of the earth, the dust. It was Adam who became the serpent's meat when the Lord said "...you shall eat dust.."(Gen.3:14).

This same covenant of creation has within its bounds, as a circle within a circle, the covenant of death from which Adam partook. Death within the bounds of a covenant of creation canNOT be a lasting covenant. The covenant of creation is in the process of creation and therefore death cannot hinder it.

The covenant of death that Adam engaged in is within the covenant of creation. Death is a part of creation. Death is not an end in itself, but simply a part of the plan of creation that God is doing. God could have given Adam life that was outside of time - the same type of life God has. God is not bound by time and time has no meaning for Him nor for His existence; yet, it does have meaning for us because our existence is based on time.

The covenant of creation has to have a beginning and an ending. If there is a starting point of creation, it logically follows that all creation must end. "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers."(Col.1:16) ALL that was created was created through the Son of God. Note that it is not sons of God.

A study of the word "death" in the Hebrew shows that it means: "end". It clearly presents the idea of non-existence. When Adam died, he died. The actual Hebrew states: "dying he died." Whereas, the idea of reincarnation presents the thought of continuous dying and reviving to die again. The Greek for resurrection in the New Testament is "vivify" which means to quicken or make alive. It does not mean to reincarnate but to change. The covenant of creation is a process of ascension into life. Reincarnation is a recycling in a hope of getting out of a cesspool.

Resurrection means: "to rise out of death". Reincarnation means to place again into flesh. What a release Christianity and the covenant of life bring ! The covenant that God has made within Himself is to create life. The way to life is through death, ONCE. As by one man came death so also by one man comes life (Romans 5:17). The covenant of creation allows death to be experienced once by each person. Then comes judgment via the lake of fire for purification and release.

The mystery of creation has death within it because a seed must die in order to bring forth life. The moment time began, death began because time precludes a start and a finish. At the finish of time, there must be a release, which God promises when death shall be swallowed up of life.(1 Corinthians 15:52-57)

Before creation began Jesus was slain (Revelation 13:8). It was in the spiritual plane. He, being the author of all creation, saw to it that the blood was shed to cover all things which He was going to create. The shedding of blood provides the release for all creation to come into life. Before death was manifest on the natural plane it was conquered and eliminated in the spiritual plane.

God is presently forming a man in the nature of His Son. This man will come forth in a body that is not of Adam's. It will not be a new man in a reincarnated body of old flesh! Rather the creation continues as God brings forth the sons of God in a physical, natural body which be seen of all men, BUT IT WILL NOT BE OF ADAM'S BODY. The body will be Christ's.

PART 2

In the first part of the creation covenant we discussed the totality of creation and its purpose - to create everything into life. In this part we will discuss death and its workings as a part of the process of creating life. It is imperative that we come to the understanding that death is not an end in itself but a major source of producing life. Carnal man and his mind have corrupted what death is. Death is a process that produces life.

The reason death can assist creation is that the covenant of death is found within the covenant of creation. If death was a covenant that stood by itself, nothing could change what death could do. But death does not stand alone. It is one of many covenants found within the main covenant of creation.

Consider 2 Corinthians 4:12 "So, then death is working in us, but life in you." There probably has been some great preaching on this verse over the last two thousand years. While death is having its great work in us, it produces life in others. We die daily to the things of this world and it attachments to the outer man. As we go through this process of separation, the people see holiness coming forth which gives life.

Death can be our enemy IF we do not use it for creating life in us. If it is our enemy, this means we have succumbed to its entanglements in our life. The web of its nature snares us and encases us in a net that fits tighter as we struggle; thus causing our death, naturally and spiritually. Many are the saints who seem to have deep truth but use it for license of the flesh. Thus death snares them, while even in their time of "freedom". Many can recognize a frontal assault by death but few be that can see a lateral or rear attack.

Paul and the others spoke of death as an enemy because it keeps us from life. But he was NOT speaking about a natural death. He was speaking about a spiritual process. Natural death will be eliminated when a people come forth in the image of Christ, which is due to spiritual life being manifested. Spiritual life stops death from working - thus proving that death is a spiritual process.

When God formed Adam, He placed life (zoe) in Adam. It wasn't biological life but spiritual life. Adam died because of sin but it was not made manifest for 930 years. It was zoe that kept him alive. It was zoe, that spiritual life that will raise him again.

Adam died physically because he descended from the heavenly realm with in him and began to live after the lower order, which was the carnal mind. Adam, the garden of God, the planting of the Lord, forsook living in the heavenly realm within himself - that garden of Eden, and turned to the outside, that flesh realm.

Death is a spiritual realm, with a manifestation in the natural realm. Unless it is the appointed chronological time for a change, while you may live in the inner man after the zoe life, physical death will occur. There is an appointed time. But Paul said whether he lived or died to him it was gain because of Christ. Natural death was not his enemy, it simply released him from the natural realm into the fullness of Christ.

Spiritual death is an enemy. What was the death working in Paul then? Verse 11 states: "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." Mortal means decaying. Death works in Paul so that life can be seen in his dying body. His dying in the natural realm - aging, poor eyesight, crippled hands full of arthritis, was an opportunity to manifest life (zoe) in the natural realm. Physical healing, while appreciated, was unimportant to Paul. He gained Christ whether he died or lived. He realized that the natural man COULD NOT INHERIT.

Many have used 1 Thess.5:23 as a scripture to show that we shall be preserved blameless in spirit, soul and body, at His coming. They teach from this that this natural man having been preserved will cross over into the "kingdom" which is a total fabrication and lie to the saints! Let me quote it from the Concordant Literal Translation which shows that "coming" is "presence" and not an "appearing" as some would teach in the sense of Jesus:

"Now may the God of peace Himself be hallowing you wholly; and

may your unimpaired spirit and soul and body be kept blameless

in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ."

From the above quote we can see that it is a spiritual growth process that has nothing to do with the "keeping" of the natural body until the appearing of the Lord. The "presence" is the word "parousia" in the Greek and should not be translated "coming" as the KJV does. We are to be in the presence of the Lord at all times in our life and this hallows or sanctifies us spiritual, mentally, and keeps the body pure.

While we have digressed momentarily, let us state that it is for a reason. Physical health is unimportant to redemption. Carnal man and carnal minds have taught for years that we must "preserve" this physical body. While I agree that holiness will grant us a better existence qualitatively, it does not guarantee us we are taking this body into the kingdom.

This is why Paul cared not whether he lived or died, for it was gain either way to him. He had not attachment to the natural realm. His body was merely a vessel used by God through Paul. Paul counted all things as "dung" (Phil.3:8) that he might know Christ. Thus, he had the freedom to use ALL things that came against him, all things that were death, to create life.

Hopefully, you are seeing that the covenant of death is something to be loved and appreciated. For unless you account all things - family, children, spouse, job, friends, with no strings, you cannot grow in the grace and knowledge of God. Let the dead bury the dead. Can a plowman turn back or look back? Who are family but not the natural but the people of God? All attachments except to God are death. All relationships to people must be made through Jesus Christ or they are totally death.

Ah, the true working of the covenant of death is to separate us from the death realm - all things which separate us from an intimate close relationship with God. Death must have its work in us so that the seed in us can come forth in incorruption - which is the only thing the seed in us can produce (1 Peter 2:23).

There are different levels of death, which is evident upon the study of the scriptures. There is darkness for the unbeliever and there is OUTER darkness for the believer. What we want to make clear through the following quoted scriptures is that OUTER darkness is farther away from God than darkness. It is a worse state of affairs. OUTER darkness in scripture is mentioned only three times and is specifically for the FALLEN SAINT.

"But the CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM shall be cast into OUTER dark-

ness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."(Matt.8:12)

"Then said the king to the SERVANTS, bind him hand and foot and

take him away, and cast him into OUTER darkness, there shall be

weeping and gnashing of teeth."(Matt.22:13)

"And cast ye the unprofitable SERVANT into OUTER darkness: there

shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."(Matt.25:30)

The book of Matthew deals with the kingdom and when people who know the Lord reject the kingdom there is much suffering and turmoil in their lives. For having been enlightened and then to fall away (Heb.6:1-6) causes one to fall behind others who have not yet even heard the gospel. Once first in the way of the Lord they now become last.

Whether we believe that the OUTER darkness is speaking of a future time which would come after a physical death or a spiritual plane at the present time is not the issue. The scripture shows that the person who knows the Lord not only falls from grace but falls behind the non-believer. For the non-believer is only in darkness (2 Cor.6:14, 1 John 2:11).

Proverbs 20:20 states: "Whoso curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put into obscure darkness." When we come to the knowledge that God is our Saviour experientially, and then fall away we are cursing our father and mother spiritually. Again we see outer darkness as our end.

It was mentioned before that Adam was the garden of the Lord. He left that estate and began living in his outer man - that garment of skin which the Lord gave him in Genesis 3:21. He had a garment of light, which he set aside for the garment of darkness. Now light can shine in dark places (John 1:5). But the garment hinders the light.

As a saint enters into the new creation relationship, he is building a light body. There is an incorruptible seed within which is growing a whole new body, a whole new being. If the earthly house of Adam was dissolved, we do have a house not made with hands (2 Cor.5:1-3) within. This is a spiritual habitation of God.

If the new Christian or even a deeper mature saint falls back from that which the Lord has for him, it is possible to be removed from a light body realm and the order of life. If that is the case, the person is sent to outer darkness, which is life in the flesh realm of the outer man. The person is most miserable for having tasted good things to come, he now has to reside and be at home in the outer man, which craves things only after the flesh.

There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth because there is no satisfaction in that realm. Matthew 7:20-23 shows saints who have cast out demons and healed the sick as well as raised the dead and the Lord called them "workers of iniquity". These people can't do the deliverances that they did unless they were Christians. You can not call Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.12). Yet Luke shows they were placed where there was gnashing of teeth.

While many saints think that they have done the will of the Father by doing such ministry, they actually have done things out of the will of God and for themselves. Thus, they are called workers of iniquity. They have lived after the carnal mind and Jesus sends them to outer darkness, which is what gnashing of teeth implies.

Darkness is reserved for angels (2 Peter 2:4 and angel here is men) into darkness of hell and hell is tartarus, or the deepest part of hell. So here we also find levels of death and grave. Not only that but Jude 1:13 talks about the "wandering stars" which will be held in the "blackness of darkness" which refers to a deeper depth. The word "darkness" means: "shade" in the Greek. The importance here is that there is some light in shade and shadows. But "blackness of darkness" is like being in a cave without any light!

Wandering stars, fallen men(angels), all leave a relationship with God and descend into darkness of the outer man. The covenant of death must have its full work to the nth degree in order that creation can totally create! Each person involved with death is in his own order. Each will have to go to the depth of that order to first begin his ascent. The creation covenant will deliver all things out of death as death has its work.

While God's spirit is in the unregenerate, it is not in control. In the saved person who reverts back to the flesh, the spirit seems to actually go out for total darkness as in a cave; whereas, the unsaved is still in a dark place but can see some. Luke 11:35 warns the saint: "Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness." This shows that darkness has light especially in contrast with OUTER darkness or blackness of darkness.

The covenant of death has a two-fold function. It first is to deal with the saint and cause the saint to mature or to fall all the way back. To the sinner darkness has a dual work. The sinner must get his full of darkness before he can come to the light and then must also grow in the light or start all over, as the saint might.

We shall discuss many of the covenants found in the Bible. But the first covenant, after that of the unilateral creation covenant, is the covenant that God makes WITH man. Although with man, it is still a UNILATERAL covenant, because God is going to perform it even though many men will fail in their performance. God will establish all of His covenants.

The covenant of death looks or seems to be an end. There is finality to it. Yet, we have shown that it is a part of the total picture of creation. Sin may have its work in some of the covenants we will speak about from here on, but sin is not the victor in any covenant. All appearances are deceiving.

Before death surfaced in Genesis, there were some other covenants that preceded death. These covenants, because they precede death, are NOT found within such a covenant as death. These covenants existed before death appeared and are not subject to death for those saints who walk in them. MANY SAINTS DO NOT WALK IN DIVINE ORDER although full life in these covenants is available to the fallen man.

We find that these covenants (which we shall name shortly) are found in the New Testament and explained as a shadow of Christ and the church. These covenants have been and will be AGE-ABIDING. As long as there is time and a need for spiritual growth, these covenants will be found to exist. These covenants existed before the covenant of death and will exist after the covenant of death.

In order for Christ to sum all things up into the Father as found in 1 Corinthians 15:22-30, these covenants must have their full work. These covenants can only produce life. There is no death working in them. Life and life alone is evident in these covenants.

In fact, these covenants feed on themselves, they are living flesh. They are self-existent because of the source of their life. Found in the natural law as well as the spiritual, these covenants permeate all of the creation. In every sphere of life these covenants can be found to be true. Death may reveal a perversion of the truth, but the true still stands.

The importance of understanding that the covenant of death is AFTER these other covenants can not be stressed enough. Life as God planned it is found in these covenants, even if the fallen man will walk in them. While the fallen creation may not see the full ramification of these covenants, nevertheless the fallen creation can use the covenant on the natural plane.

Adam obviously took part in the husband/wife relationship, but also had no choice in the choosing of the wife, or assisting God in the make-up of his wife. Adam, as well as Eve, entered into a relationship that God had ordained. Each was created for the other, one from the other.

God created marriage as a learning lesson (seriously!) for Adam. The scriptures are clear that the saint is to be the bride of God. The saint is to enter into a marriage relationship with God. God went even so far as to call Israel his bride, and we find that He had to divorce her when she went a whoring.

The sons of God(which Adam was) are to marry the Lord(Isaiah 62:5). The sons are to be the "female" or the bride in the relationship that the Lord has set up. God created the marriage covenant first and foremost for a spiritual relationship with Himself.

Genesis 2:18 is the first time that God makes a statement that "It is not good that man should be alone."(NKJV) Now, it wasn't because man was lonely (in the sense of companionship) that God created Eve. It was not good man being alone BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT ACCOMPLISH GOD'S PURPOSE IN ADAM'S LIFE.

God didn't create Eve for Adam's sexual needs. God didn't create Eve for procreation either, although that would come. God created Eve so that Adam could learn everything about the woman. God created Eve for Adam so that Adam could grow in wisdom concerning ministry to his wife. God wanted Adam to understand his wife's motives and desires. So that Adam, representing the church, could marry God (Ephesians 5). If Adam studied his wife, Adam would make a better marriage relationship with God!

The marriage relationship was to teach Adam totally about females and their "make-up". Eve was to learn about males and their "make-up". The reason for this learning process was so that Adam and Eve could better relate to God. The covenant of marriage was established before the fall of man.

In fact, Adam understood the husband/wife relationship better than what did he is given credit for by most theologians. Adam realized Eve's sin of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam then, even as Jesus did for us, took upon himself her reproach and the ultimate "the buck stops here". Oh, some will quote Genesis 3:12 and say Adam blamed it on his wife. But that is not strictly so. She was the cause of his sin. As a husband should do, he took the judgment himself. Even as Jesus had judgment fall on Him on behalf of sinful creation.

Adam, in turn committed sin and did so to take the reproach of his wife on himself. How could he fulfill his role as a husband (which was a covenant given BEFORE) the fall if she had fallen and would be SEPARATED from him? It would be impossible for him to fulfill that which preceded the fall. Do you see what we are saying? The covenant of creation is first. Within that covenant is found the covenant of marriage which precedes the covenant of death. The covenant of marriage is a covenant filled with life. Adam took the life in the covenant of marriage and "covered his wife" which is shows the true spiritual idea in Corinthians where the man is the woman's covering.

Now, as we find in 1 Timothy 2:15 that God honors this covenant of mar-riage in a special way. From verse 13 on it is talking about Adam and Eve, but let me quote verse 15:

"Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if

they continue in faith, love and holiness, with

self-control."

It is the marriage covenant, which is full of life and precedes the covenant of death, which has the ability within itself to deliver mankind from death. It was "her seed" that brought forth Jesus Christ into the world who delivered the world from the covenant of death. It took Adam moving in the life realm of the marriage covenant to release his wife from death, by taking death on himself for her.

In many ways, Adam is a type of Christ, which he should be if he is a son of God as scripture declares. Adam had to "know" his wife. While this word definitely means in the physical sense, it also means the depth of the spirit as well. Adam had to produce a complete understanding of Eve because Adam was to be the "Eve" to God - even as the sons are the bride of Christ.

The failure of marriage in the United States today is a direct result of marriages not having life produced in them because the man has abrogated his rights and the woman has usurped the man's position. The failure of the church (that is the Christian community) is directly related to the failure to understand the purposes of roles. The world has a tendency to blur these roles; and the church system has a tendency to present a Victorian picture which is also wrong.

The combination of the two has not only confused the believer but has made it nigh impossible to live the covenant of marriage. Nevertheless, God has a remnant that is revealing a covenant of marriage to the brethren. Sonship begins in the covenant of marriage. If it can't be revealed there, it will not be revealed in the body of Christ at large, nor to the world. Sonship begins in the family.

The kingdom of God will not be revealed on the natural plane until there is a people who reveal it first in their lifestyle. With all the talk of "having arrived" and people claiming they are sons or people claiming they see sonship, there is little evidence in their lifestyle. It takes a working in your own life and with your spouse to accomplish the complete revealing of the Son in you.

The covenant of marriage has to be fulfilled before there can be a manifestation of the sons of God. How can a son of God be manifested if he/she can not come into a union relationship with his/her own spouse? How can we manifest God whom we have not seen if we cannot manifest God in our marriage relationship? (1 John 4:20)

The very idea of oneness with God, as Adam had before the fall, was also to be revealed in the marriage relationship, as the two become one. It was to be a symbol as well as a true experience in the spiritual sphere. Adam and Eve were to have that unity. Adam did everything to maintain that unity, even taking death upon him and expulsion from the garden because he knew that the marriage covenant could bring forth spiritual life on the natural plane.

At all costs Adam sought to maintain the covenant of marriage. Marriage can bring life out of death. Adam realized that if he and Eve could become one in spirit, soul, and body they could be redeemed from the bondage of corruption (death).

Yet, what perturbs me the most is seeing some seeking out "spiritual mates" when they are being totally carnal and not spiritual at all. These waterless clouds have no life in them. For the true husband gives his life for his wife, even as Jesus and Adam gave their lives for the church/Eve. Whether the church seeks such sacrifice or not is the point. The husband does so because he loves the church/wife as himself.

What woman thinks she can be a son of God when she cannot submit out of love to the desires of her husband? Note we said submit out of love rather than out of duty. Sarah willingly lied for Abraham (granted she was his half-sister) as she considered him her lord. Who may I ask got into trouble with the lie Sarah, or Abraham? It was Abraham.

The principle of scripture is that the man is the one responsible for his house. God will judge the man if the woman is obedient. This is what happened in Abraham's case. It happens all the time. But if Sarah had not obeyed Abraham and rebelled against him because he told her to lie, then God would hold the man responsible because of the rebellious and disobedient nature of the woman. Remember that the soul is feminine and spirit masculine so you have two analogies running concurrently here!

The woman is considered out of order in the situation, even though her husband is saved or unsaved. For the principle is valid in any circumstance. If the woman will not treat her husband as Lord, whom she has seen, how can she treat the Lord Jesus as Lord whom she hasn't seen? Her obedience to Jesus is total, limitless, and unwavering. So should it be with her husband.

Now, I realize that I will receive much mail on this tender subject. But let me carry it further. (Might as well lose all friends now). The church system, that denominational harlot, teaches that the woman should come to church, regardless what her husband says. Be faithful to the church. This idea has been inbred into most women to such a degree that they then become the spiritual leaders of the home and totally out of order. They can't figure out why the husband isn't interested.

Church going is not salvation but the system makes it almost a law. This causes a division within the husband/wife relationship which PRECEDES the church in importance! The woman should OUT OF LOVE treat her husband as Jesus rather than out of duty. If he ask for a beer and cigarettes, then she should love him where he is at and go get them. Jesus loves all of us where we are at. His divine love was so great, it moved us out of where we were at and into Him.

In my travels, I meet a lot of people. One sister that I remember in particular came and asked advice concerning her unsaved husband and how to win him. I told her (this was years ago) go home and see him as Jesus and do for him as you would for Jesus. Well, her husband asked her to stay home rather than go to church. She felt guilty (church system guilt) but stayed. When he saw that her "god"(church) was set aside for him and his request it affected him. It was a matter of months and he had accepted the Lord and was filled with the Spirit. The difference was that she had put him first as if he were Jesus (lord). He felt that reverence and love and was desirous of the new nature he saw exhibited in his wife.

PART 4

The next covenant we find within the creation covenant and after the covenant of marriage is that of fruitfulness and multiplicity. This covenant also is ordained of God BEFORE the covenant of death is instituted. It also is a unilateral covenant, or one-sided covenant. God established this covenant by decree and mankind will perform it. Man has no part in the formation of it but merely is a participant in it.

Now the word "fruitful" in the KJV means to: bear, bring forth, grow, increase,(be, cause to be, make)fruitful. The word "multiply" in the KJV means to: increase in whatever respect. The word "fruitful" is used 29 times in the Old Testament and 21 times the KJV translates it fruitful. "Multiply" is used 212 times in the Old Testament and is translated 41 times as "multiply" and similarly in another 100 places.

It is obvious from the context that the Lord is telling Adam and Eve that they were to procreate. Natural children were to follow. It is this that we wish to deal with first. The covenant of marriage is to produce first a relationship between the husband and wife, which in its fullest growth potential will create one new person out of the two. The two separate personalities are to merge forming one new person. The child produced is the result of the spiritual union of the husband and wife.

The physical union of the two is to produce a child that in the natural is truly one new person, formed from two separate genetic pools of individuals. This new person, this child, has characteristics of both of its parents - literally, figuratively, and spiritually. Such is the natural manifestation of the "fruit" of the covenant of marriage.

Some translations of the Bible agree with the ancient manuscripts in the Genesis 4:26 account. The KJV doesn't in this case. It uses the sentence: "Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord." But the Hebrew brings out that: "Then men began to call themselves BY THE NAME OF THE LORD." In other words, Seth called himself: Seth, son of God.

There was a righteous seed that had the power to call themselves sons of God from the very beginning of time. The Lord even traces his line age through these men. The covenant of death had NO POWER over the covenant of marriage or the covenant of procreation to produce sons of God. What a tremendous thought.

These men were sons whether they had redeemed bodies or not. Whether the covenant of death worked on them or not was irrelevant. Life is not controlled by circumstances, and neither is life relevant to time. Life is on an order after itself. The sons of God were not controlled by anything but the seed that produced them.

The marriage covenant, fulfilled in the highest sense of union, will in the time of that marriage, produce a true son. The covenant of procreation will produce or fulfill its purpose unencumbered by the covenant of death. The fall of Adam and Eve due to sin has no connection with what they can produce. Production isn't based on sin or the sin nature but is based on union.

What is this "fruitfulness" that the Lord desires? It can be children, as the context would seem to indicate. But I do believe that it is more than that. The children should be a result of the spiritual union between the husband and wife. The true fruit of a marriage covenant is the fruit of the Spirit between the husband and wife.

Such fruit cannot be manifest unless each is willing to submit to the Lord (Ephesians 5:21). Such fruit cannot be seen between them if they have not produced the fruit in their lives either. While life is an ongoing process and the people need to have things worked out in their lives, nevertheless true spiritual union between husband and wife will cause the production of all we speak.

You can't have a true union of the spirit when the flesh is in control. The Lord showed to me that Joyce was to be my wife. I had to wait three years until she was saved and filled with the Spirit. Then I told her that the Lord was first in my life and if she could accept that order of things, I would gladly take her as my wife.

How many will control their flesh? How many will seek to walk out the scriptures in the natural? My friends, spiritual revelations will not make you a son. Understanding spiritual truths will not create the formation of a son in you, although they will help. Sons are created because they are willing to be submissive to their Lord and spouse.

Did Jesus not lay down his life for you? Is He not your pattern to follow? Continually I ask how I can lay down my life for my wife even in a greater measure. Do you also ask that question frequently? Jesus was a giver. We too must follow suit.

All things visible came forth out of the invisible. All things seen in the natural plane were first in the spiritual plane. Union must come in the spiritual plane before it can be produced in the natural plane. Procreation takes a seed and an egg. The two must be agreed in purpose in order to produce.

The spirit and the soul must be in unity. When these two are wed to the same purpose it is manifested (or should we say that the fruitfulness is seen?). The appointed time will bring a bodily change but it has no relationship to union of spirit and soul.

Adam is a symbol of the spirit and Eve the symbol of the soul. When these two become one the body will have its garment changed and the light body will be revealed. A body of light, full of the glory of God will be seen. While Adam and Eve produced a son, Seth, who was called a son of God, on the natural plane, we are to enter into a union on the spiritual plane with our spouses to reveal a oneness of purpose between the two.

I do not see that in many marriages. Even among those in ministry, I see a separate vision between the spouses many times. Yet, I can say that I have seen a unity in some husbands and wives, as well as in some of the ministries. Sometimes I have even seen where they minister as a team, each doing their portion, as they strive towards that goal which they together have set before them. Rather than each doing their own "thing." they work together.

In one sense the covenant of fruitfulness and multiplication, which we have called procreation, is a sub-covenant of marriage. For there must be a marriage before there can be procreation. Jesus was married to the purpose of the Father's will. When we are married to the same purpose on an individual basis, and then marry on the natural basis, we will produce sons of God.

The covenant of marriage and procreation, as well as the creation covenant require a oneness of purpose. The covenant of death requires a division and separateness. You can tell if you are walking in the oneness of the Lord if there are no divisions between you and your wife. Now, I realize many allow their spouses freedom to act contrary to what the other one wants, but that is not oneness, that is grace working.

In the NKJV we read 1 Corinthians 6:17 which states: "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." The word "joined" is full of many truths. It does not mean: welded, tied, pasted. It means that there is a chemical bonding of such strength that it can't be broken once it has occurred.

It is only from such a union that life can be produced. It has to be a total surrender of all your desires for the desires of the spouse, and willingly done so for the revelation of life. Jesus surrendered all his desires for that of His Father. It was then they became one. I might add it was at an early age, for at 12 he was about the Father's business. In the Garden of Gethesemane, Jesus conquered the soul for He had so identified with the will of God.

PART 5

We have discussed, ever so briefly, the all-encompassing creation covenant, the covenant of death, the covenant of marriage, and the covenant of procreation. Now comes the covenant of the kingdom which is found in Genesis 1:25 where the word "dominion" is used by the King James Version.

"Dominion" comes from the Hebrew "radah". It means to subjugate, to prevail against, reign, to rule, to take. This shows that Adam and his wife Eve were to conquer the earth. Not that the earth was hostile, but rather that it was undisciplined and needed to be brought into subjection. This would seem to be true, as Adam had to tend the garden. Tending a garden means to maintain it in its proper form.

Note that Adam had to bring dominion to the EARTH and not the heavens or heaven. The natural as well as the spiritual heavens were in order as God desired. It was the earth that had to be brought into line. We find it even so today. It is the natural, and the flesh that must be brought into line with the spirit. There must come subjugation.

The covenant of the kingdom PRECEDED the covenant of death also. Therefore it is not influenced by death. The covenant of the kingdom can exist in the midst of death, or outside of death. But the covenant of the kingdom is not controlled or hindered by death in any way, shape or form.

But we are not to settle for a church-order life but to progress from the guidance of the five-fold ministry into maturity. We are to walk in the covenant of the kingdom now, even as Jesus did. For if He is in us, then we are to reveal Him. Not to reveal Him tomorrow, but today.

It was in the plan of God to establish the kingdom. But to establish the covenant of the kingdom, God first had to establish the covenants of: creation, marriage, and procreation. Once these were established God could bring forth the covenant of the kingdom. Now, the covenant of death is subject to the covenant of the kingdom. Let me say that again. THE COVENANT OF DEATH IS SUBJECT TO THE KINGDOM.

God planned the fall of mankind (Adam) in Romans 8:20. This was a fall out of life into death. The purpose of the fall of Adam was so that Adam would taste death, and then choose life. Adam would also then have the wisdom of how to establish the covenant of the kingdom since he had tasted death, disorder and destruction.

It is obvious from scripture (Rev.13:8) that the pre-existent Christ died in the realm of the Spirit, was revealed in the last days (Romans 16:25-26), for the express purpose so that Adam could be redeemed and accomplish his purpose of bringing the world into subjection through Christ. Thus, the kingdom would be established.

Again, this will be accomplished on earth since the heavens are in order and have always been in order. The kingdom is to be established ON THE EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (Matt.6:10). So the covenant of the kingdom, will be manifested on the earth. We will see it set up on the natural plane.

Yet, we must state emphatically: THE KINGDOM WILL NOT BE REVEALED ON THE EARTH UNTIL IT COMES FORTH OUT OF A PEOPLE WHO WALK IN HARMONY WITH THE COVENANTS THAT PRECEDE THE COVENANT OF THE KINGDOM.

There are many good preachers that preach a natural kingdom of God and it being set up. While they are correct preaching such will come to pass, they have caused the people to focus on an EXTERNAL manifestation of the kingdom. Looking outside of themselves the saints fail to develop the kingdom within.

The covenant of the kingdom is relational first and foremost. It is an ongoing, developing relationship with God. It is this relationship which will bring about the change. So, while we appreciate the brethren who preach "the kingdom message", we sense that most interpret this to mean the external manifestation on the earth. In fact, most of the preachers preach it that way.

The error there, is that the kingdom is within, for the Son and the Father are within (John 14:23). If it isn't developed in the spiritual plane first, where it was in the Garden, it will not be manifest in the earth.

Once the new creation man, that covenant of the kingdom man, is made manifest, then he can create and produce himself in others, even as Jesus did with the disciples. Once revealed the multiplicity of the covenant of creation follows. Life will beget life in ever increasing numbers.

However, we must again stress that the kingdom order comes from the union of the marriage covenant. It is an INTERNAL working that will produce an external manifestation. We cannot let this truth become a trap to us. We must not be looking for a kingdom on the natural plane at this time, but rather we should be concentrating on the developing of the inner man, strengthened in Christ.

It has been evident for some time that as people grasp things with their minds, that vehicle of death, that they toy with ideas and vain theologies. As brother Murray so succinctly stated, the mind delights in the truth for what entertainment of thought it provides, and not for changing the nature.

The covenant of the kingdom can only be revealed then as we walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. The covenant of the kingdom does not have to appear at a certain time as some would say. Since creation it has been possible to walk in it, because it has preceded the fall. But the cost is total. Few have been willing to lay down their own life - let alone their spouse laying down his own to form one new man in the order of the kingdom.

The reason for studying the Word of God is not for knowledge and understanding. It is not for grasping the deep things of God, although He will reveal them to those who ask. No, my beloved friends these are the wrong motivations. Some seek the truths of the scriptures for THEIR ministry. Some seek them to promote themselves (Matt.7:21-22). Some just like to "get up front" before the audience. All these are wrong factors for doing anything.

The reason for studying God's Word is that you hunger after righteousness. A hunger will cause a change in you as you realize you are weak and need to be changed. The first principle of the kingdom is hungering after righteousness. For such a hunger will truly crucify the desire for self-interest. But delusion is given to many believers, especially those who see deeper things because they are after knowledge and not after righteousness.

The covenant of the kingdom produces a great many things. Yet, the person must forever be seeking after righteousness. Matthew chapters 5,6, and 7 are written TO THE DISCIPLES (see 5:1,8:1). The beatitudes were not written for the masses that followed Christ (which is what most Christians are). These three chapters were to cause the disciples to search themselves and find their motivation. If it was fleshly, they were to crucify it.

Matthew 5:6 talks about hungering after righteousness. It is one of the 8 "blessed" requirements for a son of God. For if we are to bear the image of the Son, then we must be a new beginning, and a new creation man must come forth. Eight is the number of new beginnings. The word "Jesus" in the Greek numerics is 888, which means a new creation in spirit, soul, and body. The number of man is 666. The book of Revelation brings this out. It is the number of a fallen man. Adam before the fall was 777 which is complete in spirit, soul, and body. The number 7 doesn't show perfection only completeness.

If the eight requirements of Matthew 5 are placed upon us and have their work in us, it will produce a new creation man. It will produce a man who can walk the earth in kingdom order, just as Jesus did. Remember that Jesus walked the kingdom out in a world that wasn't in kingdom order. We shall do the same thing.

As we live after the inner man, we will strengthen the inner man as we dwell (live, in reside, make our home) upon the beatitudes. The covenant of the kingdom will produce kingdom life in vessels first. Then it will be seen on the global plane that will bring about a change to the whole planet.

Jesus came that we might have fellowship with the Father. He came to reestablish that channel for us. He made the way, since He was the way. Our communion with the Father of lights is through His Son. Jesus manifested in his earthly life the covenant of the kingdom. He did all that his Father said for him to do. He did nothing unless He saw his Father do it (John 5:19).

The covenant of the kingdom is manifested out of the union of the marriage covenant. When a husband and wife come into a spiritual, soul, and body unity, then the kingdom is made manifest on the earth.

For those who are singles, it is when they have come into a union with the Lord and have no desire but His. I do mean this in the natural. I have seen so many singles who reside with others and have no consideration for others but only for their "own freedom". Many times they are set in their ways and opinions. Sometimes they lack understanding for the ones they live with and are not able to function as a "team" member. Nevertheless, these singles who enter into a union with God, since they do not have a spouse, will reveal an ability to flow in life even as others.

The covenant of the kingdom is being made manifest today and can be seen in some marriage situations, some singles too. It is this breakthrough in the individual that will cause a change in the world. For all the sons on the backside of the desert right now, will come forth in unison (which means: perfect pitch, tune, and identity).

Everything that can be shaken is being shaken at this time. 1987 is the year for such, and the shaking will continue to get worse in the time to come. Whether it be religious, political, economic or any other sphere, the system will shake. It will cause all those to fall out who are not gathered in to God.

PART 6

Adam was formed in the Garden of Eden. He was birthed in that realm. Now, the Lord uses the word "formed" when He puts some of his essence into the object that was made. The word "create" only shows that God made something but God himself was not in it. Thank God that Adam was "formed"!

God determined to make man "in His image" which could also be translated "in His likeness". The key here is that we find this very word "likeness" many times in the scriptures. Every time that it appears it refers to the sons of God who have come into the image of the Lord.

In Daniel 3:25 we find one formed in the middle of the three men thrown into the furnace of fire. This fourth man, who is he? Some have said that it was Jesus. But scripture declares "and the form of the fourth is LIKE the Son of God." So, it was not THE Son, but A Son that stood in the fire. In Daniel 7:13 "...one LIKE the Son of Man came with clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days...". Again we find this is NOT Jesus but ONE LIKE unto Jesus. Now, we have two scriptures that show the extreme importance of the word "like".

Yet, in Revelation 1:13 in the middle of the candlestick (which represents the church) stands"...one LIKE unto the Son of Man". It isn't Jesus in the middle of the church. It wasn't Jesus in the middle of the fire. Again in Revelation 14:14 we find one sitting on a cloud (similar to Daniel 7:13) "...LIKE unto the Son of Man". If it can't be Jesus, then who is this one? It is none other than the individual/corporate body of Christ. It is NOT all Christians. The body of Christ has to be HIS body, which means they have come into HIS nature and are one with Him. Isaiah 62:5 states the sons marry the Lord - not the church. The church is NOT the body of Christ.

The promise in the Garden of Eden was that Adam would be made into the likeness of God. Scripture shows in 5 places (the other is Hebrews 7:3) that there is importance in the word "likeness" or "image". It is not a word to be used lightly, beloved.

Who then spoke the words of Revelation 1:17-18? Many have been taught that these are the words of Jesus but they are not. They are the words of one who is in the image of Christ. One who has become a son. Let me quote verse 17 specifically: "...Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last." Was this Jesus that said this or is verse 13 erroneous when it says "ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN"? Verse 18 continues: "I am he who lives and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore." This does not speak of Jesus, but us, those ingrafted in Christ. We were alive until sin was found in us and then we died but now live through the resurrection in Christ. No longer made of the earth (the first) but now made of the heavens (1 Corinthians 15:49). He also was the last to be made of the earth nature, wasn't he?

Adam was the first to be created and also the same Adam was the last as God sought through Jesus Christ to beget a new creation man that was not of the Adamic nature. Jesus began a whole new creation. So, Adam was also the last man of the earth, and still is as Jesus is creating a new man of the heavens, of which He was the first. The only way for Adam to live forevermore was to be birthed out of his old nature into the nature of Jesus Christ. This is seen as being a process accomplished through resurrection life in 1 Corinthians 15:47-50.

Yes, God gave a covenant in the garden of Eden showing that He who formed man of the dust of the earth would also deliver him from such a place and make him a heavenly being. The fall of Adam was not a surprise but part of the overall purpose of God.

Jesus was "was the brightness of His glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE of His person..."(Hebrews 1:3). The words "EXPRESS IMAGE" in the Greek come from a root word "grapho" which means: to write or describe. Thus, we find that Jesus Christ was the very written word of God. Literally, this was so. The phrase "express image" is only used once in the whole New Testament and that in the description of Jesus. Jesus was the very handwritten image of the Father. This means He was in the LIKENESS of the Father. We are to be in the likeness of Christ, which means we will reveal the Father, even as He did.

Twice in scripture it states clearly that Jesus was IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH. These scriptures are found in Philippians 2:7 and Romans 8:3. Jesus was NOT in the same flesh that Adam had. He had similar flesh by all appearances but not the same as. This can also be confirmed in that He came from heaven, which scripture ascertains; whereas, Adam came out of the earth. This can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:47. Jesus never had any part of Adam, and He was never made of the earth. Jesus had no carnal nature.

Oh, Jesus was tempted like we were in all manners. James brings this out clearly. But Satan could find nothing in Him (John 14:30). Why? Because Jesus was not of the earth nature like Adam was but of the heavenly nature.

The promise given by God to Adam to make him in the image of the Father was a broad far reaching statement which was to be fulfilled in ages to come. This is why Paul wrote Romans 16:25 that the mystery that was hidden from the beginning of time is now made manifest. Yet, it remains for a people to possess such. The promise to make Adam in the image of God was BEFORE the fall of man and this is important to remember. For the fall of Adam was PART OF the plan to make Adam in God's image. The fall did not influence nor hinder the work of God but was an integral part of the scope of the plan which God had designed.

Thus, we can say emphatically that death (the fall) had no control over the fulfillment or the development of the plan to make Adam into God's image. Death is merely a part of the overall process, which assists in the development of the nature of Christ. It is an enemy because it is opposite of what God wants, but it is our beloved enemy because once we recognize what the purpose of death is, that is, to assist us in becoming the image of God - we can have our own release from death which controls us.

It takes the understanding of the plan of the ages to allow a rest and a peace to come forth in the life of the saint. It is no longer a struggle but a yielding to the dealings of God. God is making a man in His image. He is a heavenly man fashioned after His very own Son. Without a vision Nehemiah couldn't have rebuilt Jerusalem. Without a vision Moses couldn't have delivered Israel. Without a vision David couldn't have gathered the material for the temple. Those who reside in Adam have no vision.

Many people reside in Adam, even some "sons". They pamper their physical body with the "best" fruits and vitamins. Others purchase big new homes and things, surrounding themselves with such. Others are positive that they can "save" the body or "preserve it" as the KJV states in 1 Thess. 5:23. In the New Testament the word used here is translated "keep" 57 out of 65 times. But here it is "preserved". But listen to the way Moffat translates the verse: "May the God of peace consecrate you through and through, Spirit, soul and body may you be kept without break or blame till the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Consider the translation of Phillips which adds a little more light: "May the God of peace make you holy through and through. May you be kept in soul, mind, and body in spotless integrity until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ."

The word "preserve" doesn't mean preserve as fruit is in a can. It means "kept". In fact, the word "coming" in the Greek is "presence" and has nothing to do with the physical appearance of Christ.

The Concordant Literal Translation uses "preserve" for "unimpaired". Thus, we can see that the body can't even be considered in the crossing over into the kingdom. The Adamic body can NOT inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 15:50 clearly shows this. I see all these end-time saints running around trying to do all things possible for their flesh, as we stated before. They pamper it all the time. Yet, it accounts for nothing. It is wasted carnality. Nice things are enjoyable, but irrelevant in this walk of God.

The body of Adam will not inherit. It must be changed. What then is to be changed and changed to what, if we are to be fashioned in the image of God? Well, we do know what we won't get! As Jesus was our pattern, He did NOT receive His glorified body until after the resurrection and ascension. He did NOT receive His glorified body until He FINISHED his earthly mission. That is the pattern. He is our pattern. We shall not receive a glorified body until AFTER we finish our work as sons. That is the pattern we follow. Many teach glorified bodies are next on the agenda. But it doesn't fit the pattern of Jesus, does it?

First, we must have the fullness of Jesus revealed IN US. 1 Thess.1:10 said, He is coming (presence) to be glorified IN His saints. This must come BEFORE we receive the change. God was glorified in Paul. The Son was revealed in Paul (Galatians 1:15-16). Paul had an ADAMIC BODY. Yet, he revealed the fullness of Jesus in that body.

God is making a man in His image. It is a process. First, God must be revealed fully in Adam, as He was before the fall. This stops death from working in the mortal. In other words, the mortal stops corruption and puts on incorruption! Immortality (glorification) follows the step of incorruption. Our Adamic bodies will be changed to the flesh that Jesus had, and we already showed that He didn't have the same flesh that we have now! We shall put on heavenly flesh. He came from heaven and had no part of the earth (Adam or Eve, Joseph or Mary). Mary was but a surrogate mother for Jesus. Study it thoroughly, and you will see the truth of it.

Jesus was mortal in that he died on the cross. But mortal means "able to die". Jesus died for His Father first, as it was part of the Father's plan for deliverance from sin. But mortality did not work in Jesus. Death had no power over Him (John 14:30). So, Jesus, while on the earth, walked in a heavenly, mortal, incorruptible body. We presently walk in an earthly, mortal, corruptible body. When we reveal the life inside us, it will change the earthly, causing the cocoon which is our earthly body to fall away revealing the inner body, that heavenly body (2 Corinthians 5).

While we have been writing about the body, which is still natural, we feel to digress just a little here. For all of this will not come about until a people take up a complete residence in the inner man, that inner body which is inside the earthly tabernacle. Jesus lived in His inner nature - He didn't even live in His outer body! We must live in Him who is in our inner man in order to bring about the change.

Don't look for a glorified body. Don't look for your Adamic to be preserved. Neither extreme is true! The truth is found, where it has always been - right in the balanced middle. A new body, yes, but not what tradition has taught us, even the traditions of sonship.

Yet, don't settle for a natural realm either. God wants us to be as He is ÿand He is a spirit. In the fullness of times, when all things are summed up in Him we will become fully in His image, which has nothing of the natural to it. It is all spirit.(1 Corinthians 15:28) When God is in all and all is in God, time will end and LIFE will begin.

We shall progress even as Jesus did from a heavenly body to a glorified body. But first we must possess a heavenly which is not made of the earth, and that can't be done until we, like Paul, reveal the fullness of God in this Adamic body. Study and consider these things.

Sonship is not a far off thing that shall come some day upon us. But sonship is a realm of the spirit, which is present even now, for those who desire to live in it. It is the living in it that will cause the change of our bodies. As long as Christians make the change an external happening without having the internal nature of God worked out, it will be nothing but a failure.

To be made in the image of God is a far reaching statement. It does not refer to anything on the natural plane. Rather it is a prophetic statement given by God to declare what He was going to do. Now the man, Jesus, was the visible, express image of God who was invisible. That in itself is difficult to grasp.

Yet, we are to go further and see even a deeper truth. When God spoke this, there was a Pre-Existent Christ with Him. The phrase: "Let us" shows that the plural manifestation of our One God was in agreement in creating Adam. Thus, we are not to just come into the image of the Son of God who made an appearance on the earth about 2,000 years ago but rather to ascend into His nature, which He had from the beginning.

Jesus pre-existed as a spirit. He was slain as a spirit (Rev.13:8) so that His shed blood in the spiritual heavens, made manifest 4,000 or so years later, would cover all mankind, not just some. All were reconciled. Slain from before the foundations of the world. We are to even come into that nature.

The next covenant we see in the scriptures of Genesis is 1:29. Here we find that God gave to man another covenant. Again, this covenant was given before the fall, and therefore has no death working in it. "And God said, See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be food."

The corollary to the eating of fruit was the idea that they wouldn't eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is to the comparison to the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good evil we will turn our discussion. The focus of our attention must be to the way of life and the covenant that was offered.

Immediately, we see that if one eats of the tree of KGE (knowledge of good and evil) he becomes a double-minded person. He has knowledge and it is divided into two parts. Each part is not of God's order. God's order is harmonious and full of unity and not division. God in all things has unity of purpose and everything has to harmonize with the purpose of God.

Paul stated in his letter that a double-minded man is as unstable as water. It is division of knowledge that may look good and helpful but it is the very antithesis of God's desire. The doing of godly things, even by Christians, is incorrect if it is done from the knowledge realm. To know what is right and not do it is sin (James 4:17) but that thought must also be taken into account with other scriptures which state we must be led of the Spirit.

There must always be a balance. There must always be a harmony of purpose with neither a positive nor negative "ph factor". Doing things out of the knowledge of "good" is just as bad as doing evil! Knowledge works out of the mind realm. This is where some writers, like Anna Lee Skarin and others come from. They seek to develop the spirituality of people through the development of the mind and masquerade it as spiritual development.

Knowledge is not spiritual. Understanding is spiritual. Understanding comes from entering into the realm of the spirit and seeing things from the purposes of God. When God gave Adam the ability to eat of the tree of life, he gave him the ability to be immortal. For as long as he ate of the tree of life, he was eating of divine understanding. When he ate of the tree of KGE, Adam had to be expunged from the garden for God could not allow knowledge to have precedence over spiritual understanding. But if Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of life, he would have had understanding.

Knowledge always lowers itself. Fusion, the method of making atom bombs could be used for good, but the first was used for evil. Knowledge always is lowered from good to evil. This can be found in many circumstances as one thinks about it. But, "with all thy getting, get understanding" is the cry of Proverbs 4:7. God gave Adam the privilege of eating the food of God - the tree of life. Adam could have been self-sustaining. For the more he ate of the tree of life the more life he would have generated. Eventually, he would have arrived at the point of living on/in/within/ himself. This was the purpose of the tree of life, a tree with all manner of fruit.

But man chose the lower realm. Yet, God in His graciousness has made available to us, the way again to the tree of life. The cherubim guard the way with the sword of the spirit. We find in Hebrews it is for the separation of the soul and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12). The flaming sword is made up of fiery trials and tribulations to remove the flesh nature from us.

Paul proclaims that he knew one (himself, I believe) in 2 Corinthians 12 who was caught up to paradise. It is a spiritual place or realm. One who enters that realm has already gone through the removing of his flesh nature, that carnality of living and moving by the KGE. Paul in many places speaks of deeper things than what the other disciples wrote. He had a special revelation which I am sure was enhanced by the catching up of which he wrote. Eating of KGE (knowledge of good and evil) is partaking of truths but speaking them out of the mind realm and using the truths for division.

Each denomination has A truth. Even the sonship and reconciliation camps have A truth. Many are those who have built a system around A truth, whether it be in religious circles, political spheres, economic plans, or social theories. But each builds a camp, always seeing and pressing for "their truth" never integrating with all the other truths. Even as the three branches of the Lutheran church unite to form one Lutheran church (they have also agreed in principle to unite with the Roman Catholic church), they have done so by the compromising of their individual theologies. They have not joined together because of "one spirit".

Even the New Age Movement, which sees the "global unity" for the future has taken God's spiritual truth, corrupted and lowered it from the spiritual plane through the use of the mind. They have set in order processes to produce such a "one-world" idea, but through the eyes of the KGE.

We have many people trying to produce the fullness of Christ through their own efforts. Watchman Nee's book The Latent Power of the Soul clearly shows how soul/mind power can deceive one. He shows how the person who wants to be spiritual can be deceived by his own carnal mind into thinking he is spiritual.

Eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is corruption. Even if an idea is good, it is evil if it comes from that tree of KGE. I do hope that folks can grasp that thought! For it takes LIFE and LIFE alone to produce LIFE. Knowledge will pass away when the fullness of LIFE is made manifest.

Paul ate of that tree of LIFE. He withstood all the brethren, ministering the gospel of the kingdom (Acts 28:23). Paul never preached a different gospel than Jesus did (Matthew 4:23), but all the disciples preached a word on a lower realm. While they established an ordered, ritualized system in Jerusalem, Paul established an organism. Life can only beget life.

So, in the book of Revelation we find that to him who overcomes (2:7) it is granted to eat of the tree of life in Paradise. Now, it has been interpreted by many that means "in heaven". When we get to heaven we can eat of the tree. Many preachers state that the church spoken of here was the first century church. Historically, that is probably true but the truth being expressed, as well as the truth in the other six "historical" churches is SPIRITUAL. It represents realms, or spiritual understanding that we can enter into. We can eat of the tree of life now. It is the first level of kingdom life.

It is not an altitude location (heaven), nor does death have anything to do with it, as we see that Paul went to paradise in 2 Corinthians 12. It is a spiritual realm. It is a realm located in the Spirit of God, which is IN the man. You can live in paradise NOW if you live in the Spirit. It is above the touch of the devil, death and all things from the tree of KGE.

There are 8 levels of sonship (see our message on the Overcomers). This is the first, and is able to be attained in the physical realm today. Jesus is the tree of life in the midst of the garden! We are the garden Proverbs says WISDOM is the tree of life (3:18), which is God. The tree of knowledge of good and evil (KGE) is not wisdom. Knowledge is not wisdom. But wisdom is life!

The first step in overcoming is knowing WHO is wisdom and not thinking WHAT is wisdom. Wisdom is a person. It is Jesus Christ on the pre-existent plane, ascended. It is not something that can be grasped by the mind. It is lived in by the spirit only and few be that can discern the difference.

This word of life, this tree of life will not be lowered down to the carnal plane. Man will have to be released from the earth plane - that mind realm - into the spiritual plane. Every time God has tried to release a people from the carnal plane they have in turn, lowered or watered down the life - corrupted it. But this is the time and this is the hour, when man will no longer be able to do such. Either he will ascend into life, or be deceived by the mind and be destroyed.

The tree of life was found in the MIDST of Jerusalem, and it straddled the river of God. The river is God himself, and the tree of life is the new creation man springing forth out of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the sons (Isaiah 62:5), and the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22 is the bride of Christ (Rev.21:9). Thus, we see that the twenty-second chapter of Revelation is talking about a tree of life being revealed in the sons of God after they become the bride of Christ.

The life of God is found in the heart of man. NOT EVERY MAN. All men have life because of God. But SOME men have paid the price to ENTER into God who is in them. It is these who have paid the price of death to self that enter into union with Jesus Christ. Many think since, God created all things, and God is in control of all things, that it follows that all things are in God's order. This is not true.

God created evil, but evil is not God's order. God created death, but death is not God's order. While these things are here, they are not OF God, nor can be. HE is NOT in them, nor is His essence in them. But God is in Life. His essence is life giving. The fallacy of many eastern mystical philosophies is the saying that all is of God - when all is not of God. For all to be of God it must have His nature. Evil is not in God's nature. He created it (Isaiah 45:7) but He did not form it. As we stated before "create" means to make but not put yourself into; whereas "form" means to place yourself into it.

There are many in the deeper things that believe if there is something "good" we can eat of it and throw away the garbage that might surround it. That philosophy is not scriptural. Eating of the "good" of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is still death producing. While it may be true, taste good, and be a truth it is still death and will produce only death.

Jesus is the tree of life. He resides in heaven. Heaven is in us (John 14:23). We must enter into Paradise, heaven which is in us. We must eat of the way of life, Jesus. He creates the new creation man as we eat of his flesh and drink of his life, in the garden. We must separate from the outer man and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The word "sabbath" is used 106 times in the Old Testament and first occurs in Exodus 20:8. Here it is found as part of the decalogue, or what we call the ten commandments. Yet, the Christian world has done just as the Israel did of old; that is to say that they have institutionalized the keeping of the commandments. Our Father never meant that the commandments would become a legalistic formality with Israel or with Christians. The commandments were not given for regulation of the person. Yet, people have interpreted them in that manner.

Jesus came and summed up the commandments by saying they are fulfilled in just two commandments: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. So, these commandments were not meant to be legal items that had to be served as a law. Rather these commandments had spiritual reality in them which was to be discerned.

I am sure that the leaders of Israel, as well as the leaders in most churches think that they have discernment when they present the idea of "keeping the Ten Commandments". Yet, it cannot be done on a legalistic basis of personal effort. Any attempt to keep the commandments is an effort of self.

The covenant of the seventh day cannot be observed by carnal means, although it has been tried by many for centuries. The covenant was given before death entered the picture in the Garden of Eden. God made the covenant for Himself. HE rested the seventh day. It is His Day when He surveyed the beauty, harmony, unity, and love that filled His creation at that time. Peace reigned supreme.

Discord was not found in the seventh day. Death did not work in the seventh day. Grief, pain, bitterness, anxiety, were not found on the Lord's Day. There were no malformations, no six-toed, six fingered giants nor any mutants of any sort. The only other time that the Lord's Day is seen is in Revelation 1:10. It is a time of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Before the fall, all the earth was in the theocracy of God. It will be again when death is eliminated. The theocracy of God, in its fullness, will not be seen until all death is conquered.

We are at the end of the 6th day and the dawning of the seventh day. It is a time of the feast of Tabernacles (which means engathering). The time is now for some to afflict their soul/mind (Lev.23:29) and offer a sacrifice of that soul by fire (vs.28). Any one who doesn't do such will be cut off from the Lord (vs.30).

Hard saying? Not really. For no carnal, fallen nature can be found in the seventh day. It is a day of rest. A time of cessation from the flesh and its works. Its God's rest. That doesn't mean we don't work on Sunday or anything of the sort. The rest of the seventh day, which even God took, was more than a physical time out. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and let me quote it here:

The covenant of the seventh day, that Sabbath day, is not a covenant of a legalistic time period. It is a time of spirituality. The word Sabbath is actually a military term in Hebrew. It means: to go in the front of. This is where we get the idea of Sunday (Sabbath) being the first day of the week. Yet, the meaning has far greater significance than that. It really is trying to state that the life of the Sabbath is to prevail before all other things. It is to pervade everything that follows. All that follows is to be seen through the eyes of the sabbath. In other words, every deed done every day is to be done by acting it out through the rest you have entered into with the Lord.

Most Christians have not entered into the covenant of the seventh day. They may go to church meetings at specified times, but the rest of the week is hit or miss as far as Christ entering the picture. They may pray the words: "God direct me today." but that is perfunctory and they don't act as if God is doing so.

What actually is going on in the lives of most Christians and also the deeper saints is a separation mentality of "God's time" and "work time" which shouldn't be done. For those who have left the harlot church system, it is evident that their unchurched mentality is still religious because they still separate time as: His and work's.

There must come an entering into the covenant of the seventh day by the saints. They must give up the idea of separate times for this or that. It is this compartmentalization of time that is incorrect. Our whole life must be lived as a unit of time. There should not be a division of time into slots of this or that. That is a worldly mentality. There is a small book called The Gift of Time by William T. McConnell which has some similar thoughts. It is a book that discusses the use of time in different societies and its effect on their culture. Perhaps, it would be worth reading to give some perspective.

The covenant of death has influenced many minds. It has influenced many of the Christians without their understanding that it has. Death has caused the Sabbath is a set day which Jesus Christ showed that it is not. The fall of man has caused mankind to see all things through the colored glasses of the fallen nature. Such a viewpoint corrupts all that it sees.

Yet, many Christians even though they have been "born again", "filled with the Spirit" and more, fail to see that their understanding of the Sabbath is till controlled by a "religious nature" which accepts the values of fallen world. While it is perfectly fine to set aside a day unto the Lord, it is a lower order as Paul states in Gal.4:9-10.

It is lower order because it controls the outer man but does not change the outer man. But if one enters into the covenant of the seventh day, the person will find that their whole life is dramatically changed. Rather than going to church on a special day to find God, one knows God and has such an intimate relationship with Him that each day is the Lord's Day without specializing one.

While many will believe such is true and give mental assent to it, it is not being lived by many. For the rest of the seventh day, is a daily doing of your normal routines - work wherever it is. But it is a realm of rest that knows what will be accomplished will be accomplished since God is in control in a totally personal way.

Whether there are problems or not, crisis or not, the even keel of residing in the rest of God doesn't rock the boat. All events can be reduced to ashes, if you reside in the rest of the seventh day. Seeing the whole, the unity of your life will enable you to come to a rest in Him, which is well able to surmount any difficulty.

We are not talking about a fatalistic mentality, which is a mentality that feels you can't change things. Rather we are talking about an enthusiasm, which means: a divine unction from the Greek "theo" for god. For as we enter into Jesus, who is our rest, we can relax and be confident that He will lead us. It is this rest, the seventh day rest, which was given to Adam before the fall.

The same assurance is available to us today if we enter into the realm of the Spirit. It takes a birth and a residing in that place. It was this assurance that Jesus had and was accounted to Him as "authority" when He spoke. People were amazed because of the manner he acted, lived, spoke, as well as died. They were amazed because he didn't act like the typical person. Well, the reason He acted the way He did was because of the relationship He had with God and the rest in that relationship. Hebrews 4:10 states:

"For he who HAS ENTERED His rest has himself also CEASED from his works as God did from His."

Notice that the verbs are in the past tense. It doesn't have to be a someday I shall idea, but it can be experienced in this life. Also of note is that the person can enter the rest of God (HIS) and cease from his(his) own works. Note that the "His" is capitalized after the word "entered". This shows that the person has entered into the rest of God and not a rest of the person's own making.

One can rest in his own plan. But it is another thing to be able to rest in the work of God in you. When God begins to move most people fight the training, teaching, even the corrections. Why? Because they live in their outer man and not the inner man that is being renewed after the things of God. Many saints desire to remain in the outer as long as it has a breath of life in it.

The word "rest' in the Greek is "katapausis" which means: reposing down or abode. Or to phrase it another way: to settle down, to colonize (which is what the verb means). We are to cease, or stop from our ways and settle down into colonizing ourselves in the ways of the Lord. Just as people came to the USA to settle it and colonize it, so are we to settle and colonize our rest in Him.

Adam had a plan working out in his life. Eve sinned and Adam had to continue to fulfill the covenants already given to him - marriage, life, rest. So, he was at rest as he crossed from the life realm into the death realm. He knew that it was in God's purpose and plan and thus was able to bear it.

Jesus did the same later on. He was able to endure the cross of God because it was part of the plan, which would lead him into death and the resurrection. We find that Paul was able to endure also for the call of God. He could have left the jail when the earth quaked, but remained because it was the plan of God to lead the jailer to Christ. Paul knew the ways of the Lord.

When Paul received a vision from a prophet seeing him in a girdle if he went to Jerusalem, the brethren told him it was a word NOT to go there. But Paul knowing the purpose and will of God rejoiced at the opportunity because it would lead him to higher officials. God promised him earlier that he would take the word to kings and kingdoms. While Paul went on to Jerusalem, I wonder how many would have gone on?

David was another that entered into the rest of God. He knew he was to be king. But he also knew the Lord would do the thing in His time. So, rather than hurry it along by his own efforts, David waited. How could he wait without being stirred up in himself? He waited because he had entered into the seventh day covenant.

The covenant of the seventh day stands. It was given before the fall of man, that covenant of death. It will produce kingdom life in people even if they enter into it now. The covenant of the seventh day, as shown by Jesus doesn't reside in a specific time but in a realm of the Spirit. Jesus fulfilled all the laws but broke the Pharisees' understanding of the Sabbath.

Did Jesus break the law? Of course not. He fulfilled it in that He lived out in His life the very law. He didn't do it by regulating Him self but by living in the realm of the Spirit which allowed Him to keep the law out of love and not legalism.

The covenant of the seventh day is another covenant that allows us to rise up into life. It creates the avenue to be released from our carnal nature, rather than live in that carnal nature. We must enter into the rest of God for it is the way to cease from all fleshly movements. He who has entered into His rest ceases from residing in the way of death - his own rest (ie. doing your own thing). Resting in the trusting arms of the Lord, is the day of release from the desires of the flesh. Yet, that rest is not a passive, "what will be, will be" rest but a positive outflowing of Christ Jesus in every manner and possibility. Pagan eastern religions teach a fatalistic, laid-back approach, but Christianity teaches an ascending conquering vitality.

Psalm 37:7 declares: "Rest in the Lord..." The Hebrew word here means: to cease, to fail, to perish, quiet self, be silent, and be cut off. When we have entered into His rest, it is a silence that is golden because Man no longer exists, and Christ Jesus is manifested through us.