Am I Ready to Rule with Christ 5/03

Christian Education Pre-K-12
Richmond Academy

Am I Ready to Rule with Christ? - Acts 2:31

Genesis 2:7, 3:19, 22 (KJV) “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. ²²And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:”

God does not speak in “time.” God speaks in “eternity.” Adam did not die immediately, but his body was no longer worthy of the Presence of God and therefore decay started. That decay opened the door for rebellion against God. Because Adam’s body was not being renewed by the Life of God, he began to breed corruption. Adam did not perish, only his body until the day it is called forth by the voice of Christ Jesus.

Like some religions of the East, many today treat the physical body as an evil to be discarded so we can go to heaven. God told Adam and Eve they were dust; he didn’t say anything about their immortal souls, which is the emphasis today. The human body is important to God. We will never understand the release of creation or the reward to the overcomers until we understand the material body in God’s eternal plan. The release of creation has to do with the clothing of the invisible God with the material form. Our material bodies are the rooms of the House of God (Jn.14:2). Our bodies are the temples of the Spirit of God.

Our material body dies because of sin. Lusts prevent it from living in the Presence of God (Rom. 8:10). God will not accept our human body until we come out from uncleanness. God will not fellowship with sin. (2 Cor. 7:1)

WHAT AM I SAYING?

We have a spiritual nature that will endure forever. But as a born-again believer I must be seeking, through Christ Jesus, to overcome the forces of darkness to be united with God. Can we begin to understand why it is more difficult today than it used to be? Evil is prevailing and we aren’t resisting, so the separation is becoming greater until we press into the victory of Christ Jesus, to gain eternal life.

When the Bible talks about being alive, it talks about having a body. Don’t allow the spirit of death which is running rampant today to overtake you. The goal is to live. Things are worse, but we must overcome until the Lord takes us.

Revelation 20:4 – “…and they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years.” Redemption is not complete until we are made alive – spirit, soul, and body – filled with the presence of God…until this corruptible puts on incorruption.

WHAT WENT WRONG IN EDEN?

Adam and Eve were flesh and blood beings, having a spirit/soul capable of communion with God and moral judgment. Their outer form resembled the spiritual form of God (which is incomprehensible).

They were given paradise, but they did not have a ruling spiritual nature to enable them to possess what they had been given. Before anyone can possess paradise he must be perfected in his inner nature. This is why the rapture escape theory is foolishness. If God were to give human beings paradise without a developed ruling spirit, it would then happen all over again.

Lawless grace covers our recklessness and puts people in a paradise isn’t Biblical – it isn’t of God – and it does not accomplish God’s eternal purpose. His purpose is to create a material kingdom ruled by righteous men made perfect in Christ Jesus – those who will overcome every obstacle, every force that would invite them to walk in unrighteousness, uncleanness and disobedience to the Word of God.

God will permit by His mercy those who have not been perfected spiritually, but they will never rule or govern in the New Life. Rewards are given incrementally based on the development of a maturing spiritual nature. So it is obvious those who do not overcome, who do not resist evil, those who do not mature in Christ, will not receive rewards “by grace.”

The fullness can only come to those who press on:

Two stages:

As we keep going on to victory daily, over all creatures, forces and things coming against us.
As we attain unto the resurrection of the dead when Christ appears.

The idea that we will receive bodies like Jesus, even though we are spiritually immature is very destructive to the purposes of God.

If on the day of resurrection our material bodies were to become more full of Divine Life than is true of our spiritual nature, there would be chaos in the Kingdom of God (Adam & Eve).

If on the day of resurrection our material body were to be less full of life than our spiritual nature, we would remain as today – a victorious spirit dragging around an imprisoned body.

The believer who does not press forward into victory will suffer tremendous loss in the Day of the Lord. The body is going to reflect what he is in spiritual personality. His nakedness will be revealed – i.e. he will lack the life, the glory, the authority and the union with God. His body will continue to weaken his spirit until he lacks the strength to carry on the life of Christ.

Colossians 3:4-5 (KJV) “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. ⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

The first thing Paul says is to turn away from sin. 1 John 3:3 – “every one that has this hope in him purifies himself.” What hope – vrs.2 – “it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like Him.” How shall we appear with Christ Jesus – “like Him.”

This tells us when we receive God’s grace but do not change – allowing the inward change of Christ to produce an outward change in action – “faith with works,” then we have received the grace of God in vain. (Eph. 2:8-9) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…”

The tares of rebellion and wickedness are coming to maturity. Since original sin was disobedience – in heaven and in earth - it will be through total obedience that the victory will be won. If we are to tear down the strongholds of Satan, we must love not our lives unto the death. God will have a people of holy righteous behavior who are made ready to rule with Christ.

-Pr. Steve

May Newsletter 2003 | Am I Ready to Rule with Christ? | Get It Together part 2 | Present Day Fathers part 2

Pastor's Journal May 2002 | Progress of Maturity part 2 of 2 | Pillars and Posts part 2 of 3

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