The Daily Word of Righteousness

A Suitable Helper, continued

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (I Corinthians 15:50—NIV)

Now let us think about some of the areas of maturity into which we must grow.

First, and probably most important, is that of learning to live by the body and blood of Christ. The Wife of the Lamb will not consist of flesh and blood human beings but of the new creation formed from the Substance of Christ. In the economy of God, like must marry like. Jesus Christ is Son of God and Son of Man. His Body, His Bride, His Church, must also be born of man and born of God. This is why we must be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God, which is Christ—Head and Body. Flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom.

How are we to learn to live by the body and blood of Christ?

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57—NIV)

Every day we have many decisions to make. We can choose to make each decision, great and small, according to our fleshly soul and mind. Or we can choose to make each decision, great and small, in prayer before the Lord, committing every aspect of our thinking, speaking, and acting to Him.

Whenever we make a decision according to our fleshly soul and mind we remain an animal creature.

Whenever we make a decision in prayer before the Lord, committing the decision to Him, we are, in the spirit realm, given to eat of His flesh and to drink of His blood.

Let us say there is someone we must forgive. This may be difficult for us. We may choose to ignore the prompting of our conscience and justify our attitude. Or we may go to God in prayer and ask His help. When we do this we are given the body and blood of Christ to strengthen us until we actually are able to forgive the individual. Try doing this with your decisions and see if I am correct.

It is in learning to live by His body and blood that we are married to the Lamb, becoming an integral, eternally inseparable part of His Person, just as He Himself is an integral, eternally inseparable part of God's Person.

Implicit in the idea of presenting our body a living sacrifice, and living by the body and blood of Christ, is the concept of stern obedience to God. The original sin was disobedience—the setting of one's will against God. In spite of the low standard of consecration being presented in many Evangelical churches, it is a fact that no creature of God is accepted who in the smallest area of behavior is not sternly obedient to God. The Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will in the earth as it is in Heaven. Nothing short of this is permitted.

The obedience of the Church must be perfected before God will work with the remainder of mankind.

The Servant of the Lord is totally, sternly obedient to the Father at all times and under every circumstance. God will perfect the attitude of obedience in you and me if we will ask Him.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. (II Corinthians 10:6—NIV)

To be continued.