The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Inheritance, continued

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:3,4)

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)

Now, at the commencement of the Kingdom of God, the eternal Word has undergone an eternal transformation. Christ is unchanging. Yet, in becoming a man He has been set forth as the beginning of the new creation of God.

Will we ever comprehend such a marvel? God became a Man. This is the central fact of all history.

It is not only the Word of God who is seated in regal splendor on the highest throne of the universe, it is the Manwho is above all. The cave of Joseph of Arimathea is empty. The human form, once so weary as to fall crushed in the blood and dirt of the Way of Sorrows under the weight of the timbers of the cross, is now King of kings at the right hand of God Almighty.

The Father spoke to the Word: "You are My Son."

Then the Spirit of the Almighty spoke of a day: "This day I became Your Father."

"This day." What day? On what day was the eternal, creative, life-giving Word of God born as the Son of God?

On the day that the eternal Word of God became a man.

Christ was declared by the angel to be the Son of God when He was born of Mary.

Christ was declared to be the Son of God at His baptism in water when the Father spoke from the cloud.

Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit who raised Him from the dead.

Each of God's sons, each man, must be born of woman, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and raised from the dead into eternal life.

Although none of us is the Word of God from eternity, yet we also become heirs of the Kingdom of God at these same three points: when we are born as a human being; when the Spirit of God comes upon us after our baptism in water; and finally and completely when our body is raised from the dead.

And not only they [the material creation], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)

"The adoption (as sons), to wit, the redemption of our (physical) body." Our new inward man is born of God but our body will be adopted.

As soon as the Father declared that the Word of God is to be born as the Son of God, and therefore as a man by His birth from a human mother, the Father gave to the Son the prayer that will bring into being the inheritance of Christ and the saints—the Kingdom of God.

"Ask of me, and I shall give thee . . . "

Isn't it true that the most powerful prayers we pray are those that God places on our heart? When the Lord God of Heaven invites us to ask of Him, then we know that the prayer will be heard and the request granted.

To be continued.