The Daily Word of Righteousness

An Army of Judges, #8

Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. (Romans 7:9,10—NIV)

Little by little we are given to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which also is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the eternal moral law of God made flesh, is He not? Isn't it true that if we learn of the moral law of God before we receive Christ, who is the Tree of Life, the law of God kills us just as it slew Adam and Eve?

This is how we grow in Christ. We continually eat from the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Maturity in Christ, according to the Book of Hebrews, is the ability to judge between good and evil and the strength of Jesus Christ to choose the good and resist the evil.

This is the massive change that must take place in our day in the Christian churches. We must grow up to be God's judges, because it was for this purpose that God created man—that we might judge ourselves, and the angels as well. We are God's judges, but as yet we have only been forgiven and issued a firstfruits of God's Spirit.

God is seeking a new world in which everlasting righteousness reigns. This righteousness will come from God through the Lord Jesus Christ through the saints. It is not a legally ascribed righteousness, it is an actual righteousness of thinking, speaking, and acting, for these compose the Kingdom of God.

In addition to growing in the knowledge of good and evil we must learn to obey God perfectly. In God's army there cannot be one soldier who does not walk in the Lord's path for him, following Christ in every detail.

In God's army there is no gossiping, no slandering a fellow Christian.

In God's army there is no unbelief or fearfulness so that the ranks are broken when we come against the forces of the enemy.

In God's army there is no grumbling and complaining against the leadership. Every soldier understands who he is to obey, and there is no mutiny, no rebellion.

All of this must be accomplished in the Christian churches if we are to be raised from the dead and rise to meet the Lord in the air; for the next coming of the Lord is that of the Commander in Chief who is ready to attack all the forces of Antichrist.

The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Revelation 19:14,15—NIV)

Christ is dressed in a robe dipped in His own blood, so terrible is the unleashing of the wrath of God against all who have rebelled against Him.

Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? (Joel 2:10,11—NIV)

To be continued.