The Daily Word of Righteousness

From Moses to Christ, #9

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (Philippians 3:8)

The believer recognizes his adamic nature is unable to attain the goal of change into the image of Christ, or that of achieving untroubled rest in the Father through Christ.

Neither keeping the Law of Moses nor the requirements of any other creed will enable an individual to be changed into the moral image of Christ or to enter untroubled rest in the Father. It is as Paul said: "All of my achievements as a Jew and a Pharisee are loss for Christ. All the righteousness I can gain by my own efforts is garbage.

"I am seeking to win Christ. I do not desire one particle of the righteousness that comes by observing the Law, only the righteousness that comes as I grasp the vision of God and then follow the Holy Spirit to the fulfilling of the vision.

"I want to experience the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. I want to attain the resurrection that is out from among the dead."

The believer makes a clear, unqualified decision to put to death his old nature by obeying the commandments of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit enables Him to put to death the deeds of his old nature. Here is the key to the transition.

Notice it is the adamic man who makes the decision to put himself to death. Many people are waiting until Christ is formed in them so Christ will overcome their sin for them. They are waiting in vain. This is not how the transition is made. The transition from the old man to the new is made only as the old man obeys, through the Holy Spirit, the commandments of the Apostles. In so doing he slays himself. In so doing he makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to create the new man in him. The new man does not sin because he has been born of God.

Keeping the commandments of the Apostles enables us to enter the new covenant, but of itself the keeping of the commandments is not the new covenant. The new covenant is Christ who is being formed in us.

As to keeping the commandments of the Apostles:

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (Romans 6:17)

It is not the new man who obeys from the heart the doctrine of the Apostles, it is the old man who obeys the teaching with the help of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, we have to do what the Bible says!

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:34)

Wake up and quit sinning!

We must put to death the appetites and passions of our flesh if we are to lay hold on the resurrection unto eternal life. If we live in the works of the first man, the flesh and soul, we will destroy our own resurrection.

To be continued.