The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Fullness of Salvation, #12

And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:2,3)

Often the fulfillment of our most intense desires is withheld from us, or it may happen that we are obligated or forced to remain in situations that are distasteful to us. To get out of God's prison we have to break God's laws.

God's rulers, like Joseph, are not to complain while in their prison. Neither are they to scheme constantly, attempting to devise ways to break out of the prison in which they have been placed. We always are to give thanks to God and make our desires known to Him. If we are faithful unto death in our prison we will be given the crown of life.

The higher our calling the lower we must be brought.

The obedience of God's rulers must be established beyond all question. They must be prepared to offer their souls to the Father while not understanding the purpose or the duration of their suffering.

It is one matter to profess obedience to God with our mouth. It is another matter to have obedience beaten so deeply into our personality it is instinctive. Our obedience to the Father must be thorough, consistent, immediate. Nothing short of stern, total, instant obedience is accepted from the future rulers of the Kingdom.

Many believers are rebellious. They have no intention of doing what God desires unless they understand the reason for it and it does not cause too much pain on their part. The rulers of the Kingdom obey God in every detail regardless of what it costs them personally.

The victorious saints, having learned obedience through much suffering and frustration, will govern the nations of saved peoples of the earth. The Apostles of the Lamb will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The victorious saints will inherit all things.

Every person who is brought into the new heaven and earth reign of Christ will be obedient to God. There are those who govern and those who are governed, but all must obey God implicitly. The Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will in the earth as it is in Heaven.

Divine grace never interferes with Divine government. Divine government proceeds inexorably. Grace makes it possible for us to survive and to learn to obey God. Grace never is an alternative to obedience. The greatest heresy of all time is the present Christian teaching of grace, for it implies we can be accepted of God apart from obedience to Him. It suggests we can continue disobeying God but God will continue justifying us in Christ.

So far we have mentioned salvation from guilt to forgiveness, salvation from spiritual death to eternal life, salvation from spiritual bondage to spiritual freedom, and salvation from disobedience to obedience.

Salvation from disobedience to obedience is especially important with respect to the rulers of the Kingdom of God. They undergo much suffering in order that obedience may be perfected in them. Under Christ they will govern the works of God's hands.

To be continued.