The Daily Word of Righteousness

Participation in the Parousia, #11

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)

God has determined to bless the nations of the earth. He will bless the nations through the one Seed of Abraham, Christ:

The promise of the blessing of the nations came on the basis of Abraham's obedience. Christ Himself had to learn obedience to the Father through suffering. Each member of the Body of Christ must learn obedience to God. It is only sternly obedient saints who are qualified to participate in the worldwide flowing out of Divine glory to the nations of the earth.

The Glory of God was lost through man's disobedience. The Glory of God will be restored through Christ's obedience and through the obedience of each of the members of the Body of Christ. No disobedient Christian has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God and of Christ.

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. (II Corinthians 10:6)

Only the "called, and chosen, and faithful" will participate with the Lord in His parousia (Revelation 17:14). The Wife of the Lamb is clothed in the white robes of her righteous acts (Revelation 19:8).

The wicked, "Christians" or not, will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and sulfur: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

The victorious saints, those who overcome the world, Satan, their bodily lusts, and their self-will, will participate with the Lord Jesus Christ in His parousia:

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)

The wicked, whether or not they are Christians, will not inherit the Kingdom of God:

. . . I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21)

An unbelieving, sinful, self-centered Christian is of no use in the parousia. He is of no use to the nations of the earth. He still reveals in himself the residue of satanic death—the death that has resulted in these many thousands of years of frightful agony, of multiplied horrors.

No, a defeated Christian has no place in the parousia. He is not able to break the chains of others, he still is in chains himself. He is a carrier of death, not of life, to the peoples of the earth.

By a defeated Christian we mean one who is not attending to his salvation as he should, who is not seeking the Lord, who knows what he should be doing but is lazy and disobedient concerning the Lord's will. He will receive punishment, not glory, at the hand of Christ.

We are not referring to a sincere Christian who has not as yet been able to gain the fullness of victory but who is pressing forward in God in the assurance that what Christ has promised He is able to perform. Such can and should minister to others even though they are not satisfied with their own level of victory in Christ.

To be continued.