The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Resurrection and the Life, #2

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28,29—NIV)

Resurrection. To begin with, let us consider and then set aside the resurrection of our physical body. Notice carefully the above passage.

"All who are in their graves."

Can you see that every individual will be raised from the dead? Even though we have been at ground zero of an atom bomb, God, our Creator, is well able to reassemble our flesh and bones.

Our physical frame will not be raised by eternal life. It will be raised by the spiritual energy that operates the universe. No angel has eternal life, has the Being and Substance of Jesus Christ; but the angel lives, moves, and has its being by the spiritual energy that operates the universe. Eternal life, however, is reserved for God, Christ, and those people whom God deems worthy of the world to come.

At the present time our physical body is dead because of sin.

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10—NIV)

This means the Being and Substance of Jesus Christ are not in our body. Our body is not as yet part of the Life of God.

When our body is raised from the dead it still, initially, will be dead because of sin. It will be raised by Divine energy but not by what we have defined as eternal life.

Eternal life. Now let us lay aside the resurrection for a moment and discuss eternal life.

We can gain eternal life now.

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. (John 6:27—NIV)

We can be given eternal life when the Lord comes.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (Luke 18:29,30—NIV)

All of the eternal life we gain now, immediately ascends to be in Christ at the right hand of God.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4—NIV)

We have been raised with Christ and our inward eternal life, our knowledge and Presence of God, are now hidden with Christ in God.

The only people who will appear with Christ when He returns are those whose Life He is. To actually have Christ as our life means very much more than merely taking "the four steps of salvation." Having Christ as our life is gained as our adamic nature is brought down in weakness and God's Life takes it place.

To be continued.