The Daily Word of Righteousness

Death and Resurrection, continued

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)

"Unto them that look for him."

Who shall change our vile body [the body of our humbling], that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)

"Fashioned like unto his glorious body."

Then we shall live together with the Lord for the eternity of eternities.

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)

Every part of our personality that experiences the death and resurrection of Christ becomes free from the power of sin and death.

Let us say that someone has injured us severely and without cause. Satan immediately attacks us with spirits of revenge, bitterness, hatred.

This is part of our daily struggle against spiritual death and our attempt to enter life.

If we choose to disobey the Lord's commandment by not forgiving our enemy, spiritual death prevails. We remain in the corruption of the old adamic nature. No progress is made toward the first resurrection, the resurrection of the victorious saints that will take place when the Lord appears.

If we choose to obey the Lord's commandment by forgiving our enemy we must seek His Divine Virtue and His Holy Spirit, because the power to forgive does not reside in our flesh. The moment we choose to forgive, Divine authority and power take charge. The evil spirits seeking to dwell in us are rendered powerless. The forgiving Nature of Jesus enters our spirit. Part of our personality dies and a new, Divine element takes its place.

The new element is now an eternal part of our personality. Death has no power over it. It is our inheritance to the ages of ages. It is an eternal judgment in our favor.

We are being made incorruptibly alive as we follow the Lord in the process of death and resurrection!

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. (Romans 6:10)

The Lord Jesus never again will be required to bear the load of sin. He never again will be required to experience the terrors of Gethsemane. He never again will be exposed to the mocking faces of demons in Hades. He is in incomprehensible Glory for eternity in the Presence of God.

The Apostle Paul never again will be required to wrestle against sin in his flesh. He never again will have to bear the scorn of the Jews or the pains of shipwreck and imprisonment. He is dwelling in incomprehensible Glory for eternity in the Presence of God.

So it is with us. Today we are in the death throes of sin. If we remain faithful, pressing each day into the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, we will live unto God rather than unto sin. We will grow each day in the life lived unto God.

Finally, if we do not quit in despair, the hour will come when we are shed forever of the body of sin and death that we now are dragging around. The new wine will be put in new bottles. We will be alive in the Presence of God in incomprehensible Glory for eternity.

To be continued.