Dying in the Lord~ 6

They have died; but behold-they live!

They are crucified with Christ, yet they live. But it no longer is they who are living, it is Christ.

God has provided the answer to every terror of the last days. The answer is our death and resurrection in Christ.

We must reckon ourselves dead, experience the judgment of God in every aspect of our personality (which includes much suffering and the denial of our fondest hopes), and then receive the Presence of the Father and the Son. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34). It is the provision God has made for the spiritual oppression of the closing days of this age.

In the day when so many are falling into the trap of viewing themselves as God, the Spirit says:

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Rev 14:12)

We must bow the knee to God, turning away from our pride, our arrogance, our haughtiness. We must keep God's righteous commandments. The Epistles of the New Testament are filled with guides to righteous behavior. We must keep faith in Jesus, guarding the word of His patience.

To follow the Lord in cross-carrying obedience, turning away from the "Christian" people who tell us we can have everything we want in the world, requires patience.

Continued. Dying in the Lord~ 7