In the beginning God created man in His image.
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As we have stated previously, "man" must be created in two steps. The first step is the development of the initial form of man, consisting of a material body, an intelligent soul, and a spirit that can communicate with God. The second step is the development of the permanent form of man, consisting of a spiritualized flesh and bone body, a soul that has been changed into the Substance and image of Divine Life, and a spirit that is one with the Holy Spirit of God.
The first man is a living soul. He is an intelligent animal with the potential for becoming "man."
The second man is a life-giving spirit (I Corinthians 15:45). He is the dwelling place of God.
It has been given to the second man, who is what God means by "man," to rule the works of God’s hands.
The first man is the dust of the ground. The second man is the Lord from Heaven.
By striving to attain to the early resurrection from the dead, Paul was pressing toward becoming "man."
What is born of the flesh is flesh. The flesh profits nothing. Flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of the Spirit of God is Divine in Substance and Nature. It is of the Kingdom of God. It is eternal.
Man must bear the image of the earthly, and also the image of the heavenly, in order to become "man."
The Christian redemption is not directed toward the perpetuation of the first man in the spirit Paradise. The Christian redemption is directed toward the completion of what God means by "man." What an altogether different understanding from the current viewpoint this is! What a different meaning, what an urgency it gives to the choices we Christians make concerning how we conduct ourselves in the world!
It is impossible to overstate the necessity, the urgency for today’s Christian people to understand the Kingdom law of sowing and reaping. What we are sowing we shall reap. If we are sowing to our first man, our first, natural personality, we will reap corruption in the Day of Christ. The first nature is corrupt. Our first personality will be raised from the dead—to face what?
If we give ourselves to the Holy Spirit, diligently following the Lord each moment, we will stand before the Lord in that day in newness of life. It will not be a redeemed first personality standing before the Lord Jesus, it will be a new creation that has been fashioned from His Life just as Eve was fashioned from the substance of Adam. We will enter life in that day because we have become life. We will enter a body and an environment compatible with that which has been developed in our spiritual personality.
What will be true of the believer who has neglected to enter the development stage of salvation, who has believed in Christ and been baptized in water and then has lived in his bodily appetites and lusts?
The Scripture (Romans 8:13) states he will die. His resurrection life will not be adequate to enable him to go with the Lord, as in the case of the five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).
The believers who are filled with life, who are living in life, will be caught up to be with the Lord when He appears. The Christians who are not living in eternal life will not go to be with the Lord. Rather, they will stand before Him at a later time and be judged. All people (with the exception of those who attain to the first resurrection) will stand before the Lord Jesus when He returns. He alone will decide who will be permitted to enter the new age on the earth and who will be cast into the tormenting fire.
Those who attain to the earlier resurrection have no fear of the second death. There is nothing in them that the second death is able to harm. All their personality has been given to God and has been renewed in resurrection life. All that is of worth has been given back to them as their eternal possession. When Jesus appears, these hundredfold believers will be clothed with the house of life that has been created in Heaven by their being changed into the death of Jesus while living on the earth.
Philippians 3:11 speaks of one of the principal goals of the new covenant, which is the attainment to immortality. Immortality was lost in the beginning. The Lord Jesus Christ has come from Heaven so man may regain immortality—that he should not perish but have everlasting life.
Immortality was lost because man chose to sin. Christ has come so we may have the ability to choose not to sin and be able to break the chains of sin and death with which man has been bound because of his obedience to Satan.
The hundredfold saints are a firstfruits of mankind. They are victorious saints. They are the first humans to gain spiritual freedom. God will use them to release the prisoners of the earth.
The saints are the holy city, the new Jerusalem. All the nations of saved peoples of the earth will walk in the moral and visible light of the holy city. Those of the nations who, under the ministry and teaching of the sons of God, learn to obey the commandments of the Lord, will be permitted to eat of the tree of immortality and enter through the gates of the city of God.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
Throughout eternity it will be as it is in the present hour: those who walk in sin and rebellion never will gain immortality; never will be admitted to the Presence of God in His city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:15)
Today and forever, those who choose to sin against God will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.
Through Christ, God has given us the opportunity to throw off the chains of sin and death. If we will do this diligently we will save ourselves and those who hear us—save ourselves in the sense of gaining release from Satan and entering union with Christ, who is eternal Life.
If we neglect the redeeming authority and power that are in Christ we will continue to sow death. We and those whom we influence surely will die. We will not attain to the life the Lord Jesus will bring with Him. Rather, we will stand before Jesus and be judged in that day. Whether or not we then are permitted to live on the earth in the new age will be decided by the Lord Jesus. It is He whom God has appointed to judge the world.
It is one matter to call Jesus, Lord! It is quite another matter to do what He says. It is in the doing what He says, in the keeping of His Word, that we save ourselves.
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (I Timothy 4:16)
The truth of Jesus, if obeyed, sets us free from sin and death. If we are willing and obedient we will eat of the good of the land. If we refuse and rebel we never will experience the goodness of the Lord.
At the time of the writing of the Book of Philippians, Paul counted that he had not as yet attained to the out-resurrection—the resurrection that is in advance of the general Day of Resurrection. To attain to the out-resurrection is, as we have said before, to escape the possibility of being harmed by the second death, because there no longer is in us any element over which the second death retains authority.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ. (Philippians 3:12)
In his final epistle Paul speaks as though his discipleship had attain toed its goal:
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (II Timothy 4:7,8)
"There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
Paul now refers to his "mark" as the "crown of righteousness." To the overcomer of Smyrna is given the "crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
Is there any difference between the crown of righteousness and the crown of life? Probably not. Throughout the Scriptures, righteousness and life go together just as sin and death always go together.
Perhaps the greatest heresy of all time pervades the churches of our day. This heresy is the doctrine that man can inherit eternal life apart from godly behavior, that man can have fellowship with God and continue in unrighteousness, uncleanness, and disobedience.
The Lord Jesus did not come to hand immortality to us without any change of behavior on our part. Rather, our Redeemer came so that through Him we can attain to salvation, we can overcome the presence and ways of Satan and enter the Presence and ways of God.
It eternally is true that the soul that sins shall die. This law never shall change in the slightest degree. Heaven and earth as we know them will pass away but God’s Word never shall pass away.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ we have been given the opportunity to turn away from sin and enter righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. As we do so, as we put on the Person and ways of Christ, we attain to the resurrection from the dead.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things [foolish and hurtful lusts]; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (I Timothy 6:11,12)
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