The Dead "in Christ."

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There are two major doctrines of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that are not emphasized sufficiently at this time, from my point of view. One is the resurrection of the physical body of the believer. The other is the personal Lordship of Christ over the individual believer. Easter Sunday morning I spoke on the resurrection of the physical body of the believer.

(4/8/2007) The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ and of all other people is central to the Gospel of the Kingdom.

There are two main resurrections with which we are faced. The first takes place at the beginning of the thousand-year period (which I term the "Kingdom Age"). The second resurrection will occur at the end of the Kingdom Age. It is commonly understood, I believe, that the first resurrection is for all who are "saved." The second resurrection is for everyone else—the lost of mankind.

It is my point of view that the common understanding will not stand up under a careful consideration of what is written in the New Testament.

I would suggest, rather, that the first resurrection, the resurrection that will occur when the Lord returns to earth, is for God's governing saints. The second resurrection, that which will occur at the end of the thousand-year period, is for everyone else. It is the general resurrection of the dead. All will be raised at this time who were not raised in the first resurrection.

Those who are raised at the second resurrection will be judged. Those who pass the judgment will be brought forward as citizens of the new earth. Those who fail the judgment will be thrown into the Lake of Fire—the final location of Satan and his angels. This is a destiny so frightful at to be beyond comprehension. Yet, according to the Scripture, some people will be placed in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur.

The "rewards" to the victorious saints, set forth in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation, actually are increments of life, authority, and responsibility that lead to participation in the first resurrection. The saints raised at the next coming of Christ will not be judged at that time. No books will be opened. They passed through the Judgment Seat of Christ during their discipleship on the earth.

Note that the "rewards," mentioned in the second and third chapters of Revelation, begin with the eternal life given to those who conquer through Christ the various troubles they encounter during their discipleship. The "rewards" end with the conqueror sharing the throne of the universe with the Lord Jesus Christ.

It may be noted that the Apostle Paul, as recorded in the third chapter of the Book of Philippians, was pursuing an extraordinary consecration that he might attain to this "out-resurrection." It is no small matter to be raised from the dead when the Lord appears, or to be suddenly transformed into incorruptibility, and forever be with the Lord. This early resurrection must be attained to. It was the "mark," the goal set before Paul.

In our day, the fourth chapter of the Book of First Thessalonians is sometimes employed in support of the unscriptural "pre-tribulation rapture" of all who profess faith in the Lord Jesus.

But if you will observe carefully, in the fourth chapter, it is the dead "in Christ" who participate in this awesome event.

We may be apt to perceive "in Christ" as referring to all who profess belief in Christ. But I would suggest this is a misperception.

To be "in Christ" is to be living, as Paul lived, such that Christ is our entire life. Christ Himself is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the "race" we are running. He is the "fight" we are fighting. Everything of spiritual value in our life is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be "in Christ."

I have known of Pentecostal people of thirty-years experience who died in a state of unforgiveness, bitterness, and gossiping. They did not die "in Christ." They are neither qualified nor competent to sit with the Lord Jesus Christ on the highest throne of the universe.

At any time that we do not press forward to victory in Christ, when our ungodly behaviour is pointed out to us, we are not "in Christ" concerning this issue.

After we have been forgiven and filled with God's Spirit, we are to keep pressing forward every day until we have been filled with the Fullness of God. We simply must not come short of this mark, this goal.

To attain to the fullness of God is to attain to the early resurrection from the dead. When we succeed to this state of fullness, we then are prepared to be raised from the dead when Christ appears.

But the churchgoer who does not make the effort to live victoriously in the Lord Jesus will not be raised from the dead when He appears. This is the truth, and those who prefer to gamble that it is not the truth, and choose instead to continue in the typical American casual approach to the program of redemption, will discover to their horror in that Day that every word of the New Testament has been inspired by the Spirit of God and will come to pass in totality.

The greatest surprise we will encounter when the Lord Jesus returns is that there are no surprises. The event was described clearly beforehand in the New Testament.

Every word of the New Testament shall come to pass in totality! Divine grace is not an alternative means of preparing us for Christ, a means that does not require stern obedience to the Lord Jesus. Rather, Divine grace is the enabling wisdom and power God has provided through Christ so we might be able to overcome all opposition and stand in joy and confidence before the Lord at His coming.

You can hear the morning sermon at morning. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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