The Life-Giving Spirits
The Life-Giving Spirits
Every member of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is by calling a member of the Royal Priesthood.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Every member of the Royal Priesthood is called to be a life-giving spirit.
So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" [soul]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. (I Corinthians 15:45)
Every Christian who does not cooperate with the Spirit of God in becoming a life-giving spirit may be as though he or she has buried their talent. They clearly are in danger of the outer darkness and of having their God-given gifts taken from them.
The calling today on each Christian is to pursue the current aspects of the program of redemption until they become a life-giving spirit. Christ will make this possible. Our task is to follow Christ closely and obey Him completely.
The people from the nations who are saved to citizenship on the new earth, but who are not called to be members of the Priesthood, will pursue their vocations in a glorious environment. They are the inheritance of the Priesthood and will receive eternal life from the Priesthood and be governed and blessed by the Priesthood.
Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. (Psalms 2:8,9)
The promise above is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are co-heirs with Him.
The following passage shows the two different groups, the Priesthood and their inheritance:
Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (Isaiah 61:5,6)
The "priests of the Lord" are the Christians, the life-giving spirits.
The "strangers" who will shepherd your flocks are the saved people from the "nations," the inheritance of the life-giving spirits.
We see the same pattern in the Book of Revelation:
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. (Revelation 21:24)
"It" is the new Jerusalem, which is the glorified Christian Church, the assemblage of life-giving spirits. The "nations" are the saved people from the nations of the earth. Here is the fulfillment of the Word of Christ, "You are the light of the world."
Such is the relationship of the Israel of God to the nations of the earth. Such is the Kingdom of God that has been proclaimed and soon is coming to the earth.
Before we advance to the life-giving spirit, we first have to deal with sin. Sin is behavior that is not acceptable to God.
There are three aspects of sin: the guilt of sin; the cravings of sin; and the practice of sin. When we say, "He nailed my sins to the cross," we usually mean "the guilt of our sins," in that the cravings still are in our personality and, even against our will, we fulfill the cravings.
When we read "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," we usually think of the first aspect—the guilt of sin. This probably is because at the beginning of the Christian Era, forgiveness was emphasized.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins . (Matthew 26:28)
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (Acts 10:43)
However, the writers of the New Testament pointed toward a Day of Redemption, at which time we will be delivered from not only the guilt of sin, but also the cravings and practice of sin.
As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (Matthew 13:40,41)
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13,14)
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:5)
So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)
Next Part Below is an interesting prophecy: