Transformation and Occupation
Transformation and Occupation
To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
The goal of the Divine salvation is to make man in God's image, and also to make him God's eternal dwelling place and throne.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." (John 14:23)
The preceding two verses may appear to be saying the same thing. Actually they are not. Galatians 2:20 refers to a change in us. John 14:23 refers to the coming of the Father and the Son to abide forever in that change.
The Holy Spirit produces the change, using the body and blood of Christ; and so He also is dwelling in us.
This transformation and occupation is all I have to say in the present essay. The remainder of the text is elaboration. So you can go on to something else if you choose.
Transformation
Galatians 2:20 is the response of the Apostle Paul to Peter and the other Apostles who apparently were accusing Paul of sinning because he did not observe some of the Jewish customs.
Paul is saying, "I am not sinning. The Law has no authority over me. I am dead with Christ and raised with Christ. It is Christ who is living in me. Christ Himself is the Law of the new covenant!"
You know, it is one of the greatest of all marvels that an Orthodox Jew living two thousand years ago was experiencing and teaching a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ which is beyond most Christians of our day.
We may speak about forgiveness through the blood atonement, and even about the Life of the Spirit of God. But it seems to me that we do not talk as often about setting aside our own life that Christ may think, speak, and act in us. Or am I mistaken about this?
There were three major observances of the Jews: Passover; Pentecost; and Tabernacles.
Passover symbolizes the slain Lamb, by whose body and blood we are to live. A multitude of believers have been saved through the atoning blood.
Pentecost is our Law, the Law of the Spirit of Life. A smaller number of believers have sought to live by the Spirit of God.
Tabernacles represents the dwelling of the Fullness of the Godhead in us for eternity. Most of us have not been here as yet. There have been scouts ahead of the wagon train, such as Jesse Penn-Lewis, who have called back to us about death to self and the new life in Christ. But I believe these pioneers have been few in number.
What am I saying? I am saying that the whole plan of redemption, from Adam to Christ, has not been understood by most of us.
Perhaps today the Spirit of God is lifting the veil so we can see what we are to be experiencing after Pentecost.
God's plan is to create man in His image, and then to make man His dwelling place, His rest. We have established eternal residence in Heaven as the goal of salvation. It is not. There is no Bible basis for our traditional belief.
The goal of salvation is to create us in God's image and to become the place of His rest, a throne from which He can govern properly the works of His hands.
It is obvious and logical that God must make us in His image before He can dwell satisfactorily in us. By God's image I am speaking of our behavior---that we behave as God does in all situations.
It is a good thing for us that God behaves like God, isn't it? Where would we be if He were not utterly faithful and true, for example?
The changing of our body into the image of God is a small matter that can be done in an instant. But the transforming of our inner nature is a huge undertaking. Isn't that the case?
So let's talk for a moment about the transformation of who we are, that is, of our inner nature.
God cannot come and dwell in our old adamic nature. Our inner personality must first be transformed. We cannot put new wine in the old bottles, as Jesus taught us.
It is true that under the old covenant, God on occasion did use the old nature of man. The Prophets are an example of this. So is Samson. The Spirit of God came upon Samson and gave him extraordinary strength. But we may note that Samson's moral nature was not changed by this infusion of Divine strength.
And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. (Judges 13:25)
It is for this reason that the new covenant is superior to the Law of Moses. It is for this reason that he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John; yet John the Baptist was the equal of any of the Prophets.
John and the other Prophets were used by the Spirit of God. But the Divine Nature of God was not formed in them. However, the evidence of God's image in our personality is the primary result of the new covenant.
The Law of Moses required that the adamic nature obey the moral laws of God. One could predict that the result would not meet God's standard for righteous behavior. And indeed it did not. Those learned in the Law murdered Him who is the Law personified.
The new covenant requires an eternal change in our inner nature before God comes and dwells in us. That eternal change begins when we are born again. Christ is born in us. The Divine Nature is born in us.
If we then obey Christ each day, gaining victory over the lusts of our flesh and our self-will, the Divine Nature of the body and blood of Christ increase in us. Some reap Christ a hundredfold; some sixtyfold; and some thirtyfold.
The extent we reap Christ depends on how diligent we are in sowing. Those who would gain a full inheritance must apply all of their talents to the creating of the Kingdom of God, by carefully obeying Christ every waking moment.
There are at least three goals that must be accomplished in us as we pursue the fullness of Christ.
God's moral laws. First, we must be created in absolute conformity to God's eternal moral laws. We must be totally righteous.
This may sound impossible. lt is impossible to our adamic nature. But that nature must be crucified. In its place must be formed the Divine Nature. The Holy Spirit accomplishes this formation by applying the body and blood of Christ. The Spirit writes the eternal moral laws of God in our mind and heart, using the body and blood of Christ.
Every time we gain victory over a specific sin, which we do by calling upon Christ, that victory is written in our mind and heart and helps us conquer the next temptation. So we move onward in Christ, rejecting wicked behavior and embracing righteous behavior.
Such is the Divine Nature working in us.
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (II Peter 1:4)
The Kingdom of God is not of human flesh and blood; not even of Christian flesh and blood. The Kingdom of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are born again, Christ, the Kingdom, is born in us. Adam has nothing here except to agree to his own crucifixion.
The new covenant, the Christian covenant, is the writing of God's eternal moral laws in our mind and heart. The Divine Nature is written in us by the Spirit of God, using the body and blood of Christ.
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Hebrews 8:10)
Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57)
When we open the door of our heart and Christ enter us, we dine on His body and blood given to us in the spirit world. This is eternal life. This is how we are to live. God's righteous moral laws always are observed because of His Divine Nature that has been written in us.
We can understand readily that if God is to dwell permanently in us we always must behave in His moral image.
888Such is the first part of our transformation, our preparation for the Divine occupation.
If we are to be changed in this manner we must be cheerfully obedient to all the Spirit does in our life. Do you agree with this?
Dependent on Christ. The second part of our transformation has to do with our utter dependence on Christ, on our willingness to look to God for our daily bread, so to speak.
I have spoken much in the church of which I am the pastor, of the need to look to the Lord Jesus for every thought we think; every word we speak; and every action we take.
This is the way Christ always lives. He told us He can do nothing of Himself. Isn't that remarkable? Christ, the Lord of all, can do nothing of Himself, only what He sees the Father do.
Are you willing to depend on Christ to that extent? I am, and gladly!
It is a matter of practice. All through the day we are to look to Jesus for what we think, speak, and do. We pray without ceasing instead of worrying without ceasing.
In all our ways we acknowledge Him. We do not rush about in our own ambitions, fears, duties, and lusts. We keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. When we do this, there always is grace for the day.
Whether or not we feel His Presence, He always is there waiting for us to interact with Him. We have not when we ask not. Christ is waiting for us to ask Him about everything that our joy may be full.
Christ Himself is our Future, so we do not have to worry about the future. Our task is to take one step at a time, plodding along faithfully behind the Lord, bearing whatever cross He has assigned to us, casting all our burdens on Him.
We are not to worry about tomorrow. It is proper to be prudent in our planning. But there simply is no grace for tomorrow. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. If we are faithfully following Jesus, what we need always will be there when the need arises.
Leaning on Jesus as He leans on the Father must characterize us if we hope to become part of the eternal Temple of God, the Body of Christ. There can be no member who in his self-will is planning how to accomplish his goals. God cannot find rest in such a one.
So we have discussed behavior in God's image, and dependence on Christ in our thinking, speaking, and behaving, as being essential to our eligibility to be the eternal place of God's rest.
The third qualification is that of death to self and resurrection life. It may be true that human self-will is the greatest problem in the universe. The only acceptable will is that of God. The death of our self-will indeed is a crucifixion. But it absolutely is necessary if we are to become the dwelling place of God.
Self-will characterizes the political leaders of our day, and they are leading us to every sort of destruction. Man was created to do God's will, not his own will.
If we are to be the dwelling place of God we must die in the Lord. We must give up trying to be someone of importance and let God bring forth in us what He desires. This is the rest of God, mentioned in the Book of Hebrews.
The Scripture states that God knows all about each one of us. He plans our destiny, what He has in mind for us to become, what our role is to be in His Kingdom.
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. (Ephesians 2:10–AMP)
This being the case, our purpose each day should be to look to God for the events of the day. Instead of following our own ambitions we are to seek constantly to discover what Christ would have us do; what Christ would have us become.
We cannot slide into God's rest. We have to, in a specific manner, give our life to Christ to do what He has planned for us. We are not to lean on our own understanding but acknowledge Christ in all our ways. This is a real death to our self-will.
There is no other way in which to please God. We cannot please God by any amount of religious work, successful or unsuccessful as we view it. Christ is not interested in what we do for Him but in what He does. He is building His own Church. He will use us to accomplish His pleasure if we will permit Him to do so.
Eve was susceptible to the temptation presented by the serpent because she was ambitious.
As we surrender our right to plan our life and achieve our own ambitions as we see fit, His resurrection Life works in us. There is unbelievable power in the resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
While we may have some significant earthly project in mind, Christ may be preparing us to destroy the rebellion in some part of the creation. Such a work may require the galactic power that resides in Christ's resurrection Life.
Our task cannot possibly be accomplished by anything less than Christ's own power. And this is not available to us when we are pursuing our own ambitions.
So Christ is not interested in our puny efforts except as they are performed in obedience to Him. He desires that we sit with Him in His Throne. This is possible only as we relinquish our own plans and purposes and wait on His will, no matter how many years that waiting entails.
We have discussed the three required transformations in us that are necessary for our becoming the Tabernacle of God that will provide God's Presence on the new earth: always behaving in God's moral image; always depending on Christ for every thought, word, and action; always ceasing from our own works and striving to live in the will of God for us that He established when He founded the world.
Occupation
Now we are ready for occupancy—that for which we were created.
Does God need a house to live in? God's House is the Lord Jesus Christ. But in Christ there are numerous rooms that He has prepared for those whom God has called and who are strictly obedient to Christ.
"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?" (Isaiah 66:1)
Can it be that God's main purpose in forming the Christian Church is that He might have a house, a resting place? Could this be the reason, rather than that of saving souls so they may go to Heaven to live in a mansion, doing nothing of significance for eternity?
"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?" says the Lord. (Acts 7:49)
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21,22)
Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." (John 14:23)
It appears we have three platforms in the Divine salvation. First, forgiveness of our sins through the blood atonement accomplished on the cross of Calvary.
Second, being filled with the Spirit of God, and learning to be led by the Spirit.
Third, that of being transformed and occupied by the God of Heaven.
Each of these three is a specific work of redemption. We do not float casually into them. We must assure ourselves that they are found in the Bible, and then we must look to God in faith that we may participate in them.
The third platform is being emphasized now by the Spirit of God. Perhaps the entrance into transformation and occupancy occurs as the Spirit makes us aware of our sins and self-seeking. We are to confess these as they are shown to us, and then ask Jesus to deliver us so we cease practicing them.
Obedience plays a key role in the third platform. I am not certain that the believers of our day are being taught how important it is that we obey Christ, both the commands in the Bible and also the commands given to us personally.
When the Apostle Paul teaches us that as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God, Paul does not mean it is nice that God will lead us by His Spirit. Rather, the leadings of the Spirit are our Law, the Law of the new covenant. They are given to us in place of the Law of Moses and they are to be obeyed faithfully.
Jesus said on several occasions that we must keep His commands. If we do not keep His commands we do not love Him, and He and the Father will never make Their dwelling place in us.
It only is as we obey the Spirit that He takes the body and blood of Christ and writes the Word of God, the eternal moral Law of God, in our mind and heart. We never can be shown the fullness of the salvation of God if we are not strictly obedient to God.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. (Psalms 91:16)
The highest calling and honor of any man, woman, or child is to become the eternal dwelling place of the God of Heaven. This is why we were created. However, the transformation, the change from Adam to Christ, is necessary if we are to be the house and resting place of the Godhead.