"COMPLETE IN HIM" Co1.2:10
The Greek word "soteria" in the Bible denotes deliverance,
preservation,
salvation [Vines Expository dictionary]. Strong's Concordance
also
describes it as...protection; made whole; health. The INITIAL biblical
GIFT
of holy Ghost SALVATION by grace is something that man may receive
&
begin to walk in right NOW. It can be a present personal experience,
a
continuous present power to eventually deliver man WHOLLY
and
COMPLETELY from the bandage of sin and evil. It is not as some
religious
organizations teach, merely something reserved in heaven or
made
available for some who lived in a former dispensation or for some who
will
live in a future kingdom age. Nor is "initial" salvation just for an
exclusive
or elect group such as the 144,000's found mentioned in the book
of
Revelation.
There is an uninterrupted dimension of salvation that
has always existed in
the true New Testament church and there is a glorious
new dimension of
salvation that is ready to be revealed in the earth at the
climax of this
present age as well as at the end of all ages yet to come.
Oh that all God's
people would begin to come to full realization of who
they really are, what
they really have, and what is their future in Christ
the Lord.
Jesus' name correctly, is "Yah-shua", & "shua" in Hebrew
means "shall
save." A primary purpose in His death, burial, &
resurrection was, & still
is--to "save His people from their sins.
"Matt.1:21. Salvation is created of
God to be a progressive healing work of
His Spirit in all of its divinely
designated applications. The covenant
promise of spiritual salvation was in
perfect accord with God's sovereign
purpose, to initially come into effect
unto all those determined by God at
any one time "such as should be
saved", who were to become the "church"
(Ac.2:47), beginning in the days
of the first apostles. This God-ordained
personal salvation was also to
remain available unto their children, as
well as being determinate unto "ALL
THAT ARE AFAR OFF, even AS MANY AS THE
LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL."
Ac.2:39.
The Free GIFT
"As many" as
were given of the Father (Jn.17) and were called and drawn
to Christ, to
confess with their mouth unto salvation & believe with their
heart unto
Christ's righteousness (Rom.10:10)--were those such as did
enter initially
into their salvation. So it is today, "the same Lord over all is
rich unto
ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM. FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON
THE NAME OF THE LORD
SHALL BE SAVED." Ro.10:13. He truly was, NOW
IS, and ever shall be "the
author of ETERNAL SALVATION UNTO ALL THEM
THAT OBEY HIM.'' Heb.5:9. This
"eternal salvation" and the obedience it
brings, comes only through
genuinely believing and actively confessing
Christ is your lifestyle. But
you cannot even truly begin to obey Him in the
way He desires unless you
ARE SAVED by His Spirit & willing to be led by His
Spirit -
Psa.143:
10; Isa.63:14.
Through the obedience of Christ & the
grace of God, "the free GIFT came
upon ALL MEN unto justification of life.
'' Ro.5:18. "For the GRACE of God
that bringeth SALVATION HATH APPEARED TO
ALL MEN." Tit.2:11.
Salvation is not only a free GIFT, but is also "A
PERFECT GIFT...from above."
Jas.1:17. Through God's grace & benevolent
sovereignty in the greatness of
His power, eventually it shall come to pass
that "ALL FLESH SHALL SEE
[from a word meaning more than voluntary
observation with the natural
eye]..the salvation of God." Lk.3:6.
At
this present time, WE WHO HAVE RECEIVED A MEASURE OF SALVATION
THROUGH
GRACE "should not trust in ourselves but in God which raiseth
the dead: WHO
DELIVERED US [in our spirit] from so great a former
spiritual] death, and
DOTH DELIVER [our present sinful soul]: in whom we
trust that He will YET
DELIVER US from our imperfect corruptible
bodies].''
2Cor.1:10.
There is an effective saving deliverance
available for spirit, soul, and body.
"He that spared not His own Son, but
DELIVERED HIM UP FOR US ALL, how
shall He not with Him also FREELY GIVE US
ALL THINGS." Ro.8:32. He
initially begins His saving work through divinely
imparting to our human
spirit the true "knowledge of salvation." Lk.1:77.
When because of Him, &
through nothing of our corrupt selves
(Eph.2:8,9) we begin to believe this
truth through acting upon it, it
begins its divine work to set us free in all
areas of our soul -
Jn.8:32.
We HAVE Redemption
All those
"who WERE once ENLIGHTENED, and HAVE TASTED of the heavenly
GIFT, and WERE
MADE PARTAKERS of the holy Ghost and HAVE TASTED the
good word of God, and
the powers of the world [age] to come" (Heb.6:4, 5)
are all those who
obviously HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED these blessings of
their very present
salvation. Its not something that's only available in the
future if you
work faithfully toward it. Some large religious organizations
actually
believe that it is not for now! Regardless, all ye who now have
been made
partakers of this "common salvation" (Jude 3), let us through
obedience to
His word & Spirit, continually allow God to do of His good
pleasure as
we faithfully "work out this salvation" that we have with fear
(holy
reverence) & trembling - Phil.2:12, 13.
Let us give continuous
praise & thanks unto the "Father of lights"
(Jas.1:17) for His
"unspeakable GIFT" (2Cor.9:15)...'WHO HATH DELIVERED
US from the power of
darkness [that once held our whole spirit captive to
the earthy realm], and
HATH TRANSLATED US into the KINGDOM of His dear
Son: In whom WE HAVE
[progressive] REDEMPTION through His blood, even
the forgiveness of sins."
Col.1:13, 14. Jesus, "the true light" (Jn.1:9) said,
"He that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of
life." Jn.8:12. In
completeness of truth, "the spirit of man is the candle of
the Lord"
(Prv.20 :21) which only He can light - Jn.8:12; Lk.11:36.
In your
spirit, positionally through God's eyes after the principle of Ro.4:17,
"YE
ARE COMPLETE IN HIM...in whom ALSO YE ARE CIRCUMCISED.by the
[spiritual]
circumcision of Christ: [YE ARE] BURIED WITH HIM in [SPIRIT]
baptism,
wherein also YE ARE RISEN WITH HIM through the [imparted
righteous] faith
of the [spiritual] operation OF GOD.."Co1.2:10-12.
Initially, you ARE
SAVED through the complete operation of the imparted
"faith OF Jesus
Christ." Ro.3:22. In the days of Noah, "eight souls WERE
[physically] saved
by [natural] water. The like figure whereunto even
[Spiritual] baptism
[into the body of Christ-1Cor.12:13] doth also NOW
[initially]SAVE US...by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1Ptr.3:21.
All the operations of
this faithful salvation are IN EFFECT NOW for the
present believer. Christ
IS THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN and this salvation is
especially true and made
evident in those who at this time have been given
to believe - 1Tim.4:10.
These portions of the kingdom of heaven are here &
operational right
NOW. The preaching of this very real and present
salvation is the basic
foundation of the gospel of both the present and the
coming kingdom. Belief
in personal salvation comes wholly as a result of
the "power of God"
(Ro.1:6) & not through the will power of man (Jn.1:13;
Eph.1:5, 11;
Jas.1:18; Zec.4:6) lest any man should boast.
Yes, as believing
Christians, "we trust in the living God who is [now, was in
the beginning,
& will be in the end, the Almighty - Rev.1:8] the saviour of
ALL MEN,
SPECIALLY OF THOSE [of us] THAT [are now given to] BELIEVE."
1Tim.4:10.
Whether one believes it or not, their salvation is not at all of
themselves
- Matt.16:17; Eph.2:9. These things we are to assert & to
teach
-1Tim.4:11. Only "OF HIM ARE YE IN CHRIST JESUS" (1Cor.1:30), &
not of
yourselves "who by Him do believe." 1Ptr.l:21. You should know
that YE WERE
NOT REDEEMED with corruptible things such as your own
fallen mind or self
will ..but [YE WERE REDEEMED] with the precious blood
of Christ, as a Lamb
without blemish." 1Ptr.1:18,19. Nothing other than
"the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus..HATH MADE me [us] free." Ro.8:2;
Jn.3:27.
Any man who
has accepted the revelation of personal salvation, is now "in
Christ" &
HAS a portion of redemption. "If ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST HE IS a
new
creature." 2Cor.5:17; Ga1.6:15. The old previous moral &
spiritual
condition HAS PASSED AWAY and NOW he has "newness of life."
Ro.6:4.
He has begun the process of renewal and is on the road to a
manifest
completion. "But if any man HAVE NOT the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of
His." Ro.8:10. He has not realized nor experienced the truth
and
understanding of the life giving Spirit of Christ until he has received
the
revelational GIFT. This divine gift empowers one to know of His
personal
salvation & provides the necessary grace to begin to walk in
it.
When one is in Christ & has received the first "measure of
faith" (Ro.12:3),
it is only then "the Spirit itself beareth witness with
our spirit that WE ARE
the children of God." Ro.8:16. Jesus once told the
unbelieving religious
crowd, "Ye are of your father the devil." Jn.8:44.
Even these devoutly
religious ones, rejected the teachings & miracles
of Him who was to be their
salvation & remained "by nature the children
of wrath, even as others."
Eph.2:3; Jn. 4:36. And so it remains of a truth
today.
The Life That Now Is
Paul
wrote "to the saints which are at Ephesus, & to [all] the faithful
in
Christ Jesus", [even us who are afar off], revealing this wonderful
truth...
that even before the foundation of the earth "He HATH CHOSEN US
IN
HIM... He HATH MADE US ACCEPTED in the beloved. In whom WE
[now]HAVE
REDEMPTION THROUGH His blood,..in whom WE HAVE
OBTAINED an inheritance.."
Eph.1:1-11. We have purposely emphasized
the past and present tense verbs
of all these divine operations of our
present salvation as there are
millions of religious ones who are deceived by
their organization that this
salvation which we preach is not attainable now,
but only in a 'kingdom of
God" which is yet to come.
However, 2Tim.1:9,10 presents us all with
the real truth this way regarding
He "who HATH SAVED US...WHO HATH
ABOLISHED death & HATH BROUGHT
LIFE.." to the spirit of man. The truth
is, men can bein to be saved NOW!
When you believe it, you will have
received it! Only through the knowledge
of the saving revelation of Jesus
Christ Himself is the way opened into the
beginnings of your salvation. He
is also the manifest truth of your present
salvation & He is the
resurrection life that shall be in the completion of
man's salvation. No
man can come to the Father except it be through His
living salvation -
Jn.14:6. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there
is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved."
Ac.4:12.
Any man who is now in Christ already has the beginnings of His
quality of
resurrection life. Eventually, just "as in Adam all die, EVEN SO
in Christ
shall all be made alive.'' 1Cor. 15:22. This is a future and much
greater
aspect of salvation which we shall touch on in chapter two. In
the
meantime, through the divine operating process of His present grace,
"you
that WERE alienated & enemies,...NOW HATH HE RECONCILED." Col.1:
21.
"And ALL things [pertaining to your salvation] are OF God WHO
HATH
RECONCILED US to Himself by Jesus Christ." 2Cor.5:18. Can you hear
that?
It's all of God! Only you who NOW ARE RECONCILED are "NOW
THE
PEOPLE OF GOD: which HAD NOT OBTAINED mercy, but NOW HAVE
OBTAINED
mercy." 1Ptr.2:10. Is this because God gives you a CHANCE and
you decide of
your OWN FREE WILL to accept HIm? Is it because you willed
it? No. It is
simply because God willed it for you personally at that time!
That is true
grace. You were saved purely by grace. It has nothing at all to
do with
CHANCE or SELF WILL. Self will is nothing more than iniquity!
Salvation
is a progressive process both in its universal application and its
personal
application. Therein, "BEING RECONCILED WE SHALL BE
[progressively] SAVED
BY His life." Ro.5:10. Only "in times past..YE WERE
by nature the children
of wrath." (Eph.2:3; Jn.4:36) but through His
choosing you become children
of His blessing (Eph.1:3-5) "to the praise of
the glory of His
grace,wherein HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED in the
beloved."
Eph.1:6.
Paul said to the church, "You HATH HE QUICKENED who WERE
DEAD
in..sins." Eph.2:1. Jesus said, "He that heareth my word and believeth
on
Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and SHALL NOT COME
into
condemnation; but IS PASSED from death unto life. Verily I say unto
you,
the hour is coming & NOW IS...They that hear shall live"
(Jn.5:24,25),
"having promise of THE LIFE THAT NOW IS." 1Tim.4:8. Our
spirit HAS BEEN
resurrected from the dead. "You being dead in your
sins...HATH He
QUICKENED" (Col.2:13) in a resurrection of your spirit in
the heavenlies.
However, a greater more complete resurrection is yet to
come.
"God, who is rich in mercy...even when we WERE dead in sins,
HATH
QUICKENED US together WITH CHRIST, (by grace YE ARE SAVED)"
Eph.2:4,
5. "And Hath RAISED US UP together & MADE US sit together
[with Christ]
in heavenly places IN Christ Jesus (vs.6): ...For by grace
ARE YE SAVED
through faith; & that not of yourselves: It [your initial
grace: salvation &
faith] is THE GIFT OF GOD: not of works, lest any
man should boast. For
WE ARE His workmanship.." (Eph.2:8-10), and "not by
works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy HE
SAVED
US, by the washing of regeneration & the renewing of the holy
Ghost."
Tit.3:5. The love of Jn.3:16 was mercifully & sovereignly "shed
abroad in
our hearts by the holy Ghost." Ro.5:5. It is all a result of what
God does &
not at all what you do!
The Bible declares, "the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness, but unto US
WHICH ARE SAVED, it is the power of
God."1Cor.1:18. Yes, "It is the power
of God UNTO [PRESENT] SALVATION
to EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH.'' Ro.1:16. For
"it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE."
1Cor.1:21. "He
that believeth on the son HATH everlasting life: and He that
believeth NOT
the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on
Him." Jn.3:36.
So then, "BEING NOW JUSTIFIED by His blood, WE SHALL BE
SAVED from
wrath [the condemning wrath we once abode in - Jn.3:18, 36;
Eph.2:3]
through Him." Ro.5:9. As true elect believers, "God hath not
appointed us
to wrath [of the old nature any longer], but to obtain
salvation by our Lord
Jesus." 1Ths.5:9. You believe because He enable you
to see your salvation
in Him. You do not first believe in order to obtain
your salvation! You can
believe only after the Spirit reveals the Saviour
unto you - Matt.16:18.
Ye Have Eternal Life
"God
loves the world, so that He gives His only begotten Son, that everyone
WHO
IS BELIEVING IN HIM SHOULD NOT BE PERISHING, but may be having
life
eonian." Jn.3:16 [Conc. Literal]. "And this is the record, that GOD
HATH
GIVEN US eternal life and this life is IN His Son. He that HATH the
Son
HATH LIFE, & He that HATH NOT...HATH NOT LIFE. These things have
I
written unto you that believe; that YE MAY KNOW THAT YE [NOW]
HAVE
ETERNAL LIFE." 1Jn.5:11-13. Yes, if you have been given to believe
now,
you will have a portion of His Spirit & life throught all
remaining ages and
beyond.
It begins now! Jesus said, "I AM the
resurrection & the life." Jn.11:25.
'WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take of
the water of life freely." Rev.22: 17. "If
ANY MAN thirst let him come unto
me & drink." Jn.7:37. Once again, in
fulness of truth, it is only the
Spirit of the Lord that can CAUSE (Nu.16:5;
Isa.61:11; 66:9; Jer.30:21;
Ezk.36:27; 37:5) one's willingness and thirst
(Jn.6:44,65), whereby
"WHOSOEVER shall call an the name of the Lord
SHALL BE SAVED." Ac.2·:21;
Ro.10:13. Therefore, "AS MANY AS RECEIVED
HIM, to them GAVE He power to
BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, even to them
that believe on His name: which WERE
BORN...[sovereignly] of God."
Jn.1:12, 13.
''Beloved, NOW WE ARE the
sons of God" (1Jn.3:2), "for AS MANY AS are led
by the Spirit, they ARE the
sons of God.'' Ro.8:14. "Because YE ARE sons,
God HAS SENT FORTH the Spirit
of His Son INTO your hearts, crying Abba,
Father'' (Ga1.4:6) wherein, "AS
MANY AS were ordained to eternal life
believed." Ac.13:48. "YE HAVE
RECEIVED the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, abbe, Father.'' Ro.8:15.
"Now He that HATH WROUGHT US for the
selfsame thing is God, who also HATH
GIVEN unto us the earnest of the
Spirit." 2Cor.5:5. NOW, '"YE ARE
WASHED,...YE ARE SANCTIFIED,...YE ARE
JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
1Cor.6:11. Ye are now of "them that
ARE SANCTIFIED." Heb.10:14; Ac.
20:32; 26:18.
NOW Is The Time Of
Salvation
Just before death, Jesus told one of the
malefactors with Him at Calvary,
'TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME in paradise."
Lk.23:43. You who seek
truth, "NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME: NOW IS THE
[Grk."A"] DAY OF
SALVATION." 2Cor.6:2. Even today,"the Spirit and the bride
say, come.''
Rev. 22:17. The Giver of the GIFT has not, and will not, stop
giving. In
this age, and even this day, "the grace of God, & the GIFT
by grace, HATH
ABOUNDED UNTO MANY.'' Ro.5:15. Through activated grace, "the
election
HATH OBTAINED." Ro.11:7. "NOW BEING MADE FREE from sins &
become
servants of God, YE HAVE your fruit unto holiness, and THE END
everlasting
life. For the wages of sin is death: but the GIFT of God is
eternal Life."
Ro.6:22, 23. "He that believeth ..HATH ..LIFE."
Jn.6:67.
As believing servants of God, "WE KNOW that WE HAVE PASSED
from
death UNTO LIFE, because we love the brethren" (1Jn.3:14)
and
"EVERYONE that loveth IS BORN OF GOD, and knoweth God" (1Jn.4:7)
"and
EVERYONE that loveth Him THAT BEGAT, loveth him also that IS
BEGOTTEN
of Him." 1Jn.5:1. "Except YE BE CONVERTED, and become as little
children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'' Matt.18:3. To be
converted
is to be "born of God", "begotten of Him", "born again" from
above.
In order to see & enter into the realms of the kingdom, "YE
MUST BE BORN
AGAIN...BORN OF THE SPIRIT." Jn.3:3-8. "BORN not of blood, nor
the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but OF GOD." Jn.l:13. Jesus
said,
"Flesh.hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven."
Matt.16:17. The true church and the understanding of the salvation
of man
is built upon this revelation - Matt. 16:18.
You who have
now, do you realize what you have? You who have not, do
you not now realize
what you can now have? This new birthing can begin
NOW! 'Whosoever IS BORN
OF GOD overcometh the world...Who is he that
overcometh [is a potential
overcomer].but he that BELIEVETH that Jesus is
the Son of God." 1Jn.5:4.
The word of God says, "BELIEVE on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou SHALT BE
SAVED (Ac.16:31) for 'WHOSOVER
BELIEVETH that Jesus is the Christ IS BORN
OF GOD." 1Jn.5:1.
Salvation is "BEING BORN AGAIN not of corruptible
seed, but of
incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
forever."
1Ptr.1:23. 'WHOSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD does not [habitually]
commit
[practice] sin; for His seed [Christ's incorruptible word, spirit,
seed of life]
remaineth IN him: and he cannot sin [practice sinning],
because he IS
BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD." 1Jn.3:9; 5:18. "OF HIS OWN WILL
BEGAT HE
US" (Jas.1:18) and "he THAT IS BEGOTTEN OF God keepeth
himself."
1Jn.5:18. "And hereby we know THAT HE ABIDETH IN US, by the
Spirit
which He hath given us." 1Jn.3:24. How much greater is He that is
within
us than he that is in the world - 1Jn.4:4.
If there be any
that read this who may have not yet truly believed, we
would ask them these
questions. Would you personally desire to be
"quickened", "born again",
"begotten of the Spirit", "saved"? Would you
like to receive "the GIFT OF
COD which can be your's right now in
understanding and experience if you
can believe? Are you a sheep? Are
you hearing the voice of His word? Then
you are now at this appointed
time hearing His perfect and present will for
you - 2Ptr.3:9.
The next step is to "repent, & be baptized EVERY
ONE OF YOU in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and YE
SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT of
the holy Ghost...for the promise is UNTO ALL.."
Ac.2:39. Jesus said,
"Repent ye, and believe the gospel"(Mrk.1:15) "and BE
CONVERTED."
Ac.3:19 . This gospel of the kingdom is truly "the power of God
TO EVERY
ONE THAT BELIEVETH." Ro.1:16. And whether you believe it or
not,
God..NOW is in the process of commanding ALL MEN EVERYWHERE
TO
REPENT - Ac.17:30; Psa.90:3) and so they shall, "every man in His
own
order." 1Cor.15:23-28. "With God all things are possible." Matt.19:26.
"So
shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return
unto
me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and shall
prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it." Isa.55:11.
CHAPTER TWO
Waiting For The Adoption
The
first chapter of this writing has expounded mainly on some basic,
yet
pertinent scriptural truth which reveals the very BEGINNINGS of the
divine
spiritual operation of personal salvation. This INITIAL WORK,
exclusively
implemented of the holy Spirit, is very often expressed in its
biblical term as
"the GIFT OF GOD." Jn.4:10; Ac.8:20; Ro.6:23; Eph.2:8;
1Cor.7:7;
2Tim.1:6. It is also spoken of as "the GIFT of Christ"
(Eph.4:7), "the GIFT
of the holy Ghost" (Ac.2:38; 10:45), "the GIFT of the
grace of God"
(Eph.3:7), "the GIFT of righteousness" (Ro.5:17), "a free
GIFT"
(Ro.5:15,16, 18), "a heavenly GIFT" (Heb.6:4), and a "good" and
"perfect
GIFT." Jas.1:17. But there is something beyond this of which we
now wish
to speak.
Although personal salvation has its BEGINNINGS as
a free GIFT it
conversely has a FULFILLED ENDING, which is to be no less
than an earned
"PRIZE." Though we may NOW be COMPLETE in Christ in essence,
He
desires to be FULLY FORMED & COMPLETE in us! There are many
more
basic terms used in the Bible which deal with a further work of
salvation
beyond this experience as a GIFT.
The scriptures which we
will proceed to touch upon describe and deal with
the increasingly
progressive stages of salvation and not necessarily its
beginnings. The
wholly divine process of the Spirit which begins in the
inner man with the
GIFT of God as a new birth, shall eventually find its
designated END in the
glorious objective of a MATURE and COMPLETE
SALVATION; an ultimate
salvation that includes final incorruptibility and
immortality which
(1Cor.15: 53, 54) is reserved for an appointed time to
come.
The
Lord's saving works function in three dimensions of the heavenlies;
three
major realms, aspects and experiences of personal salvation. His
healing
Spirit of life works progressively in man in often unseen and
diverse
operations in the spirit, soul, and body. Many truths of these
operations
are revealed in beautiful types & shadows of such things as:
the three main
divisions of Noah's ark; the tabernacle in the wilderness;
Solomon's
temple, Egypt-the wilderness-the promised land; the three major
feasts of
Israel, the three main garments of the high priest, three main
sacrificial
offerings, three main mountains etc. These are all natural
things that
speak to us of spiritual realities.
We see these
principles of the salvation experience as stages of growth
unto spiritual
MATURITY in the parables of Matt.13 and Lk. 4. We see this
in the word Seed
that "did yield fruit that sprang up and INCREASED; and
brought forth fruit
[expressed in comparative degrees or percentages], so
me thirty, same
sixty, and some an hundred fold." Mk.4:8, 20;
Matt.13:8,23. Some actually
brought "NO fruit to PERFECTION." Lk.18:4.
By this, we can see that the
biblical term "perfection" involves degrees of
maturity, growth and change.
In a parallel to spiritual truth, we find that
"the earth bringeth forth
fruit of herself; first the blade [1-30 fold], then
the [unripe] ear [31-60
fold], after that the FULL corn in the ear [61-100
fold - even to full
stature and ripeness]. But when the fruit is brought forth
[fully ripe
& mature] immediately He putteth in the sickle, because the
harvest
[time] is come." Mk.4:28, 29. Not until the FULL corn is ready does
the
time of harvest come.
"Alas...for the day of the Lord is at hand, and
as a [fiery] destruction [to
the tares] from the Almighty shall it [even
the Lord's sickle] come. Is not
the meat [the strong revelation of the
word] cut off from before our eyes,
yea, joy & gladness from the house
[New Test. church] of our God? The
[majority of the] seed [even the word
which should be bearing fruit unto
perfection) is rotten under their clods
[trampling], the garners [places of
sterile religious gathering] are laid
desolate, the barns [large religious
organizations] are broken down
[through tradition and carnal teachings];
for the [growth of the] corn is
withered...yea, the flocks of sheep are made
desolate." Jl.1:15-18. This
part of God's separating judgment is already
burning in the house of the
Lord - Mat.3:11; Heb.12:29; Mk.9:49;
1Ptr.4:17. He that hath an ear let
him hear what the Spirit saith today unto
the church!
Though there
be desolation all around us, some of it even very obvious to
the natural
eye, & though there appears little hope of much improvement,
there is
yet the promise of a FULL ear of humanity soon to be revealed in
the earth,
even as a firstfruit "harvest of the earth.'' Rev.15:5. Paul calls
the
revealing of this harvest "the manifestation of the sons of
God."
Ro.8:19.
These shall be mature ones who have grown &
ripened in the harshest of
conditions, rising from the seed stage and
developing slowly but surely
through the realms of "fruit", "more fruit",
and "much fruit.'' Jn.15:2,8,16.
They have come through water baptism,
spirit baptism and have endured a
cleansing fire baptism. They have come
forth through "justification",
"sanctification" & unto full and
complete "glorification." That this third and
finer step has not yet been
completed in the earth, though it is a sure fact
even now in the
heavenlies...is obvious in the evidence that the intense
longing of the
creation is still in the final stage of groaning and travailing,
earnestly
longing for this glorious revealing of the sons of God. "Even we
ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, namely THE
REDEMPTION OF
OUR BODIES." Ro.8:23; 2Cor.5:4.
This is to be the first early harvest
of "the first of the firstfruits" (Ex.23:19)
of the church, which are
themselves as a whole, a kind of firstfruits of all
God's creatures -
Jas.1:18. This first harvest, is the first of several of
spiritual Israel's
harvests or resurrections which are to appear in due
season and in the
divine order of the Almighty Sower and Harvester of
humanities seed. This
first harvest is also known as "the first resurrection"
(Rev.20:5,6) and
the ripeness of the fruit of the Spirit is as a result of its
drinking in
much of the "latter rain" as well as the "former rain" of the
Spirit from
on high - Jl.2:23; Hos.6:3; 10:12; Jer.5:24. "These were
redeemed from
among men, being the firstfruits unto God and the
Lamb."
Rev.14:4.
Those to he found in the first resurrection will be
them "that overcometh"
(Rev. chptrs.2 & 3), "the saviours...on Mt.
Zion'' (Obed. 21; Rev.14:1) who
shall in their overcoming, "be counted
worthy" (2Ths.5:5) of the kingdom
for which they suffer. All are fruitful
and faithful in their calling in
whatever level of glory that calling may
be. They are of the "wise"and not
of the "foolish virgins" (Matt.25:2),
"which were not defiled with women"
[soulish relations with any of the
"great whore's" earthly corruptions or
affections - Rev.19:2 ; Jas.4:4;
Prv. chptr.7]. "These are they which follow
the Lamb withersoever He goeth"
(Rev.14:4; Ezk.1:20), and those "who
follow on to know the Lord."(Hos.6:3)
loving not their own lives even unto
the death of their own carnal minds -
Rev.12:11. They have 'WHOLLY
followed the Lord" (Nu. 32:11, 12), being
sanctified "WHOLLY.. spirit, soul
and body..PRESERVED BLAMELESS unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ." 1Ths.5:23.
It is these ones also
who shall be first "caught up [not physically but in
power and authority]
unto God and His throne" (Rev.12:5), and in this
realm of complete dominion
& glory shall be wholly "WITHOUT FAULT
before the throne of God'."
Rev.14:5; 3:21. They shall be judged
"FAULTLESS before the presence of His
glory" (Jude 24), '"not having spot
or wrinkle...holy and WITHOUT BLEMISH"
(Eph.5:27), fully redeemed from
"all iniquity." Tit.2:4.
"THEY THAT
WERE READY went in with Him to the marriage.'' Matt.25:10.
"The marriage
of the Lamb is come and His wife hath MADE HERSELF
READY... blessed are
they which are called unto the marriage supper of the
Lamb." Rev.17:7-9.
Truly these are "a people PREPARED for the Lord.''
Lk.1:17. "And they sang
as it were, a new song before His throne"
(Rev.14:3; 15:3)...a song of
experienced victory and of FULLY COMPLETED
REDEMPTION, of which Exodus
chapter five is a good type & shadow.
Plenteous Redemption
With
God is "plenteous redemption" (Psa.130:7), enough for the
COMPLETE
REDEMPTION of the individual, enough for the fulness of the
Gentiles
(Ro.11:25), enough for all of Israel (Ro.11:26), even enough for
the whole
of this groaning creation - Ro.8:21; Eph.1:1O. Redemption begins
as a
GIFT of salvation "in the inner man'' (Eph.3:16) [beginning in the
womb of
the spirit and progressing throughout the soul] and if we endure
(Matt. 24
:13; Heb. 3:6,14) in bringing forth much fruit unto PERFECTION,
it ends in
having the WHOLE man COMPLETED "in ALL the FULNESS of God."
Eph.3:19.
"If the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
He that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL
BODIES by His
Spirit that dwelleth in you." Ro.8:11; Phil.3:21.
The
initial GIFT of salvation beginning in the inner man is "the earnest of
our
inheritance." Eph.1:14. "The redemption of the purchased possession,
unto
the praise of His glory" (Eph.1:14) is the FULL and COMPLETED
salvation of
our spiritual and physical bodies which were bought and
redeemed with a
price - lCor.6:19,20. This COMPLETE and TOTAL
redemption which is for "the
called, chosen, AND FAITHFUL'' (Rev.17:14;
Jb.13:15), includes a
gloriously redeemed body fashioned "like unto His
glorious body.''
Phil.3:21.
"When CHRIST who is OUR LIFE shall appear, then shall ye
also appear
with Him in glory." Co1.3:4. Yes, "when He shall appear, we
shall be like
Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1Jn.3:2. Until that
time, it is "Christ IN
YOU", not Christ coming from heaven out of the sky,
which is your true
"hope of glory.'' Co1.1:27. The Spirit of Christ being
born & "formed" in us
(Ga1.4:19) in order that we "may be MADE PERFECT
IN ONE" (Jn.17:23) is
the divine truth of man's present and "blessed hope."
Tit.2:13.
"The First Resurrection" of "A Glorious
Church"
In the "first resurrection", He is bringing not
all but "many sons unto glory''
(Heb.2:lO) even "to the OBTAINING OF THE
GLORY of our Lord Jesus
Christ." 2Ths.2:14. "When the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven
[the inner spiritual realm], He shall come to be
GLORIFIED IN His saints.''
2Ths.l:7,10. And those firstfruits then who have
borne the image of the
earthy..."shall also bear the image of the
heavenly." 1Cor.15:49. This body
"is sown a natural body, it is raised a
spiritual body." 1Cor.15:44. "So also
is the resurrection of the dead."
1Cor.15:42.
Before this FINAL glory of the body can be obtained, there
must first be a
continual sanctification and cleansing of the garments of
the spirit and soul.
There needs to be a working out of our salvation
(Phil.2:12) in order for the
spirit man to be changed from a lesser glory
to a greater glory (2Cor.3:18;
Prv.4:18) that will ultimately outwardly
manifest a glorious church in the
earth,"not having spot or wrinkle, or any
such thing." Eph.5:27. It was
none other than this perfect and complete
temple that the Lord spoke of
when He said, "I will FILL this house with
glory." Hag.2:7. And soon He
shall!
The Lord has always had "a
remnant" (Isa.20:21; Jer.37:31, 32) of Israel,
a church within a church,
even "a few names" whose works "have not
defiled their garments"
(Rev.3:2-4), "hating even the garment spotted by
flesh.'' Jude 23. It is
these ones who shall first walk with Him and rule
with Him in the coming
earthly kingdom, "clothed in white raiment."
Rev.3:4,5; 19:14,15.
To
His body of "just men MADE PERFECT (Heb.12:22), "the general
assembly and
church of the firstborn" (Heb.12:23; Jas.1:18) who shall be
joint heirs
with Christ at His coming (1Cor.15:23) as the "first begotten of
the dead"
(Rev.1:5), "was it granted that she should be arrayed in fine
linen, clean
and white." Rev.19:8; Zec.3:4. Even Solomon in all his earthly
glory was
not arrayed as one of these shall be!
A Perfect Man
When Jesus
"was made flesh and dwelt among us, we beheld His glory, the
glory of the
only begotten of the Father FULL of grace and truth." Jn.1:14.
During His
earthly ministry, the Father had given "not the Spirit by measure
unto
Him." Jn.3:34. "It pleased the Father that in Him should ALL
FULNESS
dwell." Col.1:19. All the FULNESS OF DEITY now dwells in a
heavenly
body of glorified flesh.'' Co1.2:9; Lk.24: 39, 40.
Just as
the natural earthly body of Jesus was prepared to carry out all
the
Father's will (Heb.10:5-7), so is another corporate body being
prepared
(Lk.1:17) and "made ready" (Rev. 19:7) to receive the fulness of
deity in
order to carry out the perfect will of the Father in the earth.
Now it is in
the Father's progressively expanding will, that the faithful
earthly portion of
His spiritual body who "have GROWN UP into Him in all
things" (Eph.4:15),
soon come "unto A PERFECT MAN [even a completed
corporate body], unto
the measure of the stature of the FULNESS of Christ."
Eph.4:13; Psa.138:8.
Perfecting Holiness
"Love is
the FULFILLING of the law" (Ro.13:10) even "the law of the
Spirit.in Christ
Jesus." Ro.8:2. "Whoso keepeth His word verily in Him is the
love of God
PERFECTED." 1Jn.2:5. This is why the scripture exhorts us..
"Put on charity
which is the bond [controlling and uniting principle] of
PERFECTION."
Co1.3:14. "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness
and let us put
on the armour of light...Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and
make not
provision for the flesh, to FULFILL the lusts thereof." Ro.14:12-14.
Rather, let us completely "FULFILL the royal law [of love] according to
the
scripture" (Jas.2:8) by abiding in "the perfect law of liberty."
Jas.1:25.
"Let us go on UNTO PERFECTION (Heb.6:1), cleansing ourselves
"from all
filthiness of the flesh & spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS in the
fear of God."
2Cor.7:1. May "The God of peace...make you PERFECT in every
good work
to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his
sight,
through Jesus Christ." Heb.13:20, 21; Col.4:12; 2Tim.3:17; Jas.2:22;
3:2;
1Ptr.5:10; 1Jn.4:17, 18 etc.
To do this, "He must INCREASE
& we must decrease - Jn.3:30. It is to this
END "that He may establish
your hearts unblameable in holiness before
God..at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints." 1Ths.3:13;
1Cor.1:8. He is first coming
in them and WITH them for the fullness of His
glory shall be mainifest
within them.
"Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints"
(Jude 11), with
His "good & faithful servants (Matt.25:23), to make
them "ruler over all His
goods." Matt.24:47. "He that overcometh &
keepeth my works UNTO THE
END, to him will I give power over the nations:
and he shall rule them with a
rod of iron.." Rev.3:26,27. These shall
receive "the END of their faith", the
salvation of their souls
-1Ptr.1:9.
This is "an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled"(1Ptr.1:4), reserved as
an experientially COMPLETED "salvation
ready to be revealed in the Last
time." 1Ptr.1:5. This is the fulness of
"grace that is to be brought at the
revelation of..Christ" (1Ptr.1:13) and
the salvation of which Paul was
speaking when he said, "Now is our
salvation nearer than when we
believed." Ro.13:11. This is when Christ
shall appear "the second time
without sin UNTO SALVATION.'' Heb.9:28.
Peter connected this salvation with that part of the kingdom which was
yet
to come saying, "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure:
for
if ye do..ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you
abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom..''2Ptr.1:10;
Rev.3:20,21. This
was not a free gift of entrance into initial salvation,
neither was Jesus
speaking of the initial GIFT of life when He said,
"strait is the gate and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto [abundant]
life and few there be
that find it." Matt.7:14.
Rather, this is a
salvation "to the UTTERMOST"(Heb.7:25), the benefits of
which must be
faithfully & responsibly entered into and wholly
possessed
(Nu.13:30)...and "the time came that the saints possessed the
kingdom."
Da.7:22. Jesus put it this way, "In your patience, possess ye
your souls."
Lk.21:19. There is a purifying (1Ptr.1: 22) which must take
place in the
"saving of the soul." Heb.10:39; Jas.1:21.
The Prize Of The High
Calling
Paul spoke of endurance required "to obtain the
[fulness] of salvation which
is in Christ." 2Tim.2:10. He spoke of "a good
fight of faith" & "laying up in
store..a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may LAY HOLD
of eternal life." 1Tim.6:19,12. He
also spoke of an ultimate "rest"
(Heb.4:9) and taught what kind of
spiritual labour was required to enter
therein -Heb.4:10,11. Jesus taught
that only he that endured and overcame
unto the end of his calling would
receive this salvation - Matt.24:l3; 10:22;
Mk.13:13.
In other
places in the scriptures Paul described this final salvation as "THE
PRIZE"
that one receives upon running a race 1Cor.9:24. "I press toward
the mark
of the PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phi1.3:14.
"That
I may WIN Christ" (Phil.3:8).."that I may know Him and the power of
HIS
RESURRECTION & the fellowship of His sufferings...If by any means
I
might ATTAIN unto the [first] resurrection (out) from the dead."
Phil.3:10.
Paul had a revelation that he "might OBTAIN A BETTER
RESURRECTION"
(Heb.11:35), even that first resurrection which is not for
God's servants-
which knew their Lord's will but "prepared not..neither did
according to His
will" Lk.12: 47. For in the Father's great "spiritual
house" (1Ptr.2:5) "there
are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but
also of wood & of earth; and
some to honour & some to dishonour."
2Tim.2:20. Which will you be?
This first and best PRIZE of coming
kingdom reign is not for dishonorable
"wicked servants" (Matt.18:32), "evil
servants" (Matt.24:48) or "servants
of corruption" nor is it for any
"slothful" (Matt.25:26) nor 'unprofitable
servants" (Matt.25:30) who are
"lukewarm, & neither cold nor hot."
Rev.3:16. Rather, it is for purged
vessels, "vessels unto honour, sanctified
& meet for the Master's use,
and prepared unto every good work."
2Tim.2:21. Only these shall receive the
benefits of the "FULL REWARD"
(2Jn.8), even that "exceeding GREAT REWARD"
(Gen.l5:1) of such an
exceedingly "great salvation." Heb.2:3.
The Greatness Of The
Kingdom
Many are hearing the calling to receive the
GIFT of salvation but there are
comparatively few who shall be in a place
to hear a loud voice saying in the
spirit, "Now is come [complete]
salvation and strength and the kingdom of
our God; and the power of His
Christ" (Rev.12:10; 11:15-17)... "that thou
mightest be my salvation unto
the end of the earth." Isa.49:6. "Behold the
Lord hath proclaimed unto the
end of the world, say ye to the daughter of
Zion, Behold, THY SALVATION
COMETH; behold His REWARD is with Him,
and His work before Him, & they
shall call them the holy people, the
redeemed of the Lord: & thou shalt
be called, sought out, a city not
forsaken." Isa.62:11, 12. "And the
kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven shall be given to the
(holy) people of the (overcomer) saints of the
most High whose kingdom is
an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall
serve & obey Him."
Dan.7:27.
"Of the increase of His government
and peace there shall no end." Isa.9:7.
The kingdom of God is present in
earth even now. It is within our earthen
vessels - Lk.17:21. God is about
to release its full power & manifest its
results to the earth,
beginning in and through a people who have willingly
allowed Christ to have
all rule in their lives regardless of personal cost.-
Rev.12:11
All In All
At present, the
Lord Is in the midst of creating "new heavens" [new
creation spirits -
2Cor.5:17], beginning with his gracious GIFT from heaven
which shall
ultimately culminate in a COMPLETE salvation in a "new earth"
even a new
body of celestial or terrestrial glory - Isa.65:17. This glorious
salvation
is nearing completion in a firstfruits remnant of the church
(Ro.8:18,19)
that will "stand PERFECT & COMPLETE in all the will of God."
Co1.4:12.
Yet, if you can receive it, this in itself is merely a beginning of an
even
greater purpose.
The range and scope of salvation's ultimate
fulfillment reaches out in the
unlimited power of divine love, in
omnipotent "expectation that the creation
itself, also, shall be freed from
the slavery of corruption into the glorious
freedom of the children of
God." Ro.8:21 [Conc.Lit]. Not only the
foreknown reconciliation and
salvation of all men but also the restoration of
the whole creation, was
willed, predestined and foreordained to a divine
order before the
foundation of the earth - Heb.4:3; Ac.15:18; Isa.46:9,10.
This is already
completed truth. In the church it has only begun. In Him it
is
finished.
The work of God's Spirit in providing a salvation for all
whom Christ died for
(2Cor.5:14,15), and for all whom He willed to be
ultimately saved
(1Tim.2:4), was a PERFECT work, completed by Christ at
Calvary. "His
work is PERFECT." Deut.32:4. In this sovereign work their is
no possibility
of imperfection nor failure or He would not be our Lord God
Almighty.
The work of the cross was not just a stationary event of the
past. It was
not merely a hoped for provision for all but was also the
unfailing guarantee
of a perfect result and outcome for all; a fulfillment
that will in its
perfection, have experientially provided salvation to
all--to be made evident
(1Tim.2:6) at the glorious consummation of its
ongoing application.
Jesus, through the cross, not only made personal
salvation a possibility or a
hope for all, but He who is salvation was made
"a surety" and a guarantee
of a better and perfect testament - Heb.8:18-22.
To Yahweh be all the
glory, for Christ the perfect One has guaranteed a
work of perfection for the
whole of His creation. That which He planned and
determined in the
beginning of His natural universal creation, He shall
complete to the full
glory of God the Father. And that which he has begun
in you His church He
shall also surely complete - Phil. 1:6. After all, He
is the great Potter and
humanity but His clay and what vessel could
ultimately resist His will? -
Rom. chapter.9.
Our
sovereign Creator's all powerful, all conclusive plan of the ages
could
never fail in His loving desire and pleasure to eventually be "all in
all" (1Cor.
15:28; Eph.1:11) and COMPLETE IN HIM. Only then, shall the
ultimate
climax of Christ's glorious saving work planned from the
foundation of the
ages (Eph. chptr. 1; Rev.13:8) be fulfilled in all its
transcendent glory...
"Whom he did predestinate, them He also called: and
who He called, them
He also justified: and whom He justified, them he also
glorified." Ro.8:30;
1Cor.15:22-28.
"Now the God of peace, that
brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the
sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, make you PERFECT in
every good work to do His will, working in you that which
is well
pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to who be glory
for ever and
ever. Amen."
Heb.13:20, 21
K. Ross McKay
