But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? You fool, that which thou sow is not quickened, except it die: And that which you sow, you sow not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God gives it a body as it has pleased Him and to every seed his own body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-38)
In this passage of scripture, God is using the law of seedtime and harvest to teach us about resurrection. Keep in mind that this scripture says, “thou fool,” to those who don’t know this truth about resurrection. We will pay attention to every natural need, but not even give a thought about our spiritual need, yet that which is spiritual will last for eternity. In this world, if ou plan ahead for what is to come, you are wise. In the not too distant future you will experience eternity and if you haven’t prepared for that you will not have been very wise. You will either be the wise or the fool for eternity, so resurrection is really the most important thing in life to know about for every human being, isn’t it. Your life on earth is just one stage of your spiritual eternal development. What will shortly come to pass is going to last forever so be wise and get ready. What we call tomorrow may never come.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is the gift of God. That is why we call it the present.
In this picture above, we see the three stages of spiritual growth for every human. We see the ugly caterpillar, then the cocoon, and then we see the beautiful butterfly. With natural humans, we have the babe, the child, and the adult, but with spiritual humans who have faith in God, we have the ugly caterpillar that is buried in the cocoon of the grave to arise as the beautiful butterfly of a glorified human in Christ who is our resurrection. Jesus taught us how to sow our-selves into resurrection as we live by Him. He did not say live for Him, but He said live by Him. (John 6:57) Those that Live By Jesus experience a glorious resurrection, yet how often do we think about the resurrection? I myself will choose not to eat fruits or vegetables with spots or worms in it. I want good fruit to eat. I assume you feel the same way. Yet we hardly realize that the same is true during resurrection. If we are living by Adam, we are going into resurrection with all kinds of spots, blemishes and abnormalities that won’t be allowed in Heaven, but if we learn how to put on Christ day by day, we shall grow up into living trees that bear good fruit and during the resurrection, you will be a part of God’s great harvest of Sons. All through the Bible God calls humans trees. Jesus said every good tree bares good fruit and every evil tree bears bad fruit. Then He says that every good tree goes into God’s barn (Heaven) and every evil tree gets burned up in the fire. (Matthew 7:17-20)
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8)
Many people live their whole lives without even thinking about death, much less resurrection. Those who don’t know God will be resurrected also, but they will receive eternal corruption and be lost forever as the result of their disrespect towards God’s loving free gift of redemption through His only Son. People in the Bible that believed in God, thought about resurrection a lot. Jesus talked about it often. In fact, that is why Jesus left Heaven and came to earth, to make it possible for us to experience resurrection unto eternal life and glory. Jesus was the Son of God who was sent from Heaven to show us the life. Jesus was born of a virgin to bring us the life. He lived a perfect life to fulfill the law of God for us and then died on the cross for us as the last Adam to give us the life. He rose again to provide us with resurrection and eternal life in Heaven. When this passage of scripture says to every seed, it is talking about humans. God calls humans seeds. It says that God gives to every seed his own body. He says each person may bear a grain of wheat or some other grain. The Bible says whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap for eternity. (Galatians 6:7-9) The Bible teaches that the earth is the Lord’s and His field is the world, that humans are spiritual trees called by God to bear good fruit and God is going to have a great harvest in His garden. (Psalm 24:1, Matthew 13:38, Isaiah 55:12, Matthew 7:16-20, 9:35-38) Jesus said it like this!
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:24-25)
Jesus is saying that resurrection, which brings forth much fruit, is through our “dying to live.” He said that we die to SELF in order to live by Him unto God and bring forth much fruit just like a seed dies to its nature as a seed to become a tree. He said that loving our earthly nature of life in this world will cause us to lose His divine nature, but hating the earthly nature of SELF will cause us to keep it unto life eternal. He continued to expound by saying that we affect the fruit of our resurrection by hating the natural life of this world. If we hate our earthly spiritual nature that we all inherited from Adam, we shall bear the fruit of His divine nature, but if we love our earthly spiritual nature, we shall lose the divine nature. What an indescribable miscalculation that would be. (1 Corinthians 15:22) Do you hate your flesh nature, or do you love it? Do you love the divine nature of Christ, or do you hate it? The answer to this question will determine your eternal destiny.
Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruits of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire (hell), and they are burned. (John 15:4–6)
Again Jesus is talking about humans as seeds, branches, and trees. A tree is known by its fruit and humans are trees that bear spiritual fruits of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, and faith. Against such, there is no law. (Ephesians 5:22) A tree doesn’t live for itself but bears fruit for everyone around. I heard one of the guys say in a conversation he was having, ”I like his style,” and the guy he was talking about was a partier. I thought “well that tells me what’s on the inside of him.” The things we say and do show us what’s on the inside of us. how about Jesus? Do you like his style? Jesus was a perfect man and God was comfortable hanging out with Him. (Acts 10:38) Jesus walked with God to demonstrate what eternal life really is. It is a father and son walk in paradise forever. Jesus said we must abide in Him and He in us. Then we shall bear the good fruit of His divine nature and be made fit for heaven. Without Him, we CAN do nothing. (John 15:5) Yet the scripture says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-7)
Resurrection isn’t something I can accomplish but rather it is a process of transformation Jesus has accomplished for us. Notice three times in this passage of scripture where it says that God put us together in Christ. It says that God “quickened us together, raised us up together and seated us together with Christ in heavenly places. Those three spiritual blessings arise out of His resurrection. We talk about this in great detail in our new book, “Death and Life, Secret of the Bible.” The natural man who is born with the sin program must be born again of the Spirit of Christ as a spiritual man with the Son program. Through Christ in us, we share in His death to sin, His burial to the things of this world and His resurrection life in Heaven. As we learn to live by Him, we die to the nature of the flesh and we bear the spiritual fruit of His character that fits for heaven. When we believe in Jesus, we put on Christ and our spiritual nature changes, our character changes and our spiritual destiny changes. Day by day, little by little we grow up into Him and become fit for heaven. (Ephesians 4:15) Jesus was everything we are to become in Him and God the Father is pleased to enlarge His heavenly family by adopting us as His very own sons into heaven. (Galatians 4:2-6) We are all the progeny of the first man Adam by birth and we have His spiritual nature, which is the ugly caterpillar of the self-program.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
God gives us a new heart and we are born again in our spirits by faith as we receive the Spirit of God’s own Son and become one with the spiritual man to live forever by the Son program. The Spirit of Christ literally comes into our spirits, and He changes our spiritual nature. (John 6:63-70) The Spirit of Christ in us is the gift of God, which we don’t deserve and cannot earn. As we abide in Him, we grow up into Him in all things and we bear much fruit unto God. (Ephesians 4:15) Can you see how God is bringing many sons unto glory? (Hebrews 2:10) As we receive Christ and abide in Him, our nature changes because we are one with Him. As we are united to Him in His death unto sin, we also become partakers of His divine nature and share in His resurrection. (Romans 6:5) The more we abide in Him, the greater the chance we have for a better resurrection.
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All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. Now, this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Corinthians 15:39-50 NKJV)
This passage of scripture says, “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. If we only have the earthy nature when we die, we will bear the image of the earthy and lose the heavenly.” If we have the heavenly nature when we die, that Jesus died and rose again to give us, we will bear the image of the heavenly. Notice the word inherit. After death, we inherit what we ourselves have planted. How do we know we are bearing the image of the heavenly? We see our nature changing through Christ in us. I like to use the example of the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly over the period of about three weeks as it literally digests its own body inside the cocoon until its form has changed into its final being. It literally dies to its nature as a caterpillar in order to become a butterfly. For the human, there is a natural body, which you see every day in the mirror, but there is also a spiritual body within you that you can’t see. You are a spirit. You are not a body. You are a spirit that has a soul and you live in a body. Your body connects you to this natural world called earth. Your spirit connects you to the spiritual world. Your soul is the negotiator and tie-breaker between the natural body and the spiritual body. We grow up as children with our spirits being ruled by our bodies when it should be the other way around. That is because of Adam’s decision in the beginning to obey Satan as a natural man instead of obeying God and becoming a spiritual man and we are all the offspring of Adam, so we bear his image. We live our whole lives being ruled by the natural man until we become alive unto the spiritual man through the new birth. Jesus came to reverse the curse of Satan in our lives and make the new birth possible. He walked in the life that is from above. He was the Son of God that ruled over everything, sickness, disease, and even the powers of death. Jesus taught that His life was a demonstration of the heavenly life that ends in eternal life. He taught that we must hate our natural life that lives for self in order to gain the spiritual life that is eternal and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:8)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 NKJV)
Do you believe this? Only the Son of God could talk like that. Jesus said He is two things, the resurrection, and the life. It seems as though He should have said, “I am the life and the resurrection,” but He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. After the resurrection, we who believe are going to be alive with His divine nature forever. Everything Jesus ever said came to pass so there is no reason to doubt what He says. Jesus died upon the cross working the supernatural surgery of redemption into the human race as the last Adam to make eternal life possible for us. Jesus died our death that we might live by His life. Only the Son of God from Heaven could do that for us and would do that for us. That is what He taught during His ministry, that His father God sent Him from Heaven to earth to accomplish redemption for us so we can have eternal life. This is the theme of the Bible. Jesus demonstrated all authority and power over the forces of devil, including sickness, disease, and death. (Acts 10:38) Jesus even raised people from the dead. He was a threat to their religious system. They said no man ever spoke like this man. (John 7:46) Yet everything He said came to pass and is still coming to pass. How else could the true Son of God speak or act? He always said, “The scriptures cannot lie, cannot be broken and must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44, Hebrews 6:18, John 10:35) Yet the religious leaders wanted to continue in their human traditions rather than hear the truth, so they crucified Him to get rid of Him. (Mark 12:1-11)
Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:36-38 (NKJV)
The Son of God would be more concerned about our eternal welfare than anything else, would He not? The Son of God would conquer Satan’s powers of death for us, would He not? The Son of God would teach us how to put on immortality would He not? So we see that we aren’t just going to die and be lost. We are going to die and experience resurrection, either of eternal life or of eternal damnation. What grain we bear then will depend upon how we sowed our natural life as a seed into the ground spiritually. The first man Adam was created as a living soul. He was of the earth and he was earthy. The second man who became the last Adam for us is the Lord Jesus from Heaven. He is a quickening Spirit.
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.( 2 Peter 1:3-4)
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Our fleshy bodies are just the outward shell of our spirits like the outward shell of a seed. When the shell of the seed dies, then the sprout of the tree pops up out of the ground and grows into a fruit bearing tree. Through the knowledge of Him that is calling us unto eternal glory, we are escaping from the corruption that is in the world through lust and we are being transformed into the likeness of His spiritual nature according to His divine power so we can bear good fruit unto everyone around.
And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and doesn’t keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keeps His word, in Him the love of God is truly perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6)
The Bible says here that we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments and abide in Him. Jesus is a real person, but He is also a quickening Spirit, and we know that we know Him when we are abiding in Him and He is abiding in our spirits. We can hear His voice within just like Adam could hear God’s voice in the Garden of Eden. This truth is sure, just like it was in the Garden of Eden, so it is now. We will hear two voices within our hearts all our natural lives and you will acquire the spiritual nature of whichever one you obey, either the voice of the Spirit of God or the voice of the devil. It says that the love of God is perfected in us over time as we keep His word in our hearts and live in obedience to His words. Where are you in your preparation for eternity? Do you follow the instructions of His word, and do you obey His voice? Have you begun putting on immortality yet? Are you still a living soul only or are you being quickened by His Spirit? Is the love of God being perfected in you? Are you walking as He walked? If you are, then God will be pleased to give you a glorious body and you will bear His image in your resurrection. That brings me to the real subject of this blog. God wants not only wants us to pass from death to life and inherit Heaven as citizens of Heaven bearing His image, but He wants us to obtain a better resurrection. How profound is that?
And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, topped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:32-40)
Wow! This passage of Scripture is only a few of the verses which show us how much hard work the Bible heroes had to do just to live in this world and resist the devil as they walked with God. Observe the phrases; who through faith subdued, wrought, obtained, stopped, quenched, escaped, were made strong, waxed valiant, turned armies to flight, Women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection and they obtained a good report with God. Wow! The hint is they wouldn’t allow deliverance because they wanted a better resurrection. That is truth for eternity. They show us that every battle is for freedom to walk with God in order to overcome the sin nature and please God. The Bible says they obtained a better resurrection.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11 NKJV)
The Apostle Paul said that he gave up all things for Christ and counted everything of this world as dung to gain Christ. You can historically see how his nature changed from Saul to Paul. He wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection as he follows the pattern of Christ’s death. For us, overcoming cigarettes or alcohol, or pornography may be giants to overcome, but David’s giant, in reality, was ten feet tall and he was just a young man under eighteen years old with no war experience. The Old Testament saints were touched by the supernatural and God wants us to walk in the supernatural and obtain a better resurrection. It also shows us that they warred against powers that were against them, and they overcame. When you use the Bible heroes as examples, it seems they are all “sowing” to the spirit. They are all investing their earthly nature of life into their eternity. They are all overcoming something by faith to benefit for eternity. They are all laying up treasures in Heaven. They all had an attitude of “not accepting” deliverance that they might OBTAIN a better resurrection. We hear so much teaching about Grace, Grace, in your face, all over the place and we can’t run the race. The Bible is a little more precise than that. The Bible warns us to run that we might OBTAIN the prize, that we might OBTAIN a better resurrection. Are you living for a better resurrection? Or are you just existing and living for SELF. You are only here for a little while. Doesn’t it make sense to live for a better resurrection when that is going to last forever?
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Jesus said it another way. He said we can lay up treasure in Heaven and it won’t be stolen from us. What a profound thought. If we are born again of His Spirit, we are now the citizens of Heaven and while we live on planet earth, we can lay up treasure in Heaven. Laying up treasure is one way we obtain a better resurrection. Going to church, doing good works and tithing is good and brings many blessings but that is not enough to bring you a better resurrection. The treasure you are laying up in Heaven is in your heart. God’s treasure is souls. You bringing souls to Heaven with you is the greatest treasure you can lay up in Heaven. That is God’s treasure that radiates glory for Him. John the Baptist was like that. He was the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He warned people saying, “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” He said,
As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth, And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:4-6)
Are you making your paths straight? Are you filling every valley with truth and removing mountains and hills of corruption in your heart? Are you making the crooked straight and the rough ways smooth? Are you making HIS paths straight inside your soul? Are you acknowledging Him in all your ways? Are you living to obtain a better resurrection? Are you being “SALT” and “LIGHT in the world?” He also said,
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11)
John knew something the Old Testament saints didn’t know that the New Testament saints like you and me can take advantage of. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit within and through His cleansing fire experience the Holy Spirit upon. The Holy Spirit came upon the Old Testament saints and miraculous things happened, but since the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit now comes within you through the new birth, The new birth is the re-birth of the human spirit. You and I are now under the New Testament dispensation, and because of Jesus’ resurrection, now His Spirit abides within us. By His Spirit He empowers us to pull up the weeds of deception, the briars of lust and He gives us authority over the devil to walk in the dominion of Christ through faith in His name. His Spirit and His name in us as the Spirit leads us, is supernatural. Yet the end result is we not only reap blessing for ourselves by being filled with the Spirit and being led of the Spirit, but we bless others also. We obtain a good report card with God, and we obtain a better resurrection. These thoughts you are reading right now are not my words, but they are the words of the Bible. Christ in us is the victory that overcomes the world and gives us a better resurrection. (1 John 5:4)
And we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (1 John 5:19) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57) For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4)
What is the victory? It is our overcoming the spiritual nature of the world by faith! When He talks about overcoming the world, He is talking about our breaking free from the strongholds of the thoughts, the beliefs, the idols, the cares of this life, and the lusts of the flesh that are natural for the whole world that lies in wickedness. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8) Jesus said all things are possible to him that believes. (Matthew 19:26) When we overcome the world that we have been in bondage to all our lives, we have the victory of freedom from Satan’s dominion. What is the victory? It is the lifestyle of living by Jesus overcoming the lifestyle of living by the self-program of SIN. We are either living by the self-program of Satan or we are living by the Son-program of Christ in us.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
Notice the implication is “yes you are salt,” that brings flavor into the world, and “yes you are light,” so men can see the truth, but is your salt losing its flavor, and is your light getting hidden under your darkness? Is your wick (your soul) burning out as you live after the flesh and the lusts of the world? If you are influencing others to walk in the truth, then you are winning. If you are not influencing others into the lifestyle of faith in the truth, then you are losing. Jesus says You must let Your light shine before men so that they may see Your good works and GLORIFY GOD who is in Heaven. Men are supposed to see the goodness in you and when they turn to God, they glorify God in Heaven.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
We are encouraged to “work out” our salvation with “fear and trembling.” How many of us are working out our salvation daily with “fear and trembling?” We have to receive, apply, and appropriate the Spirit of Christ in our hearts to work out our salvation and become a good fruit-bearing tree. We work from what is on the inside to the outside. You are working out Your salvation to the point that you are affecting others.
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. (Matthew 12:33)
Jesus said “make the tree good and then make his fruit good. Do you now realize that God, who is a Spirit, sees humans as fruit-bearing trees? That is the twofold process of salvation. First, the inward man goes through a change, and then the outward man goes through the change. People wonder why there are bad Christians. Well, everything doesn’t change overnight. Once a person is born of God and they are given a new nature on the inside, it takes years for the behavior to change on the outside. Even though we see a change on the inside we have to go to work and change our behaviors. Our flesh has been trained all its life to love living for self. Now we love God, and we want to live for God and be like Jesus but we war against our “trained flesh” to change our ways. First, the tree has to be made good, and then his fruit, that which others feed upon must be made good. Only God can do that. And God is “gracious” enough to give us his nature which is new to us, but it is our job to do the changing from the inside to the outside. Now that your tree has been made good by God, make your fruit good so that all people that you come into contact with may eat your good fruit and live also and glorify the Father which is in Heaven. Trees don’t bear fruit for themselves but for all others around who eat the fruit.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (2 Peter 1:10)
Do you see you have some work to do? God expects you to do the work and He will empower you to do it if you commit to Jesus living His life through you, each step of the way. God is waiting on you to go to work and make your calling and election sure. You are supposed to “give diligence” to make your calling and election sure. If you do these things you will never fall. Notice you can fall. God doesn’t want you to fall. God didn’t want Adam and Eve to fall but they did. They didn’t have to but they did. Look at how their fall affected the whole human race. Every human in Adam’s loins, including you and me, were affected by Adam’s fall away from God. Don’t you know that you can affect the whole human race? Does your light get hidden by this lust and that care and this deception and that lousy attitude? Are you bearing good fruit? Are you expecting a better resurrection? God is expecting you to live by Jesus and affect others.
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Notice not everyone that called Jesus Lord got into Heaven! These prophesied in his name, cast out devils in his name, and even did wonderful works in his name and Jesus told them “I never knew you.” It is greatly appreciated that Jesus told us ahead of time what was going to happen, so we are warned and have no excuse. The issue was; Does Jesus know you? If he is living in you and you are living by him, then he knows you. If you are living by Jesus you have that intimacy with him. You know him and he knows you because you live for the glory of God. You live to please him.
If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)
Jesus said if you will do “his will,” you will know it is God. Do you know for sure you are overcoming the world? God wants you to. Don’t be deceived by thinking those who prophesy are something special. God expects all believers to prophesy as the spirit leads. Some of them who prophesy won’t be going to Heaven. Casting out devils and doing many wonderful works doesn’t classify you as a Heavenite. Knowing Jesus inwardly, doing his will rather than your own, and working out your salvation so that all three parts of you, spirit, soul, and body, are completely and powerfully saved, enough to OBTAIN a better resurrection. I always used to wonder why Joseph wanted the children of Israel to carry his bones with them out of Egypt and into the promised land hundreds of years later. The book of Hebrews talks about Joseph giving them that command by faith. It was because he wanted a “better resurrection.” He wanted to rise again with all those hundreds who rose from the dead in Jerusalem with Jesus. He saw accurately saw into the future thousands of years and knew what to do. Don’t you see faith as something more than just believing you receive? Don’t you see the supernatural power of God is available to you if you will work out your salvation? This attitude of work is a theme I constantly see for the believer throughout the scriptures.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
It isn’t that we are working to earn our salvation. God gives us His divine nature when we believe in Jesus. But once we have received the new nature in our hearts, God expects us to work it into our ways, our lives, and our affairs with all men. We are to “work out” our salvation so that the divine nature of Christ in us is producing for others also. One of the great lessons we all learn in life is this; no matter what the pain is and no matter what we are going through, it is a temporary thing. It will all be over soon and then we are off into eternity. What we are enduring in life is the cross we have to bear. All the love and goodness we pour out to others won’t always win over the darkness. The goodness of Jesus got Him crucified. But the cross also got Him the resurrection, and His position as the head of the church. Now Jesus isn’t experiencing the pain but rather the glory. He knows now the pain He went through can’t even be compared to the glory He is enjoying now.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
We think we are suffering for the Lord but really we are working out our salvation in order to OBTAIN a better resurrection. We are taught by many teachers to sow money in order to reap prosperity but the sowing I see the Bible talking about is more of sowing to the spirit. It is the sowing of our flesh to the cross with Jesus that our spirit might reap a “more exceeding” glory.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2 Corinthians 4:17)
The idea of repentance in the past has been taught to the world that they should turn from their ungodly ways to receive Jesus as Lord. These things are all true but they haven’t gone deep enough into the human spirit. The Bible’s idea of repentance is a “life-long” term that goes along with this theme of working out our salvation. Godly sorrow WORKETH repentance that produces salvation that doesn’t ever end.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Repentance is a lifestyle of putting down the flesh in order to live and walk in the spirit. This is what God has designed for us. We are putting on immortality.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53)
We don’t just die and then are immortal. We put on immortality while we live. We start by putting off corruption so we can put on incorruption and then as we walk in the purity of incorruption of Christ in us, we put on immortality. God expects us to put on immortality. We were born into our life on earth. Even so, Eternal life is something we are born into, but it is also something we put on. It’s wonderful to know that we can obtain a better resurrection.
God has provided some better things for us, that they, without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:40)
Get going as you work out your salvation! Trim the dead branches and bear good fruit that others will enjoy! Trim the wick of your lamp so the light can get brighter for others to see the truth and the love of God. Lay up treasure in Heaven that you will enjoy forever because God keeps good records. Fight the good fight of faith, which we are all called to fight. Run with patience the race that is set before you that you may win. Lay aside every weight that so easily besets you. Draw near unto God with full assurance of faith. Make full proof of your ministry. Walk in the Spirit and be led by Him. Put on immortality and inherit your eternal inheritance in Heaven. The Old Testament saints obtained a good report, but they failed to receive the promise. What is that better thing for us that the Old Testament saints failed to receive without us? It was the promise of a better resurrection! As we die to self and learn to live by Jesus, we put on immortality, and in the Spirit of Christ, we obtain a better resurrection. Soon comes forever and what you will have will be forever. It may take you your whole life to change, overcome, walk by faith, please God, overcome and be clothed in His divine nature, but you will be glad forever that you were wise to lay up treasure and obtain a better resurrection? Amen
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for 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. (Romans 10:9-13)
If you can pray to God right now with your heart, you will experience the Truth. God will hear your sincere prayer and He will answer you. What is stopping you? God will answer you and show you great and mighty things you know not. (Jeremiah 33:3) Are you satisfied with dead knowledge, or do you want to experience Truth? Think about it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you pray with your heart, God will hear your prayer and He will make all things new for you and it is eternal. You can pray words like these.
Heavenly Father, I come to you with all my heart. I ask you to forgive me of all my sins and quicken me by your Spirit with the divine nature of Christ. I am a sinner, but I now give you my heart and ask you to save me from the powers of death in Jesus name. I ask you to be my God and receive me as your very own child. Jesus come into my heart and give me eternal life. I believe you died for me on the cross to accomplish redemption for me and bring me unto God. I believe you have risen from the dead and that you quicken me by your Spirit and give me new life. Heavenly father, I believe you make me a new creature in Christ Jesus and that you make all things new and reveal truth for eternity unto me. In Jesus name I ask.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. (John 6:37-38)
Truth is eternal and your attitude towards Truth and towards God has eternal blessings or eternal consequences. Challenge yourself and determine for yourself! What is Truth for you and will you be wise and build for yourself a better resurrection?
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