All posts tagged salvation in life

We received eternal life when we first believed. Now we can experience its daily saving us.

Man in the Garden and in the City

man in New JerusalemThe prior four posts compared the presence of the creating God in the garden of Eden and the creating, redeeming, devil-destroying, life-imparting, and building God in New Jerusalem. A second characteristic of both the garden and the city is the presence of man.

God purposed to create man in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). So God created man and said “very good” (Genesis 1:27, 31). God placed this created man in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:7-8).

In Genesis 2, man was pure because sin and death had not yet entered. Man had the created human life but did not have the eternal life because man had not yet taken of the tree of life, which symbolizes God as life (Genesis 3:22-24).

In Genesis 3 the devil deceived man, sin entered, and death followed. As a result, created man became fallen man, with sin and death present along with the created nature (Romans 5:12, 19). In the Bible, the word “flesh” often refers to this combination of the created nature and the fallen nature.

All men are flesh because what is born of flesh is flesh (John 3:6a). But, since Christ died and resurrected, our human spirit can be born of the Spirit (John 3:6b). Now we are men with the divine, created, and fallen natures. Since our new birth, the Spirit is working in us to transform our soul (2 Corinthians 3:18). When the Lord Jesus Christ returns from the heavens, He “will transfigure the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory” (Philippians 3:21).

By the time the Lord returns, all three parts (see Tripartite Man) of our being—spirit, soul, and body—will have fully partaken of His wonderful salvation and be fully saved from the corruption of the fall (1 Corinthians 15:53). In contrast to the created, then created and fallen, man in the garden of Eden, there will be regenerated, transformed, and transfigured men in New Jerusalem.

Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and copyrighted by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, footnotes, and cross-references, may be viewed at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is copyrighted by Living Stream Ministry.

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by Don on May 1, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 1, 2013

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Sanctified for the Holy City, New Jerusalem

New Jerusalem is “the holy city” (Revelation 21:2, 10) because God’s holy nature permeates it. Today our Father is disciplining us “that we might partake of His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).  This  concludes a few posts with quotes, from Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ, about New Jerusalem being holy.

New Jerusalem, holy city

God sanctifies us so that we may be established in His holy nature. God’s sanctifying us is a very important and particular item in God’s organic salvation. Not only is God Himself holy, but He also wants to make us holy. Eventually, He wants to make us the holy city, New Jerusalem. In the universe God is holiness; whenever people touch God, they touch holiness (cf. Isa. 6:2-3; Rev. 4:8). Hence, in His organic salvation God’s intention is to constitute us with His holy nature so that we may become the Body of Christ and ultimately be manifested as an established holy city, New Jerusalem. Since all the believers will be the components of the holy city, all of them should be sanctified to be as holy as the holy city. Unless we are made holy, we will not be qualified to be a part of the New Jerusalem. As the holy city, the New Jerusalem is composed of holy believers.

In order to sanctify us, God has put us “in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). The three aspects of Christ as wisdom to us are reviewed in a note* on this verse.

Christ became wisdom to us from God as three vital things in God’s salvation: (1) righteousness (for our past), by which we have been justified by God, that we might be reborn in our spirit to receive the divine life (Rom. 5:18); (2) sanctification (for our present), by which we are being sanctified in our soul, i.e., transformed in our mind, emotion, and will, with His divine life (Rom. 6:19, 22); and (3) redemption (for our future), i.e., the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23), by which we will be transfigured in our body with His divine life to have His glorious likeness (Phil. 3:21). It is of God that we participate in such a complete and perfect salvation, which makes our entire being — spirit, soul, and body — organically one with Christ and makes Christ everything to us. This is altogether of God, not of ourselves, that we may boast and glory in Him, not in ourselves.

Thank God for such a wonderful salvation for our whole being.

* In The NT Recovery Version Online, © 1997-2012 by LSM

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

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by Don on April 12, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Preparation of New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on April 12, 2013

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New Jerusalem is Holy with God’s Holy Nature

New Jerusalem is “the holy city” (Revelation 21:2, 10) because it is saturated with God’s holy nature, that is, God Himself infuses every part of the city. This post continues the prior one about the holy city using quotes from Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ by Witness Lee.

New Jerusalem

God sanctifies us so that we may be established in His holy nature. God’s sanctifying us is a very important and particular item in God’s organic salvation. Not only is God Himself holy, but He also wants to make us holy. Eventually, He wants to make us the holy city, New Jerusalem. In the universe God is holiness; whenever people touch God, they touch holiness (cf. Isa. 6:2-3; Rev. 4:8). Hence, in His organic salvation God’s intention is to constitute us with His holy nature so that we may become the Body of Christ and ultimately be manifested as an established holy city, New Jerusalem. Since all the believers will be the components of the holy city, all of them should be sanctified to be as holy as the holy city. Unless we are made holy, we will not be qualified to be a part of the New Jerusalem. As the holy city, the New Jerusalem is composed of holy believers.

This quote speaks about “organic salvation”—the aspect of God’s salvation carried out by His life within us. One verse about organic salvation is Romans 5:10, “if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.” This life is not our natural human life, but is God’s eternal life in us. It is this life which qualifies us and constitutes us to be in New Jerusalem.

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by Don on April 8, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on April 8, 2013

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Preparation of the Bride in the Churches

New Jerusalem is the wife of the LambRevelation chapters 2–3 contain letters to the seven churches in Asia, a province of the ancient Roman Empire and now the western part of Turkey. These letters record the Lord’s speaking to each church. The Lord begins each letter by describing Himself. His description indicates what He is to meet the need of each church.

The primary need of the seven churches is Christ Himself. God’s desire is that Christ be formed in us (Galatians 4:19) and make His home in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17) so that  we may be full grown in Christ (Colossians 1:28). For this the apostle Paul labored intensively, struggling in oneness with Christ’s operation in Paul (Colossians 1:29).

What does the Lord’s speaking to seven first-century churches have to do with us and with New Jerusalem? Regarding us, each of the seven letters has an identical end: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” What the Lord speaks to one church is for all of us.*

Regarding New Jerusalem, the relationship between Christ and the church is portrayed by husband and wife in Ephesians 5. The preparation of New Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb is taking place today in the universal church composed of many local churches. Today, Christ being formed in us, making home in our hearts, and our full growth in Christ is the preparation of the bride.

The Lord was fully sufficient to meet the needs of the first century churches and He is equally sufficient to meet our needs today. We can open ourselves in prayer to what He reveals about Himself in Revelation 2–3 and thank Him for all that He is to us. In the following posts I will touch briefly what He is to us in these seven letters. Lord, work in us today in the preparation of Your bride.

* The application of these seven letters to us is the subject of the book The Orthodoxy of the Church by Watchman Nee. It is available for online reading in the list here. A brief description by the publisher here says, “In The Orthodoxy of the Church, Watchman Nee progressively unfolds the history of the church from the time of the Lord’s ascension to the time of His coming back by expounding the prophetic significances of the seven churches in the book of Revelation. His exposition includes historical details about the development of the church and spiritual insight into the true condition of the church.”

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

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by Don on March 7, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 7, 2013

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We Will Reign Forever in New Jerusalem

New JerusalemRevelation 22:5, referring to the slaves of God and the Lamb in verse 3, says “they will reign forever and ever.” Humanly this is strange—slaves reign. But this is God’s word.

This matches the parable the Lord began at Luke 19:11. A man of noble birth gave some riches to his slaves and told them to do business. When he returned, he told a faithful slave, “Well done, good slave. Because you have become faithful in the least, have authority over ten cities.”

In this age we are not reigning outwardly but we can reign over sin and death in us (Romans 5:12-21). Such reigning is in Romans 5:17, “For if by the offense of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Lord, thank You for becoming grace to us. Grant us to receive grace and righteousness in abundance every day so that we may reign in life through You.

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by Don on February 16, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on February 16, 2013

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The Word Brings Us into the Inheritance

The Word of God's GraceThrough Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, we have received the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:11-15). We experience this inheritance now through the Holy Spirit who is in us as the foretaste/down payment of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). This inheritance culminates in New Jerusalem.

Acts 20:32 says, “And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified.” Through believing the gospel we already received the Holy Spirit who brought us the initial installment of our inheritance. Since we have this, why does Paul, speaking to the elders of the church in Ephesus (and indirectly to the whole church there and to all of us), tell us that the word of grace is able to give us the inheritance?

While the Holy Spirit has given us the foretaste of our inheritance, the word of grace gives us, brings us into, further practical experience of this foretaste. First Peter 1:3-4 says that our inheritance is “incorruptible and undefiled and unfading.” I cannot say that my Christian life matches these characteristics. There are too many times when I get agitated or discouraged or . . .

I need more of God’s word, to nourish me for spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2), to wash away my oldness and defects (Ephesians 5:25-27), to supply me for speaking, singing, and giving thanks (Colossians 3:16-17), and to convict, correct, and instruct me that I may be fully equipped to serve (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The more we partake of “the word of His grace,” the more we experience our inheritance and are brought into the present reality of New Jerusalem.

Recommended for further reading:
Practical Points on Bible Reading and Reading for the Central Line
Enjoying Christ as the Living Word in the Written Word
12 Practical Points on Bible Reading Plus One Awesome Tool

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by Don on November 28, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on November 28, 2012

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Mutual Abiding unto New Jerusalem

John 15 is foretaste of New JErusalemIn John 14:2 the Lord Jesus began to speak about our dwelling place in God. In John 14:20 He said, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” and in John 15:4 He said, “Abide in Me and I in you.” This is a mutual abiding—we dwell in the Triune God and the Triune God dwells in us. The Lord’s unveiling of this reality continues in John 17. In verse 21 He prayed, “You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they [the believers in v. 20] also may be in Us.” Here we are in the Triune God. Then in verse 23 He continued, “I in them, and You in Me.” Here the Triune God is in us.

This mutual abiding is also presented in the epistles. Romans 8:1-2 say that we “are in Christ Jesus;” verse 10 declares, “Christ is in you.” In Romans 8 we see the practicality of “Abide in Me and I in you.” The key is our human spirit. In the first part of Romans 8 our spirit is life because Christ is in us—this is unvarying; our mind however is variable—it may be of/on the flesh (resulting in death) or of/on the spirit (resulting in life and peace) (v. 6); our body is dead because of sin yet it can receive life (v. 10-11).

Our spirit is the unvarying part of our being, it is life (eternal life), and it is one with the indwelling Spirit (v. 16). Therefore, we walk and have our being according to the Spirit mingled with our spirit (v. 4-5). The Spirit wants to dwell in us, to live in us and to have us let His living become our living. This mutual living is a foretaste of the mutual abiding of the Triune God and His people in New Jerusalem.

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by Don on August 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on August 26, 2012

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Glorification for Glory in New Jerusalem

Glorification for glory in New JerusalemIn Revelation 21:10-11 John saw “the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God” and in verse 23, “the glory of God illumined it [New Jerusalem]”

Our participation in the glory of New Jerusalem depends on our glorification. This glorification comes forth from the salvation we have in Christ, as declared by 2 Timothy 2:10 “…the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Glorification is the goal of God’s plan for us, of His redemptive work, and of His salvation in life in us. In Romans 8:28, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Here “good” is not material blessing nor anything in the physical realm; rather, it is the accomplishing of God’s goal. “His purpose” is amplified in verses 29-30 to include His foreknowledge, predestination, calling, and justification, leading to our conformation to the image of His Son and glorification.

If we love God, as mentioned in verse 28, we will give ourselves to Him, be occupied with His interests, and live one with His living in us. Father, draw me to love You, to care for Your desire, and to live to and with You more every day.

Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and copyrighted by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, footnotes, and cross-references, may be viewed at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is copyrighted by Living Stream Ministry.

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by Don on August 16, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life and New Jerusalem, Preparation of New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on August 16, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/glorification-for-glory-in-new-jerusalem/

We Inherit A Great Salvation

Revelation 21:12 tells us that New Jerusalem “had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels.” A previous post linked the angels with the giving of the law according to Galatians 3:19. Another aspect of the angels is seen in Hebrews 1:14, “Are they [the angels in v. 13] not all ministering spirits, sent forth for service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” The angels are our servants to help us inherit salvation, which is “so great a salvation” in Hebrews 2:3.

An example of this service is in Acts 10:1-8 and 11:13-14. An angel instructed Cornelius to send for Simon Peter in order that Peter could speak words by which Cornelius and his household would be saved. This took place as promised by the angel. (The angel did not directly announce the gospel to Cornelius because it is the Lord’s intention that men proclaim Him as the gospel.)

Our inheriting of salvation begins in this age, continues in the coming kingdom age, and culminates with our participation in New Jerusalem in eternity. The angels at the gates of New Jerusalem observe, not only that our entrance into the city is in accord with the law’s requirements, but even more they observe that our entrance into the city is the result of so great a salvation in Christ.

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by Don on June 11, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on June 11, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/we-inherit-a-great-salvation/

New Creation, New Man, New Jerusalem

Second Corinthians 5:17 proclaims, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” To believe is to believe into Christ (John 3:16), and to be baptized is to be baptized into Christ (read more in the note on Galatians 3:27). Once we are in Christ, we are in the new creation. In addition, Colossians 3:10 says that we “have put on the new man.” In the new creation we are not individuals but members of the new man.

Although we are the new man in the new creation, the Lord’s word still exhorts us to “be renewed” (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23), tells us that this is “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5), and says that the new man “is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10). Note 3* on the latter verse says,

“Because the new man was created with us, who belong to the old creation (Ephesians 2:15), as his constituents, he needs to be renewed. This renewing takes place mainly in our mind, as indicated by the phrase unto full knowledge. The new man was created in our spirit and is being renewed in our mind unto full knowledge according to the image of Christ.”

We rejoice that the death and resurrection of Christ has created us one new man. However, we must not be complacent. DON’T WAIT. Today is the time to cooperate, with the Holy Spirit’s renewing within us, by walking in newness of life (Romans 6:4). In this walk the life of Christ is renewing us unto the image of Christ, the image which will be expressed to the fullest by New Jerusalem.

* in The NT Recovery Version Online, © 1997-2012 by LSM

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by Don on May 12, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 12, 2012

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Growth in Life by Holding Fast the Word of God

A prior post spoke about our initial salvation, which eternally secures all aspects of salvation, and our ongoing salvation in daily life. The organic aspect of our initial salvation includes our regeneration, which is the beginning of Christ as life in us. The ongoing salvation is our growth in life. This growth is unto maturity that matches New Jerusalem.

First Corinthians 15:2 says, “you are being saved, if you hold fast the word which I announced to you as the gospel.” Hebrews 3:14 uses the same Greek verb, exhorting us to “hold fast the beginning of the assurance firm to the end.” The beginning of our assurance is the gospel we have heard, the word announced to us as the gospel. In Colossians 1:6 it is “the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, even as it is also in all the world, bearing fruit and growing…” The phrase “bearing fruit and growing” indicates the operation of life, and this life is conveyed to us by the word of God.

The second part of Hebrews 3 describes a condition contrary to holding fast the life-imparting word of the gospel. In this chapter is hardness of heart, attributed both to our own doing (v. 8, 15) and to the deceitfulness of sin (v. 13). This hardness prevents us from receiving and believing the words of God, so it causes “an evil heart of unbelief” (v. 12), which is “disobedience” (v. 18). In contrast, Hebrews 4:2 speaks of the word being mixed with faith. May we be those who say amen to every part of God’s word, whether we understand or not, whether we think it possible or not.

Lord, be merciful to save us from hardness and to cause us to receive and respond to Your word so that it may bear more fruit and grow more.


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by Don on April 28, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on April 28, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/growth-in-life-by-holding-fast-the-word-of-god/

Growing with the Growth of God

After receiving the divine life in regeneration, we experience a present, continuous salvation (1 Corinthians 15:2 and prior post) which is a much more salvation in Christ’s life (Romans 5:10). By this daily salvation, we grow unto New Jerusalem.

Colossians 2:19 describes our growth. This verse proclaims that “holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God.” We grow with the growth of God! God is eternally complete; in Himself He does not grow. However, He grows in us. When we hold the Head, Christ, a bountiful supply flows out from Him into us resulting in the growth of God in us.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.” Paul and Apollos labored as God’s fellow workers (v. 9) yet only God Himself could give the growth because the growth is the increase of God in us. The essence of growth is not an increase in Bible knowledge nor improvement in behavior. (God’s growth in us will result in more insight into His word and will change our behavior. But, those changes could come from other factors, so they are not an assurance of growth.)

Life is God in Christ, who through the Spirit’s regeneration (John 3:6) lives in us; “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Growth in life is the increase of life, which is the increase of God in Christ living in us. This is the life of New Jerusalem, the life which we enjoy now and will enjoy eternally with the river of life and the tree of life (Revelation 22:1-2).

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by Don on April 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on April 26, 2012

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