I know you know these things but it’s good to keep it fresh. Even as Peter said “to stir up your mind by way of remembrance” Saying of God by the gospel.
Col 1.13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of His Son.
2 Pet 1.3 His divine power has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness.
This is a done deal and this is before a 2nd coming.
2 Pet 1.4 We are partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption of the world.
Now in this day and age.
These are all past tense fulfilled in Christ to be put on by the working of faith, which is our duty to God. Our faith which is our invisible umbilical cord to the invisible God. For “without faith it is impossible to please God, you much first believe that He is and He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him”. And this He does as we seek, not as we wait to die or be raptured, saying “seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and these things will be added to you”.. And since we have these things, our spirit is already where our body wants to go, but our body will never go there. However the redeemed can experience the benefits and pleasures and because the redeption is complete “we are a new creation in Christ” as all things have been
And this includes earth. Yes earth is restored to the beginning being good, very good. The
“He has (already) qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance”? So we don’t need another day. We shouldn’t rely on a 2nd coming but faith. “From faith to faith” A 2nd coming would be factual. Christ said His kingdom is “not of this age” so we should expect something superior to time and matter. And His Word is
Our man is a digit, A singularity, a human, defined as a person in place and time. This is our old nature. It was Christ who became a man like us for us to become like Him saying “in the beginning was word” and “the word became flesh and dwelled among us” and “to as many as recieved Him? To them He gave power to become His people” not of a future hope but because the New Covenant is now in effect. “We knew Him once as a man, a digit, a singularity, but henceforth know we Him like that no more. (2 Cor 5.17) He is no longer a singularity and if anyone is “in Christ” they are no longer a singularity constricted to their old humanity, but are a “new creation” in His image, being ubiquitous. Not being restricted to this creation of time and space. God is spirit and He seeks those to worship Him in spirit and truth which precedes and supercedes time and matter.
The very reason that the Word became flesh and dwelled among us was to proof that godliness or God-like-ness is a reality while we sojourn here. We too
So being “in Christ”, “in the Spirit”, we have been quickened, we have been translated, we have been Raptured, we are where flesh and blood cannot go. This is why we “know no man, who is a believer, after the flesh” being a digit, a human. “For we have this treasure in earthen vessels for the excellence and the Glory is of God and not our digit. And since we are “in Christ”, “in the Spirit”, we too are partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light right now. Col 1.12
Our carnal desire is to be with a carnal Christ but this can never be. Flesh and blood does not, and cannot inherit the Kingdom. And this body does not go there it returns to dust. It is not for the physical eye or the physical ear. “For seeing with their eyes they see not and hearing with their ears they hear not. For it is with the heart one must see and hear to understand the things of God “. It is the new man made in His image that rules over the flesh. So the flesh can enjoy it saying “For He has given us richly all things to enjoy “.
So if we were Raptured, or taken away from this world in our current phase of transformation, we would freeze in our current condition as scripture says “when time is no more” ? “Let him who is unjust be unjust still he who is filthy let him be filthy still, he who is righteous let him be righteous still, he who is holy let him be holy still” Rev 22.11.
God would have to re-create the same current earthly conditions to finish His work in us. That is why we are here. As He said of this creation that “it is good, very good”. Earth is perfectly qualified to confine the fallen and teach renewal to the redeemed.
This is why eschatology and end times fascinations can be so dangerous. By being an escape from the greater work God wants to do in us now as we are instructed to “put on Christ’ in the here and now, and from Colossians 3 “since you are risen with Christ (not if) seek the things that are above. And verse 10 ” put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him”? But some wait to be raptured?
Eschatology focuses on and speaks of another day and derails the work of the Holy Spirit now who says Today! If you hear His voice. For “since there remains a rest for the people of God?” “see that you do not refuse Him who calls us from heaven”. And “why seek ye another? ” And “behold it is I! I kill and I bring to life Deu 32.39-40
If anything is unfruitful, it is a teaching to the body of Christ that morphs with every new fear, to keep people spiritually paralyzed and focused on the future and not real growth. Who does that sound like? Who steals, kills and destroys? Who detains and distracts? I mean Nibiru? Blood moons? What will they think of next? These are carnal fascinations with no connection to the invisible immortal eternal God.
So why do we need a rapture? To be saved? To be delivered from this evil world? To be quickened? To be translated? This has already happened if you neleive the scriptures, if you are “in Christ” who said “Father I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one”?.. And He did if you can receive it,. You are already in His will, why would you want to go somewhere else?
What shall separate us from the love of God “in Christ”? Height? Depth? Government powers? Demonic principalities? A sword? A famine? Martial law? Through all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
As Joshua and Caleb said of the promises f God ” if God has given us the land (invisible promises) we are well able to possess them!” These two men “were of a wholly different spirit” than the fear mongers of that day, and so are we.
As in Daniel there were 3 men threatened with fire, and their reply? God is able to deliver us from the fire, but even if He doesn’t I will not worship your image. It was in the fire where the forth man was seen. We know who He was. It is in the fire we learn to partake of heavenly pleasures scripture saying “think it not strange concerning the fire which is to try you as though it’s strange. For as you partake in the fire, is for you to experience Gods glory. And we do in greater degree after the trial and need not wait for a 2nd coming Jesus.
So fear not these end time images they present to you for they will fail as do all prophecies (1 Corinthians 13.8 ). And they will present another and they will fail too. Do not fear little flock. We are where we need to be. “In Him”.
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