We "are come unto mount Sion."

We are not playing with words when we point out that the statements concerning our crucifixion and resurrection are past or present in tense. There is reality here from God's point of view. We are to grasp by faith and act as though we have been crucified with Christ and have been raised with Christ. Since we have died with Christ we are to refrain from indulging in the lusts and passions of our flesh.

Since we have been raised with Christ we are to walk in newness of life, we are to set our mind on things in the heavens. This is where we are in the sight of God.

Physical death is regarded by the Lord as "sleep." "The maiden is not dead but sleeps." "Those who sleep in Jesus." "For this reason many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep."

We are not teaching "soul sleep." Rather we are teaching that physical death is not regarded by the Lord as death but as sleep.

However our death in water baptism, which we are to seize by faith, is a true death in the sight of God. It signifies that our first, adamic life has been finished. "It is finished."

The fact that we have died and been resurrected (not bodily resurrected as yet) is of significance in the program of the Divine redemption.

The Scripture teaches clearly that it is appointed to man once to die and after this the judgment. In the sixth chapter of Hebrews the doctrine of eternal judgment follows the doctrine of the resurrection.

We know that after the earth and the heaven pass away the dead will be resurrected and stand before God (actually before Christ and His saints because the Father has given all judgment to Christ). The judgment will follow the resurrection.

But for those who would attain the first resurrection from the dead the judgment is beginning now and it is an eternal judgment on the powers of darkness.

It would not be possible for us to be judged now except that God considers our death in Christ to be a reality and our resurrection in Christ to be a continuing reality as we walk in the Spirit of God.

Let's see how this works out in practice.

Suppose when you were a young Christian you were deeply offended by someone, perhaps a fellow Christian, a pastor, an employer, your husband or wife. If you were a seasoned Christian you would have taken this wound, this flaming arrow, to the Lord in prayer. You would have prayed until you had perfect victory and peace.

But instead you allowed it to fester. You talked about your hurt to your friends who took your side against the offending party.

Of course there is a demon sitting on each shoulder and one on top of your head doing everything in their power to keep you focusing on your hurt and the injustice of what took place.

To be continued.