But living and believing in Jesus does not mean subscribing to a doctrinal statement and being a member of a Christian church. It means living in and by Jesus as He lives in and by the Father. Such integration into the Personality of Jesus requires the crucifixion of our adamic nature. Crucifixion is painful, requiring a life of self-denial, patience, and self-control. Christian believers often are not willing to submit to the crucifixion of the human nature required by the Spirit.

That ye put off concerning the former conversation [manner of life] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (Ephesians 4:22)

Our goal is to gain immortality in the body. Immortality is given us when we receive the Lord but it must be established by a lifetime of sowing to the Spirit of God.

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)

The nations of the saved. The most valuable inheritance anyone can have is God Himself. The second most valuable inheritance is people.

The Lord Jesus will inherit the nations of the earth, and the earth itself.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalms 2:8)

Because we are coheirs with the Lord we also shall inherit the nations—and the earth as well.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. (Isaiah 60:4)

While we are climbing the rugged slopes of Zion our goal is to enter Christ, to enter rest in God's perfect will.

At the point in our development judged suitable by the Father, God's love for the nations is imparted to us in one manner or another. From then on, the ordinary Christian pursuit of spiritual power, status, a large church, or whatever else the believers may seek, becomes of little importance to us. We realize that the Kingdom of God is God's love in Christ in us reaching out to the world.

After we press through to waters to swim in (Ezekiel, Chapter 47) we return to the bank of the river as a tree of life. From then on we live to give the Life of God as He directs.

We draw water with joy from the wells of salvation that have been dug in our personality, water to be given to other people. Along with the Holy Spirit we cry, "Come, whoever will, and drink freely of the water of life." The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come."

There is no other joy comparable to the joy of bringing forth water to the dead of mankind. There is no other gift comparable to the gift of a human being. To be given one person is better than to be given all of Paradise, and Jesus understands this better than anyone else.

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Song of Solomon 8:7)

The Lord and His Bride delight in governing and blessing the peoples of the nations of the saved. These are Their inheritance from the Father.

To be continued.