As we follow the Lord we continually are challenged. For example, there may be someone who has behaved cruelly to us. We may have a good degree of victory over the hatred and bitterness that such behavior causes. But the Lord shows us there is an even greater degree of generosity and joy of spirit that we are to have.

To rise to this new level of spirituality is difficult—impossible for the adamic nature in its own strength. But as we choose to follow the Lord, the Holy Spirit further slays our old nature. Then the Holy Spirit places the body and blood of the Lord within us until new moral strength enters our personality. This is resurrection life. Now we are able not only to forgive but also to be generous toward our adversaries. We can chuckle with the Lord because of the enormous power that has been given to us.

The resurrection of our bodily form takes place in two stages. The first stage is the raising of our flesh and bone body from wherever it was interred. The second stage is the clothing of the resurrected flesh and bone body with our house from Heaven.

Our house from Heaven is formed as we choose to accept the deaths the Lord sends our way and choose to participate in the accompanying resurrections. In the Day of the Lord we shall be clothed with our behavior.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [righteous deeds] of saints. (Revelation 19:8)

The clean, white linen with which we shall be clothed in the day of resurrection is made up of our righteous deeds—righteous deeds made possible by the Holy Spirit and also by the Virtue of Christ being formed in us.

If, in the above example, we choose to hold onto our anger and bitterness, and do not permit the resurrection Life of the Lord to grow in us in this area, then we shall be clothed with an angry and bitter attitude in the Day of the Lord.

If we choose to put to death the anger and bitterness of our first personality, and permit the resurrection Life of the Lord to increase in us, then we shall be clothed with a merciful and compassionate attitude in the Day of the Lord.

Of all the understandings needed today by the believers in Jesus, perhaps the greatest is that we are forming the nature of our resurrection by what we are doing in the present hour. We actually are working out our own salvation!

We shall reap that which we sow. There is no changing of this principle such that we sow to the adamic nature and reap the Kingdom of God. If we sow to the Holy Spirit we will reap eternal life. If we sow to our fleshly nature we will reap corruption in the Day of Resurrection.

To be continued.