And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Christ was changed by becoming a man. This was part of the process of preparation for our becoming a dwelling place in the Father's House.

Christ being born of a woman was not the only preparation God has made for us. In addition, Christ had to go to the cross. There a great wound was made in His side and in His heart. The wound signifies the opening in Christ that allows us to enter the Father's House. Christ has opened His heart to us so we may enter and find rest for our souls.

Then His flesh was broken in death and His blood poured out. He presented His broken body and shed blood to the Father for the Father's blessing. Christ now has received back His flesh and His blood so that with these elements of Divine Substance He may feed the members of His Body, His eternally beloved Bride. Only one body and its few quarts of blood, but there is enough flesh and enough blood for whoever will receive them.

The believer who would become part of the Father's House must eat that flesh and drink that blood. If he will eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood he will live by Christ's Life as Christ lives by the Father's Life.

Christ now is prepared to receive us into Himself.

We ourselves also must be prepared. Although we have been forgiven, the centuries of sin and rebellion against God and His Christ still are reflected in our lusts and self-seeking. God and Christ cannot find rest in us when we are moved by fleshly lusts, by Satan, by the world, or by our own pride, fears, and self-seeking.

We must be prepared to be a room in the eternal House of the Father.

Now he that hath wrought [prepared] us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest [pledge] of the Spirit. (II Corinthians 5:5)

As we have stated, Christ Himself is making intercession for us at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. The saints of the "cloud of witnesses" are cheering us on as we press forward.

We overcome all obstacles to our rest by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony that God's Word is true, and by loving not our lives to the death.

God has given us grace through our Lord Jesus Christ—grace that changes us into the image of Christ; grace that prepares us to be a room, an abode, a dwelling place in the House of the Father.

Part of that grace is the holy Scriptures. They transform our mind so our thinking will not be fashioned according to the thinking of the world. The transformation of our mind prepares us to be the dwelling place of the Father.

To be continued.