The more fervently and consistently we choose righteousness the greater becomes the intensity of militant righteousness with which our heavenly form is infused. The deeper we go in obeying God against the cries of our soul the grander becomes the crown of fruitfulness and righteousness reserved in Heaven for us.

The Lord Jesus invited us to lay up treasures in Heaven, and this is what the wise do.

The result of the continual response of our heavenly reward to what is taking place in our inner man will result not only in a perfected spirit before the Throne of God but also in a glorified body perfectly, completely compatible with our transformed inner nature.

The conversion of the inner man as a prerequisite for resurrection to life. It is not possible for a Christian believer to go through life living in the flesh, spending his days in the enjoyment of his soul and his flesh and blood body, and then be clothed with an outward form like that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First of all, there is the problem of authorization. The Word of God states that it is the overcomer, the one who conquers the idolatry of the world, Satan, the lusts of his body, and personal ambition, who is given access to the tree of life. Remember, it is the eating of the tree of life that produces immortality in the outward man.

. . . To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)

The Scripture cannot be changed. What is written is written. Only those who overcome, through Christ, the various forms of darkness that plague us constantly, are authorized to eat of the tree of life. For a defeated Christian to be given access to the tree of life would be to transgress the written Word of God.

Second, there is the problem of competence. The unconverted adamic nature is not competent to direct a vehicle of the power and glory of the glorified body. It would be to place a disobedient, undisciplined, ignorant, self-seeking spirit in charge of galactic power—letting loose a monster in the creation of God.

Those who are faithful in small areas of responsibility will be faithful in greater areas of responsibility. Those who are unfaithful in small areas of responsibility will be unfaithful in greater areas of responsibility.

To give an unfaithful, disobedient believer the power and glory of a body fashioned in the image of the all-powerful body of the Lord Jesus would be to invite chaos. He has been disobedient in the lesser. He will be disobedient in the greater. He will fall in the same manner as Satan.

Satan was created in glory, and then fell because he was overcome by the magnificence of his own being. The same tragedy would occur were a lukewarm, self-seeking Christian to be entrusted with the body of glory.

The saints who finally will be given such power are those who patiently bear their cross behind the Master, suffering in patience as blow after blow falls on them, cooperating faithfully with the Holy Spirit as they are transformed from Adam to the life-giving spirit. They have demonstrated beyond all doubt that no matter how they are tempted they will obey the Father. They are steady, faithful, holy, patient spirits who have experienced many hard lessons in the wilderness of testing. They trust God and God trusts them, as God came to trust Abraham (Genesis 22:12).

To be continued.