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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Seven Steps to the Rest of God, #25
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (I Peter 3:18,19)
For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (I Peter 4:6)
The Christian Era is one of judgment on sin. The living are being judged now and the dead also are being judged. The dead live before God in the spirit world but are being judged as though they were alive in the flesh.
The time of redemption by judgment has come. The spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement is here.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (I Peter 4:12)
The sufferings that come upon us are Divine judgment. They are for the purpose of cleansing us from sin. They are part of the spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement.
When we are seeking the Lord and walking in God's will the sufferings we experience are not by chance; they are not random occurrences; they are not defeats at the hands of Satan. Rather, they are designed to perfect us in Christ.
Our tribulations are a beneficial Divine judgment upon us. Before we are afflicted we go astray. Whenever we are afflicted we are to pray so God's will may be performed in every detail of our existence. The solutions to our problems will come at once or after a period of time, if we continue to walk prayerfully and obediently before the Lord. Deliverance certainly shall come. If we faithfully remain in the Lord's prison He shall, after His purposes in us have been accomplished, bring us into a large place.
The righteous suffer many afflictions and tribulations. Christ delivers us from every affliction but we must pray without ceasing.
Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. (Psalms 119:67)
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)
The Judgment Seat of Christ began as soon as He ascended to the right hand of the Father. The Scripture states that the time "is come." As we understand it, the Christian Era is a period of judgment, beginning with those who are the closest to the Lord.
When the Lord appears the judgment will continue, extending to the borders of the Kingdom of God. Thus the purpose of the thousand-year reign of Christ (which is the kingdom-wide spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement) is the reconciling of God's elect, and the nations of saved peoples of the earth, to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who experience the Divine judgment, doing God's will in all matters, assenting to and cooperating with the total, fiery overhaul of their personalities, will be resurrected and glorified at the appearing of Christ, rising to meet Him in the air at His coming. They are God's royal priesthood. Over them the second death, the lake of fire, has no authority. They are the victorious saints, the firstfruits to God and the Lamb.
To be continued.