The process of learning to trust in God's will continues throughout our discipleship. There is no place in Zion, in David's Tabernacle, for any person who is not totally obedient to the Father in all matters.

The chief joy of the heart of Christ is to bring forth the firstfruits of the earth. It is an hour of exceedingly great rejoicing in Heaven as the Father's wisdom is manifest. Therefore there is a "voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder." There is the "voice of harpers harping with their harps."

The warrior-firstfruits sing the new song before the Throne of God and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one else is able to learn that music.

The warrior-firstfruits are spiritual virgins. The Holy Spirit has removed every relationship, every thing, every circumstance that is idolatrous from their hearts.

Believers are married to many things: their job, their church, their home, and so forth. Little by little the Spirit breaks these ties until we are free from the idolatry of human relationships, things, and all circumstances and ambitions.

We are not free in the Lord until winning Christ is of supreme importance. Yet, we are not to neglect any relationship or responsibility. But we are free from "marriage" to the elements of the world.

The warrior-firstfruits follow the Lamb wherever He goes. We learn to follow Jesus today. Sometimes He goes where we are glad to follow. On other occasions He goes where we do not wish to go. But the firstfruits follow Jesus wherever He goes.

Because the firstfruits have been willing to follow Jesus today, even into places of distress and severe pain, their inheritance is to follow Him for eternity. The love of Jesus for His bride is so incomprehensibly great that He desires her presence at all times. She always must be with Him where He is, in the bosom of the Father. She must be one with Him in the Father. This is the will of Christ.

These are the firstfruits of mankind to the Lord, having been redeemed "from among men." They are the Lord's "firstborn." Through them the remainder of mankind will be delivered from the bondage of corruption and brought into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

There is no lie, no guile in their mouth. Every human being is born in sin and shaped in lawlessness. Deep in every human heart there is a lie. All persons, saved and unsaved alike, lie, deceive, connive, and otherwise seek security, pleasure, and achievement by means are not upright. The big lie is in each of us.

It requires many years in the furnace of affliction before the lie is uncovered and begins to burn. We are so insincere!

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

We cannot be perfect before the Throne of God until the fundamental lie of our nature has been destroyed out of us. Those who are called to Mount Zion are righteous but they must be made perfect by having the lie burned out of them by fiery trials.

To be continued.