Let us, who are "partakers of the heavenly calling," respond to our Lord and follow him through our transformation from the dust of the ground into life-giving spirits. Then we will be ready to serve as the light of the world, the rulers, priests, judges, and teachers of mankind. Through us the Lord will bring righteousness, peace, and joy to the nations of the earth. It is to this end that Christ has chosen us from among the ranks of mankind.

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. (Amos 3:2)

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people [people for God's own possession], zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14)

Separation from Self-rule

To be a member of the royal priesthood it is necessary to be separated from the world.

To be a member of the royal priesthood it is necessary to be separated from sin.

To be a member of the royal priesthood it is necessary to be separated from self-rule.

We are separated from the world so we may belong to the Lord, being a firstfruits of mankind set aside to know and worship God.

We are separated from sin so we may dwell in the Life that God in Christ Is. Everything that is in our personality must also be in the Personality of God. Whatever is not found in the Personality of God is not holy.

We are separated from self-rule so we may be the Tabernacle of God, so God may find rest in us, so we may serve as the expression of God's Person and will throughout the creation.

Of the three separations, the most difficult is the separation from self-rule. A believer may be having success in separation from the world and separation from sin but still be filled with self-rule, self-will, self-centeredness, self-love.

For two thousand years the churches of Christ have been characterized by the self-rule of human beings. Now the time has come for the third separation, the third death and resurrection. It is an operation that must be performed by God Himself.

The saints must be ready to love not their lives to the point of death. The death we must die is not the death of physical martyrdom (not that we minimize in any manner the sufferings of the martyrs of the Church). The death we must die is to our motivations, to what we are in personality and behavior. We must change from living our own life to living by and in Christ, and He in us.

The following are some of the devices and considerations involved as God changes us from self-rule to Christ's rule:

Imprisonment. God confines His rulers by circumstances for protracted periods of time.

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. (Psalms 105:17-19)

To be continued.