Between the Church and the nations is the highest, thickest wall in existence. It is the wall of the new Jerusalem. The wall of the new Jerusalem separates the world from the elect of God.

The wall of separation is eternal.

When Christ rose from the dead, the firstborn of the new creation, His Church rose with Him to the right hand of God.

In one sense there only is one resurrection—the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection of Christ continues every time a believer chooses to reckon himself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. It is not our resurrection that is important, it is Christ's resurrection. It is as we enter His resurrection that we live in the sight of God and enter the Kingdom of God, the new creation.

The Church is being formed on the body and blood of the Lamb just as Eve was formed from Adam. There is nothing of the first creation that will be brought over to the new creation. Flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Only that which has died in Christ and been raised in Christ is of the eternal Kingdom of God. Christ is the Firstborn from the dead, the beginning of the new creation of God.

Many brothers. Here is one of the major concepts of God's second creation—the concept of the brothers of Christ. Every member of God's elect has been predestined to be a brother of Christ.

And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28,29)

How marvelous it is that Christ is to be the firstborn among many brothers!

Have we given enough thought to this concept?

The traditional doctrine of the "Trinity" has caused mischief in several directions. For example, the traditional doctrine of three Gods has alienated the Jews who are utterly resistant to polytheism. Also, the doctrine of the Trinity has made it impossible for us to relate to Christ as His brother except in some nominal, doctrinal sense. The full emotional and mental impact of what it means to have Christ as a Brother cannot be felt by us as long as we hold to the conventional abstract idea of an incomprehensible One-God-in-Three or Three-Gods-in-One.

How is a human being to relate as a brother to a Three-in-One? How can we approach a Christ, a Lamb, who is part of a Divine Abstraction that is incomprehensible? As in all other instances where we substitute man's reasoning for the Scriptures we encounter confusion, incompetence, and an unworkable impracticality.

Are we really and truly the brothers of the mighty Christ? Yes, we really and truly are His brothers with all that the concept of "brother" includes. Christ is the elder Brother, the one having the double portion, but we are true brothers nonetheless.

We bring no pleasure to Christ or His Father by shrinking back from our relationship because of a false modesty or counterfeit reverence. If God has called us brothers, then we are brothers. There is nothing more to be said on this point!

To be continued.