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The Daily Word of Righteousness
One in Christ in God, #34
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. (II Kings 13:21)
The physical remains of the Spirit-filled Christian have been "sealed" by the Lord. They are not the same as the remains of the sin-filled unbeliever. The anointing of the Holy Spirit, who abode on Elisha remained in his bones after his death.
Each of God's true saints is alive in Christ and has the stamp of God on the members of his mortal body. At the summons of Christ the body of the Christian will respond to the incorruptible resurrection Life of Christ—the Holy Spirit of God. The grave of the believer will open and the Holy Spirit will convert his body into an eternal state.
The parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) is an illustration of the need for readiness during the Day of the Lord; of the relationship between the quality of our Christian life now and our fitness for the body of life when Jesus comes; and of the necessity for having the anointing of the Holy Spirit on our life now in order that we may participate in triumph in the resurrection from among the dead, at the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The virgins took their lamps (the Word of God) and went forth to meet the bridegroom (started out on their Christian pilgrimage). The virgins who "took no oil with them" represent Christians who live in the flesh rather than in the Spirit of God.
When the bridegroom delayed his coming they all slumbered, speaking of the fact that the Christians of the first century and of succeeding centuries have died without witnessing His expected appearing.
"At midnight there was a cry made," indicating that the appearing of our Lord will take place at "midnight"—at the time of the maturing of sin on the earth.
"Then all those virgins arose"—the time of the resurrection had come. But the five foolish virgins discovered to their dismay that the light of Christ in them, their faith in His Word, had gone out because they had not obtained enough oil (the resurrection Life of Christ in them). While they attempted to seek the Lord for the "oil" of the Spirit, the five wise virgins went in to the marriage and the foolish virgins were left outside the door.
When we say that the virgins have the anointing of the Holy Spirit we are not referring to speaking in tongues or any of the gifts of the Spirit, as valuable as these tools are for the building up of the members of the Body of Christ. Rather, we are referring to the Life of Christ that is being formed in the cross-carrying victorious saints who are living and walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit, who are learning to love righteousness and hate sin and rebellion, and who therefore carry the abiding Presence of the Glory of the Lord in their lives.
To be continued.