If we are faithful in putting the impulses of our body to death, through the Spirit of God, we will be prepared to receive the redemption of our body at the coming of the Lord. If, however, we are not faithful in putting the impulses of our body to death, we will not receive the redemption of our body at the coming of the Lord. Then we do not know what to expect in the future. We shall have to wait until Christ makes a decision concerning us. We have not been a faithful steward with that which has been given to us. We have allowed our robe to remain dirty.

We must be careful not to let anyone pull us down from our high place in Christ. If we permit someone to take our crown, then we will not be qualified to be raised when the Lord comes. We disqualified ourselves from being part of the glory that will be revealed at the Lord's return.

It is just this serious! If you allow a minister or other person to talk you out of the seriousness of the preparations that must be made for entrance into the first resurrection, then you will have only yourself to blame when you see other believers brought into the Presence of Jesus Christ and you yourself denied entrance.

This can happen, you know. "You will say to me I have done this thing and that thing in Your name. But I will say, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me!'"

Removing the Grave Clothes

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:43,44—NIV)

What a picture of us is portrayed here! The Lord Jesus Christ has raised us from the dead but we are bound with graveclothes.

Judgment must begin at the household of God, Peter tells us. This is what is taking place today. The Holy Spirit is pointing out the graveclothes that are binding us. Now we must confess these as sin and turn away from them by the help the Lord gives us.

How about you? What has the Lord shown you lately about yourself? It is not a pretty picture and you thought all this was behind you. No, it is not behind you. The Lord cannot deal with the graveclothes until you first die and then are raised by Him.

If Christ delivered you all at once you would be a house swept and decorated and worse demons would enter you. Just as Israel entered the land of promise a city at a time, so must you enter your own land of promise one city at a time.

Jesus did not remove the graveclothes from Lazarus. He left that up to the people around him to do.

So it is with you and me. God uses people to unwrap our graveclothes.

To be continued.