All the old personality must pass away. All must be made new and all, I mean all things, must be of God. It is a new humanity. Adam must go. That which remains must become a new creation, perfectly human and perfectly Divine, on a lesser scale than the Lord Jesus, it is true, but exactly like Him in essence. Otherwise there can be no marriage. God will have no mixed seed in His Kingdom.

As we undergo change while on earth a corresponding change is taking place in the body being prepared for us before the Throne of God. There is no biblical concept more in need of understanding today than that which concerns the resurrection from the dead.

There is much talk about the catching up of the saints, the so-called "rapture," but the ascension is of little importance (except to the adamic man who wishes to escape suffering). The great goal is the resurrection. It is the resurrection that is the finale of redemption, the climax of redemption.

Since redemption is release from the presence and works of Satan and change into the image of Jesus, and entrance into untroubled rest in the Father through the Lord Jesus, we can see instantly that the resurrection from the dead is a major action of redemption while being caught up into the air to meet Jesus is a consequence of redemption, not part of the process of redemption itself.

The ascension is of exceedingly minor importance compared with attaining the first resurrection from the dead. (Try to tell this to the carnal Christian!)

Our flesh and bones will be raised from the dead at the sound of the trumpet. Then the Lord will bring our reward with Him. A major part of our reward will be our house, our robe from Heaven. Our house, our robe, is being fashioned from the decisions we are making today. We are going to be clothed with our own works.

Then will the righteous shine as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. The Christ-wrought righteousness of the victorious saints will be revealed for the world to see. The corruption and death reaped by those who have chosen the ways of the flesh will also be revealed at that time. All shall be revealed at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

How does the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set us free from the law of sin and death, the interaction of the Law of Moses with our fallen nature?

1. By ascribing to us the righteousness gained by Christ's perfect obedience to the letter and intent of the Law of Moses.

2. By leading us point by point to the total removal from our personality of all that is not pleasing to God.

3. By totally changing the remaining part of our personality including finally, at His coming, our body, into the image of Christ's Personality.

To be continued.