Perhaps Christian people realize instinctively, sensibly, and logically that we must be delivered from sin before we can be glorified in the outward man. However, religion has a way of making instincts, common sense, and logic of no effect. The Christian religion is no exception.

The Lord Jesus is coming to His Church now to set up His Kingdom in us. His coming must be established in us before we appear with Him in His revelation to the world (Colossians 3:4).

The Day of Atonement typifies the judgment and cleansing of the human personality. The sins in us are brought to light by the fire of the Holy Spirit. We are baptized with fire, with the Spirit of burning (Isaiah 4:4; Matthew 3:11,12).

As our sins are exposed we are to confess them. We are to judge them as being evil, fit only for the Lake of Fire. We are to ask God's help in casting them out and resisting them. We are to put them to death through the Spirit of God (Romans 8:13). In this manner we purify ourselves, we wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.

We are to show no mercy toward our love of the world, the lusts of our flesh, or our self-love and self-will. As Christ by various means calls forth each element of our deeds, our words, our imaginations, our motives, we are to denounce and resist through the Spirit the aspects of our personality that are condemned by the Scriptures.

The process of forgiveness, deliverance, and reconciliation to God, will continue until our entire personality has been dealt with, the evil slain, and that which is worthy filled with eternal resurrection life.

Now we are ready for the Father and His Christ to enter us and find Their rest in us, and for our mortal body to be clothed with immortality. These two events must take place before we appear with Christ in glory.

Judgment begins with the house of God, with the royal priesthood. The Lord Jesus will come in the Spirit to His priesthood before He is revealed as Judge of the world.

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:1-3)

The firstfruits of the royal priesthood will be judged and God and His Christ will take up Their abode in them. Then the Lord Jesus will come and raise and glorify their mortal bodies. The warlike remnant will be "changed."

After that, the Lord's firstfruits will be placed on the thrones of judgment to judge the world. This is the first resurrection from the dead.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5)

To be continued.