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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Salvation Is Deliverance From Sin, #3
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such The second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)
This is the first resurrection. This is the godly remnant. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They will be raised from the dead and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then they will occupy the thrones in the air formerly dominated by the spiritual lords of sin.
Notice that no books are opened at the first resurrection. This is because the participants have already been revealed at the Judgment Seat of Christ. God has clothed them with their own righteous works—works resulting from their daily interaction with the Spirit of God.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [righteous works] of saints. (Revelation 19:8)
Books are opened at the second resurrection. The dead are judged according to their works. Then the Book of Life is searched. If an individual's name is found in the Book of Life he is not thrown into the Lake of Fire. If an individual's name is not found in the Book of Life he is thrown into the Lake of Fire to be forever with the devil and his angels.
If we wish to be raised from the dead when the Lord appears, at the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, we must interact with the Holy Spirit until we have gained victory over Satan, the world, our flesh, and our self-will. It is an honor to be in the first resurrection and to be a royal priest of God. It is well worth making the effort to attain this "out-resurrection" from the dead.
Paul, toward the end of his life, was making a supreme effort to attain the out-resurrection. Paul had set the out-resurrection as his goal toward which he was pressing with all his might. We must do the same if we expect to be raised from the dead when the Lord appears.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ. (Philippians 3:8-12)
We must lay hold on the concept that to be prepared for the resurrection that will take place when Jesus returns we must have a much higher level of consecration than usually is found today in the Christian churches. There are not many disciples of the Lord who have the same testimony as Paul sets forth in the above passage. Yet this is the normal Christian consecration. Anything less than this is below normal and will not qualify for the first resurrection.
To be continued.