When Does Christ Begin to Live in Us?
Hi Mike and Sandi,
Just dropping by to say hello…. and mention something that crossed my mind while reading an article on the website.
Mat 24:3 b: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
The word ‘world’ as you know, is translated from aion, an age. The coming of Christ means the end of an age. What I understand from this is that for the chosen ones in this lifetime, the aion ends at the moment Christ takes his rightful place within. At that moment we do not longer belong to the people of whom Christ said “let the dead bury their dead”, but we belong to the group who are dragged out of darkness into His wonderful light.
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:The end of the world, of this age already ended for God’s chosen ones the moment God’s grace opens their eyes for His truths. Does this mean that we are home free? Nope, on the contrary… then God will start his burning of our wood, hay and stubble. The moment Christ takes His rightful place is when the burning begins. This is exactly what will happen to the rest of humanity in the second resurrection. Christ (The Word) takes His rightful place, and the burning will begin. You and I know already that this burning only brings forth good, although it is hard sometimes on the inside. The rest of humanity will in time, in that lake of spiritual fire, realize also that this burning is a good thing… a very, very good thing, because when it is finished, we all will be as He is.
Give my best to the family.
Your brother in Christ,
R____
Hi R____,
It is good to hear from you and to share your insights.
Yes, the coming of Christ is the beginning of His fiery judgments within our hearts and minds. The beginning of the mystery of Christ in us is the ending of the mystery of the man of sin who, up to that time, has been standing in the temple of our hearts and minds declaring himself to be God. That is the battle ground, and that is where the torments of that fire rage.
Luk 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
If we felt we had it made, we would not be hoping for salvation. On the other hand, if we are required to remain diligent, sober, vigilant and zealous, then we will continue to hope with confidence that He who has begun a work in us will perform it until the day of the Lord.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Php 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
So “the day of Jesus Christ” is both present spiritually, and it is future dispensationally. We all partake of the same grace… until the day of Jesus Christ. So “the day of the Lord” has both a spiritual, inward, present application, as well as an outward, dispensational, future application for the end of the age.
The phrase “end of the age” itself has both an inward and an outward application, and both are valid and essential to understand if we believe in a consummation of the ages.
Most people will never understand the inward application at all in this age and will never understand how Christ could say:
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
These “nations” are all seen only outwardly by the multitudes who come to Christ and not as inward “powers and principalities”.
Eph 6:12 Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world- rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual [ forces] of the wickedness in the heavenlies [ or, heavenly [ realms]]. (ALT)
That is where the nations and rulers reside to whom we must take the gospel before the end will come. The multitudes of Christianity simply are not yet given to see or hear these spiritual matters. So they are dumbfounded by Christ declaring that the generation in which He lived would not pass until all these things were fulfilled, including the gospel going to all nations, and the end of the world.
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [ even] at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
What does this mean? It means that even though ‘the mystery of God… Christ in you the hope of glory… should not be finished… until the seven plagues of the seven angels is fulfilled’, nevertheless, the opening of the seven seals and the blowing of the seven trumpets are all part of and must precede the fulfilling of the seven plagues of the seven angels.
Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 T o whom God would make known what [ is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
So while Christ is already in us in “earnest” and we are “saved by hope” and while we are even now His Sons, we still look forward to “the redemption of the purchased possession”.
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
So “we are Sons now”, and He is living in us now, and yet “it does not yet appear what we shall be”. In other words, the reason the seals, trumpets and vials are so closely and inseparably connected is because they are all those words which “are, were and will be” and which will “gather us all together” in sharing the one mind of Christ”, and they are those words of Christ which “will never pass away.”
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
When is all of this “near, even at the doors”? It is always so, because Christ’s Words do not pass away. You are right in that the burning out process does not begin until Christ comes into our lives, but that is simply a matter of perspective. Again, this is the fact of the matter even for those who are unaware of the chastening they are receiving at the hand of God:
Luk 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Hag 2:17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye [ turned] not to me, saith the LORD.
I hope this helps you to see that the groaning and travailing is being experienced by “the whole creation”, while only a few are given to understand and benefit from understanding the hope these birth pains gives us and the purpose for the pain we all endure.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
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