Editorial

People of God

Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Bible records in Joshua 4:19, 20 that the people of God came out of Jordan and camped in Gilgal. Joshua took the 12 stones that they took out of the river and piled them together in that place. Gilgal marked the place of spiritual resurrection for the people of God. Having just celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we know that Christ not only died and was buried but he rose again and then ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. We don't hear very much, it seems, concerning Christians living the Resurrection life and even less is mentioned about the Christian's life of ascension. But these are spiritual realities for us and in Joshua 4 the Lord speaks concerning these realities, for the Bible says that, "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, . ." (Romans 15:4).

The Jordan River speaks of the place of death and Gilgal speaks of the place of life. The corresponding New Testament truth is found in Ephesians 2:5, 6. "Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are you saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" That is our spiritual ascension. That is not a reality for the future but it is a reality for the present. Without doubt there will come a time when Christ will return and resurrect these humble bodies of ours and give us glorified resurrected bodies. That will happen literally. But even now the Bible speaks of Christians as having already been raised together with Christ and seated with him in the heavenlies. In this spiritual position before God we are not only delivered from the self and sin life but we are identified with Christ in His new life. As Paul says in Colossians 3:3 "For ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." I challenge you this week, as a Christian, to ask the Lord to grant that you might see yourself as God sees you in Christ, raised and seated with Him in the heavenlies. And remember that God loves you and so does First Baptist Church.

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