Part 4 – The Door Into His Fulness

Life

We are talking about The Door into His Presence. Now any time you begin to see The Lord in any aspect of His being it becomes almost a life long search. It occupies a great deal of your time, and it becomes a real occupation of your heart and mind, and this started in me a year ago concerning ‘The Life, The Light and The Glory.’ And I was considering this, and asking The Lord for direction as to where this was going, and what view of Him would be next. And The Lord began to deal with me that we are going to take another look at LIFE. And The Lord began to speak to me: ‘ I want to appear there.’ So that search began in my heart, and I went into my Bible program and printed out every scripture in the Bible with that word. And that was interesting, but it began to culminate in a realization of Who – and even more – What is Life? Life is defined in a Who: What is Life? Well, the "What" is defined in a "Who". And that brought me to this "I AM THE DOOR", because I was in that scripture with Life. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) And then my attention just began to be drawn back to verse 7. " Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep." And then it just all came together in I AM, and I began to realize that The I AM is Christ, and all of this comes together in the Person of Him; in the ever growing, ever increasing view of The Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Resurrection

We won’t deal too much now with the nature and the character of The Door – The Blood. What we are entering into here is HIS DEATH. And our way out…. is IN. I’m not going to pursue this identity with Him in His death as perhaps I should, but I want you to know that when we say The Door into His Fulness, we understand that we come to that fulness by Resurrection. And therefore Resurrection says there had to be a death. And it’s not dead in sin: but dead with Christ to sin. It is from THAT death that we come forth in The Resurrection. That is just the way it is: there is no resurrection of Adam. No, Resurrection is NOT the Adamic man living again in a better state of things. It is CHRIST, and for it to be only Christ, it must be that we have identified with Him in His death. We spoke of this in the firstborn from among the dead, but here I want to call our attention to the fact of what we enter into. See, we think that we just enter into Life: that out of being dead in sin, we just enter into Life. But we don’t!

Romans 6:1-3 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

John 11:25- Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

John 5:24,25 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Baptism – New Birth – Adoption

Now there are these three terms, in my opinion, that describe the on-going Work of The Spirit with regard to Salvation. These terms are: Baptism, New Birth and Adoption. And the first term, "baptism" is in fact, first in order. And there is an order to entering into This Door. I remember as I was considering this that I was arguing with The Lord about this. And I quoted from 1 Corinthians 12:13, " For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one…" And I thought – wait a minute! "…into one BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." It doesn’t say anything about being baptized into One Spirit! But BY One Spirit we are all baptized into One Body. And here’s the thought I had: that baptism is not into His Life, but into His DEATH. And then I realized it doesn’t say we are baptized into His Life: it says we are baptized into HIS BODY. Now we are all baptized into one body: we are all made to drink into One Spirit – that is The Life, but that still doesn’t negate that the baptism is into His Death. Romans 6:3,4 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that (there’s the purpose. Everything is with a purpose.) like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so (like as Christ was raised up) we also should walk in newness of Life." Yes – Not I, but CHRIST!

Work of The Spirit

Paul clarifies that, and the point is that we are baptized into His DEATH, not into His Life. You are raised up in His Life, in that it is CHRIST Who Lives: The Resurrection. " …that like as Christ was raised up from the dead… we should walk in newness of life." And "have all been made to drink into one Spirit." Well, that’s New Birth. That’s when we are born again: born from above, born by The Spirit, born of The Spirit of Christ. That’s New Birth. Adoption is God giving that Son place in that Son’s House. Adoption is the revelation of Jesus Christ; God recognizing, exalting, and giving placement to His Own Son in His Own House. And that is an ever ongoing Work of The Spirit. You will find that Adoption becomes the purpose of Salvation. We are predestined unto the adoption. We are purposed unto the adoption. We have received the spirit of adoption. Yes, that very Spirit that enters into our hearts crying out, ‘God, you are my Father’: that is the revealing of The Son, after which we are no longer counted as a child, but as a Son – A SON. So the Adoption is an ever ongoing Work. It is The Father giving place to His Son: The Father exalting His Son. It is The Father seeing all things come to fulness in Christ Jesus. It is the ever ongoing revealing of The Son. And that is precisely the Adoption; and the process of Adoption.

John 3:3,6- Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

1 Peter 1:23 – Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Hebrews 3:6- But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Ephesians 1:5 – Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Romans 8:15 – For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Galatians 4:5-7 – To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Faced With The Door, The Blood

So in our study, faced with The Door, we are not faced with what we might call ‘that which is behind The Door’. We are first faced with The Door itself, and we are faced with The Blood, because what distinguishes this Door from all other doors is The Blood. What makes this Door any different than it was yesterday, when these same Israelites were going in and out of it? At that time it was THEIR HOUSE: they were going in and out of their houses. Now it’s not their house any longer. Now it is The House of God, now it’s the House of Redemption. Now The House is not even measured by one family: it’s measured by how many it takes to eat the lamb! The whole thing changes by The Blood coming upon that Door. And so our whole concept of Salvation changes by The Blood on that Door: that when we enter into THAT Door, we are entering in through The Blood. And Paul relates that to our baptism into Christ. We want to remember that everything that is found within The House is for a New Creature, a New Creation. And to enter into that we come through His death, and then we come by His Resurrection. His Resurrection is very simply that He lives, and not I. Resurrection is CHRIST living in me. It’s not me living again: it is Christ living in me.

Exodus 12:4 – And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

1 Corinthians 6:20 – For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

2 Corinthians 5:15 – And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The Finished Work

Now we were saying that This Door is NOT into the wilderness. And I want us to take our minds back to that journey, because the journey of Israel begins at The Door, and it actually ends in the reign and the realm, and the accomplished work of King Solomon. This is where things come to a FINISH. Eight times the word "finished" is used in connection with the Temple that Solomon built. Now this is a very interesting study, but it’s more than interesting: it’s extremely important because it is Jesus’ last words. " When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is Finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30) And that "finished" comes through His death, His burial, and His resurrection. That is The Work of The Cross. And that we see in Solomon. The whole purpose of him being King was that he would finish the work that his father, David gave him to do. Christ did just that! And to get an inside understanding of exactly what He finished in His death, burial and resurrection, you go back and look at Solomon because there is the order and the type and the shadow of all that was finished. You go back to the Old Covenant and you can get a very good look at what Christ finished by seeing what is considered "finished" in the accomplishments of Solomon.

1 Kings 6:9,14,22,38 – So he built the house, and finished it: and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar…So Solomon built the house, and finished it…And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold…And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eight month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

1 Kings 7:1,22 – But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house…And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

1 Kings 9:1,25 – And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do…And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the house.

John 4:34 – Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:36 – But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 17:4- I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Seeing As We Are Seen

With Solomon it was said that the foundation was laid, then it goes on and on, and finally the house and everything in it was FINISHED. And so it is with Christ, and so when we say "A Finished Work", that is what we mean. We mean that we will forever be seeing in Christ The Finished Work. He in fact has finished it. The end, the fulness, the completeness of our Salvation is ALL IN CHRIST. If we who are in Christ could see as we are seen! But we in our daily lives, very much go about, and in our ministries we are yet greatly motivated by our IGNORANCE, rather than our understanding; because we understand so little! It is a great accomplishment for us to just finally understand that The Work is finished! But now, what is The Work that is finished? And this really came to me years back when I was doing a conference on "All Things Summed Up In Christ." And The Lord challenged me – ‘You really believe that all things are fulfilled in Christ, My son?’ ‘Yes, Lord I do! I absolutely, thoroughly, 100% believe that. And it can’t be any other way.’ Then The Lord said, ‘How many of the things can you name?’ ‘Well – all things summed up in Christ. What are some of those?’

1 Kings 5:17 – And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.

1 Corinthians 13:12 – For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

The "All Things"

And faced with it like that… I couldn’t name anything! And I sat down and said, ‘Father, I haven’t got the slightest idea, do I? I really don’t know.’ And I began to realize that if you don’t know, then how do you appreciate it? You can say "Great Salvation" – but what is that? And it came to me that this is why Paul had such an overwhelming revelation of The Son, and was so overwhelming in his presentation of it. Why? Because he knew the "all things"; he understood the Old Covenant. When he said "all things summed up in Christ"; that man could sit down and count them off to you! He understood – most of us don’t. And the ones of us which do – know very little. So our appreciation is measured by that. And I began to realize that and so I began to work with some proteges on Old Testament studies. And I stayed there for quite a while. Here’s a point in case. I never truly realized that there were five offerings that required sacrifice, and only one of them was a sin offering. And all five of those offerings were fulfilled in His death. Well now – if you are unaware of those offerings, then how can you appreciate the significance of His death? You don’t know what in fact is fulfilled in that Death. People say he died to forgive us of our sins: but that was the sin offering. There were four other offerings and all of those required a sacrifice. There was the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering, the trespass offering and the sin offering. All of these required sacrifice. All of these come to be fulfilled in Christ at The Cross.

Ephesians 1:10 – That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

Leviticus 1:3 – If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.

Leviticus 2:1 – And when any will offer a meat-offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour: and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon.

Leviticus 3:1 – And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace-offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.

Leviticus 4:3 – If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:6 – And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.

Going Back To The Pattern

And that was when I began to realize I don’t have any idea of this. This doesn’t keep me from believing all things are fulfilled in Christ, but to be confronted with the challenge to name some of those things… I couldn’t name any of them! So I began to correct that by going back to the pattern. I went back to the types, the shadows: to the Covenant that is written on stone, which is fulfilled in Christ. What an eye opener that was – and is! Because so many of the things that we are all tied up in the Church with as doctrine, is just totally eliminated by understanding what are some of the "all things" fulfilled in Christ. Much of what we are still looking for is summed up and fulfilled in Christ. You might as well quit looking for it – except IN HIM! You will find that in the Old Covenant. You will find that there written in black and white, engraved on stones, spoken by the mouths of the prophets… and fulfilled in Christ! The book of Hebrews is a real testimony of that. It begins with " God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son (IN SON)…" (Hebrews 1:1,2) Now that still upsets people. Most of us would rather be spoken unto than INTO! That is because it is The Word that is spoken INTO that actually makes the changes: that actually transforms, rather than just instructs us in our religions. We all like to be instructed in religion, but that Eternal Word changes us as to nature and character, and heart.

Exodus 25:40 – And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Exodus 34:1 – And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

Matthew 5:17,18 – Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 11:27 – All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Knowing

And that’s what God is after. He’s after the nature of His Son, the character of His Son: the transformation of our soul. So I began to realize that just to SAY that all things are summed up in Christ, and to BELIEVE that is not quite the same as KNOWING those things that are summed up in Christ. Paul understood those things because he was looking for those things. He was diligently looking for them, diligently believing for them. The fact is, he found them in the face of Jesus Christ! He found them to his satisfaction in the Person of The Lord Jesus. He found them accomplished in the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and claimed to be one of those who was united with The Lord Jesus in His death, in His burial, and in His resurrection. He came to claim that The Church was the visible instrument, the visible evidence of that death, that burial and that resurrection. So on and on goes the Gospel as preached by Paul.

Ephesians 1:18 – The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Colossians 2:2,3 – That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

2 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:10 – To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.

2 Corinthians 4:10,11 – Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

1 Corinthians 2:2 – For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

By ME If Any Man Enter In

So this is what we are seeing here in this Door. So much is summed up in Christ. Let’s turn our attention back to The Door. John 10:7-10, " … I am the door of the sheep…by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." By Me if any man enter in: there’s the phrase we want to look at. We’ve said that The Door is NOT the way out: rather, it is the way in. The Door did NOT have an "Exit" sign on it. You know – ‘This way out of Egypt.’ But that’s the kind of Salvation we want: ‘This way out of your problems, this way out of your troubles, this way out. Here’s your escape hatch. Jesus died so you wouldn’t have to. Jesus died to make your life better.’ We see it as the way out. And unless we’re just all deaf, dumb and blind, and never turn the radio on, this is what you hear. You see it on billboards; you see it on church buildings. The emphasis is on "GET OUT." Get out while the getting is good! And in one way or another, all that is saying is ‘Get out’. So let’s look at that in relation to Israel. "Israel is my son, even my firstborn." (Exodus 4:22) Let’s consider: The Door is not primarily a way out, but the way in. We looked at that in Exodus 12 and we looked at Exodus 15:17, " Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established." It’s all about going IN. We looked at the whole picture. With the elimination of the wandering – they entered IN by way of The Door. Entered in to what? To the fulness of God that is exhibited in this view of Christ that comes forth in Canaan. Where and when die they all die? Well, when they refused to enter in. God counted it as though they hadn’t walked through The Door. He counted the whole forty years as a waste of time! The whole forty years was over with.

Hebrews 3:17-19 – But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Entering The Door

We saw that: the very month that they gathered at The Door; the first month, God changed the whole calendar of time and He said this is now the first month to you. It’s not Egypt time any more! Christians need to come to realize that! The time of the world has nothing to do with anything. It’s the time that God designated, and right there at The Door; that’s where they entered into The Door, and what did they find? THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE! But they refused to walk, they refused to walk therein, consequently they all died! You know that, and God brought out from among the dead this second Israel, this Spiritual Israel, which again, is fulfilled in Christ in The Resurrection from among the dead. What month did He do that? The same month! That same month, the first month is the month of their entering in. It was as if the forty years have never happened!

Exodus 12:1 – This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Joshua 5:6,7 – For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not shew them the land, which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

Joshua 4:19- And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

Entering Into Fulness

God’s whole idea of that journey was you enter in through the Blood; you enter in through The Door, into The House; into The Way, The Truth, The Life; into the fulness of God – into all that is there in Christ Jesus. And all this other is simply a type and a shadow of that fulness that comes to be found in Christ. That’s what troubles me about the dispensationalists: there’s no order for that. The whole forty years and all that transpired during that time was because of disobedience. And we are looking at that. But we made this statement: The Door was not, is not into the wilderness. The wilderness is not necessary to The Eternal Plan of God in Christ. The only thing that is necessary is THE Door, The Way, The Truth, The Life – THE I AM! "That where I am, ye may be also." (John 14:3) The only thing necessary to The Eternal Plan of God in Christ is Who and What Christ Himself is! The wilderness, the wandering for forty years proved NOTHING; they learned NOTHING. Now there are many that want to argue about that, but the only thing they learned was that they were going to die – just like God said. So they died. What did they learn! They learned… to die, because those that were raised up during that time were brought right back to where the other group left off, and their learning began there.

Ephesians 3:18 – May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Colossians 2:3 – In whom (Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Numbers 14:29,30,32-34 – Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun…. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness, And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

Walking In The Truth

That’s what we read in Joshua 3: ‘Put the Ark out before you. You have not gone this way before. You’ve learned nothing for forty years! Now walk in Truth! Now we’re back: walk in The Truth!’ He brings them right back and starts them right there. Wandering around in the wilderness has taught you nothing! You can argue about that, but Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life…"(John 14:6) You don’t learn in disobedience: you don’t learn in unbelief. The Hebrews writer says the only thing that incurred here was God’s wrath against this bunch and therefore they shall NEVER enter into My rest! That was not a learning period! It was a period where they all died, and The Lord raised up a NEW Israel, and brought them right back and they picked up the journey. Joshua 1:2, " Moses my servant is dead; now therefore ARISE…" And the word "arise" in Hebrews is "resurrection". Arise now, you and all this people, for in three days you will cross over this Jordan.

Joshua 3:3,4 – And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

Hebrews 4:2,3 – For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Joshua 1:2,11 – Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel… Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

God’s Faithfulness

So The Door is not into the wilderness. It is not necessary that you wander around in the wilderness. God is faithful to the obedience of His Son. God is faithful to The Truth as it is in Christ. We see that in Israel. They sinned, they rebelled long before they refused to enter in. They were out three days and they wanted to go back! Now was God faithful to their disobedience, or was God faithful to the Blood of His Son? Now don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean that God is going to tolerate me or you because of the Blood of His Son. God is faithful to the obedience of His Son: God is faithful to The Truth as it is in Christ. God’s dealings with you are not based upon appearances: that is, they are not based upon what we appear to be, or where we appear to be. But rather, God’s dealing with us are based upon The Truth. His dealings with us are based upon HIS point of view. Now let’s consider this. As with Israel, God saw them in the light of The Truth: Israel thought they were escapees. Most Christians think they are too! ‘Somebody has opened the door and let us all out! Now we’re all free! Thank God we’re out; we’re not there any more.’

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ out Lord.

2 Timothy 2:13 – If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Psalm 78:10,11,17,32,33 – They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them… And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness…For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works, Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Exodus 15:22,24 – So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water…And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Ephesians 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.

Out… But Not In

Now what? ‘Well, I don’t know, but I’m just sure glad I’m out. One day… we’re going in!’ So we have created a forty year period of "wilderness wandering", because that’s right where they were. They were OUT, but NOT IN! And that’s to be NO PLACE in the Plan of God! They just wandered around in the imaginations of their own hearts; their own unbelief; their own failure to obey The Blood, which is The Finished Work of The Lamb. What else was there needed for them to enter into the fulness that is implied with regard to Canaan? What was it that was needed beyond The Blood that was upon The Door, because This Door was unto fulness? This Door was into everything God planned, purposed, prepared, promised, showed, revealed to Abraham; and now was fulfilling – in type, in Abraham’s Seed – Israel, through typically His Son, The Slain Lamb. What else was needed? We say they needed this "experience" out in the wilderness. No they didn’t! Did God ever say anything else in any of those places that He hadn’t already said in The Blood? Did He have a "new" program for them, a "new" answer for them? Did He say, ‘Well, this didn’t work so we’ll try something else"? No, in all of God’s dealing with them it wasn’t their disobedience to which He was faithful; it was to the obedience of His Son. It was to the obedience of The Blood. God dealt with them as He knew them to be, until they absolutely refused to be that. And the Hebrews writer says in Hebrews 2:3, " How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him."" If we turn back after we have tasted – what remains for us? Refusing to enter into the fulness that God has set forth in Christ… what remains for you? You are like a man waiting on a bus and it came by an hour ago. Now, you can get down and pray about it and want it and fast over it… and you can do everything you want to do, but the bus is already come! And your waiting isn’t going to help. And you can get as serious about it as you want… it isn’t going to change anything!

Genesis 12:1,2,15-17 – Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing…For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

Philippians 3:12 – 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 Jesus.

Faithful To The Blood

You can argue about that, but that’s the way it is. God is faithful, but He’s faithful to The Blood of His Son. He is faithful to The Finished Work. He’s faithful to a Work prepared and set forth. He’s faithful to a Salvation that Calvary has provided by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He’s faithful to that which Christ is the absolute fulness of. And what I mean by "faithful" is He always deals with us according to that. He never deals with me according to the circumstance that I am in. You may believe He does, but He does NOT! He deals with me IN that circumstance, but not ACCORDING to it. I think I’m one place, but God sees me another place, and He deals with me concerning that Truth. There is no way God can deal with me as though I am in a place that He understands I am not in at all! But rather, I am firmly seated in the heavens in Christ Jesus, and the Truth of that is what I need here, rather than just getting out of this place; because getting out of this place is not the answer. But rather, in that place, manifesting the reality of Christ is the only answer. Not trying to get out, but understanding where we are, and manifesting that reality. What does Paul say? Paul says we are triumphed IN CHRIST; here is our triumph, here is our victory – IN CHRIST. Whereby we are always triumphant… where is that? It is just that God maketh manifest BY US in every place the savor of the knowledge of HIM!

1 Peter 1:18-20 – Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

2 Corinthians 1:20 –For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Ephesians 2:6 – And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1,2 – If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

2 Corinthians 2:14 – Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Triumphant In Christ

We are not triumphant because He jerks us out of every place. We are triumphant because in every place, and at all times, we are a savour of reality, a manifestation of the savour of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. We accomplish nothing by getting out of anything, but rather, by manifesting CHRIST in the midst of it! But we’ve tied Salvation with "getting out" so much, that we think everything designed of God for a manifestation of His Son is something we ought to get out of. And yet, The Father designed it with a purpose in mind. We think God designed a situation so we can learn Jesus there. No, you don’t learn Jesus there: your MANIFEST Jesus there. If you are going to wait until you get in one of those places to "learn Jesus", you’ll probably never learn Jesus! You’ll probably start hollering – ‘Get me out!’

Getting Out/Entering In

So it is that This Door is not a way out. Well, they did get out, but not in the way we think is "getting out’. As I said, in their idea, they were escapees – without a house, without a country, without a dwelling place. But in God’s view The Door had nothing to do with getting out: it had to do with entering in. They not only had a house: they were The House! They not only had a country: they in fact were now The Israel of God – they were the country! We need to think about that. We who are out to ‘get a house’ may need to come to the understanding in the view of Christ that we are that House. We are that House and that dwelling place. Who is it that dwells there? THE LORD does! Who is the city for? It’s for us? No – it’s for HIM! Who lives in the House? We do? No we don’t – He does! Who is The glory of the House? He is! Who is the Light of the city? He is! Who lives there? Who shines there? He does! It’s the city that under the Old Covenant faith Abraham looked for. In the New Covenant faith it is declared as being IN CHRIST. For ye ARE come to that city – IN HIM; you are come to that mountain – IN HIM. You are come to that reality IN CHRIST JESUS!

Hebrews 3:6 – But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

1 Corinthians 3:16 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Ephesians 2:19-22 – Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Revelation 21:2,3, 23- And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God…And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Hebrews 11:10 – For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 12:22 – But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.

Enter Into Canaan

He’s The Door to that! I just want us to quit separating The Door from the fulness. That’s forty years wandering in the wilderness if you do that. They separated it: God joined it back together. To God there’s no separation in time. The same time you entered into The Door is the same time that you enter into Canaan. We need to get a hold of this! No – it’s not divided by time. Time has come to its fulness: that’s time as God understands time to be. So this Door is just a tremendously, ever expanding Door, but my point is "by me if any man enter in…" (John 10:9) This is not a getting out, but an entering in. Consider this: they did NOT escape from Egypt. Think about people who escape from a prison. They are out… but with what purpose? See, most of our purpose in being out is just to be out. Now we’ve discussed purpose as being the true end of Salvation; coming to realize God’s purpose, and God coming to realize His purpose in us. He’s already realized it in Christ, but now He would realize it in us through the revealing of that Son. And He desires that we would come to know as we are known and be able to rejoice in the Lord. Yes, that your joy might be full.

John 4:34- Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Ephesians 3:10,11 – to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According tot he eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 13:12 – For now we see through a glass, darkly: but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

1 John 1:4 – And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

2 John 12- Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face that our joy may be full.

All Died With The Lamb

We’ve talked about that, but we’re back to it again. You can visualize these escapees: out there running around ducking and dodging the Law. You know that life – they have no place to go. They are just "looking for a home". No, the point is, they didn’t escape from Egypt: they all died in Egypt with The Lamb. This death. What death did they die? THE LAMB’S. Do you realize they had to kill that Lamb? The Lamb didn’t get out there and die – have a heart attack. No, they actually killed the Lamb. And it’s good for you and I to understand who killed Christ. It goes beyond my sins. We’ve said there’s a greater death than dead in sin. That’s the death of Adam. Every Adamite dies that death, but that’s not the death we are talking about. That death has no resurrection to it. The death into which we are baptized is the death of Christ. It is an all consuming death: it swallows up that death. It is the death out from which no one lives but CHRIST HIMSELF! "I" am NOT resurrected out of that death. Resurrection is NOT me living again. I don’t care how many times it is preached that way – that is NOT The Truth! You can preach it that way if you eliminate His death. You can say we are dead in sin and now we live again. Well… you missed the whole Door!

2 Corinthians 5:14 – For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.

1 Corinthians 15:22 – for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The Lamb’s Blood

I said before they didn’t go get an Egyptian, kill him and put his blood on the door. There was somebody else’s death indicated there on that door than Egypt, than Adam, than me. It’s THE LAMB’S BLOOD on that Door! It wasn’t even the blood of an Israelite: it was The Lamb’s Blood, ye it was The Blood of Israel. It was The Blood wherein Israel was seen and accepted of God, and that’s the only Blood wherein you and I can be seen and accepted of God. And don’t give it a white wash job like it’s just kind of smeared around. It means DEATH. It’s His Death. The Blood was smeared on the Door: not on the Israelites. They had to enter in through The Door. "By me if any man enter in…" (John 10:9) "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" (Romans 6:3) HIS Death – The One who is living here is going to be seen to be CHRIST. He’s The One that comes up out of baptism. He’s The One that comes up out of the death. So that it is " …not I , but Christ liveth in me…" (Galatians 2:20) That’s what Resurrection is: not I, but Christ who lives in me. That’s what Salvation is: not I, but Christ who lives in me! Is there another Salvation yet?

Exodus 12:13 – And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Ephesians 1:6 – To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Matthew 3:16,17 – And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Ephesians 1:20 – Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

Christ Living In Me

What would it be? Christ living… what would it be? See, we don’t understand that. I don’t fully understand that. I understand that it true, but Oh God, that I could fully understand that! I would that this understanding would be the motivation of every thought in my soul! the idea, the reality of The Only Begotten, Everlasting Son of God – LIVING IN ME: that I understand that is what Life is: HIM living. That is what Resurrection is: HIM living – but living in me! Him living in you, becoming the Life of my soul. See, that’s THE TRUTH of Salvation, but the REALIZATION of that, the comprehending of that comes upon the realization that The One living here is NOT ME. it can not be seen to be Christ until it is seen to be NOT ME. That’s this Blood on The Door. His death becomes MY death. I’m already dead in sin, but HIS death becomes MY death. He died unto sin once and forever! His death becomes MY death. Now it is not I: I will not come out of this. There’s another who will come out of this! The firstborn from among the dead. " Israel is my Son, even my firstborn." (Exodus 4:22) Nobody else is coming out of this!

Philippians 3:10-12 – 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 Jesus.

Ephesians 2:1 – And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Romans 6:10 – For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Romans 8:29 – For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Colossians 1:18 – And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Realization of Reality

"…that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."(Romans 6:4) As Christ was raised up, so we should walk in newness of life. Not I, but CHRIST. What a wonderful verse that is, but it is a verse to so man, and not a realization of reality. We all say we want Christ to be revealed in us; we say we want a revealing of The Son. Well, that can’t be while WE are occupying HIS place! That’s in our hearts, in our minds. We want Him revealed also; but that’s not it. It’s HIM being revealed ONLY! So this is The Door: the nature and the character of this Door is in The Blood, and the person that is eliminated at this Door is the one who enters in by it. But the glory of that is not found in the "not I"; but it is found in "but CHRIST LIVETH". Isn’t that a better resurrection. Hebrews 11 talks about them having their dead raised again. Isn’t it better that He lives in me, rather than ME living again? Of those two concepts of Salvation, which do you think is the better? But it is HIM at the cost of not being me. And that is THE CROSS.

Isaiah 6:1 – In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Hebrews 11:35 – Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Galatians 6:14 – But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

2 Corinthians 5:14,15 – For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The Cross

That’s what The Cross comes to deal with. You can go back and look at the five offerings in Leviticus 1-5 including the burnt offering, and you will see that The Cross goes beyond the sin offering. The Work of The Cross is great: you can see that simply by the five offerings of the Temple that were commanded of the Lord of Israel: burnt-offering, meat-offering, peace-offering, sin-offering, trespass-offering. Those are some of the "all things" that are gathered up into Christ. Those happen to be gathered up into His death. Then there is that which is gathered up in His burial. You know, we don’t think much about His burial, but this is a very real union with Him in our souls. If you want to know about this burial of The Lord, you can go into the Psalms. It was the time He was in hell. What a glorious realization this is for you and I because it is where we are transformed in our hearts from one body to another Body. We actually make the transformation in our own hearts: from the body of humanity to The Body of Christ. That’s the transformation that was made. Psalm 16:8-11, " I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." ‘Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell: neither will you suffer that I return to a corruptible body.’ That’s a valid translation of verse 10 there. That’s what He is talking about, and we understand that in our hearts, in our minds. We have to make that change – not only in a mystical way, but in a very real way. You know – we SAY we’ve come from the old man to the New Man. Now that’s true, but I wish we UNDERSTOOD that. But it becomes very, very subjective. This thing has to work in me. And we must understand that it is not about the natural body that I have: it is all about The Body that I Am. And the bodies that we have are designed to serve The Body that we are, because that is The Eternal Body.

Ephesians 1:10 – That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

Psalm 69: 1,2,14 – Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me…Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

Philippians 3:21 – Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Romans 12:1,2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Colossians 3:9,10 – Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

Romans 6:19 – I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

The New Body

You will see that in what David writes about that time of His burial, because much of the Psalms are relating directly to that time, particularly those that have to do with the word "soul". They are related to that period of time, and you actually hear The Spirit of Christ crying out to The Father, and you will get a lot of insight into what is taking place there. And we will really begin to identify with Him in that reality, that realization. And then, The Resurrection is NOT you and I coming forth: it is CHRIST coming forth in a New Body. That’s The Body which you are. He raises up that Body, even as we are quickened, raised and seated. That is His Body that is being talked about there. It’s very real; it’s not simply mystical. It is extremely real. And "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."( 2 Corinthians 4:7) For these earthen vessels are wearing out daily, but That Body… renewed continually and eternally, so that if this natural body is done away, we are not standing naked or without a Body. For we have a Body, and are a Body! Nothing is left to chance. Therefore we need NOT be the servants of the flesh knowing these things. Oh, that we would know these things! And that we would live according to these things and according to this reality!

Psalm 6:3,4 – My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O long, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Psalm 17:13 – Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword.

Psalm 31:9 – Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul, and my belly.

Psalm 55:18 – He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; for there were many with me.

1 Corinthians 15:38 – But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Ephesians 1:22,23 – And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Ephesians 2:5,6 – Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:16 – For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 5:1 – For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Romans 6:16,19,22 – Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?…I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness…But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

The Same View of God

So this is the reality met there at The Door, in The Blood. They didn’t escape Egypt: they all died in Egypt with The Lamb. They died IN Egypt TO Egypt. Egypt therefore could no longer hold them. God raised them up as His firstborn from among the dead. This was The Father’s point of view, and He was faithful to that view – not to their unbelief. They all died, and He remained faithful to that view. Even though they left that view, He simply raised up a second Israel with that same view. He didn’t say, ‘Okay boys, new plan here.’ No, He just raised up a second Israel in that same view. We looked at that with Abraham and God’s dealings with him in Genesis 12 and 13. God brought Abraham back to the same place where he built the first altar in the first place. He had to get rid of Lot and then the conversation just resumes as if nothing else ever happened! It’s amazing: God just goes on with His conversation. Genesis 13:14, "And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward." He just goes on with His narrative, and that was amazing to me when I saw that was indicative of what God does and the way The Lord is.

Genesis 13:3,4 – And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

The Wise Masterbuilder

We go out and wander around, and should we return, we have to come right back to where we left. You start the race exactly where you left it. And that’s the Lord: it’s that He is faithful to His view. He’s always dealing with us as to where He sees us: not where we think we are. He deals with us according to what He knows is going on. He knows certain activities: not what we think is happening. And we get at cross-purposes with God so many times and go off on our tangents: only either to be destroyed on that tangent, or if we return, come right back to where we left and pick up… and there we go. I think Paul is referring to this same Truth when he says now there is only one foundation, because it’s already laid. God laid it. Nobody else can lay it: it is laid. And notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:10,11, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Notice he doesn’t say, ‘I am Paul a wise masterbuilder, so just look at the molding in this house, look at the carved wood…’ No, he says I am a wise masterbuilder because I laid the only foundation that there is! I’m a wise masterbuilder because I laid a TRUE foundation, knowing that if I did not, it doesn’t make any difference what is built there – it will not stand because the foundation will not stand. But also he knew that there is only ONE foundation, and if you bring something upon that foundation that is not of that foundation, in the appearing of The Lord it will be destroyed down to the foundation. And you will be left there saved – as by fire, but only the foundation is left!

1 Corinthians 13:12 – For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Isaiah 28:16 – Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

2 Timothy 2:19 – Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Luke 6:47-49 – Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 – Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

God Revealing Christ

It’s the same thing as Abraham coming back to the same altar, and The Lord picking up right where He left off. ‘Now Abraham… concerning this land that we were talking about, and I was showing you… now… before you run off again, lift up your eyes, I want to show you this land. I promised the land to you: now I want to show it to you.’ That’s just like saying all things are ours IN CHRIST, and then The Lord saying yes, and now I’d like to reveal Him in you. Now I’d like to show you that Christ. So The Lord deals with us by HIS point of view. To those who have entered in by The Door the wilderness is just a lie – a big lie, based on circumstances and situations around us rather than the Truth as God sees it to be in Christ. How many times are we motivated by circumstances and situations as WE see them to be, and cry out to God to intervene? The fact is – He’s already intervened! Now answer this: should God, because of His infinite wisdom and mercy, His unimaginable grace, intervene for you? What if He did, and I’m sure that He has many more times than I’m aware of on my behalf. But I’m only going to have to face it again. So He gets me out of this situation, but there’s another one around the corner waiting on me… and there’s going to be another and another, and another until I come to The Truth, and The Truth makes me free!

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

2 Kings 6:15-17 – And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

John 8:32 – And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The Truth – Being In Christ

So that the situation can come and go, but I’m not in them! They are there, they are real: but I’m just not in them. I’M IN HIM!! And therefore very objectively we can share reality with those who have none, and are eaten up with the anxiety of what seems to be the present situation – but it is not. This is part of The Reality in Him. This is what we enter into through The Door, You are not dead with Christ and then raised up in the wilderness. That’s NOT the reality of this! Dead with Him and raised up IN HIM – in The Way, The Truth, The Life – in the fulness of God – IN CHRIST JESUS. Circumstances can be whatever they want to be. They are to those who understand being in Christ nothing more or less than opportunities of manifesting The Truth. And I’m not talking about circumstances where you stump your toe on a nail. I’m talking about circumstances of Life and death that if you haven’t faced – you will. But how shall you face them? In the knowledge of Christ, or not?

Philippians 3:9 – 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.

2 Corinthians 12:9,10 – And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Philippians 4:12,13 – I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Romans 8:19 – For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

2 Corinthians 2:14 – Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 

Manifesting Reality

And I want to tell you it’s a lot easier to face death from the standpoint of LIFE than it is to face death from the standpoint of LOST. We’re still taking about this Door – I AM The Way, The Truth and The Life. " And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:32,35) It’s all the same thing – it’s HIM! It doesn’t mean the circumstances don’t exist. It just means that in the midst of them, you manifest reality; you manifest CHRIST. In a temporary circumstance, you manifest ETERNITY, and the Truth of it! My God, you can’t even start to imagine what that means! That in the midst of a temporary circumstance that is the worse that you ever dream of, you manifest the Truth of Eternity, and actually witness the overcoming power of The Truth, not in an abstract way: not even in an objective way, but in a subjective way, and realize something has changed in me! I have come from the temporal to the Eternal point of view. Now that’s where we should be. That’s where God wanted Israel to be.

1 Corinthians 15:49 – And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

2 Corinthians 4:18 – While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The Open Door

So the wilderness is a condition of the heart and unbelief and denial of The Truth. It is a place where WE exist, and Israel as a people simply did not exist beyond that Door. Rather, it is "Out of Egypt have I called My Son." (Matthew 2:15) Out of death I have brought forth My firstborn. So that is a reality that we come to in Christ as The Door, and as The Door is opened more… and more… and more. Thank God for an Open Door! Jesus says in Revelation 3:8, " I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it…" Thank God for The Open Door that we may have access through The Blood to the fulness of all that is in Christ if we will simply walk in The Way, The Truth and The Life, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

Amen.