Initial Salvation
 | “Even when we were dead in sins, [He] hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” -Eph. 2:5-6 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” -Col. 3:3-4 |
| “…enemies of the cross of Christ:…who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” -Php. 3:18-20 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17), and “all are yours” (1 Cor. 3:22). |
Spoken of as a past tense experience, God has “raised us up together and made us to sit together” (Eph. 2:5-6) with Christ Who is enthroned at the right hand of God. This was done by God through our co-participation and union in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. We are “raised”, made “to sit together” (Eph. 5:6), not with ourselves, but we are “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Redeemed humanity is mysteriously one at the seat of God’s Government! This positional redemption initially compels the earth-dwelling Christians into heavenly alignment. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). Seeing that this has been experienced, we are under a holy obligation to walk in Christ’s rule by thought, word, and deed, like as if we are guided by a story-Book He is authoring. Then the world begins to see our lifestyle as a living revelation of Christ. Leaving many affected and some admiring, the Christians solemnly confess - “our conversation is in heaven” (Php. 3:20)! Who can tell of this Great Kingdom’s story? Who can describe the many mansions, their sizable patterns, colors, and glory? None can! Notwithstanding the world does read it in our hearts, it is “known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:2), “written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3)! We have a childlike participation in a steep and honorable Kingdom, by unworthy right, standing as an inheriting child before his Father’s boundless possessions. Amazingly, we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17)! For this cause, it was once said that to Christians, “all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23).
Present Progressive Salvation
| Affections Reigning Powers | --> --> | “If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth.” -Col. 3:1-2 “For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” -Rom. 6:10-12 |
If our initial salvation has raised us co-enthroned, this position is of high ground of empowering grace in God. Being identified with and in Christ’s ascension and throne-rule, so also we ought to walk in the Spirit’s “rule” presently and progressively (Php. 3:16). Hence, we should not “mind earthly things” (Php. 3:19), but those things which are in and about Christ, where He is and what He is doing, because our co-participation in His resurrected life, that He lives presently and progressively, should be walked in right now. Therefore the scripture states, “If ye be risen…seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.” It is commanded of us – IF YE BE RISEN – then our personal affections should be “mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another” (Col. 3:12-13). IF we are NOT RISEN, then our personal affections would rather be, “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). By position, we are different from all other men who are not risen and ascended in Christ, therefore by command we are to walk in gospel-liberties. All other men are compelled to “mind earthly things” (Php. 3:18-19), or as Colossians 3:2 states it, “things on the earth”. They are in bondage to humanity’s “vile body” (Php. 3:21), or as Colossians 3:5 describes it, “your members which are upon the earth” (Col. 3:5). Wherefore the rather, brethren, by the resurrection we are enabled to search out the depths of the members of God (1 Cor. 2:10).
Romans 6:10-12 clarifies the gospel by command in the terms of how the saint has a daily responsibility to “reckon” the resurrection truths, and if he successfully does this, then he will walk in the liberty and freedom which the gospel has purchased: letting “not sin therefore reign in” his “mortal body” that he “should obey it in the lusts thereof”. Either Christ reigns or sin reigns. Christ’s ascended spiritual condition of freedom and life becomes the positional point of our reckoning. This is presently and progressively redeeming their bodily members from their former king’s reigning powers, from where “sin hath reigned” into where in Christ, “even so might grace reign through righteousness” (Rom. 5:21). The religious rule which Christians reckon is Christ’s law of the Kingdom of heaven. The prayer He prayed, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) – this is done inside of Christian men. Even so Christ said, “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21). Daily reckoning religious laws which are existing with free course in the Kingdom of heaven is a daily longing after another world’s King; therefore it is said, “unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28). In this way, we can also see the spiritual meaning behind such words spoken by the Lord when He said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21), meaning that we should be “rich toward God” (Lk. 12:21) with laid up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20). Where are your spiritual eyes? The suffering, lashed, scared, stoned, beaten, and poor man, the apostle Paul, he said that he did “faint not” even while his “outward man” did “perish” (2 Cor. 4:16). He said that while he thus suffered, “the inward man is renewed day by day”, that it was all just a “light affliction”, for behold, he saw in heaven an “exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 3:16-17). Do you think his heart was in heaven? Hear Paul’s secret in his own word – the rule of Christian faith – “While we look not at 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” (2 Cor. 4:18). Now can you understand the burden of God to maintain present progressive salvation, like as what is preached by the following passage? In the present progressive, or continual looking unto Christ for, daily power to walk in the resurrected life, I tell you, the desires are so strong that Christians would rather be entirely resurrected altogether to fly away from this sin-ridden earth. For this we are burdened like a man bowing down in soul-groaning, even like, as it were, the groans of all creation (Rom. 8:19-23) are joining hands with the Bride (Rev. 22:17), and the Bride cries out – oh, to be free from this earthly life (2 Cor. 5:1-4)! Such men are rightly called Christians, Christ-obsessed, groaning in desire to be where Christ is in bodily resurrection! These are the children that will be worthily called “the children of the resurrection” (Lk. 20:36), men and women that will be “accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead” (Lk. 20:35), and why? Their heart, affections, conversation, mind, will, and rule is in heaven! What a tragedy that with so many Christians it is not so!
Romans 6:10-12 clarifies the gospel by command in the terms of how the saint has a daily responsibility to “reckon” the resurrection truths, and if he successfully does this, then he will walk in the liberty and freedom which the gospel has purchased: letting “not sin therefore reign in” his “mortal body” that he “should obey it in the lusts thereof”. Either Christ reigns or sin reigns. Christ’s ascended spiritual condition of freedom and life becomes the positional point of our reckoning. This is presently and progressively redeeming their bodily members from their former king’s reigning powers, from where “sin hath reigned” into where in Christ, “even so might grace reign through righteousness” (Rom. 5:21). The religious rule which Christians reckon is Christ’s law of the Kingdom of heaven. The prayer He prayed, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) – this is done inside of Christian men. Even so Christ said, “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21). Daily reckoning religious laws which are existing with free course in the Kingdom of heaven is a daily longing after another world’s King; therefore it is said, “unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28). In this way, we can also see the spiritual meaning behind such words spoken by the Lord when He said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21), meaning that we should be “rich toward God” (Lk. 12:21) with laid up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20). Where are your spiritual eyes? The suffering, lashed, scared, stoned, beaten, and poor man, the apostle Paul, he said that he did “faint not” even while his “outward man” did “perish” (2 Cor. 4:16). He said that while he thus suffered, “the inward man is renewed day by day”, that it was all just a “light affliction”, for behold, he saw in heaven an “exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 3:16-17). Do you think his heart was in heaven? Hear Paul’s secret in his own word – the rule of Christian faith – “While we look not at 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” (2 Cor. 4:18). Now can you understand the burden of God to maintain present progressive salvation, like as what is preached by the following passage? In the present progressive, or continual looking unto Christ for, daily power to walk in the resurrected life, I tell you, the desires are so strong that Christians would rather be entirely resurrected altogether to fly away from this sin-ridden earth. For this we are burdened like a man bowing down in soul-groaning, even like, as it were, the groans of all creation (Rom. 8:19-23) are joining hands with the Bride (Rev. 22:17), and the Bride cries out – oh, to be free from this earthly life (2 Cor. 5:1-4)! Such men are rightly called Christians, Christ-obsessed, groaning in desire to be where Christ is in bodily resurrection! These are the children that will be worthily called “the children of the resurrection” (Lk. 20:36), men and women that will be “accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead” (Lk. 20:35), and why? Their heart, affections, conversation, mind, will, and rule is in heaven! What a tragedy that with so many Christians it is not so!
God is LOVE – TRUE!
But a world that is wrong, MEN LOVE.
Flesh, Fashion, & Fame! Men gather for the fights, footballs, foolishness, and games.
Shouts of lust, the whistles blow! Men are entertained, amazed, eye-addicted to the show.
Men memorize rags, do all their numbers know!
For their winners’ footsteps they do heave and blow.
For their winners they whine! They watch them all the time!
They think that they know God but to His footsteps they are blind.
Chapter and verse, oh right, they don’t have the time!
Kneeling down in broken repentance, for what? Oh yeah, their sin is out of mind.
“I got saved when I was six, you see!?” And now for the world they run free.
Heaven would be a hell for unholy men.
They would loathe the Savior and long for sin,
Desiring a break from heaven for all the hobbies of natural men.
In bondage to praise for endless days Him Who is heaven-famous?!
These men would rather go back home to earth and watch the world-famous!
But a world that is wrong, MEN LOVE.
Flesh, Fashion, & Fame! Men gather for the fights, footballs, foolishness, and games.
Shouts of lust, the whistles blow! Men are entertained, amazed, eye-addicted to the show.
Men memorize rags, do all their numbers know!
For their winners’ footsteps they do heave and blow.
For their winners they whine! They watch them all the time!
They think that they know God but to His footsteps they are blind.
Chapter and verse, oh right, they don’t have the time!
Kneeling down in broken repentance, for what? Oh yeah, their sin is out of mind.
“I got saved when I was six, you see!?” And now for the world they run free.
Heaven would be a hell for unholy men.
They would loathe the Savior and long for sin,
Desiring a break from heaven for all the hobbies of natural men.
In bondage to praise for endless days Him Who is heaven-famous?!
These men would rather go back home to earth and watch the world-famous!
| Doctrines | --> | “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances…” -Col. 2:20 |
Christians are commanded to abide in heaven’s principles and heavenly statutes instead of human principles and earthly statutes which make up doctrines or philosophies. There is an otherworldly law and alien power at the ascension of Christ. We are removed from all that is called “the rudiments of the world” (Col. 2:20). Therefore Paul makes the staggering admonishment, “why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not” (Col. 2:20-21)? Paul speaks of them as if they are not even living in the world anymore! And so, he refutes the heresies of philosophy and doctrine which are earthly-minded or humanly applicable. Each of the verses above is a direct application of the gospel by command. A saint is obedient to these commands by believing in the gospel of grace which immediately empowers them in the realities of initial salvation, therefore presently and progressively they should continue in these salvific powers – by personal affection, reigning rule, and doctrine. Maybe you are trying to look to Christ by faith for present progressive obedience to the gospel commands of the resurrection and ascension, but are you OBEDIENT to them? Did you know that you can “look for such things” and be too slothful about it, to the end that you are found of Christ at His return in a condition which you would eternally regret: namely, not “in peace”, with spots, and blamable?
| “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” -2 Pet. 3:10-14 |
Did you know that Christ will judge your present progressive obedience to these gospel commands, and, if you are in a spiritual condition which is unworthy, earthly instead of heavenly, or overcome by the world instead overcoming the world, then Christ will say to you like He said to others, “I have a few things against thee” (Rev. 2:20), which means that He will dispel you from your resurrection, ascension, coheir qualification in Him. Lo, see how Christ said, “I will give unto every one of you according to your works”, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father” (Rev 2:26-27). Your coheir, co-enthronement, Kingdom inheritance is on the line! Present progressive obedience to the gospel call is present progressive salvation, and such will be rewarded with final salvation. Those that are presently and progressively walking in their co-enthronement with Christ to overcome the world, to live in holiness, will be finally seated upon His Throne in a consummating salvation to fulfill these words: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne” (Rev 3:21).
For a closer and more exhaustive study see The Condescension of God.
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