What Did Christ Inherit?

        Jesus Christ was resurrected, changed from His human, physical body to His divine, spiritual body! The stone was not rolled back to let Jesus Christ out of His tomb it was rolled away to let the world look in!

        Can your mind accept the plain truth of God's written Word?

        Then notice: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit [we have a human spirit, the "spirit in man" ], that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16,17).

        What has Christ inherited?

        He told His disciples, "All power is given unto me in heaven, and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). Jesus Christ is presently seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is Spirit; He is alive; He inhabits eternity!

        God's great purpose for mankind is that we shall be "like Him"!

        Notice: "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" (I John 3:2).

        Can your mind comprehend it? Can you accept God's Word? Can you believe God's truth?

        Notice further: "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body...howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: ["that which is born of the flesh is flesh"] the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly ["that which is born of the Spirit is spirit"], such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep [die; become utterly oblivious in death], but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:44-52).

        God envisioned this earth as an habitation for His masterpiece of all time mankind! For millions, perhaps billions, of years, the divine family we know of as Elohim was preparing this world as man's future home.

        Just as all life reproduces after its own kind; just as maple trees shed maple seeds, which become maple trees; just as dolphins give birth to dolphins; just as human beings beget human babies made in their image, so God is recreating, reproducing after His kind!

        This vast universe, our solar system, this marvelous earth and all life upon it are not just "there" by accident! There was a purpose for its creation, just as there is a purpose for the sustaining of all the laws which protect life upon earth.

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

        God's master plan for reproducing after His own kind requires the building of spiritual character. It requires repentance of sins, water baptism to symbolize the death of the old, sinful creature, coming up out of the water to symbolize the resurrection of the justified creature, and receiving God's Holy Spirit to beget a new creature in Christ within each repentant person (Acts 2:38).

        The awesome truth about our human potential is known and understood by only a precious few. Millions believe God has created a kind of "soul factory" down here below; that "souls" go either to heaven or to an ever-burning hell when the human body dies. Few understand why our solar system shows evidence of a titanic struggle; why there is so much debris in space; why the world was empty, chaotic, and waste when God began His recreative work at the time He placed mankind on this earth.

        Satan has truly deceived all nations either with his false religions or with his false "science," the theory of evolution, which utterly rejects the existence of God.

        Satan wrecked the solar system and the earth; God recreated the earth, made it a beautiful place for man, then created man, and placed him in the middle of the garden.

        Satan then deceived Eve, who urged her husband to join with her in committing the first sin, and the wretched conditions of the human family have prevailed ever since. God destroyed all sinning mankind and all the creatures of earth, save Noah and his family, and the Genesis kinds of animals that Noah took into the ark, which would then overspread the earth after the flood.

        Satan was present at the birth of Jesus Christ, trying to destroy Him through Herod's vicious pogrom against all male children from two years of age.

        Then, following Christ's baptism, Satan tried to tempt Christ to sin by many subtle means right when Jesus Christ was near starvation, from forty days and nights of fasting (Matthew 4:1-11).

        Christ met this supreme struggle for the mastery, ultimately giving Satan a command, "Get thee hence!" which Satan had to obey.

        Then Satan entered personally in Judas Iscariot, bringing about the merciless beating and death of Jesus. But God's plan was being carried out! Satan unwittingly had become complicit in the death of Christ, which God allowed to occur, so Christ could take upon Himself the sins of all mankind!

        For a deeper understanding of what a wondrous and awesome sacrifice this was, to really be moved by what your Savior and mine has done for us, call or write immediately for your free sermon tape, "Christ's Lonely Sacrifice."

        Imagine it! God the Father sent His own Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to die for His own creation; to become a perfect sacrifice for sin! His one life is worth more than all other human life put together! After all, Jesus Christ is the member of the divine Elohim in heaven who did the creating!

        God says, "In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos, meaning "Spokesman"], and the Word was with God [the Logos was with Theos], and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men...He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name...And the Word as made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-14).

        This absolutely proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the one who became Jesus Christ of the flesh was the divine Being who created the universe; our solar system, this earth, and every living creature!

        How great was the sacrifice of Christ, who died for His own creation!

        When we repent of sin, and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, God promises to impart to us His Holy Spirit, which makes us a child of God, a "new creature in Christ."

        Now, though we still live in a fleshly body, though we still must sustain our lives by food and drink, there is a "new creature in Christ" that is growing, developing, within us!

        God's great master plan is to reproduce after His own kind!

        You have already read it! "The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16,17).

        Being "glorified together" is not merely an expression of human joy or happiness. It does not mean feelings of ecstatic euphoria in a session of "praise worship." No, it means exactly what it says just as you read in the famous "resurrection" chapter of I Corinthians 15 that we shall be changed from flesh to spirit, from human to divine, from corruptible to incorruptible. That is the meaning of being finally born of God!

The Real Purpose For the Creation Of Man

        Millions do not know that creation was only begun in the Garden of Eden, that God was creating mankind for a great and breathtaking purpose!

        What is that purpose?

        Let Jesus Christ Himself answer: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

        Born again? Many will suddenly think they have just read something about a "religious experience," and wonder what has that got to do with the purpose for human existence?

        No, Jesus Christ was not describing a "religious experience," but was describing the most awe-inspiring, breathtaking truth you can ever imagine! First, before we see exactly what Jesus meant by such a startling statement, please call, or write immediately for our free booklets, Born Again' or Born From Above'? and Why You Were Born.

        Nicodemus had heard an expression that, so far as we can know from Scripture, had never been uttered before! Today, the expression "born again" is so common it is heard every day; each Sunday, in thousands of churches, on television, in newspapers.

        But Jesus was not describing the process of joining a church, or being baptized, or "accepting Christ."

        Otherwise, you could never explain why Nicodemus asked Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4). Nicodemus heard Jesus Christ speak in Aramaic. He was an educated man, a leader of the Jewish religious community (John 3:1). He would have clearly understood the word Jesus used, which was eventually written in Greek, and then in English. The Greek word is gennao, which is always used for the process of begettal, and birth.

        It is the same word one would use to describe the process of birth for dogs, cows, or horses. It has no "spiritual" connotation whatsoever, by itself.

        As you will learn, if you write or call for, and then study, the two booklets listed above, men have taken the word anew, placed one particular meaning on it, when it is capable of more than one meaning, and then interpreted Jesus' words in a completely erroneous manner.

        If a choir director interrupts his group of singers, and says, "All right, let's do it over again let's take it from the top," everyone knows exactly what he means. The English expressions, anew, again, over again, from the top, from the beginning, and the like, are reasonable synonyms for the Greek word anothen.

        Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says of this word, "Anothen: from above: by analogy from the first; by implication: from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top."

        Obviously, Jesus was not speaking of being born again physically, but of a process which is new and very different from human physical birth. Understanding Christ's words is absolutely essential in order to comprehend the very purpose for human existence, and therefore the purpose for the universe, our solar system, and the earth itself!

        Notice what He said: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

        The expression "born of water" refers to baptism, as well as to the function of God's Holy Spirit in cleansing human minds and hearts.

        Paul wrote, "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 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 6:3,4). God's law claims our life when we break it (Romans 6:23). But Christ has given His life, the life of our Creator (John 1), in our stead.

        Instead of physically forfeiting our life when we turn to God in repentance, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, God commands us to be baptized (Acts 2:38) for the outward symbol of the death of our "old man."

        As we just read, water baptism symbolizes death and burial. Then, we are to "walk [live] in newness of life." Paul wrote, "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed [justified] from sin" (Romans 6:3-7).

        When Jesus told Nicodemus we cannot enter into God's kingdom unless we are "born of water and of the Spirit," He was referring to baptism and receiving God's Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 5:32), which is the life-giving divine nature of God (II Peter 1:4).

        The Greek word gennao means both begettal and birth, the entire process from conception to birth. So long as we are still human flesh, we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. We must be completely changed, either by a resurrection from the dead, or by an instantaneous change at the time of Christ's return.

        When that occurs, we will no longer be flesh and blood, but we will become spirit life, literally composed of spirit, finally born into the divine family of God.

        Paul wrote, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (I Corinthians 15:50).

        Yet, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus we must be born both of "water" and "of the Spirit" or we cannot enter into God's kingdom. What is this "spiritual birth" of which He spoke?

        He said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6).

        Are you flesh and blood? Of course! Were you born to two human, physical parents? Of course! Were your parents flesh and blood, just as you are? Of course! We are still human flesh today, even though we can, through repentance, baptism, and receiving God's Holy Spirit, be begotten of God, as one of His own children.

        Christ continued, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth [where it will], and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:7,8).

        The wind is invisible. It blows here and there, and we can feel it, or hear it, but we cannot see the wind. Jesus Christ said when one is born of the Spirit he or she will become changed, completely different from human flesh.

Our Earth: Future Site of God's Throne

        Today, millions believe they will "go to heaven" when they die. They are deceived, not knowing the truth about the pagan doctrine of the "immortality of the soul," not knowing the truth about the state of the dead, not knowing the truth about the resurrection from the dead.

        But we humans are not going to "go to heaven." Believe it nor not, heaven is coming down here, to this earth!

        There is no greater promise given to us in God's Word than the promise of salvation, of eternal life with Jesus Christ in God's kingdom. Jesus promised, "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" (Revelation 2:26).

        Not only does God promise us eternal life, He promises positions of government with Jesus Christ in His coming kingdom.

        Christ's message was the "good news of the Kingdom of God." The word gospel merely means "good news." Millions do not know it was news; that Jesus Christ came with the advance announcement that God would soon intervene in human affairs; that the "Great Tribulation" would fall upon the nations that are the modern-day descendants of Jacob, or Israel; that God would stop all human activity with His heavenly signs and wonders (Revelation 7), and then pour out His wrath upon sinning mankind, culminating in the second coming of Jesus Christ!

        The Kingdom of God will rule on this earth during the millennial reign of Christ, and for all eternity from then. Write, or call for our book, What Is the Kingdom Of God? for a full understanding.

        Continually, Jesus Christ predicted He was coming again.

        The very first message to ever come to this earth after Christ died and was ascending to heaven was, "Ye man of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

        Christ predicted His return would be accompanied by the most tumultuous events imaginable: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars [meteorites] shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another" (Matthew 24:29-31).

        Can your mind picture a greater event?

        The apostle John was given a vision of this event. He wrote, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called the Word of God.

        "And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:11-16).

        Christ is coming back to this earth to rule all nations with a rod of iron for the first one thousand years of the next part of God's plan!

        John wrote, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls [Greek: psuche, meaning lives a metaphor] of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4).

        At the moment of Christ's return, the dead are to be raised from their graves to meet the returning Christ in the air in the physical atmosphere of this earth! "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).

        Christ is coming back to this earth! He is coming down to meet the newly-resurrected "dead in Christ," and to meet those who are "alive and remain."

        Where will He stand in that day?

        "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east..." (Zechariah 14:4).

        For one thousand years, this earth will know peace at last! Abundance, prosperity, happiness, and joy will fill the earth.

        God says, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be as full of the knowledge of the Eternal, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).

        Read Isaiah 2 and Micah 4, together with Isaiah 11. God says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Eternal's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths': for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:2-4).

        Finally, following the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), this earth will become the site of the thrones of both the Father and the Son!

        John wrote, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away [read II Peter 3:10-13]; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride 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 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away'" (Revelation 21:1-4).

        This earth has been destined from countless years in the past perhaps billions of years ago to become headquarters of the universe! It has been destined to become the site of the throne of God!

        Notice: "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb [Christ] shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him" (Revelation 22:3).

        Why did God create the universe? Why did He create the solar system, and our good, green earth? Now, you know a part of the answer! He created it as an habitat for His masterpiece of all His creative powers mankind!

        He caused it to be prepared for man, prepared to support a population of billions of human beings, ultimately all because He is recreating after His own kind.

        The next night it is not cloudy, and you can look up and see the distant stars and galaxies of our imagination-defying universe, think about what you have read. Then, try to capture a part of the incredible vision in God's Word about the human potential, about the breathtaking future, far beyond the Millennium. Then, perhaps God will allow you to understand the next phase of the creative plan of God.

        When Jesus Christ commissioned His disciples, He told them He had received all power in heaven and in earth. When humans are born of God, they are to become "co-heirs with Christ," to share equally in the mind-boggling inheritance He received when He was glorified with His Father.

        Who was Jesus Christ before His human birth? He was Creator! What are humans to inherit? What are they to become? You have read it with you own eyes: They are to be changed from flesh to spirit, from human to divine, from corruptible to incorruptible!

        And what will they be then? You saw it with your own eyes from the pages of your own Bible. Jesus Christ is the Firstborn among many brethren, the Firstborn from the dead!

        And what will Jesus Christ and His newly-born brethren do next? Will there be nothing beyond the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment but idleness and ease? Will billions of members of the divine family of God then merely retire?

        By the way, how many planets are out there? Astronomers say there are hundreds of billions of stars, and it is now known that many, if not all of them, may have planets in their gravitational field. Do you suppose there is a reason for that?

        After John saw the vision of a new heaven and a new earth, he heard "He that sat upon the throne" say, "Behold, I make all things new."

        There you have it! At the end of the Bible, after revealing all the vast and tumultuous events which will lead up to the return of Christ to rule this earth; after explaining to us how the whole earth will be changed and made new; after revealing to us that God will "dwell with" humankind here on this earth, then He says he will make all things new!

        And that will be the beginning!

- The End -