Man’s restoration, by the acceptance of the sacrifice given, results for fallen man the ability to come and know restoration back to God’s original design. This speaks of a man made after God’s image and likeness. Because of His love, God willingly supplies and cleanses the rebellious harlot people to reveal His desire. That is, through the desire of His grace and mercy He forgives and created for man His order of redemption. Redemption from God is His divine order, which makes available salvation and the process of sanctification. This sanctification is a working progression by the Holy Spirit that removes all the spots of sin and the wrinkles of false doctrine, deception and carnal traditions. In this, faith in Christ makes sanctification and redemption available to receiving man.
God’s love, when submitted unto, is purposed to cleanse the harlot church as God births from among this church the proper ministries needed for the propagation of full redemption. These birthed ministries (not lords but servants) mature and become the expression of God’s Word, because Jesus Christ became the spiritual seed placed within those vessels who receive Him. Herein these are called to be a first-fruits ministry for Christ.
Eph. 5:25-27,
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify [set it apart] and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish”.
This is pointing to God’s ordained church and the question often asked is, where is such a church today? Where is the greater glory that God promised? Is it not time for the approaching harvest? In this, the first-fruits of the harvest are even now standing up in spiritual maturity to become God’s lively ministry. These first-fruits of the harvest are to be presented by God unto the entire world. This first-fruit ministry presents, through manifesting a Christ-like life style, Christ to the world because of becoming God’s desired perfect man.
Eph. 4:13,
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.
Herein God sends forth His end-time first-fruit perfected ministry (again, not lords over people but servants) for His purpose. This purpose is to prepare for Christ a church without spot or wrinkle, His bride. Therefore, the needed ministry of God’s true Word are those who are ministering sanctification and a cleansing as they wash the unclean church through manifesting God’s Word. In this ministry of end-time purposes, we can see through the type God shows us concerning the children of Israel, a ministry made ready to secure the Promised Land. These are the promises of God that also speaks of and to His purified church.
Joshua 3:3-5,
“And they commanded the people, saying, when, you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God [this Christ fulfilled completely and is the manifesting ark of the covenant], and the Priest, the Levites, bearing it [today’s king/priest ministry who become the expression of Christ], then you shall set out from your place and go after it [your place has been the wilderness which the adulteress church has also been in]. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure [could the last 2000 years of the church also fulfill this measure?]. Do not come near it that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before [the church for 2000 years, processed by the Holy Spirit, is to receive revelation of this way they have not walked in before]. And Joshua said to the people; sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you”.
The Christian Community of today has come to their time of purification, speaking of the needed cleansing to prepare themselves to know the fullness of God’s purpose. God’s effectual first-fruit ministry has become His wonders for establishing His Kingdom (the church has a need for sanctification). This end-time ministry shall bring released unto the church. These wonders of God are a first-fruit people who manifest the nature, the likeness and image of God as Christ’ many member body. These members are the ministry who manifest the expression of God in the earth. Thus, with Christ Jesus fulfilling all that the Ark of the Covenant represents in Joshua 3:3 above, this ministry of the first-fruits is likewise passing over into another realm with and in Christ. These are the people whom Christ shall do wonders through as the power of the Christ nature in them destroys all the enemies who occupy the land of man’s corrupted vessel, his mind-set.
Are we not God’s true people, the land in which He desires to abide in, a people becoming the manifesting temple of God’s dwelling place? In considering the commission that Christ Jesus left for the church, we should take note of the order that God uses to bring forth this purposed kingdom unto man’s world. The commission first was to go to the house of Israel (today’s Christian Community); for God has declared that judgment is to begin at His house.
1 Peter 4:17,
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of God”?
Meaning God’s judgment begins the progression He uses, that the church in judgment, is to become His true church, one without spot or wrinkle. God’s method is to send forth His first-fruits. This group of purified saints, who manifest the divine government of God, shall minister to the church first.
Matt. 10:1 & 5-8,
“And when He called His twelve [God’s number for divine government] disciples to Him, He gave them power [Christ authority from His nature – His divine government] over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. … These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying, do not go into the way of the Gentiles [the worldly unregenerate people], and do not enter a city of the Samaritans [the carnal minded people who worship other gods]. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel [the carnal minded lukewarm rebellious church that commits spiritual adultery]. And as you go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand [has drawn near]. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give”.
The commission was first restricted for them to go only to the adulterous church, bringing forth judgment for deliverance. Remember, Christ is coming to appearing to a church that is without spot or wrinkle. Thus, a church purified, who can now receive the Christ at His appearing through His first-fruits, that the church herself might then begin manifesting light and deliverance to a darken corrupt world. Therefore, the coming forth of God’s first-fruits is to bring deliverance to the fallen Christian Community and then the commission increases to continue on, taking judgment and/or deliverance to every creature. These first-fruits are even now coming forth as they minister in the power and authority of God to establish God’s kingdom here on earth, first in the church and then to all the earth.
Mark 16:14-18 says,
“Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table, and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized [into Christ] will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name [nature] they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will in no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”.
Thus, God’s commission to the restored church is to reach out to affect the entire world.
In considering the above stated commission, a question is often asked. Is it time for God to be glorified and was there ever a time when God was not to be glorified? In this we ask, where is the glory of the latter house spoken of by God?
Hosea 2:9a,
“The glory of this latter house [Christ, head and body, the true church] shall be greater than the former …”
Thus a promised glory, one that exceeds any other time of glory as these In-Christ ones appear in the earth manifesting God’s throne-room authority, that is, a people manifesting the nature of God throughout the land. This truth was declared through Jesus Himself when some Greeks came looking for Him, asking to see Him.
John 12:23-26,
“But Jesus answered them, saying, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life [men’s natural carnal life] will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, him my Father will honor”.
In this above scripture, we can see that Jesus Christ was more than just a mere man, but a man overcoming all things and becoming God’s seed planted within the earth called man. Jesus Christ, that seed, according to God’s law of reproduction, will bring forth after its own kind. This Christ-seed, purposed by God to enlarge His kingdom, has chosen to manifest Himself through His many member body and through them, He would establish His kingdom.