On The Heavenly Plain

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6)

Earth may have been good enough for that creature who was created from the dust and clay, but it is not good enough for the living soul who is redeemed by royal blood!

Earth was fit and proper to be the eternal dwelling place for that creature who was made by God's hand, but it is not appropriate nor sufficient to be the eternal dwelling place of that redeemed being who is begotten of the Holy Spirit. Every truly born-again Christian has been lifted up - lifted up from the level of the fallen Adamic race to the heavenly plane of the unfallen and victorious Christ. He belongs up there!

The children of God are partakers of the divine nature. From bearing the "image of the earthly," they now bear the "image of the heavenly." God has imparted to them a portion of His own loveliness. He has formed them new creatures.

And I shall see Him face to face
And tell the story - saved by grace:
And I shall see Him face to face
And tell the story - saved by grace.

~A. W. Tozer~

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Transformed To His Image

"Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God " (Romans 12:2)

Some people seem to think that Jesus came only to reclaim us or restore us so that we could regain the original image of Adam. Christ did infinitely more in His death and resurrection than just undoing the damage of the fall. He came to raise us into the image of Jesus Christ. The first man Adam was a living soul, the second man Adam was a life-giving Spirit. The first man Adam was made of the earth earthy, but the second man is the Lord from heaven!

Redemption in Christ, then, is not to pay back dollar-for-dollar or to straighten man out and restore him into Adamic grace. The purpose and work of redemption in Christ Jesus is to raise man as much above the level of Adam as Christ Himself is above the level of Adam. We are to gaze upon Christ, not Adam, and in so doing are being transformed by the Spirit of God into Christ's image.

We choose to be transformed to His image, but we cannot create that image by our own morality or struggles after righteousness. We must be created anew in His likeness by His own Spirit, and stamped with His resemblance by His heavenly seal impressed directly upon our hearts from His hand.

~A. W. Tozer~