Those Who Awaken the Dawn

2005-04-18 21:26

Salvation is God's eternal love and blessing because He lets us cross over from condemnation to redemption, and from a natural body to a spiritual body.

As for salvation, the Bible distinguishes between "being given" and "working out." But those two salvations are two and also one, as if seed and fruit are two and also one--"imperishable seed" and "fruit to holiness." Likewise, with the phrase, "from faith to faith," we may think there are two kinds of faith, but it is written, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5).

This is the common salvation of everyone: When we did not know God, when we were sinners and when we were God's enemies, He sent His son in a natural body into the world and made him take away all the sin of the world and passed over all the sin of the world. That is God's love and righteousness.

The Bible says, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" (Romans 1:17). And again, "whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26).

If the salvation is completed by God's righteousness alone, it is natural that all people in the world are saved. The redemption of sin is God's grace which was given to all people in the world. There is no difference because God so loved the world that He gave Jesus who took away all the sin of the world.

It is written, "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Genesis 22:18). And also, "...He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45).

However, the salvation is completed only if not only sin but also the body of sin is done away with. If there is no body of sin, there is no sin. As for the law of God, the Bible says about the law of death as well as the law of sin. It is written, "because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2).

The sin and the body are two and also one as if night and dawn are two and also one. If a thousand years are like a day, a night is like 500 years and a day is like 500 years. That's why the Bible said, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." (2 Peter 3:8).

As the Bible said, if the night is over and the morning star rises in your hearts, 500 years are completed. Christ the morning star will rise in our hearts only if 500 years--430 years of the forgiveness of our sin and 70 years of the redemption of our body--are completed.

The Bible says about it, "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19).

Although there is one salvation, it can be divided into two salvations--salvation from sin and salvation from body. So then, the salvation from sin means the death of Jesus alone--the passing of the 430 years of the deep night, and the salvation from the body of death means that our body are also crucified with Jesus and the body of sin is done away with--the passing of the 70 years of the dawn. In other words, only if the full 500 years of the night is completed, the temple of Zerubbabel will be completed and rivers of living water will flow from the temple--the body of Christ, where God will dwell.

The Bible prophesied, "Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn." (Psalms 57:8). And also, "Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again." (Isaiah 52:1).

And it is written, "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20). The apostles are the morning stars shining in the dawn, the prophets are the burning and shining lamps in the night. It is written, "When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:7). And also, "He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." (John 5:35).

Therefore, it is written about this present time when there is a better blessing, "For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." (Corinthians 6:2). And again, "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12). Amen. Thank you, Lord.

The Last Brother, Kim Yun-gu.