"For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:14.
      What does it mean to be "partakers of Christ?" The Scriptures demonstrate that partaking of Christ means partaking of what Christ is right now – what He became in His resurrection. As we are constantly looking into His Word as into a mirror, we are being transformed into His glory, from glory to glory, 2Co 3:18. We are to be constantly putting on the "new man," which is "created in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24), and "is renewed in (into our fuller) knowledge (as we grow up into Him) according to the image of Him who created him," Col 3:10. And we have so far established that Christ's human body was born again into a divine state of being in His resurrection.
      In brief summary, Christ has from everlasting to everlasting been altogether divine, possessing the fullness of deity with the Father without beginning, Jn 1:1-3; Phi 2:6. In His virgin birth, Christ took upon Himself a sinless human, material, flesh body precisely the same as Adam and Eve had before they sinned, Jn 1:14; Phil 2:6-8. Christ's human body at that time and throughout His earthly ministry was not divine, though He was fully God dwelling in a mere human, flesh body. In that human body Christ required parental care, and until His resurrection required food, water, rest, sleep, was righteously subject to all God-appointed authorities, was subject to the elements of the physical universe, could be and was tempted (otherwise, God cannot be tempted, Mt 4:1-11; Ja 1:13; Heb 4:15; 2Co 5:16-17,21), had to learn obedience by the things He suffered (Heb 5:8-9), and had to live a sinless life in a mere human body in order to be our Kinsman Redeemer, 2Co 5:21; 1Pe 3:18.
      Christ's human body was born out of the grave into a divine, heavenly, spirit body in His resurrection, 1Co 15:44-50; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33;Heb 1:5-6; 5:5. In this way Christ became "the Firstborn from the dead" – His human body being born again from a mere flesh and blood body into a divine body, and thereby became "the Firstborn of every creature" in pre-eminence above all creation, Col 1:15-19.
      The covenant people are explicitly stated as being, in the metaphor of a human body, fully and organically "joined to" (1Co 6:15-17), or "united together with," or "born together with," and are "growing up together into," the now deified human body of Christ, Rom 6:3-5; 1Co 12:12-27; Gal 3:27; Col 1:18-19; 2:9-17-21.
      The faithful covenant people are therefore addressed, in that metaphor, as being collectively one divine, spirit, human body of Christ, and members of that body individually, Mt 26:26-28; 1Co 6:15-17; 10:16-17; 11:24-29; 12:12-27; Eph 4:15-16; Col 2:17,19; et al.
      Partaking of Christ has a twofold application, or is a twofold process for this current lifetime and for eternity:

      1. This current lifetime is a proving grounds toward qualifying for the new birth in the resurrection. The requirement is that we be constantly transformed into the image of Christ in our thoughts, aspirations, emotions, speech, and conduct – a daily metamorphosis by the renewing of our minds, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18; Eph 4:11-24; Col 3:1-10. In the pursuance of this theme of the firstborn sonship of Christ, we will demonstrate how God is requiring this very serious and pronounced metamorphosis in us each day of our lives. Our great battle here is to maintain constant vigilance within this mind-set through the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

      2. If we qualify and are thereby approved (dokimos – approved after testing), we will then experience for eternity that "rest" of partaking of the divine image of Christ in the resurrection – the new and divine resurrection birth. After the resurrection there will obviously continue to be a growing process in knowledge, love, appreciation, worship, etc., within this divine state of being on the part of the faithful covenant people, Eph 2:7; 3:21; Isa 42:21; 1Pe 2:9. The expression of future "ages of ages" reveals changes in each age, not for the worse because there will be no sin except in the lake of fire, but for the better because God is infinite in all His attributes – a never ending progressive increase in revelations of God's infinite knowledge, power, glory, and majesty. Eph 2:7 not only looks back at what Christ has done for us, but primarily into the future at what God will yet create and reveal in perpetual ages to come. The faithful covenant people who learn obedience through transformation into the image of Christ in this lifetime will gloriously share increasingly in the richness of God's divine attributes as indicated above.
      Now, with this as God's divinely appointed goal for us in partaking of Christ, let us look at Hebrews chapter three.

      Faithfulness, holding fast, steadfastness, tenacity, perseverance, endurance – these words express the urgent thrust of Hebrews chapter 3, the whole book of Hebrews, and the whole Bible:
      1 "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus," Heb 3:1.
      The book of Hebrews was written to "holy brethren," Heb 3:1. This means they were in a proper church and New Covenant relationship, as 3:6 and 10:19-31 clearly state, and is otherwise demonstrated throughout the book.
      These "holy brethren" were "partakers of the heavenly calling," Heb 3:1. This is the same "calling," "called," or "the called," referenced by Paul, and signifies our calling and election into the firstborn sonship of Christ in bridal relationship. We have been "called" to be "partakers of Christ from glory to glory," Heb 3:14; 2Co 3:19; 4:17; 2Th 2:13-14; 1Pe 5:10.
      The book of Hebrews and all the Bible emphasize this calling and election is on an "IF" contingency – "IF" we by faith-obedience make our calling and election sure, 2Pe 1:1-10; Rom 8:28; Jn 14:21,23-24; 1Jn 5:3. The "heavenly calling" is based upon God's promise to those who faithfully "give all diligence to make their calling and election sure" by grace through faith which the unfaithful saved fail to do, (2Pe 1:5-10; Rom 11:11-22; Jn 15:1-6).
      Observe further in Heb 3:1 that Christ is the Apostle and High Priest of "our confession." This again places those to whom the book of Hebrews was written within the New Covenant and within the church as saved and scripturally baptized church members. The Law Covenant had been done away and Christ was not and is not the Apostle and High Priest of the Law Covenant. These Hebrews could scripturally say, "But Christ is the Son over His own house, whose house WE are IF WE hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." Heb 3:6.
      2 "Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house," Heb 3:1-2.
      Jesus was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses was faithful in all of God's house. This tenacious persevering faithfulness is the theme of not only Hebrews 3, but of the whole book of Hebrews and of the whole Bible. Observe the prophetic mind-set of Jesus:
      5 "The Lord GOD has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.
      6 "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
      7 "For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed," Isa 50:5-7.
      This is the mental faith posture the Scriptures are repeatedly, with great emphasis, urging us to adopt in order that we can be partakers of Christ in His divine firstborn sonship. Like Christ, we also must give all diligence to cultivate a flint-rock mind-set to be constantly transformed into that same image of Christ every day of our lives in our thoughts, in our passions, in our speech, and in all that we do.

      The Israelites in bondage in Egypt were still God's covenant people, the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We will reference the many times they believed God, bowed their heads, and worshiped God. Many of them were as bad or nearly as bad as that class of saved covenant people referenced in 2Pe 1:9 who have been cleansed from their old sins, but have not added or continued to add the necessary Christian virtues and are therefore spiritually blind and oblivious to the fact they were once purged from their old sins. These saved people will not make their calling and election sure.
      Most of Hebrews 3 is given to the persistent lack of persevering faith and the ever accompanying rebellious posture of Israel in the wilderness. They were filled with complaints and rebellion against God's covenant disciplinary training. Keep in mind, however, that Israel was God's covenant people, and that the people were true believers in God.
      Observe in Exodus 1 how God greatly blessed and multiplied the seed of Abraham exceedingly, precisely as he had repeatedly promised Abraham. The alert Hebrew midwives "feared God" and refused to do as Pharaoh commanded. Also, when people are in great anguish, they cry out to God for mercy and help, and this is precisely what the Israelites did daily under their bitter slavery:
      23 "Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
      24 "So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
      25 "And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them," Ex 2:23-25;3:7,9.
      The seed of Abraham, God's elect, "groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out." And to whom did they cry out? If they were crying out to some false god, would God have looked favorably upon them and have acknowledged them? Also, for how long did they cry out to God? They were crying out to God many years before Moses was born. After 40 years they were still crying out to God, when Moses had to flee out of Egypt. Then another 40 years later they were still crying out to God, and it was time for Israel to be delivered out of Egypt, according to the 430 years God had predetermined, Ex 12:40-41; Gal 3:17.
      These were the seed of Abraham, God's covenant people, who were crying out to God for help under bitter slavery which God predestined them to experience. God was keenly listening to Israel's crying out to Him, was maintaining a caring shepherd's watch over them, and was greatly (exceedingly) multiplying them during the 215 years they spent in Egypt, Ex 1. And for 80 of those years God was specifically and uniquely training Moses as His man to lead Israel out of bondage as He had promised.

      When the time came, God told Moses to say to Pharaoh:
      22 "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn.
      23 "So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn," Ex 4:22-23.
      31 "So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped," Ex 4:31.
      Observe the ten great plagues God sent upon Egypt, and the distinct difference God made between the Egyptians and the Israelites in the plagues, Ex 7 through 12. See how God killed all the firstborn of Egypt and preserved the firstborn of Israel. See also how Israel believed God and by faith they observed the Passover:
      27 "That you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
      28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did," Ex 12:27-28.
      28 "By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest He who destroyed the firstborn should touch them," Heb 11:28.
      Was Moses the only one who kept the Passover "by faith?" The verses quoted above (Ex 12:27-28) say the people bowed their heads and worshiped, and obeyed doing precisely what God told Moses for them to do. As Moses observed the Passover "by faith," so did the people observe the Passover "by faith," or the firstborn in each of their houses would have been killed also.
      With the Egyptian army behind them and the Red Sea before them, the faith of the Israelites wavered. But Heb 11:29 says:
      29 "By faith they (Israel) passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned," Heb 11:29.

      The faith of the Israelites wavered, but they still had faith because Heb 11:29 says "by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land."
      By faith the Israelites suffered through their bitter slavery in Egypt. By faith Israel observed the distinction God made between the Egyptians and themselves as His covenant people with these terrible plagues upon Egypt. By faith they bowed their heads and worshiped and observed the Passover. By faith they crossed the Red Sea all night in a very wide area with the fiery cloud above them, the waters of the Red Sea standing high on the right and the left, and with dry ground below them. By faith they greatly feared and hurried across the sea bottom all night long, and then the next morning watched from the other side. By faith Moses stretched out his hand over Pharaoh with his onrushing army, and suddenly God released the tremendous power behind the high walls of water, brought the waters down upon the Egyptian army and destroyed them all. By faith the Israelites sang for joy on the opposite banks of the Red Sea.
      The faith of the Israelites wavered, but when God separated the waters, took some two million of them across with their cattle, sheep, and a great abundance of other goods. God then destroyed the great Egyptian army in the sea, and the faith of the Israelites was revived and they sang the "faith is the victory" song of Moses.
      31 "Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses," Ex 14:31.
      These were saved and circumcised covenant people. They were the covenant seed of Abraham. God acknowledged them as His covenant people, Ex 2:23-25 (chapters 1 thru 14). God promised Abraham He would care for them and bring them out of Egypt with great substance, Gen 15:13-14. How awesome were those terrible plagues on Egypt, and how overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving the Israelites were at God's mighty works! His mighty power moved them to believe and shout for joy.
     But then they had gone only three days journey into the wilderness when God put Israel to the first severe test, Ex 15:22-27. If we are not being severely disciplined by God's disciplinary training, we are in that very dangerous Laodicean lukewarm state of mind. We must recognize and experience God's covenant disciplinary training:
      11 "Now all these things happened to them (the Israelites) as examples (as types), and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
      12 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall," 1Co 10:1-12.
      36 "As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter," Rom 8:36.
      8 "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
      9 "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who are constantly obeying Him," Heb 5:8-9; 12:5-8-11.
      The armed forces are supposed to be put through severe and realistic training physically, mentally, psychologically, and in every needful way. Training educationally should thoroughly cover every academic area related to the degree in which the student is majoring. Our training to qualify us to share in Christ's firstborn sonship likewise covers every facet of life many times over.
      Most of the Israelites who were redeemed out of Egypt later died in the wilderness because they failed the testing which God's covenant discipline required for this divine relationship with God. They failed to become "partakers of Christ." There is nothing that can separate us from Christ (Rom 8:28-39), except the lack of tenacious faith on our part that holds fast to the end, by grace through faith:
      14 "For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:14.
      The wilderness failure of Israel is God's example for our instruction. But we Landmark Baptists have joined the Protestants and have twisted the Scriptures, and are as sure as the Pharisees that we are safe and secure. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall," 1Co 10:12.
      The liability of becoming a castaway (adokimos, tested and disqualified) from the firstborn sonship was very real to the apostle Paul. He said, "But I severely discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified," 1Co 9:23-27.
      Paul had Israel's covenant training in the wilderness keenly in mind, and continued writing in the most explicit language to this effect:
      1 "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that ALL our fathers were under the cloud, ALL passed through the sea,
      2 "ALL were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
      3 "ALL ate the same spiritual food,
      4 "And ALL drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
      5 "But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness," 1Co 10:1-5.
      Paul wrote these words to saved and scripturally baptized church members in the church in Corinth. We are adding to and diminishing from God's holy Word when we try to apply these words to lost people. The word "ALL" is emphasized five times, and it is urged twice in this passage (1Co 10:6,11) that this covenant disciplinary training of the Israelites constitutes inspired examples of the covenant disciplinary training set before us in the New Covenant. The same "covenant people" referenced in 1Co 10:1-12 are referenced again in Heb 3:7-19 with precisely the same warnings of aborting the firstborn sonship of Christ.
      As Christ learned obedience by the things He suffered (Heb 5:8-9), so must we learn obedience the same way. Christ was tempted (tested, proved, disciplined) in all points just as we are, Heb 4:15. We must learn obedience just as He did under the same covenant discipline, Heb 4:13-16.
      There were no more than 64 years between the death of Joseph and the birth of Moses. Moses' father and grandfather were contemporaries with Joseph, and were all obviously godly men.
      Amram was Moses' father, (Gen 46:8-11; Ex 6:18-20,26) and was a godly man. Just as clearly, Moses' mother was a godly woman, because Moses was thoroughly taught the true faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses had the true faith so embedded in his heart that he refused all this world had to offer in order to be a "partaker of Christ," Heb 11:24-27.
      As God's covenant people in true churches, we are urgently warned (1Co 9:23–10:12; Heb 3:6– 4:11) over and over again throughout the Bible, of making the same fatal mistake of aborting the firstborn sonship of Christ by crucifying to ourselves the Son of God afresh, Heb 2:1-3; 3:6–4:11; 6:4-8; 10:25-31; 12:15-29; et al. These often repeated warnings are to be taken very seriously and with the greatest urgency.
      It is beyond reason for anyone to think those Israelites who fell in the wilderness were not saved covenant people. Indeed, they were God's true covenant people who believed and worshiped God, but who made shipwreck of faith and disqualified themselves from becoming firstborn sons and from being partakers of Christ in the new birth in the resurrection, 1Co 9:24-27; 10:1-12; Heb 3:7-19.

      "For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:14.
      6 "But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end," Heb 3:6.
      "Holding steadfast to the end" means being faithful – not faith-half-full, but faithful. We are to "give ALL diligence" to add all the godly virtues and thereby "make our calling and election sure," 2Pe 1:4-10. Satan and our own sinful nature has deceived us into thinking nothing can separate us from the love of God. But remember it was to saved but unfaithful covenant people that God said, "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,'" Heb 3:11; 4:3.
      It was to and about saved covenant people that the Scriptures say, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him," Heb 2:3.
      It was to and about eternally saved covenant people that the Scriptures say,
      2 "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing...
      4 "Christ has become of no effect to you (you are severed from Christ), you who are trying to be justified by Law (the Law Covenant); you have fallen from grace," Gal 5:2,4.
      It was to and about saved covenant people that the Scriptures say, "Whoever is transgressing and is not continuing in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who is abiding in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son," 2Jn 9-11.
     Only a true church is the pillar and ground of the truth, but there are many saved people outside true churches. These are not the pillar and ground of the truth, they do not have the truth, they do not have the doctrine of Christ, and therefore they do not have the Father the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Many false churches have a lot of truth, but Satan will make sure that truth is twisted into a perverted gospel. For instance, is sprinkling and baptizing babies the doctrine of Christ? Also, those who fellowship those false churches (false Christians) are being corrupted by such fellowship and will inevitably lose their status as true churches before the Lord.
     Only those who are in the doctrine of Christ and continue in the doctrine of Christ will be partakers of Christ. Partaking of Christ means being conformed to His image now in order to be conformed to His divine new birth image in the resurrection – we must hold fast to the end to qualify for that resurrection birth.
      It was to and about saved covenant people that Paul said, "But I severely discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified," 1Co 9:27.
      "Dokimos" means tested and approved by overcoming the testing. "Adokimos" means tested and disqualified as a result of failing God's covenant disciplinary training. Paul's theme in 1Co 9:22-27 was:
      22 ".....I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some.
      23 "Now this I do for the Gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you," 1Co 9:23. The Gospel means far more than salvation from hell. Observe that we must hold fast in the Gospel in order to share together with Christ in His new (spirit, heavenly, divine) resurrection birth of the body, 1Co 15:1-2, 44-50.
      The context in Heb 3 covers both the Old Testament and New Testament with great emphasis on the requirement of faithfully persevering in the grace of God which runs strong in every book in the Bible. How very incorrect it is to teach "perseverance of the saints" – meaning that every saved person will faithfully persevere! Only those in the covenant position are saints, and they must, by God's grace, faithfully persevere in the covenant position to remain holy before God and thereby become partakers of Christ in His firstborn sonship. Saved people outside the Lord's church do not have the doctrine of Christ, therefore cannot persevere in the doctrine of Christ, and furthermore cannot make their calling and election sure (2Jn 9-11; 2Pe 1:5-10) – the calling and election belongs to the firstborn sonship of Christ.

       "So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My REST, Heb 3:11.

      1.The unfaithful saved who rebel against God's disciplinary training as Israel did in the wilderness will not be partakers of Christ, which is the "rest" of Heb 3 & 4, Heb 3:7-19; 4:11-11; 12:1-29. They will receive God's wrath and fiery indignation, Heb 3:11; 10:25-31; 12:14-21,29.

      2. The unfaithful saved who fall away and crucify the Son of God to themselves afresh will not be partakers of Christ, Heb 6:1-8. These will also receive God's wrath as just stated.

      3. The unfaithful saved who forsake the house of God will not be partakers of Christ, Heb 3:6; 10:25-31. These also will receive fiery indignation as just stated.

      4. The unfaithful saved who are as salt that has lost its savor (Mt 5:13; Mk:9:41-50) will not be partakers of Christ, but will be cast out and receive fiery indignation as stated above.

      5. The unfaithful saved who cause strife, division, and offense among God's people (Mt 18:1-35; Rom 16:17-18) will not be partakers of Christ, but will receive the judgement indicated above.

      6. The unfaithful saved who do not forsake all and follow Christ (Mt 19:16-30; Lk 10:25-37; 14:25-35) will not be partakers of Christ, but will receive the judgement indicated above.

      7. The unfaithful saved who do not watch, pray, and increase their talents (Mt 24:36-51; 25:11-46; Lk 21:34-36) will not be partakers of Christ, but will receive the Gehenna (not hell) judgment indicated above.

      8. The unfaithful saved who do not bear fruit (or do not bear acceptable fruit) will be cut off from Christ. They will not be partakers of Christ, but will be cast into Gehenna when Christ returns, Jn 15:1-6; 1Jn 2:28.

      9. The unfaithful saved who do not patiently continue in God's goodness will be cut off from Christ, from the covenants, and from the covenant people, Rom 2:1-11; 11:11-22. They will not be partakers of Christ, but receive wrath as indicated above.

      10. The unfaithful saved who persist in trying to keep the Law Covenant along with the New Covenant (or otherwise walk after the flesh) will be cut off from Christ, will not be partakers of Christ, but will receive the condemnation and wrath of the Law Covenant, Rom 1:1-11; 4:15; 7:24; 8:6,13; 2Co 3:7; Gal 3:10; Heb 3;11.

      11. The unfaithful saved who are very zealous and have many religious works, but who resist the true doctrine of Christ (Rom 10:1-3; 2Jn 9-11; Rev 3:16-17) will not be partakers of Christ, but will receive fiery indignation when Christ returns, as indicated above.

      12. The unfaithful saved who add to and take away from God's Word (Deu 6:2; 12:32; Jos 1:5-9; Rev 22:18-19) will not be partakers of Christ, but will receive the plagues of God's wrath when Christ returns.

      14 "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
      15 "But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
      16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory," 1Ti 3:14-16.

      Godliness may be expressed in many ways which may be summed up as true God-likeness. The first thought in this expression is a life or character that exemplifies godly virtues – devotion to God, devout, pious, religious. However, that is not the primary emphasis in 1Ti 3:16. After one brief expression, the Holy Spirit through Paul addresses the deified aspect of Christ as God now dwelling in a human body. The current thrust of justification is God's covenant people living an "of faith" life in a sinful world. However, unobserved by contemporary theology, the primary focus of justification is toward justification in the resurrection. That is, living a righteous life now according to the Scriptures in order to receive God's divine righteousness in the resurrection – being deified in the resurrection, Rom 4:25; Gal 5:5; Phi 3:9; 2Ti 4:8; Heb 11:7; Mt 5:6; 6:23; 25:37; 2Co 9:10; 1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 2:22; Heb 12:11; Ja 3:19; 1Pe 2:24; Rev 19:7-8; Ps 17:15; et al.
      6 ‘Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
      7 "But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
      8 "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
      9 "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
      10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
      11 "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father," Phi 2:6-11.
      Great is the mystery of godliness. "God was manifest in the flesh," and lived a perfect life in the flesh as a human being and as our Substitute toward creating a special new kind of mankind. God kept this mystery mostly cloaked for ages (Eph 3:8-11) until Christ was born into a human body in His virgin birth. Even though the disciples believed because of His speech, His demeanor, and His miracles, yet they still could hardly conceive that Jesus was God in a human, flesh body.
      8 "Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.'
      9 "Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father,'"? Jn 14:8-9.

      Justification in the Bible concerns the righteousness of God being credited through faith to the covenant people:
      20 "Therefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.
      21 "But now the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
      22 "Even the righteousness of God, through faith OF Jesus Christ, to all and on all the believing ones. For there is no difference," Rom 3:20-22. See also Rom 3:25-26 and Mt 6:33.
      9 "And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the Law, but that which is through faith OF Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith," Phi 3:9.
      We have no righteousness before God – all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa 64:6. The righteousness of justification is God's righteousness – a divine attribute of God, an attribute of His divine essence, His deity.       Currently, and from the time of Adam, those covenant people of faith have been and are credited with a measure of God's divine nature, in this case called God's "righteousness" (generic for all the attributes of God). All of God's attributes are credited (reckoned, counted) to the covenant people at the time of scriptural water baptism in this age, and a measure of those attributes is increasingly credited to the covenant people as they walk by faith and grow up into Christ, Eph 4:11-16; Jn 10:10; 2Co 4:7-12,17; 9:10; 1Th 3:8; Mt 17:14-21;18:4; et al.
      But the righteousness of God is only credited (counted, reckoned) to the covenant people in this life. It will not be vested into the person of the faithful covenant people until the resurrection – observe the association of justification with the resurrection:
      24 "But also for us. It shall be imputed to us who are constantly believing upon Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
      25 "Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised on behalf of our justification," Rom 4:24-25; Phi 3:9; 2Co 5:21; Gal 5:5; 2Ti 4:8; 2Co 9:10; Mt 6:33; 1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 2:22; Rom 5:21.
      In His resurrection, Jesus was justified in (the sphere of) spirit, 1Ti 3:16. In His resurrection, the body of Christ was made (transformed into) a spirit body. His flesh body was born into a divine life-giving spirit body that possesses all the divine attributes of deity, 1Co 15:45 (44-50); Col 2:9; 1:15,18-19; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5. Remember that 1Co 15 concerns the resurrection of the human body into a heavenly, divine, spirit body. Flesh with blood as the life source of the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God, 1Co 15:44-50.
      How did Christ's human body become what Col 2:9 says it now is, with the full essence of deity vested in the flesh so that the flesh body is now a fully deified spirit body, but still flesh and bones? This is what the Scriptures call a "birth." Christ is the Firstborn from the dead, Col 1:15,18-19; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5; 1Co 15:45 (44-50); Col 2:9. This is what "justified in spirit" means. This is the consummation of justification in the mystery of godliness: a genuine birth into a divine state of existence.
      45 "And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam was made a living being.' The last Adam was made a life-giving Spirit," 1Co 15:45.
      The context (1Co 15:54-50) is addressing two kinds of bodies: one is a natural, physical body, while the other is a new divine, heavenly, spirit body.

       "For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:14.
      God is offering Himself (His divine essence) to the faithful covenant people. God is offering to share Himself (the full spectrum of God's divine attributes, the essence of deity) with His faithful covenant people. He is doing this in and through the covenants which currently belong to the church, which is metaphorically called the body of Christ. This offer is made within the purview (range, scope) of the firstborn sonship of Christ, which is predestined to include only the faithful covenant people.
      God said to Abraham, "I am your shield and your exceeding great reward," Gen 15:1.
      God is offering the fullness of His divine nature as a covenant promise, which promise generically includes all the covenant promises. These promises are all included in the firstborn sonship of Christ, which, unfortunately, most covenant people abort because of lack of daily transformation (a mind and character metamorphosis) into the image of Christ by the renewing of their minds, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18; 4:7-12; Col 3:1-10; Eph 4:11-32.
      The renewing of the mind is done only by constantly and literally feeding the Word of God into our minds. "Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God," Mt 4:4.
      4 "By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust," 2Pe 1:4; Jn 1:12; Mt 5:9,43-45; 12:46-50; Lk 6:35; 2Co 6:14-18; Gal 4:1-7,19-31; Rom 8:17-23; Heb 12; 5:8-9; 2:10-13; Rev 21:7; et al.
      But God is offering His divine nature only to the faithful covenant people – only a true local church holds that covenant position in this church age. God's offer is to every human being, but only through faithful service by grace through faith within the covenant relationship.
      22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
      23 "Which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all," Eph 1:22-23.
      The local church is the body of Christ. There is no other church, and there is no other body of Christ than the local body. When the local church scripturally excludes an unholy, unfaithful member from its membership (Mt 18:15-18; 1Co 5; 2Th 3:6-15), there is no other kind of scriptural church or body of Christ for that excluded person to join. The universal church (visible or invisible) would create two kinds of churches and two kinds of bodies of Christ. The true local church is the only one that can scripturally dismiss from its membership an unholy (unrepenting) member of the church.
      The Scriptures provide only one kind of church and only one kind of body of Christ, Eph 4:4. There are not two kinds of churches, and there are not two kinds of bodies of Christ. The scriptural local church can purge out the leaven that is in it (Mt 18:15-18; 1Co 5; Jn 20:23; 2Th 3:6-15), but there is no scriptural universal church in which anyone can be a member. There is therefore only one kind of active, acceptable New Covenant church in the Scriptures.
      Again, God is pleased that all the fullness of deity dwell at home in the body of Christ, "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell," Col 1:19; 2:9. All the fullness of deity dwelt in the Son of God from eternity, but the Son became flesh – clothed Himself in human flesh through the virgin birth, and lived a perfect life in that human body. Then in His resurrection Christ's human body was born into a divine state of being, and became the Firstborn from the dead, Col 1:15,18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5; Ps 2:7. This was God's purpose from eternity, and this was God's chief purpose for Christ becoming a human being, Jn 18:37; Rev 1:5.
      Now the human body of Christ (which He received in His virgin birth) possesses all the full essence of deity:
      9 "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
      10 "And you are made that fullness in Him, who is the head of all principality and power," Col 2:9-10; Jn 1:16.
      In Christ (in the body that Christ received in the virgin birth) we are metaphorically made full with the same fullness addressed in Col 2:9. Again, in the human, now deified, body of Christ, we (as members of that body) have the same fullness of deity that dwells "at home" in that human, now deified, heavenly, spirit body of Christ. This is what Paul prayed on behalf of the church at Ephesus:
      19 "To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God," Eph 3:19.
      Christ now possesses the fullness of deity in a human (now divine) body, and this same fullness of deity is being offered to the faithful covenant people through a covenant relationship. God, who speaks of things that be not as though they were, speaks of us metaphorically as being the human, now deified, body of Christ – metaphorically, being crucified together with Christ, dying together with Christ, being buried together with Christ, and being deified together with Christ in His resurrection and at the time of His resurrection.
      The faithful covenant people are thereby counted as being deified members of the deified human body of Christ, Rom 4:17; Rom 6:3-6; 1Co 6:16-17; Gal 3:27; Eph 2:10-16;Col 3:1-10. In the body of Christ, we are credited as possessing that same deified fullness, Col 2:9-10-21. We are not counted as being sinful flesh members of the deified body of Christ – though we are still in the flesh and do not yet possess that deified state of being, 1Co 5:7. But in all cases, only those in a true local church are counted as being the members of the body of Christ. This has no application whatever to saved people outside a true local church, and therefore outside the covenants.
     Paul prays for those in the church at Ephesus (and all true churches) that they "might be filled with all the fullness of God," Eph 3:19. This can be applied only to faithful members of a true local church. Those who have refused the baptism of John have rejected the counsel of God against themselves, Lk 7:29-30. Those who have refused the baptism of John have rejected the circumcision of Christ, Col 2:11. Those who have refused John's baptism have also rejected the circumcision of Christ and have thereby rejected Christ as High Priest of the New Covenant (Col 2:11-12; Gal 5:1-4; Rom 6:3-5), and have also rejected the covenants and all the covenant promises. Those who have refused the baptism of John cannot walk in the light as God is in the light and cannot receive daily forgiveness of sins, 1Jn 1:5-7. Those who have refused the baptism of John have rejected the doctrine of Christ and therefore do not have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 2Jn 9-11.
      God is not offering the fullness of His divine nature to anyone outside the body of Christ. Being crucified together with Christ, dying together with Christ, being buried together with Christ, and being raised in a deified body together with Christ is promised only to those who are faithful in the body of Christ. All the faithful covenant people from Adam on will be included in the body of Christ in the resurrection, Heb 11; Rom 11:11-32; 2Co 6:16; Gal 3:5-29; 4:21-31; Eph 2:10-22; 1Pe 2:5-10. This will be often demonstrated when we deal with the Old Testament.
      Partaking of Christ means partaking of what Christ became in His resurrection birth. Partaking of Christ means receiving a divine new birth into the same state of being into which Christ was born in His resurrection. In His resurrection, Christ's body was born into a heavenly, divine, spirit body, 1Co 15:44-50; Act 13:30-33; Rev 1:5; Col 1:15,18; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5.
      Our bodies were metaphorically and symbolically born into that same divine state of being in scriptural water baptism, Jn 3:5; Titus 3:5. The real new birth will take place in the resurrection when Christ returns, IF we hold fast in being daily transformed into the image of Christ in this life.

      "I and My Father are ONE.
      31 "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
      32 "Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from My Father; for which of those works do you stone Me?
      33 "The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we do not stone You; but for blasphemy; and because that You, being a man, make Yourself God.
      34 "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods?
      35 "If He called them gods, unto whom the Word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken;
      36 "Say you of Him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, You blaspheme; because I said, I am the Son of God?" Jn 10:30-36.
      When Jesus said, "I and My Father are one," He was saying, "I am the Son of God." – "I am the Son of God in a human body."
      1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
      14 And the Word (God) became 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," Jn 1:1,14.
      The Jews correctly understood what Jesus meant when He said, "I and My Father are one." Jesus meant He is divine as the Father is divine. Jesus meant He is the fullness of deity -- "the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of God's person," Heb 1:3. Jesus was the fullness of the Godhead (Godhood) dwelling in a mere human, flesh body. In His resurrection, that human body was born of God and forever thereafter that flesh body possesses the full essence of deity.
      This new birth of the human body of Christ into the fullness of deity produced a new creation, a "new creature" (Col 1:15), the "new man," Eph 2:10-16.
      16 "Therefore, from now on, we know no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
      17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new," 2Co 5:16-17.
      From the virgin birth of Christ until the death and burial of His human body, Christ was known on earth as a human after the flesh. But in His resurrection, Christ's human body was born into a divine state of being, and is no longer known "after the flesh," 2Co 5:16. His flesh and bones now possess the divine nature, and the divine nature changes the predominating characteristics of the flesh and bones.
      This new birth of the flesh body of Christ produced a new creation, a new creature, 2Co 5:17. In order to do so, Christ had to become a man (be born into a human body), as a descendant of Adam and of a virgin woman for the human and Kinsman Redeemer requirement, Mt 1:1-25; Rom 5:14; 1Co 15:44-50. Christ had to become a descendant of Abraham for the additional covenant and High Priest requirements (Gal 3:6-29; Heb 2:16-18), and as a descendant of David for the further covenant Lord of lords and King of kings requirement, Rev 5:5; 22:16.
      Christ also had to live a perfect life, be crucified, and while on the cross He had to be made our "old man," in order to destroy the "old man" in His death (Rom 6:6-10) and create the "new man" in His resurrection, 1Co 15:44-50.
      21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him," 2Co 5:21.
      Christ shared our sin nature in our "old man" (2Co 5:21; 1Pe 1:24) that we might share His divine nature in the "new man," which He created in His flesh body as the second Adam. 1Co 15:44-50. Christ was made our "old man," in order for us to be made God's divine righteousness in Him (in His body – as a member of His body, and therefore united together with Him in His body).
      24 "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live in (divine) righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed," 1Pe 2:24.
      Christ bore our sins in His own human body, and we, being metaphorically the members of His body, could also together with Him in His body die to sin, that we should live together with Him in His divine righteousness – in His divine nature. In this way we can be one with the Father, one with the Son, and one with the Holy Spirit.
      4 "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the Law by means of (being members of) the body of Christ, that you may be married to another – to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God," Rom 7:4.
      Since our bodies were counted to be members of the body of Christ, we died together with Christ to the Law of sin and death, that we should be married to (be made ONE with) Christ and serve God in the newness (kainos) of divine life, Rom 7:4-6; 6:2-6.
     7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
      8 "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints," Rev 19:7-8.
      The righteous acts of the saints refer to God's righteousness which is credited to the faithful covenant people by faith each time they take a "step" by faith, Rom 4:12. Again, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa 64. The only righteousness we have is God's divine righteousness credited to us in justification by faith with each step we take by faith as God's covenant people, Rom 4:12.
      30 "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
      31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh," Eph 5:30-31.
      God's eternal purpose is that the bride of Christ (God's faithful covenant people) should be made one with Christ and therefore one with the Father and one with the Holy Spirit in a divine relationship possessing the divine nature, 2Pe 1:4. This will be so only with the firstborn sons, not with the slave (illegitimate or non-covenant) sons.
      10 "Do you not believe that I am IN the Father, and the Father IN Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who is dwelling IN Me is doing the works.
      11 "Believe Me that I am IN the Father and the Father IN Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves," Jn 14:8-11.
      Christ being in the Father, and the Father being in the Son means They are one in kind, possessing the fullness of deity. For the bride of Christ to be made one with Christ, everyone who qualifies for the bride of Christ will possess that same divine fullness with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
      21 "That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
      22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
      23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me," Jn 17:21-23.
      This oneness is a oneness within the fullness of deity including all the divine attributes of God. This includes the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and all the faithful covenant people of the ages as the bride of Christ. The bride people will not be infinite, but will receive a measure of all the divine attributes according to their faithfulness (their by grace through faith works) in this life. The unfaithful saved will be slave (illegitimate or non-covenant) sons.

      51 "‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.'
      52 "The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?'
      53 "Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
      54 "‘Whoever is eating My flesh and is drinking My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
      55 "‘For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
      56 "‘He who is feeding on My flesh and is drinking My blood is abiding in Me, and I in him.
      57 "‘As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who is feeding on Me will live because of Me.
      58 "‘This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who is feeding on this bread will live forever,'" Jn 6:51-58.
      1. Eating Christ's flesh and drinking of His blood is partaking of Christ, precisely what is taught in Heb 3:14, and throughout the Bible as we shall continue to demonstrate.
      2. Eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood is done by believing and obeying the Scriptures. This is not a figure of speech. We literally feed our minds and therefore our psyche ("life," in the sense of saving or losing our "life") on the Word of God. "But He answered and said, ‘It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Mt 4:4.
      3. Christ is the bread of Life: "And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who is constantly coming to Me shall never hunger, and he who is constantly believing into Me shall never thirst,'" Jn 6:35.
      The word "constantly" is used to express a fixed mind-set, a faith posture of the mind, a characteristic coming and believing lifestyle. The primary meaning of "constant" is unwavering, unchanging, continuous; however, the dictionary also gives continual as a synonym of constant. The entire Christian life is (must be) one of constant coming to and believing into Christ.
      4. The one who is constantly coming to Christ, God and Christ will in no wise cast out: "All whom the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who is constantly coming to Me I will by no means cast out," Jn 6:37.
      We have shown over and over that those who are "in Christ," but do not bear fruit properly will be cut off from Christ, Jn 15:1-6. The branches are "in" Christ (Jn 15:1-5) and have been made "clean" (Jn 15:3; 2Pe 1:9), but those who do not bear fruit will not make their bride of Christ calling and election sure, 2Pe 1:1-20.
      The book of Galatians was written to saved and scripturally baptized church members who were being deceived and led to try to keep the Law Covenant along with the New Covenant, as the Jerusalem church had persistently been doing, Act 10; 11:1-18; 15; 21:17-26; Gal 1 & 2. Paul sternly warned them that trying to keep the Law Covenant along with the New Covenant would bring the curse and condemnation of the Law Covenant upon them, and would cut them off from Christ, Gal 5:1-4. This would further result in their being slave sons as Ishmael was, rather than free covenant firstborn sons, Gal 4:19-31; 5:1-4.
      5. We are to feed on Christ, and we do this by feeding on the Word of God constantly every day – being constantly transformed into the image of Christ.
      54 "Whoever is feeding on My flesh and is drinking My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
      55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
      56 "He who is feeding on My flesh and is drinking My blood is abiding in Me, and I in him.
      57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who is feeding on Me will live because of Me.
      58 "This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who is feeding on this bread will live forever," Jn 6:54-58.

1. What does it mean to be partakers of Christ in this life – that is, how do we partake of Christ on a daily basis? See page 3 and 4.

2. The church is called the body of Christ, Col 1:18,24. Explain what the human body of Christ was in its natural state, and define what it is now in its divine state.

3. Define the relationship and the function of the church as the body of Christ. See also Rom 12:4-5; 1Co 12:12-27; Eph 4:15-16.

4. Describe the crucifixion cycle where the church is the body of Christ and church members as members of the body of Christ – our bodies being crucified, dying, being buried, being raised (born again) in deified bodies. See Rom 6:2-13; 7:4-6; 2Co 4:7-12; Gal 2:20; 5:24.

5. Explain what it means to be partakers of Christ in the resurrection when Christ returns. See page 4 and Phi 3;7-14,21.

6. Who are the "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling" of Heb 3? Explain what the "calling" is – to what are we called?

7. Were the Israelites in Egypt saved people? Were they covenant people? Describe their "faith" experiences. See 1Co 10:1-12 and the first 15 chapters of Exodus.

8. Were all the Israelites counted as firstborn sons? What constituted or declared them to be firstborn sons? Give scripture and explain.

9. Did all the Israelites qualify as firstborn sons? Explain what they did that disqualified them.
10. Explain covenant disciplinary training in the light of Israel's wilderness experiences correlated with 1Co 10-12; Heb 3, and Heb 12.

11. The unfaithful saved will not be partakers of Christ when Christ returns. Describe why this is true. See pages 12 and 13.

12. Justification requires the new birth of the human body of the faithful saints in the resurrection. Define why this is so and give scriptures establishing this truth.