"For if we have been united together and have grown together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection," Rom 6:5.
      First, we must be united together with Christ in the likeness of His death, burial, and resurrection birth through water baptism into a true local church (metaphorically, the body of Christ).
      Second, as members of the church (the body of Christ) we must be faithful in church attendance and active in all scriptural church activities. The whole church is metaphorically the human now deified body of Christ, and as every member, joint, and part of the physical body is constantly working first and foremost for the effectual and coordinated function of the whole body, so must every member of the church be always striving to perform his or her part as a member of the body of Christ, Eph 4:11-16; Col 2:11–3:25; Rom 12.
      Third, every member of the church must be daily and steadfastly feeding on the Word of God. We will thereby be daily presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, by not being conformed to the world but by being transformed into the resurrection image of Christ in all our thoughts, emotions, words, and deeds. We will thus be always bearing about in our bodies the dying of the Lord that the resurrection life of Christ be also manifest in our mortal bodies, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18; 4:7-12.

      "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin," Rom 6:6.
      24 "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and evil desires," Gal 5:24
      These verses say that our "old man" (the flesh with its sinful passions and lusts) has been crucified with Christ. However, if our old man were really crucified with Christ, then our "old man" would be truly dead and we would no longer have to be concerned with putting to death the deeds of our old man or the deeds of our flesh. Obviously, the "old man" is our flesh body being controlled by our sin nature, which is still very much alive. Therefore, having been crucified together with Christ, having died together with Christ, having been buried together with Christ, having been raised back to life in a new birth resurrection together with Christ is a metaphor, along with the church counted as being the body of Christ, and our individual bodies counted as being the members of the body of Christ, 1Co 6:15-17: Rom 6:2-13. The church is not really the flesh and bone body of Christ, and our bodies are not really the members of the physical (now deified) body of Christ.
      This is a metaphor that runs throughout the Scriptures. When Israel ate the Passover, they ate the Passover Lamb. The body of every animal sacrificed in the Old Testament represented the body of Christ. The body of the Passover lamb represented the body of Christ. Israel's eating of the body of the lamb represented all the faithful covenant people in Israel partaking of Christ, precisely in the same way our eating of the Lord's Supper represents the faithful New Covenant people partaking of that same body of Christ in the resurrection.
      13 "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live," Rom 8:13.
      If our "old man" were really crucified with Christ and thereby put to death, we could not possibly live according to the flesh. However, since we still have the sinful flesh nature (the "old man"), the deeds of the flesh must daily and throughout each day be put to death. We must maintain a vigilant process of putting to death the deeds of our "old man," which is our sinful flesh nature.
      13 "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God," Rom 6:13.
      Observe the expression, "alive from the dead," in this passage. It is our flesh bodies that are to be presented as "alive from the dead." This cannot be separated from the crucifixion cycle of crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection into a deified body together with Christ. The crucifixion cycle is applicable only with the body of Christ and the faithful covenant people who are credited as being the members of Christ's body. The cycle is not complete without deification of the body, and this is promised only to the faithful covenant people, Rom 6; 8:1-30; 11:11-22; 1Co 15:1-3,29-58; Phi 3:7-14,21; et al.
      This putting to death the "old man" is done by denying the passions and works of our sinful flesh nature, Rom 8:13; Gal 5:19-21; Col 3:4-10. The bearing about in our bodies the resurrection life of Christ is done by daily and steadfastly feeding on the Word of God, meditating on the Word of God, obeying the Word of God, and properly teaching the Word of God to others, 2Jn 9-11; Jn 8:31-32; Gal 5:1-5; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:1-10.
      Only if we are daily being transformed into the image of Christ in our heart or mind, in our emotions, and therefore in our daily manner of life, then we will be literally, finally, and forever transformed into the same likeness and image of Christ's resurrection when Christ returns. This transformation (metamorphosis) can take place only in those who are in proper covenant relationship with God in a true local church. Christ created the new man by His being born again (the new birth) in His resurrection, 1Co 15:1-2,44-50; Phi 3:7-14,21; Col 1:21-23; Heb 2:1-3; 3:6–4:11; 5:8-9; 12:1-29.

      Symbolically and metaphorically, we were baptized by water into the body of Christ (Rom 6:2-6; 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:28-29; Rom 11:11-22), and thereby into the likeness of His death and raised out of the water in baptism into the likeness of His resurrection. This is the testimony of scriptural water baptism. By this baptism we were metaphorically baptized into Christ – into the human (now deified) body of Christ, and thereby our bodies are counted to be deified members of Christ's deified body, Rom 6:3; 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:27. God is metaphorically speaking of things which be not, as though they were, Rom 4:17. This is not true with saved people outside the church.
      Christ was divinely born again in His resurrection (Col 1:15-18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5; 1Co 15:44-50), and metaphorically the bodies of everyone in the body of Christ were born again together with Christ (in the body of Christ) in His resurrection, and are thereby called the sons of God (firstborn covenant sons), 1Jn 3:1-3; Ex 4:22-23; Rom 8:29; Heb 12:23. God's eternal purpose includes other sons who are slave sons, Gal 4:21-31; 5:1-5; Heb 12:1-17.

      "And now, little children, abide (remain, continue) in Him; that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be put to shame from Him in His coming," 1Jo 2:28.

      It was written to saved and scripturally baptized church members who were metaphorically counted as being crucified together with and in the body of Christ, dead together with and in the body of Christ, buried together with and in the body of Christ, raised back from the dead together with and in the body of Christ, and raised back to deified life together with and in the body of Christ, Rom 6:2-13; 7:4-6; Gal 2:19-20; 5:24; Eph 2:5-6.

      They were not commanded to get into Christ, or to abide (continue, remain) in salvation from hell, but were commanded to abide (continue, remain) in the body (bride) of Christ, from which covenant position the unfaithful saved will be put out or cut off, Jn 15:1-11; Rom 11:11-22; 1Co 9:27–10:12; Gal 5:1-4; Heb 3:6-19; 6:4-8; 10:25-39; 12:15-17; 2Jn 9-11; Mt 25:1-30.

      The covenant people were and are commanded to abide (continue, remain) in Christ by bearing the proper fruit, and bearing the proper fruit is done by believing and obeying according to the Scriptures, Jn 15:1-11; 2Pe 1:5-10. Sprinkling for baptism, baptizing babies, and other forms of alien baptism are not the doctrine of Christ, and the Scriptures state explicitly that such people do not have the Father and the Son. See following discussion which includes 2Jn 9, 1Jn 5:6-13, and 2:23-25.
      Both Jn 15 and 1Jn 2:28 are written to saved people in the body of vhrist who are therefore in covenant relationship with Christ. Both passages include the command to abide in Christ. This is so because, though these saved covenant people were already "clean" by the words of Christ and by their covenant standing, they could nevertheless cease to abide in Christ (be cut off from the body of Christ) because of unfaithful conduct.

      We are urgently warned and commanded to give "all diligence" to continue in Christ by bearing the proper fruit or we will be cut off from Christ and fail to make our calling and election sure, Jn 15:1-6; 2Pe 1:5-10; Gal 5:1-4. A part of the punishment for failing to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure is that such saved covenant people will be put to shame from the Lord in His coming, 1Jn 2:28.

      "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who is practicing righteousness is born of Him," 1Jn 2:29.
      Those who "are practicing righteousness" are counted as having been metaphorically crucified, dead, buried, and raised (born again) together with Christ into divine life, Rom 6:2-13; 7:4-6; Col 2:9-21; 3:1-10; 1Co 15:1-2,44-50.
      Those saved covenant people who "are not practicing righteousness" will abort the firstborn sonship of Christ, and will be other than firstborn covenant sons, as happened with Ishmael and Esau, Gal 4:19-31; Heb 12:15-17. As for saved people outside the covenants, they do not have the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Spirit, because they do not have the doctrine of Christ:
      9 "Every one who is transgressing, and is not remaining in the doctrine of the Christ, does not have God; he who is remaining in the doctrine of the Christ, this one has both the Father and the Son;
      10 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
      11 ‘For he who greets (has fellowship with) him shares in his evil deeds," 2Jn 9-11.

      The saved person must have been baptized with John's baptism into the body of Christ, Rom 6:3-6; 1Co 12:12-13; Gal 3:27. The words "in Christ" and similar terms such as "in Him" nearly always mean "in the body of Christ." Saved people who are in the body of Christ but are unfaithful will be cut off from Christ, which means being cut off from the body of Christ and the loss of all the benefits of the body of Christ, Jn 15:1-11; Gal 5:1-4; Rev 3:15.

      The saved person must be in the body of Christ in order to have the doctrine of Christ, and must remain in the doctrine of Christ in order to remain in Christ and have the Father and the Son. This is stated both positively and negatively in 2Jn 9. Furthermore, those who fellowship spiritually with Christians (so-called) who are not in a true church are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ, because this passage clearly says such is forbidden, 2Jn 9-11. Baby baptism and sprinkling for baptism (Rom 6:3-6), refusing John's baptism (Lk 7:29-30), rejecting the circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11-13), and those who fellowship such churches (1Jn 10-11; Mt 7:15-27; Gal 1:6-9; 1Ti 1:19-20; 2Pe 3:16-18), do not have the doctrine of Christ, and therefore do not have the Father nor the Son nor the Holy Spirit. Therefore they do not have the divine life of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

      "He who is constantly believing into the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who is not constantly believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son," 1Jn 5:10.
      The preceding three verses say that there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are One. Also, there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. These three agree in the same witness (testimony, record).
      This chapter (1Jn 5) puts great emphasis on the "witness" of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood. That emphasis is demonstrated by the constant, progressive, transitional believing into the body of Christ by the faithful covenant people. The unfaithful saved in their conduct are demonstrating that God is a liar. They are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ, and either have been or will be cut off from Christ. They will not share in the divine life that is in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit.
      11 "And this is the testimony: that God has given us divine (aionion, age) life, and this life is in His Son," 1Jn 5:11.
      This divine "life" is in the Son, and those who do not continue in the doctrine of the Son do not have the Son. They do not continue in the body of Christ (a true church), and therefore do not have the divine resurrection life, which we can obtain only in the the body of Christ which was crucified, died, was buried, and raised back into a divine body.
      12 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life," 1Jn 5:12.
      Those saved people who do not have the doctrine of Christ (or are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ) do not have the Father, nor the Son, nor the divine life that is in the Son.

      "These things I have written to you, to the ones constantly believing into the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have divine life, and that you may continue to believe into the name of the Son of God," 1Jn 5:10-13.
      1. As earlier emphasized when discussing Jn 6, a progressive, persevering faith is under consideration – a directional, transitional believing into the crucified, dead, buried, raised, and deified body of Christ in order to share in Christ's divine firstborn sonship.
      The "faith" that is overcoming the world is the constantly abiding faith demonstrated throughout this chapter, not the faith demonstrated by those who are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ, Jn 15:1-6; 1Co 10:1-12; Heb 3:7-10; 6:4-8; 10:25-31; 12:15-17; 1Pe 1:9; et al.
      2. Divine life is in the Son, and we must have the Son (be in the body of Christ) to have the divine life of the Father and of the Son.
      3. We must first have the doctrine of Christ (be in the body of Christ) and continue in the doctrine of Christ (continue in the body of Christ) in order to have the Father, have the Son, and thereby have their divine life, 1Jn 9-11.
      4. Sprinkling for baptism, baptizing babies, and other forms of alien baptism are not the doctrine of Christ. Saved people who practice these things and claim to be the Lord's churches do not have the doctrine of Christ and therefore do not have the Father nor the Son, and hence do not have their life, Mt 7:15-27; 24:4-5; Act 20:29-31; 2Co 11:1315; et al.
      23 "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.       24 "Therefore let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning (the doctrine of Christ). If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
      25 "And this is the promise that He has promised us – divine life," 2Jn 2:23-25.
      5. We acknowledge the Son by being sure that the doctrine of Christ remains in us, which means we faithfully ferret out the truth and diligently obey it, 2Jn 9-11; 1Jn 5:10-12; 1Jn 2:23-25. The unfaithful saved deny the Son by not doing this.
      6. Likewise, we abide in the Father and in the Son by being sure the doctrine of Christ actively remain in us, 1Jn 23-25. We must faithfully teach and practice the truth.
      7. If the doctrine of Christ remains in us, we have the Father and the Son, 1Jn 2:23-25. Only those who faithfully teach and practice the doctrine of Christ have the Father and the Son.
      8. If we have the Father and the Son, we have divine life, 1Jn 5:10-12; 2Jn 9-11. Divine life is in the Son, that is, in the crucified, dead, buried, raised, and deified body of Christ, which the church is metaphorically credited as being.
      Many saved people do not have the doctrine of Christ. For the most part they are in churches which do not have John's baptism and therefore do not have the authority to baptize or to serve God at all because they have rejected the counsel of God against themselves, Lk 7:29-30. They have rejected the circumcision of Christ (Col 4:11-13), and therefore do not have the doctrine of Christ, 2Jn 9-11. There is no way that they can practice righteousness before God. They are not firstborn sons, but are illegitimate, non-covenant sons as Ishmael and Esau were, Gal 4:21-31; Heb 112:15-15.

      "Beloved, NOW we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is," 1Jn 3:2.
      This verse by itself states that we are already children of God, but compare this with the following verses which equally state that we must be faithful overcomers in order to be children of God. We cannot have it both ways:
      44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
      45 "In order that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust," Mt 5:44-45.
      35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil," Lk 6:35.
      12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those constantly believing into His name," Jn 1:12.
      17 "Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.
      18 "'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty," 2Co 6:17-18.
      19 "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you," Gal 4:19.
      7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son," Rev 21:7.
      In addition to these verses, consider the many passages which state that divine "life" is obtained by a faithful Christian life "by grace through faith." A few of these passages are here indicated, Mt 7:13-14; 19:16-30; Mk 10:17-30; Lk 10:25-37; 18:18-30; Jn 12:25; Rom 6:22-23; 8:6,13; Gal 6:7-9; 1Ti 6:12,17-19; Ja 1:12; 2Jn 9; Rev 2:10; 3:11; et al.
      Those who have and maintain the doctrine of Christ have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while those who do not have the doctrine of Christ, do not have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and therefore do not have their divine life. Such saved people are not firstborn sons, and will not be made like Christ. To be made like Christ and see Him as He is, the believer must maintain that "living hope" by daily and progressively "purifying himself as Christ is pure," 1Jn 3:3.
      Christ, as God, was with the Father before creation, but for a while He as God dwelt in a mere human, flesh body, Jn 1:1-3,14; Phi 2:6-11. In His resurrection, His human body was born into a new state of existence – into a divine (deified) flesh body. Though Christ, for a while was known (experienced) in a flesh body, He is no longer known (experienced) in or after a mere flesh body, but rather after a new kind of deified flesh body, 2Co 5:16-17; Col 2:9; 1Co 15:44-50.
      The unfaithful saved will not see Christ "as He is." They will not share in the new birth in the resurrection, because they have not "held fast" to the Gospel, 1Co 15:1-2. They have not "held fast to the end," Heb 3:14; Col 1:21-23; Phi 3:7-14,21. They have not been transformed into the image of Christ in their lifetime of qualifying for that divine birth, 2Co 3:17-18; 4:7-12,17; 5:1-21. They have transgressed the doctrine of Christ and do not have the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, 2Jn 9-11. They have not borne the proper fruit and have been or will be cut off from Christ, Jn 15:1-6; Rom 11:11-22.
      They have mixed the New Covenant with the Law Covenant, or otherwise mixed the holy covenants with an unfaithful and unholy life, Gal 4:19-31; 4:19-26; 5:1-4; 5:7-9; Heb 3:7-19; 12:15-29. They will not share in Christ's new birth resurrection and will not "see Him as He is," because they have not practiced righteousness, 1Jn 2:29–3:10. Only those who share Christ's death and resurrection likeness in doctrine (scriptural baptism) and grow into His resurrection likeness in their daily lives will share in that resurrection likeness and see Him as He is when He returns, 2Co 3:17; 4:7-12; Col 2:9–3:15; Phil 3:7-14,21.
      We are now sons on a trial and qualifying basis (Heb 12:1-29), where we must be overcomers by grace through faith, 1Co 15:1-2,29-58; 1Co 9:23-27; 10:1-13; Heb 3; 5:8-9; 11:1-40. If we do not overcome by grace through faith, we will abort the firstborn sonship and become illegitimate, non-covenant, or slave sons who are never of God's divine nature, 1Co 15:1-2,29-58; Gal 4:19 thru 5:4; 6:7-9; Heb 12:8; 2Pe 1:4 (3-10); et al.

      "And everyone who is having this hope in Him is purifying himself, just as He is pure," 1Jn 3:3.
      What is the "hope?" The "hope" is being made "like Him" – like Christ, being made like His resurrection body that was born into a divine body, as stated in 1Co 15:44-50. However, the Galatian churches were urgently warned that they were about to abort that firstborn covenant sonship, Gal 4:19 thru 5:5. God has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that this mortal body will be swallowed up of divine life, but this "earnest" pledge is conditioned on purifying ourselves by walking in the Spirit and sowing to the Spirit, Rom 8:1-30; Gal 6:7-9. Both walking in the Spirit and sowing to the Spirit are the same, and are the opposite to walking in the flesh and sowing to the flesh. Saved church members who persist in walking after the flesh shall die from the new birth qualifying position in the deified body of Christ (Rom 8:5-13), at which time they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and pass from life back to death, Heb 3:6-19; 6:4-6; 10:25-31; 12:1-17; Rom 8:1-13; Jn 15:1-6; Gal 5:1-5; et al.
      1. This "hope" is the hope of glory – a divine attribute. We must be faithful to obtain the glory and be conformed to the image of Christ, Rom 5:2-5; 8:23-25 (17-30); Phi 3:7-21; Col 1:5,23,27; 1Pe 1:3-5; et al. The "glory" is a covenant promise to the covenant people only, Isa 46:13: 48:9-12; Rom 9:4.
      2. This "hope" is the hope of righteousness – a divine attribute, Gal 5:5; Mt 5:6; 6:33; 25:34,37,46; 2Ti 4:8; et al. Justification is a covenant promise to the covenant people (Gal 3:6-29; Rom 4), and the unrighteous will be cut off from the covenant people, Eze 3:20; 18:24; 33:12-13; Mt 25; Rom 11; et al.
      3. This "hope" is the hope of divine life – a divine attribute, Mt 19:16-29; Lk 10:25-37; 1Ti 6:12,17-19; Ti 1:2; 3:7; Ja 1:12; et al. Divine life is a covenant promise to the covenant people, but the unfaithful saved are cut off from Christ, Jn 15:1-6; Gal 4:19 thru 5:4; Rom 11:11-22; Rev 3:16; Heb 3:6-19; 6:4-6; et al.
      4. This "hope" is the hope of divine holiness – a divine attribute, Heb 12:10,14; 1Pe 1:16. The covenant people (Israel and the church) are counted as holy while all non-covenant peoples are left as unclean and therefore unholy, Lev 11:44-45; 20:23-26. The unholy were and are to be put out of the covenant and away from the covenant people, Lev 20; 1Co 5; et al.
      5. This "hope" is the hope of divine sonship – a divine state of being, 1Jn 3:2-3; 2Pe 1:4 (3-10); Mt 5:9,44-45; Lk 6:35; 2Co 6:17-18; Rev 21:7; et al. The "adoption" belongs to Israel (Rom 9:4), and the church as the body of Christ is God's Israel because Christ was the Seed of Abraham, Gal 3:14-29. Gentile church members have been grafted into Israel (Rom 2:28-29; Rom 11:11-22; Gal 3:6-29), and must be faithful or be cut off from Christ (Jn 15:1-6; Gal 4:19-5:4; Heb 3:6-19; 6:4-6; 10:25-31; 12:15-17; Rev 3:16) and therefore from Israel as the covenant people, Rom 11:11-22.
      6. This "hope" is a "living hope" into a new born deified body, reserved in heaven in the body of Christ's deified body, 1Pe 1:3-5; Col 1:5,23,27; 2Co 5:1-5. God has metaphorically "begotten us again to a "living hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time," 1Pe 1:3-5. The next four verses (1Pe 1:6-9) call attention to the covenant disciplinary training we must endure and overcome in order to qualify for this divine firstborn sonship.
      7. This "hope" is a "living hope" in which we must "count all things but loss" in order to "gain Christ" in the resurrection, Phi 3:7-21. If we do not overcome God's covenant disciplinary training, God will not "transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself,"Phi 3:21: 2Co 3:18; Rom 12:1-2. The result is that the unfaithful saved who do not "gain Christ," will not be made like Christ when He comes, for they have not maintained this "hope" by purifying themselves as He is pure, 1Jn 3:2-3.

      "And everyone who has this hope in Him is purifying himself, just as He is pure," 1Jn 3:3.
      This verse reveals the fallacy of the traditional interpretation of verse 2 (1Jn 3:2): first by designating verse 2 as a "hope," which requires that being made like Christ is contingent upon each covenant person purifying himself as Christ is pure. The context continues dealing with the covenant people practicing righteousness and not practicing sin, as a covenant requirement for the firstborn sonship. Observe that each chapter of First John deals with the covenant people walking in the light, abiding in Christ, practicing righteousness, and maintaining brotherly love in order to be approved for the firstborn sonship. All of these lead to divine life, but the opposite of these leads to death from the divine sonship – we are in a qualifying status within God's covenant training program.
      16 "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches," Rom 11:16 (11-22).
      The context reveals that the branches are in the proper covenant position of conditional election (making their calling and election sure, Rom 11:11-22 (1-32); 2Pe 1:3-10; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 8:6,13,17-30; et al. God's predestination is that we make our calling and election sure by purifying ourselves by grace through faith obedience, Rom 11:1-32; 2Pe 1:3-10; Heb 2:11 thru 4:11; 5:8-9; et al. God has predestined that He will cut off those who resist His Spirit's working to present us holy and without rebuke, Jn 15:1-11; Rom 11:11-22; 1Co 10:1-12; Gal 5:1-5; Heb 3:6-19; 6:4-5; 10:25-31; 12::15-17; 2Pe 1:4-10; Col 1:21-23; et al.

      "Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
      21 "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
      22 "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off," Rom 11:20-22 (1-36); 2Pe 1:3-10.
      We must continue in God's goodness to maintain "this hope" of a resurrection birth into a divine body that is conformed to the image of Christ's glorified body, Phi 3:7-21; Rom 8:23-30; Col 1:5:21-23,27; et al. With this "living hope" we are purifying ourselves by the Holy Spirit by grace through faith, as we progressively bear the proper fruit and are thereby approved and remaining in Christ. Otherwise, we will not share in the likeness of Christ's resurrection birth. In the metaphor of being the body of Christ, we already have this birth, by being crucified together with Christ in His body, by dying together with Christ in His body, by being buried together with Christ in His body, by being raised together with Christ in His body, and being born again from the dead together with Christ in His body, Rom 6:3-13; 7:4-6; 1Co 12:12-27; Gal 2:20; 5:24; Col 2:20; 3:1.
      We must be holy in our daily lives as God and Christ are holy in order to partake of Their holiness and Their righteousness in the resurrection birth, Heb 12:9-11. God begat us again to a "living hope" by Christ's resurrection birth (1Pe 1:3-5) in view of our being conformed to Christ's image in God's disciplinary training, and being conformed to Christ's divine image in a deified human body, 2Co 3:1-18; 4:7-12; Col 2:9 thru 3:10; et al.
      We must not be conformed to the world but be transformed into the image of Christ's resurrection likeness by the daily renewing of our minds in order to be transformed into the image of Christ's divine birth of His body in the resurrection, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18; 1Jn 2:28; 3:2-3.
      6 "Every one who is remaining in Him is not sinning; every one who is practicing sin, has not seen Him, nor known Him," 1Jn 3:6.
      There is "one hope of our calling," not two, three, or more hopes, Eph 4:1-6. Pursue the word "hope" in view of "the hope of glory," "the hope of eternal (divine) life," "the hope of righteousness," "one hope of your calling," etc., with the understanding that "hope that is seen, is not hope," Rom 8:23-25; Heb 11:1. "Hope" speaks of something we do not have and will not receive without patiently and faithfully waiting for it under God's rigid covenant disciplinary training. We must be overcomers in this covenant training in order to qualify for that new birth when Christ returns.

      Is the unfaithful saved bearing the proper fruit and thereby practicing holiness, or are they failing to bear the proper fruit and are thereby practicing sin? 1Jo 2:29 thru 3:12; 2Pe 1:8-9. Were the Israelites whose carcasses fell in the wilderness practicing holiness or rebellion? 1Co 10:1-12; Heb 3:7-19. Was Paul's severe self-discipline needless, 1Co 9:27? Do we need to pay any heed to these urgent warnings? 1Co 10:1-12; Heb 3:6-19; 2Pe 3:14-18. How about those disciples who went back and walked with Jesus no more? Jn 6:66. Were they practicing righteousness after they went back and walked with Jesus no more? What is the resurrection hope and its results for those who do not purify themselves as Christ is pure? 1Jn 3:3; 2Pe 1:9 (5-10). What is the resurrection hope for those who do not practice righteousness and do not hold fast the true Gospel, to the doctrine of Christ? 2Pe 1:5-10; Jn 15:1-6; Rom 11:11-22; 1Co 10:1-12; Gal 4:21–5:4; Col 1:21-23; 15:1-2; Phi 3:2-14; Heb 3:7-19; et al. The covenant disciplinary training is for the purpose of purifying the covenant people, 1Jn 3:1-12.
      8 "He who is practicing sin (living in sin) is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil," 1Jn 3:8.
      The one who is bearing the proper fruit and is abiding in Christ is practicing righteousness, but the one who is NOT abiding in Christ by bearing the proper fruit and keeping Christ's commandments by grace through faith is practicing sin, 1Jn 2:28–3:12. What are the unfaithful saved practicing? The unfaithful saved covenant people (and all saved people outside true churches) are NOT adding the godly virtues, 1Pe 1:5-8. They are therefore blind and cannot see afar off, and many have forgotten that they were once purged from their old sins, 2Pe 1:8 (5-10). These saved people are practicing sin and are not practicing righteousness, 1Jn 2:28–3:10. Therefore they cannot scripturally possess the "hope" of 1Jn 3:2-3. They are not purifying themselves as Christ is pure, 1Jn 3:2-3. The truth is that we are now the sons of God only in the form of the metaphor of being the deified body of Christ. Those who are not purifying themselves cannot scripturally have the "hope" of 1Jn 3:2-3, and will not be firstborn (free, ruling) sons when Christ returns or ever thereafter.
      The Scriptures say these unfaithful saved people are (in practice) of the devil, 1Jn 3:8. That is what the verse says of those who are not practicing righteousness. We must harmonize these statements that appear to contradict each other. Mishandling the Word of God amounts to adding to and diminishing from the Scriptures, which will bring the Gehenna judgment upon all the unfaithful saved, Rev 22:18-29. "He who is practicing sin is of the devil," 1Jn 1:8.

      "Whoever has been born of God is not sinning (practicing sin), for His seed is remaining in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God," 1Jn 3:9.
      We must not try to lift this verse out of its context or try to interpret the context in light of the verse, but interpret the verse in light of the context. The person who is really born of God CANNOT sin, because he is born of God. But we do sin (1Jn 1:7-9; 2:1) and that is clear proof that we are born of God only in the metaphor of being the deified body of Christ. God is speaking (in a metaphor) of things which be not as though they were (Rom 4:17; 6:2-6), when the Scriptures speak of the covenant people as having been already born of God, on the basis that the church is called the body of Christ.
      Jesus had only two real births, and both were real births: one was from his human mother (Lk 2), and the other was His resurrection birth, Col 1:15,18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5; 1Co 15:44-50. Likewise, we will have only two real births: one into a human body by our parents, and one from God when Christ returns – in the likeness of Christ's resurrection birth. Jesus was symbolically born of God in His baptism which represented His crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection birth, Mt 3:15. We were likewise symbolically or metaphorically born of God in scriptural water baptism, on the basis of which we received the Holy Spirit, as the earnest of the promised divine firstborn sonship of Christ, Jn 7:39; Gal 4:4-7; Rom 8:14 (14-23); 2Co 4:7-12,17; 5:1-5; Titus 3:5; Jn 3:5; 1Pe 1:3-5.
      The person who is really born of God CANNOT sin, and therefore cannot sin and cannot practice sin. The saved person who persists in practicing sin is of the devil (2Pe 1:9; 1Jn 3:8,10) and does not have his name written in the book of life, because he does not have the Father, nor the Son, and therefore cannot have divine life, 2Jn 9-11; 1Jn 2:23-25; 5:10-13.

      "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: everyone who is not practicing righteousness is NOT of God, nor is he who is not loving his brother," 1Jn 3:10.
      No one outside a true church is practicing righteousness before God, for they have rejected the baptism of John, Lk 7-29-30. They have thereby rejected the counsel of God against themselves (Lk 7:29-30), and therefore cannot practice righteousness before God. Likewise, saved people who have refused scriptural water baptism have rejected the circumcision of Christ, Col 2:11-12. Moreover, those who have refused scriptural water baptism have thereby rejected the doctrine of Christ and do not have the Father or the Son, and therefore do not have their divine life, 2Jn 9-11. Those who have refused John's baptism cannot walk in the light as God is in the light and therefore cannot scripturally hold fast to the end, 1Co 15:1-2; Heb 3:6-10; Rom 11:11-22; Col 1:21-23; Phi 3:7-14.
      Saved people who have been made "clean," but who have been cut off from the Vine (Jn 15:1-6), cannot practice righteousness acceptable to God. Jesus said "without Me (cut off from Me) you can do nothing," Jn 15:1-6. Paul told the churches of Galatia (saved and scripturally baptized people) if they persisted in trying to keep the Law Covenant, "Christ will profit you nothing" within the covenant relationship, Gal 4:21-31; 5:1-4. They would thereby abort the firstborn sonship of Christ and its resurrection likeness, which is the new birth into the divine family of God, Eph 2:10-22. They would thereby become illegitimate (non-covenant, slave) sons, Gal 4:19-31; 5:1-4; Heb 12:1-17.

      "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we are loving the brethren. He who is not loving his brother is abiding in death.
      15 "Whoever is hating his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer is having eternal (divine) life abiding in him," 1Jn 3:14-15.
      1 "Whoever is constantly believing that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who is loving Him who begot also is loving him who is begotten of Him.
      2 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
      3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
      4 "For whatever is born of God is overcoming the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
      5 "Who is he who is overcoming the world, but he who is believing that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1Jn 5:2-5.
      At this point A. T. Robertson provides some pertinent comments from the Greek:
      Quote: 1Jo 5:5 - And who is he that overcometh? (tis estin de ho nikon<). Not a mere rhetorical question (2:22), but an appeal to experience and fact. Note the present active articular participle (nikon) like nikai (present active indicative in verse 4), "the one who keeps on conquering the world." See 1Co 15:57 for the same note of victory (nikos) through Christ. See verse 1 for ho pisteuon (the one who believes) as here. Jesus is the Son of God (Iesous estin ho huios tou theou). As in verse 1 save that here ho huios tou theou in place of Christos and see both in 2:22f. Here there is sharp antithesis between "Jesus" (humanity) and "the Son of God" (deity) united in the one personality. Unquote.
      Those outside true local churches do not have the doctrine of Christ, and therefore do not have the Father, the Son, or their divine life, 2Jn 9-11. The commandments of the Lord are not committed to them, and therefore they cannot keep God's commandments which are the doctrine of Christ, which this writing contains. This doctrine of Christ is held in contempt by them, and we who hold this doctrine have been severely persecuted by them down through the ages.

      We return now to the baptismal (symbolic, metaphoric) death of the old man, and the baptismal (symbolic, metaphoric) resurrection into the new man in the likeness of Christ's resurrection. This metaphoric death in baptism must be followed by daily bearing about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, 2Co 4:7-12. Bearing about in our bodies the dying of the Lord is done by feeding our minds on the Word of God (2Co 3:17-18), presenting our bodies a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2), bearing about in our bodies the dying of the Lord (2Co 4:7-12,17), putting to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13), and setting our affections on things above, Col 3:1-10.
      As we bear about in our bodies the dying of the old man, both death and life are working in us: death to the old man and life for the new man. As we diligently strive to be conformed to the image of Christ, death to the old man is more and more obvious in our manner of life, while the life for the new man is more and more obvious in qualifying for the divine birth when Christ returns. As this life of the new man increases more abundantly in our manner of life, it increases life in us within the resurrection image of Christ into the ages of ages to come, Jn 10:10; 1Th 3:8; 2Co 4:7-12.
      In most cases the words life, glory, righteousness, holiness, etc., are generic for all the attributes of God. More abundant life equals more abundant glory, equals more abundant righteousness, equals a greater abundance of every attribute of God to be experienced throughout eternity.
      As we faithfully serve the Lord, all the fullness of God is being increased on our behalf in God's record books, Jn 10:10; 1Th 3:8; 2Co 4:12,17; 9:10; Heb 12:9-11. Conversely, as we conform to the fashions of this world, the resurrection fullness of Christ is decreased against us in God's record books, and will not be received by us in the resurrection or ever thereafter, 2Jn 8; 2Co 5:10; Rev 3:11; 22:12; Ecc 12:13-14; Eze 3:20; 18:24; 33:12-13; Mt 13:12; 25:29; Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18; 19:26. We must fear lest we lose the things we have wrought, 2Jn 8. We can fail to hold fast and thereby lose the crowns for which we have been working by grace through faith, Rev 3:11.

      It is the image or likeness of Christ in His resurrection which God is offering to us by covenant promise (Rom 6:5), and has confirmed the same with His oath, Heb 6:11-20. In like manner, God has confirmed the oath of His wrath against the unfaithful saved because they have refused His covenant offer of His fullness in the firstborn covenant sonship of Christ, Heb 2:1-3; 3:11; 4:3; 12:25-29. God is offering to share Himself to us. Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-10. To Abraham He said, "I am ...your exceeding great reward," Gen 15:1. Jesus prayed that the faithful covenant people would be made "one" with the divine Trinity – that the divine nature of the Trinity would be in the faithful covenant people, as the divine nature is in the Father and in the Son, that we should be "one" in divine union with Them, Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23.
      14 "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:14.
      In God's reckoning and in the measure of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have become partakers of Christ, who is the precise image of the Father, Col 1:15; Heb 1:3. In Christ's deified body all the fullness of deity is dwelling (Col 1:19; 2:9), and each faithful member of Christ's deified body will receive of the fullness of deity to the extent of the faithfulness of that member, Mt 25:14-23; Lk 19:11-19; 2Co 5:10; Rev 22:12.

      Eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood is a symbolic partaking of what Christ's body became in His resurrection, 1Co 15:44-50. In His resurrection Christ became the firstborn from the dead, Col 1:15,18-19; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5. In His resurrection birth Christ's human body was born into a heavenly, spirit, divine body, 1Co 15:44-50; Col 2:9. In His resurrection birth Christ created a new kind of man (the "new man"), possessing all the fullness of God's divine nature in a human body, Col 2:9; 2Co 5:1-5,16-21; Eph 2:10-15. In His resurrection birth Christ created a "new man," a new race of mankind of which He is the head as the second Adam, 1Co 15:44-50; Rom 5:14-19. In Christ's new divine body dwells all the fullness of deity, which divine nature was not inherent in the body which Christ received from Mary until His resurrection birth. Mary gave Christ a "flesh and blood" body that had to be born again in His resurrection, 1Co 15:44-50. The life of Christ's deified body is not in the blood, but in the divine nature, 1Co 15:44-50.
      All those in "the body of Christ" (a true local church) are counted as being metaphorically the members of Christ's human (now divine) body. As the members of Christ's divine body, we are joined to His divine body, and are therefore counted to be as much a part of His divine body as our feet, legs, hands, arms, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc., are members of our individual bodies. All the members of our flesh body are one and the same flesh, and constitute one and the same flesh body. In this same way, we, as the members of the divine body of Christ, constitute one and the same kind of divine (deified human) body that Christ has, Rom 12:4-5; 1Co 6:15-17; 11:23-29; 12:1-27; Eph 4:15-16,25; 5:30-31. God who calls things which be not as though they were, counts the members of the body of Christ to be metaphorically crucified, dead, buried, raised, and born again into one and the same deified body of Christ, 1Co 5:7; Col 2:9-10-17; Eph 2:10-16.

      In scriptural water baptism we were metaphorically baptized into Christ's deified human body:
      27 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ," Gal 3:27.
      3 "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
      4 "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of (divine)(and have grown together) life – in deified life.
      5 "For if we have been united together (and have grown together) in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
      6 "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin," Rom 6;3-6.
      It is God's purpose to conform the bodies of the faithful covenant people into the likeness of the resurrected body of Christ. We (metaphorically) have been baptized into the body of Christ, and have thereby been joined to the body of Christ. The Greek word "sumphutos" carries both the action of being united (joined) together and also the process of growing together after being united together. This is with a view to our growing up into the glory image of the resurrected body and mind of Christ:

      13 "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect (mature) man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Eph 4:13,15-16.
      Here is the activity of growing up into the stature of the fullness of Christ – a growth process of growing up into Christ who is the Head of the body, Eph 4:15-16.
      18 "But we all, with unveiled face, constantly beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2Co 3:18.
      Again we have a transformation and growing activity "from glory into glory." God's purpose is that the faithful covenant people not be conformed to this world, but throughout each day being progressively transformed into the resurrection image of Christ from glory to glory.
      15 "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ (of Christ's deified human body)? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
      16 "Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,' He says, ‘shall become one flesh.'
      17 "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit (divine, body)with Him," 1Co 6:15-17.
      The one who is joined to Christ's body is one deified, spirit body with Him. It could hardly be put clearer than this, and of course the language is symbolic in the context of a metaphor. The church is called the human (now deified) body of Christ which Christ received from Mary. However, in reality the church is not the body of Christ (His flesh and bone) at all. God is speaking of things which be not as though they were, a metaphor, Rom 4:17.
      The word sumphutos (Rom 6:5) means to be united together with Christ and to grow together as one body – grow up into Christ who is the Head, Eph 4:12-16.

      "But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, that is, Christ," Eph 4:15.
      13 "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Eph 4:13 (11-16).
      9 "For in Him is dwelling all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
      10 "And in Him you are being made that fullness....." Col 2:9-10.
      5 "For if we have been united together (and have grown together) in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection," Rom 6:5; 2Co 4:7-12.
      God has chosen the faithful covenant people in Christ to be conformed to the resurrection image of Christ – "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" in the current and permanently divine state of His human (now deified) body, filled with all the fullness of deity, Col 1:19; 2:9.

       "But we all, with unveiled face, steadfastly beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being constantly transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2Co 3:18.
      19 ".....that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 2:19-10; Jn 17:21-23), and thereby be partakers of Christ both now and when Christ returns, Heb 3:14.
      1 "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it," Heb 4:1.
      9 "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
      10 "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His," Heb 4:9-10; 4:4; Gen 2:1-3).
      Those in a true local church are in covenant relationship with God, and are metaphorically reckoned to be crucified, dead, buried, and raised together in Christ's heavenly, spirit, deified body. The faithful covenant people are currently and metaphorically in this "rest." This simply means we are counted (credited, reckoned) as having already been glorified (defied) together with Christ, and are in the qualifying position to really enter that "rest" in the resurrection, IF we hold fast the beginning of our confidence to the end.
      11 "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience," Heb 4:11; 3:6-19; 4:1-10.
      Let "us" who are holy brethren (Heb 3:1) of the house of Christ (Heb 3:6) – let us therefore be diligent, lest "we" "fall according to the same example of disobedience." The unfaithful saved will not be partakers of Christ. They will not be partakers of His "rest." The doctrine of their unfaithful lives which they preach by their conduct is not the doctrine of Christ, and therefore they do not have the Father and the Son, and will not share in the likeness of Christ in the resurrection life.

1. Explain the metaphoric application of Rom 6:3-6. The metaphor is that the church is called the body of Christ, and was portrayed as the body of Christ when the Lord instituted the Lord's Supper before the cross. Follow this oneness with Christ's body through the crucifixion cycle.

2. Define the "old man" versus the "new man."

3. Describe how the true believer passes from death into life as in Jn 3:16 and 5:24, but then passes from life back to death as in Rom 8:6,13; Heb 6:4-6; Jn 15:1-6; Gal 5:1-5; etc.

4. Following the metaphor, explain how we present the members of our bodies to God as "alive from the dead." See Rom 6:13 and 8:13.

5. The believer is baptized into the deified body of Christ. Follow the metaphor and explain what happens when one is baptized into Christ.

6. Define how those in the body of Christ are "in Christ." Follow the metaphor.

7. Those outside a true local church cannot practice righteousness. Explain why, using Lk 7:29-30; Col 2:11-12; 1Jn 9-11.

8. Describe the "transition" (transition from what to what) when one is baptized into Christ, Rom 6:3-6.

9. God has two kinds of sons, Gal 4:21-31. What are they? Explain how the faithful covenant people are divine sons "now," 1Jn 3:2-3.

10. Explain the metaphor of sonship in 1Jn 3:2.

11. Demonstrate the application of the "hope" in 1Jn 3:2-3.

12. Show from the Scriptures how saved people practice sin, 1Jn 3.

13. Give examples from the Scriptures of saved people not practicing righteousness and not loving their brethren.

14. Define how many saved people do not have divine life.