THE NEW ORDER. CAN I INVITE THE LORD TO COME?

THE NEW ORDER. CAN I INVITE THE LORD TO COME?

There is really no difference between the nature of man and the old man. The word ‘old nature’ I do not think ^[p. 164] occurs in scripture. The effort is to spare in some way the first man. Let us begin by insisting that — “such as the heavenly one, such also the heavenly ones” (1 Corinthians 15: 48), and it is easy to see that there is an entire change of race. That is the truth to be contended for, and it is the truth that in every heterodoxy is undermined. There is a total change of race: “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (verse 49). Nothing but personal identity will remain of the first man. I shall know that I am a new man, but all the ideas and feelings of the old man will have passed away. The idea with those who seek to spare the first man is, that if the evil nature is eliminated that then the old man is free of all that was objectionable and would be continued. It is not so at all; I am of the order of the great heavenly One, and hence the old order has terminated in judgment in the cross.

I see that the Spirit and the bride say, “Come”. I think it is right to invite the Lord to come if you are in the spirit and ways of the bride. I think that you ought to be always waiting for His Son from heaven. I should not object to a person praying the Lord to come if he were really ready to receive Him, but very often people pray for His coming as an event which will settle everything, and thus relieve them of the responsibility of decision for Him at the moment.