John M Johnson (3 Jan 2005)
"RE: Don't Miss the Rapture"


Just a couple thoughts about the post.
 
It is true, the Lord wants us to purify ourselves even as he is pure (1 John 3:3). This is his way and his desire.
 
The two points below are not rejections of what was posted, one is a clarification and two is a thought I have wanted to express and it seemed like a good time to do so.
 
1.    In the parable of the 10 virgins Jesus did not say "Get away from me you evil doers..." He did say, "I don't know you."
 
There is a difference...the fact that he did not know them speaks of intimacy and fellowship. It is not regarding our redemption or salvation.
 
2.    Many times both men and women write about our sonship in Christ and talk about sons and daughters.
 
In Christ there is neither male nor female...there are only sons. The scriptures teach us that God sent forth the spirit of his SON into our hearts to cry Abba Father (Gal. 4:6).
 
For either man or woman to call themselves a "son of God" is true and proper. Because God didn't send the spirit of his daughter into our hearts but the spirit of his SON. This is what makes us son's of God, not our physical nature but our spiritual nature.
 
Since it is Jesus that comes to our hearts and since he is the Son of God and since we are partakers of his divine nature...Thus in Christ (our spiritual nature) their is neither male nor female...only sons.
 
However in our natural bodies there is male and female and this is why in the Book of 2 Corinthians 6:18 where Paul is talking about the temple of the Holy Spirit (our natural bodies) he speaks of sons and daughters.
 
Thus our roles in this body are determined by the father to be...God the head of Christ, Christ the head of man, man the head of woman. Thus a man cannot be a woman or assume the duties given her by God and a woman cannot be a man or assume the duties given him by God.
 
John Johnson