A CALL TO RESTORATION
  

  John Griffin

  josie.g@paradise.net.nz

  New Zealand

The Lord is wanting the Church to be Restored to the Most Holy Place, or to the ministry of the High Priest, of whom Jesus was the forerunner for us that we may participate in this dimension beyond the veil – Hebrews 6v18-20. A resurrected body- "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." (Romans 8:19)

So let us turn to Genesis 1v26-28- "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." We see here God’s intention for man may occupy a position of ruler ship or dominion, having authority in the Kingdom of God here on earth.

But God being God, knew that to place man in that position without adequate training and preparation, would have its complication. God therefore told Adam His intentions – "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17) Then He called Adam to walk in obedience concerning them – thereby equipping man for such a position of responsibility. It was from the very beginning that man was to be responsible to God and had to choose to obey the revealing will of God – and that has not changed today. "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation..." (1 Peter 1:14-15)

Adam was capable of sinning and he was also capable of not sinning. Just as Jesus, the second Adam was tempted, even like the rest of us, but He did not sin – Hebrews 4v15.

So for Adam and Jesus to sin was one of choice – either obedience to life or disobedience to death.
We must realise the importance of this when considering the fall of Adam – although God planned man’s destiny, He did not predetermine it. Man’s destiny then and now is determined by man’s choices or human responsibility. "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

In Genesis 3v18 Adam fell from glory to hiding – today we must be restored from hiding to glory, to the glory that God intends for us, i.e. the nature of Christ- "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Revelation 21:7)

We must understand that just as we inherited the adamic nature from fallen Adam – we through Jesus can inherit the risen nature of Jesus Christ- "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature..." (2 Peter 1:4) But the inheriting of it is not a right, but it is now a walk of human responsibility before God. Hebrews 10v35-36.

The fact that Adam plunged into sin through wilful disobedience has not changed God’s overall eternal purpose to have a company of people called His Elect, to rule and reign over the economy of His Kingdom, making our election sure so as to assure our entrance into the Kingdom. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11)

Let us turn to 1 Corinthians 15:49 – "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."
Here we see God’s plan of Restoration for man
From being earthly to heavenly
From fleshy to spiritual
From natural to spiritual
From having borne the image of Adam to bearing the image of Jesus

We must through our obedience to the will of God, let go of our adamic nature and take on the nature of Christ Jesus.
James 1v21 – spells it out so clearly, ‘wherefore lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls.’
Ministering out of one’s adamic nature is filth and mischief, many Christian’s spiritual lives centres around these – of sowing and of reaping. The results are; heartache and separation from God, that is if we walk in the nature of Adam. We can’t polish the adamic nature – we must put him off. Col 3v8.

We must convert our soul, our mind, our emotions – Luke 22v32 “When thou art converted strengthen the brethren.”

Now let us look at the nature of Adam – Please read Galatians 5v9, this is the legacy that we have received from Adam.
The choice is ours whether we will blissfully or wilfully live this out, shaping our character and bringing forth fruit. The great falling away today is primarily those that have chosen to live out of their fallen nature rather than being in Christ.
A certain way of thinking always accompanies the Adamic nature:
Why should I? – continual opposition to authority
How does this effect me?
Or, always blaming others to justify one’s conduct
2Thessalonians 2v9-12 – The Adamic nature is the low less one.

But God is building His Church!! The Adamic nature is part of the gates of hell – they will not prevail against the Church. God does not build His sanctuary with the Adamic nature. 2 Timothy 1v9 God has saved us and called us with a Holy calling – that calling being Colossians 1v9-10.
It is important to settle in our mind that in the fullness of the Most Holy Place or the Kingdom, there is no devil, he is bound in Revelation 20v2 – there is no Adamic man, he has been crucified in Galatians 5v24, only the Christ of Colossians 1v27. Remember the law of sowing and reaping. We in this hour must surrender to the Holy Spirit and be restored to being saved to the high calling in Christ Jesus – Philippians 3v14. This high calling is the ministry of the High Priesthood – Ezekiel 44v15-16; the sons of Zadok, a ministry of drawing near and ministering unto God in the dimension of the Most Holy Place. Note the two companies, those that minister to the house (verses 10-11) and those that minister to the Lord, low calling verses a high calling.

God wants to restore man to the more excellent ministry – we are called to His Kingdom and Glory – 1Thessalonians 2v12.
We are called to Glory and Virtue – 2Peter 1v3
We are called to Holiness – Ephesians 1v4
We are called to conform to the image of Christ – Romans 8v29

To sum up in the words of Jesus “Therefore you shall be perfect as your Father is perfect” - Matthew 5v48. Balanced with “It is not by might, nor by power (strength of Adamic nature), but by My Spirit” saith the Lord.

This age that we are facing is a new age. Jesus referred to it in Luke 20v35 – that there will be a people that shall be counted worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection of the dead – Philippians 3v11.
We are facing this new age, the seventh day, the finishing of all that is to be finished in Christ Jesus, and full glory was based upon a finished work. Our glory will be based upon a finished work – that finished work will be a willingly restored people by the work of the Holy Spirit, producing the fruit of the High Priest Ministry.
A ministry of fullness
A ministry of showing forth the glory
A ministry of mercy and grace – only found at the Mercy Seat
A ministry that is the outpouring of the life of God in a personage of His people

God now through the Holy Spirit is offering to all of us Restoration, in the twilight of the seventh day, to this position in the heart of God, which He had for man before Adam fell – i.e. to be made and walk in the image of Him. What a wonderful God!!

Let us be a candidate for such a restoration – now in our time of preparation.