dead to
the law, to the world, to sin. But are we truly living, walking and
acting as such who have died, dead to sin and alive unto God? A child of
God who walks after the flesh practically denies the power and value of
the blessed finished work of Christ on the cross.

Let us exalt in our lives, by our words and deeds, the cross of Christ.
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world"
(Gal. vi:14).

II.

THE WORK OF CHRIST.

The great work which the Lord Jesus Christ, God's well beloved Son, came
to do was to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. This finished
work of the cross is the basis of His present work and His future work.
What mind can estimate the value and preciousness of that work in which
the Holy One offered Himself through the eternal Spirit without spot
unto God! He procured redemption by His death on the cross. In His
present work and much more in the future work, He works out this great
redemption into result.

There is much confusion in the minds of Christians about the present and
future work of Christ. Many speak of the Lord being now the King of
kings and Lord of lords, reigning over the earth. They speak of Him as
occupying the throne of His father David in heaven. The church,
according to this teaching, is His Kingdom, and that kingdom is
gradually being enlarged under His spiritual reign until the whole world
has been brought into this kingdom. All this is wrong. The Lord Jesus
Christ will reign over the earth; He will have a kingdom of glory, of
righteousness and peace on this earth; the nations of the earth will
have to submit to His government, but all this is still to come. It will
be accomplished with His visible Return to the earth, when He will claim
as the second Man the dominion of the earth. His kingly rule is future.
His present work is of another nature.

I. The Bodily Presence of Christ in Glory.

Our blessed Lord gave on the cross the body, which He had taken in
incarnation. That body died. It was the only part of Him, which could
die. But that body so dishonored by man, scourged and nailed to the
cross, could not see corruption. He arose from the dead. The mighty
power of God opened that grave and raised Him from the dead. This mighty
power of God, which brought Him forth is the power which is towards us
who believe. It is on our side (Eph. i:19). And God not alone r