Union With Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 08/11/24

This message was originally recorded May 1, 2016.

My notes:

"If Jesus in His unglorified state, prior to His death on the cross and resurrection, (that it) was possible to be with the Father in this way (in abiding union with Him), then (it is) His desire that we would come to know what it meant for Him as man on earth to be with the Father."

A couple messages ago, Doug spoke on the transition between the outer man and the inner man. "Between the outer man and the inner man, there's a cross. The cross to the outer man is death; the cross to the inner man is life."

"In Philippians Chapter 3 we discover the passion of the apostle Paul. It is profoundly simple and yet at the same time comprehensive. Paul's passion is to 'know Him'. With this goal we see what motivated and made Paul. To this end he pursued the prize that he might possess that for which he was taken possession of by Christ Jesus. To Paul, this passion is perfection. To us, this passion should mark our life and give us the focus to press on until the end."

"I press towards the goal for the prize - a prize must be won in combat... it's a contest.. it's there inherent at new birth, but it's that which is the potential of the new birth being developed in us, so that Christ-life is a life that is given to us at new birth, is ever reaching upward."

"As that outer man is being subjected to the work of the cross, there's the release of the life of Jesus, and that life becoming manifested in our mortal flesh... The new covenant life of Jesus is released as death works in us."

As I listen to this message, I'm struck by the wall-to-wall scriptures Doug uses to make his many points. Towards the conclusion, he pronounces a very strong warning to pastors who are oblivious to the satanic infiltration in the church and are not addressing it. So many of the messages I've been reposting have warned of the shaking soon to come on the church - the day of visitation - the fiery ordeal that comes suddenly - the vomiting out of the lukewarm church-goers where Jesus is nowhere to be found. Having been asked to remove myself from several churches who didn't want someone affiliated with Doug and Morning Star Testimony Church - those with experience with spiritual warfare - I know and understand Doug's frustration. These 'pastors' didn't want their congregation's feathers ruffled. I often think about what will happen when Satan is let loose in these head-in-the-sand gatherings. Unfortunately, for too many, it will be too late.

Note from last post:

I received this email from a listener:

“Doug asks the question: "Is perfection capable in this life?" "Yes, absolutely! We can attain perfection experientially in this life; and we'll still have a sin nature - but the sin nature will not be ruling. It's there; but by living by the life of Another, perfection has been attained.”

I guess I need more clarification on “perfection” in light of verses like this: (1 Jn. 1:8,10) “If we say that we have no sin (nature), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us . . . If we say that we have not sinned (personal transgressions), we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

I know that when sin (as in 'the nature') is not ruling, we are not sinning, but it appears that even the best of those presented to us in scripture have times in their lives (however brief) when the flesh gets a temporary foothold.  I would have placed moral sanctification in the category of "maturity" because obedience would be the primary characteristic of that person's life; but I had always relegated complete sinlessness to the life to come.  But I'm open to learning new things all the time; I personally am a great distance from "perfection" in that sense:)

Here was my reply, as I'm thinking some others may have had the same question:

Thanks for your email. I'll do my best in answering your questions. First (and foremost), Jesus lived that perfect life. As we know, none of us can do that. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, and our righteousness is like filthy rags. So to suggest we can live a life of perfection on our own would amount to lunacy. The only one who can live the Christian life, and that includes sinless perfection, is Jesus Christ. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Therefore, in Christ, and only in Christ are we able to live out that righteousness. As members of His body, we can achieve no other perfection (maturity, completeness, fulness). In Christ, as we abide in Him, and He abides in us, experientially we are living the sinless life of Jesus Christ in spite of the fact we still have our original sin nature held in abeyance. When we are experientially living out from the source of Christ as our life, the self-life (sin nature) that was crucified 2,000 years ago remains dead, lifeless, and unemployed in the tomb. When we step out of Christ back into that old man, we discover we can do nothing but to fall short (i.e.: sin; miss the mark). If the sin nature is in ascendancy and ruling, we sin; if we are living by the life of Jesus, that is the perfection attained 2,000 years ago on our behalf. Jesus not only died for us; He died as us - fallen, sinful Adam. He died to sin; therefore, we in Him died to sin.

Those you speak of who allow the flesh to 'get a temporary foothold' are not living the perfect, sinless of Christ. If they continue in sin, they risk dying the sin unto death - or at least enough discipline, a scourge when necessary, to get them back in fellowship and communion with the Lord. For us, before we reach glory, sinlessness is potential and attainable only as we abide in Christ. We "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude." (Phil. 3:14-15) Perfection is maturity, completeness, and the fullness of Christ in our lives. It should not be termed 'sinless perfection' in the sense we cannot sin; we know we all have that capacity. But in Christ we have the capacity to not sin as we attain maturity.

When you confess you are 'a great distance from "perfection"', in actuality, you are already right there in Christ, in His perfection. Quit looking to yourself for perfection. We need to be "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith".

I hope this helps - at least a little.

Link to Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/5-1-16+assembly.mp3

Link to Discussion: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/5-1-16+discussion.mp3

Resources mentioned:

Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Phil Ryken

The Cross, the Church, and the Kingdom by T. Austin-Sparks (https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/cross_the_church_and_the_kingdom_the.html)

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!