John 12:31-32. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
John 3:14-16. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Romans 4:25-5:1.He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 2:4-6. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
2 Corinthians 5:10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8. The central purpose of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus was that, through His death, all that Satan had brought about to mar the perfect works of God might be undone; that all be brought back to the perfection that God purposed in the beginning. Because of Adam’s sin and disobedience judgment came upon this world and upon all living things. All must be brought back to God. For this specific purpose Jesus was ‘lifted up from the earth’.

Jesus was lifted up from the earth in three stages. Firstly, Jesus was lifted up from the earth on the cruel cross of Calvary. There, as the sinless Lamb of God He willingly took upon Him the sin of the whole world, so that newness of life might be available to all who will trust in Him as Saviour. Secondly, Jesus was lifted up through resurrection from the dead because death had no power over Him. ‘God has made Him both Lord and Christ’, Acts 2:36. Thirdly, Jesus was lifted up from the earth into the heavens to be seated with the Father. From thence He shall return as King of kings and Lord of lords at His promised coming again to the earth to reign forever and ever.

This three part glorification of the Lord Jesus confronts all the dwellers upon the earth with the promise of forgiveness and a living hope of participation in the resurrection of the righteous. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” As Jesus is the only way to salvation, all will be drawn to Him that they may choose either to receive Him or to reject Him. One day everyone must appear before the appointed Judge of all mankind in one of these three judgments.

• The judgment seat of Christ, for all who have believed in Jesus as Redeemer
• The judgment of the sheep and the goats, for unbelievers who have lived during the great tribulation
• The judgment of the great white throne, for all the remaining dead of all the ages back to Adam

The three steps of the glorification of the Lord Jesus are paralleled by the glorification of believers in Christ. This is wonderfully expressed in the verses from Ephesians 2:5-6, ‘made us alive together with Christ…. and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus….’ These three phases of our being lifted up and glorified in Christ are already an established fact because of what He has wrought for us through the sacrifice of Himself. We note that the three stages of our exaltation are referred to as being ‘with Christ’ and the ultimate destination will be ‘in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus’. Just as with all that we are promised by God our destiny and destination is assured. However, the pathway to this glorious future will vary considerably in accordance with our obedience to do His will during our time on this earth.

Those who have come to living faith in the Lord Jesus ‘must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ’ The pathway they have taken as believers in Jesus will ‘be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire’. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.

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