Restitution signifies the restoring of a thing which was lost. You might give a person anything, whether he had once possessed it or not; but it would be quite improper to call it restoring unless he had once possessed and then lost it. The human family once possessed a perfect mental, moral and physical nature as represented in the person of Adam their head. Beautiful and majestic in form, God-like in the mental and moral qualities of his being (in God’s image) and commissioned to be the King or God (ruler) over all earthly creatures (“In our likeness let him have dominion over the beasts, foul, fish,” etc.) he stands before us the picture of human perfection.

He passes the inspection of the great Jehovah and is pronounced a “very good” man. He was not a God – no it had not been God’s purpose to make another God, but a man: (a human being) “Let us make man in our image.” We should not suppose that to be mentally and morally in God’s image means that we will have the same mental and moral capacity; but, our justice, mercy, love, truth, and powers of reasoning, deciding, etc., while limited in capacity are the same in kind, as the justice, love, etc., of God, so that he can say to us: “Come let us reason together.”

But before Adam had ever learned to use his powers fully, sin entered, and death followed, degrading and destroying by its various agencies of sickness and vice the once noble form, and the perfection of his intellectual and moral faculties.

We have seen that God foresaw the necessity of this victory of evil over man, that he might learn forever the lesson, that sin and death go hand in hand and both are his enemies; while obedience to God and life and happiness are indissolubly connected, and that God is his true and best friend.

We see God, the loving Father permitting evil for man’s good and taking advantage of its presence to prove to man His unalterable character, “the exceeding sinfulness of sin,” the Justice of His Laws, the boundlessness of His mercy, “The exceeding riches of His grace,” and “the great Love wherewith He loved us,” by redeeming us from all sin through Jesus Christ.

We have seen too, how that as through one man’s disobedience the many (ALL) were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall the many (ALL) be made righteous, (just) (Rom 5:19), and that in His due time God intends to bring ALL men (with the exception of the incorrigible) back to the condition of perfect manhood where they will again be “very good.” This is restitution, the restoring to mankind of the power, qualities, and things lost through the first Adam.

We next inquire who will be restored, and answer all of Adam’s family except “The Bride” of Christ, “The Virgins her companions that follow her,” and the few who commit the unpardonable sin, sinning willfully, after that they have received the knowledge of the truth, and who count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing. [Heb 10:26-29.]

These three classes have made a covenant with God by which they renounced their rights to the benefits of restitution and the perfect fleshly condition. They declare that they will take up their cross and follow Jesus. Instead of living with the world, they will become dead to the world. Instead of expecting a restitution of the flesh they agree to crucify the flesh.

Why do they make this covenant?

Because of the joy set before them in God’s part of the covenant, which is, that if they thus die with Jesus to all earthly interests, they shall be joint-heirs with him to a heavenly inheritance. If with Him we give up and crucify the human nature (fulfill our covenant faithfully), we shall be made partakers with Him of the divine nature.

Those who do not enter this covenant to crucify the human nature retain it; and will be raised and restored to human perfection (that which was lost). Another thought is that now is the time to suffer and die with Him. It cannot be done in the next age. For there is no death there, neither sorrow nor suffering – for the former things are passed away. This is the age of sin and evil and crucifying; the next age will be for Glory and Restitution. [Rev 21:4.]

True, the restored family may come to the fountain and drink of the river of water of life freely, have an abundant supply of their life (life everlasting), yet it will be different from having immortality as a fountain of life, “springing up in YOU” so that you will never thirst, neither need come to that river to refresh yourself or to continue your life.

So, it is written, “If we suffer [death] with Him, we shall also reign with Him.” “If we be dead with Him, we shall live with Him.” “If we suffer with Him, we shall be glorified together.”

When? – answer – “Being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto THE [Chief or first] resurrection from among the dead.” Diag. Phil 3:10.

From the moment we enter into this covenant of death and life (Psa 50:5) – suffering and glory with God, we begin the work of crucifying the human nature and God begins also at the same time to develop in us the divine nature by imparting to us the Holy Spirit.

Understand, once entered into, the covenant or agreement is unalterable, the matter is fixed and sealed. “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” [2 Cor 1:22.] We can never have part with the world in the restitution because by our covenant we have abandoned the human nature; the question with us now is, shall we continue to develop our new nature [which now is but an embryo condition] until at our birth [resurrection or translation] we come forth “spiritual bodies” like unto Christ’s glorious body.”

Continued with next post.