Hi Mike,

Concerning the matter of “as He is, so are we”, would I be correct in assuming that there is a synonymity between the King and his brethren?

Yours sincerely,
W____

Hi again W____,
You ask:

… would I be correct in assuming that there is asynonymity between the King and his brethren?

The answer to your question is, oh yes! More than you probably realize!

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The words are right there in red letters, but their depth of Truth is hard to absorb. And even when we claim their veracity, it takes time to come to see that these words mean that Christ’s sufferings are not yet filled up, and that it is incumbent upon us to suffer with Christ, as His Christ, for His body’s sake which is us, the church.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

“Is there a synonymity between the King [ Christ] and His brothers?” Here is the straightforward answer to that question:

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Ours is not a calling to be just a foot soldier, though we certainly are foot soldiers. We are not called to be officers, though we certainly will be officers. The training for an officer is twice as grueling as that of a soldier in regular boot camp. Our calling in Christ is to be “kings and priests”, and as such “as He is so are we”.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

“He that overcometh” what? The answer is “the world”, which Christ is very straightforward in telling us will hate us if we are truly follow Him and “walk in His steps”. These are not ‘might be’ words, they are guaranteed promises given to all who think they want to be overcomers to partake of that “blessed and holy” first resurrection and to become kings and priests to rule with Christ in the ages to come. Here is the training which make us “as He is”:

Mat 10:22 And ye sha ll be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? But that is just the beginning of our training. This is all guaranteed promises:

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

“He that endureth to the end shall be saved” in this age. There are many who begin officer’s training, but most do not last to the end. That should explain the deeper meaning of this verse:

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Christ is a leader of leaders. He knows how to bring the best out of His creatures. No great leader leads by promising only goodies to his trainees for such an exalted position as being “rulers of this world”. Our Lord has set us an example that we should walk in His steps.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

There it is! That is our calling. For those who are granted to receive it, it is a wonderful, challenging and blessed calling. But to the many to whom a call to “suffer for His name’s sake” simply does not compute, they simply “cannot receive” it.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I did not mean for this to be this long, but I hope you can now see just how similar is the “synonymity between the King and his brethren.”
Your brother who is striving for that “mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.

Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Mike