Friday, August 16, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Christ's Generation
“A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.” (Psalm 22:30)
Christ’s sacrifice would not leave Him without a reward. God would not allow His Holy One to suffer death and a curse without rewarding Him appropriately. “Therefore” says the Father, “will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death; and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isa 53:12). Christ would be given an inheritance of people that would serve Him. They would be a spiritual seed born of the Spirit; they would be more numerous than the sand on the seashore; and they would be willing.
Adam’s Generation. The seed that would serve Jesus would not be Adam’s seed. The descendants of Adam proved to be deplorable, particularly during the days of Noah. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). Their waywardness was not owing to the absence of law but to the nature of that generation. For even when men were given a holy, good and just law, they remained “a very froward generation, children in whom there is no faith” (Deut 32:20). Adam’s seed did not and will not serve the Lord. Surely the generation that “shall serve Him” shall be one that does not trace its genealogy back to Adam.
Contrary to Adam’s generation, Christ’s generation steadfastly walks in all the statutes of the Lord, having been given a new heart and a new Spirit (Ezek 36:26-27). Though they still reside in a vile body inherited from that first Adam, the Second Adam enables them to buffet that body and make it their slave. They are no longer dominated by its baseless lusts. What they have inherited from Jesus enables them to overcome what they inherited from Adam.
Not Fleshly but Spiritual. Though Christ was “cut off out of the land of the living” around the age of 33 and had no physical generation or seed to speak of (Isa 53:8), Isaiah declared that as a result of being made an offering for sin, Jesus would “see His seed” (Isa 53:10). This “Spiritual seed” are disciples who are becoming like their Master. They are those who have been born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12). These are men who have been “born again” and “born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:3,6). They were born in Zion and God Himself establishes them (Ps 87:5). They were born of incorruptible seed (1 Pet 1:23), even the word of God. They dwell in heavenly places.
Numerous. “Look now toward heaven,” God told Abraham, “and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, so shall thy seed be” (Gen 15:5). In fulfillment of His promise to Abraham, God has blessed all the families of the earth in Christ. The seed that serves Christ is so numerous that they are accounted to Him for a generation. In accordance with His eternal purpose God gave Jesus not only to raise up only the tribes of Jacob, but also as a light to the Gentiles, that He would be God’s salvation “unto the end of the earth” (Isa 49:6). God was not intending to save only a few when He sent Jesus. He had determined that His Servant would justify “many.” In Christ, the house of the Lord is greatly enlarged (Isa 54:2).
A Willing Generation. Christ’s seed shall be a generation that willingly serves the Lord. “This is the generation of them that seek Him” (Ps 24:6) laying aside all encumbrances and distractions. These are a people who are willing in the day of His power (Ps 110:3); willing and glad to suffer for His name’s sake. Willing even to die in the body that they might serve the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). They are a spiritual seed; a numerous seed; and a willing seed which serves the Lord and they are accounted to Him for a generation.
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
Christ’s sacrifice would not leave Him without a reward. God would not allow His Holy One to suffer death and a curse without rewarding Him appropriately. “Therefore” says the Father, “will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death; and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isa 53:12). Christ would be given an inheritance of people that would serve Him. They would be a spiritual seed born of the Spirit; they would be more numerous than the sand on the seashore; and they would be willing.
Adam’s Generation. The seed that would serve Jesus would not be Adam’s seed. The descendants of Adam proved to be deplorable, particularly during the days of Noah. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). Their waywardness was not owing to the absence of law but to the nature of that generation. For even when men were given a holy, good and just law, they remained “a very froward generation, children in whom there is no faith” (Deut 32:20). Adam’s seed did not and will not serve the Lord. Surely the generation that “shall serve Him” shall be one that does not trace its genealogy back to Adam.
Contrary to Adam’s generation, Christ’s generation steadfastly walks in all the statutes of the Lord, having been given a new heart and a new Spirit (Ezek 36:26-27). Though they still reside in a vile body inherited from that first Adam, the Second Adam enables them to buffet that body and make it their slave. They are no longer dominated by its baseless lusts. What they have inherited from Jesus enables them to overcome what they inherited from Adam.
Not Fleshly but Spiritual. Though Christ was “cut off out of the land of the living” around the age of 33 and had no physical generation or seed to speak of (Isa 53:8), Isaiah declared that as a result of being made an offering for sin, Jesus would “see His seed” (Isa 53:10). This “Spiritual seed” are disciples who are becoming like their Master. They are those who have been born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12). These are men who have been “born again” and “born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:3,6). They were born in Zion and God Himself establishes them (Ps 87:5). They were born of incorruptible seed (1 Pet 1:23), even the word of God. They dwell in heavenly places.
Numerous. “Look now toward heaven,” God told Abraham, “and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, so shall thy seed be” (Gen 15:5). In fulfillment of His promise to Abraham, God has blessed all the families of the earth in Christ. The seed that serves Christ is so numerous that they are accounted to Him for a generation. In accordance with His eternal purpose God gave Jesus not only to raise up only the tribes of Jacob, but also as a light to the Gentiles, that He would be God’s salvation “unto the end of the earth” (Isa 49:6). God was not intending to save only a few when He sent Jesus. He had determined that His Servant would justify “many.” In Christ, the house of the Lord is greatly enlarged (Isa 54:2).
A Willing Generation. Christ’s seed shall be a generation that willingly serves the Lord. “This is the generation of them that seek Him” (Ps 24:6) laying aside all encumbrances and distractions. These are a people who are willing in the day of His power (Ps 110:3); willing and glad to suffer for His name’s sake. Willing even to die in the body that they might serve the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). They are a spiritual seed; a numerous seed; and a willing seed which serves the Lord and they are accounted to Him for a generation.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth: The Old Man and the New Man
"These all died in faith...and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13)
Believers are misfits in the world. They walk contrary to the ways of men and are citizens of a kingdom that is "not of this world" (Jn 18:36). Furthermore, those in Christ actually experience fierce conflict within themselves. The part of them that is from the earth is at war with the part of them that has been born from above. One way this is described in the Scripture is by the flesh and the Spirit being contrary to one another (Gal 5:17). Another way this is described is by the contrary nature of "the old man" and "the new man." In Christ, men have, within their own constitution, an old man who is opposed to the ways of God and a new man who is in complete accord with the ways of God. It is the new man that is the stranger and the pilgrim here.
Illustrated. The Lord said to Rebekah, who was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen 25:23). The old man is like the elder son of Rebekah. Though he was there first he is destined to serve the younger. The new man is like the younger son of Rebekah. He is born later but is stronger than the elder, old man. The fact that the "two manner of people shall be separated" from birth identifies the conflict resident within the old man and the new man. They do not get along. They are contrary one to another. Though this illustration is not perfect but it does show the experience of those who have been born again. They have two manner of people within them that are opposed to one another from birth - specifically, the new birth.
The Manner of the Old Man. Since the day we were baptized into Christ Jesus onward, "our old man is crucified with [Christ]" in order that the body of sin might be done away with (Rom 6:6). But, like the impenitent thief on the cross, this crucified old man is still alive. Though greatly hindered and weaker, he still speaks blasphemies and hurls insults. He is in conflict with the new man. Likewise, even though we "have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col 3:9) the battle is not over. In a sense, we have to keep him on the cross and continually put him off. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts the brethren, “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph 4:22). His corrupt “conversation” or manner of life incites the wrath of God as it is contrary to godliness. He must be put to death.
The Manner of the New Man. Putting off the old man is not enough. Believers cannot just leave their house "empty, swept and garnished" (Mt 12:44). The “new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” must be “put on” (Eph 4:24). This new man "is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him" (Col 3:10). This is the part of the believer that is "born of God" and "doth not commit sin, because he is born of God" (1 Jn 3:9). This is the part of the believer that loves and knows God (1 Jn 4:7) and believes that Jesus is the Christ (1 Jn 5:1) and overcomes the world (1 Jn 5:4). He must be put on, accentuated, fed, and given prominence.
Conclusion. The new man is altogether good and does not sin. The old man is altogether bad and only sins. Both of them are housed in the vile bodies that we now possess and both are seeking to gain prominence in our lives. The old man must be put off and the new man must be put on. This is often an every day, even moment by moment occurrence, but the Lord has given us grace to fight a good fight and "war a good warfare" (1 Tim 1:18).
Someone well said, "two natures (manner of people) beat within my breast. One is cursed, the other blessed. The one I love, the one I hate. The one I feed with dominate." Put on the new man and feed him!
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
Believers are misfits in the world. They walk contrary to the ways of men and are citizens of a kingdom that is "not of this world" (Jn 18:36). Furthermore, those in Christ actually experience fierce conflict within themselves. The part of them that is from the earth is at war with the part of them that has been born from above. One way this is described in the Scripture is by the flesh and the Spirit being contrary to one another (Gal 5:17). Another way this is described is by the contrary nature of "the old man" and "the new man." In Christ, men have, within their own constitution, an old man who is opposed to the ways of God and a new man who is in complete accord with the ways of God. It is the new man that is the stranger and the pilgrim here.
Illustrated. The Lord said to Rebekah, who was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen 25:23). The old man is like the elder son of Rebekah. Though he was there first he is destined to serve the younger. The new man is like the younger son of Rebekah. He is born later but is stronger than the elder, old man. The fact that the "two manner of people shall be separated" from birth identifies the conflict resident within the old man and the new man. They do not get along. They are contrary one to another. Though this illustration is not perfect but it does show the experience of those who have been born again. They have two manner of people within them that are opposed to one another from birth - specifically, the new birth.
The Manner of the Old Man. Since the day we were baptized into Christ Jesus onward, "our old man is crucified with [Christ]" in order that the body of sin might be done away with (Rom 6:6). But, like the impenitent thief on the cross, this crucified old man is still alive. Though greatly hindered and weaker, he still speaks blasphemies and hurls insults. He is in conflict with the new man. Likewise, even though we "have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col 3:9) the battle is not over. In a sense, we have to keep him on the cross and continually put him off. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts the brethren, “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph 4:22). His corrupt “conversation” or manner of life incites the wrath of God as it is contrary to godliness. He must be put to death.
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience; in which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." (Colossians 3:5-8)Warfare is not always wrong. The new man must be exhorted to "mortify" or "kill" (ABPE) or "put to death" (NIV) the old man and his ways. This is the task of a warrior, even one who has put on the full armor of God. This is a real "holy war" that the sons of God are engaged in. The old man "is crucified" and we must spend the rest of our lives finishing the job, so to speak.
The Manner of the New Man. Putting off the old man is not enough. Believers cannot just leave their house "empty, swept and garnished" (Mt 12:44). The “new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” must be “put on” (Eph 4:24). This new man "is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him" (Col 3:10). This is the part of the believer that is "born of God" and "doth not commit sin, because he is born of God" (1 Jn 3:9). This is the part of the believer that loves and knows God (1 Jn 4:7) and believes that Jesus is the Christ (1 Jn 5:1) and overcomes the world (1 Jn 5:4). He must be put on, accentuated, fed, and given prominence.
Conclusion. The new man is altogether good and does not sin. The old man is altogether bad and only sins. Both of them are housed in the vile bodies that we now possess and both are seeking to gain prominence in our lives. The old man must be put off and the new man must be put on. This is often an every day, even moment by moment occurrence, but the Lord has given us grace to fight a good fight and "war a good warfare" (1 Tim 1:18).
Someone well said, "two natures (manner of people) beat within my breast. One is cursed, the other blessed. The one I love, the one I hate. The one I feed with dominate." Put on the new man and feed him!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth: Flesh and Spirit
"These all died in faith...and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13)
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
When a person is "born again" (Jn 3) or "created in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:10) or "translated...into the kingdom of [God's] dear Son" (Col 1:13) he is immediately placed into a conflict. This is a common warfare that every child of God experiences. The specific "battles" fought in this war are varied yet common. Every believer experiences the conflict between flesh and spirit; the old man and the new man; the citizens of heaven and the citizens of the earth.
Flesh and Spirit. Jesus clarified the matter to Nicodemus saying, "that which is born of flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of Spirit, is spirit" (Jn 3:6) showing the need of being "born again" (Jn 3:7). Flesh, along with blood, cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. The flesh profits nothing. In the flesh dwelleth no good thing. So, having been born of the Spirit, those still dwelling in the flesh by necessity find that they actually have to overcome their own flesh in order to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Thus, there is an inherent conflict between the flesh and the spirit even resident within every believer. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary one to another, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal 5:17). That is, the inner desire of the part of man that is alive to God and born of the Spirit is faced with the opposition of the flesh that wants to resist the will of God. The Spirit is not free to work without opposition. To be sure, the believer can and must overcome but not without a fight.
This inner conflict is described by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. He noted that "the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin" (7:14). This bondage that he is speaking of is the conflict experienced by all believers who "would do good" (7:21). There is a competing influence within redeemed man's constitution called the flesh, and though it is crucified it is still a fierce foe that must be overcome by the Spirit. The flesh is governed by "the law of sin," which is a principle that tends to act contrary to the law of God.
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (Romans 7:21-23)
The dreadful condition is burdensome to redeemed man and he longs to be delivered from it...and he will! For this law of sin and this "flesh" is all tied to this earthly body that we currently inhabit. When this body is gone, the conflict will be ended. Thus the apostle cries out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (7:24). Christ Jesus the Lord has delivered Paul and shall deliver us also. For if "now" there is no condemnation for those that in Christ Jesus than especially then, there shall be no condemnation. The conflict between the flesh and Spirit will end in the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness...and only righteousness. We will be made suitable for dwelling there. For we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, our vile bodies shall be changed liked unto His glorious body. And, as the song writer said it, "this robe of flesh [we'll] drop and rise, to seize the everlasting prize."
Friday, April 26, 2013
Servants of Righteousness
"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:18)
When a person is baptize in Jesus Christ they are baptized into His death (Rom 6:3) wherein "He died unto sin once" (Rom 6:10). Therefore anyone "buried with Him by baptism into death" have also died unto sin. This being the case, the apostle raises a valid question: "how shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom 6:2). Furthermore, "if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him" (Rom 6:8). Christ is alive for evermore and those that are planted together in the likeness of His death, shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:4). That is, they have been risen to walk in newness of life; even life God-ward or "unto God" (Rom 6:10,11).
The crucifixion of the old man and the destruction of the body of sin has put us in a condition wherein "we should not serve sin" any longer (Rom 6:6). For the believer, sin is wrong, out of order and unexpected. Sin is no longer the norm for this person. This does not mean that they will never sin again but rather that they do not have to. They are no longer slaves to sin. They are justly charged with the commission, "let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body," as it once did, "that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead" (Rom 6:12-13). The grace of God is up to this task. It will teach believers to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly lusts. Thus, it is imperative that they draw near to its throne - the throne of grace - that they might find mercy and grace to help (Heb 4:16).
Believers have been delivered from the reign that sin had over them. But this does not mean that they are not servants at all. "Know ye not," Paul reasons, "that to whom ye yield yourselves...his servants ye are" (Rom 6:16). Therefore, "being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
This phrase "servants of righteousness" is most intriguing. It may be unfamiliar language in our day but every believer knows the experience of being a servant of righteousness. Being a servant of righteousness is being bound, by inward compulsion, to do the right thing regardless of possible consequences, regardless of fleshly preference and without consideration of self-preservation in this world. It is truly hard, for a servant of righteousness, to kick against the pricks of the Holy Spirit. In short, a servant of righteousness is one who denies himself and takes up his cross daily to follow Jesus. He is willing, after the inner man, to sacrifice worldly gain and the pleasures of sin because "it is right" to obey God.
Peter and John were servants of righteousness. They were inwardly compelled, as though bound, to do the right thing. Though the rulers of the day "commanded [them] not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18) they continued right on preaching. Their words expressed their experience.
The churches of Macedonia are another example of servants of righteousness. For, "in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality" (2 Cor 8:2). These churches, according to their ability and beyond their ability, were willing to give themselves first the Lord and then to the people of God. Though they were poor, they gave great gifts to the churches of Judea. Why? They became the servants of righteousness.
The servants of righteousness will appear strange, even foolish, in the eyes of men. They do things in consideration of God rather than themselves. They do, in fact, seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt 6:33). They "suffer for righteousness' sake" (1 Pet 3:14). They "do not merely look out for [their] own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Php 2:4, NASB). Though their decisions may not be fiscally responsible or self-gratifying they are righteous. This is normal for the followers of Christ. For, they have become "the servants of righteousness."
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
When a person is baptize in Jesus Christ they are baptized into His death (Rom 6:3) wherein "He died unto sin once" (Rom 6:10). Therefore anyone "buried with Him by baptism into death" have also died unto sin. This being the case, the apostle raises a valid question: "how shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom 6:2). Furthermore, "if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him" (Rom 6:8). Christ is alive for evermore and those that are planted together in the likeness of His death, shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:4). That is, they have been risen to walk in newness of life; even life God-ward or "unto God" (Rom 6:10,11).
The crucifixion of the old man and the destruction of the body of sin has put us in a condition wherein "we should not serve sin" any longer (Rom 6:6). For the believer, sin is wrong, out of order and unexpected. Sin is no longer the norm for this person. This does not mean that they will never sin again but rather that they do not have to. They are no longer slaves to sin. They are justly charged with the commission, "let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body," as it once did, "that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead" (Rom 6:12-13). The grace of God is up to this task. It will teach believers to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly lusts. Thus, it is imperative that they draw near to its throne - the throne of grace - that they might find mercy and grace to help (Heb 4:16).
Believers have been delivered from the reign that sin had over them. But this does not mean that they are not servants at all. "Know ye not," Paul reasons, "that to whom ye yield yourselves...his servants ye are" (Rom 6:16). Therefore, "being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
This phrase "servants of righteousness" is most intriguing. It may be unfamiliar language in our day but every believer knows the experience of being a servant of righteousness. Being a servant of righteousness is being bound, by inward compulsion, to do the right thing regardless of possible consequences, regardless of fleshly preference and without consideration of self-preservation in this world. It is truly hard, for a servant of righteousness, to kick against the pricks of the Holy Spirit. In short, a servant of righteousness is one who denies himself and takes up his cross daily to follow Jesus. He is willing, after the inner man, to sacrifice worldly gain and the pleasures of sin because "it is right" to obey God.
Peter and John were servants of righteousness. They were inwardly compelled, as though bound, to do the right thing. Though the rulers of the day "commanded [them] not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18) they continued right on preaching. Their words expressed their experience.
Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:19-20)The spirit of faith within them made the word of Christ as a fire shut up in their bones and they were weary of keeping it in. It is not that they were unwilling to preach or that they felt forced to, but they had become servants of righteousness and were compelled to serve the Lord even if it lead to their persecution. Peter went from denying the Lord to confessing Him before men because he became the servant of righteousness.
The churches of Macedonia are another example of servants of righteousness. For, "in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality" (2 Cor 8:2). These churches, according to their ability and beyond their ability, were willing to give themselves first the Lord and then to the people of God. Though they were poor, they gave great gifts to the churches of Judea. Why? They became the servants of righteousness.
The servants of righteousness will appear strange, even foolish, in the eyes of men. They do things in consideration of God rather than themselves. They do, in fact, seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt 6:33). They "suffer for righteousness' sake" (1 Pet 3:14). They "do not merely look out for [their] own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Php 2:4, NASB). Though their decisions may not be fiscally responsible or self-gratifying they are righteous. This is normal for the followers of Christ. For, they have become "the servants of righteousness."
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
"The Lamb" is heaven's view of Jesus. Twenty six times Jesus is referred to as "the Lamb" in the Revelation. Only two other times in Scripture is He directly called "the Lamb" and both times John the baptist calls Him "the Lamb of God" (Jn 1:29,36). From an earthly perspective no one would ever conclude that Jesus is "the Lamb of God." This is something that must be revealed to them. It is, however, the heavenly perspective of Jesus. It is as though all of heaven saw "the Word" that was with God (Jn 1:1) and when He was given to the world as God's sacrifice for sin, He would then be known as "the Lamb of God."
The Slain Lamb. The significance of the lamb is not that it depicts a quiet, docile creature but that it is a sacrifice. The vision that John was shown is one of "a lamb standing as it had been slain" (Rev 5:6), that is, it was killed as a sacrifice for sin. This is what was meant by John the baptist when he declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29).
Jesus is God's offering for sin. While He was "delivered into the hands of sinful men" and "crucified" (Lk 24:7), it was God who was "pleased...to bruise Him" (Isa 53:10). Like the scapegoat under the Law, God "laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:6). It was then, "in His body on the tree" (1 Pet 2:24) that God, through His Lamb, made an end of sin (Dan 9:24). God judged and condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus (Rom 8:3). He cursed His Son in order to deliver us from the curse we inherited by breaking the Law (Gal 3:13). This Lamb, unlike any other lamb, was willing to "make His soul an offering for sin" (Isa 53:10) and therefore "justify many" by bearing their iniquities (Isa 53:11). He is the Lamb "slain" from the foundation of the world.
From the Foundation of the World. The sacrifice of Christ was the means through which God would reconcile the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19). God, in an effort to show His manifold wisdom to principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph 3:10), determined to bring salvation to men by His own arm (Isa 63:5). In other words, God was not surprised when Jesus was "taken, and by wicked hands...crucified and slain," because it all accord by "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). Jesus was chosen for this very purpose. He was given as a ransom for sin.
God used the Law to teach men about sacrifice and about sin and about acceptance with Him. He was readying the people of the sacrifice of His Lamb. He was showing them the price of sin and the intricacies involved in atonement and the putting away of sin. He did this because "once in the end of the world" the Lamb of God would appear "to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb 9:26).
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21)God is not reacting in salvation; He is carrying out His eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph 3:11). He is working all things together for good to them that love God (Rom 8:28), whether those things be the ministry of John the baptist, the betrayal of Judas or the judgment of Pontius Pilate, He is working all things after the "counsel of His own will" (Eph 1:11).
Conclusion. From before God laid the foundations of the world, He had determined to send "His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin" in order to "condemn sin in the flesh" (Rom 8:3). But God would not leave His Son, in view of this great sacrifice, without the recompense of reward. For Jesus, knowing that the Father would not despise or forsake Him forever, but would return to Him the glory which He had before the world was, confessed, "Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world" (Jn 17:24). God's love for His Son is being displayed throughout all creation now, and for evermore.
His reward would include an inheritance like none other. It would involve the Lamb seeing "His seed" and the Father "prolonging His days" and "the pleasure of the Lord" prospering in His hand (Isa 53:10). The Father would "divide Him a portion with the great" and "He shall divide the spoil with the strong because He hath poured out His soul unto death" (Isa 53:12). As a result of His humility and obedience unto death and the cross, God "also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Php 2:8-11). "Ask of Me" the Father says to the Son, "and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Ps 2:8).
To be sure, Christ's sacrifice was great and did not go unnoticed. Let every creature which is in heaven and in earth and under the earth shout aloud, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing" (Rev 5:12).
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Midnight Cry
"And at midnight there was a cry made, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him'" (Mt 25:6).
The certainty of the great and glorious day of the Lord is a sobering consideration. There are "secret things" associated with that day as well as "things revealed" (Deut 29:29). The secret things include the day and the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. For "of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Mt 24:36). That being the case, the things revealed are of great interest to us. Let us consider those things for it is the business of every man to be prepared to meet their God (Amos 4:12) on that day.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins. In teaching His disciples about His return Jesus spoke to them a parable about ten virgins awaiting a bridegroom (Mt 25:1-13). Five of the virgins were wise by bringing extra oil for their lamps. Five of the virgins were foolish taking their lamps but taking no oil with them. The bridegroom postponed his coming until midnight and the foolish virgins ran out of oil. Then, suddenly, they heard a cry, "behold, the bridegroom cometh." Finding themselves wanting, they went to buy more oil but "the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut" (Mt 25:10). Those foolish virgins found themselves on the outside of the marriage supper. It was too late. No entrance would be granted them. They would spend the rest of their time away from his presence, no doubt regretting their foolish decision making.
Jesus is that Bridegroom and men are those virgins. We know that the Bridegroom is coming and we must be ready Him. Salvation provides us with all the necessary supplies to be ready. It is incumbent upon believers to live by faith and patience until His return and that which is committed unto them. His coming will be as "a thief in the night" (1 Th 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10) and we, therefore, must always be prepared. For if we are not ready on that last day nothing else really matters.
There Will be a "Cry." When the Lord Jesus returns there will not be, as some suppose, a "secret rapture" where many are mysteriously missing leaving everyone else confused. That teaching is simply theological fiction produced to sell books. The Scripture declares that all of creation will be in audience when "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" (1 Th 4:16). No one will miss this event. "Every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him" (Rev 1:7). The Bridegroom will not come without a great announcement. He will come with a cry, even a shout!
Have Your Lamps Trimmed. Everyone will give an account to the Lord for the deeds done in the body (2 Cor 5:10). Make it your aim to give a good account. All those who are prepared to meet Him are hastening that day. The "glorious appearing of the great God and [their] Savior Jesus Christ" is their "blessed hope" (Tit 2:13). They long to hear that "last trump"(1 Cor 15:52) when "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet 3:10). They rejoice in this because they themselves will rise above this inferno being "caught up together" with all those who are asleep in Jesus. There they will "meet the Lord in the air" (1 Th 4:17). This is the hope that stabilizes the soul causing it not to waver. For everyone who has this hope in themselves purifies himself even as He is pure (1 Jn 3:3). In that day everything that the saints of God have longed for and waited for will be theirs. Namely, their inheritance as it is written, "so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Th 4:17).
The Peril of Being Unprepared. Those who are not prepared, who have ran out of oil, will weep in that day. The day of the Lord is a day of reckoning where the scales of justice will be balanced. It is a day when God will repay every man according to their works, their labor and their faith. Those who are storing up wrath for themselves now (Rom 2:5) will taste of it then.
Now is the day to repent and escape the wrath to come. Make the most of the opportunity. Separate yourself from this perverse generation. Seek the Lord in a time when He may be found. The day of the Lord is coming. The bridegroom is coming. When you hear that midnight cry let it be for you a time of rejoicing. Let it be said by you in that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Isa 25:9). Be dressed in readiness, brethren. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh" (Mt 25:13).
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
The certainty of the great and glorious day of the Lord is a sobering consideration. There are "secret things" associated with that day as well as "things revealed" (Deut 29:29). The secret things include the day and the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. For "of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Mt 24:36). That being the case, the things revealed are of great interest to us. Let us consider those things for it is the business of every man to be prepared to meet their God (Amos 4:12) on that day.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins. In teaching His disciples about His return Jesus spoke to them a parable about ten virgins awaiting a bridegroom (Mt 25:1-13). Five of the virgins were wise by bringing extra oil for their lamps. Five of the virgins were foolish taking their lamps but taking no oil with them. The bridegroom postponed his coming until midnight and the foolish virgins ran out of oil. Then, suddenly, they heard a cry, "behold, the bridegroom cometh." Finding themselves wanting, they went to buy more oil but "the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut" (Mt 25:10). Those foolish virgins found themselves on the outside of the marriage supper. It was too late. No entrance would be granted them. They would spend the rest of their time away from his presence, no doubt regretting their foolish decision making.
Jesus is that Bridegroom and men are those virgins. We know that the Bridegroom is coming and we must be ready Him. Salvation provides us with all the necessary supplies to be ready. It is incumbent upon believers to live by faith and patience until His return and that which is committed unto them. His coming will be as "a thief in the night" (1 Th 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10) and we, therefore, must always be prepared. For if we are not ready on that last day nothing else really matters.
There Will be a "Cry." When the Lord Jesus returns there will not be, as some suppose, a "secret rapture" where many are mysteriously missing leaving everyone else confused. That teaching is simply theological fiction produced to sell books. The Scripture declares that all of creation will be in audience when "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" (1 Th 4:16). No one will miss this event. "Every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him" (Rev 1:7). The Bridegroom will not come without a great announcement. He will come with a cry, even a shout!
Have Your Lamps Trimmed. Everyone will give an account to the Lord for the deeds done in the body (2 Cor 5:10). Make it your aim to give a good account. All those who are prepared to meet Him are hastening that day. The "glorious appearing of the great God and [their] Savior Jesus Christ" is their "blessed hope" (Tit 2:13). They long to hear that "last trump"(1 Cor 15:52) when "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet 3:10). They rejoice in this because they themselves will rise above this inferno being "caught up together" with all those who are asleep in Jesus. There they will "meet the Lord in the air" (1 Th 4:17). This is the hope that stabilizes the soul causing it not to waver. For everyone who has this hope in themselves purifies himself even as He is pure (1 Jn 3:3). In that day everything that the saints of God have longed for and waited for will be theirs. Namely, their inheritance as it is written, "so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Th 4:17).
The Peril of Being Unprepared. Those who are not prepared, who have ran out of oil, will weep in that day. The day of the Lord is a day of reckoning where the scales of justice will be balanced. It is a day when God will repay every man according to their works, their labor and their faith. Those who are storing up wrath for themselves now (Rom 2:5) will taste of it then.
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)It will not end well for anyone who is surprised when He comes. All of this life is preparatory for eternity. Anyone who neglected salvation; anyone who despised Christ; anyone who caused harm to His saints; anyone who did not obey the gospel but considered it foolishness will find themselves as the fools in that day. They will find that the Lord will not allow men to forsake His Son and get away with it. They will seek the mercy of death but will not find it.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the might men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;" for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:14-17)The Lord is Patient. Those who are unprepared now can, and must, consider every day that the Lord tarries His coming as a day of salvation. Each day is another day to repent. If they examine themselves and find that they will not be "found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless" then they can "account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (2 Pet 3:14-15) knowing that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9).
Now is the day to repent and escape the wrath to come. Make the most of the opportunity. Separate yourself from this perverse generation. Seek the Lord in a time when He may be found. The day of the Lord is coming. The bridegroom is coming. When you hear that midnight cry let it be for you a time of rejoicing. Let it be said by you in that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Isa 25:9). Be dressed in readiness, brethren. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh" (Mt 25:13).
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