| THE ECCLESIA
WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST
Section
4 - God's Operation
God's
Operation
It is God Who determines,
it is He Who wills, to save
all mankind! He also wills that
all mankind come into a realisation of this fundamental truth that He wills
that all mankind be saved! It is not because of any goodness on
our part that He saves us. It is because of His love for His creation,
the very purpose He brought it all into being for, that He saves
us!
1Tim.2:3,4
for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God,
Who wills that all
mankind be saved
and come into a realization
of the truth.
1Tim.4:9-11
Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome
(for for this are
we toiling and being reproached),
that we rely on the living
God,
Who is the Saviour
of all mankind, especially of believers.
These things be charging
and teaching.
2Cor.5:18,19 Yet
all
is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ,
and is giving us the dispensation
of the conciliation,
how that God was in Christ,
conciliating the world to Himself,
not reckoning their
offenses to them,
and placing in us the word
of the conciliation.
The question of Sin, which includes
transgressions and offences, has to be answered. His righteousness
will not allow Him to sweep all these failures and defects under the carpet.
So He delegates His Representative, His Mediator, into the world to save
the world (Jn.3:17; 12:47; 4:42; 1Jn.4:14). And in Christ, through His
suffering and death, God clears all obstacles to a meaningful fellowship
with His creatures.
2Cor.5:21
For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be sin for our sakes
that we may be becoming
God's
righteousness in Him.
Rom.3:24-26
Being justified gratuitously in His grace,
through the deliverance
which is in Christ Jesus…
toward the display of His
righteousness in the current era,
for Him to be just
and
a Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus.
Grace
Since Scripture reveals that
it is God Who decides the destiny of all mankind, and that it is also He
Who carries out the processes to that end, it becomes clear that it is
all according to His grace.
In the evangel of the Circumcision
it was made to seem that, for those of Israel, salvation depended
on their effort to repent from their straying from the law so as to ‘qualify’
for God’s blessings. In the evangel of the Uncircumcision there is no such
way open for those of the nations. There is no track to follow and no signposts
to guide them to God. The fact is that they do not even realise
that they are wandering aimlessly around and that their gods are no gods
at all (Gal.4:8). They do not know that their various paths are
leading them nowhere. It is beyond their capabilities to even want
to turn back from their wayward course!
Eph.2:11,12
Wherefore, remember that once you,
the nations in flesh--who
are termed "Uncircumcision"
by those termed "Circumcision,"
in flesh, made by hands—
that you were, in that
era,
apart from Christ,
being alienated from the citizenship of Israel,
and guests of the promise covenants,
having no expectation,
and without God in the world.
Tit.3:3 For
we also were once foolish, stubborn, deceived,
slaves of various desires
and gratifications,
leading a life in malice
and envy, detestable, hating one another.
1Cor.6:9-11
Or are you not aware
that the unjust shall not
be enjoying the allotment of God's kingdom?
Be not deceived. Neither
paramours, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor catamites, nor sodomites,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards;
no revilers, no extortioners
shall be enjoying the allotment of God's kingdom.
And some of you were
these,…
Eph.2:1-3 …your
offenses and sins, in which once you walked,
in accord with the eon
of this world,
in accord with the chief
of the jurisdiction of the air,
the spirit now operating
in the sons of stubbornness
(among whom we also
all behaved ourselves once in the lusts of our flesh,
doing the will of the flesh
and of the comprehension,
and were, in our nature,
children of indignation, even as the rest),
In this evangel, the death of
God’s Son brings conciliation to the nations. And God’s calling, according
to His pre-determination even before the eons began, effected reconciliation
of such believers to Him.
Eph.2:4-7
yet God, being rich in mercy,
because of His vast love
with which He loves us
(we also being dead to the
offenses and the lusts),
vivifies
us together in Christ (in grace are you saved!)
and rouses us together
and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus,
that, in the oncoming eons,
He should be displaying
the transcendent riches of His grace
in His kindness to us in
Christ Jesus.
Tit.3:4-7 Yet
when the kindness and fondness for humanity of our Saviour, God,
made its advent,
not for works which
are wrought in righteousness which we do,
but according to His
mercy, He saves us,
through the bath of renascence
and renewal of holy spirit,
which He pours out on us
richly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
that, being justified in
that One's grace,
we may be becoming enjoyers,
in expectation, of the allotment of life eonian.
The word grace is translated
from the Greek 'charis'. The Greek 'chara' means joy
and the verb form, 'charö', means rejoice.
In the CPC Keyword Concordance,
‘charis’ (grace) has its primary meaning defined as ‘an act producing
happiness’. This is exemplified in Phil.2:9 where God highly exalts
Christ ‘and graces Him with the name that is above every name’ and the
recipient is more than fully deserving of the bestowal.
Its secondary meaning has
the more usual definition of ‘a benefit bestowed on one who deserves the
opposite’. Here, grace is evidenced when something gratuitous is bestowed
on someone undeserving of it. It can neither
be earned nor
qualified
for.
The fact is that grace is
the common thread that can be traced throughout
all of God’s operations.
It was through God’s grace that Abram was called, that Isaac was chosen
over Ishmael, and Jacob preferred over Esau. Through grace Joseph was caused
to be in Egypt and to be the reason for the fledgling people of Israel
to sojourn there. And through grace Moses was saved from the river, Israel
became God’s chosen people, and eventually came into the promised land.
Through God’s grace the people of Israel became possessors of His laws.
It was through God’s grace that each Israelite was born into the nation
and was to be a part of God’s people. It was not left to a personal choice
for any of these people in any of these events. These were
completely outside of their control and influence.
Grace was in operation when
Jesus came among His Own people to call out some to be His disciples (Jn.6:44,65;
14:6). And through grace individuals were called out of the nation of Israel
to be believers under the supervision of Peter (Act.2:36-41).
But during these periods,
each calling was seemingly contingent upon a positive response (Mt.19:21,22)
and so, though many were called, few were actually chosen (Mt.22:14).
Thus their salvation, under the evangel of the Circumcision, was apparently
dependent on a faith
with works! There had to be an expression of
their faith through their works!
The nation of Israel received
only a limited revelation from God. To the Circumcision believers,
the bride ecclesia, this revelation was expanded to suit His counsel
and purpose (Jn.1:17,18). Israel of old, and the Circumcision believers,
could only operate within the limits of their respective revelations.
As far as the evangel of
the Circumcision is concerned, works are an essential factor in their salvation.
Jas.2:14
What is the benefit, my brethren,
if anyone should be saying
he has faith, yet may have no works?
That faith can not save
him.
Under this evangel, the example
of Abraham is used to demonstrate this principle.
Jas.2:21-24
Abraham, our father,
was he not justified by
works when offering up his son Isaac on the altar?
You are observing that faith
worked together with his works,
and by works was faith perfected.
And fulfilled was the scripture
which is saying,
Now "Abraham believes God,
and it is reckoned to him for righteousness,"
and he was called "the friend
of God."
You see that by works
a man is being justified, and not by faith only.
As mentioned earlier, it was
to Paul that God gave the privilege of completing His revelation
to mankind, bringing to the attention of those being called, under this
evangel, hitherto untraceable secrets of His counsel (Col.1:25-27; Eph.3:8,9).
So, when it comes to the
evangel of the Uncircumcision, it is revealed that the works, of total
commitment and obedience to God’s will, have already been fully
accomplished by Jesus Christ. In this evangel there is no place for works
by
the sinner to secure his salvation. Salvation is declared to be entirely
of God.
Act.13:39
and from all from which you could not be justified in the law of Moses,
in this One everyone
who is believing is being justified.
Rom.3:24 Being
justified gratuitously in His grace,
through the deliverance
which is in Christ Jesus
Rom.3:27,28
Where, then, is boasting? It is debarred!
Through what law? Of works?
No!
But through faith's law.
For we are reckoning a man
to be justified by faith apart from works of law.
Abraham is also used
as an example to demonstrate this contrasting principle to those people
of Israel who now had come under the umbrella of the evangel of
the Uncircumcision, preached through Paul.
Rom.4:1-4
What, then, shall we declare that Abraham,
our forefather, according
to flesh, has found?
For if Abraham was justified
by acts,
he has something
to boast in, but not toward God.
For what is the scripture
saying?
Now "Abraham believes God,
and it is reckoned to him for righteousness."
Now to the worker, the wage
is not reckoned as a favor, but as a debt.
Yet to him who is not
working,
yet is believing on Him
Who is justifying the irreverent,
his faith is reckoned
for righteousness.
Rom.4:9-11 …For
we are saying, "To Abraham faith is reckoned for righteousness."
How then, is it reckoned?
Being in circumcision or uncircumcision?
Not in circumcision, but
in uncircumcision.
And he obtained the sign
of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness
of the faith which was in uncircumcision,
for him to be the father
of all those who are believing through uncircumcision,
for righteousness to be
reckoned to them,
But this does not mean that
the believer may now sit back and enjoy the scenery. There are works
to be done - but only as a result, or by-product of a possessed
salvation.
Eph.2:10
For His achievement are we,
being created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
which God makes ready
beforehand, that we should be walking
in them.
The determination to do such
works and the performance of them, both, come from God’s leading.
Phil.2:12,13
So that, my beloved, according as you always obey,
not as in my presence only,
but now much rather in my absence,
with fear and trembling,
be carrying your own salvation into effect,
for it is God Who
is operating in you
to will as well as
to
work for the sake of His delight.
1Cor.3:5-7 What,
then, is Apollos? Now what is Paul?
Servants are they, through
whom you believe, and as the Lord gives to each.
I plant, Apollos irrigates,
but God makes it grow up.
So that, neither is he who
is planting anything, nor he who is irrigating,
but God Who makes
it grow up.
1Cor.15:10 Yet,
in the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace, which is
in me, did not come to be for naught,
but more exceedingly than
all of them toil I--yet not I,
but the grace of God
which is with me.
2Cor.12:9,10
And He has protested to me,
"Sufficient for you is My
grace, for My power in infirmity is being perfected."
With the greatest relish,
then, will I rather be glorying in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ
should
be tabernacling over me.
Wherefore I delight in infirmities,
in outrages, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses,
for Christ's sake, for,
whenever I may be weak,
then I am powerful.
And, the loving Father that
He is, as if such display of grace upon grace is a little too little, God
even gives rewards for good performance and service!
1Cor.3:8,9
Now he who is planting and he who is irrigating are for one thing.
Yet each will be getting
his own wages according to his own
toil.
For God's fellow workers
are we. God's farm, God's building, are you.
1Cor.3:10-15
According to the grace of God which is being granted to me,
as a wise foreman I lay
a foundation, yet another is building on it.
Yet let each one
beware how he is building on it.
For other foundation can
no one lay beside that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
Now if anyone is building
on this foundation
gold and silver, precious
stones, wood, grass, straw,
each one's work will
become apparent,
For the day will make it
evident, for it is being revealed by fire.
And the fire, it will be
testing each one's work--what kind it is.
If anyone's work will be
remaining which he builds on it, he will get
wages.
If anyone's work shall be
burned up, he will forfeit it,
yet he shall be saved,
yet thus, as through fire.
Where the Circumcision must
continue to ‘watch and pray’ to be counted worthy to escape God’s indignation,
Lk.21:36
Now be vigilant, on every occasion beseeching
that you may be prevailing
to escape all these things which are about to occur,
and to stand in front of
the Son of Mankind.
Mt.24:40-42
Then two shall be in the field; one is taken along and one left:
two grinding at the millstone;
one
is
taken along and one left.
Be watching, then,
for you are not aware on what day your Lord is coming.
For the Uncircumcision, though
they are advised and encouraged to be vigilant, they will not face
God’s indignation even if they fail to do so!
1Thes.5:6
Consequently, then, we may not be drowsing, even as the rest,
but we may be watching
and
be
sober.
1Thes.5:8 Yet
we, being of the day, may be sober,
putting on the cuirass of
faith
and love,
and the helmet, the expectation
of salvation,
1Thes.5:9,10
for God did not appoint us to indignation,
but to the procuring
of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for our
sakes, that, whether we may be watching
or drowsing,
we should be living
at the same time together with Him.
Under this evangel, then,
grace is truly grace. It is completely free of attachment
to any qualifying response or to works of any sort! And, very importantly,
it really does not depend on our faith at all (Eph.2:8-10)!
Rom.11:6 Now
if it is in grace, it is no longer out of works,
else the grace is coming
to be no longer grace.
Now, if it is out of works,
it is no longer grace,
else the work is no longer
work.
Rom.4:4,5 Now
to the worker, the wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as a debt.
Yet to him who is not
working,
yet is believing
on Him Who is justifying the irreverent,
his faith is reckoned for
righteousness.
Rom.3:28 ...For
we are reckoning a man to be justified by faith
apart from works of law.
This is clear in the case of
Paul who humbly and readily admits to the effect of grace.
1Tim.1:13,14
I, who formerly was a calumniator and a persecutor and an outrager:
but I was shown mercy, seeing
that I do it being ignorant, in
unbelief.
Yet the grace of
our Lord overwhelms, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
For those of the Circumcision,
salvation is strictly contingent upon a
continued state of repentance
- a continuing worthy walk in works, and willful deviations could
draw upon themselves God’s indignation and condemnation.
This is clearly the case in the incident involving Ananias and his wife
Sapphira (Act.5:1-11). This principle is enunciated thus,
Heb.6:4-6
For it is impossible for those once enlightened,
besides tasting the celestial
gratuity and becoming partakers of holy spirit,
and tasting the ideal declaration
of God,
besides the powerful deeds
of the impending eon, and falling aside,
to be renewing them again
to repentance
while crucifying for themselves
the Son of God again
and holding Him up to infamy.
2Pet.2:20,21
For if, while fleeing from the defilements of the world
by the recognition of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
yet, being again involved
in these, they are being discomfited,
their last state has become
worse
than the first.
For it were better
for them not to have recognized the way of righteousness, than,
recognizing it, to go back to what was behind,
from the holy precept given
over to them.
Heb.10:26-31
...at our sinning voluntarily after obtaining the recognition of the truth,
it is no longer leaving
a sacrifice concerned with sins,
but a certain fearful
waiting for judging and fiery jealousy,
about to be eating the hostile.
Anyone repudiating Moses'
law is dying without pity
on the testimony of two
or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment,
are you supposing,
will he be counted worthy
who tramples on the Son of God,
and deems the blood of the
covenant by which he is hallowed contaminating,
and outrages the spirit
of grace?
For we are acquainted with
Him Who is saying,
Mine is vengeance! I will
repay! the Lord is saying,
and again, "The Lord will
be judging His people"
Fearful is it to
be falling into the hands of the living God!
It is different for the Uncircumcision
where, because of grace, there is even more grace dispensed.
Rom.5:17 For
if, by the offense of the one, death reigns through the one,
much rather, those obtaining
the
superabundance of grace
and the gratuity
of righteousness
shall be reigning in life
through the One, Jesus Christ.
Rom.5:20,21
…Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds,
that, even as Sin reigns
in death,
thus Grace also should be
reigning through righteousness,
for life eonian, through
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Under this evangel Scripture
declares that
Rom.8:1
Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus….
1Cor.6:12 All
is allowed me, but not all is expedient.
All is allowed me, but I
will not be put under its authority by anything.
1Cor.10:23 All
is allowed me, but not all is expedient.
All is allowed me,
but not all is edifying.
1Cor.10:31 Then,
whether you are eating or drinking, or anything you are doing,
do all for the glory
of God.
1Cor.10:32,33
And become not a stumbling block
to Jews as well as to Greeks
and to the ecclesia of God,
according as I also am pleasing
all in all things,
not seeking my own
expedience, but that of the many, that they may be saved.
God’s Righteousness
through Christ’s Faith
It is God’s righteousness
that counts, not ours. Jesus Christ displayed complete trust in
God - even to the dying on the cross for, on behalf of, as the
representative of, all creation which He is responsible
for bringing into existence.
This exemplary faith of Christ
qualified all whom He represented, which includes all humanity,
for God’s blessing. Because of this faith of Christ, God
is now ready to graciously bestow His Own righteousness on everyone - but
each at the proper time and according to His schedule! And in the
message Paul was given to dispense, this is very clearly the core of the
evangel!
In the evangel of the Uncircumcision,
because of the faith Jesus Christ demonstrated in His obedience
unto death, God’s righteousness is clearly for all - for all have
sinned. But His righteousness is, for this era, only on all who
are
believing. So, our believing God’s evangel is actually a sign that
His
righteousness
is
applied to us, and that we are saved. This faith in God and in Christ,
therefore, is not
self-generated. It is God’s gift to those
He is calling through this evangel. It is a token of His goodwill
towards them. It is the first step being taken by either estranged
party, God and the sinner, towards the sinner’s salvation - and it is taken
by GOD! And its effect is instantaneous!
Gal.3:8,9
Now the scripture,
perceiving before
that God is justifying the nations by faith,
brings before an
evangel to Abraham, that
In you shall all the
nations be blessed.
So that those of faith
are being blessed together with believing Abraham.
Rom.4:2-5 For
if Abraham was justified by acts,
he has something to boast
in, but not toward God.
For what is the scripture
saying?
Now "Abraham believes
God,
and it is reckoned to him for righteousness."
Now to the worker, the wage
is not reckoned as a favor, but as a debt.
Yet to him who is not working,
yet is believing on Him
Who is justifying the irreverent,
his faith is reckoned for
righteousness. [cp. Jas.2:20-24]
2Cor.5:7 for
by
faith are we walking, not by perception,
What is this faith that we show
in God, now that He has applied Christ's faith in Him to us? Just like
Abraham of old, we assume, we take for granted, that whatever
God
says will happen, will
actually come to pass. We are sure
of its occurrence even though it may lie either in the spiritual plane
or in the future which we cannot see - simply because God says it!
Rom.4:16-22
…according as it is written that, A father of many nations
have I appointed you--facing
which, he believes it of the God
Who is vivifying the dead
and calling what is not as if it were--
who, being beyond
expectation, believes in expectation,
for him to become the father
of many nations,
according to that which
has been declared, "Thus shall be your seed."
And, not being infirm in
faith, he considers his body, already deadened
(being inherently somewhere
about a hundred years)
and the deadening of the
matrix of Sarah,
yet the promise of God was
not doubted in unbelief,
but he was invigorated
by faith, giving glory to God,
being fully assured
also, that, what He has promised, He is able to do also….
Heb.11:1 Now
faith is an assumption of what is being
expected,
a conviction concerning
matters which are not being observed;
Rom.1:16,17
For not ashamed am I of the evangel,
for it is God's power
for salvation to everyone who is believing—
to the Jew first, and to
the Greek as well.
For in it God's righteousness
is being revealed, out of faith for faith,
according as it is written:
"Now the just one by faith shall be living."
Eph.1:13,14
In Whom you also--
on hearing the word
of truth, the evangel of your salvation--
in Whom on believing
also, you are sealed with the holy spirit of promise
(which is an earnest
of
the enjoyment of our allotment,
to the deliverance of
that which has been procured) for the laud of His glory!
Phil.2:5-8 [Christ]
Who, being inherently in the form of God,
deems it not pillaging to
be equal with God,
nevertheless empties Himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming to be in the likeness
of humanity,
and, being found in fashion
as
a human, He humbles Himself,
becoming obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
Rom.3:21-23
Yet now, apart from law,
a righteousness of
God is manifest
[ dikaiosunê theou… ]
(being attested by the law
and the prophets),
yet a righteousness of God
through
Jesus Christ's faith,
for all, and
on all who are
believing,
for there is no distinction,
for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God.
Eph.2:8,9 For
in grace, through faith, are you saved,
and this is not out
of you; it is God's approach present,
not of works, lest anyone
should be boasting.
Rom.3:24 Being
justified gratuitously in His grace,
through the deliverance
which is in Christ Jesus
[ dia tês apolutröseös
tês en Christö Iêsou ]
Rom.3:26 toward
the display of His righteousness in the current era,
for Him to be just
and a Justifier of the one
who is of the faith of Jesus.
[ …ek pisteös Iêsou ]
Gal.2:15,16
having perceived that a man is not being justified by works of law,
except alone through the
faith of Christ Jesus,
[ …dia pisteös Christou Iêsou ]
we also believe in
Christ Jesus
[ eis Christon Iêsoun episteusamen ]
that we may be justified
by the faith of Christ
[ …ek pisteös Christou ]
and not by works of law,
[ kai ouk ex ergön nomou]
seeing that by works of
law shall no flesh at all be justified.
Gal.3:22 But
the scripture locks up all together under sin,
that the promise out
of Jesus Christ's faith
[ …ek pisteös Iêsou Christou ]
may be given to those
who are believing.
Eph.3:11,12
in accord with the purpose of the eons,
which He makes in Christ
Jesus, our Lord;
in Whom we have boldness
and access with confidence,
through His faith
[ dia tês pisteös autou]
Phil.3:7-11
But things which were gain to me,
these I have deemed a forfeit
because of Christ.
But, to be sure, I am also
deeming all to be a forfeit
because of the superiority
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord,
because of Whom I forfeited
all, and am deeming it to be refuse,
that I should be gaining
Christ, and may be found in Him,
not having my righteousness,
which is of law,
but that which is through
the faith of Christ,
[ …dia pisteös Christou ]
the righteousness which
is from God for faith:
to know Him, and the power
of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His
sufferings, conforming to His death, …
The Word Of The Cross
Israel had deliberately rejected
her Messiah (Jn.1:11; 19:15). Yet He is the prophet their illustrious Moses
had promised would come (Act.3:22,23). He is the One Whom God has determined
under Whose name salvation is effected (Act.4:12).
To the Circumcision believers,
Jesus Christ is their promised Messiah as well as the Bridegroom
Who had come to finalise arrangements and to prepare them, the bride
ecclesia, for the wedding at the end of this eon. He is the Lamb of
God Whom they could readily associate with the Passover sacrifice.
He has revealed grace and truth and enhanced the spiritual intent of the
law. He would soon be coming down in glory
to restore the kingdom to
Israel and to establish her supremacy on the earth. He was a Jew -
He is one of their own people. And though the nation of Israel, as a whole,
rejected Him, these called out individuals of the nation are His faithful
followers.
In the evangel of the Circumcision,
preached by the twelve, the fact of the crucifixion of Christ is used to
lay the guilt of the ignorance and hardness of heart on the people of Israel
(cf. Act.2:23; 3:17,18; 5:30,31; 7:51,52). This was accompanied by a call
to repentance from their pride and stubbornness.
Act.2:36
Let all the house of Israel know certainly, then,
that God makes Him Lord
as well as Christ—
this Jesus Whom you
crucify.
The main emphasis of this evangel
is on an acceptance of Jesus as their promised Messiah and as the Lamb
offered in sacrifice for them. It entailed a turning back to God through
a resumption, on a higher, spiritual level, of faithful observance of the
law.
Jesus, speaking to the twelve
apostles, marks the event as a crucial point in His work of drawing all
men to Himself (Jn.12:32). But, without any elaboration, and given in the
context and environment of His ministry to the lost sheep, the scope of
the actual implications of this statement was not grasped by the
apostles. To them, His soul is ‘a ransom’ (Mt.20:28), and a ‘laying down’
(Jn.10:15) for them. His blood ‘buys’ them for God (2Pet.2:1; Rev.5:9,10;
14:3). They do not deal in any detail with the effects of the crucifixion
outside
of the people of Israel.
The evangel of the Circumcision
is based on the covenant God made with Israel. In spite of the wayward
ways of Israel, God will see to their welfare, even instituting a new and
an even better covenant with them (Heb.8:6-13), because of His love for
the patriarchs to whom He had given His oath to this effect (Rom.11:26-29).
The cross of Christ opens the way to a resumption of this covenantal
relationship.
On the other hand, the word
of the cross is the evangel of the Uncircumcision. It is what is
involved, what is at stake, for the rest of creation in the crucifixion,
that forms the core of the evangel of the Uncircumcision. It is the basis,
the crux, and the
focus of God’s gracious present operation
which effectively opens the door to all of creation (Eph.1:10-12)!
The law has no inherent capability
to impart power to enable the individual to observe it correctly.
It is an entirely different
case with the evangel addressed to us. It announces the good news
of what God has done, is doing, and
will
bring to a completion, all through Christ. Most significantly, it
is the power of God for salvation, enabling the called to
believe
the message!
Rom.8:3,4
For what was impossible to the law,
in which it was infirm
through the flesh,
did God,
sending His own Son in the likeness of sin's flesh and concerning sin,
He condemns sin in the flesh,
that the just requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us,
who are not walking in accord
with flesh, but in accord with spirit.
Rom.1:16,17
For not ashamed am I of the evangel,
for it is God's power
for salvation to everyone who is believing—
to the Jew first, and to
the Greek as well.
For in it God's righteousness
is being revealed, out of faith for faith,
according as it is written:
"Now the just one by faith shall be living."
This evangel demonstrates God's
righteousness and the efficacy of Jesus Christ's faith - not man's
righteousness through his efforts to believe and obey (cf.Phil.3:9)!
Where salvation is concerned, it gives absolutely no weight at all to man's
attempts to contribute to its application!
Rom.3:21-23
Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness
of God is manifest
(being attested by the law
and the prophets),
yet a righteousness of God
through
Jesus Christ's faith,
for all, and on all
who are believing,
for there is no distinction,
for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God.
Eph.2:8,9 For
in
grace,
through
faith, are you saved,
and this is not out of you;
it is God's approach
present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.
Paul emphasises this principle
in the evangel. According to human standards, Paul's status, upbringing,
character, enthusiastic efforts and fervent application to Judaism, would
have placed him among the top in traditional Judaism (Phil.3:4-8). He would
have been a luminary in any religion for that matter. But all these 'qualifications'
he considers refuse compared to what he now realises.
Phil.3:9-11
and may be found in Him, not having my righteousness, which is of law,
but that which is through
the
faith of Christ,
the righteousness which
is from God for faith:
to know Him, and the power
of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His
sufferings, conforming to His death,
if somehow I should be attaining
to the resurrection that is out from among the dead.
Rom.3:24,25
Being justified gratuitously in His grace,
through the deliverance
which is in Christ Jesus
(Whom God purposed
for a Propitiatory shelter, through faith in His blood,
for a display of His righteousness
because of the passing over
of the penalties of sins which occurred before
in the forbearance of God),
The fact is that the whole sacrificial
system of Israel was a symbol of the reality of Christ's paramount sacrifice,
the shedding of His blood in death. This was a very clear principle to
the apostles.
Heb.9:22 And
almost all is being cleansed in blood according to the law,
and apart from bloodshedding
is coming no pardon.
Heb.10:4
for it is impossible
for the blood of bulls and
of he-goats to be eliminating sins.
The sacrifice of Christ has
an even greater significance for the ecclesia which is His body.
It expresses to what extent Christ went to present her to Himself as a
glorious, holy, and flawless, complement (Eph.1:22,23)!
Eph.5:25-27
…Christ also loves the ecclesia,
and gives Himself up for
its sake, that He should be hallowing it,
cleansing it in the
bath of the water (with His declaration),
that He should be presenting
to Himself a glorious ecclesia,
not having spot or wrinkle
or any such things,
but that it may be holy
and flawless.
Col.1:21,22
And you,
being once estranged
and enemies in comprehension, by wicked acts,
yet now He reconciles
by His body of flesh, through His death,
to present you holy and
flawless and unimpeachable in His sight,
The word of the cross emphasises
the sacrifice acceptable to God. It asserts that Jesus was put to death
because
of our offences and that He was roused because of our justifying
(Rom.4:25).
Rom.5:9-11
Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood,
we shall be saved from indignation,
through Him.
For if, being enemies,
we were conciliated
to God through the death of His Son, much rather,
being conciliated, we shall
be saved in His life. Yet not only so,
but we are glorying also
in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ,
through Whom we now
obtained the conciliation.
2Cor.5:21 For
the One not knowing sin, He makes to be
sin for our
sakes
that we may be becoming
God's righteousness in Him.
Gal.2:20 With
Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living;
no longer I, but living
in me is Christ.
Now that which I am now
living in flesh,
I am living in faith that
is of the Son of God,
Who loves me, and
gives Himself up for me.
Gal.6:14,15
Now may it not be mine to be boasting,
except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world
has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything,
but a new creation.
Eph.2:13-18
Yet now, in Christ Jesus,
you, who once are far off,
are become near by the blood of Christ.
For He is our Peace, Who
makes both one,
and razes the central wall
of the barrier (the enmity in His flesh),
nullifying the law of precepts
in decrees, that
He should be creating the
two, in Himself, into one new humanity,
making peace;
and should be reconciling
bothin
one body to God through the cross,
killing the enmity in
it.
And, coming, He brings the
evangel of peace to you, those afar,
and peace to those near,
for through Him we both
have had access, in one spirit, to the Father.
Rom.6:1-10 …We,
who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?
…whoever are baptized into
Christ Jesus, are baptized into His death?
We… were entombed together
with
Him through baptism into death,…
…we have become planted
together in the likeness of His death,…
…our old humanity was
crucified together with Him,
that the body of Sin may
be nullified,…
for one who dies has
been justified from Sin.
…we died together
with Christ,…
for in that He died, He
died to Sin once for all time,
Rom.5:6 For
Christ, while we are still infirm, still
in accord with the era,
for the sake of the
irreverent, died.
Rom.5:8 yet
God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that,
while we are still
sinners,
Christ died for our sakes.
Rom.5:10 ...being
enemies, we were conciliated to God
through the death of
His Son,
Gal.3:22 But
the scripture locks up all together under sin,
that the promise out
of Jesus Christ's faith
may be given to those
who are believing.
Rom.5:11 Yet
not only so, but we are glorying also in God,
through our Lord, Jesus
Christ,
through Whom we now obtained
the conciliation.
1Cor.6:11 …but
you are bathed off, but you are hallowed,
but you were justified
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the spirit of our
God.
Eph.2:13 Yet
now, in Christ Jesus, you,
who once are far off, are
become near by the blood of Christ.
The word of the cross is so
complete and so empowered by God, that Paul advances it without any affected
eloquence or contrived embellishments - preaching just what the cross signifies
and what it can effect.
1Cor.1:17-25
For Christ does not commission me to be baptizing,
but to be bringing the
evangel,
not in wisdom of word, lest
the
cross of Christ may be made void.
For the word of the cross
is stupidity, indeed, to those who are perishing,
yet to us who are being
saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, I shall
be destroying the wisdom of the wise,
and the understanding of
the intelligent shall I be repudiating.
Where is the wise? Where
is the scribe? Where is the discusser of this eon?
Does not God make stupid
the wisdom of this world? For
since, in fact, in the
wisdom of God, the world through wisdom knew not God,
God delights, through the
stupidity of the heralding,
to save those who are
believing,
since, in fact, Jews signs
are requesting, and Greeks wisdom are seeking,
yet we are heralding
Christ crucified,
to Jews, indeed, a snare,
yet to the nations stupidity,
yet to those who are called,
both Jews and Greeks,
Christ, the power of
God and the wisdom of God,
for the stupidity of God
is wiser than men,
and the weakness of God
is stronger than men.
1Cor.2:1,2 And
I, coming to you, brethren,
came not with superiority
of word or of wisdom,
announcing to you the testimony
of God,
for I decide not to perceive
anything among you
except Jesus Christ and
Him
crucified.
1Cor.2:3-5 I
came to be with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling,
and my word and my heralding
were not with the
persuasive words of human wisdom,
but with demonstration of
spirit and of power,
that your faith may not
be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
2Cor.2:17 For
we are not as the majority, who are
peddling
the word of
God,
but as of sincerity, but
as of God,
in the sight of God in Christ,
are we speaking.
.
Tit.1:10,11
For many are insubordinate, vain praters and imposters,
especially those of the
Circumcision, who must be gagged,
who are subverting whole
households,
teaching what they must
not, on behalf of sordid gain.
2Cor.4:2 But
we spurn the hidden things of shame, not
walking in craftiness,
nor yet adulterating
the word of God, but, by manifestation of the truth,
commending ourselves to
every man's conscience in God's sight.
In this evangel, preached by
Paul, God bares His hitherto hidden intentions and profound secrets concerning
humanity, and concerning creation as a whole. He declares that His words
are truth, that Scripture must be fulfilled. To this end, and knowing the
mind-set of humanity, He achieves His intentions
either by providing
information,
or by withholding it.
Eph.3:10,11
that now may be made known
to the sovereignties and
the authorities among the celestials,
through the ecclesia, the
multifarious wisdom of God,
in accord with the purpose
of the eons, which He makes in Christ Jesus, our Lord;
1Cor.2:6-8 Yet
wisdom are we speaking among the mature,
yet a wisdom not of this
eon,
neither of the chief
men of this eon, who are being discarded,
but we are speaking God's
wisdom in a secret,
wisdom which has been
concealed,
which God designates
before--before the eons, for our glory,
which not one of the chief
men of this eon knows,
for if they know,
they would not crucify the Lord of glory.
The fact is that every incident,
every event, in Christ's life on earth, was foreordained, in detail, by
God in accord with His intentions, to achieve His purpose.
Every prophecy must be fulfilled, every prophecy will be
fulfilled! We must realise that God would have spoken in vain
if any of His unconditional prophecies do not come true!
Isa.55:11
My word which shall fare forth from My mouth.
It shall not return to Me
empty, but rather,
it does that which
I
desire,
and prospers in that for which I sent it.
Mt.26:54 How,
then, may the scriptures be fulfilled, seeing that thus it must
occur?
Act.2:23 This
One, given up in the specific counsel and foreknowledge of God,
you, gibbeting by the hand
of the lawless, assassinate,
Act.4:27,28
For of a truth, in this city
were gathered against Thy
holy Boy Jesus, Whom Thou dost anoint,
both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the nations
and the peoples of Israel,
to do whatever Thy hand
and Thy counsel designates beforehand to occur.
Paul was given the privilege
of completing God's revelation with regard to time and space (Col.1:24-27).
Things hinted at earlier, find clarification. Things never before revealed,
are announced.
It must be borne in mind
that, though those in the ecclesia which is the body of Christ are enjoyers
of the blessings of Christ’s work, they are only a small part of
the totality of beneficiaries.
The word of the cross is
an evangel that affects the whole of creation! The fact is that
Jesus Christ died on the cross for all mankind - whether the individual
knows it or not, and whether the individual accepts it or not!
Not only is Jesus God’s appointed (the meaning of 'Christ') Mediator,
as the One Who brought creation into being He is also mankind’s
Mediator - even though the world itself is blithely unaware of what is
taking place.
Here is really good news
of God’s blessing that is not restricted only to the people of Israel,
both Jews and proselytes, but is for the benefit of all men.
2Cor.5:14
For the love of Christ is constraining us, judging this, that,
if One died for the sake
of all, consequently all died.
1Tim.2:5-7 For
there is one God,
and one Mediator of God
and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus,
Who is giving Himself a
correspondent Ransom for all
(the testimony in its own
eras),
for which I was appointed
a herald and an apostle
(I am telling the truth,
I am not lying),
a teacher of the nations
in knowledge and truth.
Jn.1:10 In the
world He was, and the world came into being through Him,
and the world knew Him not.
2Cor.5:16-20
Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through
Christ,
and is giving us the dispensation
of the conciliation,
how that God was in Christ,
conciliating the world to Himself,
not reckoning their offenses
to them,
and placing in us the word
of the conciliation.
For Christ, then, are we
ambassadors, as of God entreating through us.
We are beseeching for Christ's
sake, "Be conciliated to God!"
Col.1:20 and
through Him to reconcile all to Him
(making peace through
the blood of His cross),
through Him, whether those
on
the earth or those in the heavens.
Adam, created first, is the
head of all mankind. Mankind is mortal, impotent to hold on to life for
long. But, in Jesus Christ there is a new creation (2Cor.5:17).
This new order of mankind, of which He is the Head, is to be vivified
- made immortal, incorruptible (1Cor.15:20-28). And so, as
each one
of mankind comes to be in Christ, according to God’s pre-determination,
that
human is guaranteed deliverance from mortality and corruption and
the ravages of sin.
Just as no one chose
to be part of the present creation under Adam, no one has a choice
of becoming part of the new creation in Christ. Adam disobeyed,
so all suffer the consequences with no personal choice in the
matter. Christ obeyed, so will all
enjoy the consequences
- again, with no personal choice in the matter! In both cases,
it is entirely of God’s determination and operation.
Rom.5:18
Consequently, then,
as it was
through one
offense for all mankind for condemnation,
thus also it is
through one
just award for all mankind for life's justifying.
Rom.5:19 For
even
as,
through the
disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners,
thus also,
through the
obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.
1Cor.15:21 For
since, in fact, through a man came death,
through a Man, also,
comes the resurrection of the dead.
Rom.3:21-23 Yet
now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest
(being attested by the law
and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God
through Jesus Christ's
faith,
[dia pisteös Iêsou Christou]
for all, and on
all who are believing, for there is no distinction,
for all sinned and
are wanting of the glory of God.
Gal.3:22 But
the scripture locks up all together under sin,
that the promise out
of Jesus Christ's faith
[…ek pisteös Iêsou Christou]
may be given to those who
are believing.
From the passages above, it
is absolutely clear that our faith in Christ is not the factor for
consideration in the demonstration of God’s righteousness in our
salvation! If we could, by ourselves, actually generate this faith in Christ
it would only demonstrate our righteousness, not God’s! If
Jesus Christ had not demonstrated His faith in God, the faith
of all the people in the world placed in Him would be of no avail
in the matter of salvation! We must remember the basic principle:
Jn.6:44 No
one can come to Me
if ever the Father
Who sends Me should not be drawing him….
Jn.6:65 And
He said, "Therefore have I declared to you that
no one can be coming
to Me if it should not be given him of the Father."
It is God’s goodness
that is shown in the drawing and in the giving! So it is not our
faith that saves us. Scripture insists that it is Christ’s faith
that counts. Our faith in Christ is the evidence that God has called
us and has given us, through the opening of our minds, to
believe His testimony that Jesus is His Son Whom He sent to
act on our behalf and that, therefore, we are saved!
To those of the Uncircumcision,
then, it is disclosed that Christ Jesus is the one and only Mediator Who
reconciles every one of mankind, which includes each one of them,
to God. The word of the cross relates His suffering and death to this
universal salvation.
This word of the cross declares
in no uncertain terms, once and for all time, the utter ineptitude and
inadequacy of mankind to save itself
(1Cor.1:25; 3:19) and details
a demonstration, to the whole of creation, of the ‘multifarious wisdom’
and righteousness of God (Rom.6:10,11; 8:3,4).
As it discards out of hand
man’s self-righteousness and his self-rated intelligence (2Tim.1:8-11;
Tit.3:3-7) as totally ineffective and incapable, and even unwanted
in the matter of salvation, the word of the cross is a terrible blow to
man’s ostentatious efforts and is, therefore, strenuously opposed by those,
both of Israel and of the nations, whom God is not yet calling (Rom.11:28;
Gal.5:11,12; 6:12,13; Phil.3:18,19).
The Gift Of Holy Spirit
Where for the Circumcision
the gift of holy spirit is conditioned upon repentance and baptism in water
(Act.2:38), for the Uncircumcision there are NO conditions set.
Instead, the gift of the spirit is instantaneous with the belief in the
message of salvation through Christ! At that point they are sealed, marked
as God's property, and given God’s guarantee of deliverance!
Eph.1:13,14
In Whom you also--on hearing the word of truth,
the evangel of your
salvation—
in Whom on believing
also,
you are sealed with
the holy spirit of promise
(which is an earnest
of the enjoyment of our allotment,
to the deliverance of
that which has been procured)
for the laud of His glory!
Eph.4:30 And
do not be causing sorrow to the holy spirit of God
by which you are sealed
for the day of deliverance.
2Cor.1:21,22
…He Who is confirming us together with you in Christ,
and anoints us, is
God,
Who also seals us
and is giving the earnest of the spirit in our hearts.
This sealing of the spirit
is not a factor in God’s scheme for the Circumcision. For believers
of the Circumcision, holy spirit was not permanently resident in the individual
but came on them, filled them, and remained with them - just as long as
each individual continued to be a fit resting place.
1Pet.4:14
If you are being reproached in the name of Christ, happy are you,
for the spirit of glory
and power, and that of God, has come to rest on you.
Scripture asserts that, for
the Uncircumcision, God’s spirit not only seals but even makes its home
in believers and it is the permanent presence of this spirit that
ensures
their vivification when they will be immortal and incorruptible.
Rom.8:9-11
Yet you are not in flesh, but in spirit,
if so be that God's spirit
is making its home in you.
Now if anyone has not Christ's
spirit, this one is not His.
Now if Christ is in you,
the body, indeed, is dead because of sin,
yet the spirit is life
because of righteousness.
Now if the spirit of Him
Who rouses Jesus from among the dead
is making its home
in you,
He Who rouses Christ Jesus
from among the dead
will also be vivifying
your mortal bodies
because of His spirit
making
its home in you.
1Cor.3:16 Are
you not aware that you are a temple of God
and the spirit of God is
making
its home in you?
2Tim.1:14 The
ideal thing committed to you,
guard through the holy spirit
which is making its home in us.
1Cor.6:19 …are
you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you,
which you have from God,
and you are not your own?
God’s Family
Where only those of
the Circumcision, including proselytes, had been given to understand that,
since the time of Jesus’ coming in the flesh, the only approach to God
is through His Christ, now this fact is
also revealed to
those of the nations.
Where only to the Circumcision
believers out of Israel God gives the right to become sons of God
(Jn.1:12) the Uncircumcision believers out of the nations are, instantly,
sons of God. They now
have the privilege of being in God’s family
and a part of the 'many brethren' of God's Son (Rom.8:29)!
1Jn.5:19,20
We are aware that we are of God, and ….
we are aware that the Son
of God is arriving,
and has given us a comprehension,
that we know the True One,
and we are in
the True One, in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This One is the true God
and life eonian.
Rom.8:14-18
For whoever are being led by God's spirit, these are sons of God.
For you did not get slavery's
spirit to fear again,
but you got the spirit
of sonship, in which we are crying, "Abba, Father!"
The spirit itself is testifying
together with our spirit that we are children of God.
Yet if children, enjoyers
also of an allotment,
enjoyers, indeed, of anallotment
from God, yet joint enjoyers of Christ's allotment,
if so be that we are suffering
together, that we should be glorified together also.
For I am reckoning that
the sufferings of the current era
do not deserve the glory
about to be revealed for us.
Gal.4:6,7 Now,
seeing that you are sons,
God delegates the spirit
of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!"
So that you are no longer
a slave, but a son.
Now if a son, an enjoyer
also of an allotment from God, through Christ.
Eph.2:18-22
for through Him we both have had access,
in one spirit, to
the Father.
Consequently, then, no
longer are you guests and sojourners,
but are fellow-citizens
of the saints and belong to God's family,
being built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets,
the capstone of the corner
being Christ Jesus Himself,
in Whom the entire building,
being connected together,
is growing into a holy temple
in the Lord:
in Whom you, also, are being
built together for God's dwelling place, in spirit.
August 2001
Back to:
....Main
menu of articles
....Section
1 - Introduction
..........................The
Advent of Jesus Christ
....Section
2 - The Promise of Holy Spirit
..........................Mankind
in Need of God
....Section
3 - A New Operation
.......................
.
The Law
Proceed to:
....Section
5a - The Body of Christ
....Section
5b - The Body of Christ
....Section
6 - Conclusion
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