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FAQ ON PRAYER
Questions 4 & 5


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QUESTIONS 4 & 5

Note: The questions below are both addressed in the following answer.
 

What Place Has Jesus Christ In Our Prayers?
Why Pray In His Name And No Other?

To answer these queries we need to establish the position Jesus Christ has with regard to all of creation and the relationship He has with God and with the whole of that creation.
 

The Logos 

Prior to His coming in flesh, the Original, the Beginning, of God's creation is identified in Scripture as the Word, or the Expression, as the Greek Logos may be more exactly rendered. By God's design and appointment He is the Image of the invisible God. He is both the Representation and the appointed Representative of God, His Father. His, then, has been the privilege and responsibility for bringing the rest of creation into existence. His, also, is the privilege and responsibility for bringing that same creation, that has become estranged, into a grand reconciliation with God. To all of creation He speaks for the Father. Every revelation of God is through Him! 

Rev.3:14   … the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, and God's Creative Original: 

Jn.1:1-3  In the beginning was the word, and the word was toward God, 
and God was the word. 
This was in the beginning toward God. 
All came into being through it, 
and apart from it not even one thing came into being which has come into being. 

Col.1:15-17   Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature, 
for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth
the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, 
all is created through Him and for Him, 
and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him. 

2Cor.4:4  … Christ, Who is the Image of the invisible God,… 

Jn.1:14   And the Word became flesh and tabernacles among us, 
and we gaze at His glory, 
a glory as of an only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

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.

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 Son of God 

We, believers of today, are all sons of God as witnessed by His spirit which makes its home in us. The rest of mankind will attain to that privileged position at the Consummation, when God is All in all in accord with His set schedule. 

Rom.8:14-16  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. 

1Cor.15:22-28   For even as, in Adam, all are dying
thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. 
Yet each in his own class: 
     the Firstfruit, Christ; 
    thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence; 
    thereafter the consummation, 
       whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, 
       whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power….

But, only ONE is THE Son of God. At His baptism by John the baptist, and at the mount of transfiguration with Peter, James and John, God declared that Jesus is His Son, the Beloved. 
Heb.1:5  For to whom of the messengers said He at any time, 
 "My Son art Thou!  I, today, have begotten Thee"? 
And again,  "I shall be to Him for a Father and He shall be to Me for a Son"? 

Mt.3:16,17   Now, being baptized, Jesus straightway stepped up from the water, 
and lo! opened up to Him were the heavens, 
and He perceived the spirit of God descending as if a dove, and coming on Him. 
And lo! a voice out of the heavens, saying, 
"This is My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delight." 

Mt.17:4,5  ...Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is ideal for us to be here! 
If Thou art willing, I shall be making three tabernacles here, 
for Thee one, and for Moses one, and for Elijah one." 
While he is still speaking, lo! a luminous cloud overshadows them, 
and lo! a voice out of the cloud, saying, 
"This is My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delight. Hear Him!" 

Jn.3:35   The Father is loving the Son and has given all into His hand. 

Rom.1:4  concerning His Son
(Who comes of the seed of David according to the flesh, 
Who is designated Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, 
by the resurrection of the dead), Jesus Christ, our Lord,…. 

The Son's disposition is always to do the will of His Father and to bring Him all glory. When it was His Father's will that He should set aside all His God-given glory and come to earth as a human being to suffer and die for all of creation, the Son obeyed with implicit and undaunted faith in His Father! Because of this God gives Him the place of Lord over all others. 
Jn.17:1-5 These things speaks Jesus, and lifting His eyes to heaven, He said, 
"Father, come has the hour. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son should be glorifying Thee, 
according as Thou givest Him authority over all flesh, 
that everything which Thou hast given to Him, He should be giving it to them, 
even life eonian. Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God
and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ. 
"I glorify Thee on the earth, 
finishing the work which Thou hast given Me, that I should be doing it. 
"And now glorify Thou Me, Father, with Thyself, 
with the glory which I had before the world is with Thee. 

Mt.26:39  And coming forward a little, He falls on His face, praying and saying, 
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass by from Me. 
However, not as I will, but as Thou!" 

Mt.26:42  Again, coming away a second time, He prays, saying, "My Father, 
if this can not pass by from Me if I should not drink it, let Thy will be done!" 

Phil.2:5-8   For let this disposition be in you, which is in Christ Jesus also, 
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. 

Phil.2:9-11  Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, 
and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus 
every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, 
and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
for the glory of God, the Father.

And we, of the body of Christ, have this transcendent blessing of being among the first to acclaim Him as our Lord. This is a whole-hearted acknowledgement, not mere lip-service. 
1Cor.12:3  Wherefore I am making known to you 
that no one, speaking by God's spirit, is saying, "Anathema is Jesus." 
And no one is able to say "Lord is Jesus" except by holy spirit. 

1Cor.8:5,6   For even if so be that there are those being termed gods, 
whether in heaven or on earth, even as there are many gods and many lords,  nevertheless for us there is …one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is, ... 

Mt.7:21-23    "Not everyone saying to Me `Lord! Lord!' 
will be entering into the kingdom of the heavens, 
but he who is doing the will of My Father Who is in the heavens. 
Many will be declaring to Me in that day, 
`Lord! Lord! Was it not in Your name that we prophesy, 
and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many powerful deeds?' 
And then shall I be avowing to them that 
`I never knew you! Depart from Me, workers of lawlessness!'


The Saviour of the World 

In keeping with the meaning of His name Jesus, which is Yahweh-Saviour, God is saving the world through Him. Every being has come into existence through Him and He bears the responsibility for their well-being. Only He, therefore, is qualified to represent creation. He is creation's Representative just as He is God's! Therefore, when, through Adam, death became the destiny of all mankind, Jesus had to die, sinless though He is, taking on Himself the penalty due on Adam's progeny, so that all, each and every one of them, will be given life! The death of no one else in creation could suffice to set things right with a just and holy God. Scripture recognises Jesus as the one Mediator of God and of man

Rom.5:12-14  Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, 
and through sin death, 
and thus death passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned-- 
for until law sin was in the world, 
yet sin is not being taken into account when there is no law; 
nevertheless death reigns from Adam unto Moses, 
over those also who do not sin in the likeness of the transgression of Adam,… 

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. 

1Tim.1:15  Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, 
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,… 

Jn.3:16,17  For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, 
that everyone who is believing in Him 
should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. 
For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, 
but that the world may be saved through Him. 

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

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

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. 

1Tim.2:3-7  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. 
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), 

Act.4:12   And there is no salvation in any other one, for neither is there any other name, 
given under heaven among men, in which we must be saved 

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.


The Christ of God 

Christ, from the Greek Christos, which means anointed, is the Anointed One of God. In Scripture, prophets, kings and priests were anointed into office, distinguishing them, or setting them apart, from the rest of the people. The anointing is the appointment to a position to effect a particular service. Jesus, the Son of God, is set apart from the rest of creation, appointed to represent God in the affairs of creation. Christ is His title and, often, He is referred to by His title alone. He is the Christ of God (Lk.9:20). It is His office, His God-given commission, to carry into effect God's intention in all things. 

Jn.8:42  … For out of God I came forth and am arriving. 
For neither have I come of Myself, but He commissions Me. 

Act.2:36  … God makes Him Lord as well as Christ--this Jesus…

The combination of the name Jesus with the title Christ is very often used of the Son of God in the Greek Scriptures. It will be found therein that, usually, when the emphasis is on salvation, the combination Jesus Christ is used and that when the emphasis is on position or status, it is His title that is emphasised and Christ Jesus is preferred. This term is most often used in Paul's letters. 
 

The Head of the Body 

The believers of the evangel of the Uncircumcision, announced through Paul, are members of one organism, which it terms 'the body of Christ' (1Cor.12:27). Christ Jesus is recognised as 'the Head' of the ecclesia 'which is His body' (Eph.1:21). This ecclesia, a collection of called-out-ones, is looked on as 'the complement of the One completing the all in all' (Eph.1:22). All members in this ecclesia are encouraged and expected to: 

Eph.4:13   …attain to the unity of the faith and of the realization of the son of God, 
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the complement of the Christ' . 

Eph.4:15,16   Now, being true, in love we should be making all grow into Him, 
Who is the Head--Christ--  out of Whom the entire body
being articulated together and united through every assimilation of the supply, 
in accord with the operation in measure of each one's part, 
is making for the growth of the body, for the upbuilding of itself in love.

These terms of Head and body and complement are not used of the believers of the evangel of the Circumcision! This high privilege, of being members of the one body and looked on as Christ's complement is, therefore, exclusive to the evangel announced through Paul to the nations! It places us on a level no others out of all of God's creation can attain. It establishes us, in grace, in a very special relationship with Christ and, therefore, with God! 
 

The Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour 

The twelve apostles never preached a salvation apart from the promises to Israel (cf Act.2:5-40). Paul was set apart and commissioned for a different message which is meant for and directed to those out of the nations (Gal.1:15,16; Act.13:2). The moment at which we were believing when hearing the evangel concerning our salvation we were being sealed with God's holy spirit of promise, which guarantees our deliverance from death and sin. We long for this deliverance, waiting in expectation. God will send us our Saviour to deliver us from this present situation of humiliation wherein we experience weakness and corruption because of our subjection to the dictates of death and sin. 

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)… 

Rom.8:23  … we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, 
are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body. 

Phil.3:20,21  For our realm is inherent in the heavens, 
out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also, the Lord, Jesus Christ, 
Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation, to conform it to the body of His glory, 
in accord with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself.


The Firstborn among many 

Long before the world came to be created, there was the Logos, the Word, Jesus the Christ of God, in His function of bringing God's plans into reality. The wonder of it is that Scripture places us in Christ at that time! As far as God is concerned, we have been, even from then, the complement of Christ, an inherent part of Him without which He is not complete! Where is there a privilege to equal this? 

Eph.1:3-6  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, 
according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world
we to be holy and flawless in His sight, 
in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; 
in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, 
which graces us in the Beloved:
Though, elsewhere in Scripture, we are said to be sons (plural) of God, the passage above says that God designates us (plural) for the place of a son (singular) for Him. 
Eph.4:13  … that we should all attain to the unity of the faith
and of the realization of the son of God, 
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the complement of the Christ,
This passage speaks of a spiritual growth we should all strive for together, to the point of maturity where we all realise the privilege of what it is to be the son of God, together becoming a fitting complement of the Christ. 

This is difficult for many believers to picture, but it should not be. When Adam was created, Eve was already latent in him - an inherent, integral, part of Adam before she came to be herself! She is the complement of Adam, that part which makes him complete. 

Gen.2:18   And saying is Yahweh Elohim, 
"Not good is it for the human for him to be alone. 
Make for him will I a helper as his complement." 

Gen.2:21-23  And falling is a stupor on the human, caused by Yahweh Elohim, 
and he is sleeping. 
And taking is He one of his angular organs and is closing the flesh under it. 
And Yahweh Elohim is building the angular organ, which He takes from the human, 
into a woman, and bringing her is He to the human. 
And saying is the human, "This was once bone of my bones and flesh from my flesh. 
This shall be called woman, for from her man is this taken.

Taking all these considerations into account, Jesus Christ is the only One through Whom we can pray to the Father, to His God and our God! No others can fill His office. He is the one and only Mediator of God and mankind. There is no other! Period! To approach God through any other being is an outright rejection of God's appointment, and it would be sheer imbecility to expect our prayers to please Him. 
Rom.8:34,35  Who is the Condemner? 
Christ Jesus, the One dying, yet rather being roused, 
Who is also at God's right hand, Who is pleading also for our sakes? 
What shall be separating us from the love of God in Christ Jesus?…. 

1Tim.2:5  For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind
a Man, Christ Jesus, 

1Cor.8:6  … for us there is one God, the Father, out of Whom all is, and we for Him, 
and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is, and we through Him.

September 2001


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