It is important to note that Christ is not only the King who rules but also a priest:
"The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! The Lord has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'" (Psalm 110:2, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
Melchizedek, in Hebrew means, "King of righteousness". He is a type of Christ. Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek which is separated from the Old Testament Levitical Priesthood. In fact the comparison between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is linked to the different order of priesthood.
Contrast between the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Levitical Priesthood
Before we dicuss the Priesthood of Christ let me list the differences between the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Levitical Priesthood. Details are available in the Book of Hebrews, Chapters 5 and 7.
1. The Melchizedek priesthood combined priesthood and kingship. The Levitical priesthood was given to the tribe of Levi; kingship was given to the tribe Judah. Interchange was not permitted.
2. Melchizedek gave Abraham bread and wine, emblems of the New Covenant. The Levi only gave back to the Isrealites part of the sacrifices previouly received from them.
3. Melchizedek received tithe from Abraham. Levi gave tithe through Abraham.
4. Melchizedek because of an indestructible life had a permanent priesthood. Levi because of mortality of men had only a temporary priesthood.
5. Melchizedek did not come through the genealogy of Abraham. Levi was descended from Abraham.
6. Melchizedek was greater because he blessed Abraham. Levi owed their blessing to Abraham.
7. Melchizedek priesthood was perfect because he was granted direct access to God. Levitical priesthood was imperfect and their priests had no direct access to God.
8. Melchizedek became priest by the power of indestructible life. Levi became priests only on the basis of physical requirement.
9. Melchizedek was appointed with God's oath. Levi were appointed priests without an oath.
10. Melchizedek ensured a superior covenant. Levi were linked to an inferior covenant.
11. Melchizedek provided one all sufficient priest. Because of death Levitical priests were appointed again and again.
12. Priesthood of Jesus Christ was able to save completely and forever. Levitical priests could not save.
13. Jesus in the order of Melchizedek need not sacrifice for His own sin - He had none. Levitical priests had to sacrifice for their own sin first.
14. Melchizedek provided God's only perfect Son to be Priest. Levitical priesthood provided only priests with human frailty.
Superiority of the Priesthood of Christ
Hebrews Chapter 8 describes the superiority of the Priesthood of Christ. The first two verses extract the main points about Jesus as our High Priest from the foregoing elaborate comparisons (Chapter 7).
"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man" (Hebrews 8:1, 2).
Here are some points of observation:
1. Jesus as our High Priest
Jesus sat down in heavens because He had finished His Ministry on earth. He never needed to repeat His sacrifice - He Himself was the all sufficient sacrifice.
In contrast, the Levitical priests never sat down as they ministered in the Tabernacle of Moses, but always remained standing. Interestingly, the Tabernacle had no seats or chairs. They never sat down because their task was never complete. They only offered temporary sacrifice.
2. Jesus as our High Priest and King
Jesus is seated on the throne in the heavens. Only a king has the privilege to sit on a throne. Therefore Jesus is not only our High Priest but also our King.
Under the Levitical Law it was forbidden for a priest to be a king or a king to be a priest. There was an absolute line of division between priesthood and kingship.
It is interesting to note that the first time priest was mentioned in the Bible was not a Levitical priest but Melchizedek who was priest and king (Genesis 14:18). So when Jesus came, the priesthood of Melchizedek which was never mentioned again in the Old Testament, was restored in Jesus. In the Last Supper when Jesus took the bread and wine (which speak of the emblems Melchizedek offered to Abraham) and offered to His disciples, He was, in a way, saying "By this act the priesthood of Melchizedek was restored in Me. I am now both your Priest and your King".
In practical implication, as a Priest he represents us to God and sees to our interest. As a King He has the authority to get it done.
3. Jesus' Priestly Ministry
Jesus exercises His Priestly Ministry in the heavenly level. But the Levitical priests operated on the earthly level. Jesus did not take over the Levitical priesthood - He fulfills and replaces it.
4. Jesus mininsters in the true Tabernacle
The true Tabernacle in heaven where Jesus ministers was erected by God. The earthly Tabernacle where the Levitical priests ministered was a "shadow", "emblem" or "copy" of the Tabernacle in heaven. It was erected by Moses with full instructions from God.
The Function of every High Priest
The writer of Hebrews said, "For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law" (Hebrews 8:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
The unique function of every high priest, including our High Priest Jesus Christ, is to offer both gifts and sacrifices. But, Jesus Himself is both the Gift and Sacrifice for all, believers or unbelievers. In other words He offered Himself as Gift (offering) and Sacrifice (a victim) for our sake - to bring us to God.
Since it is the unique function of a priest to offer sacrifice to God, no one but a priest has the right to offer sacrifice. In other words, nobody has the right to offer sacrifice unless he is a priest. Similarly, people have no right to come to God and offer Him anything unless their offering and sacrifice are taken up by a priest. No Israelite could offer anything to God unless he was a Levitical priest. This gave tremendous power to the Levitical priests. In a certain sense a priest can either close or open the door to God!
The same is true for the New Testament priesthood. If people do not come by faith to Jesus Christ who is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1) their gifts or sacrifices will not be acceptable. People cannot put an offering in the collection box unless it goes through our High Priest. People who are not priests (unbelievers) have no right whatever to offer anything (neither gifts nor sacrifices) to God. Notice that prayer, praise and worship are all examples of our spiritual sacrifice to God. Therefore unbelievers or people who are not Christians have no right whatever to take part in Church services!
Mega-Churches and their leadership who welcome the unsaved to their Church services are all blinded from this important spiritual truth! They fail to understand that by allowing unbelievers to worship in the Local Church is the same as allowing unclean persons to minister in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Moses!
All believers are called by God as priests
The Scripture is very clear concerning the priesthood of all believers in Christ:
1. We, the Church, is a holy priesthood
"You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5, NKJV, emphasis added).
2. We, the Church, is a royal priesthood
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9, emphasis added).
3. We, the Church, is a Kingdowm of priests
"To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen" (Ravelation 1:5, 6, emphasis added).
"You (Jesus Christ) are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tonque and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9, 10, emphasis added).
Imagine what tremendous privileges believers have. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ enables us to offer sarifices and gifts to our God as priests. And as kings we shall reign with Him on earth forever!
A practical Implication
Many elders, leaders of the Local Church, including pastors, fail to understand that Christians are forbidden to ask for donations or gifts from unbelievers for the Lord's work. As we have discussed above, unbelievers who are not appointed as priests, have no right whatever to offer gifts and sacrifices to our Lord or to His work.
The apostle John wrote to a Christian brother named Gaius:
"Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles" (3 John 5 - 7, emphasis added).
Gaius did the right thing - "in a manner worthy of God" by not accepting anything from the Gentiles (unbelievers) for the Lord's work.
The Bible is consistent concerning all spiritual truths. Christians who say the Bible contradicts itself and full of grey areas, do not know God nor His Word!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
One Baptism
Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus concerning the unity in the Body of Christ:
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
Most Bible believing Christians, including renowned Bible scholars, renowned Christian book writers, believe that there are two separate baptisms - baptism of water and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They believe these are two separate experiences for Christians. To most of them baptism in the Holy Spirit is optional - only for those who want power in sharing the gospel to the unsaved.
In the context of the above passage of the Scripture "one baptism" can be interpreted in one of two ways depending on the Christian denomination. To the Baptist Christians it is water baptism by full immersion. To the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Full Gospel Christians it is baptism in the Holy Spirit and not water baptism. In fact they have a Scripture passage to support their view:
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13, NKJV).
I feel extremely uncomfortable with these different view points. Even Bible Commentaries offer different view points. Why must it be so complicated? Surely the Body of Christ is divided by different denomination beliefs. If you want to know why there is no unity in truth in the Body of Christ, this is the major reason!
This message is written after much research work using the Scripture - both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
There is only one Baptism - but with two elements
"Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor. 10:1, 2, 11, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are my observations:
1. Paul was writing to the Corinthian Christians. Clearly all those things collectively experienced by the children of Israel is a type or pattern for all Christians to follow. In other words, in general an Old Testament truth usually finds its parallel truth in the New Testament.
Someone had aptly said, "The New is in the Old contained, the Old is in the New explained; the New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed; the New is in the Old enfolded, the Old is in the New unfolded".
2. You can say there were two baptisms - in the cloud and in the sea. But significant enough Paul did not say that. He did not say that the Israelites were baptized in the cloud and then baptized in the sea. The Israelites could not choose to experience one without also experiencing the other. The two baptisms are one collective provision of God.
3. The sea is a type of water baptism; the cloud is a type of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
4. Paul said that in effect there was only one baptism in two elements - the cloud from above and the sea down into which the children of Israel went. This is the complete provision of God as far as baptism is concerned. Almost in every place in the New Testament where one baptism is mentioned the other is also mentioned. All believers mentioned in the Book of Acts were baptized in water as well as in the Holy Spirit!
Deliverance of Israel from Egypt and of believers from the world
The Bible reveals a parallel truth concerning the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the deliverance of believers from the world. We can trace three successive phases of their deliverance.
Faith in the Blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:7 - 13).
The blood of the Passover lamb started the children of Israel on their redemptive route, but it did not get them out of Egypt. If there had been nothing more than their faith in the blood of the Passover lamb, the army of Egypt would have caught up with them and taken them back into bondage again.
Similarly believers are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus:
"Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7, emphasis added).
The Blood of Jesus started believers on their redemptive journey, but it does not get them out of the world system. In other words, they are still fleshly and worldly. Though I honor the Blood of the Jesus Christ and believe it to be the only basis for my redemption, yet as a way of deliverance from the dominion of this world system and of Satan, it is not the total provision of God.
The cloud and the sea
There are two more successive experiences that brought God's people out of the area of dominion of evil forces. This is the cloud and the sea. A type of water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit have been accurately described as "in the sea" and "under or immersed in the cloud" respectively. Israel did not go down into the cloud. Instead they were immersed in the cloud. They went down into the sea. This is the clearest, most complete and accurate pattern or type from the Old Testament of the New Testament Baptism.
Final separation and deliverance
It is important to note that the final separation and deliverance from Egypt for Israel was not accomplished by the blood of the Passover lamb, nor even by the cloud, but by the sea. The sea was the the final cutoff point. The Egyptians could not follow Israel through the sea!
Therefore, the final cutoff point from the world and Satan's dominion for the New Testament believers is water baptism. It is the total provision of God to start the believers' walk in Christ in the salvation process.
Peter gave a beautiful picture of water baptism:
".... in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ ..." (1 Peter 3:20, 21).
Unless you are water baptized you have no legal right to have freedom from the oppression of demons in your Christian walk. Instead the demons have the legal right to oppress and trouble you!
In fact, in practice this is very true. You will find that when you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord and then water baptized, you would invariably experience some cutoffs. You will lose some of your non-Christian friends. You might even get cutoff from your family members. This is more so in the pagan world or non-Christian countries.
Old Testament Picture of the Cloud
The cloud was a type of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. By studying the nature of the cloud experienced by Israel in the wilderness we can directly apply it to our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Below is a series of Scripture passages that will help us to understand the functions of the Holy Spirit:
1. Exodus 13:21, 22, "And the Lord went before them (the children of Israel) by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people".
Christians must be immersed in the Holy Spirit at all times just as the Israelites were immersed in the cloud. The Lord gave His people pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to guide them.. The same is the Holy Spirit who gives light for Christians and shows them the way that they should go. They will know how to walk in the will of God.
2. Exodus 14:24, "Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians".
The Lord watched over the children of Israel just as the Holy Spirit watches over Christians and delivers and protects them from their enemies.
3. Exodus 33:7 - 11 described how Moses met with the Lord outside the main tabernacle. Moses had his own tent (tabernacle of meeting) where the Lord spoke to him in the cloud.
"All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:10, 11).
The Lord was in the cloud when He spoke to Moses face to face. Similarly, the Holy Spirit often speaks to Christians with a "still small voice". The Holy Spirit is our friend.
4. Exodus 40:34 - 37, "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up".
Moses and the children of Israel were in total obedience and sensitive to the movement of the cloud. They got in step with the Lord and moved with the cloud. This is a vivid picture of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. God desires that we move with the Holy Spirit. We must be sensitive and get in step with the Holy Spirit in our every day life. Christians need to be as sensitive to the Holy Spirit as Israel to the cloud.
5. Psalm 78:21 - 24, ".... And anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation. Yet He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven".
Israel made their journey through the wilderness but they did not trust God for His total provision. And yet He had mercy upon them. We as Christians must do better and trust the Lord for His total provision in our salvation process.
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:8 - 10, NKJV).
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
Most Bible believing Christians, including renowned Bible scholars, renowned Christian book writers, believe that there are two separate baptisms - baptism of water and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They believe these are two separate experiences for Christians. To most of them baptism in the Holy Spirit is optional - only for those who want power in sharing the gospel to the unsaved.
In the context of the above passage of the Scripture "one baptism" can be interpreted in one of two ways depending on the Christian denomination. To the Baptist Christians it is water baptism by full immersion. To the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Full Gospel Christians it is baptism in the Holy Spirit and not water baptism. In fact they have a Scripture passage to support their view:
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13, NKJV).
I feel extremely uncomfortable with these different view points. Even Bible Commentaries offer different view points. Why must it be so complicated? Surely the Body of Christ is divided by different denomination beliefs. If you want to know why there is no unity in truth in the Body of Christ, this is the major reason!
This message is written after much research work using the Scripture - both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
There is only one Baptism - but with two elements
"Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor. 10:1, 2, 11, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are my observations:
1. Paul was writing to the Corinthian Christians. Clearly all those things collectively experienced by the children of Israel is a type or pattern for all Christians to follow. In other words, in general an Old Testament truth usually finds its parallel truth in the New Testament.
Someone had aptly said, "The New is in the Old contained, the Old is in the New explained; the New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed; the New is in the Old enfolded, the Old is in the New unfolded".
2. You can say there were two baptisms - in the cloud and in the sea. But significant enough Paul did not say that. He did not say that the Israelites were baptized in the cloud and then baptized in the sea. The Israelites could not choose to experience one without also experiencing the other. The two baptisms are one collective provision of God.
3. The sea is a type of water baptism; the cloud is a type of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
4. Paul said that in effect there was only one baptism in two elements - the cloud from above and the sea down into which the children of Israel went. This is the complete provision of God as far as baptism is concerned. Almost in every place in the New Testament where one baptism is mentioned the other is also mentioned. All believers mentioned in the Book of Acts were baptized in water as well as in the Holy Spirit!
Deliverance of Israel from Egypt and of believers from the world
The Bible reveals a parallel truth concerning the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the deliverance of believers from the world. We can trace three successive phases of their deliverance.
Faith in the Blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:7 - 13).
The blood of the Passover lamb started the children of Israel on their redemptive route, but it did not get them out of Egypt. If there had been nothing more than their faith in the blood of the Passover lamb, the army of Egypt would have caught up with them and taken them back into bondage again.
Similarly believers are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus:
"Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7, emphasis added).
The Blood of Jesus started believers on their redemptive journey, but it does not get them out of the world system. In other words, they are still fleshly and worldly. Though I honor the Blood of the Jesus Christ and believe it to be the only basis for my redemption, yet as a way of deliverance from the dominion of this world system and of Satan, it is not the total provision of God.
The cloud and the sea
There are two more successive experiences that brought God's people out of the area of dominion of evil forces. This is the cloud and the sea. A type of water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit have been accurately described as "in the sea" and "under or immersed in the cloud" respectively. Israel did not go down into the cloud. Instead they were immersed in the cloud. They went down into the sea. This is the clearest, most complete and accurate pattern or type from the Old Testament of the New Testament Baptism.
Final separation and deliverance
It is important to note that the final separation and deliverance from Egypt for Israel was not accomplished by the blood of the Passover lamb, nor even by the cloud, but by the sea. The sea was the the final cutoff point. The Egyptians could not follow Israel through the sea!
Therefore, the final cutoff point from the world and Satan's dominion for the New Testament believers is water baptism. It is the total provision of God to start the believers' walk in Christ in the salvation process.
Peter gave a beautiful picture of water baptism:
".... in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ ..." (1 Peter 3:20, 21).
Unless you are water baptized you have no legal right to have freedom from the oppression of demons in your Christian walk. Instead the demons have the legal right to oppress and trouble you!
In fact, in practice this is very true. You will find that when you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord and then water baptized, you would invariably experience some cutoffs. You will lose some of your non-Christian friends. You might even get cutoff from your family members. This is more so in the pagan world or non-Christian countries.
Old Testament Picture of the Cloud
The cloud was a type of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. By studying the nature of the cloud experienced by Israel in the wilderness we can directly apply it to our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Below is a series of Scripture passages that will help us to understand the functions of the Holy Spirit:
1. Exodus 13:21, 22, "And the Lord went before them (the children of Israel) by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people".
Christians must be immersed in the Holy Spirit at all times just as the Israelites were immersed in the cloud. The Lord gave His people pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to guide them.. The same is the Holy Spirit who gives light for Christians and shows them the way that they should go. They will know how to walk in the will of God.
2. Exodus 14:24, "Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians".
The Lord watched over the children of Israel just as the Holy Spirit watches over Christians and delivers and protects them from their enemies.
3. Exodus 33:7 - 11 described how Moses met with the Lord outside the main tabernacle. Moses had his own tent (tabernacle of meeting) where the Lord spoke to him in the cloud.
"All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:10, 11).
The Lord was in the cloud when He spoke to Moses face to face. Similarly, the Holy Spirit often speaks to Christians with a "still small voice". The Holy Spirit is our friend.
4. Exodus 40:34 - 37, "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up".
Moses and the children of Israel were in total obedience and sensitive to the movement of the cloud. They got in step with the Lord and moved with the cloud. This is a vivid picture of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. God desires that we move with the Holy Spirit. We must be sensitive and get in step with the Holy Spirit in our every day life. Christians need to be as sensitive to the Holy Spirit as Israel to the cloud.
5. Psalm 78:21 - 24, ".... And anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation. Yet He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven".
Israel made their journey through the wilderness but they did not trust God for His total provision. And yet He had mercy upon them. We as Christians must do better and trust the Lord for His total provision in our salvation process.
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:8 - 10, NKJV).
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Spirit of Christ
The Scripture reveals that the Spirit of Christ is not identical to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the Son of God.
The Bible mentions the Spirit of Christ in only two passages of Scripture, both in the New Testament.
According to Peter
Peter said, "Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:8 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some points of observation:
1. It was the Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament prophets that prompted them to speak of things that never happened to them.
2. It was the Spirit of Christ in them that prompted them to speak in the first person - speaking about things that would happen to Christ - how He would suffer for our redemption and "the glories that would follow".
Here are two examples:
The psalmist David said, "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:16 -18).
Isaiah said, "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hid My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6)
Both David and Isaiah prophesied the suffering of Christ and His death on the cross for our sins.
3. The purpose of these prophecies was for the benefits of believers who would receive salvation later.
4. In a sense believers are the focal point both of the prophets of the past and the angels of heaven. Their eyes are focused on the the believers. The prophets looked forward of the preaching of the gospel (to be revealed later) and the angels desire to look down on it.
Notice that angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).
What we have received was declared or proclaimed by the New Testament preachers who preach the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.
5. I believe the Holy Spirit does not merely speak through the preachers, or through the anointing of the Holy Spirit when they preach. The verse suggests that the Holy Spirit is present there with the preachers when they preach. We come to the conclusion that God never intended the gospel to be preached in any other way. The preachers of the gospel should never be alone. They are in an atmosphere of God's presence by the Holy Spirit - both in them and with them!
According to Paul
Paul said, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some points of observation:
1. Both the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of Christ" are mentioned together in the same verse of Scripture. This suggests the Spirit of Christ is not identical to the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit.
2. A believer is either in the flesh or in the Spirit in his daily living. If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer he is in the flesh. We are talking about the Holy Spirit dwelling or living inside the believer at all times and not just living in the presence (or an atmosphere) of the Holy Spirit.
3. Christ is in the believer by the Spirit of Christ to give the believer life. If the believer does not have the Spirit of Christ then he does not belong to Christ. The Spirit of Christ speaks of the character, personality and other attributes of Christ. Christ-likeness is a virtue of a believer with the Spirit of Christ.
This is consistence with the follow passage of Scripture:
"Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9, NKJV).
Jesus Christ comes from the seed of God and therefore the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the seed of God. In other words, a believer who has the Spirit of Christ has the seed of God in him. He is made righteous by the Spirit of life (Christ is the Life in him) and therefore he cannot live in sin!
The Bible mentions the Spirit of Christ in only two passages of Scripture, both in the New Testament.
According to Peter
Peter said, "Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:8 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some points of observation:
1. It was the Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament prophets that prompted them to speak of things that never happened to them.
2. It was the Spirit of Christ in them that prompted them to speak in the first person - speaking about things that would happen to Christ - how He would suffer for our redemption and "the glories that would follow".
Here are two examples:
The psalmist David said, "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:16 -18).
Isaiah said, "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hid My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6)
Both David and Isaiah prophesied the suffering of Christ and His death on the cross for our sins.
3. The purpose of these prophecies was for the benefits of believers who would receive salvation later.
4. In a sense believers are the focal point both of the prophets of the past and the angels of heaven. Their eyes are focused on the the believers. The prophets looked forward of the preaching of the gospel (to be revealed later) and the angels desire to look down on it.
Notice that angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).
What we have received was declared or proclaimed by the New Testament preachers who preach the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.
5. I believe the Holy Spirit does not merely speak through the preachers, or through the anointing of the Holy Spirit when they preach. The verse suggests that the Holy Spirit is present there with the preachers when they preach. We come to the conclusion that God never intended the gospel to be preached in any other way. The preachers of the gospel should never be alone. They are in an atmosphere of God's presence by the Holy Spirit - both in them and with them!
According to Paul
Paul said, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some points of observation:
1. Both the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of Christ" are mentioned together in the same verse of Scripture. This suggests the Spirit of Christ is not identical to the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit.
2. A believer is either in the flesh or in the Spirit in his daily living. If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer he is in the flesh. We are talking about the Holy Spirit dwelling or living inside the believer at all times and not just living in the presence (or an atmosphere) of the Holy Spirit.
3. Christ is in the believer by the Spirit of Christ to give the believer life. If the believer does not have the Spirit of Christ then he does not belong to Christ. The Spirit of Christ speaks of the character, personality and other attributes of Christ. Christ-likeness is a virtue of a believer with the Spirit of Christ.
This is consistence with the follow passage of Scripture:
"Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9, NKJV).
Jesus Christ comes from the seed of God and therefore the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the seed of God. In other words, a believer who has the Spirit of Christ has the seed of God in him. He is made righteous by the Spirit of life (Christ is the Life in him) and therefore he cannot live in sin!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
At some day set aside by God, His Son Jesus Christ will come and take His Bride Home. My message last week concerns the Bride of Christ; this message concerns the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Wedding guests.
Paul wrote to the Church of the Thessalonians concerning this event:
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:16, 17, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following points:
Paul wrote to the Church of the Thessalonians concerning this event:
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:16, 17, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following points:
- The Bride of Christ includes true Christians who died before Christ comes for His true Church. The phrase "in Christ" means "true Christians or true disciples of Christ". These Christians are those who have walked or are still walking by abiding in Christ (John 15:5). They have walked or are still walking blamelessly and at all times "depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19).
- The phrase "We who are alive and remain" means "true Christians who are still serving the Lord faithfully and remain faithful to Him" before Christ comes to take all of them Home.
- The phrase "we shall always be with the Lord" indicates that true Christians (dead or alive when He comes) will be with the Lord in eternity. This makes sense because as His Bride we will always be with Him to share His life - there is no divorce in Heaven. In fact there is no marriage in Heaven except the Marriage of the Lamb. Furthermore, as His Bride we will accompany Him when He comes (His Second Coming) to judge the sinful world (Rev. 19:14).
Those Who are called to the Marriage Supper
John heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying:
"Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! These are the true sayings of God" (Rev.19:9)
The above verse says that those who are called (invited) to the marriage supper are blessed. And if they are blessed, how much more blessed will be those who have become the Bride!
The New Testament Scripture seems to indicate that there will be three groups of believers who will be called (as invited guests) to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The only condition is that they must be in heaven before the marriage supper. In other words they must have died after they were saved.
The First Group of believers
The first group of guests are the friends of the Bridegroom.
John the Baptist, the last of the prophets who came in the spirit of the Old Testament, said:
"He (Jesus) who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom (John), who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled" (John 3:29, emphasis added).
I can think of two examples what the New Testament Scriputure calls the Old Testament saints (believers before the first coming of Jesus) as the friend of the Bridegroom.
1. John himself said he was the friend of the bridegroom. Concerning John Jesus said:
"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he" (Luke 7:28, emphasis added).
John the Baptist, being the greatest prophet was considered less than the least in the kingdom of God because he was only a friend of Bridgroom and not the Bride. Only the true Church of Jesus Christ is the Bride. What great privilege the true believers have!
2. James said, "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God" (James 2:23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that Abraham was called the friend of God and not just a friend of God!
The Second Group of believers
This group of believers belongs to a dead Church. Even though their names have not been blotted out from the Book of Life they failed to take part in the rapture.
Jesus said to the Church in Sardis, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before His angels" (Rev. 3:1, 5, emphasis added).
The above passage of Scripture indicates:
- The names of all overcomers (in any Church, even a dead Church) will not be blotted out from the Book of Life. In other words all overcomers will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Some names of those who fail to overcome will be blotted out. But we cannot say all of their names will be blotted out. God alone makes the choice.
- Since a Christian is either an overcomer or fails to overcome some of their names will be blotted out. In other words, some Christians will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning building one's work upon the foundation laid by our Lord Jesus Christ:
"Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:12 - 15, emphasis added).
I believe the work of the overcomers will endure the test of fire. But, the work of those who fail to overcome will be burned because they built their work on the Foundation of Christ with wood, hay and straw! The phrase "he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" means "he will be saved after a narrow escape through the flame".
Therefore we expect some believers who fail to overcome as guests to the marriage supper in heaven. The only condition is that they must die and be in heaven before the marriage supper. If there live through the Great Tribulation they will miss the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
The Third Group of believers
The final group of guests are those who are saved after the true Church has been taken up into heaven to be the Bride of Christ. These have died as martyrs during the Great Tribulation. They are the highest hornored guests. Because of this I believe they will attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb as bridesmaids!
Conclusion
This message is the product of my Bible research work. My readers must not take this as the doctrine of the Bride of Christ.
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