Issues From Death

Issues From Death

            He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. (Psalms 68: 20)

            Certain things necessarily ensue upon death; as release from the laws that bound the one who died, release from the relations that were made during this life, release from indebtedness, and so on. In his epistle to the Romans, chapter seven, verses one through four; the Apostle Paul takes the law of marriage to illustrate this principle. The Apostle says “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that k now the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man so long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to anther man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God.” The husband’s death brought freedom from the law of marriage to his wife, so that through the death of her husband, the wife is freed from the law of marriage. So it is with those who are in Christ; union with Christ in death brings freedom from the law (as a covenant of works) and its curse.

            “Wherefore, my brethren, ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;” This is the result of union with Christ in death. (Romans 6:3, 4) Those who are of the body of Christ, have been in  secret union with Christ from everlasting, (Psalms 90:1) because chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world;(Ephesians 1:4) they are his members, (I Corinthians 12:12,13, 27) who are of his flesh and of his bones,(Ephesians 5:30) who were in him in all his did as surety of the New Testament; (Hebrews 7:22) they have died in Christ; (Galatians 2:20) and therefore are dead to the law by the body of Christ. That is, Christ’s members have (in the divine reckoning and according to the declarations of the sovereign will of God) died in him and with him, because of the eternal union that exists and has existed from everlasting; see the following scriptures: II Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:1-9; Romans 8:28, 29; I Peter 1:2: Jeremiah 1:5.

            Because of this eternal union of Christ with his members (the church); two things become clear: first; that according to reckoning of God and in the justice of God, it is right that the sin of the church should be imputed to Christ the head of the church, for; “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5, 6) Second; it is as well right that; the righteousness of Christ should be imputed to his body the church, (see Romans 4:22-25) and “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” (Romans 10:4). These things are clear because God “hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22, 23) The church is the fullness of Christ mystical, (I Corinthians 12:12; Psalms 139:16; Hebrews 12:22, 23; Revelation 13:8) that are his spiritual members; each member in Christ has his particular position to fill: (I Corinthians 12:27) which God has appointed, and for which the particular member was from eternity designed, and it is Christ that filleth all things in them who are his fullness (I Corinthians 1:30, 31; Ephesians 1:3; II Peter 1:4; John 1:14; Colossians 1:19; 2:9, 10).

It is written “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:10); “in that he died” Jesus Christ died unto sin (or because of sin) once, but he had no sin of his own, it was sin imputed for which he died, but whose sin was imputed? If Christ died for all men with out exception or distinction then every son of Adam who is currently in hell; is in hell because of sin which has already been punished in Christ; is this divine justice? No; but, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21). Now those who are made the righteousness of God are certainly not in hell; but it is their sin which was imputed to Christ, whose sin Christ put away (Hebrews 9:26) else they could not be made the righteousness of God in Christ. Therefore it is clear that our Lord Jesus Christ died for all those, and only for those, who the Father chose in him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) whom he predestinated to the adoption of children (Ephesians 1:5) whom he justified by his blood (Romans 5:9) in whom they are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

           

            “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13) “Christ hath redeemed us” who is it that is redeemed? It is us; and who is that us? It is the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, (Hebrews 12:23). It is we, or us, who have obtained like precious faith with the Apostles; we share their same faith, the faith of Jesus Christ. (II Peter 1:1). How have we obtained that faith? It is the gift of God; “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9) Why have we obtained this precious faith? It was given us; not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. (II Timothy 1:9)

A.J. Ison

Ye Will Not Come to Me

Ye Will Not Come to Me

John 5:40

                                    “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

           

            This article is intended for those who believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, and is therefore the only ground of true faith, the solid foundation on which we lay all our hope of eternal life. It is intended for those who will not be satisfied with the thoughts of men, if it be found that their thoughts are contrary to this word; “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20).

            In the scriptures it is written “And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17). This raises the question: are any of the sons of Adam willing? That is are they willing to take the water of life; this is an expression that signifies coming to Christ for all things that pertain to salvation from sin and death. The meaning of coming to Christ is that persons believe on Christ as the only Savior of sinners. So that the question is; are any of the sons of Adam (acting on their own innate principles) willing to come to Christ for all of salvation; the scriptures decidedly and consistently answer; they will not come.

            Several instances will be given; “Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.” (Jeremiah 6:16, 17) “Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16: 29-31). “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27). (Whom men do not know, they cannot believe on.) “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3:10, 11) “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…” (John 6:44)  “And he said, therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my father. (John 6:65). “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7) “But the natural man recieveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Corinthians 2:14).

Since the carnal mind is enmity against God, (Ro. 8:7) men of themselves will  not seek after God (Ro.3:11). Since the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to natural men they give no credibility to them, and will not seriously consider them. (I Cor. 2;14). Since men are born into this world spiritually dead (I Cor. 15:22 with Eph. 2:1) and since the things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned; men regard the things of the Spirit of God as unworthy of their time and mental labor, (Ro. 3:11). “No man can come to Jesus Christ savingly (John 6:44; 65): and this is because of the enmity of the natural heart (Ro. 8:7) men will not come to that which they, (in their heart) hate, and despise; He, that is, Chrsit Jesus “is despised and rejected of men.” (Isaiah 53:3). Men have no spiritual discernment; (I Cor. 2:14) and because God is a Spirit: (John 4:24) men cannot know God; whom to know is life eternal. (John 17:3 & I John 5:20). Very briefly stated; the natural man will not come to God, because his heart is enmity toward God, and things of God are foolishness unto him, natural man will not seek, that to which he feels enmity, nor that which he regards as foolish. But some do seek after God; why is that?

I John 4:19; We love Him, because he first loved us. Here, a cause and effect relationship is set before us; only in this case the effect is stated first and then the cause. The cause is, God first loved us, the effect is, we love him who first loved us. The love of God always removes every obstacle to the good of the object of his love (I John 3:17). The good that God seeks for the objects of his love is; that they come to Christ Jesus for deliverance from sin and death eternal. The object that stands in opposition to the will of God for the objects of his love is the enmity of their heart. The thing that God does to relieve this situation is; God breaks up the hard and stony heart, the heart of enmity, and gives a new heart of love; (Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33; 32:39, 40; Hebrews. 8:10-12) a new heart on which is imprinted the law of God; this action of God is called regeneration, or the new birth, men become spiritually what they were not before. Men left to themselves; “must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doeth God respect any person: yet doeth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.” (II Samuel 14:14). God has devised means that his banished ones will return to him in love, and the mean is the new birth. This introduces the question; is every man without exception or distinction a member of HIS banished? No! The answer is no, all men are not of his banished. Who, then, are his banished ones? And why are they banished?

As to the first question; who are his banished, the answer is: they are they who were chosen to everlasting life in Jesus Christ before the world was made. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” (Ephesians 1:3-5). His banished are those who “..God hath from the beginning chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth:” (II Thessalonians 2:13). His banished are they who were called with a holy calling, not according to their works, “but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (II Timothy 1:9. His banished are the children of promise, (Galatians 4:28) being the children of the prophets and of the covenant; for God said unto Abraham “in thy seed shall all kindreds of the earth be blessed.” (Acts 3:25). His banished are his elect, (Ro.8:33; 11:7; 9:11) they were chosen in Gods eternal decree of electing mercy, and therefore his whom he gave to Christ in covenant transaction before the worlds were made. Thine they were, and thou gaveth them me. (John 17:6; 20) His banished is the elect world, whose sin Jesus Christ put away; by the sacrifice of himself (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:26). His banished ones are they whom God has loved with and everlasting love, (Jeremiah 31:3) they are they whom Jesus Christ has loved and therefore has washed them in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5) notice Dear Reader; it is not, that they are loved because they are washed: but they are washed because they were loved; and that from eternity; for He saith yea I have loved thee, (Jeremiah 31:3). These children were banished in a covenant of works in Adam, the first of the race of natural men, and therefore the federal head of all the race of natural men.

When Adam sinned in the garden, he sinned in union with all that were in him, therefore all who were in him sinned in him. God had placed Adam and his posterity in him, under a covenant of works, and commanded him saying “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Or literally; dying thou shalt die. Genesis 2:16, 17) When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he immediately died spiritually; and began the die physically. And therefore all of Adams posterity being born a natural birth are born spiritually dead, and under the curse of the broken law, and therefore must die physically, and if God does not intervene they must die eternally. The children of the covenant (Acts 3:25) being of the sons of Adam, are born into this world just as are all the rest of Adams generation; and so far as they know, they are the children of wrath even as the others of that natural race (Ephesians 2:3). But God makes a difference, for; “who maketh thee to differ one from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (I Corinthians 4:7) God makes a difference between the children of the covenant, and the rest of the race, God makes them to differ by breaking up their hard and stony heart and by giving them a new heart that is a heart with his law imprinted on it. The new heart is a heart of love for God and his people, and the gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Jesus Christ. He saith by the Psalmist “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,” (Psalm 110:3). It is God the Holy Spirit that makes his elect world willing and able to believe the good news of the gospel of salvation by grace through Jesus Christ. To ascribe the willingness of his people to themselves is to rob God of his glory, and to make the will of man an idol; who stands in opposition to the doctrine of the holy scriptures.                    

 

A.J.Ison