Looking Within

 

Looking Within

 

John 3:6

 

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

 

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh” and can never be anything other than flesh. Our Lord Jesus said: “the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63). The apostle Paul said: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Romans 7:18). And the same apostle said: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). And again the same apostle said: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Those who are taught of the Spirit of God know what is in the flesh, for they “know every man the plague of his own heart” (I Kings 8:38) and therefore they have no confidence in the flesh. But they say with the apostle: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death” (Romans 7:24)? Therefore the children of the covenant wait; with the whole creation for the redemption of the body, as it is written: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:22-23). As the inspired apostle has written: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (I Corinthians 15:50).

 

Even though the children of the covenant of God experience the depravity of the flesh, and heartily agree that these things are true of men in the flesh, still God has not left us without hope, as it is written: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15: 51-58).

 

The fleshly bodies of all natural men are bodies of death. That is because of the presence of sin in the members of the bodies of natural men and the wages of sin whether imputed or actual sin is death. As said the apostle Paul: “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7: 20-23).

 

As long as Christians look within themselves for that which will justify them before a thrice Holy God, they will dwell in utter defeat because of the presence of sin in our members. Looking in ourselves for something that will satisfy God as far as holiness is concerned, is a clear denial of the scriptures that teach us that man in himself is a sinner, sin is in him and is the governing principle of his heart. For this reason Christians have no confidence in the flesh. But our confidence is in Christ Jesus, “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Corinthians 1:30). That which in every case will justify a sinner and satisfy a Thrice Holy God is the Blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. This causes us to look to something out of ourselves for that which will bring us nigh to the Father in perfect love.  “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17). Because Christ’s members are “in him that is true” (I John 5:20) what Christ is in Himself, His members are “in Him” in this world according to the judgment of God. For we are “made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21) “according as he hath chosen us (children of the covenant , writer) in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

 

“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10). The children of the covenant have been in Christ from everlasting because they were sanctified by God the Father before the foundation of the world being chosen in Christ, and sanctified in Christ (Ephesians 1:4; Jude 1:1; I Corinthians 1:2). And because they have been in Christ from everlasting, they were all crucified with Christ along with the apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20). And therefore since they have been crucified with Christ their “body is dead because of sin”. Christ Jesus endured the curse of the law which is death and finished it as a penalty forever for all His members, as it is written: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18).

 

Christ’s members are reckoned dead with Christ because of the union of the Head and the body. Those who are in Christ have died with Christ, because in the mind of God they were all crucified with Christ. Death liberates the one who has died from all his debts. Those who have died in Christ are dead to the law. Therefore the law has no penal claim on them. The law cannot charge the dead with sin, because the dead are “dead to sin” (Romans 6:2; I Peter 2:24). Sin cannot be charged to those who are not under the law, because they have died under the law in Jesus Christ at Calvary, as it is written: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Consider the following necessary truths which are applicable to the doctrine just stated. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 1:2-3). The children of the covenant are “dead with Christ” because they are in Christ, as it is written:  “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:8) and again it is written: “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances” (Colossians 2:20).

 

“By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament” (Hebrews 7:22). Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Surety of the New Testament. As the Surety of His people, He was charged with their sin (both imputed and actual sins, both Old Testament and New Testament saints). The Surety was put to death for sins which were charged to Him by God the Father, as it is written “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).  Being put to death for sins imputed, the Surety has cleared forever those who have an interest in Him as their Surety. “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Christ Jesus has purged the sins of all those for whom He is Surety. Therefore they can never be charged with sin. They were given to Him by His Father in the covenant of grace before the foundation of the world. The Father made Him responsible for the safety of all those who were thus given Him of the Father and they are forever safe in Him. This being true, the children of God (believers in Christ Jesus as Mediator of the everlasting covenant (I Timothy 2:5) should never look within themselves for anything pertinent to life and peace with God but should look out of themselves  unto Christ Jesus for all that is worthy of God and of fellowship with God. As said the apostle: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

The children of God are in Christ, being joined to him in one spirit, as it is written: “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (I Corinthians 6:17). Because of this they are constrained by love to live unto God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:14-15), their life being “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Our Lord Jesus puts the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13) in the hearts of His elect, redeemed, and regenerated, people, as He said “I will put my spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:27).  To the children of God the “Spirit of truth” is a “Spirit of life” (Romans 8:2; Revelation 11:11). And as He is the spirit of their life in Christ He causes them to desire to walk in the statutes of God and keep His judgements and do them, as it is written: “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). The Spirit of truth bears witness to the chidren of God that they are the true children of God, as it is written: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17). “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3: 1-2). To look in ourselves for worthiness of life is to look in a place of death, disappointment, and despair. But those who know themselves and the plague of their own heart will look out of themselves unto Christ. “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:14-18).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Creation In Christ Jesus

 

The New Creation In Christ Jesus

 

Ephesians 2:10

 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is presented to us in the volume of the book of God, as it is written: “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation” (Psalm 40: 5-10) In the epistle to the Hebrews it is written: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10: 7-10). The reader should bear in mind that the words in italics were not in the original manuscript but were added by the translators of the King James version of the Bible in 1611.

 

God created all things in His thoughts, His counsels, and in His covenant, before He began to call the universe into being, as it is written: “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40: 5). Our Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of this vast universe is personified as Wisdom in the book of Proverbs, and there it is written of Him: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: when he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8: 22-31).

 

In His essential essence God is an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient and, omnipresent, Spirit whose ways are “past finding out” (Job 9:10; Romans 11:33). He can be comprehended by none but Himself, and He reveals what He will of Himself to Whomsoever He will. He is perfectly righteous in all His works and gives no account of His matters (Job 33:13) “whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou” (Daniel 4:34-35)?

 

The God who has revealed Himself in the Bible has made all things for Himself, as it is written: “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4). The first cause for the existence of man is to glorify God, and the last end of the existence of the man is to glorify God. Some will glorify God as the Just God who will not “clear the guilty” as it is written: “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7). And again it is written; “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation” (Numbers 14:18). It may be asked, how can a just God forgive iniquity in some and not in others? And how can a just God forgive sin and iniquity at all? How is it that some men’s sins are retained and other are forgiven? How can God be just and yet justify the ungodly but not justify all who are ungodly? (Romans 3:26; 4:5)?

 

The God of the Bible chose some from among the race of men to salvation before the foundation of the world according to His own purpose and grace (Romans 8:28-30; II Timothy 1:9). And set them apart or sanctified them in Christ Jesus (Jude 1:1), and set Christ Jesus over them as their Surety, the Surety of the New Testament (Hebrews 7:22), who must be accounted guilty of all the offenses of those for whom He is Surety. With all their offenses being charged to Him, or imputed to Him it is His responsibility to make propitiation or satisfaction for those offences. And therefore the sins and iniquities of those who were chosen in Christ Jesus (as Surety and Mediator of their covenant) are already punished in the flesh of Jesus Christ. So close is the union of those who were chosen in Christ to our Lord Jesus, that they are accounted crucified­ with Christ (Galatians 2:20). And since crucified with Christ, they are dead to the law by the body of Christ (Romans 7:4) and therefore dead to sin because Christ Jesus “bare our sin in His own body on the tree” (I Peter 2:24). The identifying character of those who were chosen in Christ is faith in Christ. They believe the gospel, that is the good news concerning the Son of God. During the times of the Old Testament the Jews knew they had a covenant part in Messiah, and there were some Gentiles who became proselyte to the Jewish faith. But there was a secret counsel hidden in God, the mystery of the ages in Old Testament times.

 

This is that mystery: “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). This Mystery was hidden in times past but was made known to the apostles. The Apostle Paul wrote of this mystery in the first two chapters of the epistle to the Ephesians: As it is written: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:1-5).

 

The revelation of the mystery is detailed in Ephesians chapter two: as it is written: “ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:11-22).

 

This new man which consists of both Jews and Gentiles joined in one body with Christ Jesus the Head of the body is called Christ, as it is written “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:12-13). And therefore the church is the “fullness of Him who filleth all in all” as it is written: “ And 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 fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Each individual member of the body of Christ is itself a member in particular of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:27). And the members together make up that body which joined to the Head is called Christ, each one being filled with the Spirit of Christ who filleth all in all. For as the Apostle said, “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The body of Christ is described by the prophet Isaiah as a train (part of a gown that flows behind a wearer- writer): “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). The church is the temple of God, and each member is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, as it is written: “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (Ephesians 4:7). Therefore Christ filleth all the members body being the life of all the particular members of the body (I Corinthians 12:27; Colossians 3:4).

 

Through this is fulfilled the saying of the apostle: “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4: 8-16).

 

The church is one with Christ in that union which God ordained before the foundation of the world. Therefore the church is made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ is made the holiness of the church, and therefore the church is perfectly holy in a holiness which the church did not and does not produce (I Corinthians 1:30). All the elected members of the church of God were redeemed at the same time by the blood of Jesus Christ, therefore we, the members of the body of Christ are not our own, for we are bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ: “ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”. (I Corinthians 6:19-20; I Peter 1:18-19). Christ Jesus is the wisdom of the church, it is He who makes us willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3) “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). God is the Creator and the church of God is the new creation, created in Christ Jesus.  Our Lord Jesus Christ the God-Man Mediator and Surety of the New Testament is the Head of the new creation while the church of God is His body. By the union that was established by God in the Trinity of His most sacred Persons in eternity past the Head and the body are one (John 14:20; 17:21-26; John 15:5; I Peter 2:4-9; Ephesians 2:18-22; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 3:3-6). The new creation is the “new man” (Ephesians 2:15), the “perfect man” (Ephesians 4:13), the man who has been in times past hidden in the mystery but since the days of the apostles is revealed to the people of God. And as Adam and his spouse were called Adam being one flesh (Genesis 1: 26-27; 5: 1-2) in similar manner our Lord Jesus Christ is called “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6) and His spouse the church is called “The LORD our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) being joined together in one spirit (I Corinthians 6:17).       

AJ Ison

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed times.