The Atonement (at-one-ment) Gods kingdom is built on the Foundation (Corner) Stone. That Stone is Love. It is not an agape or melancholy or phlegmatic love, but it is what Love is, and God is Love. That Love is not a kingdom of laws or commands that end in death nor is divided into subcategories through men’s ideas or doctrines about love, but is a kingdom of One God that only produces One Life based upon One Love. And that Love came as Israel’s Savior at the time appointed to take His people out from under the law of death (being in bondage to it) and show through the Word of God (the Life of Christ) the character or nature of His Kingdom. I no longer call you slaves, for a master doesnt confide in his slaves; now you are my friends, proven by the fact that I have told you everything the Father told Me. John 15:15 So Christ came, born under law (Mosaic) and made Himself subject to The Law (His Father) to redeem those under the law (Mosaic) by His continual connection to His Father (obeying His commands) and then took upon Himself the curse of law (death) and gave Himself as the sacrifice for sin on the cross. All this was done that those who are called according to His purpose could have VICTORY over sin and stand before His throne with boldness. Christ has ransomed us from the curse of the law in as much as He became a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Gal. 3:13 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb 4:16 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:4-8 Does this mean that there is no more that the law can do for anyone? NO, but God wants us as friends not as slaves that give homage and obedience out of fear rather than Love. He wants us to see righteousness (right doing) through Him (the perfect Law.) So when God says: If you love Me, keep my commandments... we then understand that it is about obeying Him not a law of stone. If you love me then your desire will be to obey Me. John 14:15 And only God can bring righteousness, not the law. If pleasing Him could have been achieved by the law, there would have been no reason for The Law to come and make Himself subject to the Father to show us that we can do nothing (righteous living) unless the Father (not a law) lives in us and works through us. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them. Gal 3:10-12 Yet out of this, man has made laws and then demands that God makes everyone obey His law that is not of faith. And this is done out of the ignorance of what God has said about this issue. Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a mans covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to your Seed, who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Gal 3:15-18 The Promise, the Seed, was Christ. It was not a law nor could it ever be a law, for ONLY a person (God) can give an inheritance. A piece of stone (or paper) cannot do anything, it is only used to record what a person has done or said. And if God is The Law, would we want a piece of stone or paper to have more power than He does? If that were true, then death would have more power than Life, for the law ends in death. This is why those who live by law are found under the law instead of being above the law. And by living under the law they are declaring themselves to be law breakers as God has declared it. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 1 Tim 1:8-11 Thus only those that refuse to grow up in Christ are to be found (as Israel before them) living under the law. They see the law as a needful reminder of all the things that they need to do to appease (please) God and see it as a constant reminder of the things they cant do and thus they need an advocate (a mediator) with the Father. Yet it is said so clearly about Israel and the position they were once in, that though they were once estranged and of a hostile attitude, that Christ came and reconciled them, to introduce them into His presence (did you catch that, HIS PRESENCE) as holy and blameless. You, too, who once were estranged and of a hostile attitude with your evil activities, He has now reconciled in His human body through His death, to introduce you into His presence holy and blameless and irreproachable... Col. 1:21,22 This is truly the grace of God, that even when Israel was not in harmony with His will He brought them into His presence by the blood of His Son. This should make everyone realize that there is not one thing we can ever hope to do to bring us into a more favorable position with God than was done by His own Son. No amount of prayers and begging for forgiveness and favor will ever do more than His life, death and resurrection have already done. Then when we realize just what He did, our obedience to Him becomes nothing more than a showing of our love for Him just as true friends would do for each other. For if as enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, surely much more shall we who have been reconciled be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Rom. 5:10,11 Does this mean that in the presence of God we will continue to sin, even in grace that His grace may flow through us? How can we ever convince ourselves of that? How can we believe that when we become a new person in Christ we never really become a new person? Shall we continue to sin as we did before we met Christ but now under the premise or concept of confession and forgiveness? In the Old Testament sanctuary service when someone wished to confess a sin, he had to bring a lamb, a spotless and perfect lamb as a sin offering (or another reasonable sacrifice.) When the sacrifice was slain the priest took some of the blood and placed it on the horns of the alter in the first apartment. This record of sin remained in the holy place until the day of atonement when the sanctuary was cleansed. Many have taken this example and seen it as the way that God runs His Kingdom, His Temple and they believe that there will come a day when God will open up the book of records and all men will be judged out of them that He keeps in His Temple. But if this is the picture that God wants us to see, then He nullifies His own Word (as long as what He has said about His Temple is true.) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Cor 3:16-17 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 2 Cor 6:16 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Eph 2:19-22 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. Rev 3:12 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Rev 21:22-23 But in the doctrine of law and of temples made of brick and mortar none of us can ever hope to be looked upon by God as holy UNTIL WE HAVE BEEN DECLARED FORGIVEN IN THE JUDGEMENT. Yet God reveals through His Word a view of the House He lives in, His Temple as a building made up of those who have chosen to build on The Cornerstone. But in order for God to live in His Temple it must be as clean as the Jewish temple was to be, for there is no sin in Him, in His House. So to be a part of His Temple, His House, the sin issue will have been dealt with and eliminated from their life. It cannot happen at some future time of judgment, by then it would be far too late. God’s people are to be filled with His Spirit now, not later, and His Spirit has nothing to do with sin (and for those with enquiring minds, He is the Spirit just as He says about Himself.) For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Cor 3:17-18 In the old Jewish temple service, confession brought forgiveness through the PROMISE of the Messiah (the Prophet) who would come and set them free. But it was not the slaying of an animal that saved the sinner. Legally that sin was held on record until the Great Prophet would come and remove it. For this reason He is the Mediator of a NEW COVENANT so that, with a death occurring for the atonement of the transgressions under the FIRST covenant, those who have been called may receive the eternal inheritance that was promised. Heb. 9:15 The sacrifice that was promised from the beginning answers all the questions that could be asked, but to the Greek (the blind who cannot see) it answers nothing but what wants to be seen. Yet God, through His Son, brought a fallen race up to His level and washed away their sins and made them to sit in heavenly places where they rule as priests and kings. And if all that is not enough: “...and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of His commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. In this way God took away Satan’s power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ’s triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away. Col. 2:14,15 One thing must be settled at this point: God, did all of this because He is Love, not because He cannot tolerate those who He promised and just wants to get this thing over with, no, He sent His only Son to die so that all may inherit eternal life. As it has been said earlier in this study the Father Loves His very own. There is no reason then for anyone to plead our case or beg the Father to forgive another time; the Messiah did that once and for all at the cross. No begging or carrying the load of guilt that plagues so many will ever do what the He has already accomplished. Once we understand that to be true, then the judgment spoken of in God’s Word must have a deeper meaning to it, for judgment brings everlasting peace not condemnation. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17 Now, if you and I are Gods temple and God abides in us and the God of peace sanctifies us and makes us holy then judgment takes place in our life when we, like Israel before us choose this day who we will serve. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. John 3:18-21 But someone may ask, doesnt it say something about coming before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for what has been done? Good question, and the answer is yes. So now lets see what the Christ said about His judgment. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. John 5:22-23 Well, the Father judges no one and all judgment is given to the Son. So why would the Son beg the Father to forgive someone, and just who is it that comes into judgment? Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 5:24-25 So if what God has said is true then why do so many believers worry about the judgment or even believe that the judgment involves them? But before we go too far lets see when the Messiah said that the judgment was going to take place. Jesus answered and said, This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. John 12:30-31 WOW! So if the judgment of the world had come, what was it all about? now the ruler of this world will be cast out Could it really be that easy and has man never been the one on trial? Does God really mean what He said? Does He say anything more about judgment? Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:7-11 Now it is time to go back and read ALL that God has said about judgment with the understanding of what judgment was all about and who it was for. Now it is time to let God have a say in this matter and shut out all the other voices that have whispered in our ears. Now it is time to meditate on God’s Word alone and let Him be the mediator in our life of a new covenant relationship built on faith.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 12:36:49 +0000
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