Loading...
Larger font
Smaller font
Copy
Print
Contents
The Everlasting Covenant - Contents
  • Results
  • Related
  • Featured
No results found for: "".
  • Weighted Relevancy
  • Content Sequence
  • Relevancy
  • Earliest First
  • Latest First
    Larger font
    Smaller font
    Copy
    Print
    Contents

    The Life of Jesus Reproduced in Men

    So we are fully assured that the Gospel is Christ in men, and the preaching of it is the making known to men of the fact of Christ’s dwelling in them. And this agrees with the statement of the angel, that they should call the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, “which, being interpreted is, God with us;” 3Matthew 1:23. and also with the statement by the apostle that the mystery of God is God manifest in the flesh. The life of Jesus is to be manifested in mortal flesh until He comes again.EVCO 25.8

    When the angels made known to the shepherds the birth of Jesus, it was the announcement that God had come to man in the flesh; and when it was said that this good news should be to all people, it was revealed that the mystery of God dwelling in human flesh was to be declared to all men, and repeated in all who should believe Him.EVCO 26.1

    And now let us briefly sum up all that we have thus far learned.EVCO 26.2

    1. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Salvation is only by the power of God, and wherever the power of God is there is salvation.EVCO 26.3

    2. Christ is the power of God.EVCO 26.4

    3. But Christ’s salvation comes through the cross; therefore the cross of Christ is the power of God.EVCO 26.5

    4. So the preaching of Christ and Him crucified is the preaching of the Gospel.EVCO 26.6

    5. The power of God is the power that creates all things. Therefore the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, as the power of God, is the preaching of the creative power of God put forth for the salvation of men.EVCO 26.7

    6. This is so, because Christ is the Creator of all things.EVCO 26.8

    7. Not only so, but in Him all things were created. He is the first-born of all creation; when He was begotten, “in the days of eternity,” 1Micah 5:2 (Margin). all things were virtually created, because all creation is in Him. The substance of all creation, and the power by which all things should be made to appear, were in Christ. This is a statement of the mystery that only the mind of God can comprehend.EVCO 26.9

    8. The mystery of the Gospel is God manifest in human flesh. Christ on earth is “God with us.” So Christ dwelling in the hearts of men by faith is all the fulness of God in them.EVCO 26.10

    9. And this means nothing less than the creative energy of God working in men through Jesus Christ, for their salvation. “If any man be in Christ, there is a new creation.” 12 Corinthians 5:17, R.V., margin. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” 2Ephesians 2:10.EVCO 26.11

    All this is indicated by the apostle when he says that to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ is to make all to see “what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ.”EVCO 27.1

    The Fellowship of the Mystery.EVCO 27.2

    In the following portion of Scripture we have the details of this mystery well summarized:—EVCO 27.3

    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ;EVCO 27.4

    “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;EVCO 27.5

    “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace,EVCO 27.6

    “Wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence;EVCO 27.7

    “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to the good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself;EVCO 27.8

    “That in the dispensation 3Some versions, as for instance the various Scandinavian versions, have, “To establish an household,” or, “with regard to an household” in the fulness of times. This is warranted by the Greek, and is much clearer, when we consider the subsequent mention of “the household of God.” God’s purpose is to establish one household, of which Christ is to be the head. “The whole family in heaven and earth” constitute this household. of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth;EVCO 27.9

    “Even in Him in whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will;EVCO 28.1

    “That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ; in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation.EVCO 28.2

    “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.EVCO 28.3

    “Wherefore I ... cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;EVCO 28.4

    “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” 1Ephesians 1:3-20.EVCO 28.5

    Now we will note the different points of this statement.EVCO 28.6

    1. All blessings are given to us in Christ. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” 2Romans 8:32.EVCO 28.7

    2. This gift of all things in Christ is in accordance with the fact that He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that in Him we might obtain holiness. “For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” 31 Thessalonians 5:9.EVCO 28.8

    3. In that choice the destiny determined for us was that we should be sons.EVCO 29.1

    4. Accordingly He accepted us in the Beloved.EVCO 29.2

    5. In the Beloved we have redemption through His blood.EVCO 29.3

    6. All this is the making known to us of the mystery, namely, that in the fulness of times He will gather together in one household all things in Jesus Christ, both things in the heaven and things on the earth.EVCO 29.4

    7. This being the fixed purpose of God, it follows that in Christ we have already obtained an inheritance; for God makes all things work out the purpose of His own will. “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.” 1Psalm 16:5.EVCO 29.5

    8. All who believe in Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is called the Holy Spirit of promise, because He is the surety of the promised inheritance.EVCO 29.6

    9. This seal of the Holy Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” 2Ephesians 4:30.EVCO 29.7

    10. Those who have the Spirit as the seal, know what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance; that is, the reality of the glory of the future inheritance becomes theirs now through the Spirit.EVCO 29.8

    Larger font
    Smaller font
    Copy
    Print
    Contents