“…your life is hid with Christ in God” Colossians 3:3

(Continued from part one)

(2)          Not like the bulls, rams and lambs hitherto used in sacrificial exculpation, the expendability of which necessitated daily sanguinary butchered ritual for atonement, Jesus rose to live forever. That made the difference, soteriologically. At the pouring forth of the blood of the object of sacrifice in death, the sacrificant is absolved of the hanging judgment. The life of an innocent animal is exchanged for that of the sacrificing wrong doer. The dead animal is not recallable. When Jesus rose from the dead, the Eternal One, who is also the Holy One of Israel, came back from the dead to sniff out death from our essence. The Bible says, “we were quickened together with him:” for in so doing we rose never to die spiritually again, living as eternally as our Saviour, ‘who was, who is, and is to come. Amen!’ “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out.” How many sins were forgiven? The Book of Colossians’ answer is, “All!”

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jer. 23:6), “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2Corinthians 5:21).

            If the scriptural factuality is of 2Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new;” does it not follow that the regenerated soul of a Christian is a spiritually brand new man? This word ‘new’ is the Greek kainos (kahee-nos’): ‘new (especially in freshness).’ Paul did not use neos or neōteros (neh’-os): ‘new, recently born, young, youthful, properly so with respect to age.’ This freshness is located in the spiritual silo or refrigeration of the eternal Christ Jesus. The newness of this freshness, coming from the throne of the Eternal Father, is definitely eternal!

 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”

                “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” [Romans 10:10]. The noun ‘righteousness’ is the Greek dikaiosunē (dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay): ‘a feminine noun which speaks specifically of (Christian) justification.’ The feminity stance makes our justification a proper Bride of the Righteous Lamb, who has sworn the oath of “I will never leave nor forsake thee.” Most definitely, our life, as His mystical body on terra firma, has its locale majestically in Christ, the Second Member of the Godhead. “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory,” so says the word of God in Colossians 3:4, where ‘life’ is zoe, ‘God’s kind of life.’ The life of this new species cannot be lost, having its location in Christ, who continually takes care of it: for it is His own life! Amen!

            What does it say in Colossians 3:3? It reveals what the spiritual baptism does. “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” “Why,” if any should ask, “will God hide us doubly in Him and in Christ?” Eternal security! That is the answer. God would not trust any other but Him -Jesus. He does not want another careless blunder from an egregious stupidity displayed by the first Adam. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” [John 1:4].

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men”

                God made the absolutely best choice when He chose Jesus. He, most definitely, chose Himself when He chose to hide us in Jesus. Is Jesus not Emmanuel? “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out.”  God did all of these marvellous deeds to ensure our eternal safety, knowing fully well that we, as free moral agents could disrupt His ineffable plan of salvation. We, as the new spiritual species, have, therefore, become too priceless; bought with the invaluable sinless blood of the Lamb of Jehovah.

HIS ASCENSION ENGENDERED OUR FUTURE RAPTUROUS ASCENSION

          1Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” Amen. What is ‘chosen’? It is eklektos (ek-lek-tos’): ‘select; by implication favorite.’ What one does with and for a favourite belonging is what God does for and with us. When you have to discipline your body do you destroy it for whatever reason? I believe not. ‘Generation’ is genos (ghen’-os) meaning: ‘kindred or offspring.’ Christians are not just another race of people, we are so close to Him, the Most High, as closer as His next of kin. ‘Nation’ is ethnos (eth’-nos): ‘a race (as of the same habit), that is, a tribe.’

                Get born again and be counted among the new species of humanity, say this prayer with all your heart, meaning it:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”       

(…to be concluded…)

Click here to read the 1st part.

Read the concluding 3rd part here.

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