Building on the Foundation part 2
New Testament Birthright
Analogy: with the natural birth of child several things happen simultaneously:
identity, presence of parents, heirs & joint heirs with siblings; immediate
access to parents etc.
Scripture uses several expressions, terms and phrases
to describe the same divine event. Note: each of the following, though
seemingly a separate event, is in fact happening simultaneously with the
others. In essence they are not individual or separate events occurring
at various times.
It is impossible to have one aspect without
all the others; it is divinely designed, ordained, and orchestrated.
Furthermore, they all happen simultaneously, even though we are accustomed to assuming
otherwise; simply because they are most often taught separately!
For the purpose of simplifying this study I have
attempted to group
terms and
phrases into categories best suited for the
particular theme thus rendering it more palatable for digestion by the reader.
The whole of this thesis is grounded upon the
character and attributes of none other than God himself. One such attribute is
that of foreknowledge…which simply
means that our Creator God knows the future in advance. He knows the heart of
every man, woman and child even before they were formed in their mother’s womb.
For thou hast
possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. Ps.139:13 KJV
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast
protected me from my mother's womb. Ps.139:13 Douay-Rheims Bible
For thou hast possessed my reins. Thou knowest me and
seest me always, because thou madest me. Thy omniscience and thy omnipresence
both rest upon thine omnipotence. Thou hast covered me
(rather, woven me) in my
mother's womb. Pulpit Commentary Compare to Job 10:11NIV
"Before I formed
you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed
you as a prophet to the nations." Jer.1:5 NIV
Before I formed thee
in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I
sanctified thee, and I ordained
thee a prophet unto the nations. Jer.1:5 KJV
I the LORD search the
heart, I try the reins, even to
give every man according to his ways, and
according to the fruit of his doings. Jer.17:10; KJV
Before I formed you
in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before
you were born I separated you and set you apart, consecreating you; [and] I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jer.1:5 AMP
And he said unto them, Ye are they which
justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is
highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.Lu.16:KJV
And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the
mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Rom.8:27KJV
Breaking it down
A. God’s attribute of foreknowledge, knowing all things from
beginning to end including the future, is the basis for Him choosing or
electing by grace those appointed to salvation. His foreknowledge is but a part of His omnipotence---all knowing.
B. The heart of man, not
his influence or affluence is that which God examines. All man are examined the
same, there is no partiality.
I the Lord search the
heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and
according to the fruit of his doings. Jer.17:10
I the Lord search the
heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according
to what his deeds deserve. Jer.17:10NIV
C. God, seeing man’s
heart elects or chooses him for salvation/new birth, based not only on what He
sees presently, but also on what sees the individual becoming in the future.
D. Grace: the divine
action of providing a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free
and totally unexpected and undeserved"- that takes the form of divine favor, love, clemency, and
a share in the divine life of God. Clemency: A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the cancellation
of the relevant penalty; it is usually granted by a head of state (such as a monarch or president) or by acts of a parliament or a religious
authority. Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation
(in whole or in part) of the penalty associated with it. It is a general
concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation,
remission and reprieves. Random House Dictionary of the English Language
Conclusion:
it’s all of God, by God and for God! All we need do is to accept it. Salvation
is by executive clemency!
New birth
How
is it possible to be adopted without someone, in the capacity of a parent,
seeking to adopt and proceeding legally?
1. Adoption: see Spirit
of adoption. Adoption:
(a) the Greek word for adoption is huoithesia
which means to place as a son. Adoption is the act of leaving one’s
biological family and becoming a part of another having the family privileges
and responsibilities imparted unto you.
The Old Testament does not give legalities for adoption in the Jewish
Law and was not practiced by the Israelites. 1“In the ancient Near
East adoption was an important means of ensuring succession within families and
of providing for transmission of property”. 1 The Eerdmans
Bible Dictionary
2. Spirit of adoption:
Rom.8:15b…But ye have received the Spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father. Eph.2:2-3 declares that we
were children of disobedience [thereby
eligible for adoption from Satan’s disobedient family]. Spirit of adoption means that God sought after each of us to adopt us into His family to become His
children; therefore we are in fact related to Him as His children; He is our heavenly
Father!
3. Without being adopted
we are destined to remain children of darkness.
How is it
possible to be born again without parental involvement? This perplexing question
was sincerely asked of Jesus by Nicodemus and the answer is promptly given.
4. Born again: John 3:1-8
Jesus told Nicodemus 3b…Except
a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5b...Except a man be born of water and Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Because our natural man was born with a
depraved nature God says we must be born
again. This new birth is not
another physical birth, for Nicodemus asked how it was possible to reenter his
mother’s physical womb. Jesus’ answer was that it was to be a new birth of the spirit of man
not a physical. The spirit birth would happen when the Spirit would take up
residence within the individual believer Acts1:8; 2:1-4.
a) Nicodemus knew only of
the natural birth, but Jesus told him of a far greater birth… that of the spirit. While Nicodemus spoke to Jesus about flesh
and blood Jesus was speaking of a spirit rebirth. Consider: Gen. 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul.
b) The spirit birth means that we are related to Him
through the Spirit…not the flesh and blood. The Spirit of the Living God comes
and makes His abode within each believer and we, each individual, becomes the
Temple of God 1Cor.3:16-17.
c) When a child is, born
in the natural, the infant begins to cry as soon as it draws its first
breath…likewise when we are born again we
do not receive a new physical body, but a new spirit, which cries out Abba
Father.
d) If a natural born
child does not cry out it is considered to be a still born child.
e) When God made Adam He
placed within him the breath of life, which foreshadows the spirit birth Acts
2:1-6.
How is it possible to have a
relationship with God… a Spirit? What is a relationship? What are the mechanics
of this relationship? What does it mean to have a relationship with Him?
5. Relationship: God has
called us to be his children; He chose us…not the reverse. This, once
again, underscores the doctrine of election. In reality…we are related to
God! as Christians…He is our Heavenly Father!
a)
In the new birth He in fact becomes our heavenly
Father, and we are become His precious children.
b)
As in a natural parent/child family the innate
inclination is to bond with one another, so also in the spiritual relationship
we ought to be ever seeking to increase our bond with our Heavenly Father.
c)
To interrupt or sever the relationship causes great
hardship on both parents and children; likewise to interrupt or sever the
relationship with our Heavenly Father causes great pain and heartache to both.
d)
It is natural for the child to be perpetually bonded
with the parents; so also with the spiritual.
e)
Four causes of spiritual relationship regression:
i.
Unconfessed sin: all of us at one time labored with unconfessed sin by
not taking ownership of wrong doings.
ii.
Being hurt or offended by the church either by leadership or peers.
iii.
Lack of understanding of church dogma or doctrine.
iv.
Not, in reality, being His child [though we may think we
are].
How does God choose or elect?
6. Election/election of
God: Dt.7:6-7 For thou art an holy people
unto the Lord the God: the Lord hath chosen thee to be a special people unto
Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the
fewest of all people. Rom.8:33; 2Tim.2:10; 1Pet.1:2
a) The natural child has
no choice into whose family they are born, not whose parents are to rear them.
b) They have no choice of
siblings.
c) So also it is God
Himself who chooses each of us not by our great looks, influence,
affluence, intelligence, not physical attributes or endowments.
d) He chooses us because
He alone knows our hearts whether we should follow Him in love and obedience.
This is a function of God’s foreknowledge. Because He knows everything in
advance…He chooses.
What does it mean to have a new
identity?
7. Identity as children of God: Rom. 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God.
a) We are no longer
identified with our fallen nature, but are regenerated by the Spirit.
b) We are no longer
children of disobedience Eph.2:2-3 but are become children of light. This
identifies us as God’s children as opposed to children of darkness.
How does our
access to the Father differ from the OT saints?
8. Immediate access to
the Father: Heb.4:16; 1Cor.3:16-17; 6:19-20. This means we can go directly to
Him, our Heavenly Father, and speak to Him and expect Him to speak to us.
Ancient Israel could not approach God individually. They were represented by
the priests who presented the sacrifices to God on our behalf. The prophets
represented God to the people bring His answers to the people.
How does God’s presence differ from
ancient Israel? His Temple.
9. Presence of God:
ancient Israel worshipped first in the Tabernacle then the Temple where God’s
presence was manifest in the cloud. We are now become God’s temple/tabernacle
and as such His presence forever abides within each of us 1Cor.3:16-17;
6:19-20.
10. As in the OT temple so
also, the NT temple must be kept pure and holy for the very presence of God
dwells within.
a) Whenever the OT temple
was profaned God destroyed the idols brought therein. So also whenever we
profane God’s temple, our bodies, God purges and cleanses it. The purging is a
perpetual process until the day we go home. It is synonymous with the wedding
garments of the Bride of Christ. Jude 23 tells us we are to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh.
a very strong admonition to say the least.
b) One of the favorite
tricks of Satan is to “divide and conquer”. He does it by causing a believer to
think he or she is the only one with a particular problem. This brings about
separation from the body of believers thus alienating from the flock. It is a
favorite tactic for a wolf the separate from the flock, the weak from the
strong, and the stragglers from the rest. Satan will heap not only guilt but
also condemnation upon the stray.
Rom.8:1 There is therefore no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus… there is guilt but the
condemning is done away with in Christ.
When we are trying to resist
something, and we all do at some point in our lives, many of us have the
propensity to dabble, entertain, or toy with the evilness; that’s why the devil
won’t flee from us. Instead he has taken us captive or captivated us in
whatever evil it happens to be. As a
result those very thoughts, desires, and inclinations ultimately taking us
captive like dumb sheep to the slaughter.
c) The following passages
will help us to resist:
I.
Rom.8:1…no condemnation
II.
1Cor.10:13…no temptation taken you
III.
1Cor.15:31…I die daily
IV.
2Cor.10:2-6…casting down
imaginations…
V.
Phil.4:6-9 change your thinking
VI.
Col.3:5-15 the great put off and put on…mortify, crucify the deeds of the
flesh
VII.
Jas.1:12-15…every man is tempted
VIII.
Jas.4:7…resist the devil and he
will flee from you…
Do this and you will keep the Lord’s
temple pure, cleansed, and holy. remember and review the life of Joseph.
Position
Outline our position in Christ.
1. We sit in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus Eph.1:3,20; 2:6
2. Kings and priests unto
God Rev.1:6; 5:10. Ancient Israel was to be a holy nation of kings and priests;
meaning every person was a priest in his own right; however the office of
priest was established with a high priest. Today we are all priests serving
under our High Priest Jesus Christ. As kings we execute judicial authority,
similar to the OT kings.
Inheritance
How does our inheritance differ from
Israel’s? What are the similarities?
1. Heirs and joint heirs
with Christ: Rom.8:17
2. As God’s children we
are become heirs of all within His kingdom.
Armor, protection, weapons of war
Just as Israel had weapons of bows and
arrows, spears, and swords so also does the church of today; the difference is
that ours are spiritual, more powerful than their physical weapons.
1. Whole armor of God
Eph.6:13-18
2. Weapons are spiritual
not carnal 2Cor.10:3-6
3. Refuge, cities of:
Num.35:6; Ps.59:10-17 the name of the Lord is a strong tower [we can run to our
refuge in Him whenever the need]
4. Prayer: Lu.11:1-13
[Jesus knew without a doubt His prayers were answered, so do we!] [If
you don’t know then what’s the sense of praying?] 1Jn.5:14-15 …if we ask…according to His will…He heareth
us…15…and if we know He
hears us…we know we have the petitions we desired.
5. Fasting and prayer:
Isa.58:1-14; 61:3. To loose the bands/chains of wickedness and set us free!]
6. Confession:
1Jn.1:9-10. Acknowledging sin for what it is…calling it for what it is…taking
responsibility and ownership for our sin.
7. Repentance: turning
away; [a 180 turn in the opposite direction; many of us have not turned away
from sin, thereby increasing our struggles with sin]. It is the Siamese twin of
confession.
8. Casting down of
imaginations: 2Cor.10:3-3
9. Renewed thinking:
Phil.4:4-9
10. Resistance: resist the
devil and he will flee Jas.4:7
Salvation
How is salvation made manifest? How is
it related to the OT?
1. Washed: our sin/s ware
washed away by the shed blood of Jesus on Calvary’s cruel cross. 1Pet.1:2
2. Cleansed: the OT
priests had to wash themselves at the brazen laver; we are washed by the blood
of Jesus 1Pet.1:2
3. Justified:
Justification: Rom.4:25; 8:30
4. Salvation: Rom.1:16b…for it is the power of God unto salvation...
5. Circumcised: the OT
circumcision was of the flesh, on the eighth day, signifying a new beginning
Gen.17:10; Dt.10:16; the NT was a circumcision of the heart signifying the
cutting away of the sins of the flesh Acts 7:8; Rom.4:11; Col.2:11. One simply
cannot be saved without the old sins being cut away by the Spirit. Thus the NT
circumcision is of the Spirit not of the flesh.
6. Forgiven:
Matt.6:14-15; 1Cor.13:5; Eph.1:7
7. Delivered: Rom.4:25 we
have been delivered from sin’s death penalty.
8. Glorified: Rom.8:30. The
previous divine acts glorify not only the believer, but also the Father.
9. Redeemed: to buy back
or repurchase. This could not happen if humanity did not belong to God in the
first place. For redemption to take place a price had to be paid. Jesus paid
the price with His blood for our redemption. 1Pet.1:18-19. This produced
Executive Clemency.
Eternal life
How do we know we have eternal
life?
1. Because
the Eternal Spirit of the Living God abides within each believer, eternal life
is promised.
2. The
eternal state and abode of every believer. They shall live forever in the very
presence of their Heavenly Father as opposed to eternal damnation in the Lake
of Fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Only God’s children are able to
inherit eternal life and live forever.
3. Such
state cannot be acquired without the Spirit’s action in circumcision.
Wedding
What is a “chaste virgin”? How are we
become His bride?
1. Bride of Christ:
2Cor.11:2b…for I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Rev.19:7b…for the marriage of the lamb is come, and
His wife hath made herself ready. Whilst the bride of Christ has not yet set down at the wedding feast of
Rev.19:7-9, she is nonetheless espoused or promised/engaged to her Bridegroom,
Jesus Christ. As such the Church is also called, by Paul, a chaste virgin. 2Cor.11:2 innocent, pure, blameless, holy, perfect, modest.
This description of the Church today is an ongoing process of keeping the bride’s wedding garments spotless; much
like contemporary brides maids are to assist the bride by making sure the dress
is spotless, without blemish. Hence the bride’s maids play a far more vital
role than meets the eye.
The wedding garment is a metaphor for
righteousness. He uses:
Our Heavenly Father even provides the
wherewithal to keep the bride’s wedding
garment of righteousness pure, spotless, and unblemished by the world. He uses:
a)
Reproof,
correction 2Tim.3:16-17
b)
Discipline,
both corporate, self, and divine, Heb.12:5-14
c)
Instruction
in righteousness 2Tim.3:16-17
d)
Exhortation
Rom.12:8; 1Tim.4:13; Heb.3:13
2.
The
bride and wedding likewise have their roots in the OT.
a)
In Israel the practice was to marry within the tribe --
and if that was not possible, then within the larger tribal confederation (Num
36:10ff). That marriages were often arranged is well known. Yet these
arrangements were not devoid of love (Gen 21:21, Judg 14:3, I Sam 18:17).
b)
The marriage was official when the betrothal took
place. "There was no religious rite that was performed with the concluding
of the marriage, although there was a feast at the conclusion of the
festivities (Gen 29:27, Judg 14:10)"(Preuss, p. 104). A betrothed woman
was, in the eyes of the people, legally married. When the marriage itself was
consumated the husband received the wife and the family of the wife received a
"dowry" (Pedersen, p. 68). This payment was made because, as the wife's
family had given their flesh and blood the husband's family was bound to gives
order to maintain balance between the families. The payment of the rhm (mohar,
or "dowry") was simply compensation for the loss of the daughter's
labor and should not be considered as a wedding gift (Preuss, p. 104). Ancient
Israelite Marriage Customs Quartz Hill School of Theology by Jim West, ThD
c)
In
ancient Israel the marriage covenant (b'rith) was part of the civil law, and
there were legal papers that were drawn up which defined the rights of the
husband and wife. The wedding ceremony (Chuppah) was all about bringing the
bride to the bridegroom's house. The ceremony itself would last 7 days,
sometimes longer. There would be great rejoicing and celebration late in the
evening on the streets, and also when they arrived for the feast at the
bridegroom's house. Once they entered the doors were shut and the wedding
ceremony began. The bridegroom would spread the tip of his upper garment over
her, then they would proceed to the wedding chamber, then to the feast. There
were many friends and relatives, some would travel long distances. The fall was
an ideal time for a marriage because it was after the harvest.
Questions
Designate, in chronological order, which do we receive first?
1. Access
to the Father
2. Adoption
3. Advocate
of Jesus Christ
4. Answered
prayer
5. Armor
of God
6. Birthright
7. Born
again
8. Bride
of Christ
9. Chaste
virgin
10. Children
of God
11. Circumcision
12. Cleansing
from sin
13. Dialogue
with the Father…prayer
14. Divine
protection
15. Election
16. Eternal
life/Everlasting life
17. Faith:
convinced, persuaded, convicted
18. Forgiveness
of sin
19. Heirs
of God
20. Hope
21. Identity
22. Immediate
access to the Father
23. Justification
24. New
creature/creation
25. Positions
in Christ [priests, kings, prophets]
26. Presence
of God
27. Reconciled
28. Relationship
29. Remission
of sins
30. Salvation
31. Seated
in heavenly places
32. Sons
of God
33. Temple
of God
34. Weapons
of warfare
Which of the above could you do
without? (circle)
All the above are achieved by faith
and are sought after by religions of all stripes through the vanity of works.
Eph.2:8.
Knowing
God
A brief [not complete, add
to the list] synopsis of the persona of God:
·
Love
·
Gracious
·
Merciful
·
Righteous
·
Longsuffering
·
Gentle
·
Faithfull
·
Compassionate
·
Forgiving
·
Friend
The ultimate goal of Bible study is to
know God and not to merely memorize Bible trivia. As you study, identify the
attributes of God. For instance: make a note when you read of God extending His
forgiveness or compassion, and remember how He has done the same for you.
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