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Who is the image of the invisible God, the first form of every creature?
For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in the earth, visible and invisible.
Whether they be thrown or dominion, for principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things considered.
And he is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead.
That in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it please the Father of the Godhead, that in him should all fullness dwell.
And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto.
Himself or itself by him, I say, whether they be things in first or things in heaven.
And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works.
Yet now has he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you wholly and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which he have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereas I fall, and made the minister.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you.
And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church.
Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his things to whom God would make known. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles?
Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, where unto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
He mentioned yesterday already.
That this verb is better rendered first one of all creation. I noticed that even the NIV learned from Mr. Darby translation and hesitant the way he gives it I like to.
Without wasting too much time.
Make some comments and related incidents that we personally.
Experience a beautiful Catholic neighbors, one of the Bible studies, and we.
In order to make that Bible study more acceptable, they were devout Catholics. We were looking for casting translation, and he found out that there are some good cancer translation the Jewish and the Confraternity, and he found two doing translation.
And what was interesting and the reason I mentioned is, is why we were looking for these translations in the bookstore, the Christian bookstore. They had a brief explanation for all the translations that were available in the English language at that time.
And what caused our interest was especially the GND translation. And this is what it says. And mind you, that was not written by anybody that favored brethren, necessarily by scholars.
Who know the original They said that the J&E translation was the most accurate critical rendering available.
I just feel that it is necessary that nobody gets the idea that.
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That we are just because we admire Mr. Darby so much that we are favoring his translation. Other scholars who know the original better than we don't really know it.
That's the adjustment, so it should be giving us confidence.
And feeling thankful that we have this transportation and get the correction in this translation. And here is one of them. Why is this correct to say he is the first born of all creation? Because Adam when he was created he was the head of the earthly creation, but when the Lord Jesus comes into his own creation because he is the Creator, He.
Of necessity has to have the plates.
Of headships, of all creations, even the angels.
And all God's angels worship him so.
It shows at once the superiority of this pleasant one compared with Adam. He's the head of all the first born. The first born does not mean the one first born, the one who is in the position.
Of the first one, just like David's son.
Who became Cain was not the first one born, but he gets the position of the first born. And so that's helpful, I hope, for us to see who the one is in whom we have redemption. He's the first born of all creation, that in all things he might have the preeminent.
He was the preeminent one. I might want to add that the Confraternity Catholic translation very close to J&D. Yes, the duay is not, but the contraternity would. You can't buy it anymore. I've tried. They don't. It's not in print anymore. Give credit wherever credit is due. You know, there were honest efforts made by others to accurately translate that. We couldn't fight the Confraternity, unfortunately, and we work together with a couple very long. They got saved and they said you don't have to use it to retrans station anymore.
And we did.
Can I ask We're not going too far away. The first part of that Who is the image of the invisible ghost when God in creation, in the first of Genesis, called to let us make man in our image, and after our likeness after?
Well, now that was said of that.
But we only get.
Is the image of the invisible car. It's very careful not to say that he's after our enlightenment.
The Lord Jesus he's when he's down here, as he was asked, he was saying every jumping, miserable gospel is perhaps the thought of representatives that right representative but scripture very careful not to say that he asked him God, like he wasn't like God.
You want to stop God? He was God, He was God and and he said he was to say that he was licensed from God. That would be the deny who did and I'm sure that no one here would would go on with that but.
He's very careful not to say that he would absolutely like himself when he was gone. He does say that he was made after the likeness of men, doesn't it, in Philippians? Interesting.
But apart from all of the nature of wickedness of man.
He was in a park when God said, let us make man, let us, That's the godhead. And he says let him, let us make man in our image and in our likeness man when he fell.
Lost the lightness, but he never did lose the image.
We're still in the image of God, but we're not in like the Swedes. We fell far beyond and have gone. The likeness was gone. We lost that Adam.
Got a son in his own life? That's right in the likeness of a fallen man.
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The idea of representation is made very clear by the Lord himself when they ask if he should pay tax, he said Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription is this on the coin? It Caesar's. Well, I'm sure that many has improved considerably, and the images that are printed on our coins probably are more accurate than were printed on coins at that time.
So the image on Caesars coins may have been a very, very poor image of the actual individual, but still.
In the concede of and so it is with man, he's in the image of God. It may not be the American representation, but the Lord Jesus Christ says and Hebrews chapter one and verse three was the express image of God.
An absolute representation, a perfect expression of what God is. God is a spirit. No man has seen him at any time, but only got Son. He has declared him so that he could stay to Philip. He that has seen me has seen the Father. So we have made in the image of God is a perfect representation before our very eyes as to what God is seen in the sun. And now we can know who God is, can't we? Exactly God was before.
Invisible.
There were partial revelations in the Old Testament about him, but now that the Lord Jesus has come, we now have something visible that we can see. And it is a complete revelation of all that God is. And it is beautiful brethren, to look through the gospel. Just trade His pathway, the perfection, the glory, the moral glory in every way possible.
This is our God we're looking at. It's beautiful to think about it. We can know God now in the fullest sense of the word, because of the Lord Jesus. He is the image of the invisible guy. You said, Bob. We had partial revelations of God in the Lord Jesus. We have the full revelation. That means there is nothing further to be revealed. We have it all.
In the person of the sun.
When he comes, he becomes man, yes, but when he comes, God is believed God.
In flesh.
Come in flesh. God manifested in the flesh and how wonderful it is. And remember it worked through repeating over and over again. This is the one in whom we have redemption.
First Timothy 316.
But when the Lord was here, Philip says, Show us the Father.
The Lord looks at him and says, Philip, have I been so long time with you?
And dost thou not know me? He says he doesn't know the Father. He doesn't see me as seen the Father. He was a full, total revelation of God in every way.
His name shall be called Immanuel, which is being interpreted God with us. So that verse our brother referred to God was manifest in the flesh. Now there's a very significant point to this word manifest. First of all, something has to exist in the form by which it is made known to be able to say, to have been manifested. So here is God coming into man's circumstances.
And is shown to be what he always has been. He was manifested in the black and a body. And so we got then in 2nd Corinthians 5 that he was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. And that's what we have here. He has reconciled the very one in whom we have redemption is the God who came into our circumstances, and was manifested to be the Father. And now He has reconciled us Himself.
By the death of his son in First Timothy 6, we get.
King of kings And which Indian times, which in his times he shall show, Who is the blessed and only polity? The king of kings and Lord of Lords, who only have immortality, dwelling in the light that no man can approach unto them whom no man has pain or can see.
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To whom we honour, empower, everlasting. The Lord Jesus is the is is the revealer of the invisible God. Amen.
It's interesting that he used the word manifested, which is used so much in Scripture, and I was interested to know what Webster dictionary had to say as to the meaning of that word. And I've enjoyed it ever since I looked it up. Webster says that the word manifest means to clearly show. That's what we've been saying, haven't we? Sometimes someone might show us something and it's not clear. We see a photograph of someone. We say, well, if we look closely, we know who it is. And maybe a Sonia is maybe a slight representation of his father, but not not clearly.
But here is one who brought it to display every attribute and quality of God so clearly that, as you say, Brother Dave, at the end of his pathway he could say to Phillips, there's nothing more to be revealed. There's Phillips as it were said. Show us something more. The Lord said no. Have I been so long time with you? He that have seen me have seen the Father. It's been clearly shown, rather so, that there can be should be no doubt in our minds as we read the scriptures.
Who God is and what his heart is as well.
Our brother Henry made the comment in his address.
That caused his still the Almighty God, that's true. But the relationship into which we have been drawn is to know him as Father. He to emphasize that he's still the Almighty God. He didn't stop to be that when he revealed himself to Moses as Jehovah.
Exodus 6 verse two and three, but he revealed himself more fully.
In our case, our relationship to him is to him as father as Christians. Nobody ever had that relationship before the 2nd in 2nd Corinthians 6. This is what I thought of when Henry was speaking verse 17. Wherefore come out from among them?
And be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. That's the only time in the in the Epistles he's given that title, and it's striking, isn't it, that?
He takes the father's place towards those that are separate from.
The evil which is round about that shows different thought. Excuse me, that's a different thought than that. The relationship we're in by grace, he played the father's part to us when we're separate from evil.
Do not say that if we try to walk in that place, he's going to show us that he's the Almighty. He can help us do that.
When we speak of the.
The Lord is full and 1St Revelation of all thought is doesn't that carry out to help them manifest it. All that God ever intended that we should have and everyone have is in these is in this legend book. You know nothing, nothing will ever be added to it from time will return.
All that God answer you need to know or ever will know, is between the pages of Miss Clinton book, and we'll have a small eternity, and it couldn't be complete until the sun came to completely give the full revelation of God. And that's given in the Son. John says it this way. Whosoever King James says, transgressive and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, Hath not God Darby translation whosoever goes forward.
And abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God? What does that mean?
It means goes beyond the full revelation that we have in the person of the son, as though there's something more, there's nothing more and anything that goes forward And what's called development in in the truth. And they say, well, the the light moves on. This is, this is Raven Taylorism by the way. That's what they say. The light moves on and there's more truth. No, the full truth is out in the person of the Sun and that was brought out in the 1800s.
And I think if we don't see that, we'll never understand the seven churches, never really understand that the whole truth was brought out in Philadelphia and we don't look for something further And what is called further light. The the, the, the cloud moves on. The light moves on is error and should be rejected. Even that him that we all enjoy, I enjoy seeing him that.
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His sister role perhaps has not been told.
All has been told.
The better thought would be we haven't got the hold of that.
That's the thought, but we have it all in this court.
Already there's nothing further to be looked forward to, but we will know as we are known when we get home. I think that.
What you think is told out to us in?
Verse.
25 As to revelation yet supposed given to complete everything, God hasn't got anything else to tell us.
Took apart the concerned, I suppose that when the Apostle Paul laid down his pen, the word of God was complete. Amen, complete. And he says that in one of his epistles. So anybody that cleans now like Joseph Smith.
Or Mohammed, who supposedly had new revelations, a liar.
That verse is all you need.
To know that it's lost, Divine revelation has been completed, We have it all in our hands, and how thankful we can see that we have it in the language that we can read it ourselves. You don't have to know Hebrew and Greek and the languages that the Bible was written in. Chaldean too. I think there were three languages, right that were used. But.
We have it in our language. Non translation is perfect, but how thankful we can be to have the King James. And it has been said, all the truth came out when this Bible was being used. You know, not perfect, but all the truth could be brought out by the use of this book. This translation. I'd like to say that the full revelation was finished in the 1St century.
Yeah, John's writings came after Paul's.
What you say is true. Paul laid down his pens the the missing piece of the pie. I like to represent it that way. Was put in place truth of the church as a mystery, but the the greatest, the greatest writings. It's hard to compare greatness when everything is so great. Is what John wrote his gospel if you can't get anything better.
Than that. And that was written right towards the end of the 1St century of 9480. Thank you. I'd like to ask if you're talking about the first one or innovation and what is the difference, The first born of every creature, all creation and here in our 18th verse.
He is the head of the body of the Church who is the beginning. Now it's the first born from the dead.
That in all things he might have the preemption.
When he enters his own creation, he is alone as a man. There is no union with Christ apart from his death and resurrection. I'm quoting Mr. Kelly.
And when he in John 12 Says, unless the Colonel of Greek fall into the ground and die and abideth the law, the man Christ Jesus was the Lord, but he has fallen into the ground and died.
And now we are the prudent to travel of this soul. So I believe it's wonderful to get ahold of that while he comes. He is the first born of all creation. He has the place of preeminence, but he is alone. It's only through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus that there is not a possibility that he is the beginning of something completely new. He's the head of a new race, and he is the head of the body.
Yes, we have that in Romans 5, the second part that he is in contrast to Adam, now the head of a new race. And then we are also he's the head of the body, which is new.
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I think you're talking about what I'm talking about thinking about what Asked about that as you visibility. Mary was the first one who saw this beginning of the new creation when she saw Jesus standing the first fruit from them. That flesh is.
I think that it shows pressure to see here when he revealed and trusted her.
The new creation. It had never been here before. First born from the dead. You mean Mary Magdalene? Well, it's Mary Magdalene. Yeah, but it was Mary. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just. I called her Mary when you first said it. I thought she met his mother. No, no. You mean Mary Magdalene. Yeah. Well, good. That's that's getting clear. Yeah. A new creation. And consider the fact that we have in.
2nd Thessalonians Cuban, 2nd Corinthians 517 Ye are a new creation.
That each one of us in this room that know the Lord Jesus has Savior, ye are a new creation. Let's read that verse David, and and talk about it a little bit. That's a wonderful verse.
2nd Corinthians 517 Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, should read, All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God. One of the most wonderful verses in all the Bible to make.
There is a new thing.
And if you are in Christ, you are part of isn't this one we're born of go up through the gospel. We're getting into that. We have that life. We're not going to get a new life when the Lord comes. But they call it when the day of resurrection. We're going to get a new buddy but we've already got that lane. The wonderful thing to know that we have a new life when we take the Lord Jesus and are born of God.
But we don't have the new body.
So in our chapter, verse 15/16/17 is the first creation, isn't it? And verse 18 forward is the second, the new creation where all things are of God. You're talking about. Yeah, would you say that John 114 is Jesus entering into his creation as a man?
The Word was made flesh. He became flesh.
So that he could die for us to have a new creation. Oh the planet God is wonderful revelation.
He presented as the head of the new creation. You know why is that important? The beginning of the new creation.
Because.
In Laodicea where that statement is made.
The emphasis is on main natural liking and boasting kernels, kernel things and the Saints have to be reminded, is the beginning of the creation of God, and He is the beginning, and He see Him in resurrection as us.
And he doesn't become that until the resurrection. That's from John. 20 He appears the risen Christ, and he stands in their midst, proclaims, peace be unto you. And then he shows them his hands in his side. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Then he says again, peace be unto you as my Father has sent me Even so send I you. And then he breathes into them the breath of his resurrection life.
And says receive the Holy Spirit. And so the Spirit of God is there to characterize the new life that they now have in the risen Christ, and that's the new creation, association with Christ and resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's more than new birth. It's more than new birth. It's more than new birth. People don't understand the difference, and some even argue that Old Testament Saints were not born again.
That's outright ridiculous. I had a telephone call from a young believer.
And he said, Old Testament Saints, we were not born again. I said, brother, how come they've called things? Have they elevated themselves in their natural life to stay? But how could they be saved? The scriptures refers to them as saying no, but how wonderful in First Corinthians 15.
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To support what was said in connection with. Sounds funny.
35 The first man, Adam, was made a living soul.
The last Adam was made a quickening spirit. That is what takes place and is demonstrated in John 20. When he does breathe on his disciples, communicating resurrection life doesn't mean there is a second life. No, the disciples had no birth before.
Death took place, but their life is elevated to a higher position by receiving resurrection life. But there's even more in there. We have eternal life, and that is enjoy and known by the indwelling Spirit. And again.
Another third life communicated that life is elevated and that eternal life, it doesn't mean an ending life. It's a quality of life.
And that involves the relationship to God and Father. Did his life eternal? The Lord Peter said in John 17 that they might know thee that is the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou is sin. So people argue whether the Old Testament Saints had eternal life. According to this statement in John 17. How could they? Because they didn't know the Lord Jesus for the Father, but we by the Spirit now.
Do note and enjoy eternal life. I have come that they might have liked John Chapter 10 and a better rendering says they might have it abundantly. King James says more abundantly, suggesting the Old Testament Saints had abundant life. If we just have it more abundantly, no. We in Christianity have abundant life, but it's wonderful to get ahold of these things and then we are admonished to enjoy and live their life.
I like to say this as to the.
The Lord in the 21St of Revelation he says, And he says unto me, It is done, it is done.
That was the final word of all The purposes of God and everything in connection with purposes of God were complete. It is done honestly with regards to everything that God purpose. The past eternity was all complete. It is done.
And now it says I have Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
Well, what a person. The Lord is in the beginning and the end all things.
Brother Bob, you mentioned the two creations here.
And I enjoyed that way.
When it says.
In verse 17 he is before all things.
It isn't a question or a reference to.
His existing as God before there was a creation, but before all things in honor.
And as regards to the present creation, which he's talking about there, the principalities and powers, those are not.
New They don't belong to the new creation. Some of them are fallen principalities and powers of darkness, but he in First Corinthians 15.
That has been referred to. He is the last Adam.
But in verse 47 it says the first man is Adam is of the earth Thursday, the 2nd man is the Lord from heaven. And that's not a reference to what he is in resurrection as heading. The new creation is the reference to his coming into this creation as a man. And when he did that, he had that first place of honor. And that's one aspect of first born.
And further high extension it isn't the only aspect of Susan was the first born is called the first born by Joseph's son's God forced him first born in portion and honor. They rose above revenge and so the Lord Jesus when he was born into this present creation of which we still are part.
00:35:11
He has necessity, has to have a place of honor above.
Any anything in this game, not just men, but these principalities and powers too. But then there is the new creation and the Lord Jesus is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from among the dead and the new creation. There was no new creation until Christ grows from the death, and both in time if we can speak that way.
And in preeminent in the new creation, the Lord Jesus was not only first born in honor, he is first born in existence is the head of it. And so I think you do have both creation brought in in the Lord Jesus during the millennial reign. It will still be this creation, but he will have his throne inheriting this.
Scheme since the first born's portion.
And he wasn't the first born man. He was the 2nd man. And he will have that place of preeminence of necessity, because he created it all. But in the new creation he will not only have the place of preeminence that goes with first born, but he will be. I don't know how else to express it in time. He is the first born of that new creation. There was no new creation until.
He came out from among the dead.
Now, Henry, did I understand you right that you said?
And he is before all things does not mean.
How could you express it? I think it means in honor. Mr. has a note on that and in honor. He used before all things in honor.
Because it's Speaking of him as a man here, coming into this creation as a man, and he is called the 2nd man.
He wasn't the first man, but he has the first born place as the second man because he has that place of preeminence and honor. I think that. I think if it is translation where he speaks of that but his first born in honor.
I have a hip copy down some months back that he used to sing where he used to be. Bear with me. I want to read it to you. I believe you will enjoy it. Thou art the first Lord Jesus, and so Thou art the last. Thou killest all the future, the present and the past. The alpha, the beginning, the Omega, the end.
Once dead, the light forever.
To whom each need shall bend shall brightness fault the glory which I have never seen. Thou never had, beginning eternal, selfish sin. Thou art the perfect image of God, invisible in life, which none approaches, in love, which none can tell first bones of all creation upon the eternal throne, preeminent in all things.
The universe unfolds of everything. Creature by whom all things subsist, all praise to thee, Lord Jesus, by all that does exist in that beautiful. I believe that kids seem very well with Colossians.
Interesting verses 1516 and 17.
Are something that we can look at because we can go out this door on a clear night and we can look at the heavens and these three verses tell us where that came from.
The 16 First for by him were all things created. It doesn't say here they were made. They were created that are in heaven and that earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrown or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created for by him and for him.
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Now turn to Hebrews 11 for about two verses, which I believe explains a lot that man tries to condemn.
Third verse. Through faith we understand that the world were framed for men, that it should be by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. In other words, God did not take something that was.
There and make something out of it. God's faith. And who was this God that spake was the Lord Jesus spake, and it came into being. And man in his scientific brains have said, well, there was a mass of gas, and this and that and the other thing there was nothing.
When God created, he spake and it came into being, yes, but there was nothing there. He created it. He didn't make it. He created it. And that's what this 16th verse is. And that tells us how great the person of Christ is.
32nd Psalm, why don't we look at 33rd Psalm, 33rd Psalm, 33rd, OK, thank you.
Space it was, he commanded, and it stood fast.
Per second and nine.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. Verse 9 For he spake, and it was done. He commanded, and stood fast.
Chuck you gave us an explanation then I enjoyed thought the maybe you could give it again in in Genesis one they said in the beginning call that's in the plural God created here that says that the Lord figures this situation. Remember your explanation? Well everything that God does, whether it's creation or redemption or anything that he does, is all the trinities involved in what he does.
And that's the very first reason In God, Elohim, in the plural Father, Son and Holy Spirit created the heavens and the earth, but it's assigned to the sun in the New Testament, I believe, because only the Son of the three persons of the Trinity became a man. Only He took that place of subjection. So God made sure that he understand that the one who could say my Father is greater than I because he became a servant is the Creator.
Of all things.
So what man uses to deny his deity? How could he be God if he could say my father's greater than I? Well, for you and me to say my father's greater than I is ridiculous. Of course she is. We're just creatures. But He was the Creator and he took the place.
Of a servant. And in that place he could say my Father's greater than I, that God makes sure that we understand that that one who took that place is to create him all things. It's like the first verse of Mark's Gospel, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Only three times the Son of God is mentioned in Mark.
But there, in the very first verse, it's like Mark says. Now I'm going to show you.
The perfect service. But never forget who he is. He is the Son of God. It's interesting that when you go through all four gospels, you get that He's the Son in all four gospels. Whatever other characteristics may be predominant in Matthew, Mark and Luke, the Son is brought before us in some aspect. It's not developed fully only in John's Gospel, but as you say, God guarding this precious truth and bringing it before us in whatever aspect the Lord Jesus is taken up. I might just say this too about his being the Creator.
If you notice in the in Mr. Darby's translator, the translation, the 17th verse, the end of the verse by him all things. We kind of lose the sense here. When it says consist, Mr. Darby says subsist because brother, not only is he the creator of this universe, the creator of everything, but everything works under his direction because the sufficient really is to work under the direction and authority of another. Maybe I can illustrate it this way.
00:45:25
There's a table in the middle of the floor here, and this table consists. It consists of some wood and some hardware and some plastic and perhaps some varnish. Whatever material went into the making of that table. But we wouldn't say that cable substance, it couldn't sit. But the substance is something greater, and rather than think of it, when the Lord Jesus was asleep on the pillow on the boat, he was upholding all things by the word of his power.
As his arms were stretched out and nailed to a Roman cross, he was sustaining the very breath of those who were cruelly mocking him. It says He give us to all life and breath and all things, and so he is indeed the Creator. But everything works under his plan and his direction in the universe. And if God called his breath to himself, all flesh would perish. If God I say, Lord Jesus, I say this reverently and carefully.
If we forgot this universe for a moment, the planets would go out of their orbit. The law of gravity wouldn't operate. But here's one who I say He's upholding all things by the word of his power, and so he's not only the creator, but he's the sustainer. But then, brethren, immediately, as soon as that is brought before us, there's a statement made. And this statement is absolute. I think we need to consider it. And he is the head of the body. Now, we've discussed many things here this afternoon.
Of profit and edification.
But brother, let's just stop and think of the import of that for a moment. You know, a body without a head is an incomplete unit. A body without a head cannot function. Let's think of it in the literal sense for a moment. If our heads were severed, not trying to be gruesome, but if our heads were severed from our bodies here this afternoon, our bodies could not function. And, brethren, we couldn't cannot function as the body of Christ here on earth, apart from the direction given to us.
By the head in heaven. And don't we need to practically recognize this in our lives and individually and collectively in the assembly that he is the head? Our bodies, in a physical sense, take all their directions from the brain, from the head. And where are we to get our direction as the members of the body here on earth? It is from our glorified head, because when the Spirit of God descended in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.
And the body of Christ was formed. And I believe I'm correct in saying that there was number body of Christ on earth here in that sense until the day of Pentecost. Is that right? And when the body was formed, not only was the Spirit of God the link of the members on earth to form them into that unit, the body of Christ, but the Spirit of God then also became the link of the members on earth to their risen, glorified head, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our head is not just risen. We've spoken of resurrection, and that's true, but he is offended.
Glorified at the right hand of God and brethren, the assembly is not a democracy. Where do we get our instruction from? It's from the head. Do we own the headship of Christ? That's what the Epistle of Colossians is all about. They weren't owning the headship of Christ. We don't take a boat in the assembly. We don't cast luck. They never cast lots after the day of Pentecost because they were to take their direction from the head, the Spirit of God having been given to make it those things clear to them as to what they were to do. But the direction came from the hitch rather. This is very practical and in all things.
He is to have the preeminence. Whatever we do is to be for his glory, working under his direction as the head.
In that same brain as to the head being removed from the body, we get the.
Sequel to what was said earlier in the reading about the elevating place to which we've been brought as children of God and members of the body of Christ, we get in Ephesians chapter one that the body on earth ahead of heaven. The body is the complement of the head that is going on high, and I'd like the illustration of a battleship. When it comes off of the way, it is just a hunk of steel and it's just a floating.
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Metals. But the compliment comes aboard, and it becomes a man of war. And so when the church was formed, it is dysfunctional aspect of the new creation and goddess brought into existence the head in heaven and the body on earth, the complement of the fullest hymn that filleth All in all. And just as Eve was the culprit of Adam, and he became a complete individual, so the.
Formation of the Church of God on earth to be the body of Christ is the completion of the revelation of God head in heaven and the body on earth. Brother you, let's look at a verse just to back up what you said in First Corinthians 12.
1St Corinthians 12 and verse 12. For as the body is 1 and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also it ought to really read is the Christ. Now that's just what you're saying. God looks at the head in heaven. The members here on earth, Brethren, this doctor do something to our heart. He looks at it in its completion and he says it's Christ.
That, brethren, is the relationship that you and I have been brought into in Christianity. Have any in any previous age had a relationship with God and with Christ like this? Never. Rather. And I say again, God looks at the head and the members and he says it's Christ.
Warm, complete and to cut it.
There is also something that further Clemens asking about the resurrection.
And.
Brother Henry quoted Holy Stevens to Mr. Darby's translation. He adds the word resurrection from among the dead. That is also Christian truth.
The Old Testament.
Says did not understand the resurrection the way we understand it.
They believe in a general resurrection, just like the translators of the NIV, the corrupt version that nobody should really pay much attention to. In John chapter 5. They translate because they believe in a general resurrection. They don't believe in a coming Kingdom. They say some will be raised to light, some will be raised to judge.
As soon as it is all at the same time.
No, in the New Testament.
Out of resurrection we have life that there will be two resurrections. The resurrection from among the dead which takes place when the Saints are raised that have died in place. The dead will be raised. Those who are Christ that is coming and we deliver unchanged. That's the resurrection from among the dead. The rest of the dead remain in the grave. And the resurrection of the dead.
Is in Revelation.
20 When they arranged to be judged and stand before the great white stroll, and and still being, what is the 19th by? Is it in the 19th, 19th chapter? They will still and they're still referred to as the dead, although they're raised spiritually, still dead and will be judged. So we have that life. Mary and Martha didn't understand the Lord Jesus in John Chapter 11 because they didn't understand that yet we have that in Christianity.
You know we have.
More truth, full truth, even As to the resurrection, the resurrection from among the dead, the Lord brought that out very plainly, didn't he? And John Lewis, He said to mark Lazarus, will rise again, and he said, Yay, Lord, I know that he will rise in the latter day.
A legal board says, Jesus said, Under I am the resurrection and the dead, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead yesterday. And whosoever believes in me shall never die. Believe us now this.
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Lord, I believe. And then he explained to her that there was no such thing now as a general resurrection, And then when he rose, raised magic.
We went up to that grave and he said specifically.
Lazarus, come forward. That's an out resurrection from among the dead.
But he wasn't raised in the light that he will be raised in the picture of it. Just a picture of it. He went back to into the grapes, Right. Oh, yes, yes. But it's a picture of it. Yes. Those are nerves, the dead when they are standing before the great white troll at the end of the revelation.
We don't know what and what kind of a body they'll be in doing. We don't know, but.
They won't have a word to say, but also there will be, it says there will be weeping, unwilling and gnashing of teeth. So there will be a real feeling. Real sense in in hell would be in awful sense of the judgment that is that is regardless sentiment. Also we get in the 16th of Luke where we get the of the man who Richie Man.
Says he.
He went to Haiti, but he was in torment. He was in torment. Joel, whatever body they're in, they'll they'll be feelings. There won't be there.
And everyone that goes goes there and only goes to hell. They'll know where they're there.
Well, in our chapter we have this beautiful expression that in all things you might have the preeminence. And I think this is good for us to consider. You know, God is going to make sure that his son has the preeminence in the end. We've already had that expressed a little bit, but he's not only going to have his rightful place in heaven, brethren, but he's going to have it here in this creation once again, have it in this creation in a coming day.
And I don't believe God's heart will ever really be satisfied until his Son has his rightful place here in this world and until everything has gives ovations and recognizes him as such. It was here in this world where they crucified Him and cast Him out.
They said away with him, crucify him, but they're going to, in a coming day recognize him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And what a thrill it's going to be to the heart of God in that day when in this world where they spit in his Son's blessed face, he finally has his rightful place. But brother, he really wants that place in our hearts now too, doesn't he? You know, I trust there's no thought even in corners of our hearts this afternoon as to this being the reigning time now.
You know, there are those who think that this is the time to be reigning now and.
We've all heard this, and I'm starting to find that this doctrine is becoming more and more prevalent in some Christian circles. Brethren, this is not the reigning time. Now it says in Hebrews 2 we see not yet all things put under him. I remember talking to a brother who, if I mentioned his name, many would recognize it. But I talked it the last time. I talked to this brother who had got caught up in doctrine that thought that this was the reigning time and we ought to be out.
Asserting ourselves and so on, I said to him, in the last conversation I had with him, I said, Brother, if you look around at the condition of things in this world today and say that this is the reigning time, now that's a slap in the face to the blessed Lord Jesus, to say that the Lord is reigning. And then to see that we see, it says we see. Not yet all things put under him, but there is that day. But nevertheless, brother, and I say he does want that place in your heart and mind. Now we sometimes sing to him, rain thou within our hearts alone.
And again, let's make it very practical. First of all, in our personal lives, when we make a decision, do we seek the direction of the Lord Jesus? Do we consider whether it's for his glory, for His glory? Not just something I want or even some good I think, for my family, but for His glory? Is that my first motive and brother when we come to the assembly and things are taken up again?
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When we make decisions in the fear of the Lord and the light of Scripture and owning the headship of Christ, is that our first thought that he might have the preeminence that glory will be brought to him Through this? You know, sometimes I've heard an expression.
Discipline and the excommunication of an individual from the Lord's table. Well, all discipline is for the restoration of a soul rather than the first. Motivation in discipline is for the glory of the Lord. Sin is a thing that is not fit for the presence of the Lord. And if we profess to be gathered to the Lord's name at the Lord's table, and to meet in his presence, we must clear sin from the assembly for his glory. Yes, there ought to be the consideration of the restoration.
Soul, And you certainly get that in such in Corinthians. But in First Corinthians, why were they to take up the matter, and why was there excommunication? It was for the glory of the Lord. Sin was allowed well, brethren, in all things, not just in some things, but in all things. He is to have the preeminence in our lives here and now.
The error that you're talking about of these so-called pseudo faith healers saying that this is raining time that existed at Corinth. I'll read the verse verse 8 of chapter 4. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us and I would to God you did reign that we also might reign with you. The apostles were being persecuted, tortured, some of them put to death.
Saints at corrupted reigning by kings. Is this raining time now? Not now. They might get, they get by with that. the United States of America. They wouldn't get by with that in Afghanistan or Pakistan or any of those countries. The Saints aren't reigning there. They're not talking about Christ reigning. They're talking about the Saints reign. And they can only get by with that because in this land, well, yeah, that that fits pretty well with our way of living.
Also, in Second Timothy, there were those who thought that the resurrection had already taken place. What's the implication?
Suffering time is over. Training has begun. You know when the Lord does reigns His own and come back with us, yet then you will reign so you can see what they were implying.
We don't have to suffer anymore the resurrection that's already taken place. But no, this is the time to suffer. And if you suffer with him, he will reign with him. And but there's also not just the fact that the Lordidas will reign. The Lord Jesus, by going to the cross, has made reconciliation and will reconcile all things to the Godhead.
To itself.
That means the creation.
Not all man times he will restore or reconciliation really mean to bring it to proper relationship and make things right according to God and that will be realized in the creation. But we don't have to wait till that day we are already recognized. What a wonderful difference that is. We have been dropped into a relationship of peace.
We were enemies of God, but now we are lovers of God. God never needed to be reconciled to us. He never was our enemy. But we needed to be reconciled. And the death of the Lord Jesus has accomplished that. And if he lay hold of death by faith, what an effective head. And our hearts, our hearts are drawn to a God that so loved us and gave his Son to die for us so that enemies might.
Might become lovers of God.
Into a proper relationship to God. That's verses 20 and 21 of our chapter. Yes. And the reconciliation here is things in earth and things in heaven. I think that's important to say because in Philippians where every knee vows and owns to these Lord to the glory of God the Father, there's something else added things in things in heaven and the orders reversed their heaven 1St and then earth and under the earth.
Because even the infernal beings will be forced to bow and own who this person is, but they will never be reconciled. And so here it just seems in earth and things in heaven, in the preeminence of the 19th verse, that in all things.
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ALL takes in everything, in all things. You might have the criminal. Earlier you said we see not yet all things put under him. That's true, but it will be.
In the 19 first it will be before we get any further in the chapter. I'd like to look at the 20th 1St because.
Many people are disturbed in their soul about their peace.
The 21St is a fixed, positive, finished piece. I think we could go back to John's gospel, where the Lord Jesus said peace, I give him to you. My peace I leave with you. It's predicated on the person.
In Romans 5/1.
By faith we have peace with God, but that's predicated on the 24th verse of the 4th chapter.
Which is the work of Christ. And here it's the blood of Christ.
And having made peace through the blood of his cross, we have peace. We have peace. It's six pieces. There is nothing that can ever change that fixed feat. Now if we go to Galatians, excuse me, to Philippians 4, verse six, we find another piece. And that's a piece that's predicated on how we take care of things when we're in difficult, but not here.
This has nothing to do with what I do. It's all been done. It's a fixed and very concrete eternal piece. We have peace with God. Marvelous Romans 51, the same thing, but it's a little different picture. It's predicated on the work of Christ. Here it's predicated on the blood of Christ. A finished work, a shed blood. And we have peace. There's an additional aspect of peace as well.
And Ephesians Chapter 2, it says that He is our feast and it is by entering in what we have had in these comments here this afternoon of our association with the risk is price. And seeing him there passed out of these circumstances where man did all that they could do to him, where the enemy had access to bring him this credit in every way. He's passed through all of that out of end of the glory. And now there he is in the circumstances he can no longer be touched by anything down here.
And so he is our peace. This is the second part of the gospel that we preach in the 11Th of Matthew. I'll give you rest. Oh, that's the mixed piece. And take my yoke on you and learn of me. And if you'll find rest to your soul, that's the peace that we receive by realization that we are associated with him there, beyond the windy of anything that touched him when he was here, but about the peace of God.
The word of Christ running in you richly.
Will Garrison your heart with a piece of God. In other words, that was demonstrated in our Blessed Lord, who went to difficult circumstances of his life below. Yet the peace of God was enjoying his soul, and that can be enjoyed by us, even though we might have to go through disappointing, painful experiences. One of the things that will make one of the things that make heaven so wonderful.
Is that the peace of God? Bringing the peace of God?
The atmosphere to be in an atmosphere where where a piece of God, one thinks of the.
How?
Well, we know what anything repeats down here, but the blood of Christ is cynicism and blood crisis. Citados for for heaven where to where we will enjoy the the peace of God. The wonderful, oh God is the God of peace. I believe there's Sixers Sixers eight times in the gospels.
And the symptoms where God is spoken of as the God of peace or the peace of God.
And this will be heaven will be a perfect peace in the presence of God, our wonderful, wonderful. We have peace with God, the God of peace.
01:10:07
And the peace of God. We have peace with God. That's Romans 51. But this is deeper than that. Much deeper. This is the aspect of the work of Christ, God word when the blood was carried in on the Day of Atonement, sprinkled 7 times before and Once Upon the emergency.
God was glorified about the whole question of sin. He made peace.
By the blood of His cross. That's the aspect of the work God worth. He has satisfied and vindicated God's majesty and holiness. As to the whole question of sin, God has been insulted by the the the sin that has existed here, the rebellion against His authority. Christ gave His life in perfect obedience, shed His precious blood.
And now he's dismayed before God. We enter into it by faith, but this is something that's not connected with our faith. It's what he did with respect to God. We often all we usually think of what he's done for us, what he's done for me, what he's done for God. Glory is more important, far more important. And I think that's having made peace.
To the blood of his cross, so that now he can reconcile.
All things to himself.
He is the first one that should be considered when we think of the work of Christ on the cross, and then it flows out to us and bless, I think that's so very important. I was thinking of that before you spoke up, Chuck. Because what will give us confidence and produce real worship in our hearts is the realization of this in our souls. You know so often on Lord's Day, Morning and brethren, I can only speak for myself.
So often on March the Morning, it's hard for me to get beyond what the work of Christ means to me. Now don't misunderstand me. I trust, brethren, The work of Christ means everything to our heart. But if my acceptance before God depended on my appreciation of the person and work and blood of Christ.
That would be feeble at best. That would be a very shaky foundation to stand on. And I was thinking of it too In Peter, when he speaks of the precious Blood of Christ in first Peter one, you know, we often think of that again in connection with our value of the blood of Christ. I trust the blood of Christ is a precious theme and subject to it. But if you notice carefully when it says the Precious Blood of Christ, whose estimation of the blood is that? The God's estimation of the blood of his Son. And I'm not redeemed with something like money, silver and gold that fluctuates in value or changes in in in value. I'm redeemed with something.
That is as precious and valuable to the heart of God as when it flowed forth at Calvary's cross and brethren. If we could get ahold of this in our soul, we would enjoy more in a practical way that settled peace in our souls. Why is it so often Christians don't have settled peace? They're thinking of their part, They're thinking of what it all means to them, and they don't consider that the first and foremost motive of the Lord Jesus in going to the cross.
Was to glorify God, and to settle the same question according to God's standards and for his glory and for his eternal satisfaction. And I say, in the measure in which we appreciate that in our soul there will be settled peace and confidence and worship.
Excuse me. And the first offering that we have in the Bible, where an offering was made in respect to the death of the first born, which was in Egypt. That says when I see.
It wasn't what values that the Israelites put on the blood at all had no value whatsoever, God says when I see the book. So we're not safe according to our people's appreciation of what took place. The same according to what God seems in it. Get ahold of these young people and how wonderful this statement later on here now.
What piece work has done with us? We are in the sight of God, fully, unbelievable, unreprovable. That's how that has put us in the side of the holy God. Tremendously. We need to get a hold of that by faith. That isn't a question how I feel it in my soul.
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The question is, do I accept what the Word of God tells me to be true?
Of a child of God. Two of the weakest child of God. Hopefully we come to rest in them and say, God says that I'm holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight, as a result of the work of the Lord Jesus, true of any of us.
How could it be any otherwise when we are told that we are seen in Christ? Can God look at the work of his Son and find anything wrong here? Never. And that's how He sees you. That's how he sees every one of us that knows Christ the Savior. Someone has said that burned off the aspect of the gentleman is he accepted all.
I like that. I believe it's true that what that word means to God is the basis of our acceptance. Yet it is also the tin barrel, you know, the SIM offering. But the bird offering is, I believe, the basis for our acceptance basis of all blackness and thinking. In verse 20 it says reconciling all things.
To himself, that really was gone. To the future days into eternity.
That eternal day, the day of God, when every trace of sin will be removed, and it's on the basis of that work that you've done, that that will take place. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world that looks on to that future day. But it is something present in verse 21, yet now happy, reconciled, we are reconciled to right now.
But it really is looking forward to the full completed work. When the Lord Jesus spoke to that 14th on the cross, he said today that thou be with me in paradise, that thief, he went to paradise with the Lord. He was just as perfect, just as perfect as the Lord himself, just as faith as the Lord himself.
Going to paradise.
And be just as perfect as the Lord yourself. He was answering what He was answering to the world for his sins, to for his crimes. He was answering for his own cancer while he was young. Yes, the Lord was answering to God for that man's sin and those hours of darkness, and when the when the when he died, that poor, that poor man.
He went into paradise.
Just as perfect as the Lord himself.
Now we only have a few minutes left.
And before we go, before we go on, I just want to add.
When we break, drag the Lord's day morning.
What sacrifice that speaks of is the peace offering, not the bird offering. The bird offering is the work of Christ, God word. We have no part in that except we come under the value of it. What we have fellowship with him in is the peace offering.
When we remember him in his death, we enter in to his thoughts. Behold, Israel after the first Christian, 10 Are not they which eat the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? He's talking about the peace offering, peace offering. The peace offering is really the communion offering. And we have part in that, and the offer had a part in that. They think of it. And so we have a part in that. I was just reading from a book at home.
On the coach and I looked up Islam and the in the Islam religion, they denied that Jesus ever died. They said that that he rose and but that he's in heaven. But he never died. And that's the very foundation of what we believe. When we're baptized. We're baptized unto his death. When we're here and at the Lord's table, we remember him in his death.
That's the very foundation truth that we have admitted and they denied that completely, absolutely deny it.
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So you you can test all of these false cults in that by the foundation truths that we hold so dear that we've learned from this book.
As I mentioned, we have a 2 minute flat, then maybe we keep the minute to make some comments on the verses here and especially.
Verse 23 does not.
Speak of a Christian who might sin.
And speaks of one who falls away, apostatizes from the faith. A Christian could never do that.
Giving up the faith and that's very helpful for anyone to understand. Just like.
Coming through making the address, you know there is such a thing as an apothecary, and this word implies that one who doesn't continue in the faith is an apostate and is moved away from the hope of the gospel. And then this is what is generally referred to as the gospel of the greatest cross.
But then Paul has another ministry and then he's taken up somewhere 24 on, and that is the ministry of the church and by this mystery.
The truth, it was committed to Paul.
Word of God was complete and.
The prayer is, and the desire of fault is, that Paul would enter into that teaching every man in all wisdom.
And that we may present every man's perfect in Christ Jesus doesn't mean to make them to be in a state of sinless perfection. No perfectly used in the word of God for full growth. So if we really enter into the second ministry of Fall Christ in the church and will contribute to our maturing spiritually.
Everything for growth. That's what Paul is saying. So how important it is for us to enter into the things? And then this mystery was hit in the ancient past in Colossae in Ephesians, I believe it says it was hitting God. It wasn't hitting the Old Testament. At this revealed now in the New Testament. And since it is revealed, he finds beautiful pictures of Christ and the Church in the Old Testament.
But it is not a revelation, the revelation we have in the New Testament. In the light of this revelation, we find that there are beautiful pictures. So how important it is that we buy things, enter into that which was especially committed to Paul, the mystery, Christ and the Church. I believe the mystery consists of two things. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Our being united to him.
And they're either in fellow heirs with trust, you know, and there again, the NIV.
Says we will be fellow heirs with Israel.
He admits these two words are added or he and it doesn't change the doctor, it does change. The doctrine is basically in line with the Covenant theology.
That there is no future Kingdom and the mystery simply is, is that the Gentiles are brought into our blessings. You see, that's what he asked these words. Well, how important it is that by faith we enter into these things, and that we do not only intellectually enter into those things. We couldn't enter into anything if we wouldn't have an intellect, but it has to be by the spirit of God, and the truth of God is given us.
To change our character form our very beginning that the result and ought to be the result of the truth of God, and to reach maturity.
Full growth in Christ, China's up number 33939.
Him #39.
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On his father's son, Is he alive?
And the glory. And the glory.
Thickness of the Dream Sister.
Of God.