Address—C. Hendricks
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
330.
What is the world?
Grace falls together.
Let's begin tonight by reading a few verses from Romans 16.
Romans, chapter 16.
Verse 25.
00:05:00
Now to him that is of power to establish you.
According to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ.
According to the revelation of the mystery which was.
Secret since the world began.
But now He's made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets.
According to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
To God only, wise the glory through Jesus Christ forever.
Amen. I believe this is the first mention in the New Testament of the mystery.
This wonderful secret that was.
Concealed in God Himself, not found in the Old Testament, not revealed there.
It's very entitled, but it's not revealed until as it says, which was kept secret since the world began. The revelation of the mystery was given to Paul to bring this truth out, and he's the only one that does. Of all the New Testament writers, he's the the, the vessel, the instrument that God raised up and chose to be the one to whom he committed this wonderful revelation.
And he's the one that ministers it to us and here we have the first mention of it.
Says it was kept secret since the world began. So we wouldn't, we won't find it revealed in the Old Testament. But now now in the present day of grace is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets. What prophets? Well, of course he's referring to the New Testament prophets, the prophetic scriptures of the New Testament. He says it was kept secret since the world began. It's now revealed. So it wasn't revealed by the Old Testament prophets. They're not the ones that are referred to.
But by New Testament prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith, we come across that very expression in chapter one, the obedience of faith in connection with the gospel, the obedience of faith, faith obedience, the submission of heart and soul to the gospel. But here is the submission of heart and soul to the mystery, the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but is now made manifest.
By prophetic scriptures. And then it says to God only wise. And you'll notice that in all these passages that we're going to be looking at this evening connected with the mystery, it's always right there where the wisdom of God is mentioned, the wisdom of God, because it's in the mystery that the hidden wisdom of God is revealed God's thoughts. And we were singing that hymn. What raised the wondrous thought or who did it suggest that we the Church, the glory brought you with the Son Be blessed.
O God, the thought with thine thine only it could be fruit of the wisdom love divine peculiar unto thee. This is God's wisdom, God's hidden wisdom. And so God has spoken of as God only wise. Now turn a page, and we come to 1St Corinthians and chapter 2.
First Corinthians chapter 2 And I brethren, when I came to you.
Came not with Excellency of speech or of wisdom. There is talking about the wisdom of man declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Now he knew more than just Christ and Christ crucified, but he had determined that among these Saints occurrence that were making so much of the first man that were following men, some saying, I am of Paul, I am of Apollo's, I am a Cephas.
And then there was that super spiritual group that said I am of Christ excluding other Christians.
In saying I am at Christ, that was probably the worst of the heresies that that existed, the the divisions I should say, that existed there at current. But they weren't spiritual men, they were carnal men. And Paul tells them that I've not spoken unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. So he determined not to know anything among them.
Only Jesus Christ, the person of Christ, in contrast with all these others that they were following after and making much of.
00:10:04
And Christ crucified, which is the end of the history of the first man.
Christ crucified is the judgment of God upon the first man, and they had to see that. They had to come to understand that. But man, according to the flesh, has been judged and set aside in the in the death and cross of Christ. But he did know more than just Christ. And Christ crucified. He knew the mystery, but he didn't. He didn't unfold it. He does mention it in the second chapter, but he doesn't unfold it in its fullness as he does to the Ephesians in Colossians.
He does unfold it to them, but he does touch upon it in this chapter.
In First Corinthians chapter two he says I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. He wanted their faith to be established not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I'm reading 1St Corinthians 2 verse 4 right now, and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom.
But in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of them, but in the power of God.
And now he says, Howbeit, we speak wisdom. We do speak wisdom among them that are perfect. They were not in that state of soul to be described as perfect, mature, full grown Christians. He speaks to them in the next chapter and spades.
They were carnal, They were operating on the level of the first man. So he sets Christ and Christ crucified before them. But in verse six he says, Howbeit we do speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the Princess of this world that come to nought. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world.
Unto our glory in this hidden wisdom we have all God's purposes and counsels of grace concerning Christ and His assembly, the Church which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth. All in all we speak the Wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden Wisdom, The Word Mystery in the New Testament here is used as a secret which could not be known until the time came for God to reveal it.
And we saw in Romans 16 that now he has made manifest this mystery. He's revealed it through the apostle Paul. And so here he says in verse seven we speak the wisdom of God in the mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the Princess of this world knew, Or had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
But as it is written, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them, that love him, that which is in the mystery all that God is prepared for us who love him.
Never has entered the heart of man. The natural man does not know who sins, does not understand them. They never even enter his thoughts.
But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things a the deep things of God.
Now I want to go back a minute to verse 8.
Because it's usually interpreted that had the Princess of this world knew who Jesus was.
They wouldn't have crucified him. But that's not what that verse says. Let's read it very carefully. I'm going to back up to verse 7. Paul says we speak the wisdom of God in the mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Which what's the antecedent of? Which? The wisdom of God? The mystery? Which wisdom? Which mystery? None of the Princess of this world knew.
Or had they known it, they would not participate the Lord of Glory.
What that verse is really saying is had man known, had the Princess of this world known, that God would turn their rejection of his Son into the greatest blessing, into the accomplishment of the mystery, they wouldn't have crucified him. Man is so evil that had he only known the blessing, that would flow out to those that receive Christ as a result of Christ being crucified.
00:15:14
God would then accomplish it would be the means by which He would reveal the mystery and bring blessing in that has never known before. For the highest blessing that God has ever bestowed upon any creature is wrapped up in the mystery found in the mystery.
In the parable in Mark chapter 12, when the owner of the vineyard sent service, they killed some, they beat some, they cast him out, and so on. And then it says, had he therefore one son, his well beloved? He said I will send him also they will reverence my son. And when they saw him they said this is the air. They knew who he was.
It wasn't that they didn't know him. This is the air, they said. Let us kill him and seize upon the inheritance.
It isn't that the Princess of this world didn't know, he says to the Jewish leaders, he says. Ye both know me and you know whence I am.
And I'm not coming myself, But He that sent me is truth whom He know not. They knew who He was in their consciences, so in their intellect they refused him. No Had the Princess of this world known the mystery, known that God was going to take the greatest sin that man has ever committed, and turned it into the greatest blessing?
He was going to then use that as the basis for revealing the mystery Christ in the church. You go back to Genesis 2 in your thoughts, and we'll look at that in a little bit. But God put Adam to sleep after he had brought all the earthly creation, the animals all before him. He gave them names that it says Adam found none that was suitable to him.
And then God caused him to fall asleep, and from his rib God builded a woman, and he brought it to the man. And when she saw Eve, oh, ** *** he was just related. There was one that was his counterpart. There was one that could be his helper, his life, one that satisfied his heart. And he said, this is now the bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.
She was the one that answered to his heart. And that's the mystery. It's not revealed in the Old Testament, but it's very tight. It's very entitled. Well, more of that later.
Let's turn now.
To.
Ephesians chapter One.
Ephesians, chapter one. We have the mystery three times mentioned in the Epistle for the Ephesians. You have the fullest development of the mystery. You get a little different aspect of it in chapter one, and then chapter 3, and then chapter 5, but in chapter one.
Where I'll start We know this portion quite well. I'll start with verse 7.
In whom we have redemption, He just said in verse six. He had 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 toward us in all wisdom and prudence. There you have it again now whenever He speaks of all wisdom and prudence.
You can, you can just be prepared. He's going to talk about the mystery because it's in the mystery that all his wisdom and prudence.
Is is found in mystery?
Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom, and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery.
Of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself the mystery of his will. What did God's will concern, concern Christ and His assembly.
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
What is that? Well, that's the Millennium thousand year reign of Christ, all the.
Ages are going to culminate in the reign of Christ for this earth.
And in the dispensation, the administration of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one. That expression, gather together in one, is literally to head up. God is going to head up all things in the Christ. The article ought to be there both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him.
00:20:19
Now how is that a mystery?
You see in the Old Testament, say the prophet Daniel Chapter 7, you see the Son of Man coming to the ancient of Days and he receives a Kingdom and his dominion shall shall go on forever and ever son of man, he's going to reign. The Old Testament reveals that but it that's why I say it's important to read the mystery of.
Gathered, he might head up all things in the Christ, the Christ, because the Christ embraces not only Christ himself personally.
But his assembly, his assembly, his church she is going to.
To reign with him. There's a nice verse in Nehemiah chapter 2, and I'll just turn you back there for a moment.
Nehemiah.
Chapter 2.
And it there's an expression there that illustrates the point that I'm making, I want to make here.
Verse 5 And I said unto the king, If it pleased the king, and if thy servant had found favor in thy sight, that thou would have send me unto Judah, under the city of my father's sacrifice, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, the queen also sitting by him.
So how long shall my journey be? Well, it's that little expression in the parentheses. The Queen also sitting by him. That's what we have here in the Christ, Christ and his church. He's not only going to reign over this earthly scene himself, but we're going to reign with him. All that he has won by virtue of his perfections down here as a man, he's going to share with us. God is going to give him.
God is gathering out by the Spirit in this present day of grace, not only saved souls.
But a bride for his son to reign with him, to be with him.
To share with him all the glory of the coming days, so that when God heads up all things in the Christ, heavenly and earthly, all heavenly spheres, the angelic coasts, they'll be all placed under A man says in Hebrews 2 Not to angels have he subjected the world to come wherever we speak? But what in a certain place testified, saying, What is man? That thou art mindful of him? Or the Son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou mayest him a little lower than the Angel. He came below the Angel when he became a man.
And I was crowned with glory and honor. He's gone above the angels. And he he had given the administration of the coming Kingdom to a man, but not to him alone, but to him and his bride. And so when it says the Christ is Christ in the church, Christ in the church, you get that if you turn back to First Corinthians chapter 12.
You get that right there, and I think it's this is the point to refer you to that First Corinthians chapter 12, verse 12.
For as the body is 1 and has many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body, so also is doesn't say the church. It says so also is Christ or the Christ that's related Mr. Garvey's translation.
How did we come into that position? Verse 13 tells us. For by 1 Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit?
For the body is not one member, but many, and so on. The body formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
And then bringing the Gentiles in and Acts 10. The Pentecost was Acts 2. The Gentiles being brought in in Acts 10 into that baptized body they partake of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it says, so also is the Christ. The Christ is an expression embracing Christ ahead with his body that you and I form a part of. And so this mystery of God's will is that he's going to head up all things in the Christ.
That is, we're going to share it. It says in First Corinthians 6. It says, no, you not that we shall judge angels. How much more than matters pertaining to this life? In what sense will we judge angels?
00:25:14
In an administrative sense, angels will be at our bidding during the Millennium.
The church will be like that queen sitting by the king reigning hold jointly with him. And that's the mystery of his will. He's going to head up all things heavenly. Even the heavenly hosts will be at our disposal.
And earth later, the earthly Kingdom, and we're going to have a share in his reign.
We're going to reign with him.
Roman Gate tells us that.
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, the millennial reign of Christ, he might gather together in one or more literally. I prefer the rendering to head up all things in the Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him. So the mystery of his will.
Is that he's going to head up all skiers, heavenly and earthly Spears in the Christ, which is Christ in the church.
Chapter 3. Now we're going to read of the mystery more fully developed in this chapter. Who of of whom?
Do. How should I put that? Who is a part of this mystery? Who composes it? That's the word I was looking for. Who composes Those that make up the company that are so blessed? Well, we get that in chapter 3 of Ephesians.
For this 'cause I Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ. For you Gentiles, Paul was a prisoner of Christ. For the Gentiles, he was the apostle of the Gentiles. Now you don't read anything in the Old Testament about the Gentiles being brought into blessing equal with that of the Jews. You do read of Gentiles being blessed in the Old Testament, but always subordinate to Israel, always under Israel. Israel is the head, and the Gentiles will be the tail.
But not in the mystery. In the mystery, there is no difference between you and Gentile.
That as we go on here for ye if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, we're living at that time. God is dispensing His grace as as never before. We are the trophies of His pure sovereign grace. We have no claim upon him whatsoever as Gentex.
Were just the objects of His Grace.
Which is given me to you worth Paul was given this, this wonderful truth of the mystery.
Towards the Gentiles? To the Gentiles, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote a four in two words, whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.
Paul received this knowledge by a direct revelation from the Ascended Christ, the head of the Church. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery Paul received it from Christ himself.
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. I used to puzzle all over that verse. It says it's revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit now. But only Paul received it from Christ the ascended head in heaven, and he's the one that communicated it.
Why was it revealed to these other apostles and prophets? They don't write of it in their epistles. You don't read of it in John's writings or James writings, or Peters writings or Jude. You only read of it in the Apostle Paul's writings because he was the special vessel chosen of God to bring this truth out. But he revealed it to these others by the Spirit so that when it was brought out they would understand that this was not something that was heretical.
Let's look with that comment. Let's look at Second Peter, Second Peter. Last chapter of Second Peter Peter makes reference to this very thing.
You may not have noticed it, but it's there.
Second Peter Chapter 3.
Verse 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things?
00:30:05
Be diligent that she may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.
And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, had written unto you, Paul had special wisdom from God-given to him the wisdom of God in the mystery That and he said, even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given to him, had written unto you, as also in all his epistles.
Speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood, what could be more hard to understand for a Jewish mind who was trained in Jewish thoughts in the Old Testament scriptures to understand the mystery God blessing the Jew and the Gentile indiscriminately, the Gentile having the Jew having no advantage over the Gentile In the mystery, the blessings are the same. They're brought into the same unity.
Into the same order of blessings. This was not according to the Old Testament. You don't find that in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament. When the Jew is going to be blessed and become the head, the Gentiles will be subordinate to them. But that's not that's not the mystery. You don't find the mystery in the Old Testament. It's not fair.
And so God had to reveal by the Spirit to the apostles and prophets this truth.
These truths, though, they weren't the ones that were going to bring it out. The Apostle Paul was. They had to have it revealed to them so that they wouldn't charge Paul with heresy.
You're you're preaching something that's that's not in the Scriptures. No, it was a mystery. It was hidden, never divulged before.
Thought it was very tight in the Old Testament. Now going back to chapter 3 and Ephesians which verse 5 which in other ages.
Was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now?
Present day revealed unto his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Now verse 6. This is what the mystery consists of three things that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, Fellow heirs with whom? With the Jews Gentiles fellowaires, Jury dears, and of the same body, The same body? Why he develops that in the second chapter? Let's just look at a few verses.
In the second chapter, verse 13, he says, But now well, I have to read verse verse 11. Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ. This is what this is the state the Gentiles were in in the Old Testament, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Now the contrast. But now in this present day of grace, now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off, that's the Gentiles are made 9 by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace. Who hath made both one. Who is the both Jew and Gentile. He's made them both one.
And have broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances. The law separated the Jews and the Gentiles. Only the Jews had the 10 commandments. They only had the law. They had the priesthood, They had the Tabernacle, They had all the special favors of God. In the Old Testament. The Gentiles were outside of it all. And so the law was a dividing between Jew and Gentile. He's broken that all down there.
Because he is our peace who have made both one and has broken down the middle wall of petition. When you think of this, these two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles, they wouldn't talk to one another. They wouldn't eat with one another. You remember when, Peter?
He was when he went into the House of Cornelius and preached the gospel to them at Jerusalem. That's Acts 10 brought the gospel to the Gentiles.
And he was told he had to have a special vision. A sheep let down from heaven, Where was all kinds of beasts? And the words that Peter was, arise, Peter slay and eat. And he said, not so. Lord, I've never eaten anything common or unclean. And the word to him was what God hath cleansed that call not thou common. God was going to bring the Gentiles in. He was going to use Peter for that purpose. This happened three times. And then right away the men from Cornelius were at the door, knocking at the door.
00:35:10
And Peter went with them, and he preached the gospel of the impacts. And while he was preaching and testifying to the forgiveness of sins, to him give all the prophets witness, for through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. As soon as he said that the Holy Ghost fell on his impact, she believed without baptism. And the Jews that were with Peter were all amazed.
And then Peter said, Can any man forbid water, That he should not be baptized as well as we which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them that they be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
God brought the Gentiles in through Peter and then?
He went to Jerusalem, and they took him to task. They said, Thou went into unto men uncircumcised.
And then he told them how that God had prepared him for that purpose and what God had brought, and how he had given the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles. Well, that's when the Gentiles were brought into this baptized body and became members of the body of Christ composed of Jew and Gentile, as we saw in First Corinthians 12.
Well, now we have this what is talked about in Chapter 2 of Ephesians.
Verse 16.
Well, the end of verse 15 For to make in himself a twain of Jew and Gentile, 1 Newman so making peace the Newman is Jew and Gentile united together to form the body of Christ, united to the head in heaven. That new man has a head in heaven and a body on earth composed of Jew and Gentile. Verse 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross.
Having slain the enmity, thereby the enmity between Jew and Gentile was slain at the cross.
Crosses the great leveler of mankind. We're all guilty before God.
And all have died in the death of Christ, and there's no advantage of one over the other now. And so this that was the basis for God to bring out the wonderful truth of the mystery. Now let's go back to chapter 3, verse six, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs.
And of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
Three things. I'm going to read that as it is in Darby's translation, it makes it much clearer that the Gentiles should be joint heirs.
Joined as with the Jews, and a joint body, Jew and Gentile, and one body and joint partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
That you would say, show me that in the Old Testament, where the Gentile is a joint partaker with the Jew of the promises in Christ, the promises of the Old Testament, and you'd you'd be hard pressed to find it. No, this is what is is in the mystery, the Gentiles being brought into this wonderful unity, Jew and Gentile in one body. You might say that God has accomplished the impossible.
We're so we're so plagued today by division.
The enemy has come in and divided the body of Christ. I didn't put that right. He's divided Christians. The body of Christ can't be divided. The body of Christ is kept intact by the power of the Holy Spirit. There's one body, but he's divided those that compose that one body practically sad to say, but here he accomplishes at the beginning of Christianity the impossible. He brings Gentiles and Jews together into one body.
And he removes the hindrance and the enmity that existed between these two groups. If you were just looking at these two groups, you'd say not even God could bring them together. But yes, God can. He did. He brought them together. And that's what the Church is. The Church is composed of two elements that you would almost have to say would be impossible to be reconciled to one another. But that's exactly what God has done.
Verse 16 again that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. That's chapter 2. Now chapter 3, verse six again that the Gentiles should be joint heirs.
And a joint body and joint partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
Whereof I was made a ministry, according to the gift of the grace of God-given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Paul not only was the minister of the gospel, he was a minister of the mystery.
00:40:07
Unto me, who in less than the least of All Saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ? Peter preached among the Jews the unsearchable riches of Christ. Paul preached it among the Gentiles. And then verse 9, verse nine goes beyond that. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.
In the new translation that reads To make all men see what is the administration or the dispensation of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now now there's going to be a display to the heavenly hosts of God's wisdom, to the intent that now under the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
Might be known, might be made known by the Church? What?
The manifold wisdom of God. And when the angels see Jews and Gentiles brought together in happy harmony and going on together as members of the one body, they learn the wisdom of God. In the mystery. They learn that it's a display to them according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's eternal purpose to have a bride for his Son and that bride.
Composed of those who are members of His body. So we have two figures. We have the Church figured as the Body of Christ and the Church figured as the Bride of Christ. Is there a type where those two figures are put together in scripture? Yes, there is. But before we turn to it, turn over to Ephesians 5, please, where we have the third mention of the mystery in the this epistle.
This epistle gives it gives us the fullest development of this glorious truth.
Ephesians 5 Verse 22. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands.
As unto the Lord.
Here he's taking the marriage relationship wives and husbands.
And he's elevating it to.
Truth that had never been known before.
And and that is that the husband is a type of Christ and the wife is a type of the Church.
Verse 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church and he is the Savior of the body, just like the husband cares for his wife.
Preserves her ministers to her. Provides for her, so the Lord does for the assembly.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
So the subjection of the wife to the husband is.
Likened now to the subjection of the church to Christ. And then he has a word for the husbands. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.
That's already passed. That's a past thing. That was the cross that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That's what he's doing right now in the glory. He's sanctifying it, setting it apart, cleansing it, washing it with the water of the word. And then he's going to present his future, verse 27, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Now having said these three things about Christ, His love for the assembly he is sanctifying his washing her, he is cleansing her, and he is going to present her to himself. Now he goes back to the marriage relationship so often to love their wives as their own bodies. Now in order to understand Ephesians 5, you have to understand Genesis chapter 2 and I'm just going to turn there and read a few verses.
Genesis Chapter 2, verse 19.
This is a type, the most perfect and beautiful type of Christ in the Church.
00:45:01
That we have in all of scripture because it presents both aspects, presents the husband wife relationship. It presents the the head and the body relationship.
Verse 19 says out of the ground.
Verse 18 And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone. Genesis 218.
I will make him and help me for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them. And whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam it was not found in hell. Adam was made out of the dust of the ground. God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and.
Became a living soul. He also made the animals out of the dust of the ground.
That he made the birds out of the dust of the ground.
But he brings them all to Adam. He names them, he views them. He looks them over, but he says none. Satisfy my heart.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept type of the death of Christ.
And he took one of his ribs right from his side, nearest to his heart.
And closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She should be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
So here in this beautiful type, we have God preparing a bride for Adam, his wife, who is also a member of his body. But you have the dual truth that you have in Ephesians 5.
Is he talking in Ephesians 5 about the marriage relationship of husband and wife? Yes.
Is he also talking about the relationship of Christ and the Church viewed as members of His body? Yes, and the first taken scripture of Christ in the Church gives us both of these. And so when Adam saw Eve, he said, this is now bone of my bones and flush of my flesh.
She was a part of him. She was taken from him. She was not made as a separate creation from the dust of the ground like the animals were. She was made from atoms red. She was part of Adam. And so we are part of Christ. We belong to him. Now going back to Ephesians 5 The only way you can understand Ephesians 5 is in the light of Genesis 2.
Verse 28 sought men to love their wives as their own bodies. When Adam loved Eve, he was loving one who was a member of his body, made from his very own wrist. That's the way we ought to view our lives. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. She was a very part of him. And so when Christ loves the church, he's loving himself because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones, just like Eve was to Adam.
And that's what he goes on to say, verse 30, verse 29. For no man ever yet aided his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord for church. So we ought to look upon our wives as our very own flesh, as part of us.
And.
Verse 39 For we are members of his body of his flesh.
And others bones in some of the modern translations of his flesh. And others bones is not found in that in the Greek manuscripts and they don't translate it. And all that verse says is we are members of his body, which is blessedly true, but of his flashing of his bones isn't there because some left it out, some manuscripts don't have it.
Is it scripture? Absolutely. It's taken from Genesis 2, and that's the perfect figure we are of his flesh and of his bones. We're so intimately one with him. That's the truth of the mystery.
Not only are we his bride, but we are his body. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be 1 flesh. We are one flesh with him, because we are made of his flesh and of his bones, so to speak, as these were Eve was of Adam. And then there's the marriage union.
That's what he's talking about. The woman in the husband joined together as one flesh. And then he says, this is a great mystery. There you have the mystery again, I speak concerning Christ and the church.
00:50:02
And then he sums it up. He ends it by saying, nevertheless, let everyone of you in particular, so love his wife, even as himself.
Which is Christ loved the church as part of himself as Adam loved Eve as part of himself, and the wife see that she reverenced her husband.
What a picture.
What a unity. You know, beloved, when we think of what has happened in the Christian company, how that Christians who have been united into this one body, members one of another, and of Christ God, has brought together Jews and Gentiles, the most unlikely two companies ever be to be united and harmoniously to be together. He's done it. He's done the impossible. And yet we can accept.
And.
Look upon lightly division in the Church of God. It is a most serious evil.
God has made both one man, one man. We were noticing last night. There was one place and one name and one altar.
And now there's one body.
United to Christ and we're going to be displayed. There can only be one center, and that's right, only can't be more than one God. Can't have another center other than Christ.
And he's united as all his own together.
And the cardinal sin of Christian.
Cardinal sin of Israel was, he failed, the witness of a one true and living God amidst all the idolatry around the back. Cardinal sin of Christian is divisions.
Scattering, calling ourselves by different names, denominations and parties and sects.
We ought to feel it. We ought to weep over it. Have we wept over it? Have we felt it as he feels it? He said. The Holy Spirit to unite into one body.
All the truth he died that he might gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. That was why he died. That's why he sent the Holy Spirit to form one church, one body.
If you were some heathen that came from some remote land to the United States of America, and you heard what I'm saying tonight, and then you looked around in the city of Pella and saw the multitudes of churches inside and see what's what's going wrong, what's happened.
Church.
That which Christ died to unite into one body.
Fail. Say it failed.
In manifesting this wonders, we often feel everyone of us. Everyone of us has a shame.
Now just in a few minutes that we named Colossians Chapter One, Colossians where we have this truth of the mystery also spoken of.
Verse 21 Colossians 121 and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works.
Yet now hath 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 you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I fall, was made and made a ministry. He was a minister of the gospel, but he was more than that, 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.
Paul suffered more than all the other apostles because he was the instrument chosen of God to bring out the proof of the mystery.
Christ in the Church composed of Jews and Gentiles. And there wasn't anything that brought more persecution upon him from the Jews than the truth of the mystery that the Gentiles should be joint heirs and a joint body and joint partakers of His promise in Christ. By the gospel they would cry out heresy.
That's not in our scriptures. It wasn't in the Old Testament. It was the mystery. It's God's hidden wisdom, brought out through the apostle Paul, which Peter speaks of as the wisdom given unto him. Things hard to be understood, Oh, hard to be understood by a Jewish mind. But this the choices. The choice is the highest, the most blessed of all blessings reserved for the time when Christ was rejected and crucified and put to shame.
00:55:12
And God brought Optimus.
And Paul says he was a first 25 he suffered.
He filled up that which is verse 24, that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church. That truth caused him more suffering than any other truth that was preached Whereof I am made a minister. He is not only a minister of the Gospel, verse 23, but a minister of the mystery, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill that means to complete the word of God, now that the truth of the mystery is out and revealed and declared.
The Word of God is complete. God is no more than the same. He's finished.
He's revealed everything he's going to reveal. Until the mystery was revealed, that wasn't true. When the Old Testament was finished, that was not true. There was still the choicest, the best part of the truth, and that was the mystery. Now, that's been revealed. Now the word of God is complete and we don't look for fresh revelations. And it was given to Paul to do that.
And what completed it? Verse 26 says even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his Saints, 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? The Ephesians, we are in Christ, were brought into that place of blessedness, viewed by God as being in him.
In Colossians we have his life and Christ is in US.
Part of the mystery brought into the very highest of all blessings Christ in you, the hope of glory. If Christ is in us, the glory is assured to us, and we have the hope of it, and we're going to be there very shortly with whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom. Notice how wisdom is always mentioned in connection with the mystery.
That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, a Christian that does not know the mystery is not perfect in Christ.
Christian that does not know the mystery is a baby.
Paul was given this truth, that he might make everyone know this mystery. We may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also toil labor. You're striving according to his working, which worketh in the market.
For I would that you knew what great conflict that had for you and for them at Laodicea.
And for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding. I'm going to read this as it is in Mr. Darby's translation.
To the knowledge of the mystery of God. Verse three in which are his All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, All the treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge are here in this mystery. Christ in the Church, and you're a part of it.
We're living in the very last moments of the Church's history in this world. The breakup is great, but soon that's all going to change. And all the Saints from every group, whatever name they may have borne down here, that'll all drop off. That. All seats, and we'll all be around himself. Christ is sentenced and we'll all be there. Then there won't be any missing. That's the grand reunion day.
When all the Saints.
Will be together around himself to worship, to adore, to pray members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones, His beloved Dr. And we're going to reign with him over the millennial earth, over heavenly and earthly spheres, a place nearer to Him than the angels have. Then the Old Testament Saints had, than any other Saints had. That's our portion.
Well, the highest.
Has failed and we're a part of it, and we often hear it.
Adjourned for that day of display and all the failures will be gone. And that the perfection of what Christ is wrought only that will will remain. He's going to preset it to himself. A church glorious without spot a wrinkle or any such thing. We're waiting for that moment. Let's sing in closing. 327 Lord Jesus, are we one with the Ohio.
01:00:26
Or depth of love, and crucified and dead with thee now one in heaven above. And soon shall come that glorious day. When seated on their throne, Thou shalt to wondering world's display that we will see our 1:27 We raise our two inches.