Post details: The Present Reality, Jesus Christ

05/23/07

Permalink 03:17:55 am, Categories: GraceHead thinking deeply, By Pam
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The Present Reality, Jesus Christ

As an artist, I often approach the rendering of a drawing by first coloring in the shaded areas. I then add detail upon detail leaving the smallest and finest detail until last when the image is completed. The shadows lose their initial significance and recede to the background of the completed image. I see this also being true as in how the Law of the Old Testament foreshadows Jesus Christ. The Law is only shadow in light of the present reality of the person of Jesus Christ.

The first Adam fell to sin and death entered the creation. All of Adam's decedents died for they were carnal as they became spiritually dead to God and no longer had direct communion with Him. The Law was given to them through Moses for man could not live without direction from God. Yet, the Law could not impart life to man for the Law is spiritual for it comes from God Who is Spirit and the decedents of Adam are all carnal. For carnal man, only outward observance of the Law is possible. Even though he knows it is wrong to murder and refrains from doing so, he will commit murder in his heart. Though he agree with God that it is wrong to steal, covet, and commit adultery, he will commit these acts continually in the inward person and will in time also commit at least, one of these acts physically. Carnal man can't love God with all his heart, soul, and mind for he loves himself above all and soon will replace the One, True, Living God with a god that seems to serve him better. The letter of the Law can't give him life but only produces death as the letter kills(as the letter of the Law is outward obedience) but the Spirit is Life and carnal man can't apply the spiritual Law for he is not spiritual.

Jesus is the second Adam, a spiritual man as He was born from above by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, Who is Spirit. As death passed to all through the sin of the first Adam so too will life be passed to all through the perfect obedience of the second Adam, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the first of a new kind of man, a spiritual man, man made alive to God and able to constantly have communion with Him. Jesus came to earth to do His Father's Will only and never sought His own and separate purpose. Jesus was fully entered into the rest of God and every day was as the Sabbath for Jesus always did the work that was placed before Him by God and never sought to please God by making His own plans and doing things His own way. Jesus did not murder for he never even considered murdering anyone. Jesus did not steal, covet, nor commit adultery for He is spiritual as the Law is spiritual and in agreement with His inward person. His nature being of that nature that is God and His Laws. Because Jesus walked according to the Spirit, Jesus was able to conquer death and all of His spiritual decedents, those who believe on His Name, are made spiritual in Him. They are given a new nature to contend with the old nature inherited from Adam that is yet carnal. The Law is natural to their new nature while still remaining unnatural to the old carnal nature. The Law is not kept by these persons in outward obedience but through surrendering to Jesus Who is the new nature in them. Jesus is the Law for these who have been made spiritually alive to God but yet, for a time, remain somewhat subject to their old carnal nature passed to them through Adam. When those who are in Christ walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh, then in them the Law is established as it is not obeyed by outward observance only but from a heart purified through faith. These persons, who are Christ's church, may also enter the rest of God for they have been purchased for the price of Jesus blood. Their lives are no longer their own and neither is their work for God has prepared good works, that are His work (the work He has already completed) before them. They've but to surrender to the Will of God as those works present themselves to them, not planning by their own cunning works they design thinking to please God by them. This is the fulfillment of the Law as commanded them by Jesus to love God with their whole heart and mind and their neighbor as themselves; faith practiced in pure religion of visiting widows and orphans and remaining spotless in regards to sin. Persons that have not become sinless by outward observance of the Law but kept spotless by the blood of Jesus as it covers all of their sin. We are no longer under the Law by which the sins of man are counted but instead, the world has been reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus and God counts sin no more. The arms of Jesus are open wide to all that all may enter the rest of God and cease from their own work. The Sabbath is for man and every day is as the Sabbath for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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