A New Bible Series
“Understanding The Gospel Is As
Simple as A,B,C”
“The Universe’s Most Important
Institution: The Church”
Part Two
Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
When Moses
was about to build the tabernacle for God, God cautioned him to accurately
construct it in accordance to a specific pattern that He would show him. The Lord has a particular and unique pattern
of ministerial construction for every local assembly, and every corporate and individual
ministry. In our Greek scriptures the
word “admonished” is defined as “divine instruction
according to revelation.” This is an exhortation for us to cautiously build our
ministries step by step in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes.
Every earthly
ministry is as “an example and shadow
of heavenly things.” “An example”, is a copy or a model
of the original. Every ministry, which
God calls us into, is the copy of an original which God has already created and
dwells with Him in the heavenlies. The
brilliancy and the glory of these heavenly ministries create for us a shadow,
or lets say an outline, for the ones who have been called to faithfully
reproduce these ministries here on earth. The vast responsibility of all
believers is to reproduce its heavenly original with the greatest of earthly
accuracy. The blessings of God will
fall upon each ministry in proportion to how accurately it has been reproduced
in “accordance with the pattern shown in the mount.”
One of the church’s great problems is that
it has failed to grasp that every ministry has a “pattern shown in the
mount.” Because of this failure, we
actively subscribe to, and create many
church activities. Sadly enough,
not many of them have much to do with any “patterns” that God has initially for
them. We sow much and reap little. We will do much more by seeking and waiting
upon the Lord for revelation, than in busily getting wrapped up in a host of
church activities.
Getting the Church ready For the
Revelation of The Mystery
Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Col
1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as
it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in
truth:
Colossians
chapter one, verses five and six, are very remarkable scriptures. They tell us
much of how we should live as individual believers, as well as manage our local
assemblies.
These verses
tell us is that the gospel, in its written “logos” form, and
through the spoken “rhema word” is a fruit-bearing dynamo. Fruit bearing in the kingdom of God is made
up of two dynamic features. God always
begins by working first in our spirits, and outward to our bodies, bringing
spirit, soul, and body into the loving subjection of His voice. The word of God
has the dynamic ability to first work inwardly in each of us, sanctifying us
and filling us with God’s presence. The
infilling of God’s presence through His word then works outwardly to produce
our spiritual gifts and ministries and compels us to go into all of the world
for Christ’s sake. This is the two fold fruit bearing operation of the Word of
God.
Fruit bearing through the word of God
must meet two requirements if its two fold dynamic power is to be truly
observed in us. The end of verse six in
Colossians says, “and knew the grace of God in truth:” The word “knew”
is the Greek word “epiginosko”.
This word portrays for us a knowledge, which probes, and is thorough,
accurate, and complete. Of course, we
will never attain to a full knowledge of the things of God until we end up in
eternity. However our earthly motivation
should be ever to grow more and more into this accurate, thorough, and complete
knowledge of God, His Word, and His will.
Secondly, is the word “truth” also found at the very end
of verse six. The Greek word “aleithia”
or truth, describes what is genuine, accurate, and in accordance with
facts. We must so know the word of God
to comprehend fully the facts about God as found in His Word. We must quarry
the gold mines of the gospel deeply enough to know accurately and
comprehensively the genuineness of the things of God. For us to benefit from the dynamic fruit bearing qualities of the
gospel we must know it in full knowledge and truth.
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Let us now look into verse eleven. Here, the apostle Paul desires for every
believer to be strengthened with every kind of God given power. This is what it means to be strengthened
will all might. This power in turn comes from the strength
or dominion found in the glory of God.
Glory, are the attributes of the invisible God, which make Him visible
here one earth. The glory of the God is
found in the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The revelation of the Lord brings with it the power and strength
that are manifested alongside of His presence. This is the very power that Paul
desires for us to be strengthened with.
It is the power and strength that are revealed in the glory of the Lord
Jesus.
Funny enough though, Paul’s desire for “every God
given kind of power” in verse eleven, is aimed at producing Christian
character. We note the words “patience
and longsuffering”. Patience is defined as our endurance, and
steadfastness under all types of trials, persecutions, and demonic
temptations. Longsuffering, is the
strength of spirit that does not retaliate against our fellow human being when
he persecutes us, or is disagreeable towards us. On the other hand we are
commanded to forbear with our lost neighbor or our Christian brother or
sister. Our forbearance becomes the
revelation of the person of Christ for him or her, and one, which may
eventually win him over. Patience is an inner spiritual key that builds godly character and
permits us to proceed onward on the straight and narrow path of God without
falling or failing, through the entirety of our earthly pilgrimage.
Longsuffering, is an outward
spiritual key
that pertains to our relationships with our neighbors and brethren. Both traits are the result of our being
strengthened with the glory of God, and both of these qualities are essential
for us to make it to the end of our earthly Christian lives with flying colors.
The Mystery of Christ
Col
1:25 Whereof I am made a minister,
according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil
the word of God;
26
Even the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is
made manifest to
his saints:
27 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:
1Cor 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to every man to profit withal.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
·
Every
God given ministry then is geared towards revealing the Son of God. This is why I always say, that it is crucial
for every local congregation to have as many spiritual ministries as possible
in place and fully functional. Many of our present day church models work in
reverse to this view, severely limiting the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Col 1:25 Whereof I am made
a minister, according to
the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
The dispensation of God in verse twenty, is defined
as the administration of God’s kingdom in its varied ways. God has entrusted the pastor with the
administration of His kingdom that pertains to the nurturing, guidance, and
shepherding of his people. God’s
dispensation to the prophet is to progressively, in the dimension of time,
reveal His Son through the spoken or rhema word. The apostolic dispensation is to reveal
Jesus Christ through the logos or written word.
Colossians chapter one and verse
twenty five goes on to say that all dispensations or administrations of God are
aimed at fulfilling the word of God. “Fulfilling”
in the Greek is defined as filling something full. Through our fulfillment, or in the filling
up of the word of God, we reveal the Son of God who is the logos and the rhema
word.
John 1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. (The Greek says: In the beginning was the logos, and the
logos was with God, and God was the logos.
Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do
it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:
worship God: for the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Prophecy through the rhema word is the testimony or
the revelation of the Person of Christ.)
26Even the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is
made manifest to
his saints:
27 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:
Verse twenty-six and twenty seven then
go on to tell us that Christ is the mystery of God. What an odd thing to
pronounce Christ as a mystery! We know
however that it is of utmost important that this Christ who dwells as a mystery
be revealed. Why? Verse twenty-eight
tells us. For us to have the ability to present every man perfect in Christ it
can only come as Christ is revealed to him or her. The revelation of Christ to
another person in turn can only come through our preaching. Our preaching then can never truly be about
things, but it must be Christ. Revelation
within, preaching without. This is true preaching! The apostle Paul further shows us this
concept in Romans 16:25
Romans 16:25 ¶ Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Col 1:28 whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
The manifestation of Christ is what allows us to
present each man fully instructed. As a
fellow believer becomes instructed, God can set things aright in his or her
life. As the believer has the example of the revealed Person of Christ before
their eyes, they can grow into Him in all things and be presented perfect or
matured.
The Meridian Webster
dictionary defines a mystery as something, which is not understood, or is
beyond understanding. The person of Christ living within us is shrouded in the
secrecy and darkness of our spirits. We cannot see Him, hear Him, and touch Him. We cannot understand what He is doing, or
hear what He is saying. (I am talking
about all of this in a physical and tangible way, as we would talk and relate
to another human being. This mystery has been made known to the church. The
body of Christ is responsible to reveal this mystery to the world.
Col 1:26Even the mystery which hath been
hid from ages and from generations, but
now is made manifest
to his saints:
· Why did God the Father choose to give us His Son in the form of a mystery? I would like to propose three reasons as to why.
Mark
411 And he said unto them, Unto you it
is given to know the mystery
of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things
are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive;
and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be
converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
· God the Father gave Christ as a mystery, so that to all of those who are unrepentant of heart Christ would be hidden and out of their reach. Why? Would you give a knife to a baby, or a bomb to a terrorist? What would happen if Christ would deposit His power and miracles into the hands of those that really do not want Him, and would want to abuse His blessings upon their own selfish means? It sounds then in verse twelve of Mark chapter four, that Jesus does not want to forgive those, which do not know Him. This is not what He is saying though. What he says is that as long as the heathen want Him on their own terms He will keep Himself unreachable and unattainable from them. He will reveal Himself to them when there is humility and repentance.
·
Secondly if Jesus had come as a physical person to us
at our born again experience He would not fit inside of us! That is obvious! In a mystery form He is accessible to everyone everywhere at
once.
·
Romans 4:16 (RWEBSTR) Therefore it is of faith,
that it might be by grace; to
the end the promise might
be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who
is the father of us all,
·
Finally, only in the form of a mystery could Christ
contain the whole fullness of God and be God’s treasure chest of all that God
is and the entirety of what God possesses for all eternity.
God Bless You,
Jose Alvarez
The Complete
Greek New Testament Library
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