THE TIMING OF REGENERATION
ESCHATOLOGY.COM
It is of grave importance that we come to agreement on the issue of
regeneration as it pertains to reformation soteriology. In the process,
however, we must be extremely cautious to not align ourselves with any
freewill/works gospel. On the other hand there is a danger in believing
every aspect of traditional reformed soteriology.
Without going into much detail, the basic reformed order of salvation
is this: regeneration, repentance/faith, salvation. Some reformers have
been hasty to say that regeneration and salvation are the same without
considering their view of the order of salvation. With the view that regeneration
precedes faith this would logically mean that salvation comes before faith.
The Bible, however, teaches that we are by saved by grace through faith,
strongly implying that faith must precede salvation (Ephesians 2:8). Even
under the Old Covenant Jesus pronounced physical salvation from infirmities
based upon faith:
Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee;
go in peace.
Clearly faith does not come from self but from God alone:
Acts 3:16 And his name through faith in His name hath made this man
strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath
given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Acts 18:27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren
wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped
them much which had believed through grace:
Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Even the O.T. makes this clear:
Isaiah 26:12-13 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also
hast wrought all our works in us. 13 O LORD our God, other lords beside
thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of
thy name.
The big question is when regeneration was accomplished in redemptive history,
not so much concerning the individual as much as concerning the bringing
in of a New Covenant. At first you might be thinking that I am leaning
toward a dispensational view of the regeneration. Well, it is possible
that there may be some bits of truth in the dangerous scheme from which
many of have come.
I think there is a relatively simple way to defend my viewpoint: First,
when discussing regeneration with a reformer, I ask them this question:
What is Ezekiel 36 addressing? Their answer is usually the same: the New
Covenant. I am sure most of us would agree. Therefore, let us consider
the context of Ezekiel 36:
Ezekiel 36:23-38 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned
among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the
heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall
be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among
the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into
your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall
be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse
you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will
give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do
them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and
ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you
from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase
it, and lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the
tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach
of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways,
and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your
own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 Not for your
sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and
confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. 33 Thus saith the Lord
GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities
I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.
34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the
sight of all that passed by. 35 And they shall say, This land that was
desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate
and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. 36 Then the heathen
that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined
places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and
I will do it. 37 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired
of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with
men like a flock. 38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her
solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men:
and they shall know that I am the LORD.
As I mentioned, most amillennialists and postmillennialists would agree
with the preterist position that this passage is a prophecy of the New
Covenant, i.e., the time when the Messianic kingdom would be established.
In this study we will not take time to address the fleshly dispensational
premillennial view of this passage.
In vs. 24 we see the prophecy of God taking His people from among the
heathen and gathering them out of all countries into their own land. This
was also predicted in Isaiah:
Isaiah 61:9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and
their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
Isaiah 66:19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those
that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw
the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard
my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among
the Gentiles.
Malachi as well foretold of this time:
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down
of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place
incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name
shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
Of course we see this prophecy being fulfilled within the book of Acts:
Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured
out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 11:1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that
the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and
glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance
unto life.
Acts 13:47-48 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set
thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation
unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were
glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed.
Acts 15:3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed
through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles:
and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
Acts 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
The Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus Christ is clearly the fulfillment
of the prophecy in Ezekiel. The "gathering out of all nations" simply refers
to the Gentiles becoming a part of the Israel of God which would graze
in the pastures to which they were led by the Good Shepherd:
John 10:9-10 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not,
but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them
also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one
fold, and one shepherd.
This was even foretold in Ezekiel 34:
Ezekiel 34:23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall
feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their
shepherd.
Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they
all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and
observe my statutes, and do them.
This last reference cannot be separated from our present context in Ezekiel
36:
Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to
walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
In vs.25 of Ezekiel 36 we see an evident reference to the New Covenant:
Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall
be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse
you.
This cleansing is also mentioned in vs.33:
Ezekiel 36:33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have
cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in
the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.
New Covenant references which show this fulfilled in Christ are evident:
Hebrews 12:22-24 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company
of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which
are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits
of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of
Abel.
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
A last reference in the book of Hebrews solidifies that this sprinkling
would take place because of the sacrifice of Christ:
Hebrews 10:16-22 This is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in
their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I
remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more
offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he
hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21
And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with
a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
There is one sprinkling that was prophesied and one sprinkling of which
the Old Testament sacrifices spoke, and that is, the sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ. It is by this sprinkling of the blood of Christ
upon the hearts of wicked sinners that makes them holy and blameless in
the sight of God. Through this sprinkling, God views the believer in Jesus
Christ as having fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law. This
is clarified in the above passage from Hebrews 10. It is also seen when
comparing these O.T. passages:
Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they
all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and
observe my statutes, and do them.
Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to
walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
With Romans 8:
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Without a doubt the O.T. prophecies of the people of God being given a
new heart were fulfilled through the ministry of Christ in His death, resurrection,
and Parousia.
Continuing our analysis of Ezekiel 36 we come to our key text: vs. 26:
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will
I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you an heart of flesh.
So far we have concluded that every element of the prophecy in Ezekiel
36 would be accomplished by the work of Christ, no sooner, and no later.
We must keep vs.26 within its context. To say that these blessing took
place before the time of Messiah would be to deny the necessity of the
bloodshed of Jesus Christ in order to cleanse the filthy sinner and sprinkle
their hearts. To say that these blessing have not come to pass would be
to completely disregard what our glorious God has accomplished. It is clear
from what we have studied, that the new heart and the new spirit which
God would give His people cannot come before, nor be separated from, the
New Covenant.
This brings us to a crucial question we must raise against the reformed
view of regeneration: Was this prophecy fulfilled through the work of Christ
on the cross? They usually will answer yes. We must then ask them if vs.26
is included in those prophecies that were to take place when God would
manifest Himself in the flesh. If they are even remotely consistent they
will answer yes. Then we ask them if being given and new heart and a new
spirit is synonymous with regeneration. With virtual unanimity they answer
yes. At this point, however, they usually begin to feel like you are leading
them into a horrible trap that just may give them difficulty. This is primarily
because they just realized that if they really believe what you just asked
them, they will be forced to say that regeneration was not present until
the time of Messiah. So, usually, with very creative soteriology, they
will say something to this effect: "I can also see how this took place
with all believers throughout history." To which, we respond, "Yes, but
then we would have to conclude that the rest of these blessings took place
throughout history too." Their response is then limited to this: "Well,
in the mind of God everything was already accomplished because God is outside
of time." In this response we see one of two things: either a conscience
that is completely seared and has no concept of the necessity for redemption
to be accomplished within history; or, a conscience that knows it is searching
frantically for some way to escape the obvious ramifications of their position.
As we all know and we all have experienced, this is simply pride (After
all, we are reformers and could never be wrong. We know the doctrines of
grace!! Do we really?). Often these reformers will use this argument to
prove their point: "Well, Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world." This Scriptural fragment has frequently been ripped out
of its context to support this absurd doctrine of a redemption already
accomplished in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. The
passage is found in Revelation:
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,
whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world.
Before we consider this verse, we must consider its counterpart:
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall
ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that
dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book
of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that
was, and is not, and yet is.
What we can easily conclude from this last reference is that the names
of those who worshipped the beast were not written in the Book of Life
from the foundation of the world. This is the emphasis. Therefore the other
could only have the same emphasis, for it has the same elements with the
addition of one:
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,
whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world.
The emphasis is not the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The
emphasis is still on those whose names were not written in the book of
Life from the foundation of the world. In Revelation 17:8 the book is called,
The Book of Life. In Revelation 13:8 it is called The Book of Life of the
Lamb Slain. This fits perfectly. This book, written before the foundation
of the world, contains all the names of those for whom the Lamb was slain.
This is why all those whose names are not written in the Book of Life of
the Lamb slain are cast into the lake of fire. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of
God, was not slain for them. Reading the verse with this in mind shows
us what was on God's mind before the foundation of the world, not what
was accomplished. The only accomplishment of Revelation 13:8 that took
place before the foundation of the world was the creation of a book entitled,
The Book of Life of the Lamb Slain. Besides all this, if Christ was slain
before the foundation of the world, did Christ die twice? This is absurd
and blasphemy. Not only this but if Christ was slain from the foundation
of the world, then why not say we were regenerated from the foundation
of the world? In fact, why not say that the return of Christ took place
before the foundation of the world. Beyond that, let's just say we were
created before the foundation of the world. Suddenly we have joined the
ranks of the Mormons. We now have forced ourselves into the doctrine of
preexistence. Hence, we were in the beginning with God thus we are gods.
People simply do not consider the implications of creative little theological
doodads that corrupt the word of God. We must be cautious.
That may have seemed like an unnecessary tangent, however, I have run
into this objection frequently when having discussed the doctrine of regeneration.
If the reformer balks at our Biblical conclusion, then just take them back
to the time statements and let the word burn their conscience.
As far as sovereign grace preterists are concerned, we must understand
that Ezekiel 36 is most definitely speaking of regeneration. On this point
we unite with the reformers. We must part, however, with their view of
the timing, i.e., when Ezekiel 36 was to be accomplished.
It is necessary to address a very important factor within Ezekiel 36.
In vs.25 God says that He will sprinkle clean water on His people. How
many sources of clean water are there? Is this clean water not the Living
water of Jesus Christ? To attribute the cleanliness of any other water
than that of the Lord Jesus is simply heresy. The timing of this clean,
Living Water is unmistakably elucidated in the Gospel of John:
John 7:38-39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake
he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the
Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
This statement in verse 39 is perhaps the most transparent statement concerning
the timing of the regeneration of any passage. John is clearly alluding
to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, i.e., the sending of
the Comforter by Jesus Christ. It is through this outpouring that the first
fruits of the resurrection take place. This outpouring is synonymous with
being given the Spirit of Christ, the deposit or guarantee of the inheritance
of God the Son at the Parousia. Paul makes no distinction between regeneration
and the New Covenant work of the Spirit:
Titus 3:4-7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour
toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
It was through this regeneration that believers were given the mind of
Christ in order to "see" the spiritual realities in Christ. Which bring
us to another topic: the natural man.
As reformers we have been very quick to use the natural man to describe
the unsaved. This is perfectly true. The natural man is darkened and separated
from the presence of God. However, the Bible seems to have a more specified
goal in speaking of the natural man. I believe that the Scriptures teach
that there was no such thing as a spiritual man before Pentecost. Now,
before you renounce me as a heretic, continue reading. One of the chief
texts to support what I believe to be the Biblical view is 1 Corinthians
2. But I would first like to quote a passage from Isaiah. It is a rather
long passage:
Isaiah 55:1-13 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear,
and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness
to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt
call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall
run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel;
for he hath glorified thee. 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call
ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he
will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For
as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may
give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with
peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the
thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up
the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting
sign that shall not be cut off.
In 1 Corinthians 2 Paul addresses the issue of spiritual understanding:
1 Corinthians 2:4-8 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing
words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power
of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not
the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to
nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none
of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory.
Obviously Paul teaches that there is a "wisdom" that was not present in
those who crucified Christ. As we have seen, true belief is the gift of
God by His sovereign will. We see this in this passage as well:
1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God.
The passage is not trying to imply faith in the wisdom of man or faith
in the power of God. The key word is stand. Our faith, that is, the faith
in Christ stands (as opposed to falls) in (or because of) the power of
God. Our faith does not stand in (or because of) the wisdom of men, for
the wisdom of men could never produce faith in Christ. Paul then proceeds
to speak of the wisdom of God:
1 Corinthians 2:6-7 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect:
yet not the wisdom of this world (aeon=age), nor of the princes of this
world (aeon=age), that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world
unto our glory:
Now Paul addresses an interesting issue: the issue of a mystery that was
hidden. Paul's implication being that this wisdom had previously not been
known. Paul even clarifies that this "wisdom" was ordained for their glory.
If we make a natural inference, Paul seems to be implying that they were
living in a very special time in which this "wisdom" would result in their
"glory." (Concerning glory, Peter echoed the same idea in his first epistle:
1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of
Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the
sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
The word glory in the King James Version is a little misleading. It is
actually plural and refers to the subsequent "glories" that would take
place after the death and resurrection of Christ; i.e. the glories of all
those who would be regenerated. The prophets testified of those glories
but did not have the heavenly, glorious things revealed to them).
What is essential in understanding not only what this wisdom is, but
also the timing of this wisdom is an analysis of the following verses:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.
With the context upheld we now have a much greater appreciation for the
quotation from Isaiah as it pertains to this "wisdom." Here is the quotation
from Isaiah:
Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard,
nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Paul seems very certain that what Isaiah was predicting was now a fulfillment
in the hearts of these first-century believers:
1 Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
His Spirit now revealed that which was kept hidden from the foundation
of the world. What was reavealed? Those things that Isaiah mentioned: i.e.,
the things that men had not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither had
seen with the eye. But Paul says that God hath reavealed them unto us.
Paul is obviously not referring to physical things. In fact he says the
opposite in the very next verse:
1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God.
Here we see Paul's reference to this wisdom being hidden from the beginning
of the world. Isaiah is very clear that this wisdom was not yet given to
him or the people in his time. In fact Jesus emphasizes this as well:
The disciples inquired of Jesus concerning the matter of parables:
Matthew 13:10-17 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest
thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because
it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but
to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given,
and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall
be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables:
because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they
understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall
see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest
at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should
heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for
they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous
men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them;
and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Notice vs.13:
Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
These are the same senses mentioned in Paul's context of the spiritual
things of God:
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.
Jesus addressed the fact that whatever this wisdom was, it was hidden even
from the prophets:
Matthew 13:16-17 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your
ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not
seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Matthew made certain to convey the fact that these things were not revealed
previously:
Matthew 13:34-35 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in
parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth
in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation
of the world.
Paul obviously got his information from Jesus:
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even
the
hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
So did Peter:
1 Peter 1:9-12 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation
of your souls. 10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the
glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you
by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent
down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
There are several other passages that allude to these spiritual truths
that were hidden from the beginning:
Romans 16:25-26 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, 26 But now
is 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:
Ephesians 3:8-9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is
this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all things by Jesus Christ:
It is evident that something radically significant had taken place through
the ministry of Messiah. This entirely affected the condition of those
who were believers in the first century according to Paul. He continues
the context dealing with this new spiritual wisdom:
1 Corinthians 2:11-14 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not
in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Not once does Paul break the context of this them concerning the spiritual
hidden wisdom that was now revealed to the first-century saints. Under
the Old Covenant no man knew the things of God except the Spirit of God
(vs.11). But under the New Covenant the Spirit of God had been given at
Pentecost, therefore Paul could say:
1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God.
Under the New Covenant, the believer had now received the Spirit of God
so that they would know the things that are freely given by God. What were
these things? The very things about which Paul was writing:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed
them (the things) unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God.
Upon these same "things" (spiritual things) not given until the first century
Paul continues to expound:
1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual.
These spiritual things are clearly things that were hidden before the world
but revealed through the giving of the Spirit of God:
1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God.
Redemptively speaking, this could only be referring to Pentecost. Again,
John makes this clear:
John 7:38-39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake
he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the
Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
It was through the giving of the Spirit of God that the deep things of
God would finally be revealed.
Still continuing the context, the apostle Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned.
It is at this point that we can see the radical deviation that the reformation
view of regeneration imposes upon the word of God. We have already determined
that the Spirit and the deep things of God were absolutely hidden from
believers under the O.T. Therefore, we must conclude, both logically and
Biblically, that unless the Spirit of God is given a man cannot understand
the revelation of the deep things of God. Paul describes the state of that
man who does not understand the spiritual things of God as "natural." Paul
says that the natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit of God.
The enormous contention that will arise when confronting those who hold
to the reformed view of regeneration will now be evident. From our context
we can only conclude that all under the Old Covenant, whether believers
or unbelievers were natural men. They could not have been made spiritual
for the Spirit had not yet been given, neither had the deep things of God
been revealed. For they could not be revealed without the giving of the
Spirit of God. Of course, this belief would be considered Arminian by the
reformer. Their argument would be that it would be impossible for the natural
man to believe. Based upon what we have studied the reformer would be forced
to conclude that all of those under the Old Covenant were unbelievers.
This, of course, would be heresy. Obviously there were believers in under
the Old Covenant. A perfect example of a believer who had not yet been
given the Holy Spirit is Cornelius. In Acts we are told that Cornelius
feared God:
Acts 10:1-2 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius,
a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one
that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people,
and prayed to God alway.
Many would assume that Cornelius had been given the Spirit, for he was
devout, feared God, gave alms, and prayed to God always. Certainly there
are those who are devout, give alms, and pray, but are, in heart, filled
with wickedness, whose prayers never make it through their stony heart.
But Cornelius is described as one who feared God and prayed to God. Certainly
Luke who wrote the book of Acts understood that an unbeliever could never
truly fear God and pray to God. Our task is to show that Cornelius feared
God and prayed to God before he was given the Spirit. After Peter preached
the Gospel of Christ to Cornelius and those with him we read these words:
Acts 10:44-45 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell
on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Clearly we see that the outpouring of the Holy Ghost fell upon Cornelius
after he had feared God and prayed to God. Pentecostal theology would teach
that this was the second blessing, which, of course, has no Scriptural
support. If a reformer is asked whether regeneration and baptism of the
Holy Spirit are the same, they will usually answer yes. However, according
to the reformed view of regeneration, Cornelius was regenerated before
he believed. Therefore, the reformer must say that either Cornelius was
regenerated, then believed then much later received the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit. However, upon being questioned in this area, the reformer's
position on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit becomes murky. This is primarily
because most of them oppose the aberrant theology of the Pentecostals concerning
the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, however, they are unable to do so
with their view of regeneration.
We have concluded that the outpouring of the Spirit, regeneration, and
the baptism of the Spirit are synonymous. From the words of Christ and
the prophets it is evident that the outpouring of the Spirit is exclusively
restricted to the time when Messiah would appear:
Proverbs 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit
unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Joel 2:28-29 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out
my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And
also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour
out my spirit.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods
upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing
upon thine offspring:
First Corinthians 1:14 teaches that the natural man (man under the curse
of the Old Covenant) cannot receive the things of Spirit of God (heavenly
things), neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.
On the contrary, however, the New Covenant man has understanding of the
things of Christ:
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things,
yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the
Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Here Paul exclaims who does understand the spiritual things of God, i.e.,
the things previously hidden from the foundation of the world (1 Corinthians
2:7). As opposed to those under the Old Covenant, those under the New Covenant
have been given the spiritual understanding of the person and work of Christ
and that He is the fulfillment of all of the promises in the O.T.:
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and
in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
The spiritual man "judgeth" all things. That is, he examines and tests
and comes to the conclusion that Christ is the fulfillment of the salvation
and kingdom of God. Through the regenerating work of the Spirit, the natural
man is now able to see salvation in the crucified and risen Savior,
Christ Jesus. This may seem like a contradiction to what was said previously
concerning the fact that faith in God must precede regeneration (i.e. the
baptism of the Spirit). This is where a crucial distinction must be made
between faith under the Old Covenant and faith under the New Covenant.
Under the Old Covenant, the salvation of Jesus Christ was not revealed
unto them. The fulfillment of the spiritual things of God under the New
Covenant was not given to them. They diligently searched yet could not
understand the revelation of spiritual things in the person and work of
Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto
you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which
was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed,
that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which
are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire
to look into.
Verse 12 reads, "Unto whom (the O.T. prophets it was revealed, that not
unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you…" Or as Hebrews says:
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
The writer of Hebrews elaborates on these promises as referring to heavenly
things:
Hebrews 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared
for them a city.
In the last verse of 1 Corinthians 2 we come across an extremely enlightening
passage:
1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Most students of the word have interpreted the first part of this first
to be referring to an unknowable part of God that even believers cannot
know. That is, they interpret this rhetorical question to be applying to
a mere intellectual knowledge of the hidden providence of God. Though it
is true that there are aspects of God and His providence that we will never
know throughout eternity, we must understand that this truth does fit within
the context of Paul's train of thought. Paul gives the solution to the
problem of not knowing the mind of the Lord:
1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
This "mind of Christ" cannot be separated from vs.11:
1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God.
The mind of the Lord in our context is referring to the things of the Spirit
of God. By the revelation of the Spirit of God true believers now have
the mind of Christ. Clearly the things of God (the deep things of God of
vs.10) were not known previously. But Paul is declaring that they are now
known or revealed. This is monumental concerning the interpretation of
Isaiah 55. There are two verses that are frequently quoted from this passage:
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.
However, upon examination of the entire context we will see that it is
completely prophetic and related to the spiritual man who has been given
the mind of Christ under the New Covenant:
Isaiah 55:1-2 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fatness.
Laboring is a theme well known in the N.T. Jesus first taught this precept:
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat
which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto
you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
The basic problem of the Jews was two-fold: they sought after physical
satisfaction. This is evident by the words of Christ to those who temporarily
followed Him:
John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat
of the loaves, and were filled.
Ultimately, however, this statement of Jesus would lead to a far more significant
problem and that is the continued rebellion of the Jews in trying to attain
righteousness by the deeds of the law. These Jews wanted physical blessings
by a fleshly means. Their whole concept of righteousness and satisfaction
was based upon the efforts and desires of the flesh. This is the root problem
of mankind. The professing church today is obsessed with the so-called
freedom of the will and that which it thinks may be attained by the efforts
of the will: namely, a physical, earthly kingdom. This is nothing new.
It is just a modern-day version of the problem with the Pharisees. The
Jews responded with these words to the words of Jesus pertaining to everlasting
life and that by which it is obtained:
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might
work the works of God?
Their question was not about the Life of which Jesus spoke. As far as they
were concerned this "life" was physical satisfaction with food, drink,
etc. Their question had to do with how they could attain this life; hence,
their words, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God." Jesus
explained that the work of God was to believe on Him whom God had sent.
Nevertheless, they still desired a sign, i.e.; something physical to prove
Christ was the Messiah (vs.30).
Of course the dialogue continued with Jesus claiming to be the bread
which comes down from heaven:
John 6:32-35 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you
the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh
down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto
him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I
am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on me shall never thirst.
Their desire was for a physical bread that they could eat and forever be
satisfied. Because they had these expectations, however, Jesus dashes their
hopes and dreams by announcing Himself as the Bread of Life, on whom if
any man believes they would never thirst nor hunger.
Jesus then addresses the fact that they would not believe and then explains
who would believe and why they would believe:
John 6:36-37 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe
not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out.
The promise of life would come to those whom the Father had given to the
Son. Because of the decree of the Father those whom He had given to the
Son would most certainly come to the Son. Jesus then explains that coming
to the Son could not be accomplished unless the Father dragged to the Son
those whom He had given to the Son:
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
There is nothing spoken of regeneration in this verse. It is simply a miraculous
work of the Father in changing the will of man to come to the Son; a prophecy
mentioned in the book of Psalms:
Psalms 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,
in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the
dew of thy youth.
It is because of the Father's dragging that those whom He has given to
the Son will be made willing in the day of God's power. This is the gift
of faith. God causes this faith. Therefore, the one who has been given
to the Son must and will be caused by God to come to, or approach the Son.
This also is a prophecy in the book of Psalms:
Psalms 65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to
approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
What makes clear that this verse and Psalm is a prophecy is the fact that
the result of being caused to approach God is dwelling in His Temple: clearly
referring to the New Covenant Temple. Not only this, but the preceding
verse speaks of the purging of iniquity:
Psalms 65:3 Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions,
thou shalt purge them away.
Certainly under the law iniquity prevailed against the people of God. But
the Psalmist knew there was a time when iniquity would be purged. It would
be through this purging that those whom God had caused to approach Him
would dwell in the Temple in His presence. In His presence they would be
satisfied with the goodness of His "house." In John 6 Jesus implies that
this satisfaction would take place only through coming to Him. Through
coming to Christ the believer is then given everlasting life. It is in
coming to Christ that God then indwells the believer or what Colossians
says, circumcises them with the circumcision made without hands. This involves
the believer's spiritual baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ:
Colossians 2:10-13 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of
all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of
the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of
God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your
sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Notice in vs.12 that we are buried and raised with Him through the faith
of the operation of God. It is through or by faith (faith of the operation
of God) that we are resurrected (i.e. saved):
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
Christ was speaking of no different salvation in John 6:
John 6:44-51 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written
in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore
that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not
that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen
the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me
hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did
eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh
down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the
living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread,
he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which
I will give for the life of the world.
At this point it is critical to see the reference Jesus makes to the believer
having learned of the Father:
John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught
of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father,
cometh unto me.
There are other references that speak of the believer having learned of
God:
Ephesians 4:20-21 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that
ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
1 John 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old
commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the
word which ye have heard from the beginning.
A problem arises for the futurist when considering these verse in comparison
with the words of Christ in John 6:45. Jesus associated this learning and
being taught of the Father with resurrection life (vs.44). John and Paul,
however, imply that this learning and teaching of the Father was already
a reality in the hearts of these first-century Christians. It is not, as
some say, an already but not yet reality. Rather, the New Covenant transformation
which began at Pentecost (Philippians 1:6) was working in the hearts of
these believers. What Jesus was saying in John 6:44,45 was that by the
time redemption would come, the elect of God who had trusted in Christ
would all be fully taught of God. This teaching is not referring to the
intellectual knowledge of the intellect of God. It refers to the knowledge
of Jesus Christ as the Savior and fulfillment of the kingdom of God. Even
Hebrews speaks of this same subject:
Hebrews 8:10-13 For this is the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man
his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all
shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember
no more. 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.
Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
The knowledge of God is no different than the spiritual things of 1 Corinthians
2; things which refer to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and eternal life:
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jesus then continues relating everlasting life with seeing the Father.
This is inseparable from eating the bread of life. Through believing on
Jesus Christ, the believer eats the bread of everlasting life. It is this
everlasting life that is equivalent to having learned and been taught by
God. These once again are the spiritual things of 1 Corinthians 2. Through
eating the bread of life, we come to the Father:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Or as Jesus says, His Father's house:
John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
This house is the body of Christ, the church:
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are
we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto
the end.
The mansions of this house are the individual believers within the house:
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he
will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode (Greek-mone=mansion) with him.
The Jews strove among themselves when Christ told them that they must eat
His flesh and drink His blood. This especially aroused them when Jesus
declared that through eating His flesh and drinking His blood a person
would obtain eternal life:
John 6:53-58 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye
have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh
is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh,
and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father
hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall
live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your
fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall
live for ever.
Christ clearly spoke of eating His blood and drinking His flesh. He equivocated
this with believing on Him:
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God,
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one
which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and
I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life.
John 6:50-51 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that
a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat
of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 6:53-54 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye
have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father:
so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
To believe Christ is synonymous with eating His flesh and drinking His
blood. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood is synonymous with eternal
life. It is in the very next chapter that the timing of this life and its
relationship to the things of the Spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 2 are
clarified:
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not
yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Notice that thirst is quenched through coming to Christ and also that the
Living Waters are that which quench the thirst. These Living Waters represent
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not
yet glorified (risen from the dead). There is only one account of a generally
redemptive giving of the Spirit and that was at Pentecost. It was at Pentecost
that the Living Waters, which Jesus promised to the woman at the well,
would be given. These Living Waters were that which would quench the thirst
of those who believed. This is precisely why Peter, though he had believed,
had not yet been converted. Hence, Christ's words to him:
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and
when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
It would be through conversion (the giving of Living Waters) that believers
would enter into the kingdom of heaven:
Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted,
and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Finally in John 6 Jesus really exposes the heart of the people. He had
already exposed their obsession to be satisfied physically. Upon their
murmuring, however, Jesus addresses a far more serious issue, the root
of the problem: the works of the flesh:
John 6:60-65 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard
this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew
in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this
offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where
he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from
the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except
it were given unto him of my Father.
Not only does Jesus decimate the physical hopes and dreams of the Jews,
He utterly contradicts the method by which they thought they could attain
the physical pleasures for which they were longing. Jesus bluntly tells
them the truth of the attainment of spiritual life:
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Neither Jewish nationality nor deeds of the flesh could give them the eternal
life of which Christ was speaking. Jesus eliminated any possibility
of life by the deeds of the flesh by saying, "the flesh profits nothing."
The life to be given could not be attained by any deed of the flesh. To
drive this point even further, Jesus explained that even coming to Him
could not take place by the deeds of the flesh:
John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can
come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
It was this statement that exposed all of the shame and pride of the Jews;
for in their minds at least they could have some say in the matter of coming
to Christ. But not even this could happen except if the Father gave the
faith. John the Baptist spoke of the same concept:
John 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except
it be given him from heaven.
The knowledge of the Father through Jesus Christ was unattainable as far
as human ability. Jesus elaborated on this in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 11:25-27 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so,
Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27 All things are delivered
unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither
knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal him.
The revelation of the Father is equivalent to everlasting life. This life
and revelation is determined solely upon the good pleasure of Christ:
John 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them;
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
This life, knowledge and revelation about the words of life of which Jesus
spoke would be revealed at Pentecost-the giving of the Spirit. They would
reach their climax at the destruction of the Jewish Temple, the outward
sign that the entire Godhead would now make His abode in the hearts of
His people.
With this in mind we will have a greater appreciation for the rest of
the monumental prophetic utterance in Isaiah 55:
Related to what we have examined concerning the words of Jesus, here
are vv.1 and 2 again:
Isaiah 55:1-2 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fatness.
The means by which these spiritual blessings would be attained are found
in vs.3:
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul
shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the
sure mercies of David.
The life of the soul would take place through coming to Christ. God here
compels the O.T. Jews to come to Him (i.e. believe in Him). Those who truly
believed in Him did not receive the fullness of the promise of life until
the Parousia (Hebrews 11:39). The Covenant of everlasting life would be
made to those whom the Father had elected from the foundation of the world:
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began;
The Everlasting Covenant would be ratified through the bloodshed of our
Lord Jesus Christ:
Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the everlasting covenant…
So far, we have seen that the first 3 verses (of Isaiah 55) are certainly
referring to the New Covenant in Christ. In vv.4 and 5 the context remains
the same showing the inclusion of the Gentiles:
Isaiah 55:4-5 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people,
a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation
that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee
because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath
glorified thee.
Notice that glorification is included among the many blessings of the New
Covenant (vs.5)
Now we get to the section that relates to 1 Corinthians 2. Since it
is clear that the passage up to this point is prophetic, we must be very
careful to examine the rest of the context to make sure we do not lose
thrust of the prophecy:
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon
him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
God here commands the wicked to forsake his way and the unrighteous his
thoughts, and to return unto the Lord. It is then that God will have mercy
and abundantly pardon. Of course this mercy and pardoning is none other
that that which Messiah performed:
Luke 1:69-72 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the
house of his servant David; 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,
which have been since the world began: 71 That we should be saved from
our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform the mercy
promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
Micah 7:18-20 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth
not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn
again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities;
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt
perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn
unto our fathers from the days of old.
The mention of the way of the wicked and the thoughts of the unrighteous
is very significant in order to understand the next two verses:
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than
your thoughts.
The implication is clear: God is commanding men to forsake their ways and
their thoughts and return unto the Lord to know His ways and His thoughts.
Previously we studied how foreign the message of Jesus was to the Jews.
His message completely contradicted not only their physical expectation,
but also the means by which they thought they could acquire this expectation.
So their problem was two-fold: their hope was in fleshly, earthly blessings,
and their trust was in fleshly, earthly means to secure those blessings.
Hence, "What must we do that we may work the works of God" and, "Lord,
evermore give us this bread." From here we must consider what these thoughts
and ways of God are. The first two verses of Isaiah 55 give us deep insight
concerning the thoughts and ways of God:
Isaiah 55:1-2 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fatness.
God is commanding the people who thirst to come to the waters. Specifically
He commands the one without money to come and buy and eat, and to buy wine
and milk without money and without price. God asks the question to halting
Israel, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?" Jesus
speaks in this manner pertaining to both of these elements:
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat
which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto
you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
The ways of God are contrary to the ways of man and the thoughts of God
are contrary to the thoughts of man. Man's ways and thoughts strive against
God. Man through the pride of His countenance will not seek after God.
To seek God and His ways is synonymous with believing in Jesus Christ as
the sole means of salvation and the sole reward of salvation. Jesus is
that meat which endures to everlasting life. The meat that perishes is
that which Isaiah says does not satisfy. It is that meat for which Jesus
says they should not labor. Clearly this corresponds with the human effort
to attain righteousness through the law:
Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid:
for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law.
The meat that perishes is equivalent to the end result of striving for
righteousness through the letter:
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new
testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth,
but the spirit giveth life.
Hebrews 7:18-19 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment
going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the
law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by
the which we draw nigh unto God.
The meat that endures to eternal life is Jesus Christ. He is the Life that
the deeds of the flesh could not earn. That which is earned by works of
the law is death. However, that which is gained by eating the flesh and
drinking the blood of Christ (believing on Him) is life and righteousness.
This is the way of God, which is identified as "labor." Hebrews also speaks
of this labor:
Hebrews 4:1-3 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us
of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word
preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard
it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have
sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works
were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:9-11 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own
works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that
rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Isaiah spoke of the meat and the bread that did not satisfy. This meat
is that which does not endure to eternal life. This represents the ways
and the thoughts of man, which is exactly why God said:
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
his thoughts:
These ways and thoughts of God are exactly those to which Paul was referring
in 1 Corinthians 2:
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the natural man receiveth not the things
of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual
judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath
known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind
of Christ.
Under the New Covenant, the believer has received the things of the Spirit
of God. The believer has been given the mind of Christ to understand the
significance of Jesus Christ and that Christ is the fulfillment of all
the O.T. promises. Through the Spirit, the believer has known the ways
and thoughts of God: ways that were contrary to the wicked thoughts of
man. Those who were living at the time of Pentecost and who were true believers
in God were given the Spirit to understand that Christ is God, the resurrection
and the life. Because the spiritual man knows the ways of God and the thoughts
of God (i.e. salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ), he has been
given the mind of Christ. Hence, the believer's ways are God's ways and
his thoughts are God's thoughts.
The ways mentioned in Isaiah are contrary to man. Isaiah speaks of the
ways of gaining milk, bread, and wine without price. The wicked ways and
thoughts of man seek to gain physical pleasures through fleshly effort
and religion and in the Jews' case, nationality as well. These wicked ways
are those that Jesus identified as the flesh that profits nothing in contrast
to the Spirit who gives life:
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
The way of God (or to the Father) is through Jesus Christ. This Way could
only be achieved through the gift of faith by the sovereign pleasure of
God. This is important especially as we remember that faith was given to
Abraham, but the Way into the holiest was not yet made manifest. Jesus
identified Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, by whom one may
come to the Father. This life comes by faith in Jesus Christ. This faith
is rewarded with the gift of God, that is, life:
Acts 15:8-9 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness,
giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference
between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Through the Spirit at Pentecost this life was given to all those who believed:
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Galatians 3:2-5 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have
ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore
that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth
he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
From Galatians it is evident that the reception of the Spirit came by
the hearing of faith. This is that same Spirit that Jesus sent to give
the life He promised at Pentecost (John 6:27; 7:37-39). In Isaiah we see
that, through coming to Christ we have come and bought wine and milk without
price (i.e. without the works of the law). We have come to the waters without
money. We have not spent money for that bread which endures to eternal
life; we have not labored for that which satisfies eternally. The Lord
says in Isaiah:
Isaiah 55:2 …hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is
good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isaiah predicted this as well and associated this delight with feeding
with the heritage of Jacob:
Isaiah 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will
cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with
the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken
it.
This fatness comes from feeding on Christ, the satisfaction of the soul
and the desire of the heart:
Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee
the desires of thine heart.
This is why Jesus is described as the Desire of nations:
Haggai 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations
shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jesus Christ is the hidden wisdom of God that was ordained from the foundation
of the word for the glory of believers. As the wisdom of God, Jesus was
unknown to the world by their wisdom. He was even unknown to the true believers
in God until Pentecost. As we consider the enormous relationship between
Isaiah 55, John 6, and 1 Corinthians 2 we see the significance of the necessity
of change that would need to take place in the heart of the believer in
order to become a spiritual man. God expressed the impossibility of man
under the Old Covenant to understand His ways and His thoughts:
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my
ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Thus, the changing of a man from the dead condition under the law to the
live condition under the Spirit is a miraculous and sovereign work of God
performed upon all those He has caused to trust Him to save them from His
wrath.
Isaiah then makes reference to the fruit borne as a result of the one
who truly believed God:
Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,
and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Of course Christ is the rain and snow which comes down to the earth and
waters it and makes it bring forth fruit:
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give
it you.
Under the Old Covenant fruit was an impossibility:
Romans 6:20-23 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free
from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye
are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being
made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Bringing forth fruit unto God had to be restricted to the New Covenant
just as Isaiah associated it. For without Christ death reigned. Spiritual
death could not be removed without the redemptive work of Christ:
Romans 7:4-6 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the
law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to
him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto
God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by
the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But
now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held;
that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the
letter.
The fruit that is brought forth is brought forth unto God. Through the
work of Christ upon the cross and His consequent indwelling of the believer,
God views the believer as having the exact righteousness of Christ (i.e.
having fulfilled the law perfectly). This, in the eyes of God, is fruit.
For it is only the blood of Christ that the Father acknowledges. Any other
means of trying to reach the Father is putrid and unholy in His sight.
Though the O.T. believer knew this, he did not know that the salvation
predicted would be through Jesus Christ as God manifest in the flesh. They
did not know that the heavenly kingdom for which they looked (Hebrews 11:13-16)
would be fulfilled in Christ. This New Covenant working of God in the person
who believes, Isaiah predicted would certainly water the earth. Through
the sovereign grace of God the water would make the earth bring forth and
bud. The result being seed given to the sower and bread to the eater. Even
the writer of Hebrews conveyed this as he showed the contrasts between
the Old and New Covenants:
Hebrews 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft
upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,
receiveth blessing from God:
God also promised that when this time came, the word (the Gospel of Jesus
Christ) would accomplish whatever God planned for it to accomplish:
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Those to whom this word would come would certainly receive the inevitable
blessings of the kingdom of God:
Isaiah 55:12-13 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with
peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the
thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up
the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting
sign that shall not be cut off.
Hebrews again contrasts the bearing of fruit under the New Covenant against
the bearing of thorns and briers under the Old Covenant:
Hebrews 6:7-8 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh
oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,
receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers
is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
The subject of what it means to be born again has perplexed many. In order
to understand the timing of when God's elect would be born again, we must
understand the meaning of becoming a new creation. Most theologians would
agree that being born again and being made new creation in Christ Jesus
are one and the same. From what we have already studied it should be evident
that these blessing could only take place after the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. 2 Corinthians 5 contains a well-known verse pertaining to being
born again:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Through the work of the Spirit the believer is transformed into a new creature.
Born dead in trespasses and sins, those who are the elect of God must undergo
the process of regeneration in order to become a new creature. Jesus describes
this as being born of the Spirit:
John 3:3-12 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of
the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus
answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not
these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know,
and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I
have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe,
if I tell you of heavenly things?
Jesus was obviously declaring unto Nicodemus the heavenly or spiritual
things of 1 Corinthians 2. We have already proven that the spiritual things
of 1 Corinthians 2, things only the spiritual man could "see," were prophesied
in Isaiah 64, yet shown to be revealed in vv.9 and 10:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.
Therefore, we must conclude that the heavenly things of which Christ spoke
are those which were given by the Spirit after the resurrection. Thus,
the new creation is the new man (i.e., that which is born again) not the
old creation or the old man. Jesus said that which is born of flesh is
flesh, i.e., that which is born of man under the curse. This "man" would
be identified as Adam or the first man. This is representative of the old
man. That which is born of the Spirit is the new man or that which is identified
with the second Man from heaven. This is what Paul meant when referring
to the new creation or new man.
In Ephesians Paul links the new man to the accomplishment of Jesus Christ
upon the cross:
Ephesians 2:13-16 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath
made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between
us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so
making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body
by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Clearly, the new man and the one body are the new creation by the work
of the cross and the Spirit. So we see that, specifically, the union of
Jew and Gentile in one body is called the new man. Because this new man
is the result of the work of the cross and the subsequent outpouring of
the Spirit, we can only conclude that those under the Old Covenant were
not new creations in Christ Jesus. This is not to say that they never experienced
their final resurrection. However, it is to say that their final resurrection
could not have taken place without the resurrection of Christ, the first-fruit
of the resurrection.
From the texts that have been presented, it has been evident that regeneration
is a work of the Spirit that began at Pentecost. This outpouring of the
Spirit was the fulfillment of many O.T. prophecies. Through this outpouring
of the Spirit, the first-century believers began their transformation from
the curse of sin and death under the Old Covenant to the blessing of righteousness
and life under the New Covenant. This life that had begun in them would
be performed until Christ was completely formed in them:
Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again
until Christ be formed in you
Ephesians 3:16-17 That he would grant you, according to the riches of
his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted
and grounded in love,
Colossians 1:27 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:
The Spirit was the deposit or down-payment for the guarantee of their inheritance.
This inheritance was Christ in them, the fulfillment of the kingdom of
God:
Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the
kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God
cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo
there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Upon the giving of the Spirit, resurrection life began in the believer,
a work which God promised to perform until the day of Christ Jesus:
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which
hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
This resurrection life or regeneration was consummated with the presence
of Jesus Christ in them. Resurrection life is synonymous with being born
again or becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit would
transform believers from death unto life and prepare them for the entire
Godhead to dwell in them:
John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe
also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:22-23 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that
thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered
and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
The promise of God to give His people a new heart and a new spirit and
to cause them to walk in His laws through the righteousness of Christ was
finally initiated at Pentecost by the Spirit.
Since that time the elect of God are given faith and regenerated by
the presence of God in their hearts. Resurrection life and light in the
face of Jesus Christ are spiritual realities for the one who believes on
His name. Through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the believer is given Everlasting
life through partaking of His flesh and blood. He is that bread and living
water which eternally satisfies. He is that bread and water which, if a
man eats, he will never die. He is Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and
the Life.
ESCHATOLOGY.COM
/ KOSG Home