SERIES: JANUS: The Return Of The "God" Of New Beginnings
Part 12: The Simplicity That Is In Christ
By Ed Tarkowski

The simple history and dilemma of man and the truth of Christ coming in the
flesh is being washed away by the current drive towards uniting the world
and the church. The simple solution to that dilemma is being washed away as
well, so I end this series by reminding us of the simple and understandable
ways of our God who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life" (John 3:16). I pray it will be refreshing.

Before the world began, God had determined that we would be "holy and
without blame before him in love":

Ephesians 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved.
7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

The reason this redemption had to be brought about was because Adam
disobeyed the simple command of God, and all of the future offspring of
Adam found themselves in a dilemma. They had no perfect sacrifice to atone
for what had been done, nor, in their fallen condition, could they bring
forth such a necessary sacrifice. But out of God's love for fallen man, He
Himself provided the sacrifice that would restore man to a position where
we could be as He had intended us to be from the beginning:

1 Pet 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers;
19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot:
20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you,

This redemption was absolutely necessary because of the sin of our first
parents:

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; . . .

The fall of Adam brought all mankind into sin and death. Adam's sin in the
garden brought spiritual death to him, and eventually the death of his
body. As a result of this fallen condition, all men born from Adam would be
in the same condition before a holy God.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. . . .
11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement.

Rom 6:23 . . . but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.

Christ's obedience when He came in the flesh made the death of his sinless
life an acceptable sacrifice to God that atoned for who man was. His shed
blood for man's sins cleanses man from his sin, and His death paid the
penalty for our sin.

Rom 5:15  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through
the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift
by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment
was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification.
17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life.
19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

This brings man justification before God as though he had never sinned, and
God declares him righteous in His eyes. Christ is God's gift for salvation
and in Him there is nothing lacking to bring man to full salvation. This is
all grace on God's part and is appropriated by man through simple faith in
the finished work of Christ.

When a man is justified before God and declared righteous, God then resides
in him by indwelling him by His Holy Spirit. This coming of the Holy Spirit
to one who believes is a promise of the Father to all who place faith in
the finished work of Christ. Man cannot earn or do anything to have the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It comes by faith alone in the person of
Christ. The personal result of our faith in Him is the repentance of sin
and the desire to be holy as He is holy, living constantly in the fear of God.

Philip 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling.
13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

1 Pet 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through
the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one
another with a pure heart fervently:
23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

When we believe in Christ and what He has done for us, we are reconciled to
God and He conforms us to the image and likeness of His Son.

1 Pet 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead,
and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

After His death, Christ was raised from the dead on the third day, and then
was glorified. Man, individually through faith, would no longer fall short
of God's glory. God had provided all in Christ so that the hope of man for
glory and being totally made new would rest in God alone.
The fall of man brought drastic conequences:

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

But, now, Christ brought salvation from sin and death before our holy God.
Yet salvation would once again be manifested towards the believer, this
time from God's wrath:

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him.
10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

The resurrection of the body, or its being changed, is the final work in
our receiving a total salvation, for God has not destined us for His wrath,
but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus.  This will be revealed
in glory when He returns visibly, bodily, in the sky in glory:

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you,
5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time.
6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are
in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

It is at this time that we will live in the kingdom of God:

Matthew 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:

The work of salvation is God's doing, and He alone will bring it about. The
glorification of all believers will be Christ's doing at His personal
return. The establishing of God's kingdom on earth will be His personal
work, too. He alone is the beginning and the end of it.

End of Series.