Sunday, March 30, 2008

THE BIBLE - A BOOK OF REDEMPTION

FROM RUIN TO REDEMPTION

The Bible is a book or redemption, from Genesis 1:1, 2 we have a caption of the entire theme of this great Word of God.

God created the World and Lucifer the chief angel was put in charge of it, his heart became lifted up and wanted to be like God in the act of pride that brought about his fall Isa 14:14.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

After a long period of the earth in it’s ruin state, God revisited His act or creation to restore the earth that had become void and without form as a result of Satan’s fall seen in Gen. 1:2. It took God six twenty-four hours to restore this ruined earth. God’s intention was to restore for Himself, the earth that He had created, and so on the sixth day of His restoration of the earth, He made man; that He would now have to rule the earth with Him instead of Lucifor, now Satan. That is the purpose of man clearly stated in his creation, [to have dominion—to rule with God]

Gen 1:26, 28

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Satan was successful in causing man to fall and in the very same manner like himself, wanting to be like God Gen 3:4-5

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

God is now in the act of restoring man that is ruined as a result of sin, the very same manner in which He restored the earth. The earth got into this state of ruin because of Satan’s desire to be like God, and ruin resulted; man ate of the forbidden fruit with the promise that he would be like God, and the same result-ruin. This brightens our understanding of: John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
KJV

The Bible’s teaching of Salvation/Redemption, is to restore fallen man to that purpose for which he was created, (to have dominion). If you would notice after man fell and God destroyed the earth again with the waters of the Flood; man restarted with a similar command as was the first but with an obvious omission of the charge, that "to rule” simply because God now has to restore him (man) before he can rule.

Gen 9:1
9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth
.

God used six twenty-four hours to restore ruined earth (Gen. 1 & 2) ; He is now using six days, (each one-thousand years in length), to restore ruined man. And will rest on the seventh day,(also a thousand years in length - the Millennium) 2 Peter 3:8

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The book of Hebrews for example, speaks about the seventh (1000 year) day of man’s restoration. Hebrews is not talking about the “common salvation” (Jude 3) but “so great a salvation.” Heb 2:3

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

This was the salvation that Jesus spoke about while He was here on earth, often referred to in some instances as “eternal life.”

This is the kingdom of God that Jesus came to preach in the act of restoring man. According to the Genesis account, God’s main business is to restore (the earth and man-the creature and the creation).

That is what He was explaining to Nicodemus: John 3:3
3 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.

That’s why in Hebrews 6:6 it speaks about the impossibility of restoration if one neglect “so great salvation.” Esau is used in the book to illustrate the no return to this rest-inheritance if one falls away, even when it is sought with tears (Heb. 12:16, 17). Esau continued to be Isaac’s son, but he lost the status of “first-born” and was no longer the heir, never to be restored to him again. It is the same with us today, if we lose this “great salvation” we cannot escape. That is what the Bible mean by “loosing one’s soul.” For this "great salvation" is the salvation of the soul that is earned, unlike the salvation of the "spirit" that is the free gift of God. Matt 16:26

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

If we would read the Scripture with an understanding that we are in the period of preparation to be ushered into the “rest” that the writer of the Book of Hebrews addresses, the seventh day of the restoration of man; we will see a different spin on lots of our interpretations.

It is my prayer that we will get a proper understanding of the words of Jude and bring the church back to contending.... Jude 3-4

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a need for us as beleivers to grow, move on from the foundational stuff and move on to the "meat" of the Word of God and prepare to meet the Lord at His judgment seat.

Heb 6:1-2
6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection …….

KJV







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