“ThePart 2 of
Understanding What
Transpired:
Who has understood anything at their physical birth? The answer is none of us!
Having come to be born of
God the Father’s life… which is in Christ…who now is “the life-giving spirit,” we
must go onto see and know understand more of what actually occurred when we
received Christ.
John wrote saying “these things are written unto you…
that ye may know that ye have eternal life...” 1 John 5:13
(KJV) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal
life, and that ye may believe on (trust in) the name (authority) of the Son of God.
John wrote, But as many as received him (Jesus),
to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them
that believe (trust) on his name: John 1:12 (KJV). Having
received Christ, then it is no longer just you but rather you have become
partaker in “the mystery (secret plan), which is Christ in
you” (
Have you noticed that John 1:12 (just above) does not say
those who receive Christ become a member of an organization, but rather they
become “sons of God.” From this we see God’s
“Fatherhood” as life-giver to us; our
sonship occurs by having “received
Jesus” who John tells us is “the life (Zoë, God’s
eternal life).”
1 John 5:11-12
(KJV) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life (Zoë), and this life (Zoë) is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son
hath life (Zoë); and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (Zoë).
The “life” (Greek, Zoë), that we have received is Christ’s own “Spirit of life” – not better human life. As result of being reborn spiritually by receiving Christ’s “Spirit of life,” we now possess The Real Life that is in the members of His body. That Spirit is of the Lord Himself who teaches us all things. “The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a) is our teacher, so we can now look back to see what actually has occurred when we received Him in Spirit form.
1 John 2:20
But ye have an unction (anointing) from the Holy One,
and ye know all things.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Our teacher then is the “Holy One” (v20) who is called “him” in v27 – obviously this is the same Christ who now indwells the believer’s human spirits as their new life.
Colossians
1:26-27 (KJV) Even
the mystery (musterion, secret plan) which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Christ, as the “seed” or “sperma” (1Peter 1:23) of God the Father, is deposited into the believer’s spirit, bringing the very life of the Godhead into us – we are thereby in union with God now and forever.
A Life
Change:
The first point of Paul’s’ “mystery gospel” is that we could receive “Christ in you” to give us His life and make us members of His body on earth. Paul explains our former condition as that of being in “time past” and then also a change that he then refers to as “but God” and “But now.” The second point of Paul’s mystery gospel may be seen as we now go onto see and acknowledge our former condition as it was in God's sight as those who “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience…” (above), under sin’s dominion and separated from God …and from the Jews, God’s chosen ones.
Ephesians 2:1-6
(KJV) And you hath he
quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past
ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: 3 Among whom
also we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by
grace ye are saved;) 6 And
hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ
Jesus:
Ephesians 2:16 here relates how Christ died for all sinful men “that He might reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) to God in one Body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” This joint-body of Jew and Gentile is the second point of Paul’s mystery gospel.
Thus, when a now believing lost sinner is reconciled to God by faith in Christ, they are REGENERATED, and given a new life, which is the literal “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a), and by “that Spirit” which is Christ (2Cor 3:17) we are also baptized or immersed into “the Church, which is the Body of Christ.”
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
The body of Christ is the precise or specific church of which we are then a member.
Ephesians
1:22-23 (KJV) And hath put all things under his (Christ’s) feet, and
gave him to be the head over
all things to the
church, 23 Which is his
body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. I Cor 12:13 for by one spirit
are we all baptized
(immersed) into one body.
As we
see consistently in Paul fourteen Bible epistles, this new life is a
work of “the Spirit of Christ”
who now is “that
Spirit” which was otherwise referred to as the
Holy Spirit. Paul says we are saved by the work of the Spirit, not by our works
or effort. Titus 3:5 (KJV) 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
Spirit.
Every one of us should ask our self: “Have I been baptized (placed) by the Spirit into the Body of Christ?” Those who have not been placed or immersed into “the body of Christ” not do not belong to the one true Church that God recognizes.
Membership in the true Church is still open. All ones need to do is simply, but sincerely, trust Christ by receiving Him as He was meant to be – as your new life. All one needs to do is “Believe on (trust in) the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31.
You will then immediately in that instant become a member of His spiritual body on earth. Christ is our Savior and He is the Head of the true Church.