THEN THERE'RE THREE
"Nineteen year a prisoner of the law."
Jean Valjean
Les Miserables
"You forgot I gave these also.
Would you leave the best behind?"
Mon Signor
Les Miserables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPcb2DM4Nc
Valjean's Soliloquy
The best way to sum up what we have so far about Christ is this:
"Despite some differences in thought and phrase and treatment, there is one essential Christology in the New Testament. ,,,"Jesus is Lord." "There is a unity in all these great Christian books" said James Denney in his greatest book, Jesus and The Gospel, "which is powerful enough to absorb and subdue their differences, and that unity is to be found in the common religious relation to Christ, a common debt to Him, a common sense that everything in the relations of God and man must be and is determined by Him."
Achibald M. Hunter
The Message Of The New Testament
Hunter touches on it, expands on it in his small book. Restate it again: "everything in the relations of God and man must be and is determined by him" i.e. Christ. So He will somehow be there in all things determining how they go. But flesh has boundaries. Ones given by God. For one obvious purpose. To remind us always that we ARE NOT GOD. That we are created and not Creator. That all our marvels, from human fire to the greatest skyscrapers have an end, from water on the fire to maniacs crashing into buildings with jet planes.
So, since we are not God and can not act as God, he left us a Helper to make things clear if we pay attention and listen.
We keep mentioning Him. He pops up again and again. Jesus even died so we could know Him, have Him with us all the time. Because God misses walking in the Garden at the cool of the day with those He created and loves. The Spirit refreshes our spirit and so the flesh. So let's discuss the Holy Spirit.
He's there at creation moving on the waters.
Jesus walked with man in the Garden and the Spirit was still.
He's there in the Pre-Flood world but seems not to be doing anything. God the Father or the Son talks directly to two men. Only a paltry few come out of the Deluge.
Pre-Law God as himself or Jesus talks with men. The Spirit appears only at the sacrificial pact between Abe and God, but really God and the Spirit:
Ge 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. {a burning...: Heb. a lamp of fire}
18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
(KJV)
(Please notice that this is a LOT more land than we see Israel occupies today and men are currently trying to take more land away by human treaty.)
Answer: A covenant is an agreement between two parties. There are two basic types of covenants: conditional and unconditional. A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the covenant. An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party.
The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant. God made promises to Abraham that required nothing of Abraham. Genesis 15:18–21 describes a part of the Abrahamic Covenant, specifically dealing with the dimensions of the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants.
The actual Abrahamic Covenant is found in Genesis 12:1–3. The ceremony recorded in Genesis 15 indicates the unconditional nature of the covenant. The only time that both parties of a covenant would pass between the pieces of animals was when the fulfillment of the covenant was dependent upon both parties keeping commitments. Concerning the significance of God alone moving between the halves of the animals, it is to be noted that it is a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, representing God, not Abraham, which passed between the pieces. Such an act, it would seem, should be shared by both parties, but in this case God’s solitary action is doubtless to be explained by the fact that the covenant is principally a promise by God. He binds Himself to the covenant. God caused a sleep to fall upon Abraham so that he would not be able to pass between the two halves of the animals. Fulfillment of the covenant fell to God alone.
The writer forgets there are two Spiritual elements to God-Father and the Spirit. The two fire sources indicate the Spirit and God both walked there. In doing so, He commits Himself fully to his covenant and the land, That huge chunk of real estate, becomes the promised inheritance. This is vital to remember for Christians because this is the land of the eventual Millennial Kingdom. We need to keep it in mind as we read on. We will deal with End Times and prophecies related to them, but we must keep in mind that the plan and promise were laid out by God and the Holy Spirit was the part of Him committed to make sure these things came to pass. He is the part of God who has operated in one way or another to bring all these things to pass. We need to keep that in mind when others ask where Jesus was long before His birth. He was part of the plan, there in some sort of flesh as we have considered. He laid out the world and all things in it, but it has been his "brother" (Not the brother as Satan the angel gets interpreted by mistake) the Spirit who has been keeping God's commitment working tirelessly to bring everything to pass. As the Son stands as our redeemer and witness at God;s Right Hand.
When the treaty was made, the Spirit took a more visible active role. Make no mistake He could have any time, but God's design, Jesus intent to honor the Father, wanted him to wait so humanity could see how well it could do by itself without Him stepping in.
Recall that, after the fore fathers, the flaming bush appears to Moses:
Ex 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
The flame can be seen as the Holy Spirit also manifesting to Moses, so powerfully it makes him turn away. That notion of the Spirit as fire appears throughout the Bible:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/fire/
Fire [N] [T] [E] [S]
One of the most arresting and suggestive metaphors in the Bible is that of fire, a phenomenon common to all cultures ancient and modern and one that lends itself to a variety of imagery. The most prevalent term for fire in the Hebrew Bible is es [vea]. The Greek word phos [fw'"], also normally rendered "light, " occurs a couple times in the New Testament as "fire" ( Mark 14:54 ; Luke 22:56 ). The usual word for fire in the New Testament is pur [pu'r], the regular Greek translation of Hebrew es [vea] in the Septuagint.
As a commonplace in ancient Israel, fire obviously is to be taken literally in most of the several hundred references to it in the Bible. Its figurative or theological attestations are also numerous, however, generally relating to some manifestation of God's being or action.
Fire, as theophany of existence, communicates, first of all, the very presence of God. This is especially evident in the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses ( Exod 3:2-6 ). Here fire is a manifestation of God himself, for Moses turned away from the sight "because he was afraid to look at God" (v. 6). Similar to this is Yahweh's descent upon Mount Sinai "in fire" ( Exod 19:18 ; cf. Deuteronomy 4:11-12 Deuteronomy 4:15 Deuteronomy 4:33 Deuteronomy 4:36 ). In the New Testament Paul describes the second coming of Christ as "in blazing fire" ( 2 Th 1:7 ), an appearance that carries overtones of judgment as well as mere presence. Also akin to Old Testament imagery is John's vision of Jesus with eyes "like blazing fire" ( Rev 1:14 ; 2:18 ; 19:12 ), again in judgment contexts.
It is not always possible to distinguish the presence of God from his glory for, indeed, glory is frequently a figure itself for divine presence. However, a number of passages focus on fire as synonymous with or in association with God's glory. For example, to the Israelites at Sinai "the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire" ( Exod 24:17 ; cf. Leviticus 9:23 Leviticus 9:24 ; Deut 5:24 ). In visions of God in his glory in both Old and New Testaments, fire is a regular phenomenon.
A special use of fire imagery in the New Testament is that connected with baptism with fire. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" ( Matt 3:11 ; cf. Luke 3:16 ), a promise that was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Then "tongues of fire" rested upon those gathered in the upper room with the result that they "were filled with the Holy Spirit" ( Acts 2:3-4 ). The fire here is a manifestation of God, in the case of the Third Person of the Godhead, a theological conception unknown to the Old Testament.
Fire as theophany of action reveals God at work in a number of ways. One of the earliest and clearest of these ways is his appearance in a pillar of fire that led the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the Sinai deserts. Another instance of God's use of fire as an active manifestation of his presence is his sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices offered up to him on special and unusual occasions. The first of these inaugurated Aaron's ministry as priest. Having blessed the people, Moses and Aaron witnessed the appearance of the glory of the Lord, a striking manifestation of which was fire that "came out from the presence of the Lord" to consume the sacrifices already placed on the altar ( Lev 9:23-24 ). Other examples of fire as the expression of God's acceptance of offerings are those of Gideon ( Judges 6:19-24 ) and of the father and mother of Samson ( Judges 13:15-20 ). In both cases Yahweh is present in the person of the angel who touches the altar, causing the sacrifices to erupt in flame.
Because of fire's heat and destructive capacity, it frequently appears in the Bible as a symbol of God's anger and of the judgment and destruction that sometimes are extensions of that anger. The psalmist employs fire as a simile for divine displeasure when he asks the Lord, "How long will your wrath burn like fire?" ( Psalm 89:46 ) Isaiah, referring to God's coming in judgment, sees him "coming with fire" and bringing down his rebuke "with flames of fire" (66:15). Jeremiah says in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem that Yahweh "poured out his wrath like fire" ( Lam 2:4 ). Ezekiel uses the term "fiery anger" to speak of God's outpoured judgment, especially when speaking of the impending Babylonian conquest ( 21:31 ; 22:31 ). This is also the language by which he describes the overthrow of Gog in the end times. In his "zeal and fiery wrath" he will bring about massive calamity ( 38:19 ).
In other passages, the anger of God is not only metaphorically represented by fire, but fire becomes a literal vehicle of his wrath. At Taberah in the Sinai desert Yahweh's "anger was aroused" and "fire from the Lord burned among" the people ( Num 11:1 ). And the rebellion of Korah and his followers also resulted in many of them perishing by fire, a manifestation of God's hot anger ( Num 16:35 ; 26:10 ; Lev 10:2 ). A most impressive display of fire as an instrument of judgment is the destruction of the messengers of Ahaziah of Israel who attempted to seize Elijah the prophet only to be struck with fire "from heaven" ( 2 Kings 1:10 2 Kings 1:12 2 Kings 1:14 ). This is probably an example of lightning, which otherwise is clearly a means of inflicting divine judgment and destruction (cf. Exod 9:23-24 ; Job 1:16 ; Psalm 18:13-14 ).
The same imagery of fire as a sign of God's anger and judgment continues in the New Testament. James and John asked Jesus whether or not they should invoke fire from heaven in order to destroy the Samaritans ( Luke 9:54 ). Paul speaks of fire as a purifying agent capable of testing the quality of one's life and works ( 1 Cor 3:13 ). Most commonly, fire is associated with the judgment of hell ( Matt 3:12 ; 5:22 ; 18:8-9 ; Mark 9:43 Mark 9:48 ; Luke 3:17 ; 16:24 ; James 3:6 ; Jude 7 ; Rev 20:14-15 ), or with the destruction of the old heavens and earth in preparation for the new ( 2 Peter 3:10 2 Peter 3:12 ).
Eugene H. Merrill
See also Hell; Judgment; Judgment, Day of; Lake of Fire; Theophany
Bibliography. E. M. Good, IDB, 2:268-69; J. Patrick, Dictionary of the Bible, 2:9-10; J. C. Slayton, 5:372-73; H. Van Broekhoven, Jr., ISBE, 2:305-6.
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell
Copyright © 1996 by Walter A. Elwell. Published by Baker Books, a division of
Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan USA.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement.
[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[T] indicates this entry was also found in Torrey's Topical Textbook
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
[J] indicates this entry was also found in Jack Van Impe's Prophecy Dictionary
[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Bibliography Information
Elwell, Walter A. "Entry for 'Fire'". "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology". . 1997.
Dictionaries - Easton's Bible Dictionary - Fire
Fire [N] [T] [B] [S]
For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire ( Genesis 8:20 ). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven ( Leviticus 6:9 Leviticus 6:13 ; 9:24 ), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon's temple ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 2 Chronicles 7:3 ). The expressions "fire from heaven" and "fire of the Lord" generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called ( Exodus 29:18 ; Leviticus 1:9 ; 2:3 ; Leviticus 3:5 Leviticus 3:9 ).
Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called "strange fire" ( Leviticus 10:1 Leviticus 10:2 ; Numbers 3:4 ).
The victims slain for sin offerings were afterwards consumed by fire outside the camp ( Leviticus 4:12 Leviticus 4:21 ; 6:30 ; 16:27 ; Hebrews 13:11 ).
For domestic purposes, such as baking, cooking, warmth, etc. ( Jeremiah 36:22 ; Mark 14:54 ; John 18:18 ). But on Sabbath no fire for any domestic purpose was to be kindled ( Exodus 35:3 ; Numbers 15:32-36 ).
Punishment of death by fire was inflicted on such as were guilty of certain forms of unchastity and incest ( Leviticus 20:14 ; 21:9 ). The burning of captives in war was not unknown among the Jews ( 2 Samuel 12:31 ; Jeremiah 29:22 ). The bodies of infamous persons who were executed were also sometimes burned ( Joshua 7:25 ; 2 Kings 23:16 ).
In war, fire was used in the destruction of cities, as Jericho ( Joshua 6:24 ), Ai ( 8:19 ), Hazor ( 11:11 ), Laish (Judg. 18:27 ), etc. The war-chariots of the Canaanites were burnt ( Joshua 11:6 Joshua 11:9 Joshua 11:13 ). The Israelites burned the images ( 2 Kings 10:26 ; RSV, "pillars") of the house of Baal. These objects of worship seem to have been of the nature of obelisks, and were sometimes evidently made of wood.
Torches were sometimes carried by the soldiers in battle ( Judges 7:16 ).
Figuratively, fire is a symbol of Jehovah's presence and the instrument of his power ( Exodus 14:19 ; Numbers 11:1 Numbers 11:3 ; Judg. 13:20 ; 1 Kings 18:38 ; 2 Kings 1 Kings 1:10 1 Kings 1:12 ; 2:11 ; Isaiah 6:4 ; Ezek. 1:4 ; Revelation 1:14 , etc.).
God's word is also likened unto fire ( Jeremiah 23:29 ). It is referred to as an emblem of severe trials or misfortunes ( Zechariah 12:6 ; Luke 12:49 ; 1 Corinthians 3:13 1 Corinthians 3:15 ; 1 Peter 1:7 ), and of eternal punishment ( Matthew 5:22 ; Mark 9:44 ; Revelation 14:10 ; 21:8 ).
The influence of the Holy Ghost is likened unto fire ( Matthew 3:11 ). His descent was denoted by the appearance of tongues as of fire ( Acts 2:3 ).
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
I wish to suggest a conclusion not quite reached by the writer above: that the Spirit WAS the fire which consumed offerings and enemies alike, that manifestations of fire from God were the Holy Spirit acting in ways we see as destructive some times but which advanced God's will. It is a bit of a jump, but not all that far and I fully understand writers not willing to make it since the Bible does not specifically designate the Spirit in action as those fires. I merely think it becomes obvious when we add the revelation of the New Testament. It is not then a "symbol" of his power, but the manifestation of Himself in acting for His People.
The Spirit then becomes more obviously there, making the Trinity, the complete person of God there together, here functioning, meaning Jesus was not the only person of God sent to Earth, here acting throughout history, in contact with humanity, hovering, impacting directly.
We've pretty much known this, sensed it by the Spirit in us, but now we see it laid out, That even as we studied Jesus walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden, the Spirit was there, too. It just didn't manifest. I what Jesus says later to the Apostles is true and it must be because he said it, then perhaps there is so me point we need to see:
John 16:6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: {reprove: or, convince}
(KJV)
We touched on this in our study of John, but it remains one mystery not completely revealed to us: it seems that, when Jesus is there, the Spirit resides in Him alone. Or in his body.
Matt Henry:
16:7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name.
See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it effectually, and none but he. It is the method the Holy Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to comfort. The Spirit shall convince the world, of sin; not merely tell them of it. The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin; of the fault of sin; of the folly of sin; of the filth of sin, that by it we are become hateful to God; of the fountain of sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end thereof is death.
The Holy Spirit proves that all the world is guilty before God.
He convinces the world of righteousness; that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ the righteous. Also, of Christ's righteousness, imparted to us for justification and salvation. He will show them where it is to be had, and how they may be accepted as righteous in God's sight. Christ's ascension proves the ransom was accepted, and the righteousness finished, through which believers were to be justified.
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. All will be well, when his power is broken, who made all the mischief. As Satan is subdued by Christ, this gives us confidence, for no other power can stand before him. And of the day of judgment. The coming of the Spirit would be of unspeakable advantage to the disciples.
The Holy Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is more than barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but the relish, and savor, and power of it in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of the apostles, under the influence of the Spirit, all the tongues, and miracles, were to glorify Christ.
It behoves every one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in his heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we never shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when brought to know ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of the Redeemer. We should have fuller views of the Redeemer, and more lively affections to him, if we more prayed for, and depended on the Holy Spirit.
But the Second Adam thing stirs us. Along with the Last Adam.
If we have Adam's genetics flowing through us, then we have Jesus' genetics through us also. We are all linked in that way as we suggested last time, then there is something inherent we need to further understand.
The Holy Spirit was comfortable inhabiting that body. It knows every genetic structure to it, We have the Earth form which becomes our future flesh. The Spirit sees the pieces of Jesus split up in the pieces of us and it tried to draw them all back together. It longs for the union that is the complete body of Christ.
Recall Paul's lecture on the body:
1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
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. {Gentiles: Gr. Greeks}
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. {bestow: or, put on}
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. {schism: or, division}
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
I believe Paul was prompted by the Spirit to make that allusion. We are of the body now not just in the flesh but in the Spirit once we accept Christ. We are being renewed, but the Spirit draws us together for greater strength for the mission.
In The Pain Chronicles, Melanie Thernstrom reports that results of studies show: "people who attend religious services live longer and are generally healthier, less depressed and less likely to be disabled...Christians who attended church one a week lived an average of six years longer than non-attendees-while those who attended more than once a week lived an average of seven years longer." There seems to be no relevant explanation for it other than "positive thinking" from her sectarian point of view. But it seems that, through whatever means, the Spirit wants humanity together and offers positive benefits from that togetherness.
When we see political choices dividing us, we see something other than the Spirit working. When one party or the other begins to dominate a church, it drives others off others who believe in the other party and we have the same divisions Paul spoke again in that same letter to the Corinthians.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? {divisions: or, factions} {as men: Gr. according to man?}
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. {husbandry: or, tillage}
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
(KJV)
When we allow divisions we see we are carnal, not following the Spirit. His whole first letter to Corinth was a cry against the things that divide since the Spirit wants the body healthy, It is good for the body of Christ and for the fleshly bodies he now inhabits.
Jesus was the Last Adam because he ended the law of the Flesh, the rules and regulations carved in stone for those who choose to follow Him and did something different:
Jer 31:32 Not like the agreement which I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to be their guide out of the land of Egypt; which agreement was broken by them, and I gave them up, says the Lord.
33 But this is the agreement which I will make with the people of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my law in their inner parts, writing it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 And no longer will they be teaching every man his neighbour and every man his brother, saying, Get knowledge of the Lord: for they will all have knowledge of me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord: for they will have my forgiveness for their evil-doing, and their sin will go from my memory for ever.
(BBE)
And repeated in the NT:
Hebrews 8:8 For, protesting against them, he says, See, the days are coming when I will make a new agreement with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
9 Not like the agreement which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand, to be their guide out of the land of Egypt; for they did not keep the agreement with me, and I gave them up, says the Lord.
10 For this is the agreement which I will make with the people of Israel after those days: I will put my laws into their minds, writing them in their hearts: and I will be their God, and they will be my people:
11 And there will be no need for every man to be teaching his brother, or his neighbour, saying, This is the knowledge of the Lord: for they will all have knowledge of me, great and small.
(BBE)
Heb 10:14 Because by one offering he has made complete for ever those who are made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit is a witness for us: for after he had said,
16 This is the agreement which I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws in their hearts, writing them in their minds; he said,
17 And I will keep no more memory of their sins and of their evil-doings.
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no more offering for sin.
19 So then, my brothers, being able to go into the holy place without fear, because of the blood of Jesus,
(BBE)
And our shared genetics with Christ makes it easy to write the word on our hearts and in our minds. Recall that research that we all have a "God gene" that we are genetically programmed to need God. Now we can suggest it may be because we share genes WITH the Son of God. Our very fabric cries out for Him, the flesh longing after him as the soul does. And the Spirit there with the answer.
Before Christ, our bodies were like Valjean, in the prison of the Law, found guilty by even the slightest sin. Then, in salvation, we are given the treasures we need to flourish, to grow in the Spirit and renew the aching body for a brief time, to face the power of sin over humanity, the power of death. Now we can sing a song to the freedom we've found.
But the power that Satan gained in sin still pursues us because Christ didn't want that freedom just for his direct line, but for all the human line with Adan and Jesus genes. So we run in a war we can't comprehend.
But the Holy Spirit wages that war. Wages it against the sin of the flesh, for the ultimate destiny of the flesh. And, next post, we'll discuss this guy even more and the way he arms us for the true battle we face
"Nineteen year a prisoner of the law."
Jean Valjean
Les Miserables
"You forgot I gave these also.
Would you leave the best behind?"
Mon Signor
Les Miserables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPcb2DM4Nc
Valjean's Soliloquy
The best way to sum up what we have so far about Christ is this:
"Despite some differences in thought and phrase and treatment, there is one essential Christology in the New Testament. ,,,"Jesus is Lord." "There is a unity in all these great Christian books" said James Denney in his greatest book, Jesus and The Gospel, "which is powerful enough to absorb and subdue their differences, and that unity is to be found in the common religious relation to Christ, a common debt to Him, a common sense that everything in the relations of God and man must be and is determined by Him."
Achibald M. Hunter
The Message Of The New Testament
Hunter touches on it, expands on it in his small book. Restate it again: "everything in the relations of God and man must be and is determined by him" i.e. Christ. So He will somehow be there in all things determining how they go. But flesh has boundaries. Ones given by God. For one obvious purpose. To remind us always that we ARE NOT GOD. That we are created and not Creator. That all our marvels, from human fire to the greatest skyscrapers have an end, from water on the fire to maniacs crashing into buildings with jet planes.
So, since we are not God and can not act as God, he left us a Helper to make things clear if we pay attention and listen.
We keep mentioning Him. He pops up again and again. Jesus even died so we could know Him, have Him with us all the time. Because God misses walking in the Garden at the cool of the day with those He created and loves. The Spirit refreshes our spirit and so the flesh. So let's discuss the Holy Spirit.
He's there at creation moving on the waters.
Jesus walked with man in the Garden and the Spirit was still.
He's there in the Pre-Flood world but seems not to be doing anything. God the Father or the Son talks directly to two men. Only a paltry few come out of the Deluge.
Pre-Law God as himself or Jesus talks with men. The Spirit appears only at the sacrificial pact between Abe and God, but really God and the Spirit:
Ge 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. {a burning...: Heb. a lamp of fire}
18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
(KJV)
(Please notice that this is a LOT more land than we see Israel occupies today and men are currently trying to take more land away by human treaty.)
Answer: A covenant is an agreement between two parties. There are two basic types of covenants: conditional and unconditional. A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the covenant. An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party.
The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant. God made promises to Abraham that required nothing of Abraham. Genesis 15:18–21 describes a part of the Abrahamic Covenant, specifically dealing with the dimensions of the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants.
The actual Abrahamic Covenant is found in Genesis 12:1–3. The ceremony recorded in Genesis 15 indicates the unconditional nature of the covenant. The only time that both parties of a covenant would pass between the pieces of animals was when the fulfillment of the covenant was dependent upon both parties keeping commitments. Concerning the significance of God alone moving between the halves of the animals, it is to be noted that it is a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, representing God, not Abraham, which passed between the pieces. Such an act, it would seem, should be shared by both parties, but in this case God’s solitary action is doubtless to be explained by the fact that the covenant is principally a promise by God. He binds Himself to the covenant. God caused a sleep to fall upon Abraham so that he would not be able to pass between the two halves of the animals. Fulfillment of the covenant fell to God alone.
The writer forgets there are two Spiritual elements to God-Father and the Spirit. The two fire sources indicate the Spirit and God both walked there. In doing so, He commits Himself fully to his covenant and the land, That huge chunk of real estate, becomes the promised inheritance. This is vital to remember for Christians because this is the land of the eventual Millennial Kingdom. We need to keep it in mind as we read on. We will deal with End Times and prophecies related to them, but we must keep in mind that the plan and promise were laid out by God and the Holy Spirit was the part of Him committed to make sure these things came to pass. He is the part of God who has operated in one way or another to bring all these things to pass. We need to keep that in mind when others ask where Jesus was long before His birth. He was part of the plan, there in some sort of flesh as we have considered. He laid out the world and all things in it, but it has been his "brother" (Not the brother as Satan the angel gets interpreted by mistake) the Spirit who has been keeping God's commitment working tirelessly to bring everything to pass. As the Son stands as our redeemer and witness at God;s Right Hand.
When the treaty was made, the Spirit took a more visible active role. Make no mistake He could have any time, but God's design, Jesus intent to honor the Father, wanted him to wait so humanity could see how well it could do by itself without Him stepping in.
Recall that, after the fore fathers, the flaming bush appears to Moses:
Ex 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
The flame can be seen as the Holy Spirit also manifesting to Moses, so powerfully it makes him turn away. That notion of the Spirit as fire appears throughout the Bible:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/fire/
Fire [N] [T] [E] [S]
One of the most arresting and suggestive metaphors in the Bible is that of fire, a phenomenon common to all cultures ancient and modern and one that lends itself to a variety of imagery. The most prevalent term for fire in the Hebrew Bible is es [vea]. The Greek word phos [fw'"], also normally rendered "light, " occurs a couple times in the New Testament as "fire" ( Mark 14:54 ; Luke 22:56 ). The usual word for fire in the New Testament is pur [pu'r], the regular Greek translation of Hebrew es [vea] in the Septuagint.
As a commonplace in ancient Israel, fire obviously is to be taken literally in most of the several hundred references to it in the Bible. Its figurative or theological attestations are also numerous, however, generally relating to some manifestation of God's being or action.
Fire, as theophany of existence, communicates, first of all, the very presence of God. This is especially evident in the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses ( Exod 3:2-6 ). Here fire is a manifestation of God himself, for Moses turned away from the sight "because he was afraid to look at God" (v. 6). Similar to this is Yahweh's descent upon Mount Sinai "in fire" ( Exod 19:18 ; cf. Deuteronomy 4:11-12 Deuteronomy 4:15 Deuteronomy 4:33 Deuteronomy 4:36 ). In the New Testament Paul describes the second coming of Christ as "in blazing fire" ( 2 Th 1:7 ), an appearance that carries overtones of judgment as well as mere presence. Also akin to Old Testament imagery is John's vision of Jesus with eyes "like blazing fire" ( Rev 1:14 ; 2:18 ; 19:12 ), again in judgment contexts.
It is not always possible to distinguish the presence of God from his glory for, indeed, glory is frequently a figure itself for divine presence. However, a number of passages focus on fire as synonymous with or in association with God's glory. For example, to the Israelites at Sinai "the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire" ( Exod 24:17 ; cf. Leviticus 9:23 Leviticus 9:24 ; Deut 5:24 ). In visions of God in his glory in both Old and New Testaments, fire is a regular phenomenon.
A special use of fire imagery in the New Testament is that connected with baptism with fire. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" ( Matt 3:11 ; cf. Luke 3:16 ), a promise that was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Then "tongues of fire" rested upon those gathered in the upper room with the result that they "were filled with the Holy Spirit" ( Acts 2:3-4 ). The fire here is a manifestation of God, in the case of the Third Person of the Godhead, a theological conception unknown to the Old Testament.
Fire as theophany of action reveals God at work in a number of ways. One of the earliest and clearest of these ways is his appearance in a pillar of fire that led the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the Sinai deserts. Another instance of God's use of fire as an active manifestation of his presence is his sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices offered up to him on special and unusual occasions. The first of these inaugurated Aaron's ministry as priest. Having blessed the people, Moses and Aaron witnessed the appearance of the glory of the Lord, a striking manifestation of which was fire that "came out from the presence of the Lord" to consume the sacrifices already placed on the altar ( Lev 9:23-24 ). Other examples of fire as the expression of God's acceptance of offerings are those of Gideon ( Judges 6:19-24 ) and of the father and mother of Samson ( Judges 13:15-20 ). In both cases Yahweh is present in the person of the angel who touches the altar, causing the sacrifices to erupt in flame.
Because of fire's heat and destructive capacity, it frequently appears in the Bible as a symbol of God's anger and of the judgment and destruction that sometimes are extensions of that anger. The psalmist employs fire as a simile for divine displeasure when he asks the Lord, "How long will your wrath burn like fire?" ( Psalm 89:46 ) Isaiah, referring to God's coming in judgment, sees him "coming with fire" and bringing down his rebuke "with flames of fire" (66:15). Jeremiah says in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem that Yahweh "poured out his wrath like fire" ( Lam 2:4 ). Ezekiel uses the term "fiery anger" to speak of God's outpoured judgment, especially when speaking of the impending Babylonian conquest ( 21:31 ; 22:31 ). This is also the language by which he describes the overthrow of Gog in the end times. In his "zeal and fiery wrath" he will bring about massive calamity ( 38:19 ).
In other passages, the anger of God is not only metaphorically represented by fire, but fire becomes a literal vehicle of his wrath. At Taberah in the Sinai desert Yahweh's "anger was aroused" and "fire from the Lord burned among" the people ( Num 11:1 ). And the rebellion of Korah and his followers also resulted in many of them perishing by fire, a manifestation of God's hot anger ( Num 16:35 ; 26:10 ; Lev 10:2 ). A most impressive display of fire as an instrument of judgment is the destruction of the messengers of Ahaziah of Israel who attempted to seize Elijah the prophet only to be struck with fire "from heaven" ( 2 Kings 1:10 2 Kings 1:12 2 Kings 1:14 ). This is probably an example of lightning, which otherwise is clearly a means of inflicting divine judgment and destruction (cf. Exod 9:23-24 ; Job 1:16 ; Psalm 18:13-14 ).
The same imagery of fire as a sign of God's anger and judgment continues in the New Testament. James and John asked Jesus whether or not they should invoke fire from heaven in order to destroy the Samaritans ( Luke 9:54 ). Paul speaks of fire as a purifying agent capable of testing the quality of one's life and works ( 1 Cor 3:13 ). Most commonly, fire is associated with the judgment of hell ( Matt 3:12 ; 5:22 ; 18:8-9 ; Mark 9:43 Mark 9:48 ; Luke 3:17 ; 16:24 ; James 3:6 ; Jude 7 ; Rev 20:14-15 ), or with the destruction of the old heavens and earth in preparation for the new ( 2 Peter 3:10 2 Peter 3:12 ).
Eugene H. Merrill
See also Hell; Judgment; Judgment, Day of; Lake of Fire; Theophany
Bibliography. E. M. Good, IDB, 2:268-69; J. Patrick, Dictionary of the Bible, 2:9-10; J. C. Slayton, 5:372-73; H. Van Broekhoven, Jr., ISBE, 2:305-6.
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell
Copyright © 1996 by Walter A. Elwell. Published by Baker Books, a division of
Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan USA.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement.
[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[T] indicates this entry was also found in Torrey's Topical Textbook
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
[J] indicates this entry was also found in Jack Van Impe's Prophecy Dictionary
[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Bibliography Information
Elwell, Walter A. "Entry for 'Fire'". "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology". . 1997.
Dictionaries - Easton's Bible Dictionary - Fire
Fire [N] [T] [B] [S]
For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire ( Genesis 8:20 ). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven ( Leviticus 6:9 Leviticus 6:13 ; 9:24 ), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon's temple ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 2 Chronicles 7:3 ). The expressions "fire from heaven" and "fire of the Lord" generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called ( Exodus 29:18 ; Leviticus 1:9 ; 2:3 ; Leviticus 3:5 Leviticus 3:9 ).
Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called "strange fire" ( Leviticus 10:1 Leviticus 10:2 ; Numbers 3:4 ).
The victims slain for sin offerings were afterwards consumed by fire outside the camp ( Leviticus 4:12 Leviticus 4:21 ; 6:30 ; 16:27 ; Hebrews 13:11 ).
For domestic purposes, such as baking, cooking, warmth, etc. ( Jeremiah 36:22 ; Mark 14:54 ; John 18:18 ). But on Sabbath no fire for any domestic purpose was to be kindled ( Exodus 35:3 ; Numbers 15:32-36 ).
Punishment of death by fire was inflicted on such as were guilty of certain forms of unchastity and incest ( Leviticus 20:14 ; 21:9 ). The burning of captives in war was not unknown among the Jews ( 2 Samuel 12:31 ; Jeremiah 29:22 ). The bodies of infamous persons who were executed were also sometimes burned ( Joshua 7:25 ; 2 Kings 23:16 ).
In war, fire was used in the destruction of cities, as Jericho ( Joshua 6:24 ), Ai ( 8:19 ), Hazor ( 11:11 ), Laish (Judg. 18:27 ), etc. The war-chariots of the Canaanites were burnt ( Joshua 11:6 Joshua 11:9 Joshua 11:13 ). The Israelites burned the images ( 2 Kings 10:26 ; RSV, "pillars") of the house of Baal. These objects of worship seem to have been of the nature of obelisks, and were sometimes evidently made of wood.
Torches were sometimes carried by the soldiers in battle ( Judges 7:16 ).
Figuratively, fire is a symbol of Jehovah's presence and the instrument of his power ( Exodus 14:19 ; Numbers 11:1 Numbers 11:3 ; Judg. 13:20 ; 1 Kings 18:38 ; 2 Kings 1 Kings 1:10 1 Kings 1:12 ; 2:11 ; Isaiah 6:4 ; Ezek. 1:4 ; Revelation 1:14 , etc.).
God's word is also likened unto fire ( Jeremiah 23:29 ). It is referred to as an emblem of severe trials or misfortunes ( Zechariah 12:6 ; Luke 12:49 ; 1 Corinthians 3:13 1 Corinthians 3:15 ; 1 Peter 1:7 ), and of eternal punishment ( Matthew 5:22 ; Mark 9:44 ; Revelation 14:10 ; 21:8 ).
The influence of the Holy Ghost is likened unto fire ( Matthew 3:11 ). His descent was denoted by the appearance of tongues as of fire ( Acts 2:3 ).
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
I wish to suggest a conclusion not quite reached by the writer above: that the Spirit WAS the fire which consumed offerings and enemies alike, that manifestations of fire from God were the Holy Spirit acting in ways we see as destructive some times but which advanced God's will. It is a bit of a jump, but not all that far and I fully understand writers not willing to make it since the Bible does not specifically designate the Spirit in action as those fires. I merely think it becomes obvious when we add the revelation of the New Testament. It is not then a "symbol" of his power, but the manifestation of Himself in acting for His People.
The Spirit then becomes more obviously there, making the Trinity, the complete person of God there together, here functioning, meaning Jesus was not the only person of God sent to Earth, here acting throughout history, in contact with humanity, hovering, impacting directly.
We've pretty much known this, sensed it by the Spirit in us, but now we see it laid out, That even as we studied Jesus walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden, the Spirit was there, too. It just didn't manifest. I what Jesus says later to the Apostles is true and it must be because he said it, then perhaps there is so me point we need to see:
John 16:6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: {reprove: or, convince}
(KJV)
We touched on this in our study of John, but it remains one mystery not completely revealed to us: it seems that, when Jesus is there, the Spirit resides in Him alone. Or in his body.
Matt Henry:
16:7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name.
See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it effectually, and none but he. It is the method the Holy Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to comfort. The Spirit shall convince the world, of sin; not merely tell them of it. The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin; of the fault of sin; of the folly of sin; of the filth of sin, that by it we are become hateful to God; of the fountain of sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end thereof is death.
The Holy Spirit proves that all the world is guilty before God.
He convinces the world of righteousness; that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ the righteous. Also, of Christ's righteousness, imparted to us for justification and salvation. He will show them where it is to be had, and how they may be accepted as righteous in God's sight. Christ's ascension proves the ransom was accepted, and the righteousness finished, through which believers were to be justified.
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. All will be well, when his power is broken, who made all the mischief. As Satan is subdued by Christ, this gives us confidence, for no other power can stand before him. And of the day of judgment. The coming of the Spirit would be of unspeakable advantage to the disciples.
The Holy Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is more than barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but the relish, and savor, and power of it in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of the apostles, under the influence of the Spirit, all the tongues, and miracles, were to glorify Christ.
It behoves every one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in his heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we never shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when brought to know ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of the Redeemer. We should have fuller views of the Redeemer, and more lively affections to him, if we more prayed for, and depended on the Holy Spirit.
But the Second Adam thing stirs us. Along with the Last Adam.
If we have Adam's genetics flowing through us, then we have Jesus' genetics through us also. We are all linked in that way as we suggested last time, then there is something inherent we need to further understand.
The Holy Spirit was comfortable inhabiting that body. It knows every genetic structure to it, We have the Earth form which becomes our future flesh. The Spirit sees the pieces of Jesus split up in the pieces of us and it tried to draw them all back together. It longs for the union that is the complete body of Christ.
Recall Paul's lecture on the body:
1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
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. {Gentiles: Gr. Greeks}
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. {bestow: or, put on}
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. {schism: or, division}
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
I believe Paul was prompted by the Spirit to make that allusion. We are of the body now not just in the flesh but in the Spirit once we accept Christ. We are being renewed, but the Spirit draws us together for greater strength for the mission.
In The Pain Chronicles, Melanie Thernstrom reports that results of studies show: "people who attend religious services live longer and are generally healthier, less depressed and less likely to be disabled...Christians who attended church one a week lived an average of six years longer than non-attendees-while those who attended more than once a week lived an average of seven years longer." There seems to be no relevant explanation for it other than "positive thinking" from her sectarian point of view. But it seems that, through whatever means, the Spirit wants humanity together and offers positive benefits from that togetherness.
When we see political choices dividing us, we see something other than the Spirit working. When one party or the other begins to dominate a church, it drives others off others who believe in the other party and we have the same divisions Paul spoke again in that same letter to the Corinthians.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? {divisions: or, factions} {as men: Gr. according to man?}
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. {husbandry: or, tillage}
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
(KJV)
When we allow divisions we see we are carnal, not following the Spirit. His whole first letter to Corinth was a cry against the things that divide since the Spirit wants the body healthy, It is good for the body of Christ and for the fleshly bodies he now inhabits.
Jesus was the Last Adam because he ended the law of the Flesh, the rules and regulations carved in stone for those who choose to follow Him and did something different:
Jer 31:32 Not like the agreement which I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to be their guide out of the land of Egypt; which agreement was broken by them, and I gave them up, says the Lord.
33 But this is the agreement which I will make with the people of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my law in their inner parts, writing it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 And no longer will they be teaching every man his neighbour and every man his brother, saying, Get knowledge of the Lord: for they will all have knowledge of me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord: for they will have my forgiveness for their evil-doing, and their sin will go from my memory for ever.
(BBE)
And repeated in the NT:
Hebrews 8:8 For, protesting against them, he says, See, the days are coming when I will make a new agreement with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
9 Not like the agreement which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand, to be their guide out of the land of Egypt; for they did not keep the agreement with me, and I gave them up, says the Lord.
10 For this is the agreement which I will make with the people of Israel after those days: I will put my laws into their minds, writing them in their hearts: and I will be their God, and they will be my people:
11 And there will be no need for every man to be teaching his brother, or his neighbour, saying, This is the knowledge of the Lord: for they will all have knowledge of me, great and small.
(BBE)
Heb 10:14 Because by one offering he has made complete for ever those who are made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit is a witness for us: for after he had said,
16 This is the agreement which I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws in their hearts, writing them in their minds; he said,
17 And I will keep no more memory of their sins and of their evil-doings.
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no more offering for sin.
19 So then, my brothers, being able to go into the holy place without fear, because of the blood of Jesus,
(BBE)
And our shared genetics with Christ makes it easy to write the word on our hearts and in our minds. Recall that research that we all have a "God gene" that we are genetically programmed to need God. Now we can suggest it may be because we share genes WITH the Son of God. Our very fabric cries out for Him, the flesh longing after him as the soul does. And the Spirit there with the answer.
Before Christ, our bodies were like Valjean, in the prison of the Law, found guilty by even the slightest sin. Then, in salvation, we are given the treasures we need to flourish, to grow in the Spirit and renew the aching body for a brief time, to face the power of sin over humanity, the power of death. Now we can sing a song to the freedom we've found.
But the power that Satan gained in sin still pursues us because Christ didn't want that freedom just for his direct line, but for all the human line with Adan and Jesus genes. So we run in a war we can't comprehend.
But the Holy Spirit wages that war. Wages it against the sin of the flesh, for the ultimate destiny of the flesh. And, next post, we'll discuss this guy even more and the way he arms us for the true battle we face
This is one of the most common verses of contention between the