by
Pastor Mike Taylor
14” For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God:
17 And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together.
18 For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For
the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation
of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14-19)
Have
you ever considered how small amount of time or distance can change
the outcome of a whole host of different events? Let’s take for
example a runner in a 100 yard dash. The winner of the race can come
in first by only a fraction of a second. I’ve seen winners made for
less than one hundredth of a second and I remember watching Michael
Phelps win his swimming race in a past Olympic contest for just that
amount. The guy who came in second touched that wall one-one
hundredth of a second behind him.
What about when a person
takes a plane trip? If you are flying from the Midwest, say St. Louis
and going to New York and flying nonstop and the pilot decides to put
the plane on autopilot, do you realize that if he makes an error on
the flight path of just one degree, which is a small amount, very
small, that you could end up in Philadelphia which is a distance of
100 miles from your intended destination.
These two simple
illustrations make a point that a “Christian” has to monitor
their position in their walk with Christ at all times in relation to
their final destination. What happens if a person is headed for the
wrong destination? Can a person think they are headed in the right
direction but be deceived? Can he lose his way? Or is the path he is
following the right path at all. Is He really a Christian? This
follows those who put their trust in the wrong place, either in their
church, their priest, sacraments, traditions, or anything outside of
the only Way back to God, being Jesus Christ our Lord. We can learn a
lot from the passage concerning the sheep and the goat judgment given
by Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 25.
Jesus made mention
of those who profess Jesus, in name only, but live and act like the
rest of the world. They follow tradition, they follow their church
leaders, their bishop, or the pope. They have a form of godliness,
but as was written, when Jesus accused the religious authority of His
day of hypocrisy and a form of godliness when He said in
Matthew:
8 'This
people honors me with their lips, but their heart stays far from
me.
9, But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the
precepts of men.”(Matthew 15:8-9)
These are the ones
that Jesus said He would cast out into outer darkness, as they had a
form of godliness, but denied the power thereof. He will separate His
true sheep from the imposters who profess in name only, but have no
faith in Jesus Christ, but in their church.
The point
of all this is that we should know where we are going and our final
destination and that has everything to do with what we do in the here
and now as men and women of free will. Although, God has a built in
safety net, as we don’t rely on our works to save us, as we live by
faith, not by works, lest any man should boast. Yet we don’t want
to abuse God’s grace. We want to make every effort to be going in
the right direction. If we have the right direction and destination,
it makes all the difference in monitoring our spiritual condition, so
that we arrive safely at our destination.
WHAT
IS YOUR DESTINATION….DO YOU KNOW? ARE YOU SURE?
For
that we have to begin at the beginning, hopefully in an abbreviated
version.
“God said; let us make man in Our image, according
to Our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created
man in His own image, in the image of God He created him: male and
female, created He them” (Genesis 1:26-27).
Right from the
get go man is in an exalted position. He is greatest on the recently
God created earth. He’s stronger than the animals, the birds, or
anything in all creation. The strong implication here is the man was
created after the “God Kind” in shape and in form. All through
the Bible, you can find many, many scriptures that point to one
future event when Jesus Christ returns and we are changed, both the
dead and the living, back into what we sprang from….God!! John the
Apostle of our Lord Jesus made it clear that when Jesus returns, we
shall be even as He is, when he penned in 1st John:
1 “ Behold,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not.
2 Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for
we shall see him as he is.
3 And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is
pure..”(1st
John 3:1-3)
GOD
FORMED THE PERFECT MAN
A
second implication is found in this verse,
“And
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and He breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”
(Genesis 2:7)
What
makes man different and unique in all of creation is that man has
MIND, not instinct, as do the animals. He clearly has the ability to
reason, to gather information and to make decisions. No where in all
of creation did God take such a personal involvement with His
creation, as He did with creating man. God imparted to man a spirit,
a power of mind and no other aspect of creation has this distinction.
Man is a creature of free will that God allowed man to either follow
after Him as an obedient son, or follow what he thought was “right
in his own mind”. We know from studying scripture that our
first parents were deceived and their act of free will to disobey
allowed sin into the world. But moving on:
As a result of man
having a mind, ability to reason, possessing a spirit, man also has
spirituality. He has personality. He is capable of holiness, of love,
of dominion, and of responsibility. We are not born with these
traits. A little baby does not possess these qualities at birth. They
are developed and acquired, but they are not given.
The
implication of this line of reasoning is made more evident in the
following passage:
“Therefore having been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Romans 5:1).
This
chapter begins with our justification, which occurs when Jesus Christ
comes into our hearts to change us into a new creature. Reading
on:
“Through whom (by Jesus) also we have access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the
glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulation
knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.” (Romans
5:2-3)
Notice the process of growth in man. Tribulation,
the sufferings of this present life, the trials, the pressures of
being in an evil world, produces perseverance. Reading
on:
“Perseverance (produces)
character; and character (produces)
hope. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been
poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.”
(Romans 5:4-5)
So
it leaves one with the thought that this process is acquired and sets
character in the mind. So from the beginning, when God breathed the
breath of life into man, He gave him a spirit, he gave him a mind,
and the power to gain characteristics such as love, dominion, and
responsibility.
Let’s make a third implication. With the
character that is developed will be due to man’s choice of who he
wants to most like. The world gives choices of being conformed to
this world and the lusts thereof. But for a true Christian, it is
conforming to the mind and characteristics of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
JESUS,
THE SECOND ADAM FROM ABOVE
All
through the Old Testament there are scriptures that prove that man
was made in the image of God, but beginning with the New Testament,
the image of God makes a very decided shift. Jesus the second Adam,
the man from Heaven, (as the Bible calls Him) or as John said “the
eternal Word, is in the image of God in the flesh. Not mankind in
general.
Now get this, for lack of a better word, Jesus
was a “prototype”. He was a full, functioning form of a NEW
type. This is what I mean by a shift in emphasis of what man is
to become. Jesus was the first, the example of becoming the image of
God. Jesus was the prototype, the goal of our redemption, our
salvation and our glorification. This is the final goal of born again
man
“If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set
your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory.”
“And
have put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who
created him” (meaning us, man).(Colossians
3:1-4,10)
This
points to that the NEW man in not just in the image of God, or just a
general picture of God, as man was formed to look like, but
specifically to be formed into the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. He, Jesus, becomes the goal of the redeemed man, unto
salvation.
Now
putting on the characteristics of this evil world requires no special
skill. Just blend in, do what is popular, or go along with the crowd,
and you’ll take on the characteristics of this lost and dying
world. It is virtually effortless. But to put on Christ requires
diligence, work, prayer, communion with God, and power from His Holy
Spirit. We can’t do it alone. Satan would have us for lunch.
As
we are being brought to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are
seen in the New Testament as the created work of God. It is stated in
a number of different ways, as those in Christ are a new creation.
15 “And
that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live
unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16 Wherefore
henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known
Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the
word of reconciliation.”(II
Corinthians 5:15-19)
God
has a desire for the work of His hands. Scripture says that we are
His workmanship; He is the potter, we are the clay. We are being
renewed in the spirit of our mind. We are being created through
Christ Jesus unto righteousness and true holiness.
“Therefore
leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us
go onto perfection: not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, but of faith toward God.’ (Hebrews 6:1)
The
implication is that sanctification after being justified by the shed
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is a creative process of character
building. This is a process which begins with repentance and being
baptized, and ends with our glorification at His return for His
saints at the Rapture and beyond. It is a process of completion, a
process of perfection. It is a process of being sanctified unto good
works according to His commandment. It is a process of character
building. Each of these is synonymous with each other.
8 “Thou
hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put
all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under
him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But
we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the
grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For
it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things,
in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author (captain) of
their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For
both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying,
I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church
will I sing praise unto thee.
13 And
again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the
children which God hath given me.
14,In
as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He
Himself likewise shared in the same: that through death He might
destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil”
(Hebrews 2:8-14)
Therefore
in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to
make propitiation (atonement)
for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered
being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews
2:17-18)
Now the key for you and me in this passage is the
word “author” in verse 10. In the KJV, it is translated as
“captain”. It’s the word “Achegos” from Greek. It is
translated variously as captain, pioneer, trailblazer, or
founder/author. The ultimate meaning of various translations of this
one word is that something is begun by someone, so that others may
enter into it. Christ is our “achegos”. He is the trailblazer,
pioneer, founder, and captain of our ship.
Now let’s look at
the exciting part. He was the trailblazer, the pioneer and the
founder who began a work and blazed a trail that we might enter into
His salvation. He set the pattern that we might enter in. He entered
into a family once again that we might also enter that family by
following Him. In this He was perfected. He was made complete by
completing His work here on earth, that He could fulfill the role as
our Savior and as our High Priest. He was fully able to pioneer the
road that leads to our salvation. Now the whole reason for all of
this, why He became a man, taking on human traits, and fully sharing
in our humanity was for Him to able to bring many sons and daughters
into glory by following His trail. Paul wrote of it in one of most
favorite chapter. Romans 8,
“For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19
For
the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation
of the sons of God.
20 For
the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason
of him who hath subjected the same in hope,21 Because
the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
(Romans 18-21)
Now taking all the scriptures that we just
quoted, is not the implication here that since we are able to enter
into which He began and share that with Him, that we are going to
enter into the same kind of glory that He Himself also has as the
opening scriptures testify? Praise God! Are you excited yet? Now just
to clarify, as some have postulated, to the likes of Benny Hinn, that
we will be little “gods” running around here on earth and in the
realms of heavenly glory. That is not what this is meaning. But
taking what was spoken by John in the verse quoted above and knowing
that we will be like Jesus, as we will be the same in Spirit, in
thought, in purpose, and in presence of the mind of Christ. We will
be glorified, as He was glorified. We will enter into what we have
been promised through His shed blood, and that is being in the family
of God. We will be sons and daughters to the King of the Universe, as
Jesus our Kinsman Redeemer has bought back, with His own blood that
which was lost by the first Adam through sin, as sin will be
eliminated from us.
Let’s look at a key word in Hebrews
2:11. The word is “sanctified”. It’s the stage that all
Christians are dealing with right now. You are familiar with the word
justified? That’s when we accepted the Lord’s sacrifice and
confessed our sins. The next step is sanctification leading to our
ultimate goal of glorification. Sanctification bridges the gap
between being set right with God through the sacrifice of our Lord
Jesus, and entering into glory to share all eternity with Jesus
Christ, and God our Father. Sanctified means to be set apart or to
become holy, as He is holy. To sum this part up, Jesus was the focus
of our justification. We are living and enduring sanctification
through life’s experiences. He is the author, the trailblazer, the
pioneer, and the founder of our salvation. He has already passed this
way and will lead us to glory. We are saved by the result of the work
of our High Priest. We are saved by His life.
“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.”
(Romans 5:10)
Now let’s turn to the crux of this lesson.
Let’s discuss our final destination. Let’s discuss our
glorification.
“20 But
now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them
that slept.
21 For
since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead.
22 For
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But
every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they
that are Christ's at his coming.”
(I Corinthians 15:20-23)
A
SIMPLE ANALOGY
Let’s
ask ourselves a question. What kind of fruit does a peach tree bear?
What do apples, or pears, or maybe plums produce? Apples don’t
produce pears on their trees, or peaches bear plums. No, as it is so,
Jesus is the first fruit and He will produce Sons and Daughters to
glory after His Kind. Let's look at another illustration. When
a woman is to give birth to her baby, she doesn’t give birth to a
dog, cat, or anything else, but a human baby. Evolutionist will argue
about this, but the fact is, no one that is human has given birth to
anything but a human baby. It is exactly that same with us. When God,
so to speak, impregnates us with His Holy Spirit (a deposit) and we
are in the womb of the Heavenly Jerusalem, when we are glorified or
raised from the dead at His coming for us at the rapture, we will be
like He is, not something else. WE will be exactly what we have
sprung from, and that was God.
God gives us natural
illustration of this natural world to make His point clear so that we
can understand what He is doing. He is reproducing Himself and we
will be members the family of God.
“But
some men will say, how are the dead raised up? And with what body do
they come? Foolish ones, what you sow, is not made alive unless it
dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be; bet
mere grain, perhaps wheat, or some other grain.”(I Corinthians
15:35-37)
Think
of the line of reasoning here. You put a dead seed into the ground
and when it becomes a full plant producing its own kind, but with a
very different body. And so it will be with our glorification, a body
that has continuity with the resurrection of our Lord
Jesus.
35 “But
some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do
they come?
36 Thou
fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And
that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but
bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But
God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his
own body.
39 All
flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men,
another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There
are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of
the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There
is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another
glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in
glory.
42 So
also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is
raised in incorruption:
43 It
is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness;
it is raised in power:
44 It
is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a
natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And
so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last
Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
(I Corinthians 15:38-44)
The principle here that God has given
each of us a body suitable for its part in His creation. It is only
logical that God will give us suitable body for our resurrection life
as sons and daughters of God. It will be glorified. It will be like
God our Father and like our redeemer, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Remember when Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus and told him that “ye
must be born again”….what did Jesus say? John 3:
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.” (John 3:7-8)
Remember
Jesus, when He was resurrected could walk through walls, or appear
and disappear at will? Jesus was now Spirit, but could be handled and
described Himself as flesh and bone…not flesh and blood, as the
life of the mortal is in the blood, and Jesus was no longer mortal,
but glorified with a new resurrection body. The same body we will
have.
Finally, from the scriptures we will be like
Christ in every detail that relates to character, composition, and
family. As to personality, He will be Himself, our Lord, King and
Savior. He is our creator, by John 1:1-3. He will always have
preeminence over us because of the His character and being our King
and Lord. But we will have ours! He is God, but we will we be
part of the God family.. That just blows my mind and should
yours.
Final scripture in closing:
“ I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
If
no one has a spiritual goal then they will be conformed to this lost
and dying world. It is all around us and we can absorb it like a
sponge. The only right goal is be fully encouraged by the right
preparation. Being not conformed to this world, but being conformed
to Jesus Christ and consciously, consciously choosing to be like
Him!
When we were born, we didn’t have a choice of who our
parents were, our surroundings, or our inherited traits. We were a
slave born into bondage to Satan the devil. But when God intervened
and by His Holy Spirit called each one of us to repentance,
then God began to reveal Himself to us. He freed us from that bondage
to Satan, so that we could consciously choose, by an act of free
will, to be transformed into the image of His Son and we leave this
world and its pleasures behind. As I’ve said, we don’t know what
we shall be, or look like, or the power or authority that will be
given us. It is all in God’s sovereign will and power. He can
bestow blessing, honor and glory to whomever He chooses. He can and
will make us Kings and Priest to God and we WILL rule upon this earth
to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ our Lord, and Almighty God our
Father. It’s promised to us, His Body the Church, the Saints of the
Living God through mercy and grace by the sacrifice of our Jesus
Christ on Calvary’s cross. It will come to pass, and my friend, it
may be sooner than anyone can even imagine.
WILL
YOU BE IN THAT FAMILY??
If
you’re reading this and have a background within the true Church of
the Living God of every born again, washed in the blood of our Lord
and Savior,, then what I’ve written will be well known by you as
you have believed your Bible, but the reason for this study and the
person I am reaching out to, the person this is directed to, is
the person with the clean slate concerning their relationship with
Jesus Christ and God our Father. Meaning they have had none and
are searching. Maybe you are that person now reading this article and
the Holy Spirit is using these words to put a need, a hunger, and a
conviction about the way your life has been up to this point. Do you
feel like you’re on a dead end road? Does life seem to be without
joy or purpose? What I’m going to do is ask you to answer some
simple questions right now, in your heart and be honest with
yourself.
Are you struggling to find an answer to that empty
feeling you have inside? Have you depended on drugs, or alcohol to
numb the feeling of hopelessness that has paralyzed you? Has the
world got you painted into a corner with no hope?
Is
your life full of disappointment and pain? Or have you known the name
of Jesus because of your denomination, but never have made a
profession of faith in Jesus, the Son of God? Call upon the
name of Jesus in true remorse for how your life is been up to this
point. Believe what the Bible says, that Jesus died for your sins, my
sins, the sins of this entire world. He was nailed to a cruel wooden
instrument of Roman death; He was buried for three days and nights,
and rose on the third day, which was the sign of Him being the
Messiah. He sits now at the right hand of the Father making
intercession during our prayers. And He’s coming again….soon. His
Holy Spirit will guide you into a deeper, more satisfying
relationship with the King of the Universe that you ever received
from an empty, hollow relationship with the god of this world, Satan
the devil. Do it now, while it is still available.
Maybe
you have never been good at prayer, or speaking to someone you can’t
see. But He can see you. He can fill you right now. What it takes is
for you to see Him, see Him in your mind’s eye, and in your heart
with a faith as small as the grain of a mustard seed. What it takes
is for you to be sorry for your mistakes, your sins, and know that
you cannot enter into a life of joy and happiness in what people call
“heaven” on your own. It’s impossible, as God will not allow a
mere mortal into His presence with unforgiven sin in their life. It’s
take a sacrifice, a Holy Sacrifice that will satisfy the requirement
to forgive and it takes blood of a perfect sacrifice to complete that
forgiveness. That is where Jesus comes in. He is what was required.
He was the ONLY sinless mortal who ever lived. You see, God knew that
man could not, would not be able to save himself, so God in His
mercy, became a man. He left glory on high to be born into our world
for one purpose…to DIE for you and for me, as that perfect
sacrifice. Repeat this simple prayer right now believing in
your heart and a humble, contrite spirit.
Jesus, I call upon
you, and ask that you free me of this world and it’s evil. I ask
you to come into my heart. Forgive me of the sins I have committed.
Make me a new creature to be conformed to your image. I believe that
you died and rose again for the salvation of the world, and for me. I
confess my sins and believe in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus
Christ, who is sitting at your right hand on your throne. I believe
He is coming back soon, and I want to make a commitment to purify
myself, just a He is pure. Amen.
“Everyone who has this hope
in Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure.” (1John 3:3)
If
you made that prayer honestly, earnestly, then believe now that
Christ came into your heart and you will feel a burden lifted from
your shoulders. Let each one of us purify him/her self so that
we may be glorified to be sons and daughters of God within His God
Family. For we shall be part of the huge family of God, if we believe
on the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.
This is Pastor
Mike Taylor, wishing you well. If there is anything that I can pray
with you about, counsel you from the Word of God or if you have a
need, please email me at www.realteam1999@sbcglobal.net. Or visit me
online at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com,
for more lessons taken straight from your Bible. God bless you all,
TILL
WE MEET AT JESUS FEET
