Sunday 05/01/16
Series: Living in the Kingdom Pt. 31
Message – The Redemption of the Body II
Living in the Kingdom
Enough people expressed that they didn’t get everything that was covered, that I felt it was wise that this week we go back over the same material from last week. So the recording and teaching is NOT the same, though many of the references are, we took it slower and went a little longer and little deeper.
When we come to Christ, we enter into a new kingdom by faith – not faith in word only, but in actions of allegiance towards another Lord. These actions are proof of our total reliance upon Him in that the “works” are produced THROUGH us in our union with Him by means of our trust in Him.
By the power of the reigning king of that Kingdom, Jesus Christ THE RIGHTEOUS, we come to know our Lord and as a result we come to know our own true image.
By trusting in the POWER of His OVERCOMING WORK we CO-OPERATE with the Holy Spirit within to overcome sin in the flesh.
Like Christ, we offer ourselves up by the POWER of the Holy Spirit. This death is a type of suffering where both WE and our TRUST in Christ are tested.
Once we have been proven to be GENUINE in our trust (not just in word) we come out on the other end in His likeness…line upon line, precept upon precept…here a little, there a little…
Our bodies were included in the redemptive plan of Christ
In the past, I have stressed the importance of the gospel working from the inside -> out and this is both true and appropriate. This does NOT however mean that the body is unimportant. Christ purchased our bodies at the same time He purchased our spirits.
Turn to 1Cor. 6:13-20,
“(13) Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. (14) And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. (15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! (16) Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “THE TWO,” He says, “SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” (17) But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (18) Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Jesus is FOR my body!
Our bodies are NOT peripheral to the Gospel but very much included in it!
According to Colossians 1:27 our great hope is Christ in us! If you remember what we read in Romans 8, the FULL redemption of our bodies is part of our great hope and we will see that actually stated in 1Cor. 15 in a moment, but lets first go to Romans to refresh our minds about what Paul said concerning the redemption of our bodies…
Rom 8:10-11, 22-25,
“(10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
“(22) For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (23) Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. (24) For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (25) But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Part of our GREAT HOPE is the redemption of our bodies. Now this is a tricky wording. The word Redeemed means to buy back. So in terms of the price already having been paid we are already bought and paid for IN FULL! Remember the verse we just read in 1 Cor. 6:20,
“(20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
As you can see we were already bought! However, what we have not yet received what has been purchased. This is MUCH akin to Christmas or birthdays. We can see the gifts he has procured for us, we can even go so far as to enjoy them and even sneak a “shack” of the package to get an idea of what’s inside, but we will not be full recipients of it, until he returns. So, we eagerly wait!
BUT..DO WE?
Our anticipation is part of this process. God seems to LOVE anticipation. We can extrapolate that from the fact that everything does not happen all at once. In fact, nearly everything takes time! The principle of seed time and harvest are throughout creation and is therefore a key part of God’s character and by extension a key part of our training into His likeness.
Many times, the anticipation of an event is as enjoyable as the event itself. I remember going to Walt Disney World with my friends as a kid and I remember the excitement of the night before our trip, the anticipation which built to a near delirious level by the time we got to the gate! All of this actually heightened the experience once we arrived.
Paul tells us that those who MAINTAIN this HOPE within themselves, purify themselves EVEN AS HE IS PURE!
I honestly believe that many a Christian, myself included, wound their hearts and cripple their faith by failing to maintain their eager anticipation of our full redemption. Father help us to stir one another up to this end of good works, and even more as the day of Your return nears!
1Cor. 15:41-49,
“(41) There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. (42) So is it with the resurrection of the dead.
What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
(43) It is sown in dishonor; 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.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
(45) Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
(46) But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
(47) The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
(48) As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
(49) Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.“
Hallelujah! Just as surely as we have borne the image of the man of dust WE WILL bear the image of the Son of God!!!!! This is NOT just in our spirits or in our souls, but our redemption includes our bodies! Thank you Jesus!!!
Concerning this anticipation, hear what Paul says,
Php. 3:12-21,
“(12) Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
(13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(15) Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
(16) Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
(17) Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. (18) For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (19) whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
(20) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (21) Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
When we are raised physically with Christ we will not be given NEW bodies, but changed bodies. Our current bodies are a PERMANENT part of Christ and God wants it that way. It is not different than our spirits – you are the same you that you were BEFORE your cam to Christ and yet you are radically different! You were not replaced, you were changed!
Next week we will be continuing on this lesson and we will probably start in 1Cor. 15:1…Blessings!
The video is pending….
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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