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JESUS CHRIST: GOD’S PATTERN FOR RESTORATION


Now we will look at God’s Pattern for Restoration – JESUS CHRIST.

Please see the pattern graphic on THE PATTERN post.

The Old Testament typological patterns point to JESUS CHRIST the LORD and that is the basic premise upon which our study will be based. We know that God’s eternal plan has always been summed up in Jesus Christ:

Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We find that a closer look at the meaning of His name, title, and office will give us an insight into God’s plan to restore His Church and complete the work He has started:

Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him.

The name, Jesus, means ‘‘savior’’ – which speaks of salvation – to which our initial “born-again” experience opens us.  This is “the way’’ spoken of by Jesus in John 14:6:

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus is the new and living way to the Father by His sacrifice on the cross:

 Heb 10:20 By a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.

Jesus is the way (and the only way) to the Father by the Spirit:

Eph 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

He is the door (way) of the sheep into the sheepfold.

John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

The door speaks of God, the Son, justification by faith in Jesus (Romans 5:1), and the regeneration of the spirit of the believer, bringing to life, or salvation of the believer’s spirit (Romans 8:10). Salvation here means deliverance of the believer’s spirit or salvation from spiritual death.

Next, His title, ‘‘Christ,’’ means ‘‘anointed one’’ – which speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit – to which our experience of being baptized in the Holy Spirit opens us. This is the ‘‘truth’’ spoken of by Jesus in John 14:6.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

1 John 5:6 This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.

These passages present God, the Holy Spirit, and sanctification of the believer’s soul by the Spirit of Truth. This encompasses deliverance or salvation of the soul (1 Peter 1:9).

Third, and finally, Christ’s office, ‘‘Lord,’’ means ‘‘supreme in authority,’’ or controller. This speaks of Jesus as Master and King over His Kingdom. He is our King and we are His subjects. Our obedience is implied. Brought by the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom brings life and ultimately the manifest presence of the Father into our lives. This is the ‘‘life’’ spoken of by Jesus in John 14:6.  As we proceed, you will see that this glory is directly connected with the glorification of the believer at our resurrection and deliverance from the corruption present in our body.

 John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Rev 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

1 John 1:2 The life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.

John 5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

Mat 19:17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

This speaks of God the Father – His rule or Shepherding of His family, the Church, through His Son Jesus Christ. This prepares us for the glorification of the Church to come.

In the next passage, we discover substantial biblical evidence of the pattern in the threefold nature of human beings as the creation of God:

1 Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this verse, Paul mentions the spirit, soul, and body – the three parts of humanity – in the order of our deliverance. Even if your view of our nature is “Freudian” and doesn’t accept the biblical teaching of our tripartite (threefold person), Paul uses the concept here to imply the whole person, and the expression just happens to fit the Biblical Pattern of salvation. The order of deliverance is regeneration of the spirit, sanctification of the soul, and glorification of the body. These three parts of the Pattern overlap because they all are constituent portions of our complete salvation.  In a few words, salvation can be summarized as follows:

  1. Regeneration (Titus 3:3-7) is the salvation or deliverance of the spirit.
  2. Sanctification (Romans 6:22) is the salvation, or deliverance of the soul.
  3. Glorification (Colossians 1:27) is the salvation or deliverance of the body.

First, we see salvation or deliverance of the spirit (regeneration):

Tit 3:4-6 4But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Secondly, the next two verses both speak of the second phase of salvation, or deliverance of the believer’s soul (sanctification):

Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

1 Pet 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

The New Testament teaches that sanctification is an ongoing process.  Paul and Peter appear to speak as if sanctification can be achieved in this life.  While the issue of “complete sanctification” is a subject we don’t wish to explore in depth, arguing for or against it, what is crystal clear is that we are to set our eyes on sanctification as if it can be achieved fully in this life.  We are not to have a “defeatist” attitude: “Nobody’s perfect, especially me.” We are to look upon Christ through His word.  As we learn of Him, as we follow this pattern, we are transformed from “glory to glory.”  This is one of the most essential duties of the Holy Spirit – to make us like Christ.

2 Cor 3:17-18 17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.  (KJV)

Finally, we read of salvation or deliverance of the body (glorification):

Rom 8:20-23 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23Not 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.

Another of the greatest shortcomings in the Church today, is a lack of teaching on sanctification as well as glorification.  Christians do not understand the connection.  I hope to remedy that here.

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