New man created in Christ!
New man created in Christ!
Matt. 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
The transfiguration of Christ was a major revelation to Peter, James, and John and they were instructed to reveal it to no man. The reason it was withheld from Israel during the gospel of the kingdom and revealed later in the gospel of grace points to a clear difference in the two messages.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24
The witness of the transfigured glorified Christ is of extreme importance to the body of Christ for it displays the power of God unto salvation, the hope of our glorification (Rom 5:2), and is the foundation of our faith (Col 1:27). The glorified Christ is our example of the rapture when we rise to meet Him in the air ( 1 Cor 15:51-53). This calling will occur before that wicked one is revealed (2 Thess 2:7). The body of Christ is not appointed to wrath (Rom 5:9, 1 Thess 1:10) neither of Satan (Rev 12:12) or the Lord Jesus (Rev 6:16) and will be caught up as John ( Rev 4:1-2) then the great tribulation (Rev 2:22) will begin.
The risen Lord from the dead in His flesh and bone body was a sign to Israel of the resurrection in the last day (Rev 20:5). He was not yet glorified for He had not ascended to the Father (John 17:5). After the ascension all things had become new and all things were of God.
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. 2 Cor. 5:16
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor. 5:17
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 2 Cor. 5:18 (KJV)
This witness of the glorified Christ was required to be an apostle after the ascension also all the authors of the balance of the New Testament were eye witnesses to His glorification. Paul was chosen by Christ and he took the place of the fallen Judas. This clearly marks the turning from Israel to the Gentiles with the gospel of grace revealed through Paul. Christ did not personally choose Mathias as He did the twelve and Paul. Peter, James, John, and Paul were the witnesses of the glorified Christ and it is the hope of glory to the body of Christ. The author of Jude is unknown but it speaks of His glory.
The Pauline account of the glorified Christ must be understood as the image referred to pertaining to His ascension and it is not His natural body. Paul could not testify to the natural resurrection because he did not witness it.
Acts 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
11And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
Acts 22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
The above account is what Paul understands when he refers to the risen Christ and is what we must believe when Paul refers to the power of the resurrection. Our hope, our calling, our message is in the glorified Christ not the risen Lord.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom. 5:2
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Rom. 6:4
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Col. 1:27
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Col. 1:28
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 2 Thess. 2:13
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:14 (KJV)
"Buried with Him in baptism, in which also ye are risen with Him"(Col.2:12).We are baptized into His death and He "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"(Eph.2:6).
The main emphasis of the above verses points to the ascended Christ not the risen Lord and it is this witness of Paul that separates the Gospel of the kingdom and the revealed Gospel of grace to Paul. "risen with Him" Paul understands is to be "in heavenly places"
We Will Be Changed
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Rom. 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
1 Cor. 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
2 Cor. 3:17 Now 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.
2 Cor. 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Col. 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col. 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
1 Cor. 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Jesus in the flesh was a witness to Israel of things pertaining to the flesh. Resurrection of the flesh, water baptism of the flesh, gifts of the Spirit manifested on the flesh, and the hope of an earthly kingdom were all of this world and were seen with the eye and understood by the natural man.
Christ was glorified for a moment at His transfiguration as a witness to what would occur at His ascension when He receive a Spiritual body. Ascension (spiritual rapture), baptism by the Spirit, Spirit manifested in us, and the hope of our eternal kingdom in heaven are not seen with the eye and not understood by the natural man.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 2 Cor. 4:17
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Cor. 4:18
John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Meat in the above verses refers to the literal body of Christ. “Meat which perisheth” represents His body manifested in the flesh and includes His resurrected body. “Meat which endureth” represents the His Spiritual body as seen by Paul on Damascus road after His ascension. Our Savior is pointing the way to everlasting life through His Spiritual body. “Eating” his flesh and “drinking” his blood was a statement the apostles were not able to accept because they understood it in a natural sense. This statement made it impossible for them to receive Him in the natural realm. Spiritually we receive His body and blood to the inner man.
2 Cor. 5:16 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
17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Today all things are of God in a Spiritual sense or better to say are not perceived with the eye and includes all things that are received by those in Christ. Paul is revealing the mystery of the body of Christ. We are no longer to follow the Jesus of the flesh that was manifested to Israel but are to follow the glorified Christ manifested to Paul. The marching orders of the gospel of the kingdom were to Israel through Jesus while He was in the flesh and includes the resurrection. We are not to receive those orders but are to follow the orders of the glorified Christ revealed through Paul thus becoming the new man.
In Christ
Craig
