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Articles 2018-2020
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Greek, AION – the ages of time).
In the Old Testament era God spoke to His people through the prophets in many partial and diverse ways. Each of His spokesmen was unique and strategic. And as eternally significant as each one was to God’s ongoing and unfolding purpose, they were but the introduction to Heaven’s culminating word. Christ – God’s final word to man; nothing of eternal significance can be added to Him. Here is what defines the Church Age as the last days. Everything Heaven has to say is being spoken in Him. Jesus – the environment for the emerging revelation of Heaven’s eternal purpose within the ages of time. Insight into God’s intent can only be discovered by gazing upon and then abiding in Him.
When God created the ages of time, He gave finite man an environment in which to interact with Him and over time mature in His likeness. But the power of sin was so great that even law written by God Himself could not bring man into wholeness. So, He stepped into time, became one of us, paid the price for our sins, and has now through death and resurrection become the environment for solving creation’s brokenness. In Him the new creation has begun to emerge in the souls of men.
The solution to the deteriorating physical creation (God subjected it to futility and to the act of decaying/corruption. Science calls this process entropy) is not for people to return to primitive fossil-free fuel lifestyles, but rather to turn from their ways, discover Christ as the place for becoming whole, and then come to dwell in Him. As we do that, He will lead us into His plan for His world. All of creation is waiting for this growing phenomenon among men to increase in size and visibility. And God’s promise is that the creation will finally be freed from its slavery to entropy by coming into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:19 - 21). Since Adam’s sin was the root cause of all this unfolding climate change, the last Adam offers the solution. As people come to abide in Him and discover in His glory the freedom from the corruptive effects of sin, they are in fact leading the way out of entropy for the whole creation.
Indeed, amidst the prevalent darkness can be seen an increasing radiance of a dawning light. It is not emanating from political parties; it is arising from the only source of man’s hope.
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
As a sunbeam is to the sun so is Jesus to the Father. He is the perfect expression of the nature of God and as long as He keeps speaking, the natural order will hold together. He upholds it all by His word. And since His primary locale for declaring His word on earth is in His house, the guarantee for the continuation of the planet will not be found primarily in the various environmental conferences held at various times and places around the world but among those in whom the Creator of all dwells and reveals Himself. That makes the Church of God significant.
Indeed, the gospel is good news for everyone including those fearing the planet’s future.
When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
Having purchased eternal salvation for those who would believe, Jesus sat down to reign over His creation with all authority in heaven and on earth. His work on earth had been totally successful and was preparatory for what He would now do from heaven. To assist Him in His work were awesome spirit beings, the holy angels.
But because of His decision to become a little lower than these angels and to live a life of total obedience to His Father, He came into an inheritance – the name far above what any angel could ever attain. That name Jesus which means “Yahweh is salvation” was given in His incarnation, lived out in His earthly ministry, realized for all who would believe in His death, His resurrection, and His ascension, and is now being proclaimed to all creation. The exit ramp for the cosmos from the destruction and decay caused by sin is now available in that name. As Peter said, Repent and be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
When people receive the Holy Spirit, more is at stake than the right for them to go to heaven when they die. God has started a process of conforming them into the likeness of His Son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). The only safe refuge from the coming destruction of all that is defiled by sin is in Christ. Be plunged into Him and be saved!
No angel can compete with that offer.
For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”?...
The apostle Paul applied this Psalm to Christ’s resurrection (Acts 13:33). In that glorious event, Jesus was begotten as the first born from the dead (Colossians 1:18), the first born of all creation (Colossians 1:15), and the first born among many brethren (Romans 8:29). The way out of death and destruction for the creation was now to be found among His brethren. And He being the eldest, the first, was the one leading the way for all who would follow. For those with eyes to see, the path forward for mankind has been made known from heaven among those who believe. That which will survive the destruction of the fallen creation is the emerging new one.
And this firstborn Son was different from all other humans who had ever lived. For the first time in history, God commanded heaven’s angels to worship a human being.
And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
At Christ’s birth the holy angels appeared and obeyed God’s command. And these were indeed awesome creatures to behold.
And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”
But as remarkable as they were, they were only created; Christ was begotten. In fact, the Father refers to Him as God.
But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.”
Not only does He call Him God, the Father then refers to His Son as one who submitted to God and was blessed.
”YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”
How could God still be God and yet submit to God? Very simply, when Jesus became one of us, He learned the ways of His Father. He grew in wisdom, in stature, and in the grace of God. And He perfectly submitted to and then also perfectly revealed the Eternal One. I like to say that it took God to be a man to show us how a man should walk with God.
These truths are indeed amazing. The Creator of all stepped into His creation and lived among us. And now, risen from the dead, He wears the creation like a man wears a garment of clothing.
And, “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.”
Is the natural creation deteriorating? Yes. And apart from knowing God’s solution, the hearts of many are gripped by fear. All around us, many can see that the heavens and earth are starting to resemble a threadbare shirt, something to be taken off and discarded. At some point, in a coming great day of fire, they will dissolve and be destroyed (2Peter 3:10 - 11). But He will remain. And so will all those who abide in Him who is their refuge, their fortress, and their strong tower. Again, the gospel is clear – be plunged into Him and be saved.
And finally, the Father promised to His Son something He never did to any angel – ultimate victory.
But to which of the angels has He ever said, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
With the angels helping us, God’s purpose among His people will succeed and increase in glory among the nations. Let us rejoice in God’s great salvation.
Donald Rumble – December 2019
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