Sermons - Cornerstone Christian Fellowship

Passover to Tabernacles - Part Twenty Seven

Jun 12, 2022 by: John Herbert | Series: Passover to Tabernacles

Audio Study Notes PDF

Refresh
A Recap from the Sermon

Ge 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

We will continue too look at the mystery revealed to Paul.

The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button.

Sunday June 12th 2022
Passover to Tabernacles
Part 27

1). Ge2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

We had seen last time that Christ and His bride/wife are to be found in the foundational type of the marriage relationship between Adam and the Woman, with rulership in the Seventh Day being the focus for both. And we had seen how Paul had referred to this Genesis Chapter 2 relationship in Ephesians Chapter 5, as ‘a great mystery concerning Christ and the church.’
	a). And we know that a ‘mystery’, from a scriptural perspective, is something that has remained hidden in the letter of the OT Scriptures and is then opened by the Holy Spirit to reveal great spiritual truth. And that the bride for Christ will be taken from the body of Christ and will not comprise the whole body of Christ, is just such a profound revelation.
	b). And in dealing with Christ and those who will become His bride and ultimately His wife, we have seen another type, revealed in Genesis Chapter 24 – Ge 24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

That hidden in the letter of the Scripture here reveals that the bride for Christ must be taken from the family, just as the bride for Isaac was only to be taken from Abraham’s family.
	c). The family in question for the bride for Christ is God’s ‘family’, those who have already become part of the one new man in Christ having passed from death to life. And what is revealed to us through the type, is that it is only to those who are already in the family of God who will then be presented with the opportunity to become the bride for Christ.
	d). All those in the family of Rebekah heard the mission of Abraham’s oldest servant, but through the type, it was Rebekah alone who made the choice to go with the servant and Rebekah alone who married Isaac.
	e). And, from the type in Genesis Chapter 24 we see that Abraham’s oldest servant pictures the Holy Spirit who was sent on the Day of Pentecost following the Lord’s ascension. Not only then did the Holy Spirit bring the one new man in Christ into being that day by immersing the one hundred and twenty gathered in the upper room, but He also began His search among the one new man for the bride for Christ. A search that would last for the two thousand years of this dispensation.
	f). And as we had also seen last time the Book of Ruth provides the type, the picture of what is necessary in the life of every individual who has passed from death to life who desires to be a part of Christ’s bride, as Ruth herself is a foundational type for the faithful Christian – Ru 1:1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

And what is added to the two previous types for the bride seen in Genesis Chapter 2 and Genesis Chapter 24, from the Book of Ruth, is that the bride for Christ is primarily to be taken from the Gentiles. And in Ruth, once again, there is a separation. Both Ruth and Orpah are part of the same Jewish family, just as we saw with Rebekah, and both are seen to be part of that family in association with death. In this there is no distinction between them. Both had the opportunity to make the journey with Naomi to Bethlehem but only Ruth chose to go. In this sense, Ruth represents the rib taken from Adam in Genesis Chapter 2 and she is also seen in Rebekah from Genesis Chapter 24. And putting these three types together provides the holistic picture for Christ’s bride.
	g). And as we have seen in previous weeks, God’s plan with respect to the bride taken from the Gentiles in God’s family was set out by Paul as he explained the mystery revealed to him - Eph 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages [Lit. generations] was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

And inextricably connected to what we read in v6 is - Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. 24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ preached among you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

That which had lay hidden in the OT was that Gentiles, through receiving the gospel of grace, would become fellow heirs with eternally saved Jews, within the body of Christ, and would be fellow partakers of God’s promise embodied in the risen Christ. A body, with Christ as the head, that is a new creation being neither Jew nor Gentile. And that which would be preached among those coming from the Gentiles who had become part of the one new man in Christ was the Christ and His coming Kingdom, the gospel of the glory of Christ, giving those coming out from the Gentiles the hope of glory – Ro 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Ro 8:22 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.

The hope of attaining the glory of God when Christ appears in glory is the hope for which we have been saved and is inseparably connected to us waiting for adoption as a firstborn son, which itself is synonymous with the redemption of our body. This is the hope we have of the restoration of the glory lost by Adam and the Woman in the Garden when the glorified Christ appears, which Paul described to Titus as ‘the blessed hope’. The adoption and the redemption of the body are the precursors to rulership in the Seventh Day.
	h). And a quick check in the mirror will confirm to us that we do not yet possess the glory which is the prerequisite for rulership. And we see from Romans Chapter 8 that this redemption remains yet future. And this should make clear that the redemption we have received through believing the gospel of grace is only a part of the full scope of salvation.
	i). And our continual wrestling with our ‘old man’, the man of the flesh, makes equally clear that we still have a soul corrupted by a sin nature, which must also be dealt with if our body is to be redeemed that we might be in the image and likeness of God.

2). We will remember from last week that Paul had declared himself to be ‘innocent of the blood of all men’, because he had made known to the Ephesians ‘the whole counsel of God’ – Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

The whole counsel of God must begin with testifying ‘to the gospel of the grace of God’, as this is the only means by which a person who is dead in trespasses and sins can, by faith, pass from death to spiritual life, making it possible for them to understand spiritual truth.
	a). But as we see from Acts 20, Paul, having testified to the gospel of the grace of God, then preached ‘the Kingdom of God’. The very thing we have just been discussing. Through the gospel of grace, those who pass from death to life fulfill the mystery of Jews and Gentiles together in the same body, being a new creation in Christ.
	b). And this new creation must then hear about ‘the Kingdom of God’, the gospel of the glory of Christ, the hope that is set before them of attaining the glory of God through the redemption of their body, once adopted as a firstborn son.
	c). And the process set out in the whole counsel of God we identified last week through Ruth’s experiences from Moab to Boaz’s threshing floor and this same process can also be overlaid onto the six days of restoration and the seventh day of rest in Genesis Chapters 1 and 2, with the gospel, the good news, of the grace of God corresponding to the light shining in the darkness on Day 1, and the gospel of the glory of Christ, the preaching of the Kingdom of God, the Divine work to build the bride for Christ corresponding to Days 2-6; all being brought to fulfillment with adoption and the redemption of the body on the Seventh Day.
	d). And this is exactly what Scripture confirms to us, presented here after a slightly different fashion – Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…..

Here then, once again, is the gospel of grace, and we will pay attention to the fact that this is seen in the past tense, ‘you have been saved’. This then is a past completed salvation. And to understand the full implications of this we can go to the Lord’s final words on the cross – Jn 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

The phrase ‘it is finished’ is a translation of the Greek word ‘teleo’ which conveys the idea that that which is in view is so completely complete that it could never be any completer, existing in this completed state from that point onwards. And that which is in view in Jn 19:30 is Christ’s death and shed blood, the means of eternal redemption, the subject of the gospel of grace.
	e). All salvation comes through works. Eternal salvation is through Christ’s ‘finished’ work and has nothing to do with work on our part. And having believed on the finished work of Christ, our redemption for the endless ages is so completely complete that it can never change and nor does it ever need to be revisited.
	f). Let’s take this back to Genesis Chapter 1 – Ge 1:3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

The division made between the light and the darkness on Day 1 continued in place throughout the next five days. It never had to be repeated but nor did it, on its own, complete God’s restorative work, that took another five days. And there again, without that which took place on Day 1, Days 2-6 could never have happened and there would have been no Day of Rest on the Seventh Day.

1 Co 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

That which we see in this verse can’t be a reference to the gospel of grace as it speaks of a present continuous salvation, ‘who are being saved.’ And in this present continuous process of salvation Paul included himself through the word ‘us’, ‘us who are being saved.’
	g). And contrast is made in the verse between those who were in a present continuous process of perishing and those, including Paul, who were in a present continuous process of being saved.
	h). It’s the phrase ‘the message of the cross’ that causes people problems because they think that this can only be a reference to the gospel of grace. Now there is a message of the cross for those dead in trespasses and sins, a message concerning Christ’s finished work on the cross. But there is also a message of the cross for those who have already received the gospel of grace – Mt 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his soul will lose it, but whoever loses his soul for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Ro 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Php 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……..

Scripture clearly records that there is a past completed salvation, a present continuous process of salvation and it also records this – 
Heb 1:14 Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who are about to inherit salvation?’

Salvation is spoken of here as neither past nor present continuous but future, ‘who are about to inherit salvation.’ And this future salvation is seen to be given as an inheritance, and inheritance is something that can only belong to those who are already in the family, like Rebekah and Ruth, those who have already passed from death to life, those who are part of the one new man in Christ among whom the Holy Spirit searches for a bride for Christ.
	i). We then see this in – Col 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

The salvation to be inherited is seen here to be a reward, which may or may not be realized. Those Christians who act by faith, And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, are the ones who will receive the reward of the inheritance. But he who does wrong, who contextually, can only be a Christian, and is synonymous with those in the process of perishing, will be repaid for what he has done, a negative consequence – 1 Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Here in 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 the whole counsel of God is presented yet again. It begins with the foundation of Jesus Christ, the One through whom we can pass from death to life, the past completed salvation. The present continuous salvation, the process seen in Days 2-6 in Genesis Chapter 1 and seen in the Book of Ruth, is described here as building on the foundation with works in connection with the gospel of the glory of Christ, the message of the cross, by those who are being saved, works of gold, silver, precious stones. And then we see works from those Christians in the process of perishing, works of wood, hay, straw; pictured through Orpah and the rest of Rebekah’s family.
	j). The whole of the matter is brought to the Judgment Seat where each ones’ work will be tested by fire to see what sort it is – Re 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

And it is at the Judgment Seat that the inherited salvation will be realized, If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. The reward of the inheritance, the adoption as a firstborn son, the redemption of the body. But for those Christians in the process of perishing, who have works that will perish, works of wood, hay straw, there is only loss. The loss of their life/soul for the Age to Come, but the security of their redemption for the endless ages remains certain, If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

3). The future inherited salvation, the reward for building correctly on the foundation of Jesus Christ is presented this way in – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The salvation ‘ready to be revealed in the last time’ is the future, inherited salvation seen in Hebrews 1:14. And as always with the Scripture, we are left in no doubt as to what this salvation is as we are told what it is just a few verses further on in 1 Peter Chapter 1 – 1 Pe 1:9 receiving the end [goal/purpose] of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

The connection here is now complete. The inherited salvation that faithful Christians, those built to be the bride for Christ, are to receive as a reward is the salvation/deliverance of the soul. The soul being delivered from the corruption of the sin nature allows the one already in possession of spiritual life to be adopted as a firstborn son, and through that adoption the body is redeemed, receiving the glory that was lost in the Garden.
	a). And those in that Day who will once again be in the image and likeness of God will form Christ’s bride, will be Christ’s co-heirs, adopted as firstborn sons, and will then wait a little over seven years and seventy five days for the redemption of the inheritance to be completed, at which point they will become Christ’s wife in fulfillment of the type of Adam and the Woman, Rebekah and Isaac, Ruth and Boaz, and rulership in the Seventh Day will begin – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

The salvation of the soul is something that angels desire to look into and is described in the Book of Hebrews this way – Heb 2:1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

We will continue with this next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.

Passover to Tabernacles - Part Twenty Seven

Refresh A Recap from the Sermon

Passover to Tabernacles - Part Twenty Seven

Jun 12, 2022

Speaker: John Herbert

Series: Passover to Tabernacles

Category: Sunday Morning

Refresh
A Recap from the Sermon