A Closer Look @ The Man In Christ – Part 5

… A DISCUSS ON “WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE PREACHING OF CHRIST IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?”

Dearly Beloved,

If we can understand the dynamics of the fellowship that took place in the life of Jesus from the age of 12 to 30, and from the age of 30 to 33, we would appreciate why His life of power and glory is a far contrast to what we see in the church today! We would also realize how his daily conversations with the cross from Nazareth to Jordan (Lk. 2:42-51/Matt. 3) led him to fetch the first knowledge recognized by the godhead – the knowledge of THE LORD (Col. 1:9-10a/2Pet. 1:2b/2:20), and subsequently the last knowledge – the Knowledge of GOD (Col. 1:10c/2Cor. 4:6c/2Pet. 1:2a)

• 2Pet. 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of GOD, and (the knowledge) of JESUS OUR LORD

• Col. 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it (i.e. their laudable exploits {Col. 1:4-8} before the knowledge in ref. here), do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of THE LORD (Christ/the first pleasurable walk/rest of the soul & the first nature for overcoming) unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of GOD (The Father/the last excellent walk/rest of the soul & the last nature for overcoming)

Paul the Apostle skillfully summarized in Col. 1:9-10b and Eph. 1:17-19, what would inspire their first fight against their old nature (darkness – Rom. 13:12/Ps. 18:28/Heb. 12:4/1Jn. 2:8-10) so that the true light (Christ Jesus) can shine and rest on their hearts (Eph. 5:14/2Cor. 4:6). By revealing this to them, Paul was actually preaching Christ to them – for the first time (Rom. 16:25b/Acts 20:31/1Thes. 2:9/Col. 1:28) and had to beseech heaven to bless them with the first pair of eyes (judgments) of the Spirit of the Lord (Lk. 4:18a/Isa. 11:2/Rev. 5:6h) – wisdom and spiritual understanding!

Prior to Paul’s prayers for the saints at Ephesus and Colossi, they had received THE PREACHING OF JESUS THAT MADE THEM TO BELIEVE IN HIM (Eph. 1:12-15/Col. 1:4) but they had not received THE PREACHING OF JESUS THAT WOULD MAKE THEM TO OBEY HIM/WALK WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL (Rom. 16:26/ Heb. 5:9/Col. 1:10a/Eph. 4:1/1Thes. 2:12/2Thes. 1:8b/3:14). Like the early saints, they had employed the milky edition of faith and love in the Lord Jesus to give their resources and goods (including their vanity – Acts 2:44/4:32), but couldn’t give life – because they hadn’t learnt Christ (Eph. 4:20), and that was the need that Paul came to address. THIS IS WHY THE CHURCH NEEDS THE GIFT OF GRACE UPON THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS (Eph. 2:20/3:5)

• Eph. 4:20-21 But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. (So despite their exploits in Eph. 1:15, they hadn’t heard the voice of the son – Acts 22:14e/Heb. 1:2/Jn. 5:25. THE PREACHING OF CHRIST WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE AFTER THAT EPISTLES TO THEM)

• 1Thes 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God (i.e. walk with the light of God’s Power and Glory, and as such, represent Him), who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

SO THE ACTUAL PREACHING OF JESUS ENTAILS BRINGING FORTH WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING WHAT PLEASES HIM; CONCERNING HIS WILL, NATURE AND DOMINION; AND BY DOING SO, ONE THING IS CONFRONTED – THE VEIL OF DARKNESS PLACED UPON SOULS (ACTS 28:16b/EPH. 5:8/2COR. 3:16)

WHILE PREACHING CHRIST LIKE THE EARLY APOSTLES DID, WE WOULD HAVE TO TEACH WHAT WAS FETCHED FROM THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS (PROPHETIC WRITINGS – ROM. 1626A-B/2Pet. 1:20-21) – THINGS THAT BOTHERS ON THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS (1PET. 1:9-11).  BY SO DOING, WE TRANSPORT THE MATERIALS OF REDEMPTION AND RESURRECTION FROM THE FACE OF CHRIST MEANT FOR THE HEALING AND EMPOWERMENT OF OUR SOULS AGAINST CORRUPTION (SIN AND DEATH)

So preaching Christ is the art of motivating a soul with the promise of inheriting an incorruptible nature – that is higher than sin and death (2Pet. 1:2-4). So whenever God’s commandment to obey an unpopular faith (Lk. 18:8/Gal. 2:20) is delivered to us (Jude 1:3), we are simply being taught how to live above the defilements of this world (2Pet. 2:20) or how not to die (2Pet. 1:4)

• 2Pet. 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord (i.e. the light of His Faith) and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

God is therefore demanding from this generation of believers, a New Testament edition of Father Abraham’s obedience; so we can partake of the blessings promised to his seed – Christ (Lk. 1:55/Gal. 3:16). The demands to believe in faith for father Abraham started in Genesis 12, but a higher demand to obey faith actually started when God began to communicate to him the meaty aspects of the commandments of faith that would require a total change in his judgments (eyes) and would lead to the change of his name (his nature – Gen. 15/17:1-5), typifying what would take place in the New Testament (Rom. 6:4c/Heb. 2:11-12/Rev. 2:17/3:12)

Blessings!

Tayo Fasan

….. Searching Out Concealed Matters Concerning Christ & Reasoning With Truth Concerning The Word Of Righteousness (Prov. 25:2/Isa 1:18/Heb. 5:13-14)