TO OBTAIN MERCY; CHARTING GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION Pt.4- Heb.4:16
Are you seeing the progression yet? How God began by making Adam natural and not spiritual. So that as He continued working in and through men God could bring all men to the place where they would learn to use their free will to love and trust in God who loved them first.
In the first 3 parts of this series we have seen one thing that most already knew. That Adam was made in God’s image and likeness.
But, we have also learned what too many do not know. That is, that when considering this if we will think in terms of what that would mean when we say a father’s child is the “spitting image” of his father. We must conclude in God’s image and likeness simply means that to the observer there would be no mistaking who man was made to look like.
The reason this is so important is that this shows that God made man to be His children. And that only after Jesus came can men become God’s children. By a spirit God creates in man when by the free will God has given to every man he trusts in Jesus and His resurrection.
We also have seen that when the man was placed in the garden he eventually sinned, which simply means he missed the mark, by eating fruit from the tree he was told not to lest he die. God telling him he would “surely die”. Which is to say dying you shall die.
And this is exactly what we see in the Genesis account. Adam eating the fruit. Then being sent from the garden so he could no longer eat from the tree of life and live forever. And ultimately dying.
It was because he was created natural and not spiritual as Paul said in 1Cor.15:45-48 that his eyes were opened and he realized his mortality. We know this because when God later came to speak with Adam and eventually found him. When asked why he hid from God Adam’s reply was, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Being afraid meant that he now knew he had something to be afraid of, right? To know what that was we need only to read what God told Adam would happen if he ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said Adam would die. And with his eyes opened to the knowledge of good and evil now, and death obviously being part of this new knowledge, Adam knew he did not want to die.
But, what was even more horrifying to him was that now he also knew that he could die. Whereas before while in the garden, as long as he had access to and was eating from the tree of life, he could never die. And all of this from the fact that “his eyes were opened”. There is a lot wrapped up in those 4 words.
This realization of his mortality was not that he learned he had become mortal from eating the fruit as punishment for eating it as those who teach the unBiblical view of original sin and sin nature believe. When his eyes were opened what Adam realized was is that he had always been mortal. Natural, not spiritual as Paul said in 1Cor.15.
We have also learned that death spreading to all men was not the penalty for Adam’s sin being imputed to all men as those who deny Ez.18 and Rom.5:13 teach. Instead the reason all men die is the same reason Adam died. Because as God said in Genesis.3:22,23- “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”
And such was the future for all men. None would ever be let into the garden of Eden again. And this is how and why “death passed to all men”.
We’ve also seen that the true purpose of Rom.5:12 is to inform the reader of the chain of events that led to where men are today regarding sin and death. That sin came first for Adam and then death. But, for the rest of mankind death passed to all men and then those who sinned did sin.
And we must realize that not all men sin to which Luke1:5,6 and other passages attest. A very important ingredient in our arsenal of faith. Because without this we would gravitate toward the salvation by works message of original sin and sin nature.
Then we learned that because sin is not imputed when there is no law, imputation of sin, that is accountability to God for sin, whether Adam’s or anyone else’s apart from the law given through Moses, never happens.
So that the only sin Jesus confirmed in John16:9 that all men have always and for all time been held accountable to God for is unbelief. That is, unbelief in God and in Jesus and His death and resurrection.
And when God called Abraham to trust in and follow Him God established this as the only way to Him. That through faith in Him, that is the faith of Christ Paul spoke of in Gal.2:16, men would have eternal life now. And after shedding this mortal shell through death men would have immortality through the clothing of Mt.22:11 that is the immortal body in the resurrection.
So as we see in the chart God called Abram who later became Abraham and he believed God. Then in a covenant God made with Abram in Genesis.12:3, that we see Paul confirming in Gal.3:16-18, God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations.
Now while all this was going on God was still dealing with the rest of mankind too. Those not related to Abraham. Doing in them as Paul taught in Rom.1. Saying in vs.18-23, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”
These knew creation had to have a Creator. And that this Creator was to be revered as only a true God should be. But, these chose to “hold the truth in unrighteousness” instead. Holding the truth in unrighteousness is just another way of saying that knowing better they still chose to not believe in and trust in and worship their Creator.
And this is why God called Abraham to follow Him. Because out of Abraham’s belief a multitude would come into being who would also believe and would love and trust in the Creator. Beginning with Isaac God’s family of believers of whom Abraham is the father, God’s ecclesia, would come into being.
But, after Isaac things would again take a turn. God would begin a new dispensation through the offspring of Jacob’s children. The 12 sons who were to become the heads of the 12 tribes of Jacob. Who God called Israel.
The amazing thing is that until Moses was called by God to become Israel’s deliverer from their captivity in Egypt. Any sin that was committed by anyone, other than the sin of unbelief, was not imputed to them. Which means there was never a penalty exacted upon those who did things the law defined as sin before the law came through Moses. And none since Jesus came either.
So any dealings with men such as Rom.5:12’s death passing to all men, Gen.6’s flood of Noah, or any other calamitous event, was not the penalty for sin. But, were all done both to further God’s plan of salvation, and to preserve mankind so there would be people left to be saved when Jesus came. As Gal.3:19 shows us.
If we can wrap our minds around this truth it will revolutionize our understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, and what the atonement was really for. And it will revolutionize the relationship with God that believers in Jesus have.
Because we will come to know God for His love and be drawn to Him by it. Rather than seeing our need to trust in God as necessary because it’s the only way to avoid His punishment. Or to have our conscience cleared from guilt we may have for naughty behavior.
Instead of being drawn to Jesus by His love. Many are drawn to Him to avoid His wrath. Could you imagine such a relationship with an earthly father? It would be one of constant fear rather than one established on the comforting love of a loving father. And a child who realizes that love.
But, we know from Rom.2:4 that it is the kindness of God that draws men to trust in Him. Which is repentance. And from 1John4:10 that we love Jesus because He first loved us and gave Himself for us as “the propitiation for our sins”.
Propitiation meaning mercy seat. Jesus is our mercy seat that is the foundation upon which our relationship with God is established. It’s the “throne of grace” by which Heb.4:16 says all who believe approach God to “obtain mercy in our time of need”.
Our time of need is the day the Lord has made(Ps.118:24) that believers rejoice in. That day is the day Heb.3:7 tells us God made for us to come to believe in Jesus and His resurrection. Saying also that “today if you will hear His voice”.
Do you hear God’s voice calling you to be saved? If you do then to be saved you must confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. And believe in your heart that He has raised from the dead.
If you will do this then just like Jesus told the woman that would be healed your faith has made you whole. Your faith in Jesus allowed God to create a spirit in you that you never had before. A spirit that joins you to God for eternity by making you His child. And as His children you are heir to His kingdom.
Do this and you will have eternal life now. Do this and you will be made immortal at the resurrection. Do this… and I will see you there or in the air!
This message can also be heard at: https://rumble.com/v7eiu6e-to-obtain-mercy-charting-gods-plan-of-salvation-pt.4-heb.416.html
