◄ Lord Jesus Christ - Man’s Nature and Destiny (9) ►

A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny

Image and Likeness

The triune God created man in His own image with body, soul, and a spirit, and in His grace God gave fallen man a threefold life-experience with his Creator:- salvation, sanctification, and service, and it is all through the Lord Jesus Christ. Fallen man comes to Jesus for salvation: for He shall save His people from their sins, Matt.1:21. As we abide in Him and He in us we are sanctified by His Spirit, for we are being conformed into His likeness. And we work for Him as Lord in service: to will and do of His good pleasure.

Promised Seed

From his first fall in the garden of Eden, man has been waiting for God’s promised Saviour. The promised Seed of the woman, Who was passed through the appointed lines → A line that was passed from Adam through Seth to Lamech and Noah→

The Gospel in Genesis

Adam → Man
Seth      → is Appointed
Enos       → Mortal
Cainan     → Sorrow
Mahalaleel →The Blessed God
Jared             → Shall Come Down
Enoch                → Teaching
Methusela            → His Death Shall Bring
Lamech                    → the Sorrowing
Noah                             → Comfort and Joy Gen.5:1 ff

Gospel of Grace

Man is appointed mortal sorrow. The blessed God shall come down teaching His death shall bring the sorrowing comfort and joy.

And so the seed of the woman passed from Adam to David, through Nathan to Mary the mother of Jesus. The kingly line of Christ passed from Abraham to David, to Solomon to Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was commanded to call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.

Behold Him

Prophets announced: behold your salvation comes. John the Baptist thundered: behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin on the world. John 1:29.  Herod announced: behold the Man, John 19:5.  and Jude reminds us that Enoch proclaimed, behold He comes with ten thousands of His saints. Jude 1:14. Do we not rightly cry with John: behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called – sons of God. 1 John 3:1

Name Above All

What a glorious Name is this Name that is above every name: that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. Philippians 2:10. As the body of Christ we live in Him for sanctification, for we are being conformed into His image and likeness. It is a profound mystery, but the life-giving Spirit which comes through new birth is that same life-transforming Spirit of Christ that lives in each believer. Christ in you and Christ in me – the hope of glory.

Life-giving Spirit

It the same life-transforming Spirit that does His work through each believer: until it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in Me. Never can we fathom the depth of the privilege bestowed on believers: but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2Cor.4:7 The glory of Jesus Christ, Who walked the earth, is now hidden in the Church, which is His Body, and the epistles tell us again and again that we have a choice. We can choose or refuse His will. We can choose the easy route or the hard way. Child-training will occur for our eternal benefit and we can submit to His leading or we can kick against the pricks.

Sanctification

Norman Harrison wrote: The secret of sanctification is the cordial acceptance of a life thus bounded, with a joyful appropriation of the transforming power, found alone within these bounds. As the apostle Paul instructs: I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. True contentment in all of life’s trials only comes from Jesus and not from self. And so we work for Him as Lord in our service: to will and to do of His good pleasure. True service emanates from recognising that Christ is Lord of our life, no matter what - for you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1Cor.6:20. But work - true work – work that lasts, is only effective if it is Him working in you: until the life that I live in the body is no longer I, but Christ Who lives in me. 1Cor.6:20

2-Way Identification

God incarnate came to be with us.. to be one of us, to be one with us.. to save us from our sins. God in the person of Jesus came to be like us so that we could one day be like Him. God expects us to hearken to His plans and His purposes for each of our lives and He desires that we submit to His Spirit and permit Him to conform us into the image of His dear Son – allowing the Spirit of Christ to live in us and work through us to His praise and glory. But also for our eternal benefit not only in this age – (this church dispensation), and in the age to come, (the millennial age – Christ’s 1000 year reign) – but also in the eternal ages that are to follow.

3-Fold Names

Can you be content to accept Him in each of His threefold names? JESUS → your salvation, Who came to save you from your sins. CHRIST→ your sanctification, Who longs to transform you into His likeness. LORD → of your life, to will and to do of His good pleasure. But you must decrease if He is to increase.