|
Author
|
Topic: Quickened and Ephesians Two
|
epouraniois
unregistered
|
posted
I thought I had posted this before, but I couldn't find it. I thought it might be found edifying to some.
Quickened and Ephesians Two
Christ had died for the ungodly while they were yet sinners, they didn’t even repent, or have faith; He died for us quite independently of that. The repentance and faith came afterwards. And yet, we are distinctly told that when He died, God reckoned that we died with Him. We read that we are crucified with Him, died with Him, buried with Him, raised with Him, and Seated with Him, but there is a step that we have just ran past when we think like this. So I want to stop and say that even now, right now; we’re quickened with Him. We are not having to wait until the future. Even now, we are quickened with Him.
The word quickened is a word here used in regards to this life; however, this quickening takes place long before birth, and without any obvious evidences in this world. It is an individual matter.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)
V1 is in anticipaion of v5, the translators couldn’t help themselves, since there is no word “”in”” and the present tense is active, they could not, and can not, say that a believer is; at this present time; is dead “in” sin. And they can’t say that after Christ who has bore our sin, and died on the tree that, therefore, you now are dead “in” sin.
You are dead “to” sin. If you are dead to sin, what’s going to happen to you? Well, you’re going to have immortality (Joh 5:24) 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life'.
Is that true or not? We’re still mortal, we’re still here. In what way have we passed from death into life; well the scriptures says it started within. We should remember, 2Co 4:16 states that our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. This renewal day by day is now, and anticipates the quickening for those to be raised and seated with Him as He has purposed. Look at this peculiar title given in Romans, remembering that all these things wich came before were shadows of things to come, and are for examples, but the substance is of Christ:
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even “God, who quickeneth the dead”, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. This is God who can do this. God quickened Abraham’s old man, and by his faith, put on the new man while he was yet alive. Do you see this yet? There are two aspects of quickening then.
This quickening had to do with a promise. God said his seed shall be numbered as the stars, and Abraham believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Rom 4:20} He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21} And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22} And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23} Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24} But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; This is brought forth as an example, that God is the God who quickens the dead, and not merely yet future, but now. Now, God is the God of life right now. Rom 8:10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Sin is death, and hard peddled, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness, and this becomes self evident for those of the church of the one body; who in all things do live for Him, that the mortal body now, can be quickened. Rom 8:11} But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Gal 2:19} For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. Gal 2:20} I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I live now, not because of my faith, but my faith is counted as righteousness, and therefore, the faith of the Son of God who loves me, and gave himself for me, quickens me, Now; makes me a new man, now.
2Co 4:7} But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8} We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 2Co 4:9} Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Why Paul, Why do you tell us these things? 10} Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11} For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12} So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13} We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
And this foundational epistle is basic and contains many non dispensational aspects but we learn of the church His body, that it is seated not only raised, but seated with Christ, not standing, seated with Christ in heavenly places.
And likewise for every person who comes to the acknowledgement of all of the Biblical truths, then insofar as it is God’s good pleasure, we are Col 2:12} Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13} And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Col 2:20} Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So if we are quickened in this life now, then the sting of death is effectively removed. Christ is our Peace (Eph 2:14-17). When an unsaved person dies, death has its sting, but when a believer dies, where is its sting? It is removed, for we are given victory now, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is our life now. I can be just as unconscious to the world as I was when I was a child, for my life is hid with Christ in God.
The thing is, do we trust what is written, that 'in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him...him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,'.
'To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him' (Eph 3:10-12).
IP: Logged | 
|
|
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
