Author crandallgl

The Glorious Gospel

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“According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.“

1 Timothy 1:11

Paul, writing to his own son in the faith (v. 1), was writing to tell young Timothy to keep on preaching God’s Word. The days are going to get worse and worse, not better. There will be some that will depart from the faith. Some will heed to “fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying (v. 4)” and some will have “turned aside unto vain jangling (babbling) (v. 6).” Some will be desire to be teachers of the law in the wrong way (v. 7). Some will give heed to “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1). Paul instructs Timothy on how to avoid these people, so that he too isn’t mixed up with that crowd, as well as all of us who will hear Timothy. Timothy was to be an example to those who believe. He, as well as us, are to be examples to other believers “in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). He was to “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13). He was to give himself “wholly to them [the things in verse 13, and Scripture in general]” and “continue in them” (1 Tim. 4:15-16). In so doing, he would save himself, and them that hear him (1 Tim. 4:16). That is, he would save himself from the false doctrine that is going around in the last days.

“As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no doctrine.“

1 Timothy 1:3

What doctrine? The faith. The message of the glorious gospel that was committed to Paul’s trust. While some desired to be teachers of the law, it says that they don’t understand what they say. “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully” (1 Tim. 1:8). How does one use the law lawfully, that is also in accordance to the glorious gospel of the blessed God? Verses nine and ten continue to say that the law was made for the lawless, the disobedient, the ungodly, for sinners, for whoremongers, for liars, and other similar kinds of people. The law is good, because it condemns the the ungodly person. The person that keeps the law and follows it, doesn’t need to worry. It is good according to the gospel, because it means that God can have mercy upon the sinner. The law may reveal who the sinners are and condemn them for their sin, but the good news is that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). The law is good, because it leads sinners to Christ. “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). Even though the law says that we are sinners, the good news is the fact that Christ came to save sinners. And if we believe on Him and His finished work on the cross, then we will have eternal life. God could have judged us and crucified us. But, instead He sent His Son to die on the cross for us. The “grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant” (1 Tim. 1:14). So, while others may teach the law by saying that you can be saved by the law or be made perfect by the law, Paul makes it clear that is not the case. The law was given to show that we are all sinners. Paul even includes himself by saying of himself, “who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious” (1 Tim. 1:13). “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Eph. 2:4). God had mercy on all of us by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to save sinners. Those who actually take God up on His generous offer by believing that Christ did die for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day will receive the gift of life everlasting. This is how to teach the law lawfully according to the gospel. First, use the law to show that we are all sinners. Then, present the gospel. Paul declares himself guilty. But, then he goes on to preach the gospel that Christ came to save sinners like himself. This is what Timothy is instructed to keep doing. Even in the last days, Timothy was to continue preaching the gospel to people. People will turn from this message completely, or add things to it. But, we are to continue with the same message that saved us. The preaching of the cross is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18).

“How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.“

2 Corinthians 3:8-9

The law itself is holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12). It is glorious. However, it is the ministration of condemnation or death (2 Cor. 3:7). It reveals to us that we are all sinners. The law entered so that “every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:19-20). Paul says in Romans 7:7 that “I had not known sin, but by the law.” “I was alive once without the law” (Rom. 7:8). The law gave us that knowledge. It says in Romans 5 starting at verse 12 through verse 14, “Wherefore by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin…(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.)…Nevertheless death reigned from to Adam to Moses.” Sin entered this world when Adam first sinned, and death was the result. Mankind was still dead in their sins (Eph. 2) even before the law. The law simply gave us the knowledge of our sin. “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Rom. 7:13). The law made our sin exceeding sinful. Or as Romans 5:20 says “the law entered that the offence might abound.” But the ministration of righteousness exceeds in glory. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20b). Yes, we are sinners and deserve death. But, because God not wishing any should perish, but instead be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), He sent forth His Son into this world to save sinners. That is, to save us.

“For the preaching of the cross is them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.“

1 Corinthians 1:18

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing” (Covey).1 The main thing is the preaching of the cross, the cross of Christ. “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). It is the power of God unto everyone that simply believes it. Paul in chapter two of 1st Corinthians says, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2). The only thing that Paul came preaching to them was the cross. Paul preached the cross from when he got saved to the end of his ministry. He didn’t stop preaching the same message. The message of the cross is still the same today. It has not changed. We are all sinners, for the law tells us that. But, the good news is that Christ came into this world to save sinners. He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead for our justification. It is the power of God that saves the sinner that believes on Him as his personal Savior. This charge has been committed unto Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith, that he might war a good warfare, hold faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:18-19) and that he should also charge others to do the same. This good warfare that we’re fighting will take boldness to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.“

Ephesians 6:19

One of the spiritual weapons that we have to fight with is prayer itself. The first is the Sword, or the Word of God. We are to be praying that God would give unto each and every one of us boldness to preach the gospel, and the secret of the gospel. We have God’s Word and prayer to help us fight, because after all we are fighting “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). We are instructed to be soldiers of Jesus Christ. Soldiers need to be bold. 1st Thessalonians 2:2 teaches us that being bold comes with much contention. But, we have God on our side. Therefore, we should rely on His strength, and His power to get us through these days that we are still here on the earth. “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word” (Acts. 4:29). “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). It is in Christ that “we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (Eph. 3:12). Soldiers tend to be some of the nicest people that one can meet. For most of them I’m sure didn’t choose to serve in order to get something out of it for themselves. Most chose to serve, because they wanted to serve others and to protect the people in the country for whom they serve. Therefore, it is also important to be gentle and kind as well as bold.

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.“

Colossians 3:12

One part of the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness (Gal. 5:22). Remember this! That we get our strength from God Himself. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says that His grace is sufficient for us. We should rather glory in our infirmities, so that the power of Christ may rest on us. We get our instruction from God’s Word, which the Holy Spirit is the author. We are “strengthened with all [his] might, according to his glorious power” (Col. 1:11). Remember the one who called you to serve, and why you’ve been called to serve Him. For the defence of the gospel. Christ himself died on the cross to save sinners. Christ suffered the death of the cross on our behalf, so that you and I can have eternal life in Him. The Apostle Paul endured hardness as a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3) to bring unto us this glorious gospel of Christ’s work on the cross. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us.” We too are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, his ambassadors, to bring to lost sinners everywhere the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19). To share with them this glorious gospel of the blessed God. That Christ came into this world to save sinners. We are to have the mind of Christ, as we serve both the saints and unbelievers. We are to build up the saints, and instruct them to teach no other doctrine. We are also to witness to unbelievers, so that they may believe also and have eternal life. A good solider of Christ needs to be both bold and gentle. For we (the saints) were once of this world too, but then somebody was kind enough to share the message of the cross with us. Let each and every saint do the same. “That we be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). Let us all share this glorious gospel with those around us. Let us pray that God will give us the strength, and the boldness to speak the mystery (secret) of the gospel, as we should speak it.

In conclusion, even in these last days we are instructed not to teach any other doctrine than that which we have received from the Apostle Paul. That is, the preaching of the cross. Some will desire to be teachers of the law by saying that you can be saved, or at least made perfect, by the law. But, we are to use the law lawfully. We are to use it to show man’s guilt before God. To show that we are all sinners and have come short of the glory of God. Then, we are to present the gospel. That is, the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to Paul’s trust. That Christ came into this world to save sinners. He came to save the very ones that were condemned by the law. Christ Jesus our Lord died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and He rose again from the dead the third day for our justification. He rose again, so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him. The preaching of the cross is the main thing for us to keep on preaching to the world, because it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes it. We are to be good soldiers of Christ, by enduring hardness and contention that will come when we speak boldly of this glorious gospel. We should want to serve God by sharing with others, because it was God who first loved us enough to send His Son to save sinners in the first place.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, today! Believe that He died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for your justification (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 4:24-25).

End Notes:

  1. Covey, Stephen. “Stephen Covey QUOTES.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/stephen_covey_110198.

The Righteousness of Faith

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Here in Romans chapter nine and ten, we have the “righteousness which is of faith” and the “righteousness which is of the law.” We see how the Jews went about obtaining righteousness, and we see how the Gentiles went about it. It says of Israel in Romans 9:31, “which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.” In Romans 10:3, it says “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Why were they not able to attain to it? Because they “sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law” (Rom. 9:32). The Gentiles, on the other hand, who followed not after righteousness have attained to it (Rom. 9:30). Why? Because they had faith. Matthew 23:23 calls the scribes and Pharisees, “hypocrites,” because they were very religious, but they omitted the weightier matters of the law. One of those things being faith.

“Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Romans 9:32-33

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”

1 Corinthians 1:22-23

The cross of Christ ended up being a stumblingblock to the Jews. But, for everyone that simply believes on Christ and His finished work on the cross it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18, 21, 24). This brings us to Romans 4, where Paul brings up the promise that was given to Abraham.

“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

Romans 4:13

The promise that Abraham should be the heir of the world was given to him and his seed through the righteousness of faith. It was not given to him through the law. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

If it was through the law,

  • faith is made void (Rom. 4:14)
  • the promise made of none effect (Rom. 4:14)
  • the law would annul the promise (Gal. 3:18a)
  • the oath would annul the covenant (Heb. 6:13-20)

But, thanks be unto God that it is not through the law. God gave it to Abraham by promise (Gal. 3:18b). And that promise was given unto him through the righteousness of faith. Abraham simply believed, and his faith was then counted for righteousness.

We learn from Hebrews 6 that God swore by Himself, for there is no one greater than Him, that He would perform that which He had promised to Abraham. What God promises, He is also able to perform. He told Abraham that he shall inherit the land, and that He will bless and multiply Abraham as well. “Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee” (Heb. 6:14). Hebrews 6:16 continues on to say, “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.” Unlike God, when men (mankind) make promises with one another, they often are not kept. So, men will also often attach to their promise an oath to make sure it is kept. The oath is for confirmation. For example, in business there are verbal and written contracts. Verbal contracts are binding, however, without it written down it usually isn’t enforced. Sometimes it becomes a “your word verses my word” situation. So to avoid that, men will put the contract in writing as well. The written contract doesn’t make void the verbal contract. It simply confirms it. So, the written contract in this example would be the confirmation, which is the end of all strife. The confirmation is really for man’s benefit. God doesn’t need a confirmation Himself, but He confirms His covenant with an oath for man’s sake. He does so for the purpose that those who are the heirs of promise would know the immutability of His counsel (Heb. 6:17).

The same is with the covenant and the oath. The covenant of promise was promised by God and will come to fulfillment. The oath is the confirmation of the covenant. But in no way does the oath annul the covenant. As Paul writes in Galatians 3:15, “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.” The oath, which is added to confirm the covenant, does not make void the original promise that God swore by Himself.

“And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:”

Genesis 22:16

In Genesis 22, we see both the covenant and the oath represented. In the first part of verse sixteen, we have God swearing by Himself that He will bless Abraham. But, the last part of it is where we have the oath. “For because thou hast done this thing.” That “thing” was when Abraham did not withhold his son, his only son. The work that Abraham did was simply a confirmation of that original promise that God gave to Abraham back when he was uncircumcised (Gen. 12, 15). Abraham believed that God would bless him and multiply him and his faith was counted for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Then, a deep sleep fell upon Abram and it was God that made the covenant with Abram that same day (Gen. 15:17-18). Abram received the covenant of promise through the righteousness of faith. He received it, because he had faith. Then, we have Abraham in chapter twenty-two offering up his son Isaac for the confirmation of the promise. From this perspective, it would seem like Abraham got the promise through faith plus works. So, which is it? Faith or works? The short answer is through the righteousness of faith. As we have already seen in Galatians 3:15, “yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.” And Paul says in Romans 4:13 that Abraham received it through the righteousness of faith. So, even if it be confirmed, no man can annul the covenant that God swore by Himself.

What is the long answer? This is where the difference between the Apostle Paul and James comes in. On one hand, Paul says we are “justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). James, on the other hand, says “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). Paul was writing as the Apostle of the Gentiles to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). James was writing as a minister of the circumcision (the Jews) (Gal. 2:9) to the “twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1). Paul taught the Gentiles that we don’t need to be circumcised or keep the law (Gal. 6:15). James taught the Jews to still circumcise their children and keep the law or customs (Acts 21:21-26). Paul rebuked the Galatians when they thought they could be made perfect by the flesh or the works of the law. Paul taught that if we began in the Spirit, then we will made perfect in the Spirit (Gal. 3:1-5). James taught that Abraham’s faith was made perfect by his works. “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22) One more. Paul said “the righteousness of God without the law is manifested” (Rom. 3:21). James said “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). So, why the difference? Because they had different ministries to two different groups of people. Paul is the Apostle of the Gentiles. James is a minister of the circumcision. There were certain Jews that went around troubling the Gentiles saying that they too need to be circumcised and keep the law. But, James says that “to whom we gave no such commandment” (Acts 15:24). The only things that James commanded the Gentiles to do was to “abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:20). But, James never commanded the Gentiles to keep the law. Also as Paul was teaching the Gentiles about justification by faith without the law, some of the Jews thought that Paul was teaching them to “forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs” (Acts 21:21). But, that wasn’t the case. To show this to them, James has Paul purify himself by shaving his head to show these Jews that the things they had heard about Paul were nothing (Acts 21:24). Then, James once again says “as touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication” (Acts 21:25). They were writing to two different groups of people. They had their own separate ministries. (I’m not saying that the Jews are saved differently than the Gentiles today. Whosoever will believe. Jews and Gentiles are saved by grace through faith in the cross today). Paul is referring to the covenant when writing Romans 4, and James is referring to the oath when writing James 2. What James writes in no way makes void of the fact that Abraham received the promise through faith, and faith alone. No man disannulleth.

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Romans 4:5

“And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:”

Romans 4:11

In the Dispensation of Grace, we are saved by grace through faith and it is not of ourselves (Eph. 2:8-9). The man that simply believes is then also justified. Abraham received the promise through the righteousness of faith. The sign of circumcision, and Abraham offering up his son, were both simply a seal or oath for confirmation. They were used to confirm that which Abraham had already received (the righteousness of the faith) when he was still uncircumcised. None of those works, however, could annul the covenant which God Himself made with Abraham, which He gave to him by promise and that we partake of by grace (Rom. 4:16).

Now what about us today? Do we have some kind of way to confirm that we also have the righteousness of God, which we have received by faith in Christ Jesus? The answer is yes! But, it’s not circumcision or our works. Instead, it’s the Holy Spirit. It is also Christ Himself!

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:13-14

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Colossians 1:27

When we believe the gospel, we become sealed by the Holy Spirit. Christ dwells inside each and every believer. He is our hope and our life. When Christ shall appear in the air, we also will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4). Christ in us is our seal or oath for today. Righteousness is imputed to us the same as it was to imputed to Abraham. That is, by faith. We are made partakers of the promise by grace (Rom. 4:16). Christ is the promised seed to whom the promises were made, and we now belong to Christ. We belong to Christ’s own body, the Body of Christ. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). We became heirs by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26), not by the works of the law. We received the righteousness of faith when we first trusted/believed in Christ as our Savior, and we have the Spirit as the seal to confirm it (entirely spiritual, not physical).

In conclusion, Israel did not attain to the law of righteousness because they sought for it by the works of the law. They didn’t have faith. The Gentiles, on the other hand, did attain to righteousness (the righteousness of faith), because they had faith just like our father Abraham. Abraham believed God and his faith was counted unto him for righteousness. He received the promise from God through the righteousness of faith, and not through the law. While God Himself doesn’t need an oath to confirm that which He has already promised to do, He still does confirm it for man’s sake. It is so that we would know the immutability of His counsel. Therefore, God did confirm it with an oath. But the oath in no way annuls the covenant. No man disannulleth. That includes James. Paul and James clearly taught two different things. Paul taught justification by faith without the law, while James taught faith without works is dead. Paul referred to the original covenant of promise. James referred to the oath. Paul refers back to Genesis 15, where Abraham believed God and his faith was counted for righteousness. James refers back to Genesis 22, where we see Abraham’s faith and works together. His faith was made perfect, according to James, by his works. But for today, Paul says we began in the Spirit, and therefore, we are made perfect in the Spirit. We are justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law (Gal. 2:16). And we also live by the faith of the Son of God (Gal. 2:20) too. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). We know that we are saved, because God’s Word says so. We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We are saved by faith, and we also live by faith. Our seal or confirmation of our salvation is not circumcision or any good work that we do. Instead, it is the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus our Lord.

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

Galatians 4:6

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Believe that He died on the cross for your sins and was raised again from the dead for your justification. God will count your faith as righteousness. God will then give to you the Spirit of His Son as a seal of the righteousness of faith.

What is Race?

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Race – “The lineage of a family, or continued series of descendants from a parent who is called the stock. A race is the series of descendants indefinitely. Thus all mankind are called the race of Adam; the Israelites are of the race of Abraham and Jacob.”

Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828

According to prophecy and just general history, there are two races that all people can be grouped. There is the race of Adam. In other words, this can also be called the human race. We are all humans. Then, there is the race of Abraham. This is specifically the nation of Israel (God’s chosen nation or people). But, there is a third race that is according to the revelation of the mystery that was given or revealed unto the Apostle Paul for the first time. That race is not a physical nation of people, but rather a spiritual organism called the Body of Christ.

According to what God said since the world began (Acts 3:21)

  • Race of Adam – human race
  • Race of Abraham and Jacob – Israel

By one man came condemnation to all (Rom. 5:18). Adam sinned and brought death to every person as a result (Rom. 5:12). We have all sinned and come short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Therefore, we deserve death. In the days of Noah, all the people were only wicked all the time (Gen. 6:5). At the tower of Babel, they were of one language and one speech trying to reach Heaven by religion (by their own good works) (Gen. 11:1-9). Man just couldn’t get it right, and still can’t.

Then, God called one man out of the nations. That is, Abram (later called Abraham). He was called out of the nations to be the father of a great nation (Israel). All the families of the earth would be blessed through his name (Gen. 12:1-3). God gave to Abraham the covenant of circumcision to distinguish his people from the rest of the nations, so that they would be a light unto the world and bring blessing to them. It was to Israel God gave the covenants, the law, the promises, etc (Rom. 9). Gentiles were without these things (Eph. 2:11-12). Israel was to be a light unto the world but fell in unbelief. But, they will be saved in the future. If any Jew didn’t get circumcised they were to be cut off from the rest of the nation (Gen. 17:14). They were then to be considered no better than the Gentiles. Leviticus 11 goes through what animals were clean and unclean for Israel to eat and not to eat. If they ate something unclean they would be unclean with it. So then, fast forward to this Dispensation (the Dispensation of the Grace of God (Eph. 3)) where God has put His grace and mercy at full display.

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”

Romans 11:32

The Gentiles were given up to their reprobate minds (Rom. 1:28), then Israel was concluded in unbelief with them, so that God could show mercy upon them all. That is, both Gentiles and Jews.

According to what God kept secret since the world began, but now revealed (Rom. 16:25-26)

  • Race of Christ – or more accurately and Scripturally called “the Body of Christ”

But now, the middle wall of partition has been broken down (Eph. 2:14). There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, male or female, bond or free (Gal. 3:28). For we are all one in Christ. By one man, Jesus Christ, came justification unto eternal life (Rom. 5). The first two races or groups of people were strictly physical, or natural. This third group is spiritual. We are one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44). It is the Body of Christ. It was hid in God from the beginning of the world (Eph. 3:9). “But now is made manifest” (Rom. 16:26). God is calling out people from among any nation, including the Jewish nation, to be a part of Christ’s own body. Whosoever will believe the gospel of the grace of God will become a member of this Body. Members of Christ are a holy temple in Him. We are identified with Christ, who is our Head. We are no longer associated with our old man, that is, Adam. We are now called saints.

  • Image of God (Gen. 1:26)
    • created in God’s image originally
  • Image of Adam (Gen. 5:3)
    • Adam sinned, and mankind has been after his likeness ever since. We’ve all sinned too.
  • Image of Christ (Col. 3:10)
    • God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Cor. 5:19)
    • Christ made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20)
    • Christ made in himself one new man (which is the Body of Christ) (Eph. 2:15)
      • renewed in knowledge after Christ’s image
      • believers are members of this Body

Race has nothing to do with the color of your skin. God created all of us. We were all created by God, who is Jesus Christ. He called out one man to be the father of one nation that was to be a light and a blessing unto the world and they will be one day. But today, God is calling (inviting) out from any nation whosoever will believe (whether they be Jew or Gentile) on His Son that He died for them, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures. This offer of salvation is offered to all, but only those who believe it will receive it. Christ is the promised seed to whom the promises were made (Gal. 3:16). God has offered to us the promise of eternal life with Him in Heavenly places through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we can receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3:14). It is through Him that we receive the gift of righteousness. For Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)! We receive this gift by faith. By simply trusting in what Christ has done for us on the cross, we are then sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). We are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). God has set this to be His plan for all those that will simply believe on Him. He set this plan in place before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). When we believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried (He literally buried our sins away and put them out of His sight forever), and rose again for our justification, we are then made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). We are “found in Him, not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil. 3:9).

When we believe the gospel of Christ, we become members of Christ. We are joined to Christ’s own Body. For the Body has many members, and yet it is one Body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). We become heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). Therefore, we also become heirs according to the promise, because we belong to Christ (Gal. 3:29). “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). Since we are sons, because we have Christ in us (Col. 1:27), we are heirs of God through Christ (Gal. 4:7). We are no more servants (that is, servants to sin, the law, our old man), but now we are sons. We, of course, should still choose to willingly serve God, because of the life and freedom that He has given to us. Christ gave Himself for our sins, so that we might be able to enjoy eternal life in Him. Therefore, it is our reasonable service to serve Him (Rom. 12:1-2). To enjoy eternal life in Him, all we have to do is believe. He did all the work necessary for us. The only thing left for us to do is take Him at His word and trust in Him.

Lastly, once you do believe, you should then stand fast. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). Christ has made us free from the law. He has delivered us from it. He has delivered us from the law of sin and death as well as the law of Moses (Rom. 7:6; 8:2). The Mosaic law that He gave to Israel was added because of transgressions (Gal. 3:19). It was added to show that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:20). We cannot earn eternal life by our own good works, by our own flesh. We are to stand fast in the liberty that we have in Him. We are complete in Christ, who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:10). There is no one or any thing that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:33-39).

Be thankful! Give thanks unto God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’ll say it once again. Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for your justification. He paid for all of your sins there at the cross. He was made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), so that the blessing of eternal life would come to those who believe. Those who believe have eternal life in Him. If you haven’t believed yet, do so now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved! Believe that He died for you and your sins, was buried (that He took your sins away) and rose again from the dead. Once you have that liberty, rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice (Phil. 4:4)!

So, what is your race? Are you still a child of Adam or are you now a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and therefore a member of His Body? The Body of Christ is God’s people today in the Dispensation of Grace. Believe on Him, today!

End Notes:

  1. Noah Webster, “Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Race,” Websters Dictionary 1828, accessed July 23, 2021, http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/race.

The Grace of God Abounds

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“If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)“

Ephesians 3:2-4

We are so blessed to be living in the Dispensation of the Grace of God (Eph. 3:2). We see God’s grace put on full display right now in this current dispensation. God’s grace can be found in any dispensation, but there is only one Dispensation of Grace. It is filled with His grace from beginning to end. It is filled with His grace from our salvation to the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23). We are saved by His grace and we live by His grace too! It is God’s power and grace that saves all those that believe that His Son died for them and their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. It is also by His power and grace that enables His saints to walk after Him. God is able to and will save the sinner that will simply call out to Him and put their trust in Him. He is also able to and will work in the believer who will let the “word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisdom” (Col. 3:16). God is with the believer every step of the way. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31)

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.“

Acts 20:24

We start our study first with the Gospel of the Grace of God, which is the gospel that saves us today. The Apostle Paul “received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). This gospel is also called the gospel of Christ. Romans 1:16-17 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Paul also calls it “my gospel,” because it was revealed first unto him (Rom. 16:25; cf. Rom. 2:16; 2 Tim. 2:8). The gospel itself being that Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day and everyone that believes what Christ accomplished for them there at the cross will be saved. It does not matter whether you are a Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female (Gal. 3:28). For whosoever believes on Him shall be saved (Acts 16:31). This message of grace, the gospel of the grace of God, and the Dispensation of the Grace of God were committed unto Paul. It was first revealed unto Him. In Galatians 1:1, it says “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.” Then, in Galatians 1:11-12, it says “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Also, in 1st Corinthians 3:10 it says “According to the grace of God committed unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation…” God had a secret that He kept hidden in Himself since the world began, but then He first revealed it to the Apostle Paul.

“ Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.“

1 Timothy 1:16

Paul was to be a pattern. 1 Tim. 1:16 says, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” Titus 2:11 says “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men.” Titus 3:4 continues to say “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.” It appeared “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5). And it (His grace, kindness, and love) appeared first to Paul, when he was called Saul of Tarsus, on the road to Damascus when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared before Paul in Heaven and had mercy on him by saving him. It wasn’t brought about by his own works. For he was still at that time “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). The same is true for all of us who will believe on Christ. We aren’t saved by our own good works, but by God’s mercy He saves us. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). We are justified by grace as Titus 3:7 continues on to say. Romans 3:24 says “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Why is this so great? What makes what happened with Paul so special? According to prophecy, this was not revealed to happen. There was something else that was to come after the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. According to prophecy, there is the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God. Isaiah 61:1-2 foretold of this and when Christ was here on the earth he proclaimed the first part and said that it was fulfilled in that day He was here (Luke 4:16-21). But, He left out the day of vengeance. That part has not been fulfilled yet. Jumping to Acts 2 and starting at verse 16 we see that what was happening at the day of Pentecost was prophesied by the prophet Joel. “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” This part of that prophecy was being fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. But, Acts 2:19-20 have yet to be fulfilled. Israel will go through the Tribulation and will see “wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” But, it hasn’t happened yet. When Peter indicts Israel, he says to them that “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Then Peter again says in Acts 5:31 concerning Jesus Christ whom they crucified “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Then Stephen recounts Israel’s history in Acts 7 saying of Moses in verse 35, “This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer…” Then finally before Stephen died, he sees “the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” The fact that He was standing, not sitting, meant that He was going to come back and judge them. The next stage to happen on the prophetic timeline was Christ to come back to the earth and be that ruler and judge, ruler and deliverer, a Prince and a Saviour, both Lord and Christ. He will judge the nations that persecuted His people (Israel) and comfort them that mourn for Him. He will deliver Israel from the hand of her enemies and save them.

Then, Saul comes walking in. And he came persecuting the disciples of the Lord and therefore also the Lord Himself. According to prophecy, the next thing on the timeline was judgment. God could have judged Saul and his fate would’ve been the Lake of Fire like every other unbeliever, who dies in their sins. But, God instead decided to show his mercy to Saul and save him.

” For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,“

Titus 2:11

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,“

Titus 3:4

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;“

Titus 3:5

Instead of ushering in the day of vengeance where God will judge the nations that persecuted Israel, He did something else. God instead ushered in the Dispensation of Grace. He postponed that day of prophecy. Instead, He decided (He had it planned all along, but it was a secret) to show His love and mercy and grace to the whole world, which He is still showing to this day. We read in Romans 1 that God had given up the Gentiles back in Abraham’s day to their reprobate minds. And now, God concluded all of Israel in unbelief as well, so that He might have mercy upon all (Rom. 11:32). His grace has appeared unto all men (Titus 2:11). Instead of judging Saul of Tarsus, God saved him. God does the same thing for anyone that will simply believes on Him. Those who believe that Christ, who is the Son of God (God Himself), died on the cross for their sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day will be saved. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). Christ has made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20), so that we might be reconciled. When we believe, we become members of Christ’s own body, the Body of Christ (not Israel, or spiritual Israel). We did nothing ourselves to deserve eternal life. We did nothing to deserve God’s grace. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Eph. 2:4). “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). All of this was a mystery, which God kept hidden in Himself, until the right time where He would reveal it unto the Apostle Paul for the first time. God is forming the church, which is His Body (Eph. 1:22-23) today in the Dispensation of the Grace of God. The Body is made up of both Jews and Gentiles who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. We are justified freely by His grace. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:“

2 Corinthians 9:8

But not only are we saved by grace through faith. God is also able to make all His grace abound toward us (His saints) in our walk with Him. Why does He do this for us? So, that we might abound to every good work. God wants us to abound in Christ. Romans 5:20 says, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” We are instructed to abound in hope (Rom. 15:13). The sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ (2 Cor. 1:5). Paul prays that our love may abound yet more and more (Phil. 1:9). We are to know how to abound and to suffer need, and Paul prays that fruit may abound to our account (Phil. 4:11-13, 17). Lastly, we are to abound in everything (2 Cor. 8:7). Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” God’s grace is truly sufficient for us (2 Cor. 12:9). We always have all sufficiency in all things (2 Cor. 9:8); and we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Christ’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). “For when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). I am strong, because of Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives in me (Col. 1:27).

In conclusion, God is showing His grace more than ever in this Dispensation, which is called the Dispensation of the Grace of God. Where sin abounded under the law, grace abounds much more now that we are no longer under the law. God’s grace, kindness and love has appeared unto all men whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female. It appeared “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy He saved us.” God has postponed His plan with the nation of Israel and the prophetic program. Instead of going into the Tribulation and the day of vengeance, God ushered in a day of grace. Why? Because God is love and longsuffering. He doesn’t wish that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9,15). Instead, He wants everyone rather to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). So, God appeared unto Paul and gave to him the revelation of the mystery, the truth of the one Body (the Body of Christ). This grace was committed unto him, because he was to be a pattern for all those who would also believe on Christ to life everlasting. Instead of judging Paul, God saved him by His mercy and grace. God will do the same today for anyone that believes that Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for their justification (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 4:5, 24-25). Those who will believe will be saved. You will be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24). Once you are saved, God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that you may abound to every good work. If we begin in the Spirit, then we will also be made perfect in the Spirit (Gal. 3:1-5). God’s grace reigns in this dispensation.

“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.“

Romans 5:21

To those who have not yet believed, do so now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! Believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for your justification. You will then be justified (declared righteous) freely by His grace.

By Him All Things Consist

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“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.“

Colossians 1:17

All things consist because of the Lord Jesus Christ. From all of creation to the saints in particular, we exist because of Christ. In verse fifteen of the same chapter, it says that Christ is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” The word image means body or substance. The contrast is the word shadow.  Colossians 2:17 says “which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” In Hebrews 10:1, it says “for the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…” Then, in Hebrews 1:3 it says of Christ that He is “express image of His [God’s] person.” Christ is God Himself in the flesh. He is fully man and fully God. Then, we of course have one of the most well known verses of Scripture which is John 1:1.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“

John 1:1

It continues to say that Christ is the firstborn of every creature. This doesn’t mean that Christ was created. For we know that Christ created all things Himself as it says in Colossians 1:16. Ephesians 3:9 says “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” The title firstborn must mean something else then. I think it is important to see from Scripture that the term firstborn isn’t always given to the person that was literally born first.

  • Genesis 27:19 – Jacob (the younger) pretends to be Esau and says “I am Esau thy firstborn.” Jacob ends up being the one to get the blessing from his father Isaac.
  • Genesis 48:14 – Israel (Jacob) puts his right hand on Ephraim’s (the younger) head, not Manasseh’s head. It wasn’t a mistake on Israel’s part. It says that Israel was “guiding his hands wittingly.”
  • Exodus 4:22 – God Himself declares Israel to be His firstborn.
  • Jeremiah 31:9 -God delcares Ephraim, my firstborn

It was Jacob, instead of Esau who got the privilege of getting the blessing. We know from Galatians 3 that it is through Abraham and his seed that all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gal. 3:9). In Galatians 3:16, we learn that Christ is the seed to whom the promises were made. It is through Jesus Christ that we receive the blessing of Abraham (Gal. 3:14). Therefore, He is called the firstborn. It has “pleased the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell” (Col. 1:19). That is, Christ, who is the express image of God’s person (God Himself), who created all things, is before all things, and by Him all things consist, and is the head of the body. It has pleased the Father that it should be in His Son that we receive the blessing of eternal life.

Now, not only does all creation consist by Him, as John 1:3 says, “And all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made.” But, the saints (believers) have a special relationship to Christ that is above the rest of creation. Christ also made in Himself one new man in order to reconcile us back unto God, unto Himself.

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;“

Ephesians 2:15

This one new man is also called the Body of Christ, the inheritance of the saints, and the kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:12-13). And Christ is the head of the body, the church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23). We as God’s saints, members of Christ’s body, all consist together as one in Christ. I particularly like the definition of the word consist in Webster’s 1828 dictionary. It says, “to stand together; to be in a fixed or permanent state, as a body composed of parts in union or connection. Hence, to be; to exist; to subsist; to be supported and maintained.”1 I like it because it specifically uses the body as the illustration. We are many members, and yet we are one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” We all stand together in Christ Jesus our Lord. Since we consist together because of Christ or literally held together by Christ, “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1) and nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10).

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.“

Ephesians 2:21-22

In Ephesians 2, it says that it is in Christ that we as believers are fitly framed together and groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. The building here is the Body of Christ. We are as the Scriptures say “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” And we are builded together in Christ. Instead of God dwelling in a physical tabernacle or house/temple like in the days of Moses, David, and Solomon, God dwells inside each and every believer today. Paul himself uses the illustration of the tabernacle and house to make his point in 2 Corinthians 5:1. He says “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (cf. Col. 2:11; Acts 7:46-50). He is saying this to comfort those at Corinth, as well as us today, to not be afraid to suffer for Christ’s sake, because even if the the world kills us we know that we will be with the Lord. The world cannot tear down the building, the Body of Christ. It is first and foremost eternal. Secondly, it is in the heavens. And Christ is the Head of that Body! He made it in Himself. For we are the temple of God, the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). We have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11). We have been set apart unto God as a holy temple in the Lord (cf. Eph. 1:4; 5:27). Now, God will still set up a physical kingdom/temple on the earth when He comes back. But for now, in the Dispensation of the Grace of God He is dwelling in each of us. We are to, therefore, walk in the Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). We are to “labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him” (2 Cor. 5:9) (that is, in a practical way. For we know that we already are accepted in Him (Eph. 1:6)). We labor for the Lord so that we may approve ourselves as the ministers of God (2 Cor. 6:4).

Therefore, we are to take heed how we build off the foundation that the Apostle Paul has laid according to the grace of God that was given to him (1 Cor. 3:10), because we are that holy temple in the Lord. The temple of God is holy, which temple we are. So, everything we do both in word or deed should be done with three things in mind. We should ask ourselves about what we’re each doing for the Lord. Is it for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13)? In other words, are we serving God or are we serving sin? Are we walking after the Spirit or after the flesh?

Each of us will give an account to God of what we each did in our own body, whether good or bad. If a man’s work abides, he shall be given a reward, but if his work is burned he shall suffer loss (that is, loss of reward), but he himself shall be saved (1 Cor. 3:14-15). So, what does it mean when it says in verse seventeen of 1st Corinthians 3, “if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” Does it mean that we can lose our salvation? No. Once you are in Christ, you are there to stay. All things consist by Christ, especially the saints. We are held together by Him. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). It says in verse 15 that “he himself shall be saved” and the end of verse 17 adds “for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” So, what does this mean? In the context, the Corinthians were carnal. They were walking after the flesh, not after the Spirit. There was a man who committed fornication by taking His father’s wife (1 Cor. 5:1) and the rest of the church at Corinth did not judge this man like they should have. They should have not kept company with him anymore, but instead they still did keep company with him (1 Cor. 5). We learn from chapter six that what they were doing was to make the members of Christ the members of a harlot (1 Cor. 6:15-16). Which of course is not what they or any of us should do. Paul adds “God forbid!” That thought shouldn’t even cross our minds. Instead, as members of Christ we are to “Flee fornication” because when we do sin we do it “without [or, outside] the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18). When we sin, we do it outside the Body of Christ and do it against our own body. As verse 16 says, when we join ourselves to a harlot we become one body, or one flesh with that harlot. Romans 6:6 calls it the “body of sin” and Romans 7:24 calls it the “body of this death.”

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.“

Romans 6:6

Our old man is crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we don’t have to serve sin. Christ has delivered us from that former life, where we were once under the law of sin and death, so that we can serve Him instead. But, when we sin we don’t allow that body of sin to be destroyed, which is not God’s purpose for that body of sin. He crucified our old man, so that it would be destroyed. (Now, ultimately that body of sin will be destroyed. But, I’ll get to that in a second. God will destroy it.) Instead, when we sin we are joining ourselves to that body of sin, also known as the flesh, and walking after it. Therefore, we end up serving sin.

But, God has crucified our old man with Christ so that we don’t have to serve sin anymore. We have been joined to Christ, and are members of His own body, in order to be presented as holy unto God. And if we walk after the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

So, when it says in 1 Corinthians 3:17, “him shall God destroy,” it’s really talking about that person’s flesh or that body of sin that the person is joining themselves to. To clarify, I’m not saying that it’s only the flesh’s fault, and not yours, and therefore you bear no responsibility at all. You will be held accountable for whatever you do in your body, whether good or bad. It might be helpful to look back to Israel under the law. In Leviticus 11, it describes what Israel could and couldn’t eat. Some animals would make them unclean if they ate of them. In Leviticus 11:43, it says that they were not to make themselves “unclean with them” (the animals they weren’t supposed to eat). The key word I want you to notice is the word “with.” They were to sanctify themselves or set themselves apart from the world, the Gentiles, and not be associated with them. While we of course are not under the law today, and are not Israel, we as members of Christ are still to be holy because we are that holy temple in the Lord. We are to be holy, because God is holy. We are not to be associated with our old man, and that body of sin anymore. We are not to be joined with that body of sin. When we walk by the flesh, or join ourselves to that body of sin, we become one flesh or one body with sin itself. But, we are instead to sanctify ourselves by walking after the Spirit. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). For we are the members of Christ, members of His Body, therefore we are to be only joined to Christ.

God wants to work in us in order to produce good fruit unto Him. He wants to give the increase, to profit us something, and to abound fruit to our accounts in our service for Him (1 Cor. 3:7; Gal. 5:2; Phil. 4:17). But, if we decide to join ourselves to sin and serve sin rather than God, or try to be made perfect by the works of the law, then we will not produce fruit. We will be barren. God will destroy the person that defiles His temple by making that person barren in their service (they will have no fruit to show for their work) and therefore on the day of our redemption that person will not receive a reward, because their work produced no fruit in this life. Instead, their work will be burned. But, the good news is that they will still be saved (only believers are judged at the judgment seat of Christ anyway. Unbelievers will be judged later at the Great White Throne.). For we are saved by faith alone in the finished work of Christ (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 15:3-4), and not by our own works. In 1 Corinthians 5:5, it says “to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” They are to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. But, their spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The day of the Lord Jesus is the same as the day of Christ, which is the day of the Rapture. It is the day of the redemption of our bodies as Romans 8 talks about. God’s purpose that our old man was crucified with Christ was so that the body of sin would be destroyed. That is destroyed forever and it will be when we receive the adoption or the redemption of our bodies. But, God has given us His Spirit (the Spirit of adoption) so that we may still walk after the Spirit while we are waiting for the actual adoption. So, we have no excuse. We are still to be serving God, not sin, while we wait. We have the Holy Spirit inside of us to help us serve God.

If we let the Spirit work in us, He will produce. We are to be building off the right foundation and edifying the Body, because of who are in Christ.”If [or, since] ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1). Since we are alive unto God through Christ, we are therefore to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4-11). We are to only be joining ourselves in a practical sense to Christ. For we are already positionally there in Christ. We are not to be joining ourselves to a harlot. “For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor. 3:17b).

In conclusion, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is God Himself. He created all things and all things consist by Him. Concerning God’s saints (believers), we all consist together in Christ as members of one Body, which Christ is the Head of that Body. We are set apart as holy unto God as a holy temple in His Son. We are being fitly framed together and builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Therefore, we are to walk after the Spirit, because we are the temple of the Holy Ghost. If we do that, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If we walk after the Spirit, then God will produce fruit (the fruit of the Spirit) in our lives that is well pleasing unto Him. We, the members of Christ, should not be joining ourselves to be the members of a harlot. If we serve sin, God won’t produce fruit in our lives and therefore we won’t receive a reward in the end. But, that person will be saved nonetheless if they have believed the gospel. For it is Christ who is our righteousness. If we recognize the fact that our old man is crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin might be destroyed and therefore don’t have to serve sin anymore, then we can instead serve God in the Spirit like we are supposed to as His saints. We would be edifying the Body of Christ, and therefore building off of the right foundation, so that we may be approved workman and ministers of God (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Cor. 6:4).

If you have not believed yet, do so now. All you have to do is believe. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. If you believe, then you will be fitly framed together with the rest of God’s saints in Christ (Don’t worry about being claustrophobic!). You will be a part of that Holy Temple in the Lord and you will have the Holy Spirit in you. You will have Christ in you (Col. 1:27). The next step after believing, will be to get into the Word of God more and let it dwell in you richly (Col. 3:16), so that the Spirit may work in you to bring forth fruit unto God.

End Notes

  1. Noah Webster, “Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Consist,” Websters Dictionary 1828, accessed June 22, 2021, http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/consist.