FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
THE FIRST
PRINCIPLES – XIX
THE WORD
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - 3
Hebrews 5:13 For every one that uses milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe.
Last week we ended with this
comment:
This is man’s
dilemma. There can be no return to the
presence of the holy and pure, perfect and righteous Elohim by any works or
effort of man. It is impossible to
produce anything pure when it originates from “water with black ink in it” That which is impure is incapable of
producing that which is pure. Since man
cannot help himself to achieve the restoration of relationship and fellowship
with IAUE that was lost in the Garden of Eden (righteous man standing before
his righteous Creator), man’s remedy must come from outside himself.
Man’s
best efforts to understand and to do the will of IAUE originate from a nature
and a will that are corrupt and opposed to the idea of someone else’s will
having the right to determine every decision and choice in life; making even man’s
well-intended acts of obedience just more disobedience. If you will recall last week’s illustrations
of the nature and will of IAUE being perfectly straight lines; and the nature
of man being abject scribble, you can see that something perfectly straight
cannot be produced from that which is totally crooked. Every effort at “straightness”
can only ever be curved…crooked.
Man’s
only hope of being restored to IAUE is for a qualified redeemer to intervene on
his behalf. Note that I said the redeemer must be “qualified.” Any man born of the seed of man is going to
be born equally corrupt as the one he might wish to redeem. In order to be “qualified” to redeem man, the
savior of man must not be born of the seed of Adam. He must be virgin born so the nature with
which he is born is not already corrupted.
Many
have thought that Yahushua had to be virgin born in order to demonstrate that
he is deity. This is false. He was born of a virgin for only one
reason. It was to enable him to be
qualified to become the redeemer of man. He had to begin his life in the same
state that Adam began his life…pure and righteous. It is for this reason that Yahushua’s most
frequently used term to identify himself is the “son of man” (“Ben Adam” in the
Hebrew, son of Adam), and why he is called “the last Adam.” Yahushua was a man,
just like Adam before the fall.
His
birth was just the first step. He had to
remain pure and upright before IAUE. If
he failed even once to obey the will of IAUE, he would have forfeited his
righteous nature and would have become just as we are, fallen,
unrighteous. He would no longer have
been “qualified” to redeem man. We
believe, however, as the Scripture tells us, that he did indeed live without
disobedience to IAUE’s will. He lived
without sin; and by submitting to death, being impaled on our behalf and in our
place, he took upon himself our rightful and lawful punishment. Yahushua became
the qualified redeemer of man---the sinless for the sinful, the perfect for the
imperfect, the righteous for the unrighteous.
John 3:16 For IAUE so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We are all familiar with this most-quoted verse in the
Scriptures; but do you know what comes next in this passage?
John 3:17 For IAUE sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of IAUE.
Man’s
condition is one of being condemned ALREADY.
This is because, as David said in Psalm 51:5 “ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did
my mother conceive me.”
We are conceived, formed and born unrighteous. The very first acts of our life
originate from a corrupt nature. It is
our Adamic inheritance; and because of it we stand judged condemned before IAUE
and we are simply awaiting the day of the execution of the sentence that is already
declared upon us. Only a righteous man
could intervene and provide a means of escape from the judgment due the
unrighteous. Only a righteous man could
offer his own righteousness in exchange for our corrupt nature.
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of IAUE in him.
When Yahushua was impaled, he experienced the
death due to the unrighteous. He paid our price; and yet, he personally was not
deserving of death. His vindication was
evidenced by his resurrection from the dead.
Death cannot hold the righteous man.
Did you know that Yahushua sacrificed more than
his life to provide man the avenue of escape from his own unrighteousness? When he was brought into the world, Yahushua
was the “only begotten” Son of IAUE. Adam also was referred to as the “son of IAUE”
(Luke 3:38), but Adam was created, not born.
When Yahushua submitted himself unto death on our behalf, the only
begotten son of IAUE died. When IAUE
raised Yahushua from the dead, he was no longer the only begotten of IAUE. That
man had died. Yahushua became “the firstborn among many
brethren” (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 12:23).
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Yahushua the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of IAUE.
It was the delight of Yahushua even to forfeit
his unique place in the family of IAUE as His only begotten son in order to
accomplish the task his Father gave to him, to open the way for unrighteous man
to be restored to his creator. Note what
the apostle Paul told the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 1:15-23. He tells them that he does not cease praying
that they would receive wisdom and revelation to understand IAUE. In particular he wanted them to know this:
Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his
mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Messiah, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
The power that IAUE exercised when He raised
Yahushua from the dead to become the FIRSTBORN is the very same power He
exercises upon the one who believes in Messiah to bring new life to him.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in
Messiah, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
The death and resurrection of Messiah made no man
righteous. It did, however, forgive all
mankind their sins, their disobediences to the will of IAUE. Forgiveness, alone, however, does not change
the nature of man. Man will just keep on
being disobedient to the will of IAUE because he cannot help himself. It is his nature. Forgiveness is not
salvation. It is only the means whereby we become aware of salvation (Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of
salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins).
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that IAUE was in Messiah, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Messiah, as though IAUE did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Messiah’s stead, be ye reconciled to IAUE.
This word “reconciliation”
is very significant. There are two words
in the Greek that are translated into this one word in English; they are “katallasso”
and “diallasso.” Katallasso is used when only one party has
rejected the other. I have had numerous friendships in years gone by, where a
friend has taken offense at me and has broken off our relationship. I have no ill feelings toward them, and would
welcome their friendship to be restored; but it is something they must choose
to do. I cannot do it for them. Diallasso
is when both parties are offended at each other. With diallasso, both parties must make a move
to restore the relationship.
The word used in the above verses is “katallasso.” There is only one offended party who must
return to be restored. Man rejected his
relationship with IAUE. Unfortunately,
however, in his rejection of IAUE, man also lost his ability to be reconciled
with IAUE, as we have discussed above. The barrier to restored relationship
cannot originate with man. It had to be
provided by a “qualified redeemer.” This,
Yahushua has done; but man must still be reconciled with IAUE. Just because Messiah has removed the barrier,
does not mean the heart of man has “crossed over,” has been automatically
restored to IAUE, to do His will, to honor their Creator with their life.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of IAUE in him.
Notice carefully. The
purpose of Yahushua’s death to pay for the penalty of our sins and to remove
the barrier that has prevented reconciliation between man and IAUE is that we MIGHT be made righteous “in him.”
Next week: The Imputation
of Righteousness
Kingdom
heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the
performance of the will of IAUE.
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