The call to holiness is paramount

 The call to holiness is paramount

 Holiness and righteousness are the main objective of our calling, they both form our new nature as we have been duly instructed saying; “and that you put on the new man who was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

Although both were imputed through the righteousness of Jesus Christ nevertheless, both are required to be practiced and perfected for we have been duly admonished saying; “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” And, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” ( 1John 3:7; 2Corinthians 7:1).

Holiness is actually the fruit or the product of righteousness, not our own righteousness which is as filthy rags before God, neither is it by the works of the law, for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified, but it is by having faith in Jesus Christ our Righteousness.

Now since faith without works is dead, I beg to ask the question, how can one nourish and develop this new nature which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness? Remember, holiness is the fruit or the result of righteousness as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness” (Romans 6:19).

And so the noble question is, how do we present the members of our body as slaves of righteousness in order to produce holiness? Or in other words, how do we nourish the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness?

The nourishment of the new man is precisely as Jesus quite emphatically said; “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven --- not as your fathers ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6: 53-58).

The irony of truth is, one cannot chide away from the act of righteousness that produces holiness for it has been God's plan for man even before the foundation of the world: His plan for achieving His goal was the secret mystery that was hidden from men of other ages, for had they know they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.

And it is only when one practices this act of righteousness that one becomes righteous and ultimately culminates in holiness which is to be free from sin as we have been duly admonished saying; “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.'

“For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3: 4-9).

Please note carefully that the scripture states quite emphatically that, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” So the logical question is how does a person abide in Christ so as not to sin? Jesus Christ stated quite emphatically, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).

Failure to understand and believe the rationale for the new covenant is the main reason why believers are encountering the difficulties that they are experiencing for it is stated quite clearly that; “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself, that is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (1Corinthians 11:27-30).

The literal and practical terms of the new covenant is the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But the question is, have we received this amazing grace of God in vain?

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To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The formula for holiness

The formula for holiness

The state of holiness is a condition that has been foreordained before the foundation of the world to all those who will be adopted as sons of God through His Beloved Son Jesus Christ, but the irony of truth is, there is one and only one way by which anyone can become holy and it is by partaking of the body of Jesus Christ in a worthy manner. For thus it is written; “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy” (Exodus 29:31-33).

It is by eating of the thing with which the atonement was made that one becomes holy, and in our new dispensation, the thing by which the atonement was made is the sacrificial body and blood of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ.

Now by the grace of God, through His Son Jesus Christ God's gift to man, provisions have been made by which man can attain holiness. For thus it is written; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Now the call for holiness, which was ordained before the foundation of the world, is not a once a year phenomenon; neither is it a quarterly, monthly, or a weekly requirement but it should be a daily process as we have been duly admonished saying; “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham: To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life” (Luke 1: 68-75).

The call for holiness in order to have access and fellowship with the Father should be on a daily basis. In fact the instructions regarding the offering of the food for the Lord's offerings, the medium by which one attains holiness reads as follows;- "Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time' (Numbers 28:2).

Now the appointed time to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings according to the scriptures is as follows:

·         Regularly (morning and evening)

This is to express our gratitude to God for His lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness in the evening.

·         On the Sabbath/s (weekly and yearly)

This offering is known as a peace or fellowship offering, the medium by which members have fellowships with one another and with the Father and the Son. It is also the main reason for having a holy convocation as we have been duly admonished saying; “These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day ---besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD” (Leviticus 23: 37-38).

As one can clearly see, offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the main objective for having a holy convocation without which no one has access to the throne of grace, no fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son. Offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the new and living way by which we draw near to the Father and have fellowship with one another.

·         Monthly (new moon)

The other appointed time to offer the Lord the food for His offerings is as we have been duly instructed saying; “'At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD…this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year.” This of course is at every new moon which commemorates the beginning of a new month (Numbers 28:11, 14).

If one truly knows, understands and believe the terms and conditions of the new covenant and the reformation that took place in its implementation should know that the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of the bread and wine has replaced the burnt offering since Jesus Christ gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

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 To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The literal and practicality of the New Covenant?

The literal and practicality of the new covenant

How literal and practical are the terms of the New Covenant which became effective after the death of Jesus Christ considering the fact that we have been duly admonished saying; “For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator: For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives” (Hebrews 9:16-17).

I therefore beg to ask the question, how practical and effective is the New Covenant which Jesus Christ made shortly before His death when He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

Let us be practical and realistic, if the cup of the New Covenant is the medium by which we obtain redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, how often should we seek forgiveness in order to maintain our relationship with the Father who does not coexist with sin? (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1John 1:5-6).

We should also bear in mind the fact that; “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Also, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Therefore, what should one do in order to have fellowship with the Father?

Obviously, the one and only thing one must do in order to have fellowship with the Father it is to apply the terms of the new covenant by which one can draw near to God as explicitly explained by the apostle Paul who wrote; “Now where there is remission of these (through the cup of the New Covenant), there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:18-22).

But we being so self-righteous believe that we can be righteous or holy without adhering to the principles or protocol established by God when the bible states quite emphatically; “for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' It also says that; “according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).

The Bible also states that; “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ' By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' It also admonished us by saying; “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Leviticus 10:3; Hebrews 12:14).

Yet vain, self-righteous human beings believe that they can appear before the Almighty in all their sinful and unrighteous state, without partaking of the cup of the New Covenant for the remission of sins and without having the law placed in their hearts as an expression of their love for it and the law written in their minds for continual remembrance.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Our liberty in respect to worship

 

Our liberty in respect to worship

The liberty that we have with regards to the worship of God is that, instead of “you shall” as of compulsion or command it is now; “If you love Me keep My commandments.” It is, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his /her own mind. He/she who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he/she who does not observe the day, to the Lord he/she does not observe it.” It is simply a matter of faith and love expressing one’s gratitude , thanksgiving and appreciation for what the Lord has done and commemorating it as a memorial (John 14:15; Romans 14:5-60).

But the million dollar question is, does it matter to God if, when and how He is worshiped? The answer is an absolute yes for thus says the Lord; “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).

I therefore beg to ask the question are we worshiping God in spirit and truth. Considering the fact that the Lord unequivocally said; “Surely My Sabbaths (plural) you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:13-17).

Since by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word shall be established let us establish this fact by what the Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel saying; “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:12, 19-20).

We can also collaborate this trend of thought by examining the Apostle Paul’s statement which reads; “For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, ' They shall not enter My rest,' "although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."

Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:3-11).

 I therefore beg to ask the question, even though we have the liberty to observe or not to observe are we diligent in entering that rest and ceased from our works even as God did from His when He created the heavens and the earth? Or are we at liberty to choose whichever day that is pleasing to us? And please note carefully that the main objective for observing the Sabbath is to show gratitude and appreciation for the Lord’s creation and to thank Him for what He has done for us.

Therefore, let us not be misled into believing that the Sabbath/s were intended only for the Jews because, we have been duly admonished saying; “Therefore receive one another (Jews and Gentiles), just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name."

And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope" (Romans 15:7-12).

Gentiles are to glorify God in association with His people and not in isolation; His grace did not give anyone the license to reject His holy days and substitute them with days which His has not ordained and thus following the customs and traditions of men which are considered as vain and worthless.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Are we using liberty as a pretext for wickedness?

 

Are we using liberty as a pretext for wickedness

Another major concern for the church, the body of Christ is that of knowing how to stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free as instructed by the apostle Paul saying; “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” He further instructed us saying; “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:1.13).

Not knowing how to stand fast in this liberty is the downfall of many sincere devoted believers and resulting in many using this liberty as an opportunity to satisfy the flesh and following the customs and traditions of men instead of using this liberty to express their love, reverence and gratitude to the Most High in thanksgiving for what He has done and continues to do for humanity.

Under the dispensation of the old covenant the law had dominion over a man as long as he lives, but in our new dispensation since Jesus Christ died and paid the penalty of sin in or stead, the law no longer dominion over us as explained by the apostle Paul who wrote. “For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:17-19).    

The law and sin no longer has dominion over us because Jesus Christ fulfilled the just requirements of the law by not succumbing to sin and paid the penalty of sin in full for humanity but it did not eradicate the law nor made it obsolete: For according to the apostle Paul; “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:15-16),

The apostle Paul gave more clarification regarding the present status of the law by stating; “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. “Furthermore, it is clearly stated that, “(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” And: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”…If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him (God) a liar, and His word is not in us” (Romans 3:31; 5:13; 1John 1:8, 10).

So obviously, God’s laws are still in effect because it is clearly stated that, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” And why should we be given the admonition saying; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1John 3:4; 1John 2:1-2).

So the reason why sin does not have dominion over us it is not because the law is redundant and it is no longer in force but rather, it is because there is forgiveness if we confess our sins and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins. Therefore, we should not use the grace of God and the liberty that we have as a pretext to disobey the laws of God and spending our time in the flesh fulfilling our fleshly desires and submitting ourselves to the customs and traditions of men.

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To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The horrendous act of self righteousness

The horrendous act of self-righteousness

 I wonder how many of us that are examining and considering the way we approach the throne of grace, whether it is through our own self-righteousness which is as filthy rags before God, whether it is by the works of the law by which of course no flesh shall be justified, or by Jesus Christ our righteousness.

It is imperative that we examine ourselves concerning this very important issue in order to avoid falling victim to the horrendous act of self –righteousness because, whether we ignorantly, deceptively or deliberately committing this act the consequences are the same because, ignorance of the law is no excuse and as we have been duly admonished saying: “that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few” (Luke 12:47-48).

It is self-righteousness on the part of anyone who believes that, he/she can present themselves before the throne of the Most High at any time and without presenting to Him the food for His offerings. For thus says the Lord who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

“When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies --- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:12-15).

First and foremost one cannot approach the throne of grace without an appointment, if the day is not ordained by the Lord Himself everything done will be futile, prayers will be considered an abomination because the Lord has ordained specific days when we are to appear before Him, for thus says the Lord Who is the same yesterday, today and forever; “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” And, “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2, 4).

So there are specific days which the Lord has ordained for His people to appear before Him on their own volition as stated by the apostle Paul who wrote; “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it” (Romans 14:-6).

There is absolutely no legalism, it is simply an expression of faith, love and thanksgiving to God for what He did for humanity on these specific days and for which we commemorate and express our gratitude.

Secondly, when approaching the presence of the Most High one must consider the holiness of God and present to Him the food for His offerings, for this is what the LORD spoke, saying: ' By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified “ (Leviticus 10:3).

To regard the Lord as holy is not to associate Him with sin for this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:5-7).

Please note carefully that, in order to have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son it is imperative that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, without this cleansing we cannot have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son.

It is the blood of Jesus Christ through the administering of the blood of the New Covenant that cleanses us from all sins and grants us access in the presence of the Most High as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:15-17).

Furthermore, the main objective for having a holy convocation is to offer the Lord the food for His offerings for thus says the Lord Who again is the same yesterday, today and forever; “These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day ---besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:37-38).

This offering as one can clearly see it is besides or in addition to observing the Sabbaths which were ordained principally to come and appear before the Lord and it is also besides or in addition to any other  gifts or offerings one may desire to offer to the Lord and the Command to offer the Lord the food for His offerings reads as follows;  “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).

I therefore beg to ask the question, when we appear before the Lord on a day which He has not ordained and appearing before Him without presenting to Him the food for His offerings is this not being self-righteous?

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With brotherly love 

Lucius Joseph

The faulty old covenant

 

The faulty old covenant

There is absolutely no ambiguity as to why the old covenant was faulty because the scriptures states clearly; “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah “(Hebrews 8:7-8)

The fault of the old covenant was not restricted only to the people who could not keep their part of the covenant since whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. But the fault existed also in:

a.        The earthly tabernacle which was faulty since the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands and the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing (Acts 7:48;17:2;Hebrews 8:11; 9:8).

2. Animal sacrifices: For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4).
3. The Levitical Priesthood who were not permanent and were prevented by death from continuing and needed daily to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the  people. The law appointed as high priests men who have weakness (Hebrews 7:23, 27, 28).

What transpired is that, on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and un-profitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:18-19)

This is therefore not an abolition of the protocol by which we draw near to God but rather a reformation because the old covenant was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience ---concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:8-10).

But with the new covenant, “Jesus Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:11-14).

What is also very important to note is that although Jesus Christ offered Himself once and for all He nevertheless left us His flesh and blood in the form of the bread and wine which He as every High Priest has to offer on our behalf as we have been duly admonished saying; “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer” (Hebrews 5:1; 8:3).

I therefore beg to ask the question again, are we offering to the Lord the food for His offerings at the appointed time or, have we received the grace of God's forgiving mercies in vain?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYGDD7M

To be continued 

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The New Covenant

 

The New Covenant?

Not understanding the rationale and the main objective for the institution of the New Covenant which Jesus Christ instituted on the night before He was crucified and became effective after His death since  where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives, seems to be the main catalyst in receiving the grace of God in vain. The grace of God which comprise of Jesus Christ the Beloved Son of God, the gift of eternal life, all of man’s gifts, talents and abilities; God’s forgiving mercies and the gospel.

Before Jesus Christ suffered on the cross, He made a New Covenant which became effective after His death and the objective of this new covenant was to replace the old covenant which was deemed unprofitable and useless, for we have been clearly instructed saying: “for on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and un-profitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7: 18-19).

It is also stated quite emphatically that; “... if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Hebrews 8:7-8).

The New Covenant therefore replaced the old covenant, which was un-profitable and incapable of fulfilling its mandate, which was to present the worshiper perfect, blameless and irreproachable before God, for it is said that; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

It is also stated that; For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins (Hebrews 10: 1-4).

So here we see that the rationale and main objective for establishing the old covenant was to serve as the medium by which one could draw near to God, but it could not fulfill its mandate because it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, and for this reason it could not present the worshiper holy, sinless and perfect, in order that they could draw near to God.

It is stated clearly that, if the sacrifices of animals could take away sins and present the worshiper sinless and perfect before God it would not have ceased to be offered, denoting that presenting to the Lord an offering is a basic requirement in order to draw near to Him and therefore, animal sacrifices had to be replaced with a perfect sacrifice that could present the worshiper perfect in order to draw near to the Father

And it is for this reason animal sacrifices was replaced by the New Covenant instituted by Jesus Christ on the night before His death when He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

Unfortunately, many who professed to believe in Jesus Christ have not taken into consideration the fact that in order to draw near to the Father one must be holy, perfect and blameless in His sight and the only way this can be achieved is by presenting to Him the offering which can present us holy, perfect and irreproachable in His sight because, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

And so the apostle Paul made it abundantly clear by stating; “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

This sentiment was also shared by Jesus Christ who said to Thomas; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The way is through His flesh which is represented by the unleavened bread; the truth is the Word of God Jesus Christ Himself our eternal High Priest and the life is the blood of Jesus Christ represented by the wine, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and God has given it to us upon the altar to make atonement for our souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (John 14:6; Leviticus 17:11).

And so, the prerequisite by which one can draw near to the Father is by presenting to Him the blood of His Beloved Son Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins which is represented by the wine, His flesh represented by the unleavened bread and Jesus Christ Himself as our eternal High Priest interceding on our behalf.

This offering is our basic and fundamental requirement for appearing before the presence of the Father at His appointed time, as Moses was duly admonished saying; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time' (Numbers 28:2).

Our failure to grasp and fathom the rationale for the new covenant is one of the main reasons why the church which is the body of Christ is experiencing so many divisions and confusions in their midst and undoubtedly have received the grace of God in vain.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Ambassadors for Christ

3.         Ambassadors for Christ

The third important work we were ordained to perform even before the foundation of the world is to be entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. For it is written; "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2Corinthians 5:18-21).

Also, as a kingdom of priests it is also imperative that, “the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth without partiality; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 2:7).

The main objective of God's grace is for us to become the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, and this we attain by imitating the life of Jesus Christ as we have been duly admonished saying; “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness --- by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:21-24).

 And therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, we are to arm ourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles --- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries: In regard to these, they think it strange that we do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of us” (1Peter 4:1-4).

Therefore, regardless of what is transpiring around us we are representatives and ambassadors of the kingdom of God and our duty is to comply with the laws and living standards that are in compliance with that of the kingdom of God, and we should not forget that, we are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are neither of the night nor of darkness and the crux of the matter is, there is a huge disparity between the life style of the citizens of the kingdom of light and that of the kingdom of darkness and it should be visible and transparent so that everyone can clearly see without being judgmental.

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 With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Co-workers as builders with Christ

2.         God's building

The second important work that we were ordained to perform along with Jesus Christ as co-workers is that of building God's spiritual temple. And therefore, we have been admonished saying; "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

Jesus Christ is the four corner stone on which we are to construct our building and knowing how to build on these four corner stone is of intrinsic importance for example;

·         Jesus became for us the wisdom from God

This wisdom from God is the wisdom of sending His One and Only Begotten Son to the world in the form of sinful human flesh to pay the price of sin in man’s stead. A wisdom which is defined as follows; “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1Corinthians 2:6-8).

·          Jesus Christ our righteousness

Jesus Christ is our righteousness by paying the price of sin in our stead and making things right with the Father and imputed to us His righteousness when we are renewed in the spirit of our mind and have put on the new man who was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. He is presently our High Priest sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf and making things right with the Father.

·         Jesus Christ is our sanctification

Our sanctification is through the body of Jesus Christ as we have been duly admonished saying; “By that will we have been sanctified (set apart) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

This once and for all phenomenon basically means that Jesus Christ sacrificed His body once and for all for our sanctification as was prophesied by the prophet Isiah who wrote; “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

The broken body of Jesus Christ was a once and for all phenomenon, but He has left us the bread to represent His body which we are to partake of at His appointed time for the sanctification and healing of our body and so we have been duly admonished saying; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time' (Numbers 28:2).

• Jesus Christ our redemption

Jesus Christ is our redemption through His blood. Like the once and for all sanctification through His body represented and being perpetuated by eating of the bread, so is the once and for all phenomenon though His blood which is represented by the wine which is the only means for our redemption as we have been duly instructed saying; “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14).

I therefore beg to ask the question, are we building our spiritual building on the right foundation! And are we using the right endurable material?