It
is therefore incumbent on each one individually to come to the knowledge and
understanding of how to maintain and develop the new nature in which we were
created as we have been duly admonished saying; “and that you put on the new
man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
When
we speak about true righteousness it does not refer to man’s own righteousness which
is regarded as filthy rags before God, nor does it refer to righteousness by
the deeds of the law
by which no flesh will be justified in His sight, but refers
to the righteousness which is from God by faith, the righteousness which when
practiced, one becomes righteous even as Jesus Christ Himself is righteousness
as we have been duly admonished saying; “Little children, let no one deceive
you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:20; 1John 3:7).
This
righteousness together with holiness is derived through the righteous act of
Jesus Christ who through His death gave the free gift to all men, resulting in
justification of life. The gift of righteousness and the state of holiness is
attainable and sustainable only through the body and blood of Jesus Christ: And
so, whenever we eat the bread and drink the cup, which represent the broken
body and shed blood of Jesus Christ we are proclaiming or publicly declaring
and reemphasizing the purpose, the rationale, the objective for the Lord's
death till He comes and by this we are nourishing and sustaining the new man
which was created in righteousness and in true holiness.
Hence
the reason why Jesus Christ duly admonished us by saying; “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 (real) food
indeed, and My blood is (real) 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
question is, how often should a person feed his/her physical body in order to
remain strong and healthy? Remember, we have absolutely no excuse because we
have been duly instructed saying; “For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”
(Romans 1:20).
Proclaiming
the Lord’s death until He comes which is manifested by the regular partaking of
the bread and the wine is a responsibility given to the church, for we have
been duly instructed saying; “to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God
might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the
heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence
through faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:10-12).
Like
under the old covenant which was a copy and shadow of the reality and a pattern
of what is taking place in the heavenly tabernacle in order for one to attain
holiness one had to eat of the things by which the atonement was made as Aaron
was duly instructed saying; “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 29:32-33).
In
our New Testament dispensation the things with which the atonement was made in
order to consecrate and sanctify us and which an outsider should not eat, is
the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ represented by the bread and
wine.
It
is very important for one to note that, if animal sacrifices were able to
present those who approach the throne of grace perfect they would not have
ceased to be offered signifying that it is obligatory to offer this sweet
smelling aroma before approaching the throne of grace, and so, when Jesus
Christ came He said; “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You
have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no
pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come ---In the volume of the book it is
written of Me ---To do Your will, O God.'
Previously
saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin
You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according
to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O
God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that
will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all” (Hebrews 10:5-10).
This
once and for all phenomenon unfortunately has many people bamboozled not
understanding that, this once and for all simply means that, once and for all
there is now a perfect offering that can present the worshiper holy, perfect,
blameless and irreproachable in the presence of God thus fulfilling the second
established will of the Father which includes a perfect, sinless eternal High
Priest and a heavenly tabernacle not made with hands.
And
this is why Jesus Christ quite emphatically said, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
The
way to the Father is through His body represented by the Unleavened Bread, the
truth is through Himself our eternal High Priest sitting at the right hand of
the Father and interceding on our behalf and the life is through His blood
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.' And 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).
Therefore, the blood of Jesus Christ
represented by the wine is the medium by which we have our sins forgiven, for 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).
God has overlooked these times of
ignorance and now commands all men everywhere to repent.
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To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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