To Whom Coming, As Unto A Living Stone, Disallowed Indeed Of Men, But Chosen Of God, And Precious - Part 1920

"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love." (Ephesians 3:16-17)

Who is the He spoken of here? God Almighty! The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. In this dispensation of grace, His Name is JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)

This might be an ideal time to interject why we make reference to God as being male in gender. First and foremost, God is Spirit, filling the heavens and the earth. Even the scriptures state, "Why even the heavens cannot contain God!" How big is God? Well, in God, we live and we move and we have our being. Further, God created man in His own image. This might be where we begin to think of God as He. 

The first woman was taken from man. The bone was of his bone and the flesh of his flesh making man incomplete without the woman. Eve then, is the mother of all living. God delivered Eve from Adam in the garden of Eden. 

“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Genesis 2:22)

When that initial creation intersects with salvation is in the second Adam, heavenly, or in Christ who brings those who believe in Him by faith as a new creation, it is here that our understanding of the good news gospel message is increased. And subsequently, that there is neither male nor female. 

For further clarification, you might want to read I Corinthians11:1-16. Herein, you will begin to read how no man has seen God at any time. Only the begotten who is in the bosom of the Father has declared Him. The only begotten. Jesus spoke of Himself as the Only begotten. The Word made flesh and dwelt among us. He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. (John 1:1-18) 

In comparison, we are spoken of as begat. The difference is that Jesus is God’s holy child being conceived of the Holy Ghost, is spoken of in the scriptures as One who is without father or mother. He has no beginning of days, nor end of life. Why? Because His beginning is after the order (the lead) of Melchisedec.

We cannot be talking of the flesh in which the Spirit of the Christ was embodied. for the flesh covering began in the womb of Mary when she served as a surrogate mother. The fetus being seeded of the Holy Ghost.  What do the scriptures state? That which is conceived in you Mary is of the Holy Ghost ... and finished at Calvary. He was sown a natural body and yet raised a spiritual body. Jesus is introduced as being God with us -- as a Son. The Word was made or veiled and the flesh lived among us. God manifest in the flesh. 

To wit, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. (I Corinthians 5:19)

Therefore, what we are witnessing here is that the Word was clothed in the flesh of fallen humanity. Having been clothed upon with flesh in Mary’s womb, the pure humanity is attributed to the Holy Ghost which was in the man Jesus the Christ. God was in Christ. God did not come to earth to acquire humanity. God is, and always will be the source of pure humanity. Before the fall, Adam was perfect in all his ways, an earthly expression of God.

Still, God was endeavouring thereby, to reveal His own spiritual humanity in a visible earthly-created form. A form created from the dust of the earth into which God breathed the breath of life. Fresh air. The same air which keeps us alive yet is incapable of providing us with spiritual humanity. In the Old Testament, we learn that Adam was a created son of God. One could say that if you had seen Adam, you had perhaps seen God, in a created form. 

But in the New Testament, we read that the Word was veiled in flesh. The Word -- God Himself. The SAME Word (or counsel of God ) that had brought forth Adam. God Had promised that He would become our Saviour, and in keeping with His promised Word, He conceived Himself into Mary’s womb. Even though He had created all things, God still humbled Himself for you and I. God took upon Himself the form of a servant in a son form. In the scriptures, He is referred to as the second Adam -- the Lord Himself! 

From the first chapter of Hebrews, we understand that God who at different times and in various manners spoke to us through the mouths of prophets has now spoken to us as/in His Son. God’s Spirit created all things and by Himself (as a Son) and for Himself, all things were made. Apart from Himself, there is nothing made that was made. 

God said, "My glory, I will not give to another." It is said, "Let all the angels of God worship Him." Most certainly, the wise men worshipped Jesus. So did the disciples. And John the baptizer pointed to Jesus. Indeed, if we examine the scriptures from beginning to end, we learn that "Lo, behold, the volume of the book is written of Me -- Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus the Christ is the same God, yesterday, today and forever. This is why Thomas declared to Jesus to be “... my Lord and my God!" So should we. 

"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (I Peter 2:6-8)

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. (Ephesians 4:5-6) 

Stand in the offering plate.