For The Lord Is A Great God, And A Great King Above All gods - Part 2009

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Wherefore when He comes into the world, He saith, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure." Then said I, "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me!) to do Thy will, O God." Above when He said, "Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein" -- which are offered by the law; then said He, "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. He takes away the first, that He may establish the second."

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:1-10)

Indeed, when He came into the world to redeem us from sin -- God our Saviour -- the first covenant had to go so that He could establish a second new covenant. (I Timothy 3:16; John 1:10-11; Isaiah 9:6)

"... the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing!" (Hebrews 9:8)

You see, by His will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus the Christ once and for all. But when He first sojourned on the New Testament side, Jesus began by first reading from the prophetical book of Esaias [Isaiah]. There He read a passage that stated, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, and recover the sight of the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." And He closed the book.

In other words, Jesus was preaching the acceptable will of the Lord. The prophecies from afore that were intended for us to understand that this same Jesus whom was crucified is both Lord and Christ. And that in ushering in the New Testament, we have become witnesses to the day of God’s visitation wen He takes away the first, while firmly establishing the second.

Recall when Jesus had completed all that was required to secure our redemption? He sat down. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin with His own precious holy blood shed on a cross for you and I. The greatest gift when the Good Shepherd willingly lays down His life for His sheep. But in this case, our Lord God went further, for He laid down His humanity whilst we were still His enemies.

So when Jesus is standing, it is because a new dispensation of grace, or unmerited favour has commenced. In Acts 7:56, Stephen presented the good news of salvation to a group of religious people, laying out these same historical events. Note in Acts 7 that Jesus was standing. The significance of standing is that this was to be the FINAL call to a religious Jewish nation. They were at that moment to be cut off because of their stubborn unbelief.

" ... unto whom I sware in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest." (Psalm 95:11; Hebrews 3:11)

"For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into My rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world .... And in this place again, If they shall enter into My rest." (Hebrews 4:3, 5)

Continuing in Acts 7, Saul [later to become apostle Paul] was party to all these happenings. But unbeknownst to Saul, he was to be met by the Lord Jesus when he journeyed to Damascus. While he journeyed to Damascus, the Lord revealed that Saul was a chosen vessel unto Him. As a result, Paul would now be His Apostle to the Gentiles. Note that Jesus stood up while Stephen was being stoned to death. This sojourning is further expanded upon in Acts chapters 8 and 9.

But the good news is that this meeting led to the complete altering of the future. In this context, we need to understand that the Lord's way is not our way. He looks not on the outward appearance of men, but rather He looks into one's heart. And to that end, God swung open the door of obtainable salvation to the Gentiles. The Lord redeemed to Himself a believing people, who would be His own people, and as stated in the scriptures, He is going to call this people by His name. These people will be His bride.

Without the shedding of His blood, there shall be no remission of sin. We are washed with the water of the Word of God and now we are clean. We are sanctified through the Word that He has spoken to us. His Truth! (John 17:!7) As He said, he that is internally clean needs nothing more than to wash His feet.

Peter was admonished of God when God alerted him that what He, God has cleansed we must never call (His believing bride ) common or unclean. We are bone of his bone and flesh of His flesh. A new covenant was established and brought us into the reality of being purchased by God Himself. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God toward us. God’s love being visibly expressed when He gave Himself for us.

Stand in the offering plate.