Christ refers to Jesus of Nazareth, a central figure in Christianity, recognized as the Son of God and the Messiah. Believers see Him as the savior who provides salvation through His death and resurrection. Key elements associated with Christ include His teachings, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, and the concept of grace. In Christianity, Christ embodies love, redemption, and hope, making Him a pivotal figure in faith and spirituality. Understanding Christ is essential for exploring Christian beliefs, worship practices, and theological discussions.
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Mark 10:15, Luke 18:17
Jesus says that we will not enter the kingdom of Heaven unless we become like a child.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12
As adopted heirs according to the Promise of our Messiah we are humbled by the certainty of our Salvation being from God’s Grace & nothing else, not even human choice… Not even our own choice.
And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:17
God is the Potter & His Creation is His clay… The Lord does ALL that He pleases.
I, being the clay in my Potter’s hands, have no authority over how my Potter establishes & constructs me.
I am guilty of my sinful actions, thoughts & nature. In my flesh I disgust a Holy God, this is exactly why a Savior is required for reconciliation.
He patterns His clay according to the pattern He devises in His Mind. His Thoughts are what generate, cultivate, and produce what we humans comprehend as reality.
Outside of the Mind of God, there is NOTHING.
Material reality is a shadow of Spiritual reality, the Spiritual Realm reigns as sovereign over ALL material, not the other way around.
I recognize that I’m just as wicked-natured, crooked, and filled with as much iniquity as the next person & the only reason I am Saved from the wages of my flesh is by His Grace, His Faith, His Decision, His Ordination, His Predetermination, and His Council, all such is derived from His perfect Mind…
We are the clay being formed into His masterpiece, depending solely on Him, the Potter. We are vessels. A vessel depends on its Operator, not itself.
My value, of my own volition, is not higher or lesser than any other human, of whom are made in the likeness of God but all tainted by the sin of Adam.
God always obtains what is His & He deserves ALL Glory!
If a believer deprives any bit of Glory to God, they are speaking a false, counterfeit Doctrine, aimed at robbing God of His Glory… Be it some Glory or all Glory; we own, control, & inhabit NO GLORY outside of Christ.
Glory is His – ALONE.
When we see His perfectly Righteous Wrath, God reveals to us even more that His Glory is merciful, and His Mercy endures (sustains) forever. He reveals His Glory in the ability of His Majestic Grace.
It’s Grace because it’s unearned, it’s not a reward, it’s a pardon, and there is no cause but the Judge’s own Decision & Mercy.
If you earned any part of the Salvation & Grace you received, it’s not Grace. & If you depend on your Salvation, I’d question myself because only God is dependable
He lavishes His Grace and Mercy for whomever He ordains. He is an impartial Judge. He is not a respecter of persons.
In ALL THINGS He is THE essence & foundation, commanding His declaration to be respected by Speaking that which is nothing into existence and making it something. He is before all things, in all things, & all things work through Him, & for Him & to Him.
His will is perfect & a perfect will is unable to be incomplete or unfinished, meaning He accomplishes His will… & His will was written before your decision.
To be perfect is to be exact, complete, accurate, and valid, a completed Will lacks nothing.
Anything truly perfect needs nothing outside of its perfection. A Will that is perfect achieves & fulfills itself without any missing aspect needed…
We are provided with the capacity to discern by His Will and Spirit. He is our illumination in the fog. The Spirit illuminates what materiality darkens.
He determines to lift the veil from the eyes of all that See (in His Spirit) -we are developed beyond the shadow, no longer limited to the diagram, but we are integrated with the Substance.
We have the Holy Spirit. We are rescued from the death we deserve, we earned Hell, by the power of the flesh.
We are purchased by our Creator into Life, saved from our flesh’s reward, we don’t deserve to be saved, we have no merit, etc not even a little bit
But thanks to God we who See are completely Free; only by the Power of the Holy Spirit… Without such, we’re only Tares presuming we are Wheat, but like a flower, we have no substance and we die out.
Exhalt
Humans are attached to the assurance of their own free will. I have discerned that when we only place our active trust in ourselves & our own opinions, we can only trust what we experience with our five senses.
As it is written in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Our reliance on our free will and limited senses can lead us astray, but when we trust in the Lord and submit to His will, He will guide us on the right path.
As it says in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Let us not be bound by our understanding but instead seek the wisdom and guidance of the Lord.
There are some who strongly believe that we have the ability to determine our own will and choices, as this seems evident based on our personal experiences. However, it is important to approach differing viewpoints with respect and understanding, rather than resorting to ridicule or mockery. While some may feel that certain religious leaders or teachings hold more weight than others, it is also important to seek guidance from multiple sources and to carefully consider the guidance of the Holy Spirit in interpreting scripture.
The popular argument is:
‘humans do respond to God & response is derived from the will, therefore man’s will.”
Free will is limited by God’s will, and our decisions are part of his divine plan, so following his direction leads us on the right path.
As it is written in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Therefore, let us humble ourselves before the Lord and seek His guidance in all our decisions, knowing that He is the one who ultimately directs our paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Man, without the Holy Spirit pastoring him through Scriptures believes the opposite of the Truth. We can only be truly free IN CHRIST.
But then we are not free in our will but in His Will.
Scripture tells us that there’s no freedom in any works of the flesh…
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
– Galatians 5:1
HIS WILL! NOT MINE! LORD! ❤️
Exhalt
Humans are attached to the assurance of their own free will. I have discerned that when we only place our active trust in ourselves & our own opinions then we can only trust what we experience with our 5 senses.
Our senses tell us that it’s beyond obvious that we are free to will as we determine and any opposition to this Doctrine ought to be ridiculed and mocked because we believe what Pastors and mere mortal men tell us, many forsaking the Holy Spirit of God, the One Who guides man DIRECTLY through Scripture.
Because we can’t sense the Will of God through human perceptions, we laugh at the thought.
The popular argument is that ‘humans do respond to God & response is derived from the will, therefore man’s will.”
Of course responding, acting, choosing, and deciding appears to a man (who’s biggest enemy is truly himself & his Pride) as his own free will, but the truth is: he can only respond because God makes him willing first, and then when God opens man’s spiritual ears and eyes to Hear and See, God changes his heart, so then, the man can believe freely or willingly.
Freely in who? Or Freely from who?
Man surely is not free in himself. Nor is a man who’s in Christ have a will free from Christ.
Man, without the Holy Spirit pastoring him through Scriptures believes the opposite of the Truth. We can only be truly free IN CHRIST. But then we are not free in our will but in His.
Scripture tells us that there’s no freedom in any works of the flesh…
HIS WILL! NOT MINE! LORD! ❤️
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
What the Law could not do, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh & an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do NOT walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who walk according to the flesh put their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who walk according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
But the mind set on the Spirit is life & peace,
The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, it is not even able to do so,(man in & of himself is wicked & deprived) & those who are in the flesh cannot please God (no matter how hard they try). .
The good news is you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you. But if ANYONE does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ.
If Christ is in you, though your body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of His righteousness.
If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if you are living by the Spirit you are laying to death the actions of the body, & you will live.
All who are being directed by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, & if we are children, we are heirs also, heirs of God & fellow heirs with Christ,
If we suffer with Him we may also be glorified with Him.
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The anxious longing of His entire creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
Romans 8:1-25 Directly quoted.
A person can only KNOW God by the Spirit of God, we CAN’T know or understand God apart from the Spirit of God…
It is impossible to Know thoughts that are inside of another because to know something is to have a personal connection to it.
Who knows a person’s thoughts except for the spirit of that person, which is in him?
Also, no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might comprehend the things freely given to us by God.
We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
The natural (fleshly, carnal) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are stupid to him & HE’S NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.
The spiritual person judges all things but himself to be judged by no one.
Judge: (Greek) Anakrinó: to observe, examine, investigate, explore, analyze
“For who has understood the mind, psyche, &thoughts of the Lord so as to educate Him?”
Instruct: (Greek) Sumbibazó: to join together, assemble, teach, equip for consolidation
We possess the mind of Christ.
Mind: (Greek) nous: mentality, understanding, reason)
Are you KIND or are you NICE???
I’ve learned that being kind and being nice are NOT the same… not even close actually.
Yet most of us conflate the two and use them interchangeably (I’m guilty of this) which is a disservice to ourselves.
Being nice isn’t even a good thing, once we understand the stark difference and comprehend the substance of both words we can understand God more & what He desires… causing appreciation to the significance & substance His WORDS truly bring.
✝️ “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
The word “kind” used in Ephesians is the word chrestos…
Kind/ chréstos: 1. properly, fit for use, useful, serviceable & productive; virtuous, good
2. manageable, i. e. mild, pleasant (opposed to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter)
When you are kind you are useful, competent, capable & well resourced.
Being kind is being useful, beneficial, and benevolent.
So, what is nice?? 🤡 🤡 🤡
1. Foolish; silly; simple; ignorant; also, weak; effeminate.
2. of a trifling moment; unimportant; trivial.
3. Overly scrupulous (meticulous) or exacting (makes severe demands); hard to please or satisfy; fastidious (nit-picky) in small matters.
Check out the only verses in the Scriptures that speak of being a nice person….
⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬
“How TERRIBLE it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that’s the way their ancestors used to treat the FALSE PROPHETS!”
Luke 6:26
“For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say NICE things to you.”
Jeremiah 12:6
They say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!” and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! Tell us NICE THINGS, relate deceptive messages.
Isaiah 30:10
People say nice things about people that say only what they want to hear… Not what they need to hear.
Jesus wasn’t nice, & people didn’t say nice things about Him, in fact people, “good” people in right standing with society wanted Him dead because He was so offensive…
Why?
Because humans have itching ears, we want to hear what’s nice and we despise, revolt against and abhor what is unpleasany true, & kind… The truth isn’t nice to the flesh… the Truth is music to the Spirit though.
Let’s not be nice, let’s be kind.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
1 Corinthians 13:4
Is this true?
We hear the phrase “talk is cheap” when trying to prove the point that the actions of a person preside over their words but how did this universal belief of talk being “cheap” emerge?
Let’s review some definitions.
‘TALK IS CHEAP’;
Merriam Dictionary: “–used to mean that it is easy to say that one will do something”
Freedictionary.com: “It is very easy to talk about what one is going to do or what the correct course of action is, but it is much harder one actually puts those words into action”
Words are not solely sounds incited by air passing through our vocal cords. Words have substantial power and strength. God spoke the earth into existence by the power and strength of His Words (Hebrews 11:3), and we are in His image in part because of the power we possess with words. Words do more than convey information. The capability of our words can incredibly annihilate one’s spirit, even conjure enmity and savagery, hatred and destruction. Words not only exacerbate trauma but inflicts it directly. Of all the creatures on this planet, only man has the power to communicate through the spoken word. The power to utilize words is an extraordinary and significant inheritance from God.
Our words have the power to destroy and the power to build up (Proverbs 12:6). The writer of Proverb tells us, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). Are we using words to build up people or destroy them? Are they filled with hate or love, bitterness or blessing, complaining or compliments, lust or love, victory or defeat? Like tools they can be used to help us reach our goals or to send us spiraling into a deep depression.
Furthermore, our words not only have the power to bring us death or life in this world but in the next as well. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words, you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37). Words are so important, that we are going to give an account of what we say when we stand before the Lord Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). In this passage, Paul is emphasizing the positive over the negative. The Greek word translated “unwholesome” means “rotten” or “foul.” It originally referred to as rotten fruit and vegetables. Being like Christ means we don’t use foul, dirty language. For some reason, many people today think it is macho or liberating to use vulgar humor, dirty jokes, and foul language, but this kind of talk has no place in the life of a Christian. Paul continues: “. . . but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” This is reminiscent of his words to the Colossians: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6; see also Colossians 3:16).
There is a remarkable parallel between Ephesians 4:25, lying; Ephesians 4:28, stealing; and Ephesians 4:29, unwholesome talk. In each case, Paul is urging us to be a blessing to those with whom we have daily contact. Paul is emphasizing that merely refraining from telling lies, stealing, or unwholesome speech is not enough. The truth is that Christianity is not a mere “don’t” religion. As followers of Christ, we should emulate the example of Jesus whose words were so filled with grace that the multitudes were amazed (Luke 4:22).
Jesus prompts us to understand that the words we utter are literally the overflow of our hearts (Matthew 12:34–35). When one becomes a Christian, there is an expectancy that a change of speech follows because living for Christ makes a difference in one’s choice of words. The sinner’s mouth is “full of cursing and bitterness” (Romans 3:14); but when we turn our lives over to Christ, we gladly confess that “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9–10). As condemned sinners, our mouths are silenced before the throne of God (Romans 3:19), but, as believers, our mouths are opened to praise and glorify God (Romans 15:6).
Christians are those whose hearts have been changed by the power of God, a change reflected in our words. Remember, before we were saved, we lived in spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1-3). Paul describes those who are dead in sin: “Their throats are open graves” (Romans 3:13). Our words are full of blessing when the heart is full of blessing. So if we fill our hearts with the love of Christ, only truth and purity can come out of our mouths.
Peter tells us, “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Let the power of our words be used of God to manifest the power of our faith. Be prepared to give the reason for why we love the Lord—at any time, to anyone. Our words should demonstrate the power of God’s grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May God enable us to use our words as an instrument of His love and saving grace.
“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.””
Hebrews 5:1-6
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
Genesis 14:18-20
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.”
Psalms 110:4-5
“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:9-10
“For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.””
Hebrews 7:14-17
Did God need to rely on the free will of Adam to DETERMINE whether He would initiate a plan of REDEMPTION for sinners or not?
Is Adam Sovereign or God?
All things in Heaven and on earth happen because God FOREORDAINS them to occur, He is sovereign over ALL that occurs in, under, and above the earth.
Humans are dust.
There is a difference between having a “will” and having a “free will”. There’s no denying that man has a will to make choices ACCORDING TO HIS DESIRES. This is the crux, man is bound to the desires of his heart. The scriptures say that the heart is deceptively wicked above all else.
I, in agreement with scripture, deny that man’s will is free from confinement. Either mankind is at the will of his fallen nature or in the Will of his Savoir.
Mankind is naturally trapped and confined by the fallen nature of depravity, thanks to the Angels rebelling, Lucifer seeking to be sitting in the seat of God, and then the woman being deceived by the Serpent causing Adam to follow his wife into becoming, as the serpent promised, like god and then being put under the dominion of Lucifer and His Angels, FREE WILL IS A DELUSION.
This means that while humans make choices according to their ‘desires and influences’, humans CAN NOT MAKE CHOICES OUTSIDE OF THEIR FALLEN WICKED NATURE, the will to sin, NOT FREE WILL, complete bondage to sin against the will…
Adam didn’t even have “free will” in the Garden of Eden because he was CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES just as we are today. Up until the Fall, Adam was fully devoted to God, and his choices were DICTATED BY THAT DEVOTION, HIS DESIRES WERE FOR GOD. Until the Knowledge of sin through the woman’s disobedience and ignorance.
Important Note:
We are clearly told by Paul in 1Tim. 2:14 that ADAM WAS NOT DECEIVED BUT EVE.
Recognizing that ADAM WAS NOT DECEIVED we can speculate that Adam KNEW exactly what he was doing and the consequences. He loved the woman and DETERMINED to die with her for ADAM KNEW that was the penalty for eating the fruit of the tree God had withheld from them.
Eve could have eaten the forbidden fruit instead of Adam and I believe nothing would have happened except that God would have likely given Adam another woman to be his ‘helpmeet’.
Adam was the Federal Head and represented all of his posterity by the natural generation.
*WHEN ADAM SINNED WE ALL SINNED IN HIM. It is as though we had eaten the fruit ourselves. His disobedience is what plunged us all into sin and depravity. (Not our own free will)
But God is gracious AND IT WAS ALL ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE OF GRACE IN CHRIST JESUS.
Paul says in 2 Tim. 1:9 that GRACE was given us in Christ Jesus BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN.
*IF ADAM HADN’T FALLEN, because he desired the woman more than he desired God, WE WOULD KNOW NOTHING OF MERCY, GRACE, AND THE LOVE OF GOD IN SENDING THE SON INTO THE WORLD TO ACCOMPLISH OUR SALVATION.
**”God didn’t cause Adam to sin BUT GOD CERTAINLY PUT ADAM IN THE POSITION AND UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ENSURED THAT ADAM WOULD SIN!
God is not the author of sin, sin, but IS THE ONE WHO DETERMINED BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN TO GLORIFY HIMSELF IN SOVEREIGN MERCY IN CHRIST JESUS THE LORD!
He purposed all that is needed to bring about His purpose and has been working providentially to bring it to pass exactly as He DETERMINED before the foundations of the earth.
GOD KNEW, FROM *BEFORE THE BEGINNING, that Christ would be necessary to save fallen humanity.
THAT shows how HUMAN DECISIONS ARE NOT FREE (including the decision to fall), and when I hear the claim “this is just God predicting what would happen”, who else but God would DETERMINE the process?
A conception of God in which ‘He whimsy foreknows something within His creation’ but does not foreordain it — or even in which ‘He foreordains it because He foreknows it’, makes God dependent on the creature.
GOD’S FOREKNOWLEDGE AND HIS OWN ETERNAL WILL ARE ONE AND THE SAME.
He does NOT learn from the creature or depend on the creature for anything.
Paul tells us:
“For the creation was subjected to futifutility, notlingly, but because of Him who subjected it yet, in; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now…” Romans 8:20-22
The point of this age is the glory of Christ Jesus the Lord in the salvation of chosen believers. It has always been the point of every age and the point of eternity.
Adam was a figure of Christ to come, and Adams’s representative disobedience and subsequent death served as an ANTITHETICAL PARALLEL to the representative obedience and life of Christ.
God works ALL THINGS (not some things) after the counsel of His own will, WHICH MUST INCLUDE THE FALL.
***”And He put ALL THINGS under His feet and gave Him as Head over ALL THINGS to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills ALL IN ALL.
Ephesians 1:22-23
“… So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” ***THEY STUMBLE BECAUSE THEY DISOBEY THE WORD, AS THEY WERE DESTINED TO DO.”
1 Peter 2:7-8
“…Christ has been appointed the HEIR OF ALL THINGS (not some things), hence ADAM’S DOMINION WAS SUBSERVIENT to the glory of Christ”
“…For by Him ALL THINGS were created, in heaven and on earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—ALL THINGS were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17
“…but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the Heir of ALL THINGS, through whom also He created the world…. And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;….”
Hebrews 1:2, 10
“…You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting EVERYTHING IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” Now in putting EVERYTHING in subjection to Him, **HE LEFT NOTHING OUTSIDE HIS CONTROL. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him.”
Hebrews 2:7-8
“…As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the One Man’s obedience, the many will be made righteous. Now THE LAW CAME IN TO INCREASE THE TRESPASS (God gave the law), but WHERE SIN INCREASED, GRACE ABOUNDED ALL THE MORE, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:18-21
“…For as by a man came death, by a Man has come the resurrection of the dead. In Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive…. For “God has put ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that He is excepted who put ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIM… When all things are subjected to him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him, that God may be ALL IN ALL…. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But IT IS NOT THE SPIRITUAL THAT IS FIRST BUT THE NATURAL, AND THEN THE SPIRITUAL. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”
1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 27-28, 45-49
God and His story is the point of EVERYTHING.
1. God works ALL THINGS (not some things) after the counsel of His own will, Ephesians 1, WHICH MUST INCLUDE THE FALL.
***”And He put ALL THINGS under His feet and gave Him as Head over ALL THINGS to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills ALL IN ALL.
Ephesians 1:22-23
2. Christ has been appointed the HEIR OF ALL THINGS (not some things), hence ADAM’S DOMINION WAS SUBSERVIENT to the glory of Christ
-For by Him ALL THINGS were created, in heaven and on earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—ALL THINGS were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16-17
-but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the Heir of ALL THINGS, through whom also He created the world…. And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;….
Hebrews 1:2, 10
-You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting EVERYTHING IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” Now in putting EVERYTHING in subjection to Him, **HE LEFT NOTHING OUTSIDE HIS CONTROL. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him.
Hebrews 2:7-8
3. Adam was a figure of Christ to come, and his representative disobedience and subsequent death served as an ANTITHETICAL PARALLEL to the representative obedience and life of Christ, Rom. 5; 1 Cor. 15.
-As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the One Man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now THE LAW CAME IN TO INCREASE THE TRESPASS (God gave the law), but WHERE SIN INCREASED, GRACE ABOUNDED ALL THE MORE, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:18-21
For as by a man came death, by a Man has come the resurrection of the dead. In Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. For “God has put ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that He is excepted who put ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIM. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him, that God may be ALL IN ALL…. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But IT IS NOT THE SPIRITUAL THAT IS FIRST BUT THE NATURAL, AND THEN THE SPIRITUAL. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 27-28, 45-49
4. Christ, the lamb without blemish and without spot, was FOREKNOWN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, entailing that the sin for which He became a sacrifice must have been a foregone conclusion.
-He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
1 Peter 1:20
5. God predetermined not only the death of Christ but also the instrumentality of wicked hands, Acts 2, 4.
Sixthly, God subjected the creature to vanity in expectation of its deliverance from bondage at the manifestation of the glorious liberty of the children of God who have been predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, Rom. 8. Seventhly, those who stumble at the word of Christ, being disobedient, were appointed thereunto, 1 Pet. 2.
These are facts of biblical revelation, there should be no doubt that the Scriptures explicitly teach the fore-ordination of the fall.
