God's Purpose for the Church Part 1

SPEAKER B Jesus promised his disciples in Acts One eight, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all here and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Welcome to. You shall receive power. And here are your hosts, Ettienne McClintock and Colin Hone. SPEAKER C Dear listener, thank you for joining us on the program today. Colin myself are delighted you can join us as we look at the book 50 Days Prayers and Devotionals to prepare for the latter rain and Christ Return. And we're looking at the lessons on day 38 and 39, god's purpose for the church. And just before we start, we'll just invite the presence of the Lord and his blessing on our discussion and our Bible study today. Dear Father in heaven, it's such a privilege to come before you again to open your word. And we just pray Father, for your Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. We want to learn from you, and therefore we just pray Father, for your direction, for your baptism of the Holy Spirit upon us and the people who are listening today. And we pray this in Jesus name, amen. So I'm curious to know what God's purpose is for his church. So this will be an interesting study, Colin, and I assume that the Bible gives us some clear answers to that question, what is God's purpose for his church? SPEAKER D Well, we're going to talk about today God's purpose for the Church. What is the purpose of the church? There's probably many purposes, but what is the primary purpose of the church? And we're going to start off in the Book of Ephesians, okay? Ephesians, chapter three, verse ten and eleven. And God gives us some insight or Paul gives some insight filled with the Holy Spirit. Of what the intent of the Church is that's in Philippians, chapter three, verse. SPEAKER C Ten and eleven to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the Church, to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's quite a mouthful. SPEAKER D So when we look at that, we see to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God so the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church, okay, says by the Church. SPEAKER E Okay? SPEAKER C So the church is to be to reveal or to make known the wisdom, the manifold wisdom of God, and it's. SPEAKER D To make it to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. SPEAKER E Right. SPEAKER C So it's not only for those on earth, it's also for those other powers, principalities and powers that God had created. SPEAKER D That's right. So we're to reveal something, the wisdom of God, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished. So what he accomplished in Jesus Christ, our Lord. SPEAKER C Okay. SPEAKER D So according to Paul, just before Jesus returns, the wisdom of God must be made known or manifest in his church that's his people and this wisdom of God was accomplished in Christ. And it is to be seen or manifest in the church. And this is the Church's primary purpose or mission on earth to reveal the wisdom of God. So that leads us to the next question. Is it's a vital question? What is the wisdom of God that was accomplished in Christ? So what is the wisdom of God that was accomplished in Christ? The great thing about the Bible is we don't need to interpret that. We don't have to make something up. The Bible answers itself. SPEAKER C So the Bible is its own interpreter. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C Love that. SPEAKER D So when we go to one Corinthians, chapter one, verse 29 to 31, and we're just going to read the NIV and then we're going to read the KGV, the King James version, right. And so we want to read both. Let's have a read of what it says. So I'll read the NIV and if you can read the yeah, I've got. SPEAKER C The new King James open here. SPEAKER E Yeah. Okay. SPEAKER D The Bible paul tells us in the letter to Corinthians so that no. 1 may boast before him. It is because of him that's the Father that you are in Jesus Christ, or Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. That is, so Jesus has become the wisdom of God, that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, let him who boasts boasts in the Lord. And let's look at the King James version or the new King James version. SPEAKER C It says that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God. And it says, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. SPEAKER D Yeah, all the other word uses holiness in the King James version. So the King James version translates the word holiness as sanctification. SPEAKER E Right? SPEAKER D So Jesus became our righteousness, our sanctification and our redemption, and so that Christ provided for his people. So you see, the wisdom of God is the righteousness or sanctification and holiness and redemption that Christ provided for his people. And this wisdom of God will be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms as the Church experiences Christ in their lives. To the fullest extent that wisdom is Christ's righteousness, holiness or sanctification and redemption. And I just want to say it again. It is only as the Church manifests Christ's righteousness, sanctification and redemption that she fulfills her purpose for existence. And it's when God's wisdom is fully manifest in this manner in the Church that the latter rain will fall and Christ will come. Because this whole devotions we've been doing is to prepare God's people for the latter reign and Christ returned. That's what this devotional is about. And so this is one of it to reveal the wisdom, because we know that Satan has made an accusation. Satan, or Lucifer has made a accusation and he has declared to the universe that God's law was unfair, unjust and was impossible to keep. His goal was and still is to overthrow God's law. Remember we spoke in our last couple of devotionals in day 36 and day 37, that even through this beast power, little horn power, he would think to change God's laws and times. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER D His attack has always been on God's Law. And he used the medium of the little horn or antichrist power, all right, the papacy, to actually change or think to change God's times, laws. I mean, you can't change it, but you can think to where he changed it. And we read that in Daniel, chapter seven, I believe, where we'd think to change God's times and laws. So Satan's declared to the universe that God's law was unfair, unjust and was impossible to keep, and his goal is still to overthrow God's law. Hence the great controversy between God and Satan is over god's law. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D It was in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve broke God's law when they disobeyed his commandment, taking the forbidden fruit by believing Satan's accusation that God's command was unfair and unjust, wasn't it? SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER D Let's go to Genesis, chapter three, verse nine to ten, that God was keeping something good for them and as a result of it, they broke their pure and sinless relationship with God. They started fearing him and they tried to hide themselves from him. Let's have a look. SPEAKER C It says, then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? So he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. SPEAKER D Wow. So this breaking God's law broke the pure and sinless relationship they had with God and they feared him, they tried to hide themselves from him. And so, falling out of harmony with God, adam and his descendants came into harmony, really with Satan and his rebellious attitude towards God and his law. And Paul clearly states the condition of fallen man when he wrote in Romans chapter eight, verse seven. Romans, chapter eight, verse seven says, because. SPEAKER C The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. SPEAKER D So the carnal mind is at enmity. It means it's at war with God, and it's not subject to the law of God, it's at war with the law of God. SPEAKER C And the word carnal, there just sarks in Greek again, and it just means the fleshly mind. So to be controlled by your senses, by your appetites. SPEAKER D That's right. And you can read that in, I believe, in Galatians five, chapter five. It talks about the carnal flesh things. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D But what happened after that? Soon after Adam had sinned, god promised to provide a Savior. When he said to Satan in Genesis three, chapter three, verse 15, he said, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. So God has promised to make a way through Jesus Christ to bring back or bring man back in harmony with himself and his law. And that's the whole purpose. God created us in his image, didn't he? He did create us an image and we were to live forever in a relationship with God. And so the whole plan of salvation is to restore us back into the image of God. And that's why Jesus had to die and pay the penalty for our sins. So the penalty be get paid and then the Holy Spirit then restores us back in the image of God. It transforms us back in the image of God. Two Corinthians three, verse 18 says as we behold Jesus, it says the Holy Spirit transforms us right into the image of God from glory to glory, the process of being transformed back into God's character. Because God's glory is his character. That's right, because Moses, remember, Moses said, Show me your glory. And God said, I'll show him my glory, I'll let all my goodness pass before you. And he then said, I proclaim my name before you. Then he said, I am merciful. I am graceful. Gracious. And then he gives them his law, which is a transcript of God's character. And so God brought this in. The whole purpose of the Gospel is through Jesus Christ, is to bring man back into harmony with himself and his law. And I love what Ellen White says in The Desire of Ages, page 24, a beautiful book on the life of Christ. She says that Satan represents God's law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts or to obey the law. And this has been the whole argument right along. SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER C Well, if you look at some of those Old Testament descriptions of Lucifer yes. You go to Isaiah 14 where it says, how are you fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning, how are you cut down to the ground, you weaken the nations. And then it says, for you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. Now, the stars of God are the other angels. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation. So he wants to take a seat there on the throne of God. He says, on the farthest sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high So there he's desiring to actually have another God. He says I will be like the most high. And we know that is a violation of the first Commandment, they shall have no other gods before me. So in violation of that, we can see that Satan then thought or tried to portray the fact that God had a law as unfair, unfair to him and made the claim that holy beings don't need a law because they are holy and therefore their own minds, their own consciences and thoughts would actually steer them in the right direction. SPEAKER D Well, he told Adam and Eve, didn't he? Says he's holding back something from you. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D He said, you can be like God. SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER C And you can know good and evil yourself. You don't need God to tell you what's right and wrong. You don't need a law, you'll know it. SPEAKER D In other words, you don't need a law to determine what's right and wrong. SPEAKER E Exactly. SPEAKER D You will know it just because you will know it. And so, yeah, there you have it. I think also in Ezekiel 28, it talks about Satan's goal and what's going to happen to him. SPEAKER C Exactly. It talks about Satan being perfect. It says there in verse twelve of Ezekiel 28 that you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. So he was made wise and he was made perfect. SPEAKER D So God didn't create Lucifer. God created sorry. God did create Lucifer, not Satan. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D And he was perfect. It says. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D Keep reading. What does it say? What's going to happen? SPEAKER C And then in verse 13, it says you were in Eden, the garden of God. So there tells you that this is not an ordinary being because this is under the symbol of the King of Tyre. But the King of Tyre was never in Eden. SPEAKER D No. So it's a symbolic representation of Lucifer. And so Lucifer, which is the light bearer, he was to bear God's light. So what happened next? SPEAKER C Okay, then it talks about all the coverings, because he was the incredible, I mean, the workmanship of his timbrels and his pipes. SPEAKER D What was his role? It says he was a what, angel? SPEAKER C Well, it says there in verse 14, he was the anointed cherub who covers. So he was angel, but a specific angel, the highest of the angels. SPEAKER D So it was a covering angel. Isn't it interesting? You know the Ten commandments of the Ark? It has two angels with their wings covering the law of God. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D And which is symbolic of the throne, because there's the mercy seat, and underneath it is the foundation of his government, which is his law. Every government has laws. SPEAKER C Every government has a constitution based on. SPEAKER D Law, based on law. And God, it says his seat or his mercy seat is based on what the covenant of his law. SPEAKER C His law. SPEAKER D And these two angels that covered it right, were called covering cherubs. So Lucifer's role was to cover and another word for cover is to defend. Defend the law of God. To defend or cover that. But he turned away from that. SPEAKER C He did. Exactly. So it says that you nonda cherub who covered, I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God. So not only was he an Eden, he was on the holy mountain of God. And it says, he walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. We know that God is a consuming fire and he was in the presence of God. Then it says in verse 15, you were perfect in your ways from the days you were created till iniquity was found in you. So till sin was found in him. He's the one that originated sin. SPEAKER D And it's a mystery. SPEAKER C It is a mystery how that could happen in the presence of God, especially if you've been placed there as a protector of God's law. Now you are the one that turns against God and become his adversary. And that's what the word Satan means. It means adversary. SPEAKER D It's interesting, isn't mean? Sometimes people have asked me, well, why didn't God just destroy Lucifer right then? Why didn't he just wipe him right out then? Edin, what is if God had wiped out Satan right then, what would have happened? SPEAKER C Well, God would have been misunderstood, wouldn't he? Because no one would ever dare to question God. Fear would probably be the outcome because oh, if you don't do what God says, if you don't obey his commandments, he's going to wipe you from the earth, he will destroy you just like he zapped Lucifer. So be very careful. And that is not the character of God. God is not arbitrary. God does not force, god does not love killing people. He gives every person an opportunity and keep going there. SPEAKER D It also tells him that he trades in sins. That he, it says if you read continue yeah. SPEAKER C Through the abundance of your trading, okay, you see verse 16. By the abundance of your trading, you became filled with violence within and you sinned. Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God. Now that trading and you became filled with violence and you sinned. If you look at Revelation chapter twelve, which says there was war in heaven. The word war there comes from the Greek word which is Polemis. And Polemis is where we get the word politic from. And there was a war, there was a war of idealism. So what happens is Satan formed an opposition government to God and he challenged him on that. But he used truth and error mix like he used with Adam and Eve to make them sin. So what happens is God now has got to work through this process and ultimately we're talking about the purpose of the Church. And the church has got to help define God's character and his truth and justice through this whole process not only to us here on earth, but to heavenly beings, as it says, to principalities and powers. SPEAKER D That's right. So he challenged him and says basically he was saying because he deceived a third of the angels, it says, oh, that's right, a third of the angels. SPEAKER C His tail drew a third of the angels. SPEAKER D And these were holy beings, not with a sinful nature. These were holy beings. He deceived them with the really? He's saying, hey, we can be holy without a law. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D And that's what he when it says he traded in sins, trading, in other words, selling. He sold that sin or that same idea to the angels. Hey, we can be holy without a law. And to Adam Eve, he said the same thing you can be like God without a law. SPEAKER C And it's interesting, there's a book called Patriarchs and Prophets in there. He came to the angels as a benefactor, one who wanted to aid and improve the government of God, and he spoke to them as one that wasn't in opposition to God as such, but one just seeking for improvement. There's another word for improvement. Yeah, but you get the point. SPEAKER D He wants you to improve on what was already there in place. But God's law is perfect. Says that in the Bible. Says it's perfect in every single way, basically in Desire of Ages, page 24 when Ellen White says that Satan represents God's law of love as a law of selfishness, he declares that it's impossible for us to obey its precepts. And I love what she says. Also in the Great Controversy, just an incredible book, the Great Controversy, showing us the history from Christ's time right to our day. She says this in page 582. From the very beginning of the Great Controversy in Heaven, it has been Satan's purpose to overthrow the law of God. It was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion against the Creator. And though he was cast out of Heaven, he has continued the same warfare upon Earth, just like we talked about in Daniel seven, where through this little horn or antichrist power, again it says he would think to change times and God's law. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D And so what did Jesus come? Because it says the manifold wisdom of Jesus would be seen. And so because of Satan's accusations, jesus came to planet Earth to prove his accusations wrong. Jesus perfectly kept God's law, obeying it from the heart, every precept. Jesus did not sin in thought or word or action. And when we go to first Peter, chapter two, verse 21 and 23, that's one. Peter, chapter two, verse 21 and 23. Let's see what Peter has to say about this. SPEAKER C Peter says for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps who committed no sin, nor was the seat found in his mouth. SPEAKER D So right there Peter's saying that you were called right because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example. So Christ's example for us to follow, that we should follow in his steps. SPEAKER E Yes, that's right. SPEAKER D And what did he do? What do we have to follow in his steps? Who did what? SPEAKER E Okay. SPEAKER C It says 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. SPEAKER D So to follow any steps, it says who did not sin, neither was guile fine in his mouth. I can remember a verse in Revelations 14 talking about God's last day people symbolically represented as the 144,000. It doesn't it say they have the Father's name on them and there was no guile. SPEAKER C That's right. In their mouth. No deceit found in their mouth. SPEAKER D That's right, yes. And why? Because they have the Father's name and they have his character, which means they have the character of Jesus. And says who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judges righteously. So Christ then basically proves Satan wrong and he's lying claim that God's law cannot be kept, didn't he? SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER D However, Christ did even more than vindicating God's law in his life, he's also provided for God's people a righteousness sanctification, a redemption, which we read about in one Corinthians, chapter one, verse 30, which could be theirs through faith. Christ has provided that for us, that we can follow in his footsteps. He's provided us that we can obey Him and keep his law credible. SPEAKER C What a gift. SPEAKER D There's many people in the church have said we can't keep God's law. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D Yet, Revelations 14, verses six to twelve, after these people give the three angels messages, after they give their message, it represents them having these two conditions they keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus, don't they? SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER D They keep the commandments of God. How? They have the faith of Jesus. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D So Christ has proved Satan wrong and he's lying claim that God's law cannot be kept and he's provided his people a righteousness, a sanctification and redemption which could be theirs through faith or can be ours through faith. And so God uses his church to vindicate God and prove Satan wrong. God wants to use his church to say, hey, listen, basically saying, hey, listen, Satan, my son has done it and provided a way. He has provided everything that my people need and he's going to impart that to his people. And basically he's going to use his church to vindicate God and prove Satan wrong. And I believe it's through the church that God proposed or purpose to prove Satan's accusation about God's law wrong, because we know it was through Christ that his purpose was to be fulfilled and manifest in the Church. It is through the church that God and his law are to be vindicated as God's people by faith. And here's the key. Remember Revelations 14, they have the faith of Jesus. SPEAKER C Jesus, yes. SPEAKER D It's through faith or by faith, allow Christ to live out his perfect obedience to God's law in and through them. That's how and I love what Ellen White said, and she understood the purpose for God, which called the Church. She knew it was essential for God's people to be an obedient people, for if they are not actually vindicating Satan's accusation against God's law. And that's why she wrote in the Southern Review december 5, 1899, she says, exact obedience is required, and those who say it's not possible to live a perfect life throw upon God the imputation of injustice and untruth. SPEAKER E Wow. SPEAKER D So she's saying basically people are saying, even in the Church, you can't obey God? SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D You cannot keep the law of God. SPEAKER C I wonder if I can just read a little text there, because Paul, I love the book of Romans, it's just so incredible how he explains the Gospel that we are saved by grace through faith. But he doesn't leave it there because he also talks about obedience. And in the last chapter of Romans, Romans chapter 16, he's talking to the Romans and he says, for your obedience has become known to all. So Paul doesn't actually promote disobedience like some people say he does. Oh, look, paul just says, you can't keep it. So all you have to do is just rest by faith and don't worry about it. You'll sin a million times, but don't worry about it. You're covered. Sure, Christ covers our sins. He's imputed righteousness covers us as accounted to us. His righteousness accounted to us. But then also he imparts righteousness to us. Because I want to keep on reading this, because we're reading about the purpose of the Church, and he was saying that God will demonstrate the truth in his church as well. He's already done it in Christ, and now he wants to duplicate that through His Church. And the important part of the Church is so I'm going to read verse 19 and verse 20 and look at this, because this is incredible. It says, for your obedience has become known to all, therefore I am glad on your behalf, but I want you to be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. And we know that the prophecy concerning the Messiah that was given to Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter three, when they had just sinned in Eden and they were taken out of the garden, it said that the seed of the woman would come and he would crush the serpent's head. He will bruise the serpent's head, but in the process, he would receive a bruised heel. So that's what would happen. But look at this. In verse 20, it says, and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. So not only is Satan crushed under the foot of Jesus, but Christ, working through his church now, also crushed a Satan a second time. So what we're talking about is not physically trampling the devil, but we're talking about it in a spiritual sense and the fact that the warfare that was started in heaven, the Polemos, the politicking would actually be shown to be in error by God's people living in perfect obedience to the commandments of God. SPEAKER D It's a high calling, Edie, it is a high calling. And so we're going to discuss afterwards the how. SPEAKER E Okay? SPEAKER C I'll look forward to that. So let's take a break and we'll come back right after this. SPEAKER D From the CD Near to the Heart, henry Higgins played what a Friend We Have in Jesus. To purchase this CD, call three. ABN, Australia on 024-97-3456. SPEAKER C Welcome back, dear listener. We are looking at the book 50 days prayers and devotionals. Prepare for the lateral reign and Jesus Christ's soon return. And we're looking at the purpose of God's church. Now we know that God's character has been vindicated through Jesus Christ. He revealed what the Father was really know all the accusations of the devil he was actually to gain say, and even the cross played a significant role in that. And Satan's head was crushed by Jesus and what he did. But we also know that God has a purpose for his church. And we just read in Romans chapter 16 that God will actually crush Satan under his church as well. So I'm looking forward to unpacking this a little bit further. SPEAKER E Colin? Yes. SPEAKER D So remember, Christ vindicated God and proved Satan wrong about his law, didn't he? Because he came to prove him wrong. Yes, Jesus perfectly kept God's law obeying from the heart every precept. And then we looked at in one Peter chapter two, verse 21 and 23, where he's left us an example that we should follow in his footsteps, who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. And so here we've got to find out is how that happens. And so we know exactly how it happens. It's Christ in us, the hope of glory. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D That's how it happens. But there's many seven day Venice and many other Christians who say it's impossible to live a victorious life over sin. SPEAKER C Well, they're half right. But the fact remains is we're not taking the fact that if we die to self and we are born again, that we are a new creature in Christ, everything changes. Old things have passed away, all things become new. You have a different life then. SPEAKER D That's right. But they don't what they don't realize, they're actually agreeing with Satan and imputing to God injustice and falsehood. They're saying God can't do this. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D So as long as we as a church have the attitude that living a victorious life over sin is not possible, the latter rain won't fall, the full gospel of deliverance from all sin will not be proclaimed and Jesus will not come. He not only paid the penalty for pardon, but he also. Has given us power to overcome, to be united with the Divine. It's an amazing promise. SPEAKER C That is an amazing promise. SPEAKER D And so we can go to that. I mean, we're just reading in Romans, even in Romans chapter three, romans, chapter three talks about that we have all sinned in Romans, chapter three, that we're justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. That's in Romans chapter three, verse 24. And through Jesus blood and through faith to demonstrate his righteousness, because in forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previous committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just and the juster of the one who has faith in Jesus. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D Where is the Boasting then? It's excluded by the law of works. No, but by the law of faith, therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is he the God of the Jews only he is also not the is he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes. Since there is one God who will just defy the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by faith or through faith, do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the Law. SPEAKER E Exactly. SPEAKER C So faith actually doesn't make void the law, it establishes the law. But Satan says that faith makes void the right. SPEAKER D That's right. And so, because the law of the Lord is perfect and therefore changeless, it's impossible for sinful men let me just say that for sinful men in themselves to meet the standard of its requirements. This is why Jesus came as our redeemer. It was his mission, by making men partakers of the divine nature, to bring them in harmony with the principles of the law of heaven. So when we forsake our sins and receive Christ as our Savior, the Law is exalted. The apostle Paul asks, do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid. Yeah, we establish the law. That's in Romans chapter three, verse 31. And so the new covenant promise made in Hebrews chapter ten, verse 16 comes into effect, where God says, I will put my laws into their hearts and into their minds will I write them. While the system of types which pointed to Christ as the Lamb of God that should take away the sins of the world, was to pass away at his death, the principles of righteousness embodied in the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments are as immutable as his eternal throne. Not one command has been annulled, not a jot or a tittle has been changed. Those principles that were made known to man in paradise as the great law of life will exist unchanged in paradise, restored when Eden shall bloom on the earth again, god's law of love will be obeyed by all beneath the sun. And we can read that in Psalms chapter 119, verse 89. It says forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. All his commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever and are done in truth and uprighteousness. Concerning thy testimonies I have known of old that thou hast found on them forever god's law will stand. SPEAKER C Incredible. You know that promise of the covenant where God writes his laws within our. SPEAKER E Hearts and in our minds. SPEAKER C And it even says that the love, being the fulfilling of the law, is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. So the Holy Spirit coming into our lives, receiving the baptisms of the Holy Spirit is how God actually fulfills a covenant promise by putting his laws in our minds, writing them on our hearts for what purpose? That we might be partakers of the nature that Christ has. And the Bible is very clear on that. If we go to two Peter, chapter one and verse four, it said by which we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises. So God has promised that he's able to keep us from falling. God has promised that if we surrender ourselves to Him, he's able to do a great work in us. He's able not only to do the great work for us to will to desire the right thing, but also to will and to do according to his good pleasure. As we read in Philippians, chapter two, verse 13. But here in Peter it says by which he has been given us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. SPEAKER D So that's saying we can be partakers of the divine nature. What an incredible gift. SPEAKER C What a gift. We don't deserve it. No, we can't take any merit for it because it is a gift. So there's no creature merit in this. This is the merits of Christ, that we may be partakers of the divine nature. For what purpose? Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Now, lust basically is what controls us. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. That's what the Bible says. So what that means is that we can actually overcome the desires of the flesh because the mind has been weakened through sin. We can be a receiver of the mind of Christ, which then gives us the divine nature. SPEAKER D That's what the Bible says. Have the mind of Christ. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D Which gives us divine nature is then implanted in us. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D What an incredible promise and gift from God. SPEAKER C So see, the whole thing is if we don't believe that God is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory, that basically just says that we don't believe the Scriptures, which means. SPEAKER D We don't have faith. SPEAKER C We don't have faith. That is unbelief. And we know if we look at the chapter eleven of Hebrews those champions of faith, none of them conquered through unbelief. That was all done through faith. And faith comes by hearing the word of God. SPEAKER D And so faith is believing the promise of God. If God says he will do something, he will do it, even though it sounds impossible. And that's what I love what you just said in the book of Jude. In verse 24, it says now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, so he is able to keep you from stumbling, or in other verses use falling. SPEAKER C Well, we know that we can't keep ourselves, so we got to give ourselves to the Lord and he's promised that he's able to do that. Do we believe it? And if we believe it, we should be able to experience it as well. SPEAKER D Because faith is believing in a promise, isn't it? SPEAKER E Yeah, that's right. Amen. SPEAKER D So I love what it says in the book Desire of Ages, page 671. This is another beautiful quote by Ellen White. She says, the very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. That's what you're just talking about. Peter was saying the divine nature. SPEAKER E Yeah. Amen. SPEAKER D The honor of God, the honor of Christ is involved in the perfection of the character of his people. Now, actually, this word perfection freaks a lot of people out. Edie, if you do a word search, there's another word that can be used, is maturity. Actually, right? Through the Bible, the word maturity is used as perfection. SPEAKER E Perfection, yes. SPEAKER D So I like the word maturity, to be honest. I think it's a beautiful word, but it's involved in the maturity or perfection of the character of his people. And I believe this is the reason the latter reign has not fallen and Christ has not returned. The Church has failed to make known the wisdom of God to fully manifest Christ's righteousness, sanctification and redemption. She has not yielded herself to Christ to the fullest extent so that Christ alone is seen in the Church. And I believe when Christ is fully seen 100% in His Church, then the latter reign will fall and Jesus will return. I love this quote from the book Christ Object Lessons, page 69. I think it just says it beautifully and it can be taken different ways. But if you read it carefully and the wording carefully, and you read it. SPEAKER C In context as well, because it's referring to the parable in Mark chapter four, where Jesus talks about the seed, the harvest and the harvest. That's right, the seed being planted. The harvest doesn't take place until the. SPEAKER D Plant has matured, until it's ready or perfect or matured. SPEAKER E That's right, yeah. SPEAKER D So you don't harvest until when? SPEAKER C Well, until the produce is ripe, ready for the plucking. SPEAKER D Till it's ready, yeah. So Jesus speaks about that in Revelations 14 as well. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D After the three angels message is given in Revelation 14, it talks about this harvest. In Revelation 14, it says, the harvest is now ready or it's ripe. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER C And it talks about it from verse 14. It says, then I looked and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap the harvest of the earth. Assist because the harvest of the earth is ripe. SPEAKER D So what he's saying here is the harvest is ripe. Now you can put the sickle in it. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D So Jesus is not going to come until the harvest is ripe. SPEAKER C Dead right. SPEAKER D Because what happens if you come before the harvest ready? That's foolish, isn't it? SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D God's not foolish. No, he's not going to come until the harvest ready. And also you can see also in corresponding, he says the harvest is also ready for the grapes, which represents sinners in the world has come to their full ripeness. SPEAKER C There are two harvests. Yes, that's right. SPEAKER D Then the other angel came in verse 17. Chapter 14, verse 17. Then another angel came out of his temple, which is in heaven. He also having a sharp sickle. Another came out of the altar who had the power over fire. And he cried with a loud voice, to whom had the sharp sickle, saying, thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. So the angel thrust in his sickle on the earth and gathered the vine on the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. That's the seven last plagues in reference to the seven last plagues. And the wine press was trampled outside the city and the blood came out of the wine press after the horse's bridles for 1600 fell. Lot of blood. So there's two harvests. One is the harvest of the righteous and one is the harvest of the wicked. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D So they're both what? Matured. And that's it. And so you can see this harvest principle. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER D This is what Ellen White is commenting on in Christ's Object Lessons, page 69, talking about the harvest principle. The harvest is ready. And she says this is what Jesus is waiting for. She says Christ is waiting with longing, desire for the manifestation of Himself in His Church. So what is he waiting for? SPEAKER C The manifestation of himself in his church. SPEAKER D The manifestation of himself in his church. So when the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people, then he will come to claim them as his own. Talking about the harvest. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER D So whose character is it? The christ of Christ. When his character shall be perfectly reproduced in his people. It's not us trying to reproduce the character of Christ, it's his character being. SPEAKER C Reproduced in us growing up into Christ. SPEAKER D Yes, that's right. And Paul refers to this sanctifying experience in Jesus Christ when he wrote in Galatians 220. In Galatians 220, he writes it says. SPEAKER C I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. SPEAKER D So, sanctifying experience, paul's saying I'm crucified with Christ. SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER C Well, it's interesting. He says that he still lives in the flesh, but he now lives by faith in the Son of God. So we're not talking when we're talking about perfection or maturity, we're not talking about perfection of the flesh. We don't believe in holy flesh. There was a movement years ago that believed in the holy flesh where your flesh would actually change and you lose your sinful. Human nature, your fallen human nature, human nature remains like it is until glorification. But the fact remains is that is what we are to deny. That's what's represented by taking up your cross. You deny the flesh or the appetites of the flesh by the power of Christ because you've died with him. And he who has died has been freed from sin, as I said in Romans chapter six. And now you are raised to newness of life in Christ Jesus and God completes his purpose for you because the Bible says that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. But though we walk in the flesh, as Paul says in two Corinthians chapter ten and verse three, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, which means they're not fleshly, but they are mighty in God. So when God asks us to do something, he gives us the ability in the weapons to do it. It says for our weapons are not fleshy or carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and Satan was the one that exalted a knowledge against God. So what we do is, by the grace of God and because our weapons have been given to us, they are mighty, they're not fleshly, we are able to cast down arguments. Every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, this is the purpose of the Church and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And then it says in verse six that God is ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. SPEAKER D Wow. So against this harvest principle yes. Is that it's going to ripe on both side the righteous and the wicked comes to its fulfillment. It's ready for the harvest, according to Revelation 14. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D And Paul got it, didn't he? He said, the first step is I need to be crucified with Christ. And he says, but the thing is, okay, I've done that, but I still live. SPEAKER E That's right. Yet. SPEAKER D Not I. That's it. Paul says, not I that live anymore. It's Christ who lives in me. And it goes back to how does Christ live in us? Well, he lives in us through the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D John, chapter 14 says jesus says, I won't leave you as orphans, I will come to you. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER D Not only will the Holy Spirit be with you, but will be in you. SPEAKER E In you. That's right. SPEAKER D Not only I, but the Father and I will come and dwell in you. SPEAKER C Paul also talks about the same thing. He says in verse 31 of one Corinthians 15, that he dies daily. So this daily death to self and baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that he experienced as well. SPEAKER D Born daily as well. He just that's right. Renewed and born daily. And so he lives by and how does he do it? I live by the faith and Son of God, who loved me and gave myself with him. So when the Church experiences to the fullest that Paul describes as his experience, she will have then fulfilled her purpose, for which she has called the latter one will fall and Christ will return without delay. And I love what John says in the Book of Revelation. He tells us that the last work of God will do in his church is to finish the mystery of God. SPEAKER E Yes. Amen. SPEAKER D And we read in Revelations, chapter ten, verse seven, it says, but in the. SPEAKER C Days of the voice of the 7th angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. SPEAKER D Wow. And so, since finishing the mystery of God is God's last work in this earth, it's important we understand what the mystery is. And remember, just before the 7th angel is blown, that's just before what? That's announcement of Christ's return. SPEAKER E That's right, yes. SPEAKER D So this is like just before Jesus returns. It says, the mystery of God will be revealed. And we read that in Colossians, chapter one, verse 25 to 27 says, whereof. SPEAKER C I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God, even the mystery. So the fulfilling of the word of God is pertaining to this mystery. Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of his glory, of his mystery among the gentiles which is Christ in you? The hope of glory. SPEAKER D Again, there it is. Christ in you, the hope of glory. And remember, God's glory is his character. Character. The hope of revealing God's character or his glory to the world is having Christ live in us or Christ in us, the hope of glory. So according to Paul, the mystery of God is Christ in you. And it's our only hope of glory, of glorifying God by reflecting the character of Jesus Christ and obedience to God's law. SPEAKER C Now, it's interesting that we talk about the three angels messages in Revelation 14. We also know that Revelation 18 sent another angel, which is the latter rain. SPEAKER D Angel which repeats the which repeats the. SPEAKER C Third angel's message, the three angels messages there. And it says that the whole world is illuminated with his glory. Now, in Isaiah chapter 60, we have the same time period, the same event presented there. And I just want to read Isaiah chapter 60. In verse one and two it says, arise shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people. But the Lord will arise over you and his glory will be seen upon you and Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C So we can see here that the gospel of Jesus Christ is actually going to go with great power greater than we've ever seen in the past, and that Gentiles and even kings will come to the brightness of this rising, of this glory of God. But it happens during a time period in earth's history where it says that deep darkness will cover the people and gross darkness shall cover the earth. SPEAKER D That's true. And it talks about in Revelations 18, verse one, where it says the earth will be enlightened with the glory which is God's character of God. Hence the mystery of God must be finished before Jesus returns. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D This mystery of God is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a gospel of deliverance from sin. It's pardon and power. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D Justification, sanctification, imputed and imparted. Yes, it's Christ's righteousness that is seen or manifest in his people. And this is what God's waiting for. And the good news is what Christ achieved and Christ did. He wants to do the same thing in and through us. He wants to impart his righteousness. He wants through his life, living in and through us, he will seek to keep God's law and obey God's law. And hence the mystery of God is Christ in us, the hope of glory. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D And so therefore, the mystery of God, remember, is the wisdom of God. SPEAKER C Yes, that's right. SPEAKER D And is revealed in Jesus Christ perfect obedience to God's law. In short, the wisdom and mystery of God is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is why Paul wrote in Romans chapter one, verse 16 to 17, he says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God until salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first. And then also the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. Faith the process, from faith to faith. As is written, the just shall live by faith. Faith. SPEAKER A Yeah. SPEAKER C And it's very clear there's not the unjust shall live by faith because that's the theology of many people. That's their gospel. But it's not as, not the gospel. SPEAKER D This is the full gospel, not only pardon, but deliverance from sin. It's the full, complete gospel. One is pardon, Jesus paid the penalty on the cross, and the other is power, where Jesus comes and dwells in us and to remove us from sin in our lives. So this cleanse us. In other words, I can put it to cleanse the sanctuary from not only the record of sin in heaven, but cleanse sin from us. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER C So God is just and he is faithful because it says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive. But the gospel doesn't stop there. It says to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. So the cleansing first, John one, verse nine. That's right. SPEAKER D Again, pardon and power. It's just like do you remember the prostitute that was caught in Jesus and they bought her to her? Yeah, they bought her to her. And Jesus starts riding on the sand. And I believe, some people believe he was writing all the sins of the people. Then he says, he who has not sinned cast the first stone. And they all went away. SPEAKER C That's right, because they've all sinned. SPEAKER D Then he turned to the woman, he says, is there anyone here to condemn you? She says no. Who was the only person there who has not sinned? SPEAKER E Only Jesus. SPEAKER D He was there. What did he say? Neither do I condemn you. Pardon. SPEAKER E Yes. Amen. SPEAKER D But then he says there's more. Then he says, now go. It was a command or empowerment to go and sin no more. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D So there it is, pardon and power, or, if you want to use theological terms, justified. And then power to be sanctified and live a holy life for a holy purpose. So it's all through the Bible, this pardon and power. And so you see the mystery of God, the wisdom of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ is the means God has provided for our salvation, our deliverance from sin. The justification God provided in Christ sets us free from the guilty and penalty of sin, which is death, and covers us with Christ's imputed righteousness. The sanctification God provides in Christ frees us from the power of sin to rule in our life. For we have been sanctified or set aside for God for good works. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. And that's found in Ephesians chapter two, verse ten. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D We've just got justification in Ephesians two, chapter eight. Then he talks about sanctification in Ephesians chapter two, verse ten. These good works are works of faithful obedience to God's law. And this is why Paul, over and over again in his letter to the churches, is constantly instruct them to be like Jesus, to let Jesus manifest himself in and through them. And he writes about this in Ephesians chapter four, verse 22 to 24. SPEAKER C Okay, this is from the NIV. And it says you were taught with regards to your formal way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. SPEAKER D There is Paul saying the same thing as Peter. Wasn't he connecting to the Divine to have the divine nature? And again in Romans chapter 13, verse 14, romans 13, verse 14, and it. SPEAKER C Says, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. SPEAKER D So this was the burden of Paul's concern for the church, that Christ be seen in their lives. Why was this a passion for Paul? It was because he knew that this was the purpose for which God called the church into existence. And this was the only way that she could fulfill her mission. SPEAKER C Well, dear listener, we pray that God has blessed you as we've gone through the Bible and looked at some of the text there that talks about God's promises to keep us, that he is giving us this precious gift of Jesus Christ. But with the gift of Jesus it does only come forgiveness, but also victory. We can claim the victory of Christ and it can be seen and it can be evident in our own lives, not because we grit our teeth and try harder, but because we have made that full surrender to Jesus Christ and we have no other gods before us. So we're just going to wrap up here, give you our contact details, and we'll come back straight after this. Thank you for joining us on You Shall Receive Power. If you would like more information about today's program or if you have any questions, please contact 3ABN Australia Radio by Phoning 024-973-3456. Or you can send an email to [email protected]. You can also contact us on our 3ABN Australia radio Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you SPEAKER E Great. SPEAKER C I hope you got those contact details down. Colin. We've just got a couple of minutes just to wrap up what we've been studying today. It's been a great topic to look at the purpose of the church. SPEAKER D So just to outline where we started, the purpose of the church. Remember in ephesians, chapter three, verse ten and eleven. It says his intent was now through the Church. The manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms according to his eternal purposes, which he accomplished in Jesus Christ. So what God accomplished in Jesus Christ, jesus wants to accomplish through us. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER D And we know that in one Corinthians, chapter one, verse 29, that is, he provided us a righteousness, sanctification holiness for us, and that Christ wants to come and live in us. He wants to obey God's commandments in and through us. And I believe that that's what Christ is waiting for. He's waiting for this harvest principle that we will be ready to receive the latter rain. We're ready for the maturing so the harvest can begin. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER C The Gospel Commission that's been given to the Church, jesus says that all power, this is Matthew 28, verse 18, all power has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Now, some translation says that all authority, the word there is exhusia, which is another word for power. And it's interesting that Jesus uses the same word when he sends out the twelve apostles in Matthew chapter ten, where it says he called the twelve disciples to Him and he gave them power. And the same word exhusia right over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of diseases and all kinds of sicknesses. So under that power that Christ has been given, all authority, all power, he says, in that power go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things that I've commanded you. And lo, I'm with you always, even to the ends of the age. So dear listener, God is calling you, and he's calling you in power. And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And therefore you will be able to represent Christ effectively to the world, because the glory of God will also be seen upon you. And as we were told earlier in Isaiah 60, many people gentiles will come to a knowledge of Christ and they will also receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and prepare for Jesus Christ to soon return. So dear listener, God be with you until we meet again, and we look forward to catching up with you for further Bible studies in our next program. SPEAKER D You'Ve been listening to a production of three ABN Australia radio.