Who Understands?

Over the centuries, there have been some great godly leaders who stood strong in the faith and brought Biblical inspired revelations that helped restore great and liberating truths to the church. But how much more revelation and restoration of the truth still awaits the church? How much is there to learn and understand about Jesus' mission from the cross to the throne? We have heard much about the cross, but little about the throne. The tendency is to go to the cross for pardon of sin and stall out there. As important and valuable as the cross is to the faith, there is much more that awaits a believer because of Jesus' resurrection and His seating on the throne. It seems as if people today find themselves in a struggle to live by the faith of Jesus in assurance of faith and freedom as a result of the many flawed Bible translations and politically correct churches which cause people to struggle to live the faith that was once delivered to the saints. In Jesus' day, people failed to recognize Him as the Son of God. How many understood the incarnation? How many did Mary tell about the Holy Spirit overshadowing her? Who would have believed Mary's account of the virgin birth? They may have thought she was a confused young woman just telling a story. What did Mary understand about Jesus' mission? Did she understand when she delivered Jesus that one day He would in turn deliver her? Did Mary understand that Jesus was the Word of God made flesh in her womb? How much did Jesus' earthly family understand about His mission? At age 12, His parents did not understand when He told them that He must be about His Father's business and clearly Jesus' half brothers did not understand Him or His mission. How much did Jesus' 12 disciples understand about His person or His mission? His disciples lived closely with Him but knew little about His real mission even though Jesus repeatedly told them of the plan for Him to be put to death and be raised again. The disciples often reasoned among themselves asking the question, "what manner of man is this?" If they had understood, they would have believed and not have doubted the reports of His resurrection. How much did Israel's religious leaders understand about Jesus' mission? Did they realize they crucified the Seed of Abraham, the son of David, the Chief corner stone, the Son of God? Did the High Priest understand that he would be the one to offer up Jesus as the final Lamb of God that would take away the sin of the world? Did those standing at the foot of the cross understand what the crucifixion was all about? Did they understand God's plan of salvation, who Jesus was, and what He was about to do? What would we know today about Jesus' mission if the Bible only contained the Old Testament and the four gospels? We would not understand why Jesus died or the many blessings resulting from His resurrection and His seating on the throne. The cross made it possible to be pardoned from sin and the throne makes it possible to live in the fullness and privilege of our salvation and eternal redemption. Righteousness is a central theme in Paul's letters to the church, made only possible by Jesus. God's gift of righteousness allows us to stand in the Father's presence without the sense of fear, condemnation, or inferiority. Perhaps the greatest blessing of the new birth is to be established in righteousness, and have our conscious purged from dead works. A sin consciousness has been the oldest and most persistent enemy of faith as people have been taught to emphasize their unworthiness and to identify with their sin. It is not possible to have great faith in God's Word if we live under condemnation. We all begin our walk of faith with a sin consciousness that tries to keep us weak in faith, slaves to fear, and crippled by guilt and shame. There is a freedom available through Jesus' redemptive work. Righteousness allows us the freedom to stand unashamed in God's presence. The Father has no pleasure in His children being self-condemning, cowardly, fearful, or unable to enjoy the Father's presence. How could there be redemption without righteousness? The object of redemption that God worked through Jesus was to make a way for man to return to righteousness as he was before man's fall. Without Christ, we are estranged from God and His covenants of promise. We were bankrupt, sold into slavery to the adversary and hopeless without God in the world. "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:" [Ephesians 2:12 KJV] Not only did Jesus pay the penalty of our transgression, but He conquered Satan, the god of this world, and stripped him of his authority and made the new birth, redemption, salvation, and righteousness possible on firm and legal footing. Because of Jesus' ministry, the Father can offer man eternal life and make all things new in his life. Those that are born again are new species of being created in Christ Jesus. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." [2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV] Through the New Covenant we are, "...in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" [1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV] "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." [2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV] Many struggles of faith will cease when a believer has a clear view of what happened when Jesus was seated on the throne in heavenly places and how it effects him personally.