" FROM GLORY TO GLORY"

By

Barbara Samuel

From Glory to Glory - Introduction

We are going to begin a new study now in our continuing search to understand and live in the Glorious Salvation that is ours in Christ. I pray that this will help us to see the REALITY of The Finished Work of The Cross, so that we LIVE in the Truth of Christ NOW, and be the witness of that Work in the earth. May God enable us to truly find ourselves IN HIM, and walk in the fulness of that Work NOW.

The scripture we will use for the basis of this study is 2 Corinthians 3:18 – "But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image FROM GLORY TO GLORY, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

And the specific phrase we will be dealing with is "from glory to glory". May the Lord bring us to an understanding of God’s concept of glory, that we would take our rightful place in Christ, and manifest His Truth. Many of our religious beliefs will be challenged during these days, but as we search the scriptures, let us put off man’s teachings and learn The Truth as it is in Jesus; let us come to know as we are known by God.

Now the first issue the Lord would have us to deal with is: "when will we come to glory"? Most Christians, born again believers will tell you – "someday, when I die and go to heaven, when I go to glory land, etc." We think "glory" is a place, or a condition in the future that we will someday achieve, but I want us to see "glory" from God’s perspective, and most importantly, that we see all things IN CHRIST.

Our scripture says "from glory to glory" – TWO states; not three or four. Our "someday" concept of glory sets up a third glory, but that is NOT supported by the scripture. The scripture talks about a first and second; an old and New – but does NOT tell us there is something for us AFTER that! Man has established that in the vain imaginations of his mind, and we’ve made religious traditions out of that, rather than coming to know The Truth of The Cross in doing away with the first, the old, and establishing the Second, the New.

** And we must see that it is THE CROSS that separates one from the other. And in the reality of The Finished Work, the second, the New is Eternal, and God isn’t waiting to bring in a third, or a newer, or a better. He has what He wants by The Cross of Christ!

We will see that the Old Testament spoke of a Glory to come, and all of the types and shadows spoke of that. But Paul comes – by the revelation of Christ to declare that the Glory that had been promised, and had been hidden – WAS NOW COME!

Colossians 1:25-29 - Paul’s ministry was according to God’s work to fulfil The Word of God, to declare the mystery that was hidden, but NOW is made manifest to His saints. God would make this known to us – CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of Glory. ** Christ (The Messiah) living in a people is the fulfillment of the Glory that was expected, that was hoped for. This is NOT a Glory yet to come; but the Glory that was promised in the Law, in the prophets; that was expected – NOW all FULFILLED IN CHRIST BY THE CROSS.

• This "glory" is not a place we go to, but a relationship we are now experiencing by the risen Christ living in us. This "mystery" is no longer hidden, but is made manifest to the saints by the revealing of The Son – in us! We are "hoping" it to be so "one day", but by His working in us, we come to see this Greater Glory, which is The Lord Jesus Christ Himself – in us, and we are to be manifesting this Glory, this Truth, this understanding here on this earth – NOW.

But to help us better understand "from glory to glory" let us read 2 Corinthians 3:6-18, and we see here that two types of glory are clearly defined, and we see here two dealings of God. The question for us is: in which ministration, or dealing of God are we – in our hearts, found in?

Verse 6 – Paul says they are ministers of the NEW Testament. We will need to come to see that a "Covenant" is God’s understanding, and how He deals with something according to His plan and purpose. God had an "Old" Covenant and a "New" one. Paul – and the disciples of Christ are ministers of the NEW one – not of the letter (the old, Mosaic Law), but of the Spirit. (Remember the "not/but" comparisons in the scripture?) The letter killeth, but Spirit gives life.

Verses 7-11 – The Old Covenant was an administration of death written in stones. It had a "glory" to it (Moses beheld God), but that glory was to be done away. But the ministration of the spirit is more glorious. The ministration of righteousness EXCEEDS the glory of the ministration of condemnation. The glory of the second – of Life excels the first. That which is done away is glorious; MUCH MORE that which remains is glorious.

** The first is always done away, but the second remains – a Greater Glory!

Verses 12-16 - The glory of the first remains vailed when the heart has not turned to the Lord. * The vail is done away IN CHRIST (by His Cross); types and shadows fulfilled, and the second established. But this now must be taken away in us. As we turn our hearts to the Lord – not to the Law, ministration of death and condemnation – but to Him, The Spirit of the Lord does His Work (verses 17,18). We now with open face (no vail of flesh, first, old) behold as in The Truth of God’s Word, the Glory of the Lord (Christ) and we are changed into His Image – His Life, His Truth – from the glory of the first to the glory of the second. And we now remain In Him by His Spirit. THERE IS NO GREATER GLORY!

But Ye Are Come

My prayer for us during this study on "from glory to glory" is that we would truly find ourselves in the place God has brought us to in Christ; to the Glory of our Salvation. May we not be looking for a glory "to come", but may we be found in The Glory that Christ is. Our Glorious Salvation is real and it is NOW; and we must live in the reality of it NOW. May we not go back – even in our hearts to the types and shadows, but enter into the fulness of Christ now, and function as His Body, The Body of His Glory. Paul’s epistles declared this reality and contrast. Let us learn CHRIST!

Hebrews 12:18-24 – "For ye are NOT come to the mount that might be touched." That is Mount Sinai, and that is where THE LAW was given to Israel. That was where God established His Covenant with them through Moses and the giving of the Commandments, the Law, the Tabernacle, the feasts. This is the Old Covenant, and what we need to see is the positional relationship of God here. He was far off, and they could not come near to Him. Moses was the mediator, but the whole scene was one of judgment and fear, and of the people not knowing this awesome God. This Covenant dealt with sin and death.

• The writer to the Hebrews declares we are NOT come to this, but sadly this is the position that many Christians feel they are in with relation to God. We now – in our hearts first, and then in the daily living of The Truth in Christ should not be living in this understanding, in this "glory"; but we have come – BY CHRIST, IN CHRIST to another mount.

Verse 22 – " But ye are come…" We are NOT going there "someday", but Christ – by The Work of His Cross has brought us (‘I am The Way… no man comes but by Me’ – John 14:6) to a new "place", a new understanding. "…unto Mount Zion (that is God’s highest thought) unto the city of the Living God… to the church of the firstborn (begotten by His resurrection) and TO GOD the judge of all… and to Jesus the mediator of the NEW Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

• We NOW – IN CHRIST are come to God, to Jesus, to the New Covenant, to better things. We are not waiting to go there, but are come – IN HIM. ?? But in our hearts are we come there? Is that where we dwell, and find our Life? This is the glory that was promised to Israel in the Old Covenant, but this is the Glory we have come to in Christ! Here God is not far off, but dwells in us, and we are brought nigh to Him. This is the fulfillment of what the Old Covenant promised, and Israel hoped for, and this is what Paul preached, and this is what got him in trouble! The Jews did not want to give up the Law of Moses!

Acts 13:38-41 – Paul preached Jesus’ resurrection. And that "…through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; I (God) will do a work in your days which ye shall in no wise believe."

Paul preached Christ – that He, by His Cross fulfilled all that the Law of Moses spoke of, bringing them to the greater glory, to the hope they looked for, and for this they tried to kill him, and imprisoned him!

Acts 28:17-20 – "…because for the hope of Israel (the expectation of glory) I am bound with this chain." But what did Paul do? He shared CHRIST! Vs. 23-24 – "He expounded and testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets from morning till evening."

Paul was bringing them from the glory of the first – Moses, Law, prophets to the glory of the second – to Christ, by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Now some of the Jews believed, but others did not, but Paul sees the scriptures fulfilled.

Vs. 25-28 – that the heart, eyes, and ears of this people are dull and cannot receive Salvation, so now the Salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles who will hear it.

*The Old Covenant, The Law, Moses and the prophets had to give way to the New Covenant, which came forth IN CHRIST, for this is the FULFILLMENT of the first. The book of Hebrews especially shows that the Old Covenant was only the figure (type, shadow) of what was to come, and that God had a New Covenant that was better than the first. And there is nothing better than that! This was always God’s plan – to fulfil all His Plan in His Son, and God would have us NOW live in the Glory of His New Covenant.

Hebrews 8:6-13, "But NOW he (Jesus – by His resurrection) has a more excellent ministry… mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." The first Covenant was not perfect, and could not bring forth what God really wanted – a people in real communion with Him. God had said by the prophets that He would make a NEW Covenant with Israel, NOT like the old one. (*We need to understand the difference in how God dealt under the Law and now under grace!) * Now the Lord will put the law into their minds and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people. This is NOT on the outside of them, written on stone or paper; but a work inwardly. NOW they could truly know their God – IN CHRIST.

God makes the distinction. He made the New: and that made the first old. And what is old and decays MUST vanish away! And it is in the appearing of Christ, and the knowing of Him that the old does vanish away – from our hearts, and we go from glory to glory: to the Glory that remains!

Old Covenant – Types and Shadows

I pray that during these days we are all coming to a greater appreciation of our Glorious Salvation – of what God has done IN CHRIST. May we not spend our time speculating on what "will be", but come to know what NOW IS – IN CHRIST.

2 Timothy 1:9,10 – " God has saved and called us, NOT according to our works, BUT according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us (not "will be" – but this has been done) IN CHRIST JESUS before the world began, but IS NOW made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who HATH abolished death (by His Death on The Cross), and HATH brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (through the revealing of This Son)".

This is what God hath NOW made known – by Christ coming and dying: all according to God’s grace and purpose – not by our works. So before the world began God purposed this Salvation IN CHRIST, and always works with this in mind. And as we continue in our study on "from glory to glory", and understanding the Old and New Covenants, we would do well to keep this in mind – all things IN CHRIST.

May we also consider Hebrews 1:1,2a – "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, HATH in these last days (at the END of those days) spoken unto us by HIS SON, whom he hath appointed heir of all things." * We are seeing two times, and two ways of God speaking and dealing with a people; two Covenants – which is an understanding given of God concerning Himself and His Will.

The first understanding, Covenant was given in bits and pieces, in glimpses; in many different ways God sent forth various portions of the Truth, but it was only in types and shadows – for a time. The Scripture calls this "in time past"; the first, Old Covenant. But at the end of those days He hath spoken IN SON. Now He only speaks ONE way – in One, by One, of One – HIS SON, Who is the full revelation of all the old ways God used to speak. He now – By His Cross; for it is The Cross that brought the Old, time past to an end; fulfils all that the old spoke of, and God now gets all that He had purposed IN HIS SON, Who is heir of everything.

• The question for us is: have those days come to an end for us? Are we still looking for God to speak in various ways, in glimpses, and many revelations, or are we looking for Him only speaking and doing IN SON? If God brought "time past" to an end at The Cross, and NOW speaks only in His Son, by a New Covenant, a New understanding, a New Day, a New Way – we now must come to the end of the first glory, Old Covenant, and be found ONLY in the New – where there is Life – HIS LIFE.
• Our problem is as Christians that even though God has established the New Covenant in Christ – by His blood, still many of us want to worship God and deal with God in an "Old Covenant" understanding: in types and shadows, in the flesh and by the flesh; in anticipation of the glory that will come SOMEDAY; rather than living in the NEW (totally different from the old) and better, the Living Way, in the New Covenant which is ours in Christ – NOW, in the New Day, the Eternal Day which Christ is.

We must remember that in the Old Covenant God set forth things in the earth realm – places, people, things, but these were all speaking of something spiritual, and that would ultimately be fulfilled in Christ. We must come – in our understanding of God from the natural, earthly understandings, to the Spiritual fulness which is complete in Christ. This is how we come "from glory to glory."

John 4: The woman of Samaria. Verses 20-24 – "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. But the hour cometh and NOW IS when the TRUE worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth… God is Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth."

** We NOW – IN CHRIST no longer worship "in Church" or "come to the house of God" in the earth realm, but we must worship in Spirit, in Truth – IN CHRIST. Too many Christians are seeking the glory of the first – in a place, on a day, in the natural; but to God those dayS (plural) are past. We now must worship Him in the New Day, in the New Creation as the New Creation – NOT after the flesh.

John 6:31 – "Our fathers did eat manna in the dessert." This was one of the ways God "spoke" to them in time past. The Jews wanted Jesus to do that (vs. 30) so they could believe on Him! Vs. 32-35 – Jesus is bringing them from one glory to the greater Glory that He is! HE is the TRUE (the Second, the New, the Spiritual is always the TRUE, not the type) bread from heaven who gives His life unto the world. By believing on HIM you shall never hunger nor thirst. (that obviously is spiritually) ** Notice the Jews were still looking at Him naturally. Vs. 41,42 – But in order for them to receive Him, they had to give up the first understanding – Moses, the Law, manna, which was all their ‘religion’ and believe ON HIM. Vs. 47-52 "I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead." (They would not enter into Canaan because of unbelief, and then eat the corn of the New land.) The Jews balked at the idea of ‘eating His flesh’ – that was against "their Law", but He was offering them LIFE – By His flesh and blood, by the New Covenant. Vs. 58 – "NOT as your fathers ate manna, but if you eat THIS BREAD you shall live forever." He brings them from the glory of the old to the Glory of the New – Life, His Life, but it is only by His Cross.

The Work of The Cross

During these days we are asking the Lord to bring us to a greater understanding of Christ and our wonderful Salvation; not in the flesh, but by the Spirit; not in the old, but in the New; not in the letter of the law, but in the Living Word that He is; not in the types and shadows that represented Him, but in the reality that brings forth a manifestation of Him. ** The Church today is not to be "us" representing Him; but the true Church is a manifestation of HIM living in us. Our scripture reference in 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks of us beholding Him, understanding Him, and being changed from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord INTO THE SAME IMAGE – that’s HIM!

Let us remember – the first is always flesh, but the second is ONLY HIM.

1 Corinthians 15:47 – "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is THE LORD FROM HEAVEN." * The second man is NOT a "spiritual" me, but is The Lord Who is Spirit, and He is the greater glory, and we now are being changed into HIS image. God doesn’t want a bunch of "us" being spiritual, but He is looking for a manifestation of His Son, Who is His Glory.

Vs. 49 – "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image (exactness) of the heavenly." And this is what should be taking place in us NOW – coming from the glory of the earth, flesh, first; to the glory of the second, heavenly, the Lord.

Romans 8:29 says God has predestinated a people to be conformed to the image of HIS SON. This can only be done by the Work of The Cross in us, bringing us from one understanding to another: that it is not I, but Christ who lives in me!

• It was by The Work of The Cross that Jesus brought forth God’s plan.

Hebrews 10:7-10 – "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me)…" *The Scriptures ALL spoke of HIM, and what He would do when He would come! The sacrifices under the Law didn’t fully satisfy God, but He comes to do the Father’s Will. What is that? He taketh away the first that He may establish the second. How? Vs. 10 – By the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all – that’s The Cross.

It was The Cross that divided the glory of the first from the glory of the second, and it is by that Work and understanding being worked in us that we will be changed and come from glory to glory. But notice the depth and finality of what Jesus did: the first – ALL of it was taken away. He fulfilled all of it, so it was no longer needed, and only the second was established, and this is the glory that exceeds, is eternal and is HIM. The question for us is: are we willing to allow HIM to take away the first, that HE might establish the second? Or are we holding on to the first to the loss of the second? This is how the Lord will be challenging us these days, because there are so many aspects of the "first". And in every area that we are unwilling to let Him take that first away, we are suffering the loss of the second being established, and thereby we are ‘losing Him’.

And notice also: it is HE Who does it – not "me". WE try to take things away, but it doesn’t work. This is HIS WORK, and it is the Work of The Cross – HIS WORKING in us mightily that will bring us from glory to glory, as we yield our hearts and minds to Him.

Let us look at what the Lord did to show what this change, or transformation would be like. * It is all done as HE is revealed in His death, burial and resurrection.

Matthew 17 – "And after six days…" So immediately we see a time element here. Six is the number of man, flesh; and it is only AFTER six days that the Lord is able to show Himself this way. * Our problem is that we – even as Christians still want to live in the "six days of man", and we are dictated by the world and the earth realm. But in order for us to come to a greater understanding, a greater glory, those days must end, and we must come to the New Day, the New Covenant in the Lord. We can’t "see" Him any more now in the flesh realm, but we must know Him now in and by the Spirit. (Reference 2 Corinthians 5:16: Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet NOW henceforth know we him no more – by comprehending His Death (vs. 14 – one died, all are dead).)

Vs. 1 – "JESUS takes them…" This is not a "place" where we take ourselves, can pray ourselves to, or wish ourselves into. HE takes you – UP, INTO an HIGH MOUNTAIN APART. All of these words are very important: this is not in the earth realm, but a higher realm, a greater glory. They were brought INTO this – not to be separate from, but as One with, with Him. This is God’s High Thought – His Plan and Will, that dictates all that He does in His rule. This is "apart": there must be a leaving of all the old, and now functioning ONLY here.

Vs. 2-3 – He was transfigured (changed from His earthly body) and shone with pure light, but when He appeared this way, He was not alone. Moses and Elijah were seen as One with Him. (Luke 9 says they were talking of His death that He would accomplish.) They are there as the Law and the Prophets – and that is what they speak of: His death, and what He would bring forth in His resurrection. They were types of Him.

Vs. 4-5 –Peter was still functioning in the flesh, according to the Old Covenant, the first understanding – Three Tabernacles, what "we" can do for Him; Moses and Elijah as separate from Him, still having their place and "ministry". But as Peter was speaking a bright cloud overshadowed them, and the Father spoke – speaking from the heavens, from the true witness of what His Death would do. Now – no more "us AND Him", no more Law and Prophets. They are all swallowed up and overshadowed, and taken away. Now The Father ONLY recognizes HIS SON. (Reference Hebrews 1 – God spoke many ways in time past, but at the end of those days, He speaks IN SON.) We must hear HIM! We must not "hear" Moses and Elijah separate from Him, but find all that they said confirmed and fulfilled in THIS SON.

Vs. 6-7 – The disciples fell as dead, and were afraid, but He raised them up. *He only raises up what is HIS – in HIS resurrection; but HE is the only One raised up – not us!

Vs. 8-9 – "When they lifted up their eyes, they saw NO MAN, save JEUS ONLY." When they came down to the earth realm, they were not to tell of this until He has risen from the dead. All would be accomplished then.

May we lift up our eyes and see no man but JESUS only – coming from glory to glory!

Flesh Realm Fades – Christ Eternal

As we are beholding the Lord and being changed from the first glory to the second glory, which is Christ Himself and our union with Him, I pray that we are really coming to some understanding between the old and the new, the first and the second. And now we must be found only, and live only in the NEW.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – "If any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creature (creation); old things ARE passed away (not "going to be gone someday"): behold all things ARE become NEW." The Amplified Bible says: Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (The Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether): the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

But this understanding (even though it is true by the Work of The Cross) comes to us only as we discern HIS DEATH (vs. 14-16) – One died – all dead. Now those who live (in Him) don’t live unto themselves, but to and for Him Who died for them. Now – in this understanding we no longer know after the flesh, for that is all passed. Now we only know by the New Creation that He has brought forth; and all is NEW there.

So we want to begin now to look at some different aspects of God’s dealings in the old and in the New creation; in the glory that fades, and the New that remains – in Christ. May God made these differences real in us.

The first issue we have to settle is that the whole first realm is of the earth, it is natural, and it is temporal: only for a time. But the second is NOT like the first: it is Spirit, and spiritual, and eternal.

2 Corinthian 4:18 – The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. The "things" in the Old Covenant, the old understanding by which God dealt with man were all natural; they could be seen, touched; they spoke of eternal, Spiritual things, but they were temporal – only for a time. Examples: tabernacle, sacrifices, priests, special clothes, feasts. Hebrews 9:23 calls them the patterns of things in the heavens; but there was no substance to them. Since they spoke of the Truth, God’s people had to be obedient and observe them, but that glory passed away when Christ came, for now all things find their fulfillment and Truth in Him, and He Who is Spirit is The Eternal One.

Too many Christians are trying to find temporal things in the heavens, and in our understanding we are filling heaven up with the things of this earth. But we should be finding the Truth, the greater Glory in Christ – in the heavens, and MANIFESTING that reality here on the earth. (Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven – not the other way around!)

We now – in Christ, should not be living and being dictated by the temporal world, but by the Eternal One Who is NOW our Life. This can only be done by our seeing Him – looking to Him, and letting Him show us Himself, Who is Eternal. "We" as "we", as ourselves, in the flesh are temporal, and that whole realm of the flesh will NEVER be eternal – no matter what we preach to the contrary!

1 Corinthians 15:50 – "Flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."

But we now – IN CHRIST, have put off the flesh, and now by receiving HIS LIFE, we are changed, and have Eternal Life, in and by The Spirit. But we must understand there is only ONE Who is Eternal, and Who has immortality – not I, but CHRIST! 1 Timothy 6:15-16 – The King of Kings and Lord of Lord, who only hath immortality. 1 Timothy 1:17 says Now unto THE KING eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory forever.

Our problem is that "we" as we are in this natural, earthly form want to live eternally – and think that we do! We must come to a greater view of our Salvation and of Christ that enables us to see the GREATER glory, and desire to be found not in the temporal realm of the flesh, but only in the eternal realm of the Spirit.

1 Peter 1:23-25 – Being born again (given New Life, His Life, from above) not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers and falls away: BUT the word of the Lord endureth forever. When are we going to learn this?? EVERY work of the flesh fades and falls away, but ONLY His Word, His Work, His Life endures forever. We now should NOT be ‘living’ by the flesh, and unto the flesh which will all die; but by and unto Him, that Eternal, Living Word of God that now dwells in us, and is giving us HIS Life. All flesh and glory of man fades; but CHRIST is eternally!

And we must come to this understanding if we are going to come from glory to glory. We must pass from the earth realm, the flesh, and all of the natural elements – man’s thoughts, doctrines and religious forms; to the Spirit realm, and be taught by the Spirit the Truth as it is in Jesus. We CANNOT know God and serve Him by the flesh: but ONLY by The Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:9-16 – Eye, ear and the heart of MAN has not understood the things which God hath prepared (all in Christ) for them that love Him… But God HATH revealed them unto us by HIS SPIRIT. ** Only The Spirit of God knows the things of God – The Truth. NOW we have received (in Christ, by the Work of The Cross) not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God (all things New – of Him in Christ) THAT we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

• Now we don’t have to depend upon man and natural elements to "teach us" about God. His Spirit is the Teacher. ** Vs. 14 – "The natural man (me in my flesh, and in my own understanding) receives NOT the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; he cannot know them, for they are spiritually discerned. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? But we have the mind of Christ.

The first thing we must see in coming from glory to glory is the difference between the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh – natural man can serve a religious form, rules etc. but NEVER can know the things of God. But IN CHRIST, by His Spirit in us, we can learn Him and serve Him in Spirit and in Truth – not after the flesh – from glory to glory!

Flesh is Flesh; Spirit is Spirit

As we continue in our search, coming "from glory to glory", we must come to truly discern the issue of flesh and Spirit. Flesh is always and only related to the first; Spirit is always and only related to the second.

Jesus Himself said in John 3:6 regarding being born again in order to see the kingdom of God: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. ** We think we can make the flesh "spiritual", but it is still flesh, and not Spirit. It may "go to church" and be religious, but that is still all of the earth realm, and is not Spirit. This also applies to our thoughts and actions: what comes from the flesh – still is flesh and will fade. But what comes in the Spirit, and by the Spirit – is Spirit and will remain.

This is an issue we must be confronted with. Since we are "born again, born from above, by the Spirit", we now ARE Spirit, and not flesh – of flesh. Yes, we live in an earthly body, but that is so that we can manifest Christ’s Life here on this earth. (2 Corinthians 4:7 – We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.) Galatians 5:25 – If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Vs. 16,17 – Walk (live, find your life) in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth (desires of human nature) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and those are contrary the one to the other. They don’t mix, but oppose each other. What is God’s answer? THE CROSS! That separates and brings an end to the flesh. **Vs.24 – They that are Christ’s (born of Him) have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

We must allow the Cross to make this separation in us to come to His Glory. Romans 8:5 – They that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh – good and bad, but still flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit – in all things. Vs. 9 – But ye are NOT in the flesh BUT in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. *The Spirit is Christ – dwelling in us! Vs. 13 – For if we live (function daily, find our life) after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (bring to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Here again, The Cross is the answer to the issue of flesh and Spirit.

** We must comprehend that God put a big "NO, NOT" on the flesh, earth realm, first, which comes to death; and now in Christ, in Spirit only is Life. This was ultimately done at the Cross by Jesus’ dying in the flesh, and bringing all of that creation to an end; and by His resurrection by the Spirit, bringing forth a whole New Creation, born of Spirit. But we want to look at several types of God’s attitude toward flesh/Spirit set forth in the Scripture.

Adam – Adam was formed of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). He was of the earth – earthy, and he became a living soul. And all of this first creation was defined by Adam. God put the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, but told Adam that in the day he ate of that tree, he would surely die. Despite God’s warning, the flesh man believed the serpent (Genesis 3:4) and the woman made a decision based on the flesh. Genesis 3:6 – She saw the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, a tree desired to make one wise. So she ate, and gave to her husband to eat. Flesh acted by flesh, and what did God do? Genesis 3:23,24 – The Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden. (flesh man was sent out from God’s presence) to till the ground from whence he was taken. Man now would live in the earth, BY the earth. God drove man out, but He kept the way of the tree of life. ** The WAY for Spiritual Life would be kept.

Noah – man, in flesh, by flesh multiplied on this earth, but God was NOT looking for an increase of that man. Genesis 6:3 – My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh. God has made the distinction between flesh and Spirit! Vs. 5 – The wickedness of man (born out of flesh) was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Do you think that is still not true today – in us?) God’s answer was Vs. 7: I will destroy man whom I created from the face of the earth, and that whole creation. Vs. 11-12 – The earth was corrupt before God, and filled with violence, for all flesh has corrupted his way upon the earth. This is the strong power of the flesh! **BUT –Vs. 8 – NOAH found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and through this ONE man, God would bring forth His judgment against flesh, against the earth, and bring forth NEW life. *Note: Noah’s name means "rest". In him God found rest. Genesis 6:17,18 – (God told Noah to build the ark) And I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh… everything in the earth shall die. * But with THEE (not with flesh man) will I establish my Covenant. God’s Covenant is always said to be established in the second, not in the first.

Noah and his family and the creatures with him in the Ark experienced the flood, but they were preserved because they were in the Ark. Vs. 21-23 – All flesh died that was on the earth. They were destroyed from the earth; and Noah ONLY REMAINED ALIVE, and they that were with him in the Ark. *This is a glorious type of our Salvation in Christ – The Cross destroys all flesh of the earth. ONLY Christ remains alive, and because He lives, we who are in Him – live also, with His Life. Noah now, and those that come forth out of the Ark with him were to be fruitful (Genesis 9:1,2) and multiply, and replenish the earth – as a New Creation.

But this type doesn’t bring perfection to man – they still function in the flesh – trying to be "spiritual". Genesis 11:1-9 – All earth had one language, one speech. Let US build US a city and tower to reach to heaven, and let US make US a name lest we be scattered abroad. See the flesh – being "spiritual"? But they are motivated by the flesh – US, WE. Unfortunately, doesn’t this describe a lot of our "Christian activities" today – what "we" are going to do, by "our" numbers and strength. But it’s religious – trying to get to heaven. But GOD had already kept the way to "heaven" – it was by the Tree of Life, it was by The Cross – not by man’s fleshly efforts to reach God.

God doesn’t reward them for their efforts to get to heaven. Vs. 5-9 – To stop them from doing what THEY imagined to do, God confounded their language, and scattered them abroad. And this place is called Babel – confusion!

Can you see that God knows the difference between flesh and Spirit; earth realm and the heavenly? God destroyed all flesh, but has placed Life in Christ by the Work of His Cross. May we come to this judgment!

Take Away First – Establish Second

As we continue to consider coming "from glory to glory’, and distinguishing between the first and the second; flesh and Spirit, let us look again at WHY Jesus said He came to this earth.

Hebrews 10:5 – When He came into the world, God prepared a body for him… Verse 9 – Then said He, Lo, I come to do thy will, of God, He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. Jesus’ coming in a flesh body, into the whole first creation and its whole religious system was to take it away. Why? So that HE may establish the second, the New Creation, the Eternal, the Truth. This is God’s Will – the second, not the first.

*By His Cross Jesus has accomplished this. The old, first, flesh, types are done away IN CHRIST ( see 2 Corinthians 3:14-16) Now the veil, darkness must be taken away IN US – as we turn our hearts to the Lord.

?? Could our problem be that we are refusing the Work of the Spirit in us to take away the first? Are we trying to get God to establish for us what He is trying to take away? These are challenges for us in our daily walk, but we must remember, the first must be taken away, and ONLY the second established. This is God’s Will. For instance:

• We are trying to maintain ourselves, our flesh life – and live like that forever. But Jesus said if you seek to save YOUR life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for His sake, you shall find His Life. (See Luke 9:24) The Second ONLY is Eternal Life.
• We quarrel about a "day" – the Sabbath day; which was given under the Law, in the first, but Jesus has come as the Lord of the Sabbath, as the New Day, as God’s Rest, as the fulfillment of that type, and we now are to worship HIM, who is our Sabbath Rest. You only cease from your own labors IN HIM. God is not now establishing a day, but HIS SON, Who is that Day – we are to walk in that; in the light of that Day.
• We have "our church traditions and doctrines" – feasts, ordinances. These were all set forth of God as types of Christ, but they have no substance. But we judge ourselves and each other this way. The only substance there is – is CHRIST, and HE must take away these forms and establish HIMSELF. ( See Colossians 2:16,17 – Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is Christ.)

** It is very important that we understand this, because in many instances we are hindering the Work of God in us in showing us Christ and His Truth. Here is a principle set forth that we need to be mindful of.

Hebrews 9:1 – The first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary (all in the earth, of the earth, dealing with man of earth); Vs. 6-10 – Priests always went into the first, but only the High Priest into the second. * The Holy Ghost signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was yet standing. This was a figure for the time then present … could not make perfect… until the time of reformation (until things were made right by Christ!) The principle is: as long as the first remains, the way into the second is not made manifest. That’s why Jesus came: to take away ALL of the first, and bring us into ALL of the second – Eternal Life in Him.

This is why early in His ministry Jesus came to Jerusalem at the time of Passover and came into the temple. John 2:13-25. HE is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), and when He comes into the first, The Temple, the type, He finds that man has polluted the temple – with himself, with his religious zeal that made God’s house a house of merchandise. (Isn’t that describing too many of the churches of today?) He cleaned out the Temple – by Himself, and when they asked Him for a sign, He told them (vs. 19-21) "Destroy THIS temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews only saw the natural temple of their building, but He was speaking of the New Temple, His New Body that He would raise in the power of HIS Resurrection.

• God today – since the Cross, is NOT going to build another worldly Temple, in Jerusalem, or any place else. He already has HIS TEMPLE, HIS CHURCH, in the Body of the Risen Christ, in the Second, and here it is filled only with HIS SON. No merchandizing here, no flesh here – only Spirit and Truth.

To help us to clearly see God’s intention of taking away ALL of the first (not just a part: the "good" and the "bad" of the first – ALL is taken away) and establishing His Covenant only with the second, let us look at two scriptures in Genesis. We looked at Noah in our last lesson, but let us focus on who God would establish His Covenant with.

Genesis 6:17-19 – God would bring a flood upon the earth to destroy ALL flesh… everything that is in the earth shall die. (flesh would be taken away and that whole creation – of the earth) But with thee will I establish my Covenant… everything in the ark with Noah would be kept alive.

• God would NOT establish His Covenant with the first creation, but ONLY in the second: that which would go through His judgment (the flood in type, but in reality – The Cross), but be kept alive in Christ. This is the New Creation, in Newness of Life, The New Man.

Genesis 17 – With Abraham. We know God made promises to Abraham, and these were concerning the SEED. Vs. 6-8 – I will establish my Covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee for an everlasting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

We know that Abraham produced Ishmael – the flesh, the first, by the bondwoman, but the first was NOT God’s seed, and would not be established. It was to be in the son that God would give them – by God, by Spirit, the second. Abraham wanted Ishmael to be that son. Vs. 18 – O that Ishmael might live before thee! Vs. 19-21 – But God says NO to first, flesh. I will establish my Covenant with Isaac for an EVERLASTING Covenant. (This is all speaking of Christ, the Second) God would bless and multiply Ishmael, the product of the flesh, but My Covenant will I ESTABLISH with Isaac. The second only is established by Covenant.

May we not be like Abraham asking God to let Ishmael – the first, product of flesh live before Him, but let us find our life only in the Second and live in that Everlasting Covenant – in Christ. From glory to glory!

Afterward - Spiritual

The Lord has impressed upon me that we need to spend more time in the Word to help us see the difference between the first and the second, the old and the New, the flesh and the Spirit, so that He can – in our hearts, and then in our lives take away ALL of the first and establish ALL of the second. Except we see this difference, we will strive against the Lord’s Work in us. Remember God hates mixture, and there is no mixture in Christ, but it is Him all and in all.

1 Corinthians 15 – This whole chapter is speaking of Christ’s resurrection, and the Body that He brings forth by that resurrection.

Vs. 46 – Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural; and AFTERWARD that which is spiritual. *The first is natural, of the earth and is NOT spiritual, and never will be spiritual. AFTERWARD, that which is spiritual. After the first dies, the natural dies, then the second, the Spiritual can come forth and live. But the second is NOT natural or earthy, and can only come forth by the Work of the Cross – death to first, now quickened (made alive) by the Spirit, therefore the second is spiritual.

*We think "we" can be spiritual but all we do is make our natural selves religious, and do things we think are spiritual But only AFTER the flesh, old, first is reckoned dead, THEN can the Spiritual come forth – the second Man, The Lord from heaven. The first is always natural, of earth, by the flesh, by the old types and shadows. And our first knowing and understanding of the Lord is this way – by our senses, our traditions, our fleshly knowledge of right and wrong. But this is NOT spiritual and that first glory fades. God would bring us to the greater knowing – not after the flesh, but by His Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:16 – Wherefore henceforth, know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet NOW henceforth know we him no more. Why? How is this so? By The Cross! Vs. 14-15 – We judge (separate the living from the dead, come to a decision) if one died for all, then were all dead. NOW they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again.

• Can you see here that the "spiritual" comes AFTER the first, flesh is reckoned dead? Now the recognition comes that we only live BY HIM, as the New Creation, in Christ. The Church today continues to know each other in the flesh, and by the flesh because we have not come to the judgment of The Cross. We "think" we are spiritual, but we are not, and we deceive ourselves. This is evident by the works of the flesh that are prevalent in the Church today. Only AFTER The Cross takes away all of the first will we function truly in and by God’s Spirit.

All that was under the old, first Covenant was in the natural, and although God worked wonders for His people, they never really knew the essence of God, Who is Spirit. The letter killed, but only the Spirit gives Life – His Life. Jesus’ coming to the earth was to bring a people out of the old, first, natural knowing, into the True, Spiritual understanding of God. And HE is the only One that can truly do this. Knowing Him will show us the difference.

John 6 – This is when Jesus does a great miracle and feeds the multitude, but feeding them in the natural was not Hs intention. Vs. 14 – When men saw the miracle Jesus did (with their natural eyes) they said this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. * They came to a partial knowledge. The people then came to look for Him, but He was bringing them to a greater knowledge of Himself. Vs. 26-27 – You seek Me NOT because you understood the miracles (He did things as a sign of Who He was, and what He would do), but because you ate the loaves and were filled. *Sadly isn’t this a lot of what we have in Christianity today? ‘Come to Jesus and see what He will do for YOU… get YOUR miracle… get YOUR promotion, big car, etc…’ This is all knowing Him in the natural, in the flesh, by the flesh and for the flesh – and the natural, flesh man loves this! But Jesus knows their hearts, and knows the difference. Vs. 27 – Labor NOT for the meat which perishes (all of the first, earth realm fades away), BUT for that meat which endureth (is established) unto everlasting LIFE, (One unto death, the other unto Life) which the Son of Man shall give unto you. ** Only the Son of Man can give this Life. "Son of Man" is the name of the Son of God in His Work of The Cross for us – in His death, burial and resurrection. He is the true bread (Spiritual, second). Vs. 32-33 – Moses (the old, first, law) didn’t give you that bread from heaven, but My Father gives it. The bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

This Bread, this Life comes after the first, the Law, the old; and now they had to only eat HIS flesh and drink HIS blood in order to have Life in them – New, Spiritual Life. The Lord would bring us to this greater understanding – not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.

But in order for Him to do this, He must take away ALL of the first. We read in our last lesson in John 2 that at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus cleansed the Temple. At the end of His ministry He does it again! (You think fleshly religion isn’t strong, and striving against Him filling His Temple?) Matthew 21:12-17. And then the leaders came to Him and asked Him by what authority He did all these things. He speaks to them of the Kingdom of God, and finally in Matthew 23 He tells them about the pollution of man, the flesh in God’s Temple. He rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees. Vs.3 – They say, and do not. Vs.4 – They bind heavy burdens on men. Vs.5 – Their works they do to be seen of men. Vs.6 – They love the uppermost rooms at feasts. Vs.13 – They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; you don’t go in nor let others in. Vs.25 – They make clean the outside, but inside are full of extortion and excess. This goes on and on, and Jesus laments over Jerusalem for the works of the flesh in their midst. (Vs.37-38) They would not be gathered in Him so your house is left to you desolate. And Matthew 24:1) Jesus went out and departed from the Temple. He left the old type filled with flesh and NEVER returned to it. Lord help us to see that.

Dividing the First and the Second

What are we doing these days? We are LEARNING CHRIST; we are asking God to bring us to the understanding of God: not as a thing that will come someday, or where we will go someday, but in the truth of the Glory that has now come IN CHRIST. And we are coming to see that He is the Glory that the scriptures spoke of, and that we are NOW living in that glory by our relationship of oneness with Him. This Oneness is Glory. We can only understand this by searching the scripture, and asking God to reveal His Son – Who is The Word, in His Word, and by seeing that all things in the scripture spoke OF Him, and were fulfilled BY Him. WE MUST LEARN HIM!

2 Timothy 2:15,16,19 – Study to shew thyself (by your manner of living) approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (expounding soundly; The Amplified Bibles says: correctly analyzing and accurately dividing; rightly handling and skillfully teaching). But shun profane and vain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (This is concerning the Word of God – Lord help us!) Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure… and let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

** God’s people must come to a true, accurate understanding of HIS WORD; and that must be in the light of God’s sure foundation, which is Christ and Him crucified. ALL teaching must be based on that Finished Work; and The Cross will separate the types and shadows from the Truth; old from New; first from second.

• Notice that this approval is unto God – and not man. We must ask God to show us HIS Will, HIS Plan, HIS Purpose – and He will, but this is all IN CHRIST. Anything else to God is vain, and profane babblings; but the Truth is IN HIM. So let this be our heart’s desire during these days – to LEARN CHRIST.

In our study of coming "from glory to glory" we have been brought to the term "AFTERWARD". The natural is first, but afterward that which is spiritual. And we have seen that this "afterward" requires The Work of The Cross. We’ll look at some types of this in the scripture to help us see the difference (rightly dividing) the first from the second.

Genesis 25 – This is Esau and Jacob, the sons of Isaac. Vs. 24-34 – They were twins in the womb. The first came out red (like the dirt) and hairy, and after that came his brother Jacob. Esau was a man of the field – the earth and lived by the earth, but Jacob was different. *We must understand that the birthright was spiritual, not natural; and at the point of his hunger and death, Esau looked to the natural, physical bread, thus despising his birthright. Vs. 32 – To him the birthright could do nothing for him. Even though Jacob was a deceiver, his sights were NOT on the natural, but on the spiritual, and by faith he desired the spiritual. But Jacob would be changed and AFTERWARD (Genesis 32) he becomes Israel. He wrestles with the man and his name is changed as he asks for God’s blessing. Jacob then is a type of the natural seed of Abraham; but Israel is the spiritual seed. Vs. 28 Israel is a prince that has power with God and men, and has prevailed. Notice – "no more" Israel. But God here has made a distinction between the natural seed and the spiritual, and He continues that through the scripture with His dealing with His people.

Romans 9 – Paul here is concerned for his own people, the Jews, who (verses 2-3) would not come to Christ – to the spiritual inheritance God has for them. Vs. 4-13 – Even though the Jews had the Law and the promises, the children of the flesh (vs. 8) are NOT the children of God; BUT the children of the promise are counted for the seed – God’s Spiritual Seed. AFTER the natural comes the spiritual.

But let us go back to God’s dealing with Abram and see this "afterward".

Genesis 12:1 – Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee OUT OF thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, UNTO a land that I WILL SHOW THEE.

• The first thing we must see here is that there is a getting out – of ALL of the old. This speaks of the death of the first, old creation, natural life. Abram came from the city of UR – a land of many gods and religious traditions, but God was calling him to leave ALL of that.
• Secondly, we must see here that the call was unto a different land. It is not just us leaving the old, but entering into the new. God repeats this to Moses when Israel left Egypt – out from … bring them into the place… (Exodus 15:17) For us this land is Christ, and God would have us live here as the NEW Man.
• Thirdly, we must see that only GOD can show this land. "Shew" there means "reveal, disclose". This speaks of a spiritual "place", not a natural; and the only way Abraham knew this "land" is because The Lord appeared to him.

So God here is bringing Abram from the old, first, natural, religious to the New, Second, Spiritual. This land is where God would bless him – no where else! (God has blessed us with ALL Spiritual blessings – IN Christ, IN Spirit – Ephesians 1:3)

Genesis 11:31-32 – Abram’s journey out from Ur unto Canaan was stopped until AFTER Terah died. With his father (the old) with him they only got to Haran and dwelt there.

Genesis 12:4-5 – AFTER Terah died they departed out of Haran, but Abram had Lot and all the substance (old, flesh, natural, religious) and souls they had gotten in Haran. *Can you see Abram was NOT obedient and brought the old out with him? And in the time of famine and trials in the flesh (vs. 10) he goes down into Egypt. And there he looked to preserve his own life. (Vs. 13) – notice "well with me", and "my soul shall live". This is all in the natural, soul life.

Genesis 13:1-4 – Abram went UP OUT of Egypt (notice those words), but he had to go back to the place where his tent was in the beginning, but LOT was with him, and (vs. 7) there was strife between them. *There will always be strife between the flesh and the Spirit! Lot lifted up his eyes (vs. 10) and chose his land – pleasing to the natural, the land of Sodom and Gomorrah.

**Genesis 13:14-18 – And the Lord said to Abram AFTER that Lot was separated from him (God didn’t speak to him in Egypt, or when Lot was with him); lift up NOW thine eyes and LOOK. NOW – AFTERWARD – after the separation of the first, old, God can show the land and seed, and give it to Abram. This is now Spiritual and not natural, and now God wants Abram to walk through this land. THEN Abram moved his tent and dwelt in Hebron (fellowship), but it was only AFTERWARD…

Forgetting Things Which Are Behind

I trust that as we are seeking to come "from glory to glory" that the Lord is showing us WHY so few Christians are walking in that second glory: in the glory which has now come in Christ. It was by The Cross – His death, burial and resurrection that Jesus brought this about, and it is only by that same Work IN US that we will also come to live in this reality. It is AFTERWARD – after the death and burial of all the first, that the second, which is Spiritual can truly live and prosper. Let us look at one more example.

Isaiah 6:1 – In the year that King Uzziah DIED, I saw also THE LORD, sitting upon a THRONE, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

** It was only AFTER King Uzziah DIED that the Lord was seen in His rightful place – on the Throne, and His glory, His Life filling the temple. King Uzziah here represents the old, flesh man, who was polluting the temple. He was doing "religious things", but it was the work of the flesh, and it would end.

2 Chronicles 26:5 – As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. And he did: he built up Jerusalem and the people grew strong. And his name was spread far abroad. *Vs. 16 – But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD and went into the temple to burn incense upon the altar. Uzziah was a King, but NOT a priest; but in his fleshly pride, he decided to make himself a priest. (There is ONLY ONE Who is King and Priest – and that is Christ!) Vs. 17-20 – The priests couldn’t stop him and he becomes wroth, and God struck him with leprosy. Leprosy in the Bible denotes sin: it is the flesh turned inside out: putrefying flesh exposed for all to see, and this was polluting the temple, and he was put out.

**When this man of flesh, of sin, who presumed to take the place of the Lord in His Temple DIED, THEN The Lord was seen, and His glory filled the temple.

We know that in the Old Testament this all had to do with a natural, physical temple, but here natural, flesh man was still polluting it, even while doing their "religious" things. But that natural temple spoke of a greater, Spiritual Temple that Jesus would bring forth AFTER His death. But all of the old would have to be destroyed – and it was by The Cross.

Matthew 24:1-3 (We read in Matthew 22 and 23 that man was polluting the temple with "their" religion). Jesus went out and departed from the temple. He declared Himself in that temple and to the people of that day, but they received Him not. (John 1:11) (He was the One that all the temple spoke of but they rejected Him.) The disciples were caught up in the "glory" of the temple, but Jesus said to them, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. Since this temple was the center of their life and their religion – how they knew God, they equated this with the end of the world. And it was – not the end of the natural earth, but the end of God’s dealings with His people in a natural way. The "world" of the Old Covenant and the types and the shadows would END at the Cross – this was the old heavens and the old earth.

John saw in Revelation 21:1 a New heaven and a New earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. Vs. 2 – John saw the holy city, NEW Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, as a bride. This is THE CHURCH! This is NOT something that is going to happen "some day", but what had already come forth in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. *We are waiting for the earth to "explode" and then God create another one; but that whole "world, earth" of natural Israel, Old Covenant life HAS come to an END, and has passed away by the Cross. The question is: has this world passed away for us?

(Even in the natural God fulfilled Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24:2. In A.D. 70 the powers of Rome physically destroyed that temple and brought in oxen and plowed up the very stones in the ground and none were left! This was done naturally, but this was first done spiritually at the Cross. The first comes to an end – all of the old; THEN there is a manifestation of the NEW, the Spiritual, in and by the New Creation, and Christ there is ALL and in all. He now fills His Temple, the New Heaven and earth – with HIMSELF!)

This all now has to be dug up and removed from us – all our religious traditions of the flesh that are keeping us from experiencing the true glory that has come in Christ. But this is now all Spiritual, and must be seen and maintained by the Spirit, and not in and by the flesh.

If we are going to come from the glory of the first to the glory of the second, this Work must take place in our hearts; but this will only be done in a heart that is hungry only for the Lord, and will settle for nothing less. This is the heart of Paul. Remember he used to be Saul, the religious Jew. Philippians 3:12-14 – He knew he had not fully attained the Life of Christ, in the same way that Christ had laid hold of him, but this is what he desired. This one thing he did: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul knew this was all in Christ; this was God’s fulness. But what did he have to fully do? Leave the old, what was behind – the old, flesh, Jewish religion. Vs. 7-8 – The things that were gain to him, he counted them loss and dung… THAT he may win Christ. ** In order for Paul to truly know Christ and be found in Him (vs. 9), not in his old, own religious confidence, Paul had to suffer the loss of all of this. This was all that was BEFORE… Before what? Before he "saw" the Lord, and was struck down with blindness, and came to realize: "I am crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20). Saul suffered the death and burial – the loss and putting away of all of that first glory and AFTERWARD – as Paul, his only desire was to KNOW CHRIST. How? Vs. 10-11 – In the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Paul wanted to experience this resurrection out from the dead – to New Life in Christ.

The way to this glory is by The Cross – forgetting what is behind, and receiving ALL of HIM. Coming from glory to glory. May it be so in us!

From Faith to Faith

As we continue in our study, I want to bring in another aspect of coming from glory to glory; from the old to the new; from the first to the second; and that is – FAITH.

Romans 1:16,17 – For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ (and Him crucified – The Cross) for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth… For therein (in the Gospel of Christ, the Finished Work of The Cross) is the righteousness of God revealed from FAITH TO FAITH: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

*The righteousness of God, His plan for Salvation had been hidden in the Old Covenant, in the types and shadows, in the first. But NOW in Christ and by His Cross it has been revealed. This is the Gospel Paul preached, and this brings a people from faith to faith; and the justified live by this faith. So Paul speaks of two faiths. That does not mean two religions, but these are connected with the first and the second, the old and the New, God’s dealings before and after the Cross; and it is necessary for us to see this difference, and to ask ourselves – by what "faith" are we living?

Let’s look in Hebrews 11 – the chapter on Faith, and specifically on the faith of Abraham as representing the first. In verses 4-7 we see that Abel, Enoch and Noah all functioned by faith according to God’s Work at that time, and without faith it is impossible to please God. But let us focus on what the scripture says about Abraham.

Verse 8 - Abraham was called out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, and he obeyed; he went out, not knowing where he went.

Verse 9 – He traveled in the land of promise as in a strange country. He was in the land, but he did not fully comprehend it as it was.

Verse 10 – He looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder was God.

Verse 13 - ** These all died in FAITH, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Verse 16 - ** They desire a better country, that is an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.

We read this and say this is wonderful – and it was – for Abraham, and for those in the first, in the old; but is THIS the faith by which we should be living today? Not knowing where we are, looking for a city, not having received the promises, seeing them afar off even though we know they are true, and embrace them wanting a better country? That faith was BEFORE the Cross, but NOW IN CHRIST God has fulfilled all that Abraham hoped and looked for. He has made Himself known; we are One with Him. Christ and His Church is that City; all God’s promises are in His Son – for us today. They are NOT afar off, and that better country is NOW come IN CHRIST!

But sadly we have to say that most Christians today are still living by that first faith – waiting… hoping…. expecting the better to come…. some day. But Hebrews 12:22-24 declares Ye are come to mount Sion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the church of the first born (born again, out from the dead) and to God, and to Jesus, the mediator of the NEW Covenant, that speaks BETTER things.

** Faith before The Cross spoke of what was "going to come", what God was "going to do", where we were "going to go" – some day. But now – IN CHRIST, by The Cross, all these promises have been fulfilled. All the promises of God are yea and amen IN CHRIST. (2 Cor. 1:20) After The Cross there must come another faith, a different faith by which we live – not in the promises, but in the fulfillment.

Galatians 2:20 - … the life that I NOW live in the flesh (not someday when I die) I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. *Notice this does not say faith IN; but THE faith OF the Son of God. That means the knowledge of Him and His death. It is by THIS faith that we who are justified now live. But how does this "faith", this comprehending come? By The Cross – I am crucified with Christ, and now it is not I, but CHRIST. He now is my life, and I live by Him – not waiting for a better place – someday; but finding all things IN HIM, and He as all things to me.

The "faith of Abraham" was good up until The Cross, but NOW we must come to a different faith, which is the reality of Christ living in you and you living in Christ; which is the fulfillment of Abraham’s faith. The book of Hebrews uses "better" to describe this – better blood, better priest, better covenant, better promises – over and over. "In Christ" is the better, and you can’t get any better than HIM! ** We don’t go to a "better place" when we die; but by Christ’s death, we have already come to that better place! We must remember God speaks of a first and a second – not a third.

And we must see that God is working to bring us from the first to the second – in our hearts, in our understanding, so we live in and by the Truth of the second. We are speaking of this as from glory to glory; from faith to faith; from one covenant to another covenant (from one understanding to another understanding) and this is set forth in the scripture regarding the sons of Abraham – to whom the promises were made.

Galatians 4 – Throughout this book Paul is contrasting law and grace; living under the law contrasted with a Spiritual Life in Christ. Vs. 19-31 – Vs. 19 – Paul is laboring that Christ be formed in the believer. Many were looking to go back under the law, but the law sets forth two types of covenants. Vs. 22-25 – Abraham had two sons; one born by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman: one born after the flesh, the other by promise. These represent two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai brings bondage. This is the Jerusalem which now is. This speaks of the law, natural flesh man in relation to God. Vs. 26-28 – But Jerusalem which is above is free, the mother of us all; we (now – in Christ) as Isaac was, are the children of promise – the promise received. Vs. 29-31 – he that is born of flesh persecutes him born of the spirit, so the bondwoman and her son had to be cast out (represents the end of law); he is not heir with the son of the free.

** WE are NOT children of the bondwoman (under law) but of the free – IN CHRIST.

STAND FAST IN THAT LIBERTY – IN CHRIST!

Glory of the Latter House

As we are making the transition – in our hearts – from glory to glory, I trust we realize that we are not losing anything, but going on to the fulness of what God had planned and purposed for us IN CHRIST.

The first glory (and all those saints of God that we read about in the Old Covenant) was glorious, but it was a fading glory, only for a time, only in the earthly realm. And 2 Corinthians 3:10-11 says that which was glorious, was made to have no glory by the GREATER glory; and that which remains is much more glorious. But WE have to allow that whole first glory to be taken away from us, and only desire the second, the greater, the latter, the Truth – all in Christ.

Haggai 2 – Do you remember after Israel’s captivity, they returned to Jerusalem to build the Temple, but the work had stopped. Zerubbabel and a remnant came and finished the Temple, but they were comparing it to the first one, and God would speak to them concerning the latter house. Vs. 3-9 – Is the second in your eyes as nothing? Be strong and work, for I AM with you; according to the word I covenanted with you, my spirit remaineth with you. I will shake heaven and earth (the old) and I will fill this house with glory. * The GLORY of this latter house shall be GREATER than the former, and in this place will I give peace.

Now the Temple always spoke of God’s relationship with man by the Work of the Cross, but God was NOT speaking of another earthly Temple, but a greater one, and the GLORY of this house shall be GREATER than the first. * The second is always greater! And here He will give peace! What is this greater Glory? CHRIST IN YOU – filling God’s Spiritual House with HIMSELF. And He now is the peace of that House – by The Cross. This is only nothing to the natural eye, but the Spiritual eye finds all in Him, and this greater glory will only be seen in the second – after the first is done away – in us.

So once again we see a first and a second, an old and a new, a type and the substance – The Truth. And the first was necessary until Christ came, and then He brings an end to the first, and establishes the second.

Now there are many aspects, and many types included in the old, the old world, the Old Covenant, the first way God dealt with man, but that can all be summed up under the law of sin and death. Let’s take a look at that now in the scripture.

Genesis 2:17- (When God made man and put him in the garden.) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eat of it thou shalt surely die. *When Adam ate he did not "die" physically, but was driven out from God’s presence; but God promised him a SURE death. This was the beginning of the law of sin and death.

Romans 5:12-14 – By one man (Adam) sin entered into the world and death by sin, so death passed unto all men, for all have sinned. (Romans 3:23- all have sinned) Death reigned even before Moses and the actual giving of the Law to Israel. (Romans 5:17- for if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ). The Law was when this sin was established to be seen, and God gave Israel a means of atoning for that sin, but this law of sin and death prevailed in the old, in the first. Until when?

Hebrews 9:26-27 – (Speaking of Christ) … but NOW once in the end of the world (what world? The world of the first Covenant, the Old) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. ** God appointed Adam (mankind) to die when he sinned, and that judgment was carried out at the Cross. There when Christ died, all died with Him, and the law of sin and death was fulfilled – IN HIM.

Is this scripture saying that there is a "future" judgment for us – when we die? No, this is speaking of the judgment of mankind that Christ fulfilled, and where the death of all men took place because of sin. We will all be "judged" by THIS judgment, not by our good or bad deeds. Acts 17:31 – Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained (His Son, Jesus Christ); whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

If we accept Christ and the judgment He bore on The Cross, then afterward we can experience God’s greater law – The Law of the Spirit of LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS, and therein is the greater glory. If you reject that judgment, you remain under the law of sin and death. We see the type of this judgment with Noah and the flood (Genesis 6-9) when God destroyed all flesh and the earth, but Noah and those that were with him in the ark lived. This was God’s judgment on man’s state of sin, but He would soon begin to show that man’s righteousness would not be based on his works, but upon God’s grace and faith. The Covenant that God made with Abraham was given by PROMISE, and God was setting forth what He would later fulfil in Christ, and this is a Covenant of FAITH.

Faith Before Law

As we are continuing in our study on from glory to glory, we are seeing that all of the first creation, the first man, the first order, was judged of God. Romans 3:9-12 – All are under sin; there is not one righteous (think of that!); no one seeks after God, they are unprofitable; there is NONE that doeth good, no not one. * This is God’s assessment of natural man. Romans 3:23 – For all (natural man, born of first) have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The "glory" of natural man still falls short of the glory of God.

We saw in our last lesson that the whole first creation came under the law of sin and death, and God’s judgment was against it because of sin. Mankind (Adam, natural man) was appointed unto death, but that was not the end of God’s plan. Remember the "tree of life" was also in the garden in the beginning, and even though Adam was put out from God’s presence, the WAY OF THE TREE OF LIFE was kept. (Genesis 3:24) God’s plan was always to have Life; a creation alive to Himself.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain SALVATION BY our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s plan was always towards this, but it was always and ONLY by His Son and the Work of The Cross – taking away the first (death, sin, natural man) and establishing the second (Christ, Life).

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise… but is longsuffering to us; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

*God’s plan was to bring a people out from sin and death, and give them His Life.

Ephesians 2:1-10 – We who were dead in trespasses and sins have been made alive (in Christ). We walked in time past (before the Cross) according to the world and Satan; we fulfilled the desires of the flesh, and were by nature the children of wrath. BUT GOD who is rich in mercy, by His love, even when we were dead in sins, quickened us together with Christ, raised up and made to sit as one in heavenly places – a New Creation. ("us" has been added – the emphasis there is not on "US", but on the One creation that has been raised up – in Christ). Here He would show the riches of His grace – IN THAT NEW CREATION – through Christ Jesus. (Salvation only in Him. ** For by grace are ye saved through FAITH: and that NOT Of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast. WE are His creation, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

This was God’s plan – bringing a people out of death unto Life by HIS mercy, love and grace. And we are saved by FAITH – not our good works. God shows us how this is going to be done by His dealings with Abraham. God called Abram out of the land of his birth, unto a new land, and God made covenant with Abraham by PROMISE. God would bless Abraham and show him God’s grace, and Abraham received this by FAITH. God was setting this forth in type – to be fulfilled by Christ. But I want us to keep in mind that this was how God began dealing with a people who would become HIS people, called by HIS Name. This is all before the Law.

Romans 4:1-5 – If Abraham were justified by works, he could glory (in himself), but the scripture says Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. This is by God’s grace, not by debt (what we worked for). To him that works not, but believes on HIM that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. *We are NOT justified by our works; but we must believe ON HIM (not just "believe" – but believe ON HIM).

Vs. 9-12 – FAITH was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness; and this was done when he was not circumcised. The circumcision was given AFTER as a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had; that he might be the father of all them that believe. *God was establishing here that it was not going to be by the Law and ordinances that justification would come, but by FAITH – in God.

Vs. 13-14, 16 – The promise to Abraham was not through the Law (following a set of rules written in stone), but through the righteousness of FAITH. If the heirs are by the law, faith is void and the promise made of none effect. *God made the promise to Abraham before the Law, establishing that justification and righteousness would be by believing God – faith; NOT man’s works.

Vs. 16 – It is of FAITH, that it might be by grace (God’s love and mercy shown to us, what we did not deserve). This is so that the promise would be sure to all the seed; not only to those under the Law, but to those who are of the FAITH of Abraham. * FAITH is shown to be greater than the law of sin and death.

Galatians 3:6-9 – Abraham believed God, it was accounted to him for righteousness. If you are of faith, you are the children of Abraham. *God had planned to justify the heathen (uncircumcised, not under His Law) by FAITH; so they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. *God made promises to Abraham – by faith, before the Law, which came afterward. Why was the Law given? Because God’s people would not walk in the faith of Abraham; they wouldn’t believe God, but that didn’t change God’s plan.

Galatians 3:17-24 – The Law was given 430 years AFTER the promise was made to Abraham, but it doesn’t disannul the promise. If the inheritance be of the law, then it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise. *The Law was added because of transgressions (they wouldn’t believe God and walk by faith in Him) till THE SEED should come to whom the promise was made. The Law could not give Life, but the promise by faith of Jesus Christ is given to them that believe.

Vs. 23-24 – Before faith came they were kept under the Law, unto the faith that afterwards should be revealed; law was to bring them to CHRIST.

Vs. 25 – But after that faith is come we are no longer under a school master…

The formal giving of the Ten Commandments and ordinances was to keep a people UNTIL CHRIST CAME, and then they would no longer have to live under the law of sin and death, but under the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS – believing God – by faith. This is Abraham’s faith fulfilled in Christ. This is coming from glory to glory!

Nothing Perfect by The Law

As we are seeing the transition from the first glory to the second glory; from the first, Old Covenant, to the New Covenant, we are seeing that God first made His Covenant with Abraham by promise, and it was received by faith. It was this faith, by believing God that was accounted unto Abraham for righteousness. God here was establishing that our Salvation would be by faith, to show God’s grace, and not by our works.

We have also seen that the whole first creation (natural man) was under sin and death, and this issue had to be dealt with. And because of transgression, disobedience and sin, God’s people were formally brought under the Law 430 years later, and they would be kept under that Law UNTIL Christ would come (Galatians 3:17-25) and then God’s promise could be fulfilled by faith in Christ to all that believe. The Law allowed God to deal with a people through commandments and ordinances, and sacrifices for sin and transgressions, but it never solved the issue of sin and death; it never changed man inwardly, but was only in an outward show, and the same is true of religion today. The Law is not the end – FAITH IN CHRIST IS!

Hebrews 7:11-19 – The Levitical priesthood, under which the Law was received did NOT bring perfection (completion, fulness). Another (different) priesthood would have to come, and therefore a change of the law. Vs. 13 – For he (Christ) of whom these things are spoken (in type) is of another tribe. He is an altogether OTHER Priest! Vs. 16 - ** He is made NOT after the law of a carnal (pertaining to the flesh) commandment, but after the power of an endless life. **Vs. 18,19 – There is a setting aside of the commandment going before (old, before the Cross) because it was weak and unprofitable. The law (of Moses) made NOTHING perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God. *The Law kept man away because of sin, but by Christ we NOW can draw near to God, and come boldly to Him – by faith IN HIM.

Hebrews 7:23-28 – He is the greater priesthood; there were (in the old) many priests because they all died, but THIS MAN, because HE continues forever has an unchangeable priesthood. Because of this (verse 25) HE is able to save us to the uttermost who come to God BY HIM (I am the Way… no man cometh to the Father but by Me – John 14:6), since He ever lives to make intercession for us. He doesn’t need to be cleansed daily from sins as the first order of priests did, for this He did ONCE, when He offered up Himself. The Law made imperfect men priests, but God’s oath – since the Law, makes THE SON the High Priest forever.

Christ changed the Priesthood and the Law by the Work of The Cross. And as we read Paul’s epistles, he, having been a Jew and knowledgeable of that whole first order, was always declaring the difference between the first and the second, and showing the fulfillment of the first order IN CHRIST. Remember Paul declared in Philippians 3 that all of the things that were gain to him – his RELIGION, he counted LOSS so that he may win Christ. (Phil. 3:7,8) He knew he would have to give up everything of the first order, the first glory – including himself; for the excellent truth of Christ, and Paul desired that for his own people the religious Jews.

Romans 10:1-4 – Paul wanted the Jews to come to salvation IN CHRIST. *They had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. This is the knowledge of Christ and Him crucified that Paul obtained when God revealed HIS SON in Paul. Then Paul "saw" that the Old Covenant was the types and shadows, to bring them to Christ, but that CHRIST was the SUBSTANCE. The Jews were ignorant of God’s righteousness, so they were going about to establish their own righteousness, having not submitted themselves to God’s righteousness. ** For CHRIST is the end (fulfillment, completion) of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (by faith in Him).

The Law spoke of a righteousness, and demanded a righteousness, but could not bring forth that righteousness in man. Why? Because man was not changed inwardly; he was still of a sin nature, and under the sentence of sin and death. The Law enabled God to deal with a people through the continual sacrifices and ordinances, but it never brought the justification and perfection God required for a real relationship with Himself.

Romans 3:19-28 – By the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in God’s sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But NOW (that NOW is always speaking of what the Finished Work of The Cross has brought forth) the righteousness of God outside the law is manifest… even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all that believe. (Remember – promise by faith was before the Law? Faith was the basis for righteousness, and has been fulfilled by Christ.) We are justified freely by His grace (not our works lest any should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Paul declared His righteousness, and faith in His blood as the justifier of those who believe IN JESUS. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law. Now it is not a "religion" but a RELATIONSHIP – by faith.

NOW – because of what Christ has done, we can move from the first to the second, from the Old to the New Covenant. Romans 5:1,2 – Therefore being justified BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (*"Peace" is not what we get when we die and ‘go to heaven’, but we have it NOW through the Work of the Cross). By whom (Christ) we have access BY FAITH into this grace (that is the second) wherein we stand (we stand there in the power of His resurrection. "Resurrection" means raised to stand), and rejoice in hope (the certainty) of the glory of God. NOW – because of the Cross we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace! The Law, the first order always kept man APART from God, but NOW – IN CHRIST the issues of sin and death have been settled. We are alive unto God and brought near to Him – IN CHRIST JESUS. From glory to Glory!

Access – Time Past

We have been comparing things in "time past" (before the Cross) with things that are NOW IN CHRIST. And we are seeing that this is not ‘some day in the future when I die’, but this is the reality of the Work of the Cross NOW. And the issue I want to deal with now is ACCESS – coming to God.

In our last lesson we looked at Romans 5:1,2- Being justified by faith (in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection – not works) we HAVE peace with God through our Lord, by whom we HAVE ACCESS (NOW) by faith into this grace wherein we stand (in His resurrection, as One with Him) and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (a relationship of Oneness with the Father in the Son). * This is our "position" NOW; our relationship through the faith of Christ and His Cross.

Ephesians 2:11-13 – In time past we were Gentiles in the flesh, uncircumcised… at that time you were without Christ (He makes the difference in "time") being aliens from Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, without God in the world. BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS you who were afar off are made NIGH by the blood of Christ. *The Cross is the difference between "time past" and "But NOW" – one "time" ends, and "no" time begins; this is Eternity.

Let us look at some circumstances in the scripture "in time past", particularly looking at man in his relation to God because of sin.

• Adam – Genesis 3:23,24 – man was sent forth from the garden. God drove man (the first) from His presence, but God keeps the way of the Tree of Life. *Earthy man would not have access, but the Tree of Life would provide the way; and there is only one way. (Does not Jesus say: I AM The Way….?)
• Cain and Abel – Genesis 4 – God establishes that an offering – by sacrifice was needed to commune with Him. Vs. 3-6 – Something must die; God does NOT accept the fruit of the hands of man and the earth. The Lord respects only THAT offering! Vs. 7 - ** IF you do well, shall thou not be accepted? *There is a way to God, but it is by a death HE respects – His sacrifice.
• Abraham – Genesis 12 – Get out of old (and get all of old out of you), and come into the land I will show you. This is by faith in God’s promise – not by Abraham’s work, but believing what God said He would do.
• With Moses and the children of Israel – God speaks to them through Moses. *He is the intermediary, but God was not seen face to face. He speaks through a burning bush, guides them by the pillar of cloud, fire; God was hidden from them – afar off. Exodus 19:3-7 – Moses went up to God, the Lord called out of the mountain to him… You have seen what I did, and brought you unto MYSELF (our Salvation is unto God); Vs. 5 – IF you will OBEY my voice… THEN you shall be a peculiar treasure to me. ** This Covenant is conditional upon their obedience. And we know they utterly failed! Vs. 9 – Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people hear when God speaks to Moses. *The people – in themselves could NOT hear God or speak with God – it was all through Moses (a type of Christ). Vs. 11-13 – The third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all people on Mount Sinai, but they set bounds so the people could NOT GO UP into the mount or they would die. Vs. 23-25 – The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; they could not come UP unto the Lord lest He break forth upon them.

** In "time past", even under the Law of Mount Sinai, the people could not come to the Lord. He spoke to Moses, and through the Law He dealt with them, but they had NO ACCESS.

Along with the Law God gave Israel the Tabernacle, but this still did not give open access to God: curtains kept you out; only one door; through that door you were faced with the altar – sacrifice, death, blood. Why? Because of SIN, the nature of flesh. God established a priesthood order doing the work in the Tabernacle: THEY went into the holy place for you. And the vail prevented all but the High Priest from entering into the presence of God. God was there but NOT accessible – He was vailed. (Reference Numbers 4: when the Tabernacle was to be moved, it was all covered, vailed; and that word, "VAILED" applies to the whole Old Covenant and the Law in Time Past.

** BUT things changed when Joshua brought the NEW generation into the land God promised them. Those in unbelief died, and Joshua 1:1,2 – Moses my servant (Law, how God spoke in "time past") is DEAD, NOW arise, go over this Jordan (of understanding, in faith, knowledge of their death) into the land I do give to thee. Joshua 3,4 – Now the priests stood in the Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant (representing God’s presence, heaven, New Creation) on their shoulders until (Joshua 3:17) all the people passed over. Now there was a revealing of what was hidden for ALL the people, and in the NEW land things changed – the Captain of the Lord’s host appears, no more manna, they begin to possess the land.

This is all speaking of a New Order, a New Priesthood that would come IN CHRIST. (Hebrews 1:1,2 – In time past God spoke one way, but at the end of those days God hath spoken IN SON – and He enables us to have the access that was NOT available under the Old Covenant.

Colossians 1:26,27 – The mystery which hath been hid, but NOW is made manifest to His saints. No more vail – Christ has done away with that, and gives us access – IN HIM.

Hebrews 4:14-16 – Seeing we have such a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God… He was tempted like as we are, yet without sin, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace. * He now provides that access for us.

Hebrews 10: 14-23 – This speaks of HIS offering. Vs. 14 – by ONE offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified (set apart to God). Vs. 16 – This is the covenant I will make with them after those days (The Old Covenant), I will put my laws into their hearts and minds. Vs. 17-18 – He deals with the issue of sins and iniquities – by The Cross. Vs. 19-23 – Having therefore (by The Cross) boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a NEW and living way. NOW – in Christ and by Christ we can enter into the holiest and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

** The Law caused fear: they only knew God as a God of wrath and judgment, but NOW – in Christ we know His love, grace and mercy – seen at The Cross. What makes the difference? Faith in Christ and the Cross.

John 14:6 – I AM the way… to where? No man comes to the Father but BY ME. All of the old was a type of this, but now IN CHRIST the Truth has come.

Ephesians 2:14-18 – He reconciled us to God by the Cross and now through HIM we both (Jew and Gentile) have ACCESS by One Spirit unto The Father. This is Glory!

Simplicity That is in Christ

I pray that this study on coming "from glory to glory" is helping us to understand the Bible and our relationship to God through Christ. We must come to see things as God sees things – not man, and that means seeing all things in view of the Cross; for God’s Eternal Plan is founded upon and fulfilled by Christ and Him crucified – that Finished Work. Any time we move away from the Cross being essential and preeminent, we get on "shaky" ground.

2 Corinthians 11:1-4 – Paul was jealous over the Church with a godly jealousy; that he would present them as a chaste virgin to Christ. * We have fleshly jealousy in the Church today – "my" people, "my" sheep; but they are HIS, and ministry should be towards that – not separating us into "our" churches. I fear lest you should be beguiled and corrupted from the simplicity that is IN CHRIST. That "simplicity" means purity, sincerity, faithfulness to do good out of proper motivation. There is a SINGLENESS that is in Christ, and God is faithful to that. That simplicity is HIS CROSS. Vs. 4 – Believers then were tolerating those that came and preached another Jesus, or another spirit, or another gospel – OTHER than what Paul preached.

Galatians 1:6-9 – Paul marveled that they were so soon removed from Christ to another gospel; which is not another; they pervert the gospel of Christ. There is only ONE GOSPEL – that is Christ crucified revealed in you. It is not just that Christ WAS crucified; but that the Christ who was crucified is now living in you, giving you HIS Life. * If any man preach any other gospel to you; let him be accursed.

• This is the singleness and simplicity that is IN CHRIST – He encompasses everything, and fulfills everything, so this gospel is tremendous in scope – but it all is HIM – in HIM, by HIM, through HIM, for HIM – HIM; not I, but Christ. And I pray that God is helping us to see that everything before the Cross was speaking of Him and what He would do by the Cross, and after the Cross, all things are in Him, and He fulfills all that God planned.

We have looked at the terms "time past" and "but now" to help us see and make the distinction between God’s dealings before and after the Cross, and this REALITY must come into our hearts and work in us. Remember Hebrews 1:1,2 says God spoke in many parts and many ways in time past to the fathers by the prophets (but now) hath at the end of those days spoken unto us IN SON. The end of those days came at the Cross – and now God is NOT speaking in part, in types, in a mystery. NOW He speaks only IN SON. But if "time past" has not come to an end for you, then you will be looking for Him in the shadows, and not hear and see Him clearly in Christ. This is how we are to grow up now – putting away the childish things that deceive, and finding all in Him.

1 Corinthians 13:9-12 – When that which is perfect (that’s Christ) IS come (in you, in your understanding) you put away childish things. Before that we could only see through a glass darkly (with the veil of flesh), hiding the truth from us. But when we truly "see" Christ by the Finished Work of the Cross, we see HIM clearly – face to face: and then shall I know even as also I am known. ** God knows us in the Truth and Reality of the Cross – what Christ hath done. Do we know ourselves that way? Or do we try to know ourselves in the deception of man’s doctrines of what "He will do someday?" We must come to know ourselves by the Cross, and Christ as all things to us.

But now I want to bring two other worlds into our study, and pray that the Lord will help us see them and use them correctly. Those words are : TESTIMONY and WITNESS. Where do you think they would go in our diagram?

The Testimony relates to "time past", and includes everything from creation to Christ and the Cross. The Witness relates to NOW – in Christ by the Cross. The Testimony had a glory, but it was in part and was a fading glory. The Witness is a greater glory, and remains.

As we look in the scripture regarding these words, may the Lord show us the distinction, and help us to see that it is THE CROSS that separates the two.

In the very beginning of Genesis (chapters 1-3) God sets forth a Testimony in creation: He creates by His Spirit; He divides light and dark, heaven and earth; He establishes that life brings forth after their own kind; He makes man to multiply and fill the earth. This whole first natural creation is a TESTIMONY of ANOTHER creation to come – a greater creation – in Christ.

When God destroys the earth by a flood and saves Noah by the Ark (Genesis chapters 6-9), that was a Testimony of God’s judgment of man and the whole first creation.

God later sums up Israel and puts them under the Law and establishes the Tabernacle, feasts, etc. This is all a pattern of Salvation, and He tells Moses to build an Ark of wood, a box that is where God’s presence will be to them. Exodus 25:16 – Thou shalt put into the ark the Testimony which I shall give thee. Vs. 21,22 – I will meet with thee and commune with thee there: the Testimony of all things which I will give in commandment to the children of Israel.

"TESTIMONY" relates to the first. Hebrews 3:5 – Moses was faithful as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken AFTER. After what? The Cross!! Vs. 6 – But Christ…. He fulfils the Testimony, and brings forth THE WITNESS.

The word now changes AFTER the Cross, and God now is looking for the WITNESS, the evidence, the manifestation of His Testimony fulfilled IN CHRIST.

Acts 1:8 – This is after Jesus rose from the dead; and vs. 3 shewed HIMSELF. (He is the Witness of what God hath done!) Ye shall receive power, and ye shall be witnesses unto ME – they were to manifest HIS LIFE – in the power of His Resurrection.

Acts 26:16 – Paul here is talking to King Agrippa. Jesus told Paul arise, and stand, I have appeared to you to make you a minister and WITNESS of what you have seen. We now are to be a witness of CHRIST!

Testimony and Witness

In our study "from glory to glory" we have come to the terms "TESTIMONY" and "WITNESS", and we are seeing that THE CROSS brings us from the one to the other. God set forth His Testimony – what His plan was, what He would do – in the first creation, in Israel, in the Scripture of the Old Testament. His Witness is what Christ has done by His Cross, and is now made manifest in the earth.

John 5:39 – Search the scriptures (the Old Testament. Jesus was speaking to the Jews of His day), in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. *Genesis to Malachi is the Testimony of HIM.

Hebrews 10:7 – Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of ME), to do thy will, O God. (Vs. 9 – HE taketh away the first, that HE may establish the second.) ** The Testimony was always of One to come and what He would do. Jesus comes and FULFILLS all that was written – and it was all written of HIM. We mistakenly teach that the Bible is all about us: what we will get, what happens to us; but it is God’s plan IN CHRIST. Example: Psalm 23 – we read that as a comfort for us, but who really walked through the valley of the shadow of death? This is really speaking of Christ, and we now IN HIM can experience this same comfort, but only because of what He went through.

** Jesus spoke of ‘the volume of the book written OF HIM’. We can see the vastness of Christ by considering the full Testimony. For example – we say He was the Lamb slain for our sin, and He was; but there were four other offerings in the Testimony. Do we know Him as those offerings? (Burnt, meal, peace, trespass offerings – reference Leviticus 1-5)

We must come to see ALL of the Testimony – the Law and the prophets complete in HIM.

1 Peter 1:10-12 – This Salvation the prophets inquired about; they prophesied of the grace that SHOULD COME. (The Testimony is of what "would come".) The Spirit of God in them testified BEFOREHAND (before Christ and the Cross) of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should FOLLOW (the greater glory). The Testimony showed it was not just for them, but for us who would preach the gospel (of Christ).

2 Peter 1:19 – We have also a more sure word of prophecy. ("We have the word of prophecy made more sure" is the correct wording.) How? Vs. 16 – We didn’t come with fables concerning the Lord Jesus, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. We have seen HIM of whom all prophecy spoke, and find all prophecy fulfilled IN HIM. Now that light fills us.

After the Cross, the Holy Spirit came to reveal The Testimony of God NOW FULFILLED in His Son. Now The Witness could come forth.

1 John 1:1,2 – That which was from the beginning (The Word, God’s plan, His Testimony) which we have heard, seen, handled of the Word of Life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.) What had they seen? The Testimony fulfilled in Christ by the Cross. They now had that Life and would be the witness of that Life here in the earth!

**Note: There must be a "seeing" of Him. But this is not in the natural, but a spiritual revealing: God revealing His Son in you, and you now living by Him and manifesting HIS LIFE. The witness is not what He is "going to do" – that’s the Testimony; but what God hath done IN CHRIST.

Revelation 1:5 – Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness. Christ – by His life, death and resurrection is the manifestation of all of God’s Testimony. He was faithful to all of it, and God was faithful to all that He did.

Acts 1:8 – We now (after His ascension) are to be WITNESSES UNTO HIM. That means manifesting His Finished Work – unto all the earth.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 – Thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph IN CHRIST, and makes known the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ. * We now on the earth are the witness of Him – His Life, His Victory – as His Body, The Church.

I just want to remind us that there was a glory attributed to the Testimony, but a greater glory now in the Witness.

2 Corinthians 3:6-11 – We now (in Christ) are ministers of the NEW Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit. Vs. 7 – The Law was a ministration of death (think of that!) It never brought life! It was glorious but that glory was to be done away. The New Testament (in Christ) is NOT a ministration of death, but of the Spirit – of Life, and is a greater glory. Vs. 9 – The Law (which summed up all of the Testimony) was a ministration of condemnation. No man was justified by the Law; no man was perfected by the Law, but the Law brought him to condemnation and death. Even though there was a glory attached to that since God dealt with sinful man through the Law, that was only for a time. Now the New Covenant, New Testament – in His Blood is a ministration of righteousness. We now, by believing on The Work of The Cross are dead to sin, but alive unto God; having been made righteous by Christ and the Cross. We have passed from death unto Life – IN HIM. (John 5:24) This is the glory that exceeds, and makes the first glory seem as nothing. *The first glory is done away, but the MUCH MORE glory remains. The Testimony was fulfilled, and now The Witness is this greater glory – Life in Christ.

An example of this is contrasting what God did with Abraham in Genesis 12. He told Abram to get out of his country, kindred, and go to a land that God would show him. What follows is a glorious Testimony of God working in a people, but contrast that with the fulfillment in Colossians 1:13 – Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Now that glory excels, it is much more than the Testimony, and we are to be the Witness of that Glory in the earth today – the Greater Glory!

Witness is NOW

The Lord is challenging us these days: in our hearts – where are we living? In the first or the second; in the glory that fades or in the glory that excels and remains; in the Testimony of what is to come, in darkness, in types and shadows or in the full light of the Witness of what is NOW IN CHRIST? The knowledge of Christ and the Cross makes the difference.

We see a division and a change in Paul. Galatians 1:13-16 – Note: "time past". You have heard of my life in time past in the Jews’ religion, and persecuted the church, and profited in the Jews’ religion being zealous of the traditions of my fathers. (Notice that Paul links "time past" with "the Jews’ religion". Vs. 15 – BUT when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb (that’s the Jewish religion, traditions of elders, the Law, all of the old) and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me … ** Paul was taken out from the one to the other when God revealed His Son in him – not just "to him" but IN HIM. That spiritual revealing of Christ and Him crucified was an inward work – removing all of the first – even Saul – and establishing all of the second: Not I, but Christ. He put aside the zeal and traditions of his fathers (religion) for the excellency of knowing Christ.

Look at how this worked out for Paul. He goes away to learn Christ (vs. 17-21) and AFTERWARDS he comes to the churches. (Vs. 22-24) They didn’t know him naturally, but had heard that he which persecuted us in times past NOW preaches the faith which he once destroyed. And they glorified GOD in me. Paul has seen the Testimony in which he walked in such zeal has NOW been fulfilled in Christ by the Cross, and Paul now becomes the witness of God’s plan, of Christ. This is all to glorify God. Paul now brings forth the witness of CHRIST in the earth, and his desire was to bring Israel to the same knowledge of Christ that he came to. He is bringing them from glory to glory!

Romans 10:1-4 – Paul wanted Israel to be saved; they had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, and being ignorant of God’s righteousness, they tried to establish their own righteousness (that’s what religion does!), and thereby have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. For CHRIST IS THE END (the fulfillment) of the law of righteousness to everyone that believes. Vs. 5-10 – The Law of Moses makes righteousness the doing of things, but the righteousness of FAITH is confessing the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection: believing is unto righteousness, and confession is unto Salvation.

Paul came to the end of the first by the revealing of Christ, and now saw all things fulfilled in Him. And this was for all who believe in Him. Vs. 12-13 – No difference between Jew and Greek; whosoever shall call on the Lord shall be saved. This is the witness now that has come forth in the earth.

** An interesting note: the word "witness" does not just mean someone who has seen something and gives information, but it also means a MARTYR – one who willingly lays down his life for his belief. (Revelation 1:5 says Jesus is the faithful witness.) For those like Stephen in Acts 7, the witness of Jesus became the cause of their death. Acts 6:13-15 – They brought up false witnesses against Stephen saying he was blaspheming the Temple and the Law, but he was looking up into heaven (Acts 7:55-56) seeing the glory of God and Jesus at His right hand. Think of the witness of Christ that Stephen was in his death. And who was watching all of this? Acts 8: 1 – Saul, who later would become such a witness of Christ as Paul, but he did this by losing his life (his religion, his traditions) and living only by Christ.

This is the inward Work of the Cross that must take place in us so that God would come to be glorified in us, and that we would make Him known in the world.

1 Peter 2:9-10 – Ye ARE (speaking to the Church) a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth (manifest) the praises OF HIM (the virtues, the knowledge, the glory of HIM – not us!) who hath called you out of darkness (even of religion, types) into his marvelous light, which in time past (before the Cross) were NOT a people, but are NOW the people of God…. NOW have mercy. ** God’s people now are to manifest His Life, His virtues, and make Him known. That is The Witness.

The Testimony – by the Temple and offerings, etc. spoke of God living in the midst of a people – in a house, in a cloud, over a box in a hidden room, but under the Testimony in times past that was only the type of what would come forth in Christ. Revelation 21:1-3 – NOW – not someday, but by the Finished Work of the Cross, a NEW heaven and a NEW earth; for the first were passed away, and John sees the NEW Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as a bride. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. When? NOW – IN CHRIST!! The Testimony always spoke of this glory, this oneness, but never brought it. But Jesus promised this would be so when He was preparing His disciples for His death.

John 14:16-23 – The Spirit of Truth, the Comforter will come, to abide with you forever (nothing in the first is forever; only the second is). He dwells with you and shall be in you. You will come to know I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Jesus will manifest Himself to them. Vs. 23 – My Father and I will come unto him and make our abode with him.

Is this something that is in the future? NO, it is NOW IN CHRIST, and we are to be the WITNESS of this – it is not me living, but CHRIST living in me, One with the Father.

2 Corinthians 4:7 – We HAVE this treasure in earthen vessels (in us) (He is the treasure) that the excellency of the power may be of GOD and NOT of us.

The WITNESS is: Not I, but CHRIST!

Death of the Testator

I pray that we are realizing that God’s plan and purpose is centered on HIS SON and not us. But we, as the Church are to be here on the earth the WITNESS and manifestation of that Work, that Life.

Ephesians 3:8-11 – Paul preached the unsearchable riches OF CHRIST and to make all men see (by his witness, his life, which was Christ) the fellowship of the mystery which had been hid in God, but now the manifold wisdom of God would be made known by the church – according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

** God’s Eternal purpose is IN HIS SON, by His Work of death, burial and resurrection. This was all hidden, but is now made manifest and known (Colossians 1:26). This was set forth and hidden in the Testimony, in the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, and we must understand that everything in that Testimony spoke of CHRIST, and God’s Eternal Plan in Him. But this all only became real and true at His death. Then God’s Will would be made known. THE CROSS CHANGES THINGS!

Hebrews 9:16-17 – For where a testament is (a will; a plan for how things will be when one dies) there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.

• The Testimony never fulfilled God’s plan: it spoke of it, but never brought forth the witness of it in the earth. The Testament spoke of Christ; when He died THEN the Witness could come forth. Now a LIVING WITNESS – of what God planned. The Testimony was glorious because it spoke of Him, and all that would come forth in Him, but that glory pales in comparison to the true Glory; the Living Witness Christ brings forth in the power of His Resurrection. And now we are to be manifesting this Glory in the earth – NOW in Christ, and by Christ in us!

The Old Covenant, the Testimony was summed up in the Law, and all of that was good and needful UNTIL the death of the Testator (Jesus). But the Law could not accomplish God’s plan and bring forth the Witness of God’s Life in the earth. This only came by the Lord and His death.

John 1:14-18 – The Word (God’s plan, mind) was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him (John was the end of the old and he brought in the new – HIM). This is HE of whom I spake… For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. ** All of the Law and Testimony did NOT make God known, but His Son did. "Declared" means ‘led him forth’ – unto full revelation. The Son would make the Father known. The Testimony and especially the Law never did that. Now – IN CHRIST came grace and truth. (* "Truth" is the unveiled reality lying as the basis of something. He is THE TRUTH; He is the reality behind everything in God’s plan.) And the manifesting of that Truth is the Witness in the earth today. We are to be that Witness – that He lives in us, fulfilling all of God’s plan.

Let us look at some scriptures showing us the limitations of the Law, and how Jesus by His death accomplished what the Law could not do.

Romans 8:1-4 – There is NOW therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus; who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. (The Law condemned; it was a ministration of death – all sinned). The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (notice the contrast) The law was weak through the flesh, but God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful death and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Where did He do that? At the Cross -–by HIS death. Now – here’s the Witness: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk after the Spirit.

• The Law of the Spirit of Life was released by His death, and in the power of His resurrection we have been made free from the law of sin and death. This is NOT by our death – but by HIS death!

Hebrews 7:16.18,19 – He was made not after the law of a flesh commandment, but after the power of an endless LIFE. When He came there is a putting aside of the commandment going before (before The Cross) because it was weak and unprofitable. The Law made nothing perfect (nothing came to its completion, its intended goal), but the bringing in of a better hope did; by which we draw nigh to God. ** The Law kept us away from God, but in Christ we can draw near to Him with a full assurance of acceptance.

Hebrews 8: 5-7, 8-13 – Moses was only a pattern of what God showed him in the mount, but NOW He (Christ) hath obtained a more excellent ministry; he is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, the second would not have been needed, But God said He would make a NEW covenant, not like the old one. **We don’t have "another" Testimony of what God is going to do "someday"; we are to be the Witness of what He has already done! The New Covenant makes the first old, and the old decays and is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 10:1 – The law had a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things… cannot make the people perfect. (** The Law doesn’t bring forth the Witness – only knowing Christ in His death, burial and resurrection does.) But when Jesus came He brought the Truth, He manifested in His own Body the very image of those things, and fulfilled God’s plan and will by His death. We now no longer have to walk in those shadows. The Cross dealt with that.

Colossians 2:14-17 – He took all of that away (at the Cross), and now the substance, the body, the Witness is CHRIST. Therefore don’t let any man judge you according to the types and shadows.

This is coming from the Testimony to the Witness. This is coming from glory to glory – IN CHRIST!

Law Brings Death

As we are coming from glory to glory: from the understanding of the Old Covenant to the understanding of the New Covenant, I want to reemphasize that the Law, as the summation of the Testimony never brought Life. It spoke of it, but never accomplished God’s Will; and the Witness, the Truth, the reality of that Testimony only came forth AFTER Jesus’ death. And that Testimony was designed to bring believers to that death. Without that death, and the believer being baptized into that death, the Law is just dead works, and leads to vain religion and frustration. But out from that death comes forth The Living Witness – Christ first, and those who have been raised with Him, and become The Witness of Him in the earth.

Paul came to this understanding as he, through the revealing of Christ came from the Old Covenant understanding to the New; from glory to glory.

Romans 7 – Paul found that the Law brought him to death, and that the believer is NOT made holy by the Law. ** Don’t forget that Paul was brought up a Jew and excelled under the Law, but in the knowledge of Christ he found that the Law did not justify him, but only the death of Jesus did. Vs. 7-14 – Paul came to know sin because of the Law. He had first (as Saul) thought he could keep the Law, and was blameless under it. But once Paul came to know the Lord, he saw that he not only couldn’t keep it, but he was condemned by it. In his self-righteousness – before Christ- he thought he was "alive"; but when he understood the NEW Covenant – he died! *The Law brought him to his death. Out from this understanding he found Christ as Life. Vs. 15-25 – He realized that under the law he was still in strife – he wanted to obey God and do right, but couldn’t. This was the Law of sin and death from which he still needed to be delivered. **Vs. 24 – O wretched man that I am! (This is a "New Covenant, born again saint" still in an Old Covenant understanding – trying to function under the Law.) Who shall deliver me from the body of this death (could that be "religion"?) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ** THE LORD is the answer – making him free from the Law of sin and death. How? Through bringing us to death, and the Living in and by The Spirit – in Christ.

Galatians 2:16 – Paul came to see the Law did not justify you and make you right before God. You are only justified by the faith of Christ, for by the works of the Law shall NO flesh be justified. ** This is a man who spent his religious life under the Law, but now he was bringing God’s people from the Old Covenant to the New – to faith in Christ as the only means to life with God. Vs. 19 – For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. Paul realized that a true knowledge of the Law brought a sentence of death upon him – it was ALL unto DEATH. But why? So that he might live unto God: not in the types and shadows, but The Truth.

And this is the New Covenant understanding that Paul now lived by:

Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ… 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. ** This is the Witness – THE LIVING WITNESS OF CHRIST now living HIS LIFE IN A PEOPLE, who have been raised up out from the dead with Him, out from the dead works of religion and the Law. *Vs. 21 – I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain.

This is a challenge to us: what is our witness? If we are attempting to have a righteousness by the Law, by man’s doctrines and our church, we are frustrating the grace of God, and all of that must come to a death – an end. God established that His righteousness would come by the death of His Son. Going back to the Law is saying that Christ is dead in vain! But it is in the knowledge of His death as the fulfillment of the Law that brings me to my death, and releases me from the bondage of the flesh under the Law.

Paul gives us this analogy in Romans 7. He is speaking to those who know the Law. His argument here is that the Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives. (verse 1) We read verses 2 and 3, then apply that to us today when people want to get a divorce, but Paul is using this as an example to believers who have come out from the Law, from the Old Covenant, and should be walking in the liberty of the New Covenant, Life in Christ Jesus. His argument is that if YOU are still alive, you are under that Law, but (vs. 4) YOU are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ. * The Law didn’t die – but you did! By the death of Christ, and you believing in Him, you are dead to the Law – it has no more hold or effect on you! Why? THAT (here’s the purpose) – ye should be married to another, even to HIM who is raised from the dead. (That’s Christ!) Why? THAT we should bring forth fruit unto God. The Law was for a time, but NOW – since The Cross, God’s people are to be married to Him, and not the Law – and out from that union, we are to bring forth fruit (His nature, His increase) unto God. * That is The Witness – of His Life, our oneness with Him, His Glory.

Vs. 5-6 – When we were in the flesh sin shown to be sin by the Law brought forth fruit unto DEATH. *The Law brought death, NOT Life. BUT NOW we are delivered from the law, having died to what had held us in bondage: we now should serve in newness of spirit and NOT in the oldness of the letter.

Now in Christ we are dead to the Law – dead to sin, flesh, old; but alive unto God, and now we are to be The Living Witness of Him – not in the oldness of the letter of the Law, but in the Newness of the Spirit that He is. The Witness is NOT I, BUT CHRIST.

The Living Witness

We are seeing that God has moved from the Testimony to the Witness, from the Old to the New Covenant, from the glory that fades to the Glory that remains by His Son and the Work of The Cross. Christ and Him crucified and resurrected is that faithful Witness, and is the proof of the Testimony – all fulfilled in Him.

But what enables US to now be that Witness – of Him, here on the earth? Colossians 1:26-28 – The mystery that had been hidden (in the Testimony) is now made manifest to his saints… CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory… according to his working which worketh in us mightily. ** That LIVING WITNESS (Christ in the power of His Resurrection) now dwells in us – working that Witness in us – death, burial, resurrection. It is NOT us working, but CHRIST living His Life in us that enables us to be that Witness, and brings us to this excelling glory.

2 Corinthians 4:7,10-11 – We have this treasure (this witness) in earthen vessels (in us) that the excellency of the power may be of God and not us. Always bearing (in us) the dying of the Lord that HIS LIFE might be manifest in us. *Witness is: not I, but Christ!

Is this "a glory to come"? No – it is what He asked the Father for in John 17:5,22,23 – Glorify Me with Thine own self, with the glory (oneness) I had with thee before … And the glory Thou hast given Me, I have given them, that they may be one… I in them, and Thou in Me, that the world may know… ** This is the Witness we now can be because of Christ in us. This relationship of oneness is the greater glory. He as the mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15) works this in us.

We should be living in that understanding – not of what God "will do some day" – that’s the Testimony! We are here on this earth to manifest what God hath done in Christ – that’s the Witness! His promises are fulfilled IN CHRIST.

In the Testimony, in the Old Covenant, in the Law and the prophets God made wonderful promises, but in the Witness we don’t just come to MORE promises: we come to those promises fulfilled, and those are fulfilled not in things, but IN THE PROMISED SON. He was what was promised, and in Him we have the fulfillment of all God’s promises.

2 Corinthians 1:19,20 – All the promises of God IN HIM are yea, and IN HIM Amen, unto the glory of God by us. His Witness in us glorifies The Father.

Colossians 2:2,3 – Paul wanted the Church to come to the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery… of Christ: in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Testimony hid that: it is now made known IN CHRIST.

Look at what we NOW HAVE IN CHRIST – This is what He has done.

Ephesians 1:3-14 – He HAS blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in Christ – in heavenly places. God promised to bless Abraham and make him a blessing (Genesis 12:1,2) when He called him out of his land to come into another land. And ALL of the things that God promised to a people – throughout the Testimony, in all the prophets, are now fulfilled in His Son. God has chosen us in Him, that we should be holy, predestinated to adoption (the recognition of the Son), He has made us accepted in the beloved, we have redemption through His blood, forgiveness of sins, He has abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence, He has made known unto us the mystery of His will, He has gathered all things in Christ, in Him we have obtained an inheritance, that we should be to the praise of His glory. ** After you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the (full) redemption of His Body, unto the praise of His glory.

• As we think back into the Testimony, we see that all of these things were spoken of there through the sacrifices, feasts, priesthood, etc. But these things were NEVER accomplished under the Law, in the Testimony. It is only by The Cross that all of these spiritual blessings now become real for God’s people. And we are to be the Witness of the Truth of these things in the earth today. God is challenging us in this regard – is His Witness being manifested by us on this earth?

The Testimony spoke of Eternal Life, Spiritual Life, Abundant Life, but never brought it. But Jesus came as that Life, to give that Life (Himself) to as many as receive Him. Life is Christ, and to have Him is to have Life. (see 1 John 5:11,12 – And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the son of God hath not life.)

2 Peter 1:2-4 – Grace and peace came through the knowledge of God and Christ. His divine power HATH given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him… The types and shadows don’t, but knowing HIM in His death, burial and resurrection does. The promises of God are all in Christ, and have been given to us that we might be partakers of the divine nature. That is the glory we now have in Christ as One with Him, with His Life. Vs. 5-9 – His nature is described, and if these things be in us, we will not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. (That is His Witness IN US, making us that Witness on the earth) Vs. 10-12 – Peter encourages the saints to give diligence to what they were called for – the everlasting Kingdom is NOT a place they will go to, but His rule in them NOW. He puts them in remembrance of what they know, so they be established in the present truth. And so must we! That Truth is NOW IN CHRIST.

All Things Delivered to The Son

I trust that the Lord is bringing us from the glory of ‘what God is going to do’ (that’s the Testimony) to the glory of ‘what God hath done in Christ’ (that’s the Witness). That’s the greater Glory! It is our union with Him, which is the reality of our Salvation that enables us now to be the Witness of this. And this is all so that the Father would be glorified.

John 15:4,5 – I am the vine, you are the branches. Abide in me, and I in you. You cannot bear fruit except you abide IN ME. He that abides in me, and I in him brings forth much fruit; without Me you can do nothing. ** This is a New Covenant understanding – we living in Christ, and Christ living in us. And remember "in" denotes a condition of "rest" – ceasing from our own labors. They never had that under the Old Covenant; but NOW in Christ it is not "us" working for Him, or "us" trying to be "like Him"; but it is Christ in us, living His Life in us. He is the fruit – His nature, His Life, the Witness of Him that the Father is looking for.

Vs. 7-11 – Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit (an increase of Christ, not us) so shall ye be my disciples (those taught by Him, His witness). As the Father loved Me, so have I loved you…. This Oneness is Glory! These things I spoke to you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. *Remember it is only the second that remains and is full. This is the greater glory we have been brought into in Christ. Why? That The Father might be glorified.

It is by the relationship that Christ has brought us into by His death, burial and resurrection that this all can be so – a relationship of ONENESS. This was not so under the Old Covenant. God was one place and they were another, and it functioned as a religion. But we NOW IN CHRIST do NOT have a religion; we have a relationship of Oneness with God in Christ! What greater Glory could there be? And out of that oneness, we can, and should function on this earth as One Body – HIS Body – unto the glory of God. God doesn’t want another religion: He wants us to manifest this relationship here on the earth, that the world may know Who He is – by the Witness we are.

So it is Christ and the Work of The Cross that brings us from the Testimony to the Witness, where it is not I, but Christ. We must give Him His rightful place.

Colossians 1: 9-19 – He is the image of the invisible God (His Son makes the Father known), by Him were all things created, and for Him; He is before all things, and by Him all things consist (are made of and held together), He is the head of the church (the source, the Life, the being); that in all things He might have the preeminence (not us!). For it pleased the Father that in Him should ALL fulness dwell. ** Notice here the "all things", and that Christ is essential and central to everything. This is what the Father planned. The question for us is: is Christ having the preeminence in us, to us; is He before everything? Do all things – for us, exist in Him and by Him, and do we find fulness only IN HIM? Knowing Him in this way is Glory! How foolish we are to try to take HIS place; rather than finding ourselves IN HIM and allowing HIM to be all things to us. We now should be resting in His allness, His preeminence, His glory.

I have pointed out the phrase "all things" in this scripture, and we need to consider the vastness of this. Are we knowing Him in this reality? To God "all" means "all", and it is the greatness of The Cross that gives definition to this. In order to help us consider the magnitude of this "all things" let us consider what Jesus said in Matthew 11:27. At that time (verse 20) people were rejecting Jesus even though He did mighty works before them. The Father has hid these things from the wise (religious leaders), and revealed them unto babes (those who would receive Him). ALL THINGS are delivered unto Me of My Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father, and no man knows the Father, but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.

• This is the Work of the Lord Jesus – to make the Father known, as The Father makes the Son known. This is done by the revealing – uncovering, making known what has been hidden. Remember we said that under the Old Covenant things were hidden – in the Testimony, in feasts, etc. And even though God dealt with a people this way, they never really knew Him. But Christ would change that. (John 1:18 says NO man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He declared Him.)

How would He do that? The Father would deliver ALL THINGS unto Him, and in Himself, and by His death, burial and resurrection, He would reveal what had been hidden. What were these "all things"? They were the "things" of the Testimony. They were the types and the shadows that all spoke of Him and what He would do. And they were ALL delivered unto Him, that He might give them definition and fulfill them ALL. I want us to think about this: everything of God’s plan and purpose, His will and thought was delivered to His Son – everything the Law and the prophets spoke of and promised – it was all given unto Him to fulfil and to make manifest. HE was the only One that could have done it to make the Father known, and NOW by His Cross, and that Work in us, we should be finding "all things".

We are going to begin bringing the "all things" of the Testimony to Christ and see how He fulfilled them, and brought forth the Witness of God in the earth, but let us close now in Luke 10:22-24 where Jesus is bringing His disciples to this time of transition – from the old to the New, from one glory to a greater glory. (Verse 22 is the same as Matthew 11:27) But then Jesus says, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you, many prophets and kings ( in Old Covenant) desired to see those things that you see, and hear the things that you hear.

Under the Testimony they would NOT see and hear the Truth, but NOW IN CHRIST – we can. That is the Greater Glory! May we see and hear none but HIM!