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March - April 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel
Picture Perfect Passover
by Doby
All of us have an interesting thing in common: ... we
were all born in the same "state." ... While this makes
for an amusing pun, there is still a literal truth to
it.... It is certain that all of us came into the world
in the very same "state" which Adam and Eve were created
by God: naked and unashamed.
For Adam and Eve, sin brought with it the knowledge of
their nakedness and they, being afraid, hid from
God. ... After this, we see the Scriptures correlate
"nakedness" to the "shame of sin." In Jeremiah 13:26-27,
God says to Jerusalem "I myself will lift up your
skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen. I
have seen your abominations, your adulteries and
neighings, your lewd harlotries, on the hills in the
fields. How long will it be before you are made
clean?"
Almighty God is not only omnipotent, omnipresent, and
omnificent - He is omniscient. He is "aware" of
all. Before God, we are physically and spiritually
naked. Indeed, if He so chooses to, God can "see"
everywhere - whether it be into and beyond the grave or
even through the blackness of the abyss. He knows
everything. Proverbs 15:11 states, "Hell"
meaning the grave "and destruction lie open before
The ETERNAL, how much more the hearts of men!"
... Truly, how much more!
Hebrews 4:12-16 reads, "For the word of God [is]
living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no
creature hidden from His sight: but all things [are]
naked and opened to the eyes of Him to whom we must give
account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest,
who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast [our] confession. For we do not
have an High Priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses; but [who] was in all points tempted as [we
are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need."
These beautiful words bring to mind the first line from
Act III, scene 1, of Shakespeare's Henry V: where King
Harry turns to his army and yells, "Once more into the
breach, dear friends, once more!" To us, this quotation
should bring to mind a completely different context: how
privileged we are that our Saviour's sacrifice has torn
the dividing veil - giving us access through the breach
- and into the Holy of Holies (our Eternal Father's
mercy seat), where our Mediator Jesus Christ now sits at
His right hand.
It is by the life, death, and everlasting life
of Jesus Christ that we have redemption - from our
carnal, mortal bodies - by the grace of God. Yes,
Salvation is by grace, nevertheless, it is the law that
lets us know (to our shame) that we, of ourselves, are
spiritually naked and in need of God's
righteousness. ICor 15:53 "For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
Romans 3:21-26; "But now the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the
law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God
[which is] through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on
all who believe. For there is no difference: For all
have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God Being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God has set forth [to be]
a propitiation [a lawful, fully atoning sacrifice]
by His blood through faith, to demonstrate His
righteousness because in His forbearance God had passed
over the sins that were previously committed to
demonstrate, at this present time His righteousness:
that He might be just, and the justifier of the one who
has faith in Jesus."
We know that this Godly faith, if it is without works
... is dead (James 2:17, 18, 20, 26). Our faith must be
alive in the Spirit of our Saviour Jesus Christ; He did
His Father's works. In our lives, we must emulate His
works - because, although Salvation is a free gift of
Grace - yet, God's reward is given according to
works.... This reward isrecompense: wages for
good deeds - or evil (Romans 6:23).
These "good deeds" are not "works of the law" per se,
but our God-inspired works of faith and
righteousness. Through the fruitful gifts of His Holy
Spirit, we emulate God's own righteousness! In love, God
sacrificed (for us) the pure sinless life of Jesus
Christ - that we might Spiritually receive (and thus
grow in) His "mind" and His love.... This, for God's
purpose: that we might live.
Consider all of this, starting at 2Corinthians 5:14,
"For the love of Christ constrains us [meaning
holds us together]; because we judge thus: that if
One died for all, then all died: And He died for all,
that those who live should live no longer for
themselves, but for Him who died for them, and rose
again." . . . Verse 17; "Therefore if anyone
[is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all
things [are] of God, who has reconciled us to Himself
through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation; that is, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their
trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were pleading through us: we implore on
Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him
who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him."
What greatness God is working out in those who love Him!
Without the italicized "extras," verse 1 of 2
Corinthians 6 reads, "We then, workers together,
plead also that you do not receive the grace of God in
vain. ... Working all together, we must be fruitful
in good works for God, with His righteous character
growing in us. Wearing the armour of God's
righteousness, we are to bear the fruits of His
righteousness in us; ... thus, we will receive our crown
of righteousness from Him.
Not by our works of the law nor by our works of
righteousness, but by our Saviour's sacrifice have we
been given this promised capacity to grow into God's own
righteousness: working in His faith - through
us. ... Titus 3:4-8; "But when the kindness and love
of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His
mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Spirit; which He poured out on
us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that
being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life. [This is] a
faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm
constantly, that those who have believed in God might be
careful to maintain good works."
Notice the awesome significance in how everything flows
with such a full and beautiful tapestry of God's
glorious meaning! ... "For you are all the sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as
were baptized into Christ have put on Christ"
(Galatians 3:26 and 27). Consulting Thayer's Lexicon, we
see that the meaning of the Greek for "put on" suggests
a great deal more than just "being clothed in." It also
indicates that we are sunk into, enveloped in, and
covered by Christ. Indeed, we should understand that
ours is a monumentally significant baptism!
Regardless of whoever that person that actually performs
our baptism is, we are all baptized into our the Body of
our Saviour.... Our baptisms are
inexorably tied to His holy FAME.... Take a moment to
think on that.
Our common English usage of the name"Jesus" has
different renderings in many languages - but, from the
Hebrew ("Yehowshua" - Strong's #3091) it means "the
Eternal is Salvation." That meaning is His
fame.... "Emmanue" meaning "God with us" and "Christ,"
meaning "anointed" (the same as the Hebrew for
"Messiah") were also our Saviour's fame.
Jesus' unparalleled fame stands as the anointed Son of
God, the sacrificed Lamb of God, the Word of God, the
Lord of the Sabbath (which was made for us), ... our
Creator, our Messiah, our Saviour, our Redeemer, our
High Priest, our elder Brother, our soon coming King,
our Bridegroom, and so much more! His fame is that
awesome and significant! ... We must never forget that
the great authority of Jesus' name is dependent on the
truth of His unique and monumental FAME as our Passover.
The sanctified ceremony of Passover commemorates Jesus
Christ's sanguinary sacrifice for us. We must take it
worthily.... Indeed we must look deep within ourselves,
and we must remember His holy fame.
Thus, we are all baptized into Him - our Saviour, and
begotten into His Body: God's Church, which was born in
His blood. We, who are the begotten children of God,
are defined by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God - which
is not divided! ... It is not drawn and quartered!
... God's Flock is to be One Spiritually-begotten
organism with One true Shepherd (John 10:16). We must
become One with God the Father, One with Jesus Christ
our Saviour, and One in the Holy Spirit which dwells in
all who have put on Christ (John 17).
The ancient commerce papyri that was used in the first
century clearly evidenced the idiomatic sense in which
Matthew 28:19 conveys being baptized "in the name of."
In this case, the idiom "in the name of" means, not
merely "in the authority of," but rather "into the
possession of:" the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit.... We are baptized into the possession of the
Father - who put up the ransom; ... into the possession
of the Son - who paid the price; ... and thus, into the
possession of the Holy Spirit- which is simply the gift
of God that makes us members in the One Body of Jesus
Christ. The Holy Spirit is the power of God, (the gift
of) which defines His Church.
Full of meaning, water baptism is a beautiful ordinance
that has been ordained by God. Through this watery
immersion we declare our faith in God the Father as our
Saviour (this includes faith in His Holy Word, who
became Jesus Christ our Saviour). We also express our
acceptance of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for
us, and our repentance of the old life (the burial of
the old man, and the new man rising to a new and
higher-minded life from that point on)....That is when
God gave to us the begetting birthday gift of His
comforting and counselling Holy Spirit, with the laying
on of hands.... At this begetting/birthday baptism, we
are (thankfully) not physically naked. While we were
spiritually naked, in the shame of sin, yet we rose up,
out of that watery grave: clothed in the fame of Jesus
Christ.
Still, our purpose in life only begins with this baptism
in the waters of God's grace. It does not end there....
Indeed brethren, by the mercies of God, we must present
our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God, who is our spiritual worship - not being conformed
to this world, but being transformed by the renewal of
our minds, that we may prove what is the good and
acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:1-2).
Throughout our lives we must bear fruits worthy of that
noble repentance. With our characters, in who and what
we are, we should strive to reflect our Saviour's noble
example in every way - remembering His holy fame - thus,
partaking of the Passover worthily, and renewing and
refreshing our sure baptism.... Therefore, holy
brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider
the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ
Jesus! ...
Just before his own baptism, Jesus said "thus it is
fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." The
New English Bible translates these words as "we do
well to conform with all that God requires."
Indeed, we are required to conform to God. It should be
obvious that Jesus' baptism was an example to us: He was
sinless - and where there is no sin, no forgiveness is
needed. Surely, it is we who have sinned and fallen
short of God's glory; it is all of humanity who need God
and His forgiveness.
In the Old Testament, we have a foreshadowing of God's
Salvation through baptism, with the symbology of Israel
fleeing Egypt through the parted waters of the Red
Sea. Red, a symbol of blood; water, a symbol of the
grave; Egypt, a symbol of sin and death.... We, likewise
fleeing sin, are washed clean with the sinless red blood
of the Lamb and buried with Him: being covered by and
buried in the waters of baptism, and rising up from
them, as He rose from the dead and is now alive
forevermore.... Brethren, we are now God's workmanship
and His begotten children. We have chosen life
(symbolized by our repentance and baptism), and now,
with the gift of God's Holy Spirit, we must continue to
choose life (symbolized by the keeping of God's
Commandments).
(This is getting long, so please read 1Peter 1:13-22 for
yourselves....) Brethren, dear friends - we must indeed
proclaim God's Sabbath and His true Gospel more
fully - for our cups do overflow with His
abundant grace! ...Therefore, let us take the time now
before this soon-coming Passover, to reflect back on our
baptisms; ...and then, GO with our Saviour: ... "Once
more into the breach, dear friends, once more!
... Always give thanks and glory to God the Father, for
His abundant fame and blessings - which He has so richly
poured out onto us through His perfect Passover Lamb,
our Saviour: in whom we have forgiveness, redemption,
salvation, and life everlasting!
TSS
March - April 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel
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