Sunday 05/22/16
Series: Living in the Kingdom Pt. 34
Message – The Redemption of the Body V
Living in the Kingdom
For the past several weeks we’ve been diving into a specific part of our hope in the kingdom –
The redemption of our bodies!
It has been a bit of a whirlwind so today will be largely a review – before we continue.
Rom 8:22-25,
“(22) For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (23) Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. (24) For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (25) But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Our key points have been…
#1. We need to believe God cares for & redeemed our bodies.
#2. Life in the body is part of the work of the Kingdom.
#3. Healing is a benefit of the Kingdom.
#4. We’ve been given the Holy Spirit Who gives us life.
…and today we are introducing a new point….
#5. Life in the body begins with an altered perception and tolerance for sin.
It is important for us to realize that our bodies were included in the redemptive plan of Christ.
Remember 1 Cor. 6 told us that…
- “the Lord is FOR the body
- our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
- We were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
The redemption of the body is SUCH an integral part of our salvation and of the message we preach that Paul made it a MAJOR part of his defense before the Jewish Counsel and Felix when he was being tried for his faith!
Jesus’ ministry ALSO had a focus on the body as well which is important because He did not preach the law – He preached the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:16). Remember…EVERYWHERE Jesus went He….
- Preached the Kingdom of God
- And He HEALED bodies and even raised some of them from the dead!
We have testimony of this in the gospels!
It is UNREASONABLE in the extreme to assume that Jesus was willing to DO ANYTHING
which worked against or misrepresented the work of the Kingdom!
Testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses
Many of the miracles which we have recorded of Jesus doing – are mentioned in more than one gospel – which means that the Holy Spirit told each of the Gospel writers to record largely the same miracles…
We NEED to be like children to enter into the Kingdom of God and ONE predominate characteristic of children is their inquisitiveness! The word “WHY” is NEVER very far from their lips! SO IT SHOULD BE WITH US!
We should not just recognize that the Gospels each record largely the same events, we need to ask WHY?
We’ve concluded that at least one of the most obvious reasons the Holy Spirit did this is SO THAT WE MIGHT BELIEVE! Through repetition the Holy Spirit has made clear that the examples we have are the cream of the crop – they ones which would inspire faith in the majority IF we will read them and believe they are a testimony INTENDED by God to inspire faith in US as individuals!
One example which linked together the work of Healing and the Good News of the Kingdom was in…
Luke 7:19-23,
“(19) And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (20) When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” (21) And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. (22) Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. (23) And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
The scriptures we have, were HAND picked by the Spirit of God in order that we might come to Christ – and JUST LIKE THE examples we read about – we are to Ask, HEAR and BELIEVE.
Jesus Himself said, “You search the scriptures for IN THEM YOU THINK you have life, but they are which testify of Me are you are UNWILLING to come to ME that you might have LIFE.”
Our Inheritance
We also looked at a new word last week – EARNEST.
The Holy Spirit is called the EARNEST of our inheritance. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
The word earnest means – a pledge, something which stands for part of the price and is paid beforehand to confirm the fullness of the completed transaction.
Eph 1:7-14,
“(7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (11) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, (12) that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
The Holy Spirit stands for PART of what is to come.
What is one thing we know is still to come? The full redemption of our bodies!
I want you to know that God is NOT for a partial redemption. The resurrection of the WHOLE man was ALWAYS intended and just as right now we are only changed into His character to the degree that we see Him, but THEN we will be made FULLY like Him in every way in terms of character. SO IT IS WITH THE BODY!
One day this body will have ALL corruption striped from it – all that lends itself to mortality, pain, sickness, decay and death will be removed FOREVER…but now, I have an earnest of that inheritance by His Spirit Who dwells in me!
Remember Romans 8 again – Paul tells us that sin and death are STILL in our bodies and that nothing good come from them. However, everyone of us has experienced an inner change which proves our last point by way of experience.
This brings us to our new point!
#5. Life in the body begins with an altered perception and tolerance for sin.
Our flesh has lost its grip and in fact even our bodies now at being trained by His Spirit to reject things it once craved.
As this happens we are experiencing the “life” in our mortal bodies that Romans was specifically talking about….let’s look at it.
Romans 8:11,
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.”
Blessings!
The video is pending….
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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Blessings!
