What Is Meant By Grace?
The Apostle Paul wrote, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace” (Rom 6:14), but what did he mean by using the Greek word (in Roman characters) “charin/charis,” translated as grace? And how did he perceive the modern tension that has developed between the concepts that grace is sufficient to cover any sin, and that grace does not free disciples from their responsibility to behave rightly by keeping the precepts of the law?
The tension between the two opposed concepts of grace comes from not understanding what it means to be born of Spirit.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus is twice asked what a person must do to inherit everlasting life (cf. Luke 10:25; 18:18)—asking about what is required to “inherit” implies the person knows that he or she does not then possess eternal life. In fact, the concept of a person being physically born with eternal life is contrary to Scripture (an immortal soul is eternal life). Everlasting life is the gift of God (Rom 6:23), given when the person is born of Spirit and thus has life in the spiritual or heavenly realm. Prior to being born of Spirit, the person only has the life given to the first Adam, this life making the person a breathing creature, a nephesh, alike other nephesh that are the beasts of the field. Solomon writes, “I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all returns” (Eccl 3:18-20). It is vanity to believe that humankind, prior to being born of Spirit, have lives that differ from the lives of beasts. It is also not biblical.
Birth from the womb is birth by water (John 3:5-6). Receiving the Holy Spirit is birth by Spirit; for as the first Adam became a nephesh when the Lord breathed into his nostrils, the last Adam [of whom the first Adam was a type – Rom 5:14] became a life-giving spirit when the man Jesus fulfilled all righteous (Matt 3:15) by being baptized and rising from this watery grave to have the Holy Spirit, the divine Breath of God [Pneuma ’Agion], descend upon Him as a dove, light, and remain, thereby giving to Jesus a second life, one apart from the flesh … the Logos was Theos, who was with Theon from the beginning (John 1:1-2). Natural Israel knew only the Logos/Theos. The physicalness of the creation concealed Theon, the Father, from Israel. Thus, Jesus as the only Son of the Logos/Theos entered His creation (cf. John 1:14; 3:16) to reveal the existence of the Father (John 1:18; 17:5, 25-26) to endtime Israel. He did not come as the Son of the Father, but was sent by the Father. He came as His own Son, His only Son, for He could only enter His creation once as a flesh and blood human being, commissioned to fulfill all righteousness, part of which was being born of Spirit. Yes, the unfinished creative work of the Logos/Theos, finished on the Cross, was to be born of Spirit and to live without sin as the First of the firstfruits, the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29), all sons of the Father who mature spiritually while dwelling in tents of flesh. [Jesus did not need to mature, but to fulfill all righteousness. However, all those who would be born of Spirit as firstfruits after Jesus would need to grow to spiritual maturity.]
Jesus became the Son of the Father when He received a second life from the divine Breath of the Father, made visible in the form of a dove. That which is visible reveals the invisible things of God (Rom 1:20); that which is physical precedes the spiritual things of God (1 Cor 15:46). The first Adam, a clay corpse before the Lord breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, serves as the visible, physical shadow and copy of the last Adam, a living human being before the Holy Spirit [again, Pneuma ’Agion, or Breath Holy – Pneuma is the Greek work most often used to represent moving air as in wind or deep breath] descended upon Him as a dove, thereby imparting a second life within the same mortal tent of flesh.
Disciples as former sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2-3), consigned to disobedience (Rom 11:32) from their birth by water because of the disobedience of the first Adam, receive a second birth and a second life when they receive the Holy Spirit, the divine Breath of the Father. This second life is invisible in this world, for it is of the heavenly realm. In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is only seen when it is being used to create a physical shadow and copy of a spiritual event. Thus, the first time it is seen (when it appears as a dove) creates the model for how humankind will be born of Spirit. The next time it is seen (Acts chap 2), it creates the model for the empowerment and/or liberation of Israelites, with its appearance in the house of Cornelius forming the model for the empowerment and/or liberation of Gentiles. It is then seen when the twelve are rebaptized by Paul (Acts 19:1-7), with these twelve serving as the copy and shadow of the 144,000 Observant Jews coming out of the first half of the seven endtime years that follow Jesus wherever He leads (Rev 14:1-5). The Holy Spirit is not now seen when disciples are born of Spirit; the Holy Spirit will not be seen when disciples are liberated, at the beginning of the seven endtime years, from indwelling sin and death that has resided in the flesh (Rom 7:21-25). It will not be seen when it is poured out upon all flesh when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of the Father and the Son (Rev 11:15; cf. Dan 7:9-14). However, because of the importance of this fall of Babylon and giving of the kingdom to the Son of Man, which also occurs when the Holy Spirit is poured out, heavenly signs—blood, fire, columns of smoke, the sun becoming dark, the moon appearing as blood—will mark or signify that the world has been baptized in Spirit, thereby causing all of humankind to be born of Spirit.
The new creature, born of Spirit, is under no condemnation (Rom 8:1-2), and is not a bondservant of disobedience. This new creature’s Father is not [however many generation removed] the first Adam, but the Most High God. However, this new creature is born into a tent of flesh that remains consigned to disobedience, a mystery that the Apostle Paul said he didn’t understand (Rom 7:15). This new creature, now, is in a fight against the desires of the flesh (1 John 2:15-17), a fight that will produce spiritual maturity, but a fight in which rounds will be lost to sin. And Grace, the mercy of God, covers the new creature’s lost battles. The sins of disciples will not be remembered if the disciple prevails in the end against sin.
Grace is the garment or mantle of Christ Jesus’ righteousness that covers disciples as they grow to spiritual maturity. It is put on daily, just as ancient Israel offered its “daily” sacrifice at the temple. And it will not be needed or available when the Son of Man is revealed—following the liberation of disciples from indwelling sin and death at a Second Passover, every disciple will be made a spotless sacrifice to be offered to God. And some will die as their fellow saints were martyred (Rev 6:9-11). But most will rebel against God in the great falling away. This majority of disciples will return to lawlessness, thereby committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which had just liberated them from indwelling sin and death. And the point of law that this majority will break first—before murdering their righteous brothers—is the Sabbath commandment, for the lawless one [the man of perdition] will attempt to change times and the law (Dan 7:25; cf. 2 Thess 2:3-12). The mystery of lawlessness that was already at work when Paul yet lived is evident today in the Body of Christ every Sunday.
Grace cannot be sold; it cannot be bartered; it cannot be stored up. It is the reality of natural Israel’s twice daily sacrifice of a lamb. It is the putting on of Christ’s righteousness; it is the mercy of the Father, who sent the Logos into the Logos’ creation to die on the Cross, thereby fulfilling all righteousness. And this putting on of Christ’s righteousness will end when Israel is liberated from sin and death, and Israel’s obedience will end 2,300 evening and mornings [days] before the sanctuary is restored to its rightful state (Dan 8:14). The great falling away will be far greater than Christendom now imagines; for two sons struggle in the womb of the living Isaac, one hated, one loved, even though no sin is imputed to either because both are covered by Grace (cf. Rom 9:6-13). But in the hated son, the mystery of lawlessness is fully manifest.
* * *
"Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved."
The tension between the two opposed concepts of grace comes from not understanding what it means to be born of Spirit.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus is twice asked what a person must do to inherit everlasting life (cf. Luke 10:25; 18:18)—asking about what is required to “inherit” implies the person knows that he or she does not then possess eternal life. In fact, the concept of a person being physically born with eternal life is contrary to Scripture (an immortal soul is eternal life). Everlasting life is the gift of God (Rom 6:23), given when the person is born of Spirit and thus has life in the spiritual or heavenly realm. Prior to being born of Spirit, the person only has the life given to the first Adam, this life making the person a breathing creature, a nephesh, alike other nephesh that are the beasts of the field. Solomon writes, “I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all returns” (Eccl 3:18-20). It is vanity to believe that humankind, prior to being born of Spirit, have lives that differ from the lives of beasts. It is also not biblical.
Birth from the womb is birth by water (John 3:5-6). Receiving the Holy Spirit is birth by Spirit; for as the first Adam became a nephesh when the Lord breathed into his nostrils, the last Adam [of whom the first Adam was a type – Rom 5:14] became a life-giving spirit when the man Jesus fulfilled all righteous (Matt 3:15) by being baptized and rising from this watery grave to have the Holy Spirit, the divine Breath of God [Pneuma ’Agion], descend upon Him as a dove, light, and remain, thereby giving to Jesus a second life, one apart from the flesh … the Logos was Theos, who was with Theon from the beginning (John 1:1-2). Natural Israel knew only the Logos/Theos. The physicalness of the creation concealed Theon, the Father, from Israel. Thus, Jesus as the only Son of the Logos/Theos entered His creation (cf. John 1:14; 3:16) to reveal the existence of the Father (John 1:18; 17:5, 25-26) to endtime Israel. He did not come as the Son of the Father, but was sent by the Father. He came as His own Son, His only Son, for He could only enter His creation once as a flesh and blood human being, commissioned to fulfill all righteousness, part of which was being born of Spirit. Yes, the unfinished creative work of the Logos/Theos, finished on the Cross, was to be born of Spirit and to live without sin as the First of the firstfruits, the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29), all sons of the Father who mature spiritually while dwelling in tents of flesh. [Jesus did not need to mature, but to fulfill all righteousness. However, all those who would be born of Spirit as firstfruits after Jesus would need to grow to spiritual maturity.]
Jesus became the Son of the Father when He received a second life from the divine Breath of the Father, made visible in the form of a dove. That which is visible reveals the invisible things of God (Rom 1:20); that which is physical precedes the spiritual things of God (1 Cor 15:46). The first Adam, a clay corpse before the Lord breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, serves as the visible, physical shadow and copy of the last Adam, a living human being before the Holy Spirit [again, Pneuma ’Agion, or Breath Holy – Pneuma is the Greek work most often used to represent moving air as in wind or deep breath] descended upon Him as a dove, thereby imparting a second life within the same mortal tent of flesh.
Disciples as former sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2-3), consigned to disobedience (Rom 11:32) from their birth by water because of the disobedience of the first Adam, receive a second birth and a second life when they receive the Holy Spirit, the divine Breath of the Father. This second life is invisible in this world, for it is of the heavenly realm. In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is only seen when it is being used to create a physical shadow and copy of a spiritual event. Thus, the first time it is seen (when it appears as a dove) creates the model for how humankind will be born of Spirit. The next time it is seen (Acts chap 2), it creates the model for the empowerment and/or liberation of Israelites, with its appearance in the house of Cornelius forming the model for the empowerment and/or liberation of Gentiles. It is then seen when the twelve are rebaptized by Paul (Acts 19:1-7), with these twelve serving as the copy and shadow of the 144,000 Observant Jews coming out of the first half of the seven endtime years that follow Jesus wherever He leads (Rev 14:1-5). The Holy Spirit is not now seen when disciples are born of Spirit; the Holy Spirit will not be seen when disciples are liberated, at the beginning of the seven endtime years, from indwelling sin and death that has resided in the flesh (Rom 7:21-25). It will not be seen when it is poured out upon all flesh when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of the Father and the Son (Rev 11:15; cf. Dan 7:9-14). However, because of the importance of this fall of Babylon and giving of the kingdom to the Son of Man, which also occurs when the Holy Spirit is poured out, heavenly signs—blood, fire, columns of smoke, the sun becoming dark, the moon appearing as blood—will mark or signify that the world has been baptized in Spirit, thereby causing all of humankind to be born of Spirit.
The new creature, born of Spirit, is under no condemnation (Rom 8:1-2), and is not a bondservant of disobedience. This new creature’s Father is not [however many generation removed] the first Adam, but the Most High God. However, this new creature is born into a tent of flesh that remains consigned to disobedience, a mystery that the Apostle Paul said he didn’t understand (Rom 7:15). This new creature, now, is in a fight against the desires of the flesh (1 John 2:15-17), a fight that will produce spiritual maturity, but a fight in which rounds will be lost to sin. And Grace, the mercy of God, covers the new creature’s lost battles. The sins of disciples will not be remembered if the disciple prevails in the end against sin.
Grace is the garment or mantle of Christ Jesus’ righteousness that covers disciples as they grow to spiritual maturity. It is put on daily, just as ancient Israel offered its “daily” sacrifice at the temple. And it will not be needed or available when the Son of Man is revealed—following the liberation of disciples from indwelling sin and death at a Second Passover, every disciple will be made a spotless sacrifice to be offered to God. And some will die as their fellow saints were martyred (Rev 6:9-11). But most will rebel against God in the great falling away. This majority of disciples will return to lawlessness, thereby committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which had just liberated them from indwelling sin and death. And the point of law that this majority will break first—before murdering their righteous brothers—is the Sabbath commandment, for the lawless one [the man of perdition] will attempt to change times and the law (Dan 7:25; cf. 2 Thess 2:3-12). The mystery of lawlessness that was already at work when Paul yet lived is evident today in the Body of Christ every Sunday.
Grace cannot be sold; it cannot be bartered; it cannot be stored up. It is the reality of natural Israel’s twice daily sacrifice of a lamb. It is the putting on of Christ’s righteousness; it is the mercy of the Father, who sent the Logos into the Logos’ creation to die on the Cross, thereby fulfilling all righteousness. And this putting on of Christ’s righteousness will end when Israel is liberated from sin and death, and Israel’s obedience will end 2,300 evening and mornings [days] before the sanctuary is restored to its rightful state (Dan 8:14). The great falling away will be far greater than Christendom now imagines; for two sons struggle in the womb of the living Isaac, one hated, one loved, even though no sin is imputed to either because both are covered by Grace (cf. Rom 9:6-13). But in the hated son, the mystery of lawlessness is fully manifest.
"Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved."
Labels: 000, 144, daily sacrifice, Grace, great falling away, immortal soul, man of perdition, righteousness, sin
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