Angelic Conflict part 321: Current work of Christ – Joh 16:7-16; 11:25-26; Eph 1:19-23; 1Pe 2:4-10; 1Jo 2:1-2.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 321: Current work of Christ - JOH 16:7-16; 11:25-26; EPH 1:19-23; 1PE 2:4-10; 1JO 2:1-2.

 

 

So we turn to our final aspect of this in depth look of the kingdom conflict - our Lord’s present and future ministry in resurrected glory.

 

At least a dozen im­portant aspects of His present ministry were contingent upon the fact of His resurrection.

 

1. Sending the Holy Spirit, JOH 14:26; 15:26; 16:7.

 

We would have no power or wisdom or guidance unless Christ had been able to send the HS to indwell us.

 

The promise of Christ that He would send the Holy Spirit was contingent upon His resurrection and His return to glory.

 

The Holy Spirit was sent to continue the ministry of Christ which was, in a sense, suspended when He returned to heaven.

 

JOH 16:7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

 

JOH 16:8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment;

 

JOH 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;

 

JOH 16:10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me;

 

JOH 16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

 

JOH 16:12 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

 

JOH 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

 

JOH 16:14 "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you.

 

JOH 16:15 "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you.

 

JOH 16:16 "A little while, and you will no longer behold Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me."

 

The major feature of the present age, namely, the ministry of the Spirit, is therefore dependent upon the validity of Christ’s resurrection from the grave and His return to glory as the trium­phant, resurrected Savior.

 

The power, wisdom, and guidance given by God the Holy Spirit counteracts and overpowers the arrogance, ignorance, and deceitfulness of satan's kingdom.

 

2. Bestowing eternal life. If Christ did not literally rise from the dead then the promise of giving life for spiritual death is invalid.

 

Through the Spirit whom Christ sent to the earth, He is able to bestow eternal life on all those who put their trust in Him, JOH 11:25; 12:24-25.

 

JOH 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,

 

JOH 11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

 

If Christ did not literally rise from the dead, God’s program of giving life for spiritual death through faith in Jesus Christ would become in­valid. He is able to bestow eternal life by virtue of who He is and of what He has done in His death and resurrection.

 

Eternal life is given so that the power and fear of death, formally held by satan (HEB 2:14-15) may be broken.

 

3. Head of the church and the new creation. As the Head of the new creation, He is able to form the church as His body and give her eternal life.

 

In His resurrection from the dead, Christ also became Head of the new creation as well as Head of the church. This is stated in EPH 1:20-23, where the power of God is manifested.

 

EPH 1:19 These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

 

EPH 1:20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

 

EPH 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.

 

EPH 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

 

EPH 1:23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

 

1CO 15:45

So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

 

1PE 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God,

 

1PE 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 

1PE 2:6  For this is contained in Scripture:

"Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,

And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed."

 

1PE 2:7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve,

"The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the very corner stone,"

 

1PE 2:8 and,

"A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense";

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

 

1PE 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 

1PE 2:10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 

This present undertaking of God like all other aspects of His present work depends upon the validity of His resurrection and is essential to His present exalted work.

 

The resurrection perfects and brings an eternal fullness the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.

 

His body is given the completed canon of scripture, all are made priests, and all will reign with the King of kings and Lord of lords to varying degrees dependent upon their reigning in life.

 

Thus, then, it appears that the Resurrection of our Lord brings His work to its first stage of completion; for it per­fects the different offices by which the work is accomplished. It is an essential part of the work which He left the mansions of His Father’s glory to perform. If He did not rise from the dead and return to His Father, He is neither Priest, Prophet, nor King, in the full sense of any of these terms.

 

As a new creation, members of the Church, and having a perfected Prophet, Priest, and King, our self-esteem is to be spiritual and not from satan's systems of so-called esteem.