|
For those that what to study this topic further I have added this section.
It is interesting to understand how this process works, that us being fleshly can become a New Spiritual being. Firstly, it is necessary to look into how we become a fleshly being because knowing how we became ‘flesh’ will give an insight into how we become ‘spiritual’.
It is the spirit of a person that gives them life. It may not be obvious but had Adam had sexual relations with his wife ‘Eve’ before they had fallen into Sin then he Adam, would have passed on the life that was in him, Eternal Life. This is because the Life from God was not contaminated hence, he was an eternal spirit-being.
Once Sin had entered the earth the life that Adam would pass on was a spirit that had lost its “Life”. The God connected Spirit which God had breathed into Adam as we see in Genesis 2:7.
Genesis 2:7 (CJB)*
7 Then ADONAI, God, formed a person [Hebrew: adam] from the dust of the ground [Hebrew: adamah] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being.
When one looks into the Hebrew Text of the word life, we find that this word is in the plural form. We understand that we are a tri-union being. Spirit, Soul, and Body. From my study on this topic I have come to conclusion that it’s the spirit that gives us life, we are a soul being, and we live in a body. Who we are comes from God, a Soul Being, having a life source the Spirit that also derives from God. So therefore God breath into Adam Spirit and Soul – Life – and Adam became a living – Spirit – and a Soul being. It is through the soul that we become individuals.
This may be a little difficult to grasp but I have explained this in more depth in another study which you can explore with this link. {This is dealt in more depth here - This Link Not Active Yet}
Now that Adam had Sinned, his disobedience from the Garden of Eden, the life that he received from God was contaminated by this disobedience. So when Adam had children the only life, he could pass on was this contaminated life. This is what Paul talks about in Romans 5:12.
Romans 5:12 (CJB)*
12. Here is how it works: it was through one individual that sin entered the world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed through to the whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned.
Most translations state: - ‘inasmuch as everyone sinned’ as “all have sinned”. To put this plainly, we are all born with the inclination to look after oneself. Another way of saying ‘I’ll do it my way; fix it the best way I know how’. This was not how God wanted Adam to live but rather since Adam did not have “the Knowledge of Good and Evil” he needed the assistance of God to make these decisions.
This is what made Adam to be in the “likeness of the Godhead”. God only makes good decisions based on who He is Total Goodness. His choice to only do Good and leave the ‘bad – evil – out of all His dealings makes Him a Superior being. Adam was to be His Child and learn how to make these types of decisions freely.
Hence Adam had to have the opportunity to decide from himself to choose only what God wanted him to do or would he decide to do it on his own. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the test to see if he would act like His Father or not.
Few… Did you get all that?
Let’s get back on topic. Adam’s right standing with God now is based on Adam’s willingness to be obedient to what God had said and what God would say via His Spirit. Although Adam could not have the close face-to-face relationship with God as he did in the Garden, he could have communication through his obedience. He understood from God’s Mercy in the Garden that the death of an innocent animal was a way to honour God as a substitute for his disobedience. This substitute did not clear his guilt but acted as a means to state that innocent blood was needed to cover his sins. This sacrifice was codified into Law by Moses, but this can wait for more explanation till later.
Up until the time of Jesus, the Lamb Slain, His Death and Resurrection, man’s only way to approach God was through the sacrifice of an innocent animal. Now that the Sin question had been dwelt with, an innocent Man had died, taking on Him the Adamic rebellion, the Original Sin, there was there was a new way to God, the only way. This is where understanding the One Flesh relationship has its full effect.
At this point I want to include how Paul explains this process. This will set a framework for our further study. In Ephesians Chapter 2 Paul set out a clear description and want include the whole chapter. I will edit like this {words} to add clarity to some of the Hebrew words and phrases.
Ephesians 2:1-22 (CJB)*
1. You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience.
2. You walked in the ways of the ‘olam hazeh {course of this world} and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient.
3. Indeed, we all once lived this way — we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for God’s wrath, just like everyone else.
4. But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love
5.that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah—it is by grace that you have been delivered.
6. That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua {Christ Jesus}, and seated us with him in heaven,
7. in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua.
8. For you have been delivered by grace through trusting {faith}, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift.
9. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast.
10. For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.
11. Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth — called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised —
12. at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Isra’el. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God.
13. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood.
14. For he himself is our shalom {peace} — he has made us both one and has broken down the m’chitzah {middle wall of division} which divided us
15. by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, {the Law} with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom,
16. and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus in himself killing that enmity.
17. Also, when he came, he announced as Good News shalom to you far off and shalom to those nearby,
18. news that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19. So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family.
20. You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries {apostles} and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself.
21. In union with him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord.
22. Yes, in union with him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God!
Let’s refresh where we have come from.
The first man was called ‘The First Adam’, and Jesus was called ‘The Last Adam. Just as the First Adam was ‘two in one flesh’ so Jesus being the Last Adam has a similar position. You recall from earlier when Paul talks about Abraham in giving a tenth to ‘Malki-Tzedek, that Levi, who himself receives tenths, paid a tenth through Avraham’.
Now Levi who was born many years later was consider having a part in the tenth that Abraham gave Malki-Tzedek. Also we talked about Jesus was considered to be ‘The Seed’ of Abraham. Now the People of Israel are the physical seeds of Abraham but through this ‘Seed’ the other people groups – the Gentiles – would become part of Abraham’s family.
Now Abraham believed God and it was accounted as righteousness. It was through this Right Standing with God that he was promised his ‘Seed’, the Messiah would come and through Abraham all the world would be blessed. Jesus came as the Lamb of God, the Sin Offering. By His Death and Resurrection the power of Sin over Mankind was broken. Those that believed just as Abraham did would be granted this Right Standing with God.
Now pay attention, I want to do a bit of a quick step to finally answer the question ‘How does the One Flesh and the Sin Sacrifice, that nullifies death over mankind, bring the Gentiles into Abraham’s family?”.
Let’s take a break here and discuss this in the next section: -
........
Go To The Next Section
Index Page
(CJB)*
The Complete Jewish Bible" used with permission.
|
