THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED - REDEMPTION #5 & 6
/By Joseph L. Watkins
The Redemption or "The Recovery" of The New Creation of God in Christ Jesus, as we are want to say, is our "theme".
In our last paper we quoted C. H. Welch, "...many parts of the purpose of redemption can only be correctly understood in light of the greater purpose of the ages." Berean Expositor Vol. 14, Pg. 17
We recommend for your consideration his full series, of which there are 10 in the first series, and some 22 in the second, covering a time from July 1922 until Oct. 1929.
Now we, just like our elder brother, pause just long enough to start once again, this time at the beginning. But as he said, where do we find "the Beginning?" Do we seek only our beginning, which was in Adam, when the Creator formed him? We were there in him, and when the giver of life breathed into his nostrils the "Ne-Shamah Spirit" that is life, even the very life principle of all in Adam. For both you and I were in view, yes, in truth that was our beginning.
However, that is not the beginning we seek. Should we then go back to the day the Creator spoke into existence the heaven and the earth as we find it in Gen. 1:1? Well, perhaps not the earth, for we know there was both matter and intelligence, present at "that beginning" (see Job 38:1-7). Then are we talking of the beginning of the "Heavens" there? Well, not exactly!
We must go back...back...back, even before the planning stage of creation. Back to a point when God was and nothing else, for all that is, came of Him, and because of Him - and "FOR HIM!"
“Him - declare I unto you. God That made the world and all things therein He is Lord of heaven and earth, neither is ministered to with man's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth all life, and breath." Acts 17:25-26
Now let us also read Rev. 4:11: "Thou art worthy, 0 LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."
Yes, for His pleasure they are! This is the kind of truth that most men wish to reject. First because each live for their own pleasure, and secondly because they can only perceive God existing for their benefit and their purpose. The real truth is, our so-called pleasure and our so-called purpose, is so far down on the list of what is important, that it is altogether without meaning when viewed from His.
Going back to the Beginning, we see God had need of nothing, so we must ask, "Why did He create?" For "Thy Pleasure" they were created! How does God take His pleasure?
The Redemption of God in Christ Jesus is the Capstone of All Revelation - Ephesians 1:1 ... to the saints ... and faithing (ones) in Christ Jesus
v .5 ..(He)..pre-appointed us unto sonship by Jesus Christ with a view to Himself (or to His own desire and purpose)
v.6 ... with a view to extolling (The) Glory of The Grace of Him
v.7 in Whom we have THE REDEMPTION - (Price) the Blood of Him...according to the wealth of the Grace of Him
v.10 with a view to (the) dispensation (or the message) the fullness (or that one which fills up) the season (of revelation) heading-up the all (revelation) in Christ
v.11 in Whom also (we as His) acquisition (having been) pre-appointed
v.12 with a view to...the extolling of The GLORY of HIM. (The Glory of Him = "What He Is, and What He Has, and What He Does" -- with what He has, because of What He is, and Who He is. This "IS" The Glory of HIM.)
v.12 ...the ones before-hoping (those in Acts Times) in the Christ
v.13 in whom also you (upon) hearing the truth the gospel, the salvation of you.
v.14 in Whom (you) also (upon) believing (this new message, were) sealed...which is (the) earnest (portion) of the (full) inheritance ... with a view to REDEMPTION of the acquisition, with a view to extolling The GLORY of HIM.
Redemption, from man's point of view, has his resurrection to life in view. Redemption of His man from The Creator's point of view has His Age Purpose in view.
The man Adam was created in the likeness of God's Image, Christ Jesus. The sons of Adam are made in the likeness of Adam with a view to being created anew in Christ Jesus, with a view to being - The Image.
The True Image Christ Jesus came to this world that God might be known, for in Him alone can God be known as He so desires to be known, personally and fully, in and through having the very life principle (NeShamah spirit of life) in Christ Jesus. Man alone, of all intelligent creation can know the Creator in this sense, and to this degree. As Christ became the One Image of God, man can become the likeness of that Image - in Christ Jesus.
God is now acquiring a body of called-out believing ones that are to take on the age purpose of The Great Creator of all. That is to make known unto all other intelligent creations of The One Creator, the manifold wisdom of our God, and the many manifold powers of His Glory - What He is, What He has, and What He Does. Now He is invisible, incomprehensible, altogether unknowable, “except” as his own know Him - in Christ Jesus.
