| The Grapevine Number 84 July 5, 2004 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 Christ In You By Jack Northart There are certain abilities that become a reality for Christian believers at the time of the new birth. When a person is saved, born again of God’s Spirit, there are so many things that become available because of the completed work of Jesus Christ. There are so many, in fact, that all we can do in this issue of The Grapevine is set a pattern of understanding so that a greater appreciation can begin as you see what you have received spiritually. When Adam sinned, he lost the spirit that was upon him which was his connection with God. This directly affected his relationship with God. On the day of Pentecost this connection was once again made available to the Church of God, the Church which we belong to today. The understanding of all that was made available was not completely known until God told it to the Apostle Paul and had him record it in the Church Epistles. This time period, which is also the same period that we are living in today, is referred to in the Bible as the Administration of the Grace of God, the Administration of the Mystery of God, and the Church of God. Let’s go to the Word of God to see how we can directly profit from what God has made available to us living today. This time frame of the Administration of the Mystery was hidden in God. No one except God knew about it. This Great Mystery became a reality on the day of Pentecost, but it was not traceable in the Old Testament. Romans 16:25,26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. God commanded that the Mystery should be made known, so believers could understand it and benefit from it. I Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. These Old Testament prophets saw a period of time between the “sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.” They searched diligently in the scrolls for the meaning and duration of that period, but their efforts proved fruitless, as only God Himself knew that period. Not even the angels knew what is was about. What was this Great Mystery? Ephesians 3:1-6 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation [administration] of the grace of God which is given me to youward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. That the Jews (Judeans) and Gentiles are fellowheirs, and of the same body of Christ when either confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. Both receive the same spirit of God. It is not different for one group of people than it is for the other group. Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both [Judean and Gentile] have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Spirit is what Adam lost, and this was not only spoken to the nation of Israel who had the covenants of the law, who had been the chosen nation through many years, but now it was available to the Gentiles as well. This Great Mystery was so huge that it did not become a reality until the day of Pentecost. God was secretive about the details. It was untraceable throughout the entire Old Testament. Furthermore, the riches of this Mystery are described in the Epistle to the Colossians. Colossians 1:26,27 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. This was to be made known not just to the nation of Israel, but to the Gentiles as well. Out of Judeans and Gentiles, there is now one new Body, with Christ as the head. There is no difference between born again Judeans and born again Gentiles. Everywhere that there is a born again believer today, it is Christ in them, the hope of glory. In Acts 11:26, it states that the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. They were called “Christians” because they were teaching “Christ in.” A Christian is one who is born again of God’s Spirit, born from above, and therefore has “Christ in” them. It wasn’t to define which denomination they belonged to or an organization that they were a part of. It was because they had “Christ in” them. This was a fantastic revelation back in the first century and it is so today. Yet, very few Christians recognize or realize that they have Christ in them, the hope of glory in this day and time. If they do know about it, they fail to recognize the latent power of Christ within them. If you are a born again believer, a Christian, then you have the power and enablements that Christ spoke of prior to his ascension into heaven. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Mark 16:17-20 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; [If] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Does this mean that we have this same power? Does this mean that we can do these things that Christ spoke of? Yes it does. So why aren’t we seeing this power more than we do, today? Because Satan has been successful in talking believers out of this. He certainly wouldn’t want Christians to manifest this power because it would put him out of commission. He likes keeping believers in the dark about their God-given rights and abilities. If he had known about this Mystery and that it would be Christ in everyone of them, he never would have had Jesus Christ killed. I Corinthians 2:7,8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world [Satan and his hosts] knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Satan would have preferred a living Jesus Christ in one place, at one time, than Christ Jesus living in every born again believer. Every born again believer has Christ within them now, and is capable of doing the work that Christ himself did while on earth and more, because the new birth was not available until the day of Pentecost. John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. God has made salvation available to everyone today. His desire is that all men be saved so they can fellowship with him and walk in this great power. God desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:3,4). Let us rise up and manifest what our Heavenly Father has made available to us, and perform these great works once again in the twenty-first century. |
| Return to main page |
 |