May 16, 2008
What do you believe?
"For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This verse is probably the most quoted scripture in the entire Christian world. But it is also the least understood. Most seem to believe that if they confess Yeshua as Lord, when they die they will go to heaven and at some point in time will be resurrect from the grave. While it is true that this hope is buried in the context of the verse, its content is also relevant to the restoration of YHVH's Kingdom in the present life of the Believer.
Let us take a look at a paraphrased version of John 3:16: Elohim the Creator loved this present world/cosmos (His fixed order of government) so much that He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son in order that Man could be redeemed and restored to his rightful place in His present Kingdom order.
In the beginning Elohim entrusted Adam/Man (male and female) with dominion-rule over all of the living things (ref. Gen 1:26), which He had created. Before partaking of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" Man was united with His Creator in a state of divine/everlasting life. At that time Man was only God-conscious; life and light were flowing through him to the creation. Adam's spiritual nature was the same as YHVH's, as he/they lived under His dominion and expressed His peace, joy and righteousness. Thusly the Kingdom of Elohim was being manifested on earth as it was in heaven: "For the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17).
After Adam and Eve opened themselves up, by being disobedient, to another kingdom that was present in the Garden, they began to give expression to its nature. The ruling authority - Lucifer - seduced Eve and through her deceived Adam. They believed the lie that they could become like Elohim, if they were to digest into their being the spiritual fruit (nature) of the forbidden tree. After doing so, the Spirit of Elohim departed their "heart" and they became conscious of their outer being (nakedness - that is "self consciousness"). Their soul now started feeding from the spirit realm of darkness, and thus their expression was conveying the nature of "good and evil" and bearing its fruit.
In the Torah and through the New Covenant writings we continue to see YHVH uncovering the nature of this counterfeit kingdom. It is very important that we, as the redeemed remnant of Israel, understand the nature of this poisonous fruit. YHVH placed a curse over this tree, and hence anyone who eats of it will be subjected to YHVH's judgments (see Deut 28). Ignorance does not save us from the consequences of participating with its nature, which is "the power of Sin". More over, YHVH has sent His only begotten Son to destroy this kingdom and its works (ref 1 John 3:8). Through the blood of the New Covenant, working through faith (that is, believing what is true about what the Father accomplished through His Son in His death, burial and resurrection), we participate in YHVH's victory over the nature of Sin and Death and partake of the restoration of His Kingdom-nature in our hearts.
"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15).
The means by which the Almighty accomplished this victory over the other kingdom and reconciled us to Himself was through the death of His Son. How the curse of death and the power of death could actually bring us into eternal life, is hard to comprehend as it is a mystery. But unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, yet when it dies it comes forth in newness of life (see John 12: 24). Death is no longer to be looked upon as an enemy, but as a blessing, for in Yeshua's death the Father saw to it that all would die: "For the love of Messiah compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all" (2 Cor. 5: 14-15) "… Do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Messiah Yeshua [through faith] were identified to His death? Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, and that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Because we have been united together in the likeness of His death, death no longer has dominion over us. Thus when Yeshua died He died to sin, so also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to Elohim in Messiah Yeshua our Master. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives in Elohim" (Rom. 6: 3-10). "I have been crucified with Messiah and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). "For you have died and your life is hidden with Messiah in Elohim. When Messiah who is your life, is revealed, then you are also revealed with Him in glory" (Col. 3:3-4). "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Cor. 15:55).
What is it that you believe?
Ephraim
What do you believe?
"For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This verse is probably the most quoted scripture in the entire Christian world. But it is also the least understood. Most seem to believe that if they confess Yeshua as Lord, when they die they will go to heaven and at some point in time will be resurrect from the grave. While it is true that this hope is buried in the context of the verse, its content is also relevant to the restoration of YHVH's Kingdom in the present life of the Believer.
Let us take a look at a paraphrased version of John 3:16: Elohim the Creator loved this present world/cosmos (His fixed order of government) so much that He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son in order that Man could be redeemed and restored to his rightful place in His present Kingdom order.
In the beginning Elohim entrusted Adam/Man (male and female) with dominion-rule over all of the living things (ref. Gen 1:26), which He had created. Before partaking of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" Man was united with His Creator in a state of divine/everlasting life. At that time Man was only God-conscious; life and light were flowing through him to the creation. Adam's spiritual nature was the same as YHVH's, as he/they lived under His dominion and expressed His peace, joy and righteousness. Thusly the Kingdom of Elohim was being manifested on earth as it was in heaven: "For the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17).
After Adam and Eve opened themselves up, by being disobedient, to another kingdom that was present in the Garden, they began to give expression to its nature. The ruling authority - Lucifer - seduced Eve and through her deceived Adam. They believed the lie that they could become like Elohim, if they were to digest into their being the spiritual fruit (nature) of the forbidden tree. After doing so, the Spirit of Elohim departed their "heart" and they became conscious of their outer being (nakedness - that is "self consciousness"). Their soul now started feeding from the spirit realm of darkness, and thus their expression was conveying the nature of "good and evil" and bearing its fruit.
In the Torah and through the New Covenant writings we continue to see YHVH uncovering the nature of this counterfeit kingdom. It is very important that we, as the redeemed remnant of Israel, understand the nature of this poisonous fruit. YHVH placed a curse over this tree, and hence anyone who eats of it will be subjected to YHVH's judgments (see Deut 28). Ignorance does not save us from the consequences of participating with its nature, which is "the power of Sin". More over, YHVH has sent His only begotten Son to destroy this kingdom and its works (ref 1 John 3:8). Through the blood of the New Covenant, working through faith (that is, believing what is true about what the Father accomplished through His Son in His death, burial and resurrection), we participate in YHVH's victory over the nature of Sin and Death and partake of the restoration of His Kingdom-nature in our hearts.
"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15).
The means by which the Almighty accomplished this victory over the other kingdom and reconciled us to Himself was through the death of His Son. How the curse of death and the power of death could actually bring us into eternal life, is hard to comprehend as it is a mystery. But unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, yet when it dies it comes forth in newness of life (see John 12: 24). Death is no longer to be looked upon as an enemy, but as a blessing, for in Yeshua's death the Father saw to it that all would die: "For the love of Messiah compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all" (2 Cor. 5: 14-15) "… Do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Messiah Yeshua [through faith] were identified to His death? Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, and that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Because we have been united together in the likeness of His death, death no longer has dominion over us. Thus when Yeshua died He died to sin, so also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to Elohim in Messiah Yeshua our Master. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives in Elohim" (Rom. 6: 3-10). "I have been crucified with Messiah and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). "For you have died and your life is hidden with Messiah in Elohim. When Messiah who is your life, is revealed, then you are also revealed with Him in glory" (Col. 3:3-4). "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Cor. 15:55).
What is it that you believe?
Ephraim
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