5.35 Summarizing the revelation of Christ in the Epistles
In this series, we have been showing you that redemption through Christ is the central theme of the Bible. In the Old Testament, everything (external events, rituals and prophecies) pointed to His coming. In the Gospels, He came and walked on the earth. In the Epistles, He now lives in the believer. There is a beautiful progression.
We have spent a bit more time on the Epistles for two good reasons. First of all, we live in the New Covenant and the Epistles are the letters written to the New Covenant believer. The Epistles gives us direct instructions pertaining to our Christian faith in the New Covenant.
Secondly, the Epistles contain revelations that are not explained in the Old Testament or the four Gospels. Before Jesus went to the cross, He told his disciples that there were many things that He had not shared with them because they were not ready for it (John 16:12). The disciples were about to graduate after three years of spiritual education, when Jesus told them that He had not covered the most important truths. They would graduate anyway but without understanding redemption plan. This explains why the 4 Gospels do not explain redemption plan and what it means to us.
Jesus tells them that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will teach them these important truths (John 16:13). Then the Holy Spirit came and the mystery of the Gospel was revealed to Paul for the Church. So Paul writes his Epistles, especially the Book of Romans to explain the mystery of God’s redemption plan.
The Gospels tell us that Christ died on the cross and rose again. But Paul tells us that when Christ died, we died. When Christ resurrected, we were raised as a new creation. Paul tells us that we are now IN CHRIST and CHRIST IS IN US. He is our redemption, righteousness, sanctification, etc.
We are so privileged that to be alive on today. For 1,500 years the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant pointed to our day. King David described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works (Romans 4:5-8). The prophet Joel prophesied of our day where God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of our day, where God would make a new covenant where God would write His laws in our hearts. The Epistles describes the age where all these promises have been fulfilled in Christ.
For 2,000 years the Church has been living in the New Covenant under the dispensation of grace. The door to salvation has been opened. This is the good news of God’s redemption plan. We are now approaching the end of this Church age. We are the 11th hour church. In the next lesson, we will share from the Epistles how this dispensation would end in the glorious Rapture of the Church.
We have spent a bit more time on the Epistles for two good reasons. First of all, we live in the New Covenant and the Epistles are the letters written to the New Covenant believer. The Epistles gives us direct instructions pertaining to our Christian faith in the New Covenant.
Secondly, the Epistles contain revelations that are not explained in the Old Testament or the four Gospels. Before Jesus went to the cross, He told his disciples that there were many things that He had not shared with them because they were not ready for it (John 16:12). The disciples were about to graduate after three years of spiritual education, when Jesus told them that He had not covered the most important truths. They would graduate anyway but without understanding redemption plan. This explains why the 4 Gospels do not explain redemption plan and what it means to us.
Jesus tells them that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will teach them these important truths (John 16:13). Then the Holy Spirit came and the mystery of the Gospel was revealed to Paul for the Church. So Paul writes his Epistles, especially the Book of Romans to explain the mystery of God’s redemption plan.
The Gospels tell us that Christ died on the cross and rose again. But Paul tells us that when Christ died, we died. When Christ resurrected, we were raised as a new creation. Paul tells us that we are now IN CHRIST and CHRIST IS IN US. He is our redemption, righteousness, sanctification, etc.
We are so privileged that to be alive on today. For 1,500 years the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant pointed to our day. King David described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works (Romans 4:5-8). The prophet Joel prophesied of our day where God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of our day, where God would make a new covenant where God would write His laws in our hearts. The Epistles describes the age where all these promises have been fulfilled in Christ.
For 2,000 years the Church has been living in the New Covenant under the dispensation of grace. The door to salvation has been opened. This is the good news of God’s redemption plan. We are now approaching the end of this Church age. We are the 11th hour church. In the next lesson, we will share from the Epistles how this dispensation would end in the glorious Rapture of the Church.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 2:40 PM
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