Bible Truths Revealed

warning!
 

Faith can grow.

THE EARTHLY AUTHORITY OF MAN TOP

INTRODUCTION

For example, in the past, when talking with other believers, I have sometimes said something like: "Why don’t you just cast that demon out?" or "Why don’t you lay your hands on the sick and ask God to bring forth the manifestation of healing?" To which they would exclaim, "Why, I can’t do that!!" And then when I would say, "Why not, Jesus did?" They would reply, "Yes, but He was God." They can see Him as the Son of God, but they have difficulty seeing Him as the Son of man.

Does this describe you? Do you want to know the Truth? If so, then let’s go digging in the Scriptures and search for it. The Lord truly wants us to understand His Word and He has preserved it for us in that wonderful book we refer to as The Holy Bible. My prayer is that you will find this discussion both enlightening and profitable - - that it will strengthen your faith and bring you peace. Let’s begin our search in Luke Chapter 1 which talks about Mary and the Word of God.

THE INCORRUPTIBLE SEED

And the angel (Gabriel) said unto her, 'Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.' Then said Mary unto the angel, 'How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?' And the angel answered and said unto her, 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called "the Son of God." And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called "barren". For with God nothing shall be impossible.' And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible (seed), by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

We just read that the Word of God is also referred to as "the incorruptible seed". It was God's Word, (the incorruptible seed) which was delivered by the angel Gabriel to Mary. And that which Mary received and conceived that day was the "incorruptible seed". And so Jesus was born of a virgin through that miraculous spiritual conception. Jesus actually came to us, by being born of the everlasting "incorruptible seed" of God!

THE FIRST ADAM AND THE LAST ADAM

Since Jesus was not hindered by the Adamic nature as we are, He was not plagued by spiritual death either. And there was no natural physical death in Him, as there is in us. In fact, 1 Cor. 15:45 refers to Jesus as "the last Adam" (For more on this, see Is Jesus The Second Adam? within this same Web Site). In other words, even though He wasn't the first Adam, He is the last. There will never be another! He's the last Adam, and the only way to the Father.

But the question many have is, "Why did God chose to come to Earth in the form of a man? Why didn't He just come to Earth as Almighty God, destroy the devil, and be done with it?" Well, from the book of Genesis we know that in the beginning God gave the dominion of the Earth to Adam --- to mankind. And we know from the Scriptures that Eve was deceived by Satan, but Adam was not (1 Tim 2:14).

THE GIFT OF EARTHLY DOMINION

However, Adam did something that was very unwise. He willingly became disobedient and gave the dominion of Earth over to Satan. Some have asked, "How could that be?" Well, this earthly dominion was a gift from God to mankind with one string attached. With that gift came a command. It had to do with the eating of the fruit from a certain tree within the Garden of Eden - - the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

However, God gave this dominion to Adam and Eve and they could do whatever they wanted to do with it. In other words, it was theirs to keep or lose. And, as you know, they lost it. And so Earth’s dominion once again became under the authority of Lucifer (Satan). Now if you don’t understand why I said "once again", then please read "Creation" and its three parts as listed within the Subject List on this same Web-Site.

THE TWO MEN

The devil doesn't play by any rules or regulations and doesn't care what he has to do to get his way. He’s a renegade who hates both God and mankind. But God is different, of course! The Lord is fair, just, and righteous. He does all things legally and in line with His Word. Now please listen closely to this next statement because it’s very important that we understand it: Since the dominion of the Earth was lost by a man and not by God, in order for its redemption to be legal and just, the Earth’s dominion had to also be redeemed by a man - - and not by God.

You see, God is obligated to keep His Word and He is just and fair. I hope you can get the revelation on that. Satan used deception and mankind lost the dominion of Earth. Therefore we needed another Adam in order to redeem it! So in order to make the redemption of Earth’s dominion possible and legal, God came to Earth totally in the form of a man, with the body of a man, and with the feelings of a man, just like the one who had lost it.

THE LIMITATIONS OF JESUS

There is yet another important aspect to consider concerning God’s coming to Earth and I want you to get this, as well. To be spiritually legal, God also had to come to Earth limited with the ability of man. In other words, His ability was limited to that of a mere man. He must approach and face the devil as man --- not as God! His being 100% man and functioning as 100% man would make it perfectly legal for Him to destroy the works of the devil. The latter part of 1 John 3:8 says, "For this purpose the Son of God (a man) was manifested (or revealed), that He might destroy the works (operations) of the devil."

JESUS – GOD OR MAN?

Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying! Jesus was God, Jesus is God, and Jesus will always be God. He’s part of the Holy Trinity. So please don’t misquote me on this. What I’m trying to get across is that, from the time that incorruptible seed (the Word of God) entered into Mary’s womb, until the moment He "gave up the ghost" on the cross, Jesus lived out His life here on Earth as 100% human being and 0% as God. Even though He was God during that same time, in order to legally redeem mankind, His deity had to be completely set aside. Also, because He overcame Satan and the World as mere man, He could then demonstrate to us, His children, how we are to live out our lives.

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.

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

JESUS – THE SON OF GOD OR THE SON OF MAN?

It's unfortunate, but many believers have no trouble seeing Jesus as the "Son of God", yet they have great difficulty seeing Him as the "Son of Man". When the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth he not only referred to Jesus as the "Last Adam", he also referred to Him as "a quickening spirit." The word "quicken" as used here means, "to make alive".

If you remember, when Jesus went about healing the sick, many times He would say, "Go, and see that you tell no man". It seems to me that if He had been trying to verify and prove that He was the Son of God by healing the sick as some teach, He would have said something like, "Go and tell everybody about what you just saw, and tell them that I, the Son of God, did it! And be sure and tell them I’m their Messiah."

Church, we must fully understand that everything Jesus accomplished during His 33 years on Earth, especially during His 3 1/2 year ministry, He did so as 100% man! He temporarily laid His deity aside and defeated the devil as man - - not as God! As a matter of fact, at one point, as He talked to the Jews who wanted to persecute and slay Him, He flatly told them the following:

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

"I can do nothing of myself" doesn’t seem like something God would say to me. Because He lived out His life here on Earth as man, He was also giving you and me the perfect example of how we should listen to and be led by our Heavenly Father as we live out our Christian life according to His principles and will. And that divine power which was operating in Jesus during that time period when He walked this Earth, is the very same divine power that's available to us today. That power comes to us via being filled with the Holy Spirit! If you recall, the apostles were pretty much helpless until they received Godly power when they were filled with God’s Spirit during that Pentecost event as recorded in Acts Chapter 2.

So Jesus came to Earth as 100% man in order to accomplish three major things: First, to redeem Earth’s dominion back into the hands of man. Second, to make it possible for mankind to be reunited once again to the Father as Adam once was before the fall --- to make it possible for "whosoever will" to believe in Jesus and once again be in right standing with the Father. And third, He came to give us the perfect example of how mankind is to live for God. In other words, how to listen to our Father God, be led by Him, and be successful in this life.

REBIRTH IN REVERSE

You see, Adam and Eve are the guilty ones and responsible for the Earth’s misplaced dominion and all of mankind’s separation from God. Because of original sin, mankind was doomed without a Savior (another Adam). When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instructions in the garden and partook of that forbidden fruit, they had a spiritual rebirth experience - - a change. But their rebirth and change was from life unto death. We might say that it was a "rebirth in reverse", or the "birth of spiritual death" (Also see this Web-Site’s subject list for "The Birth Of Spiritual Death").

In my opinion, that’s what happens to any saved person who falls completely away from God. I’m not talking about backsliding. Backsliding is only the first of many steps to a falling away. I’m talking about a saved person who back slides so far that he or she trods under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the Covenant (with which he or she was previously sanctified), an unholy thing, and has left God to the point that he or she now insults the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).

THE THREE LUSTS

Now I've been wondering something about the first Adam. Since the Word tells us that Adam wasn't deceived but Eve was (1 Tim 2:14), that means that Adam saw through the serpent’s deception and didn't accept those things that the serpent told Eve in Genesis Chapter 3. He didn’t buy into any of that Satanic temptation, deceit, and lies, as Eve did.

The Word informs us that Eve believed several things. It says that she believed that the forbidden fruit was good for food (the lust of the flesh). She believed that it was pleasant to look upon ( the lust of the eyes). And she believed what the serpent said about the fruit making her wise (the pride of life). You can read about these three areas of the World in 1 John 2:16.

WHY ADAM LISTENED TO EVE

But what about Adam? Since God’s Word tells us that he was not deceived, then he obviously didn’t believe any of Satan’s lies. If that’s so, and the Word says it is, then I can’t help but wonder why Adam still decided to go ahead and partake of the forbidden fruit. What was his motive? His only excuse and answer to God about what he had done was, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And unto Adam He (the Lord) said, "Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife," (Gen. 3:12, 17). The implication is, "You chose to listen to your wife instead of to me."

Could it be that Adam didn't understand what God meant when He talked about the consequences of being disobedient? Remember now, the first couple had never had any contact with death whatsoever. In other words, they had never even seen the results of death at that time. It was completely foreign to them because they had never had any experience with evil. And we know that death is evil because God’s Word tells us that death is the "last enemy to be destroyed" (1 Cor. 15:26). Therefore, since death is an enemy and must be destroyed, then it must also be evil.

So then could it be that Adam, knowing what God had told him about this consequence, and having watched Eve eat of the fruit, but seeing no visual change in her, began to doubt the truthfulness of what God had said to him about the consequences? Could it be that Adam failed to fully comprehend what God really meant? What God really said and meant was, (and I paraphrase), "In the day that you eat of the forbidden fruit, you will surely die spiritually. And, as a result of your dying spiritually, you will also eventually die physically."

THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE

You see, back in the beginning, when Adam and Eve were created, God’s intention was for mankind and their offspring to live forever - - to never experience death. But their yielding to Satan’s temptation and being willingly disobedient brought about a chain reaction of devastating results! Their disobedience introduced the Earth to sin and spiritual death. And spiritual death opened Earth’s door to physical disease, illness, and physical death. You see, even sin, sickness, and disease were not present until after the fall of mankind.

Since Adam saw no change in Eve after she partook of the fruit, most likely he began to doubt what God had said concerning the consequences of eating it. He probably began to doubt what God had said about dying at that very moment and for that very reason. It looks as though Adam simply assumed wrongly and made a bad choice. He chose to listen to Eve instead of God. BIG MISTAKE !!!! At any rate, whatever Adam's motive was, in his case, deception wasn’t the culprit. His faulty choice has greatly affected all of mankind and the whole Earth in a most adverse way.

MADE TO BE SIN

Now while we’re on that line of thought, think about this: Jesus, the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), did not have the Adamic sin nature as does all of mankind. That’s why Jesus could qualify as our sacrificial Passover Lamb. And it was for that reason that He came to Earth as man when He did (John 3:17). Some have wondered how, without having the sin nature, He was going to die. Have you ever thought about that? No sin - - no death! We know from Scripture that it is sin that brings about death. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death . . . . ."

This is precisely where Satan made his BIG MISTAKE!!! You see, when Jesus was crucified, Satan thought that he had Jesus right where he wanted Him - - - on His way to Hell!! But wait a minute. Sinners go to Hell and Jesus was sinless! His resurrection is proof of that. Well, didn’t Jesus go to Hell? Yes, He did! He went there alright but not as a result of being a sinner. He went there in order to take the keys of death and hell away from Satan and to preach to all of the righteous dead in Paradise who had been waiting for Him to come get them!!!

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Here’s the point: He couldn’t go anywhere without first leaving His physical body, and He couldn’t leave His physical body as long as He remained physically alive. So somehow, as 100% man, He had to experience death. But wait, He can’t die physically because He doesn’t have the Adamic sin nature. Is there an answer to all of this?

Yes, there is an answer and it is found in the Scriptures where the answers always are found. You see, anywhere there is sin, physical death is never far behind because sin is death’s root cause. For the answer, let’s go to the Answer Book (the Holy Bible) to 2 Cor. Chapter 5.

For He (the Father) hath made Him (Jesus) TO BE SIN for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

In other words, Jesus, who knew no sin (was sinless) was made by the Father to be sin for you and me so that we might once again be righteous (in right standing) with our Heavenly Father. Like I said previously, Jesus came to Earth to reconcile man back to God. Understanding why our Heavenly Father does everything fair and legally is of utmost importance to every Christian.

Have you ever wondered why God come to us through the virgin birth? Was that necessary, and if so, Why? In other words, why didn't He just appear here on Earth, as a man, carrying His own divine blood in His veins? For the next few minutes, let's look at another plan of God to legally restore "The Earthly Authority of Man". In the Book of John Chapter 10, Jesus spoke a parable about legal authority.

THE SHEEPFOLD AND THE DOOR

Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But He that entereth in by the door (to the sheepfold) is the shepherd of the sheep.

Before we'll be able to understand what this door to the sheepfold is, we'll first need to know something about the sheepfold. What is a sheepfold? In verse 2 Jesus mentions the Shepherd and the sheep. Most of us understand that. We know that the Shepherd is Jesus and that we (the Church) are the sheep of His pasture. But what about the "sheepfold" and the "door to the sheepfold"? What are those two things?

Well, a "sheepfold" is a place where the sheep are collectively kept together --- where they are penned up, especially at night and during bad weather. So since we are the sheep, we need to ask this question: Where is it that we, His sheep, are presently being kept? We're on here on Planet Earth, aren't we? OH, we're headed for greener pastures alright --- to Heaven. But for the time being, before that, we are temporarily parked here on planet Earth.

So the sheepfold is the Earth. Now what is the door to the sheepfold? How did we get here? The door to the sheepfold (or Earth) represents the legal entry into Earth. How does one enter into the Earth as a human being? Jesus said that any being who comes into the Earth in any other way than through the legal entry, or the door, is a thief and a robber. What door is He talking about? How does one enter the Earth? The only way to become a human being on Earth is through the human birth process --- by being born of a woman is it not? According to Jesus, that’s the only way.

THE PORTER

Verse 3 says that the "porter" openeth the gate of the sheepfold (Earth) for the good Shepherd. According to the Greek, the "porter" is the one who guards the gate to the sheepfold. In other words, the porter is the "gatekeeper". So then our next question becomes: "Who is the porter or gatekeeper to Earth? Who determines who comes into and who goes out of the Earth?"

The porter in this parable represents the Heavenly Father. He’s the Earth’s gatekeeper. He’s the One who controls who enters into the Earth. For example: He is the One Who sent His Word to Mary by the angel Gabriel to make it possible for Jesus to enter the Earth by being born of a woman. The Heavenly Father is the One who set the birth of Jesus Christ into motion, isn’t He? Isn’t He the One who sent His Word and healed us! Yes, it was Him!!

But Jesus is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven - - to the Heavenly Father and His throne. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Any being who comes into this Earth by any method other than through the human birth process, is therefore a thief and a robber and HAS NO LEGAL AUTHORITY HERE! Well, we know who came to kill, steal, and destroy, don't we? Sure, it's Satan. He's the one who doesn't have any legal authority on Earth, because he wasn't born of a woman. He is nothing more than a created angel who has fallen from God’s favor! So only those who come through the human birth process have legal authority on Earth.

Let’s try to always keep in mind who Satan really is. Unlike our Heavenly Father, Satan is not all powerful, he's not all knowing, and he's not omnipresent. Therefore MUCH greater is He (God) that is in us than he (Satan) that is in the World! So let's remember to always keep Satanic things in perspective. A thief who's in the process of robbing a bank might have some power when he's holding a gun on people and demanding their money, but he has no legal authority to do so! Now let's look once again at verse 3.

LEAVING THE SHEEPFOLD

To Him (the good Shepherd - Jesus) the porter openeth; and the sheep hear His voice: and He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

You see, in the very near future, Jesus will be coming back in order to lead us out of our sheepfold. When He does, we’ll be going to much greener pastures and still waters! That future event is commonly known as "The Rapture Of The Church." Expecting Jesus to return to lead his sheep out of the Earth should be the hope of every Christian. Yet many know little or nothing about that subject --- about what's about to take place sometime very soon. That must grieve our Lord very much. Now let’s continue reading in John Chapter 10, beginning with verse 7:

THE DOOR TO THE SHEEP

Then said Jesus unto them again, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door (to the sheep): by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (the sheep): I am come (unto the Earth) that they (the sheep) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

And that's just what Jesus did. He gave His life for us, His sheep! Now if we'll look closely and meditate on these verses, we'll see that the door mentioned in verses 7 and 9 is not the same door as mentioned back in verses 1 and 2. The door is verses 1 and 2 has to do with being born physically --- of the flesh. It represents the legal entry into Earth through the human birth process. But the door in verses 7 and 9 has to do with spiritual birth --- being born-again spiritually from above.

BORN AGAIN

Remember what Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter 3? He said, "You must be born-again --- that which is born of flesh (of woman) is flesh (ie. your physical body --- door No. 1); And that which is born of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) is spirit (your spirit --- door No. 2)." In other words, to enter the Kingdom of God, there are two necessary births. The first birth provides mankind with a legal entry into the Earth. The second birth provides mankind with a legal entry into the Kingdom of God.

We might put it this way: "A person who is born only once will die twice. But a person who is born twice will only die once."

P