(See Parts 12 and 10 in the Fullness of Time Series as well.)

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An alternative title could be:

Restored to Love One Another with a Pure Heart (Shaking the Foundations of “Living Life Out of Wounds”)

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (NIV, 1 Peter 1:22)

When we’ve been changed by the deep work of grace to “grieve in righteousness, and not respond in the old ways of the flesh, by allowing Christ to join us in our grief,” we’ve joined him in sufferings, a milestone in our healing and restoration journey.

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“…Your whole head is injured, your whole heart is afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness – only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.

Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.” (NIV, Isaiah 1:5 – 7).

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Hebrews, which may have been written by Paul, warns, “how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” (NIV, Hebrews 2:3 – 4)

How dramatic, stark, the contrast, from what Isaiah saw in the Spirit, warning God’s people of the sickness within, and the warning in Hebrews not to neglect God’s grace to be healed by the salvation so dearly purchased by Christ.

Isaiah captures the law of sin having its’ way in the “called of God,” Israel, breeding injuries to the head, afflictions to the heart, corruption to the body – and not only to the body – but wounds, sores, and welts to the soul and spirit.

Men and women having areas of their life sold to sin, slaves to wounds and brokenness, corruption in ways surpassing the ungodly they displaced.

Isaiah’s description is a picture of the uncleansed state of mankind under the Old Covenant, unable to find rest and peace in the grace and care of God.

A picture of those outside the grace of God available at that time; the law of sin coming to fruition through the generations in deeper and deeper ways.

They were not admonished for being in the Old Covenant, outside the deep grace we have today, but for not seeking God – his grace and favor in the provisions God made available to them under their covenant.

Hebrews captures the beauty of the New Covenant ushered in by Christ – through Christ – but the warning still exists, not to neglect what God’s made available by grace in the revelation of Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

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Most Bible translations do not do justice “to the heart” of the Hebrews passage.

See how Joseph Bryant Rotherham’s, The Emphasized Bible, translates part of the verse pertaining to Christ:

“…<having received |a beginning| of being spoken through the Lord> |by them who heard| unto’ us was confirmed’,” (Hebrews 2:3)

(Taken from The Emphasized Bible © Copyright 1981 by Joseph Bryant Rotherham. Published by Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.)

The New Testament had a beginning, being spoken through the Lord, because it emanated from him, from every part – body, soul, and spirit, of his member.

He was the NT in flesh and blood, one they could handle, touch, see, and hear. (John 1:1, 1:14-18; 1 John 1:1-3, Matthew 26:28, John 8:24 & 11:25)

Christ was the first to put to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit, to walk in resurrection life (Romans 6:10, Hebrews 5:7-10, 1 Peter 3:18 (b), etc.).

(You may need to go back to the beginning of the Fullness of Time series to get more on Christ’s personal journey if you missed that part of this journey.) 

Translators Robert K. Brown and Philip W. Comfort, The New Greek – English Interlinear New Testament says,

“…WHICH AT FIRST HAVING RECEIVED TO BE SPOKEN THROUGH THE LORD BY THE ONES HAVING HEARD ²TO ³US ¹[IT] WAS CONFIRMED,” (Hebrews 2:3 (A))

What the interlinear is saying in substance, look, the NT began with Christ, his declaration of the NT was not that of a spectator or model, but what he spoke, he spoke from experience.

He “pioneered,” laid the foundations of the NT in his own blood – in other words, by sacrificing his life completely to the Father, made perfect, the source of salvation, the Messiah entered Israel ushering forth “salvation and healing.”

Christ was not a bystander to God’s plan for redemption, “he was all in,” sacrificing his life in the journey God laid out for him for perfection, and “out of who he became,” he brought healing and salvation.

Jesus did not just announce the New Covenant, but demonstrated and declared God’s “new” deep work of grace “first in him” through the signs, wonders and miracles he performed, and empowered others.

Christ heralded the deep work of grace through faith the Father accomplished in him in the signs and wonders that followed the fragrance of God in him.

At the core of all of this, which creeds and traditions deny, Christ had wounds that needed healing just like you and me, fully human, as the Scripture says in Hebrews.

You can read about the enmity in his flesh in an interlinear – Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 14, or split between 14 and 15.

It wasn’t the Gentiles and Jews Jesus made one as generally translated in Ephesians Chapter 2, (though he did make us one in him!).

But the Law and his flesh (his body, soul, and spirit), by putting to death the deeds of his body, being made alive in spirit (resurrection life, Romans 6:10, Hebrews 5:7-10).

By putting to death the deeds of the body, by grace through faith, in the care of his Father – he brought “peace” by fulfilling the “law,” which is spiritual, destroying the enmity that separated the law and peace by grace through faith.

Layers upon layers of teachings from creeds, traditions, “historic Christianity,” statements of faith, “modeling,” and translation additions and adjustments here and there, presents a Christ outside the Bible.

The bulk of all this point his life to Calvary; all but swallowing up the glorious wonder of his journey.

Our Savior was “fathered” by God, made perfect “glorified,” the resurrection in flesh and blood, presented to Israel “the only begotten Son,” the Word made flesh – the adventure and journey of salvation by grace through faith.

That is the Christ the Scriptures speak of, who came expecting acceptance, but who found out early in his ministry, as the Father unfolded the prophecies concerning him and Israel, “they would not respect the Son” as Christ hoped in the parable of the tenants.

But would demand the sign of Jonah – the demand to see in the natural what Christ had already experienced and demonstrated in signs, wonders, and miracles.  

Grace and truth triumphed over enmity, and having overcome, he became the author of our salvation, and that’s what was presented to Israel they rejected. (John 1:17)

The Father Rescued Christ From the Enmity of His Flesh

Let me simplify this even further; Christ inherited wounds from his human ancestral line, that, if left unhealed, would eventually ensnare him into sin.

Being born from above at conception, having the Spirit of his Father, “grace,” he found himself like the first Adam before he sinned, with one exception – a major exception – he had wounds from his human ancestry that needed healing.

Christ, conceived by the Spirit of grace, the Holy Spirit, found himself like Adam before the fall, not driven to sin, like the rest of us, but, having the ability to choose, by the word of truth and power of the Spirit “righteousness” in the face of internal temptation from the enmity in his flesh.

And this was all part and parcel of his personal healing and restoration journey. 

This is what all the verses in Romans, Hebrews, etc., about Christ’s humanity and his battle with sin – dying to sin – is all about; a long journey of healing and restoration of Christ’s inner man by the deep work of grace, made perfect “complete,” being fathered by God.

The wounding and piercings we read in Isaiah 53, the sufferings and learning obedience with strong crying we read in Hebrews 5, and the dying to sin, baptism unto death, we read in Romans 6, are all describing the same pioneering journey in the New Covenant of being made complete.

Christ is much, much more than we’ve been taught and led to believe.

There’s much, much more to the story of Christ than Calvary – Calvary being the collision of two kingdoms – the spiritual darkness of mankind, and the righteousness of Christ “who he had become,” confirming everything he said about himself.

He is the most remarkable person to have graced the shores of humanity, for what he endured, who he became, and what he pioneered, before, he took one step into ministry.

An amazing individual; the crown jewel of God’s creation.

Fulfilling all righteousness without sinning, battling through the structures of sin passed to him all the way from Adam, and then, on top of that, giving up all rights and privileges (Philippians 2) to come as a servant and save you and me – who is like unto him!

No wonder, all of this creation bows, or will bow, at the feet of Christ.

And we, living in the 21^st century, have one of the greatest opportunities to be known and know the man called the Christ, in the age of Philadelphia, he’s diligently prepared for those who want him in the last days.

****

Christ was “…fully human in every way…” (NIV, Hebrews 2:17), had to overcome sin, within and without, (Hebrews 4:15) being perfected through suffering – the suffering that comes by overcoming the lusts of the flesh in the wilderness of God’s Spirit, being healed and restored by the power of God.

Paul describes it as putting to death the deeds of the body to walk in newness of life (Romans chapter 6).

****

As I’ve described in many of my posts, Romans chapter 6 has nothing to do with Calvary, and everything to do with putting to death the deeds, or lusts, of the body, soul, and spirit, being made new and alive in God – truly a New Covenant.

That process is a long journey, and death, no matter how righteous it is, will entail some type of suffering, the suffering of loss, the pain of vulnerability and openness, and the pain of wounds being “opened,” to care and love, exposed to the light of God’s cleansing and healing.

And the opening of deeply rooted wounds – transgressions and particularly iniquities, can require a lot of work to access for cleansing, cultivating the heart to respond Godly – the transition from works to grace can be painful and a long healing journey for many areas of the heart – speaking of the whole person.

****

These two series of verses, one out of the Old Covenant (Isaiah 1:5-7) and the other, the beginning of the New (Hebrews 2:3-4), cross the abyss no man was able to capture and purchase, except Christ.

Again, the Hebrews passage is not about Christ announcing the New Covenant, but about Christ “demonstrating and displaying” the New Covenant:

• the Covenant he pioneered “purchased” by giving his life to the Father by grace through faith,
• a covenant founded upon his “blood,” the sacrifice of a living life, doing the will of God from the heart, a better testament, not shed blood, but living blood – the greatest price to pay (Matthew 26:28).

 

(Note, translators have added “shed” and “shedding” to a number of Scriptural passages in reference to Christ’s blood which are not in the Greek. More on that later.)

There’s a stark difference between someone who “models” something, and someone who reveals who they are by signs, wonders, and miracles of the Holy Spirit.

Christ’s overcoming the enmity in his flesh, being made perfect, was the perfect sacrifice for you and me, doing the will of God from the heart, cleansed, healed and restored, the living, breathing, New Testament walking in flesh and blood. (See Ephesians 2:14 – 15 in an interlinear, Biblehub.com is rich in resources)

Christ was invested with the New Covenant from day one, it started with him, his own healing and restoration.

He experienced firsthand the baptismal waters of being cleansed by the Word, and being made alive by the baptismal fire of the Holy Spirit “resurrection life,” before ministry!

Christ was no model, he was true and genuine to what he spoke and brought than any other man or woman will ever be, having been “…made perfect…” sinless, “…the source of eternal salvation…” (NIV, Hebrews 5:9)

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Greetings.

I hope and pray my writings inspire you to go beyond the traditional and widely recognized paths of Christendom into the deep, mostly unexplored, territories of Christ.

While the world is seeking to go where no one has gone before in space, searching for life in the vastness of space, I pray you and I would continue to search for life from the tree of life, Jesus Christ, and be prepared by him for the great harvest of souls to come in our lifetimes.

In that vein, I pray my posts would not be just another writing among many, but inspiration for you to seek Jesus for the deeper things of God.

There are many around the globe being initiated into the deep work of the Holy Spirit, as the glorious age of the Gospel, spanning over two millenniums, comes to a close in the 21^st century, possibly in some of our lifetimes.

It appears almost everything is in place for the final deep work of grace in the body of Christ in the closing decades of the gospel age.

As I’ve noted before, according to the Scriptures, it’s not what happens in the world that determines the move of God’s Holy Spirit in the last days, but when the bride comes to the fullness Christ desires.

I’m still laying a lot of foundation, and will speak to a lot of specific Scriptures in future posts, Lord willing!

Please make sure you read Sections IV and V below on Isaiah 53.

And by the way, in a future post, I’ll share more about the “deaths” mentioned in Isaiah 53:9 and what that means.

And it is interesting to note, to say the least, the literal Hebrew, per the interlinear I’m using for the Old Testament, a prominent interlinear, refers to the subject matter of verse 5 of Isaiah 53 “he” as being “healed,” as well as “us,” more on that to come.

There was a rush centuries ago to point the vast amount of suffering Scriptures to Calvary, because it seemed obvious, and yet, Jesus did not talk about the obvious, but what’s happening inside, the veiled.

I’ll leave you one final thought here:

Why would the LORD reveal to Isaiah “inner wounds and injuries,” (Isaiah 1) and then reveal, as we’ve been taught, the cure as beatings of the flesh (Isaiah 53:5)?

That’s not the God of the Bible, nor the one Isaiah demonstrated to Hezekiah, who was dying.

Did Christ suffer physical torture, yes.

Did it open forgiveness to those who demanded the sign of Jonah, yes.

What other options did he have, short of killing those who were intent on killing him?

And how could he do that with the New Testament flowing in his blood? (Matthew 26:28)

Did his physical torture provide the substitute for our healing (salvation), or, was it his own journey of dying to sin – bringing death to the wounds and injuries he inherited, raised to walk in newness of life – a new covenant, the New Testament flowing in his blood, that brought us spiritual life and salvation?

Clearly, the Scripture teaches the latter and not the former.

IMPORTANT

Is it the outward “body of flesh” that needs to be wounded and pierced (Isaiah 53:5), or, the inner “enmity in the flesh?”

Is Isaiah 53:5 a literal wounding and piercing of the flesh, or, a Scripture from heaven’s perspective, like one of those eat my flesh, drink my blood Scriptures, speaking of the work of grace in the inner man, and not the works of the flesh?

A lot more on this in my next post.

How true it is we need the revelation of the Spirit; else we’ll continue wandering in the desert like our forefathers, or, turn away from Jesus.

Less we judge him like Israel of old, with blind eyes and deaf ears, lacking the revelation of God’s Holy Spirit.

I’ll be covering a lot of Scriptures in posts to come.

Scriptures like John calling Christ the lamb of God before he began his ministry.

Was this a prophetic utterance of a future event, or, the revelation the man that stood before him was the Messiah to come, the one who had fulfilled all righteousness, the Holy One, Savior, King, Lord, and High Priest?

The one who would soon enter Israel and offer healing and salvation to all that came to him.

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It’s all about Jesus, his journey – from birth to completion, “fullness,” made perfect, the source of salvation – that everything in this creation must come to terms with one way or the other.

Thankfully, the Lord does not leave us to our own devices, or none would be saved, but intervenes, time and time again, to turn our eyes toward him, and him alone.

He’s got a journey waiting for those who want the deep things of God.

It’s called Tabernacles, and he’s the only one who can walk you through it.

The choice is clear, the treasures are great, and the season is now.

By the way, I’ve got really good things to bring on Revelation, to pick up where I left off, but for now, I feel to continue on this series.

 Precious Promises for Those Who Live in the Latter Days

Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the first century of the Gospel, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 10:11)

If Paul and Hebrews exhorted early Christians to be mindful of the journey of Christ – to seek him for salvation in every area of their life – how much more we, 21^st century Christians, with all the resources we have at our disposal, should be seeking the Lord for the deep things of Christ.

Now, that being said, please do not throw up your hands in despair, and say, “It’s hopeless.”

No matter how long you’ve been in the faith, or how deep your transgressions and iniquities have damaged your life, and others, or, no matter how “good” you think you may be doing (absent from the deep things of Christ), Jesus has not written you off in the former, and has not failed to take note of your contentment in the latter.

Christ has nothing but “committed” unquenchable and unsearchable LOVE for his body, passionate to see the kindness and goodness of God in all areas of our lives.

Jesus is knocking on the door of hearts all across Christendom, desiring to take his sons and daughters into the deep things of his Spirit, the revelation of Christ in grace.

No matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or where you haven’t been, Christ stands ready to invite and initiate you into the deep places of his Spirit.

It takes cultivation of the heart, desire, a turning from the things of this world to the things of Christ, a humbling, a cry for help, and he’ll take you on a journey of a lifetime.

If you feel cold and hardened to the Gospel, Jesus hasn’t written you off!

Let him warm you up to the love and care of God in the embrace of his kindness and Spirit.

He knows how to stimulate your interest; he’ll even help you respond to him.

All he asks is for an opportunity, any opportunity – a slight crack in the door to your heart once again.

If you feel or believe you’ve been faithless, unworthy, a prodigal, please don’t disqualify yourself from the grace, mercy, and love of God.

Scripture says, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (NIV, 2 Timothy 2:13, italicized and bold are mine)

Coming

Don’t be alarmed if you have not entered into the deep things of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord is preparing another wave of his healing ministry and it’s coming soon.

There is still time to enter into the deep things of God.

It is not too late to be made into the bride of Christ, receiving the most unique and special promises offered among all the Church ages, the promises to those found in Philadelphia.

I pray and hope my posts inspire those still on the sidelines, wavering, to seek the Lord for the abundance of himself he is freely offering to the body of Christ today.

There is an unprecedented abundance of Christ today, waiting for sons and daughters to dive into the deep end of the pool with Jesus.

We’ve had a number of decades of deep inner healing, an intensive work of grace in the body of Christ; the Lord is still offering the promises of Philadelphia to those who will choose him over the cares and pleasures of this life.

It’s not too late to dive into the deep things of God!

There’s another wind of “grace” coming around the corner, and I hope my posts help stimulate your desires in that direction.

The Lord is preparing the foundation for another wave of revival – a deep move of the Spirit of God – that will usher many into the wilderness journey and adventure of Christ while the “door” of Philadelphia is still open.

The Antichrist (a system of culture and beliefs promoting humanism over relationship, submission, and intimacy with God) is building a world culture and system of dominion over this creation like never before.

God is also building his bride for an end – time move of God, like never before – so much so it has special recognition in the Scripture – that will eclipse past revivals, usher unprecedented change and presence into the body of Christ, and rescue many who are presently sold unto darkness.

I pray none who read my posts are among those who watch the glory cloud pass by; seeing others ushered into front row seats, missing the deep provisions God had waiting just for them.

*** SECTION I ***

Isaiah’s Unveiling of Wounds and Sores

Wow, can you imagine someone today saying something like this, especially to Christians? (Isaiah 1:5-7)

There’s a vast difference – night and day difference – between what we see with the natural eye versus the discerning eye of the Spirit of God.

Christ looks upon his sons and daughters with nothing less than an abundance of compassion and grace desiring nothing less than intimacy and union with everyone who names the name of Christ, no matter the depth of their wounds and sores.

Those he can heal!

Christ is full of compassion for each and every one of us, the love of a jealous lover (Exodus 20:4 – 5, 34 – 14; Deuteronomy 4:24); he’s not blind to the working of sin in our lives and the sores, wounds, and sicknesses it nurtures and feeds upon in our life, and in the life of others.

If someone said something like this today, about having wounds and sores, publicly, to an assembled body of Christians, some may be offended (possibly because of unhealed self – righteousness), some may feel crushed (possibly because of unhealed shame, condemnation, self – hatred, an orphaned heart held by failure), and still others, maybe indifferent all together.

Jesus sees all that and he is not deterred.

He does not give up, but fights for us, no matter what state we find ourselves.

Where has the fire for the zeal for the Spirit of God gone today?

Christ has labored for decades to build a network of teachings and resources throughout Christendom to awaken his sons and daughters to the reality of the deep work of sin in their members.

The wounds and brokenness in our society, and in Christendom at large, are deep and pervasive, hidden and secreted – wrapped in good works, obligation, and performance, in the natural, and in the spiritual.

As Pentecost drifted away in the rearview mirror of the Church in the latter part of the 20^th century, God made known through a number of ministries the deeper work he wanted to accomplish in men and women through ministries he raised up in the last half of the 20^th century, and in the two decades since.

God does not overwhelm us with all the things he sees about us that need cleansing and healing.

He gives us time and space to work through things with him over years.

But what’s important is at some point to begin the journey.

He is the only one who knows how our wounds and brokenness are weaved together, how they came about, how they work in unison and separately, and how to bring healing and restoration through resources that build up our vessels and not destroy us.

Isaiah saw a people group in desperate need of healing and restoration.

Isaiah was privileged “honored,” to see with the eye of the Spirit the unhealed nature plaguing humanity, particularly those in covenant with God.

As Paul said, “‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’” (NIV, Romans 3:10 – 12)

Isaiah saw sin working in the members of God’s people cultivating and breeding injuries, afflictions, sores, oppressing and beating the people of God, body, soul, and spirit.

He was in anguish, yearning for the people of God to turn back to their savior, to be cleansed and healed.

He saw their country – their identity and destiny – desolated by sin, unable to produce the fruits of repentance and righteousness from their hearts toward one another, themselves, and God.

He saw their cities burned with fire – their hearts were no longer a city of refuge for one another.

But the absence of care and love, hardened with wounds and sores.

Having lost the ability to minister God’s grace and kindness to one another, restoring one another in love, a heart that condemn instead of saves.

He saw the rulers, authorities, and powers of darkness stripping away “sabotaging,” the goodness of God out of people’s lives by judging one another, embracing lies about themselves, others, and God.

And expecting more of the same out of deeply rooted bitterness and iniquity.

****

The people of God, descendants of the promises of God, were now subject to foreigners and strangers of the night, not only stealing any good crops, but bit by bit undermining and stealing the foundation of their lives – God’s provisions and promises.

Today is no different than in the days of Isaiah, the desperate need for cleansing and healing of the inner man, body, soul, and spirit, in Christian and non-Christian alike.

But there is one night and day difference, the difference between life and death; Christ, who pioneered the adventure and journey of being made whole, complete, the forerunner of those who would be born in the gospel age.

Let me say this another way.

The law of sin has been working since the time of Adam and Eve, and it works in Christian and non-Christian alike – it is no respecter of persons.

It has one goal, to make men and women into the likeness of the father of lies, the author of sin.

We, among all people in the gospel age, those born in the late 20^th century and in the last two decades have been “birthed” into an era where God has provisioned resources unlike any time we know in the past – for men and women to receive deliverance, healing, and restoration.

None of us are exempt from what Isaiah saw, and, more importantly, none of us are exempt from the grace of God provisioned in the body of Christ to usurp the power of sin and set us on a path for intimacy and union with Christ.

God has made available to Christendom today the deep work of grace never before available in a global setting, for the cleansing, healing, and restoration of the body of Christ.

This is what stands out as the foremost promise of God to those who live during the time of the Philadelphia church age, the feast of Tabernacles, the last vibrant, life – giving church age at the end of the gospel era.

The grace of God has been released in an unprecedented work to heal and restore God’s people in preparation for intimacy and union with Christ, testifying of God’s kindness and goodness to his sons and daughters, and, to a lost and dying world.

****

Christ is the only one to be born into this world, having the hostility of his own flesh, who did not sin, but, overcame, not in his own strength, but by grace through faith, “fathered by God” into intimacy and union, fulfilling the law righteously, Godly, justly.

As Peter says “…He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (NIV, 1 Peter 3:18)

Paul says it this way, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (NIV, Romans 6:5)

Further, Paul clarifies “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” (NIV, Romans 6:10)

And reminding the Ephesians of Christ’s death to sin, and the life he lived afterwards, Paul writes,

“when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (NIV, Ephesians 4:21 – 24)

Further, in Philippians, Paul goes even deeper to describing the death Christ partook, not just a death to sin, but a death to all manner of rights and privileges, becoming completely obedient to the Father, by saying,

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (NIV, Philippians 2:6 – 8)

Christ, overcoming the enmity in his own flesh, being made perfect – resurrection life, indestructible and eternal – was taken one step further by the Father, relinquishing all his rights and privileges, becoming a servant – the cross we are to bear as well.

Important

Creeds and traditions direct these verses to Calvary, but the subject matter is not about what Christ did for you and me on Calvary, but about his relationship with the Father, what God accomplished in him, what Christ relinquished.

The first obedience to death, is the death to sin, and the second obedience to death, the death on a cross, is the death of relinquishing his rights and privileges giving the entirety of everything he was and what he would do to the Father.

And because of this, he was exalted to the highest place, given a name above every other name, and it is this person who was water baptized by John, tested by the devil for 40 days, and sent into Israel to minister healing and salvation for over three years.

The Messiah, the NT flowing in his body.

It is this person who was crucified at Calvary, having already paid the price for our sins by his perfection.

The cross was not a cross of sin but a cross of loss of rights and privileges, to do everything possible to bring life to the lost, short of violating his own interests and will.

This death in a way continued throughout ministry, the cross he carried, putting his life, heart, time, purposes, plans, future, expectancies, in the hands of his Father.

These verses, and many others, are not talking about Calvary but about the death Christ pioneered, for himself and for us – healing, restoration, new names – resurrected to walk in new life.

The author of Hebrews captures it best,

“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (NIV, Hebrews 2:17)

Further, the author of Hebrews says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (NIV, Hebrews 5:7)

These verses are not referring to Calvary, but to Christ’s personal journey, being made perfect, cleansed and healed, overcoming sin – never partaking of “sin” – the death he feared the most.

Christ faced the “…fear of death…” for every man and woman; the fear of living life apart from our wounds and brokenness, going through the crucible and refining fire of healing and restoration. (NIV, Hebrews 2:15)

A new covenant, new wine in new wineskins, bringing death to the futile way of life handed down to us, trusting in the grace and love of God to make provision for each and every need of our life.

A life devoid of agreements, lies, sinful practices, and all the rest.

A life fully healed and restored, walking in resurrection life, in intimacy and union with the Father, and Christ.

Christ faced that fear and overcame it, becoming the first, and only, person to be made perfect in the image and likeness of God.

****

We are all destined to enter “Revelation” one way or the other.

We all enter the revelation of Christ by grace with sores, afflictions, wounds, injuries, sins, etc.

The question for every man and woman when faced with the story of Christ and his Gospel, is, “Will we seek the Lord and cry out to him for healing and restoration, to cover our nakedness with white robes, to cleanse us from transgressions and iniquity?”

As the journey begins, “Will we ask him to cleanse us completely?”

Like Peter, who cried out – “‘…not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’” (NIV, John 13:9)

The living creatures of Revelation have gone through the journey with Christ, the journey of Philadelphia, the feast of Tabernacles, and have been refined in the fire as gold.

Everyone will be faced with the revelation of Christ, some being purified, made brides, some given white robes, guests at the wedding, and others, tragically, unchanged, left as they are with all manner of sores and wounds.

*** SECTION II ***

Continuing to Unveil the Jesus Story

There’s a lot more to the story of Christ than has been understood and told.

Over the centuries, following the deaths of the early apostles, the Gospel was watered down “sifted and diluted,” bit by bit, removing the beauty of Christ, his personal story, his journey, presenting a version of Christ focused entirely on his ministry and Calvary.

The Gospel writers were commissioned to record the ministry of Christ – capturing the beauty of his ministry – reporting just enough (by the Holy Spirit) to establish his legal and spiritual authority, and connection with the promises of the Old Covenant, ancients, Adam, and creation itself (Matthew 13:35).

The emphasis of the Gospels is on Christ’s public ministry, and the events leading up, and including, his death at Calvary.

These stories capture our attention, just like any writing, but do not answer many of the questions of how this all came to be.

That was left to the rest of the NT writers to fill in the details of Christ’s personal journey.

In the Gospels, we see his connection to the promises of God and their fulfillment:

• Matthew – kingly fulfillment of God’s promise to David, “the face of a lion,”
• Luke – priestly fulfillment (interestingly, the Gospel opening with the activities of Zechariah the high priest) of God’s promise to restore humanity into his image and likeness, “being made perfect,” tracing his ancestry back to Adam, “the face of a man,”
• John – the prophetic nature in perfection, the “eyes” of God – to see and hear what God hears, the “Word” made flesh – the living, breathing, Word of God in flesh and blood, resurrection life walking in the midst of Israel, “the face of an eagle,” and,
• Mark – working in the harvest fields of God, plowing the hardened soil for the seed and water of God’s Word and Spirit, “the face of an ox.”

 

Please note the four faces are the faces of the living creatures in Revelation, the bride, the attributes of Christ imparted to his sons and daughters.

****

But the Gospels do not even begin, and were not designed, to tell all of the story of Christ.

Actually, the Gospels are a small part of his story, in calendar time, and more importantly, in relationship to the many years of preparation he underwent in the care of his father to becoming the man that we would see in the Gospels.

Important

The man we see in the Gospels reveals the fruit of the work of God in his life, but does not reveal the deep work of grace and truth God performed in Christ before his ministry.

That can only be understood, in a measure, by being invited by Christ into the same wilderness journey and adventure he was taken on by the Father.

Again, ministry, reveals the fruit of what’s been accomplished in one’s life, but does not reveal the journey and adventure to get there.

And that’s the story that’s missing from the Gospels – the journey and adventure of Christ, “being made perfect” in the care of his father.

The Gospels give information about his birth, lineage, promises fulfilled, 40 – day commissioning, and then usher the reader into his ministry concluding with Calvary.

There’s a huge gap of time, from his childhood to age 30, what has been called the missing “story” of Christ.

And that’s because, the great body and weight of Scripture in Romans and Hebrews, and other New Testament writings, referring to his death, sufferings, obedience, emptying, sacrifice, etc., were pointed to Calvary, instead of Christ’s personal journey.

Like I’ve noted in past posts, the knowledge of Christ’s personal journey all but ceased after the first century, eventually replaced with creeds and traditions – the result of an absence of deep relationship with Christ.

We are taught in Scripture to truly know someone we must know their story, and how can we truly know Christ if we do not know his story, how he pioneered, “the forerunner,” of our faith?

Coming to Christ because of his miraculous ministry, or, something wonderful he’s done for you, will not be enough.

Because in times of challenge, those who don’t know him intimately will flee him like the disciples in the Garden.

The Gospels are designed to introduce us to the saving power of Christ, the pioneer and author of our faith, to cultivate our heart for the eventual deep work of grace God desires to accomplish in you and me.

They’re designed to start us on our journey; give us a hunger and thirst for Christ; to point us to Christ; an introduction to wet our appetite for what God can do in our lives.

Eventually, your relationship with someone must go beyond what they do for you, to knowing them, and they you.

Some in the Gospel accounts touched on it, got a glimpse of intimacy, like John, the one whom Jesus loved, the woman who washed Christ’s feet with her tears, and others who felt the kindness and gentleness of Christ in their midst.

The Gospel accounts standing alone are insufficient to lead us into the revelation of Christ, and insufficient for his personal journey and story.

Important

The Gospels showcase the last years of Christ’s life, leaving more questions than answers.

If we are to understand his last years, and the things he said about himself, we must understand the journey that prepared him for what we read in the Gospels.

You do not know someone because of their ministry, or what they do for you, or what you do for them, you know them because of the intimate relationship you have with them – the sharing, togetherness, of joy, life, grief, loss, and blessings.

Creeds and traditions usher us, along with preaching, teaching, seminaries, colleges, holidays, etc., into Christ’s ministry and Calvary, bypassing the most important part of his life – his journey to perfection before his ministry.

The New Testament Gospel accounts are the blueprint on how stories are written, opening with action, characters, events, deep emotions – life-and-death struggles, mystery, etc., with the detail to follow in later writings.

Again, like any good writing that stimulates interest and discovery, the Gospels usher us into Christ’s ministry, the fruit of God in Christ, but not the details of how all this came to pass.

Creeds and traditions poorly attempt to fill in the gap between the Old and New Covenants, and Christ’s ministry.

Other than his birth, and the events surrounding the first couple years of his life, nothing of significance is assumed to have happened to Christ prior to his presentation to John, which is of great travesty to the Church.

As I’ve noted and written about before, the great weight and body of Scripture in Romans and Hebrews, and elsewhere, about Christ’s personal journey, dying to sin, etc., is directed toward Calvary by creeds and traditions.

And if you’ve been following my writings, the birthplace for creeds and traditions is the lack of relationship – extra biblical teachings introduced to fill the gap in his story, his nature, and the nature and purpose of Calvary.

Because intimacy with Christ was lost.

And if you lose Christ’s journey, you lose our journey, leaving us at the entrance to the promised land, instead of exploring and taking new territories for Christ.

That’s why, spiritually, the Church at large has been camped at Passover, for most, and Pentecost, for others.

Not many have traveled down the road to Tabernacles, the hallmark of the Philadelphia church age.

Christians have been short changed for centuries on the journey and adventure of Christ, the journey and adventure he fought so hard to pioneer for you and me.

“But God” is changing that in the final season of the Church.

Shaking the Kingdom

The Lord knows our propensity to fear – to fill in gaps – our lack of intimacy and understanding with him – with creeds and traditions.

The Lord used Martin Luther to usher in salvation by grace through faith, restoring the feast of Passover in the Church in the 1500s.

He used William Seymour and Charles Parham and others to usher in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, restoring the feast of Pentecost in the early 1900s – the Azusa Street revival, spreading globally in a matter of a few years.

And now, the Lord is restoring the feast of Tabernacles through healing and restoration of the body of Christ, a yet deeper work of grace, the final journey to prepare a global bride from all people groups he has so long sought.

Christ restored Passover at the beginning of his ministry, inviting sons and daughters into salvation as part of his healing ministry.

He ushered the early apostles into Pentecost on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2.

And he ushered the early apostles into Tabernacles one by one, those he chose to do a deep work of the Spirit of grace, Peter among those chosen first (John 21:18).

Passover ushered in salvation – opening the door into the kingdom of God, a change of citizenships, the entrance into a new kingdom.

Pentecost ushered in spiritual connection with God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the means by which to be taught and schooled in spiritual matters and principles on the operation of the kingdom of God.

And Tabernacles, ushers in intimacy with Christ, the adventure and journey of being made like Christ, healed and restored, in preparation for holy union with him and the Father by the power of the Spirit.

Christ fulfilled all three feasts in his personal journey – Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles – “…once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (NIV, Hebrews 5:9).

If Israel had accepted Christ, Jesus would have begun to usher in the three feasts to national Israel, and eventually the world, but the latter would not be without warfare.

When Israel rejected Christ, he chose to give them the sign they demanded, the sign of Jonah, on Passover, demonstrating he was who he said he was – King, Lord, Prophet, High Priest, Savior, “resurrection life.”

He demonstrated outwardly at Calvary who he was inwardly, so they could “see” with the natural eyes – what had been accomplished in his life, and offered to them, “resurrection life.”

It was the final scene in a long ministry of signs and wonders – one last chance to come to Christ before the ax would be laid to the root of the tree and cut down.

Now, here’s where a person can become confused if they’re not careful.

And it is so easy to do.

We confuse ministry with identity and destiny.

We look at the outward and make judgments about the inward.

We do that with ourselves, others, God, and Christ.

Good fruit does mean a good tree, but good fruit does not tell the story of how the tree became good.

Jesus conveyed identity and destiny in his ministry, confirming time and again, to those having eyes to see and ears to hear.

He was “true” in every sense of the word.

Because Israel could not get beyond the veil of flesh, blocked by the traditions of men from seeing the fruit of Christ’s life, they were not allowed to enter the tabernacle of God’s mystery before them, preferring instead to kill the mystery.

So instead of going into the “Tabernacle of God,” the tabernacle of God would be presented in pieces, slowly, from those who received Christ, then, and in the future.

The outer court and inner court – Passover and Pentecost – were brought quickly, but the Holy of Holies is a long journey and can only be entered by invitation, initiation, and stewardship, by those on the journey.

*** SECTION III ***

Mystery Veiled in Flesh

The gospel accounts are not intended to show us the mysteries of Christ, they are intended to show us the magnificence of Christ, his wonder, the work of grace and truth in him, but not the mystery of how all this came about.

Many of the Scriptures in the Gospel accounts can only be understood in the context of the larger picture – his personal journey.

Jesus talked and preached from the standpoint of his entire life, not just the events of his ministry.

He was no model.

What came out of him had been refined in him like gold.

It would take those who journeyed with Christ, and those Christ initiated into the mystery to explain the deep truths of the faith (1 Timothy 3:9).

Jesus had only so much time; being rejected, he was limited to what he could do and explain.

It was Peter on the day of Pentecost who transitioned the Church from salvation by grace through faith into the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

God used Peter and others in the upper room to extend God’s grace from Passover to Pentecost, bridging the gap in connecting the fruit of two feasts.

And though Peter and John are the first recorded apostles to be initiated by Christ into Tabernacles (John chapter 21), the Lord knew none of the early apostles would have the training and teaching to “teach” from the Old Covenant the third feast, Tabernacles, the heart of the Christian journey.

That it would take someone who could connect past dispensations and promises with his journey (Christ’s), and that was Paul.

Only Paul could put true meaning to the work of Christ in the Gospels – connecting Christ’s personal journey to his ministry – by explaining, in Christ’s physical absence, the detailed journey of Christ that produced the signs and wonders of the Gospels.

Paul and the author of Hebrews (which may have been Paul) were the missing link Christ needed to explain Christ’s personal journey, how all these things came into being.

Once Christ initiated Paul into the deep truths of the faith (Galatians 1, 1 Timothy 3), the wilderness journey, Paul was able to connect the dots, by the Holy Spirit, of the promises and journeys of the ancients, prophets, and kings like neither Peter, James, John, or the other apostles could.

Paul reached back to the creation, to Adam, to Abraham, and others, connecting their stories to the journey and story of Christ, who he became, fulfilling the journeys they foretold and prefigured about the Messiah to come.

Only Paul, the great teacher, would be able to connect the stories of old, the law, Israel, the prophets, to the grand and magnificent story of God “fathering” Christ by grace through faith – the pioneer, forerunner, and, perfecter of the faith.

Romans

Only Paul, anointed by the Holy Spirit, could write the book of Romans taking us step-by-step through the journey of the ancients, the birth of Christ, and the journey of Christ by grace through faith unto perfection in Romans 6.

(And it is very likely Paul also wrote or was involved in writing Hebrews.

It repeats the central theme of Romans, the pioneering work of Christ by grace through faith, fathered by God, from the perspectives of Israel, the priests, the tabernacle, and sacrifices.

And those who foretold of the “grace” to come, beginning with the Messiah.)

Romans 1 – 8 are some of the most brilliant works in Scripture. Establishing the foundation of faith in Christ, whereas Hebrews is more a “testimony” of Christ’s journey. At a glance:

Chapter 1 introduces us to the humanity of Christ, though born of the Spirit; and the deep depravity sin has woven in the fabric of men and women.

Chapter 2 moves the reader deeper into the sovereignty and dominion of God; the power of agreements, the God who sees and judges all things, and, the introduction to the promised grace to come in Christ – a work of the Spirit.

Chapter 3 moves us yet deeper into the salvation story; righteousness given to you and me because of Christ’s faith (yes, Christ operated in faith like you and me, see verse 22 in an interlinear and note, “of” is the preferred preposition), and,

Christ’s sacrificial atonement – the living breathing New Testament in flesh and blood (note, “shed or shedding” in verse 25 is not in the Greek, Christ ushered in salvation and healing before Calvary).

Chapter 4 re-introduces the “impossible” in the natural is anything but impossible for God; Abraham, a “type” of those who’ve spent themselves in dead “works,” failing to produce life, eventually receiving the promise of life (salvation) by grace through faith, and,

Christ being the first to face death for every man and woman – the wounding and piercing of transgressions and iniquities, made new by the Father, raised to walk in newness of life – placing you and me in “grace” (justified).

Chapter 5 ushers you and me deeper into the journey of Christ, the journey he pioneered by grace through faith being made perfect, the journey of learning obedience through suffering and perseverance by God’s grace – putting to death the enmity of the flesh before it could birth sin in Christ, and graciously coming to you and me after we’ve sinned.

Chapter 6 brings us to the reward of our journey, resurrection life, the life Christ pioneered by dying to sin; being made new by the Holy Spirit; the promise of God foretold by the prophets of a coming grace to cleanse and heal – baptized with Christ’s baptism; lifting us into heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Chapter 7 reveals the intense spiritual warfare Christ faced in overcoming the enmity of his flesh, and the powers of darkness designed to breed further and deeper wounds and brokenness of transgressions and iniquities from generation to generation.

And chapter 8, just as the number is known for, new beginnings for you and me, just as Christ overcame the enmity of the flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit working in his life, putting to death sin, we also can overcome by grace through faith in Christ.

****

I was taught in Bible college how the law was fulfilled in Christ, but not how Christ fulfilled that by putting to death the enmity in his flesh, dying to sin, to walk in newness of life.

(We were taught, from what I remember, these verses pertained to outward temptations, ministry, and Calvary, and not the enmity in his flesh he was born with and overcame before his ministry.)

Christ fulfilled all the types and promises of the Messiah; overcoming the flesh, made alive in spirit “resurrection life,’ (prophesied in Psalm 16), made fully into the image and likeness of God, fulfilling what Adam and Eve failed to do (Genesis 1:26).

And this was before his ministry.

Where Peter was the spokesperson, bridging the gap from Passover to Pentecost, Paul was the writer, bridging Pentecost to Tabernacles, Christ’s personal journey, fathered by God, making the vision clear for all to see.

Paul knew Christ was fully human – Paul was not confused about Christ’s humanity and what he inherited from his mother’s ancestral line, even though God was his father, receiving his Father’s Spirit of grace at conception, ushering him into the place Adam was before the fall.

They are not contradictions – he was born into grace at conception, unlike us who are born into grace after we’ve sinned, and sinned much.

The purpose of the virgin birth was to put a stop to sin before it could be birthed in the Messiah, and therefore usher in the New Covenant through him.

Though Christ was placed by his miracle birth into a similar position as Adam before the fall, he had to contend with wounds and brokenness handed down to him by his mother, and her ancestors all the way back to Adam’s sin.

Christ, born into grace, had to overcome, not only, the temptations from the outside, but also the hostilities in his own flesh, the latter requiring the deep work of healing and restoration.

Paul knew Christ had flesh troubles like all men (Ephesians 2:14 – 16, see an interlinear), and he knew Christ overcame them by grace through faith being fathered by God.

(See Galatians and Romans 3:22 in an interlinear, faith “of” Christ, and John 1:17 grace “through” Christ.)

Paul knew (after his encounter with Christ and well into his own personal journey) the promises of God heralded by the prophets of old foretold a time when God would bring healing and restoration to men and women by grace through faith, restoring his children into his image and likeness.

And Paul knew this would require a deep work of the Spirit revealing by grace the hidden and secret wounds of the heart to the light of God’s cleansing and healing.

Paul knew you don’t have to “sin” to have flesh troubles (James 1).

His letter to the Romans explained how Christ overcame the temptations of the flesh, his own flesh, by grace through faith.

A true pioneer shows us the way, after having taken the journey himself.

Christ, put the “lusts” of his flesh – unhealed wounds and brokenness he inherited – to death being fathered by God by grace through faith.

Christ finished the journey of perfection Adam failed, fulfilling the “types” of Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, etc. – what they pointed to – a city whose maker is God:

Christ, the perfected man, the Word made flesh, the only begotten of the Father, God with us.

Romans has everything to do with Christ’s personal journey and almost nothing to do with Calvary.

Again, the many references to death, baptism, act of obedience, justification, righteousness, dying to desires of the flesh, resurrected to walk in newness of life, spiritual warfare, by grace through faith, etc., have nothing to do with Calvary, and everything to do with Christ’s personal journey.

That’s why the Scripture says, in so many words, God was pleased to sacrifice his son in Romans 5:8, to wound him in Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 3; because it’s speaking about his journey to perfection – not physical death (Calvary), but death to sin.

By pointing the great body of Scriptures to Calvary, we miss the story of Christ, and ours, which has had serious consequences in Christendom.

God was not pleased his son spent 30 years preparing only to have a relatively short ministry – that was not the desire, intent, nor plan of God to see his most precious creation killed at Calvary.

Nonetheless, God used Calvary as one last chance for Israel to find repentance and forgiveness before the ax would be laid to the root of the tree.

(As I mentioned a number of times, for those of you who are new to my posts, you don’t call those who are doing your will “murderers,” otherwise, you do what Jesus described as having a kingdom destroy itself from within.

See Acts 7:52, Matthew 21, and the parable of the tenant.)

****

Paul was chosen to write Romans because he could bring his Old Covenant knowledge together with the revelation of Christ in his life, and the knowledge of the feasts, particularly Tabernacles.

Paul knew and taught the grace of God was given to heal and restore – not to leave us in sin, but to make us like Christ, the baptism Christ pioneered, cleansed, healed, and restored, completing the journey to maturity and completeness Adam failed to apprehend.

Paul knew the only way to die to sin, like Christ, was to submit his uncleanness to Christ, to be cleansed and healed, reconciled to God.

Not just being born again, but going on to apprehend what Christ apprehended him – and you and me – for.

And he knew it would involve spiritual warfare with the enemy.

A warfare that is uncommonly taught in Christendom, all the while the enemy digs his roots deeper and deeper in many of God’s sons and daughters.

Today, God is restoring the knowledge of Christ’s personal journey, focusing our eyes on Christ, and not Calvary, through inner healing, cleansing his bride to be.

The glory of Christ is who he became, made perfect, and what he offered Israel, and what he is offering the Church today, Tabernacles.

What he said and did in his ministry was “out of” “who he had become.”

When you understand Christ was not born perfect, “was made perfect,” caring the New Testament in his blood, having paid the price for sins by grace through faith in his obedience to the Father, suffering the healing of wounds and brokenness, you know:

God’s perfect sacrifice is one who will do “his will” – not animal or human blood sacrifices – but the sacrifice of the heart, mind, and will by grace through faith, the desire of God’s heart all along.

A perfect man, who sacrificed and fulfilled the law of God in his body, soul, and spirit, dying to sin, resurrected to walk in newness of life – “the death of a testator” – offering resurrection life to those who received his sacrifice.

His death to sin, a man of sorrows, familiar with grief, bringing transgressions and iniquities to death, was his journey to perfection, completeness, not Calvary.

Christ in anguish, cried out to the Father  for healing and restoration from deeply rooted iniquities.

The enmity in his flesh, as Paul describes in Ephesians, in overcoming temptations from deep within (less he sin), suffering cleansing and healing for mankind’s wounds and brokenness stretching back to Adam.

This is the cross, death to sin, dying once for all, that made him who he became – the Holy of Holies in flesh and blood.

Remember, Christ birthed the New Testament; a covenant based on grace and faith in obedience to God, not the shedding of animal or human blood.

(Note, Colossians 1:20, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 12:4, all in reference to Christ or us in Christ, “shedding” or “shed” is not in the Greek.

The shedding of blood is in the Greek in reference to law and the sacrifice of animals under the Old Covenant but not in reference to Christ and the New!

Creeds and traditions have long pointed these verses to Calvary, when, in fact, they point to Christ’s personal journey being perfected, his blood representing the totality of his life given to God.

Simply, blood does not need to be shed to be a sacrifice, for humans, it’s the symbol of life in God.

Jesus made it clear the NT was in his blood!)

This is the story that has been hidden for centuries creeds and traditions have swallowed in the great weight of extra biblical writings, replacing the deep truths of the faith with the sign of Jonah.

Something that can be seen and understood with the natural eyes and mind – just like Israel of old – instead of the wonder of God’s grace in Christ healing and restoring men and women into his likeness.

God values his creation, and especially those who are his.

God values putting to death sin versus being put to death because of sin.

God is not “into” human sacrifices, speaking against them in the Old Covenant.

It is not rational, logical, spiritual, nor in accord with the tenor of Scripture, having spoken a commandment not to kill one another, God would usher in a brand new covenant by orchestrating a plan to kill his Son?

It sounds ludicrous, because it is.

The Scripture teaches Christ put sin to death for him, and we are graced to have him as our substitute, the testator of a new covenant, a covenant that puts sin to death, not animals, not people, so we can walk in new life.

Christ pierced the veil for him and us.

That’s what he offered Israel and that’s why they killed him, because seeing they could not see, and hearing they cannot hear, of grace and faith in Christ.

A person who puts sin to death, made alive in spirit, is more valuable than someone who is put to death because of sin.

The last thing God wanted was for Christ to be murdered, and yet, Christ had a choice to make, whether to hand himself over to murderers, or to fight and kill those who desire his death – the ones he’s trying to save.

What a dilemma!

To be killed, or, to kill those you’ve just spent over three years trying to save.

With great anguish and agony of heart, Christ chose the promises of God to Israel – the will of God made known in the Scriptures and the glories to follow – over his earthly life, submitting to the sign of Jonah they demanded.

Christ was backed into it a corner.

The perfected man, the Holy of Holies in flesh, who could destroy Israel and save his life, but in so doing, would destroy the promises of the Father to Abraham and his seed.

So, he gave his life “again,” allowing his body to be put to death though it had already been put to death by the Spirit, walking in resurrection life.

His death at Calvary a testimony of what he said about himself, and a visual of the death they would endure if they did not repent and receive his forgiveness.

Calvary was a double – edged sword.

A means to expose their sins and receive forgiveness, or, a picture of the spiritual death they will endure if they neglect so great a salvation.

*** SECTION IV ***

“…a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…” (NIV, Isaiah 53:3)

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering…” (NIV, Isaiah 53:4)

“‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.’” (NIV, Matthew 8:17)

Important

Note, the quote found in Matthew 8:17 is generally understood to have occurred in the early part of Christ’s Great Galilean Ministry.

Matthew reports his understanding Christ was fulfilling Isaiah 53:4 in the early part of his ministry.

And the description of how Isaiah 53:4 came to pass – came into being – is revealed in Isaiah 53:5 – 6.

What creeds and traditions normally attribute to Calvary, Isaiah 53:5 – 6, does not align with the Scripture, as Isaiah 53:5 – 6 describes how Isaiah 53:4 came into being.

Isaiah 53:4 – 6 is talking about the same person at the same point in time, and not about the same person at two different points in time.

Isaiah 53:5 says we are healed by his wounds – Christ brought salvation and healing at the start of his ministry.

Isaiah 53:7 is where the transition occurs, a turning point in intensity, from Christ’s “personal journey to perfection,” to the killing of him at events of Calvary.

Just like there’s a progression in verses four, five, and six, regarding “Christ’s personal journey,” there’s a progression in verses seven, eight, and nine, regarding the “events of Calvary.”

The “wounding’s,” “crushing’s,” “punishment,” in verse five normally associated with Calvary describe the journey of Christ being made perfect.

Remember, Hebrews 5 (versus seven through 10) points out Christ’s strong crying and tears to his father during his journey of suffering in learning obedience, which occurred before his ministry.

“Suffering to learn obedience” is another way of saying being healed and restored by grace through faith into intimacy and union with the Father.

The Hebrew words for wounding’s, crushing’s, and punishment and similar terms have a broad array of possible translations, and, there’s a tendency by translators to take the most intense translation possible, because of “traditions” pointing all of Isaiah 53 to Calvary.

Another interesting point, Isaiah 53:9, in the original Hebrew, death is plural – deaths.

Some believe it’s plural because of the severe suffering Christ received throughout his life, in various forms, and, particularly what occurred at Calvary.

But I believe, as do others, the “deaths” in Isaiah 53:9 in the original Hebrew speak to Christ’s death to sin, being made perfect (Romans 6:10, Hebrews 5:7 – 10), the sacrificial death for mankind, and, secondly, his killing at Calvary, which Stephen called his murder (Acts 7:52).

The Scriptures teach Christ was glorified a second time (John 12:28), raised “again,” (Luke 24:7, and other places), and Peter on the day of Pentecost said,

“Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned into the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.” (NIV, Acts 2:31 – 32, bold and italicized mine)

In other words, during his earthly life Christ fulfilled Psalm 16, the resurrection Psalm, having the New Testament in his blood (Matthew 26:28).

And it was that Christ, the resurrected Christ, as Peter points out, that was killed at Calvary – the living, breathing, New Testament in flesh and blood – that’s what Peter refers to when he said God raised this Jesus to life.

Because, his life was an indestructible life, as Hebrews 7:16 says of Christ.

The transfiguration of Christ on the Mount convinced those present he was no ordinary man, but one who had been “glorified,” by the Father, resurrection life, having been raised from the dead, having died to sin, made alive in spirit, as Peter later wrote.

And that particular Scripture, 1 Peter 3:18, the second part, the commentators wrestle with, because, they say it does not fit the resurrection at Calvary.

Christ only died once for sin – his death to sin, being made perfect – a living sacrifice, doing the will of God from the heart, the start of a truly “new” testament.

His physical death at Calvary was a second chance for Israel giving them another 40 years to find forgiveness in him, but did nothing to change the salvation and forgiveness he had already offered over the course of his ministry.

****

THE SICKNESS

The effects of the enmity of the flesh from generation to generation – the propensity to sin – passed to all men and women, including Christ, AND, if left unhealed, will eventually birth sin – the sinful nature (James 1):

Speaking of Christ, Paul wrote in Ephesians:

“…THE HOSTILITY, IN THE FLESH OF HIM.” ((A), Ephesians 2:14)

Note, this verse in Ephesians has caused no little amount of anguish for commentators because creeds and traditions say Christ essentially was born without enmity in the flesh, contrary to Scripture.

And the pressure to conform to creeds and tradition less one be ostracized and rejected is tremendous among those who lead Christendom.

Leading commentators to the conclusion what Christ brought together in these verses is Jew and Gentile.

Instead of overcoming the flesh, fulfilling the law in his flesh, making the law and himself one by grace through faith.

Making peace between man and God by his “blood,” “his life,” in his journey of being fathered by God unto perfection.

You do not have to shed or spill your blood to give your blood – your life – as a living sacrifice!

Remember what Jesus said about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, it is spirit, and it is life.

Speaking of us, Paul wrote:

“‘…There was no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’” (NIV, Romans 3:10 – 12)

Speaking of Israel, Isaiah writes:

“…Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness – only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.

Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you…” (NIV, Isaiah 1:5 – 7)

****

THE CURE

The cure for the enmity of the flesh – the propensity to sin, and, the sinful nature once sin has taken hold, is Christ’s sacrifice – journey to perfection, dying to sin, made alive in spirit – cleansed, healed, and restored:

Speaking of the Christ to come, the Messiah, the walking, living, breathing, New Covenant in flesh and blood, Isaiah writes:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (NIV, Isaiah 53:5 – 6)

“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk up rightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” (NIV, Isaiah 57:1 – 2)

(Note, the reference to Isaiah 57 refers to those the Lord takes aside and does a deep work in bringing them to a place of death to this life, to walk in newness of life, a “foretelling” of resurrection life in Christ first, and in his sons and daughters to follow.

David, his wilderness journey, was a “type” of Christ, taken aside and made new, apprehending the Ark of the Covenant, prepared to be King.

And notice how similar Isaiah 53:5 is with Ephesians 2:14; Christ making peace between his flesh and the law, bringing death to enmity, making them one, in a new man, a new covenant, him!)

Speaking of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and the unknown author of Hebrews, writes:

“The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” (NIV, Romans 6:10)

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (NIV, Hebrews 5:7 – 9)

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (NIV, 1 Peter 3:18, bold and italicized mine)

(Once does not mean “one,” but in reference to Christ’s life, after his perfection, he was a new man, and had “once” suffered the journey to being made perfect.

This verse is difficult for commentators, because most immediately admit the second sentence does not fit with what happened at Calvary – there is angst over how to make this fit Calvary among some commentators.

Because, it’s not about Calvary.

It’s about Christ’s journey to perfection, being made perfect, dying to sin, made alive in spirit, passing through the heavens, resurrected to walk in newness of life – the salvation and forgiveness he offered over three years of ministry.)

Speaking of us, Paul writes how we are to follow the pattern Christ pioneered:

“when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (NIV, Ephesians 4:21 – 24)

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (NIV, Romans 6:5)

(Note, I hope you can see Paul is not talking about Calvary, but dying to sin to walk in newness of life, resurrection life – the resurrection life Christ walked in after his perfection.

This is not something ethereal, or something that happens after being born again or spirit filled, but it comes after a long journey in Tabernacles, where few have ventured, but, where Christ is ushering many today.)

“But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (NIV, Romans 7:6)

And Christ speaking of his Father, from truth, his experience, said:

“‘…Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.’” (NIV, Matthew 15:13)

Remember Jesus is no model, what he taught he fought to apprehend.

****

THE SICKNESS (Sin “flogged” onto Christ) & CURE (The NT flowing in his blood) MADE PUBLIC IN ONE LAST OUTREACH

Rejected by Israel, demanding the sign of Jonah, something they could see with the natural eye, Christ in utter anguish, submitted to their demand, giving Israel an open door to find forgiveness:

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before it’s shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away…. For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death…” (NIV, Isaiah 53:7 – 9)

“‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (NIV, Matthew 26:28)

****

(Note, contrary to the inference of verse 8 above, Christ was not punished “for” their sins, but because of their sins assault directly against him. He had already paid the price for their sins in his perfection.)

The prophet Isaiah recorded (Isaiah 1) what he saw in the Spirit of the wounds, sores, injuries and other afflictions of God’s sons and daughters.

What Isaiah saw in the Spirit is no different from the exhortation in the New Testament to cleanse our spirit from impurities (2 Corinthians 7:1), to put the death the deeds of the body (Romans 6), to cleanse body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23), etc.

Isaiah had an inside look at the grace to come through the Messiah; his death to sin (53:4 – 6), offering healing and salvation, and, the staying power of grace even in his rejection, his tragic murder (53:7 – 9).

****

Have you ever wondered why Calvary is not worshiped or highly spoken of in the Scriptures, and yet we, in the 21^st-century, look at it as the source of our salvation, the brutalization of Christ – that’s not how the Scriptures view it, nor the comments by those who observed it.

Also, because Christendom has lost the path to Christ through Tabernacles, we’ve lost the knowledge of the discomfort of suffering in being cleansed from sin Christ pioneered described in Isaiah, Romans, Philippians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and elsewhere.

Many have equated being born again as being cleansed and healed by the Lord, but that’s just the introduction into the kingdom, the outer court, not the inner court or the Holy of Holies.)

****

God gave Isaiah a picture of mankind’s condition, and the revelation of the grace to come to cleanse and heal mankind through the Messiah.

From what I’ve seen in the Word and experienced, when the Lord opens up an area showing wounds and brokenness, he follows up with how he will come to heal and restore.

The revelation of grace is the revelation of wounds and brokenness, and the grace God provides in healing and restoration, while contending with your sores and injuries.

It’s seeing your sickness, having it revealed to you, without shame and condemnation, but, a hope and a future in Christ through his healing and restoration.

And that’s what we see in the book of Isaiah.

Contrary to conventional teaching and traditions, Isaiah 53: 4 – 6 is about the grace to come to cleanse, heal, and restore (being made perfect) the Messiah first, and then those in Christ, not Calvary.

The cure for sin revealed in Isaiah chapter 1 is revealed in 53:1 – 6, beginning with the Fathers’ work of perfecting his Son, the Messiah to come.

Isaiah 53:5 – 6 is about the cure for the wounds, sores, and other injuries Isaiah was privileged to see in the inner man and woman in chapter 1:

That the Messiah to come, through his journey of suffering, learning obedience, being made perfect in grace and truth, would pay the price for mankind’s sin, by offering his life perfectly to God – doing the will of God from a cleansed and healed heart, a new and better testament.

Having been born into the family of mankind, the Messiah, inheriting in his flesh the hostility of the fall, was graced with the Spirit of God at birth to overcome each and every area of his wounds and brokenness by grace through faith in the Father.

That’s what the Scripture asks of us, after we’re born again.

And that’s the path Christ pioneered for you and me.

*** SECTION V ***

Made Perfect, not Born Perfect

Christianity is not about “events” nor about the signs, wonders, and miracles that followed Christ.

At the core of Christianity is the story of Christ, who he became, the path to wholeness and fullness he pioneered for you and me, overcoming the enmity in his flesh – the pattern he established for receiving care and love from the Father – to be made in the likeness of the Father, fully equipped, Sonship.

To know and be known, advancing the kingdom of God in us, in Christ.

And out of all of that flows ministry to others.

That’s the pattern Christ pioneered for you and me, and the one the Scriptures teach.

To believe and teach otherwise that Christ was essentially born perfect – did not need cleansing and healing of generational wounds – is not in accord with the general tenor of Scripture, specific Scriptures, and Christ’s own words.

The early apostles had no trouble understanding who Christ was, who he came to be, and what his journey was like before he entered ministry.

They knew he was fully human, perfected “completed,” fathered by God; cleansed and healed of generational wounds and brokenness; raised to walk in newness of life; fulfilling the “grace to come” the prophets of old looked for.

The Messiah, the “first” of a new creation, covenant; the pioneer and pattern for others to follow, in him.

Isaiah prophesied of the “grace to come” in Isaiah 53:1 – 6.

They knew of Christ’s “spiritual battle, warfare” putting to death the enmity in his flesh, “transgressions and iniquities,” inherited from his human ancestry, through the “wounding and piercing” of wounds (agreements, lies, vows, curses, etc., passed down through the generations), secreted and hidden in his inner man.

Isaiah 53:5 is not about being pierced or wounded at Calvary (Calvary being the message of verses seven through nine), but,

• bringing to death transgressions and iniquities Christ inherited, before sin could be conceived in some weak moment or event,
• “bearing our sin in the flesh of his body,” the “enmity of his flesh” in Ephesians, “death to sin” in Romans, and, “learning obedience through sufferings” in Hebrews, etc.

 

The deep work of grace in Christ, perfecting the man Christ Jesus, was the grace of God leading and keeping Christ in a place of intimacy, revelation, and abundancy, while cleansing and healing deeply rooted transgressions and iniquities before they could bear fruit in Christ’s life.

This is the journey of the feast of Tabernacles, healing and restoration, offered to those who are hungry for more of God, through inner healing and other healings in the body of Christ today.

IMPORTANT

You don’t cure sores, wounds, injuries, etc., (Isaiah 1), by inflicting the same on the body.

This is what is widely held and taught as the cure.

That’s what the heathens do – beat, wound, and pierce the flesh.

God is not in the business of beating people, in order to produce righteousness.

There are no types in the Old Covenant, “types of Christ” of people being beaten or killed to produce righteousness, for themselves, or others.

God abhors the sacrificing of humans.

He did not wave a magic wand and override the spirit of murder in men and women, but gave his Son the choice; Christ knowing his Father’s heart to give one last chance for repentance and forgiveness.

Isaiah 53:5 is not about the wounding and piercing of the body God has given mankind to cherish, but the wounding and piercing of the structures within that breed sin, disease, and sickness to the body, soul, and spirit.

God does not give a picture of inner wounds (Isaiah 1) and then turn around and reveal the healing of those wounds through actually wounding and piercing the flesh.

Have we not learned anything from Christ’s use of the natural to explain what’s going on in the spiritual?

God draws us into the workings of his kingdom, and not away.

We all know you cannot heal the wounds and brokenness within by beating the outer flesh – the entire plan of God is opposed to that.

And yet, we’ve been taught by beating Christ, physically, healing was made available to you and me.

All the while Jesus walked among Israel for over 3 years healing and saving God’s sons and daughters.

The Scripture teaches salvation (the New Covenant) was birthed in Christ first:

• defeating the enmity in his flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit, (that’s why he tells the Laodiceans to be victorious just like he was victorious!) Rev 3:21,
• made perfect, never allowing sin to be conceived from the enmity, overcoming internal and external temptations at every corner,
• becoming our substitute, free will offering, dying for the sins of mankind, the pioneer and finisher of salvation.

 

As I’ve noted in earlier posts, you do not call people murderers, nor prepare your son over 30 years for ministry, nor provide parables hoping “the tenants would respect the son,” if your intent is to have your son killed by crucifixion.

There’s more to the story than that.

****

When the Lord reveals deep distress and sickness inside men and women, like in Isaiah 1, he provides hope and the means for a cure.

God is a God of hope and grace, not of shame and condemnation.

Grace is designed to lift us out of sin, or, the enmity that will give rise to sin (in Christ’s case) into the care and love of God for cleansing and healing.

That’s the New Testament work of grace: to change us into the likeness of Christ, Christ being the firstborn, first fruit.

By revealing to Isaiah, the deep afflictions of men and women, God was setting in motion the revealing of the cure, not to be just “announced” by the Messiah, but through the Messiah – personally experiencing the deep grace to come in cleansing, healing, and restoration, “first fruit,” “firstborn,” of the new creation.

You cure inner sickness by inner healing – putting to death the law of sin in your members, it’s roots, or, lusts, that will eventually birth sin (Romans 6 through 8, James 1).

Christ was the first to be cured of the enmity in his flesh, for example:

• wounding the propensity to be proud common to all men, a “wounding of the wound” as some ministers phrase it today, for cleansing and healing,
• piercing of iniquities, “opening up” “exposing” to the light of God’s Holy Spirit deeply rooted generational iniquities in the heart and mind for cleansing and healing.

 

Suffice it to say, many of the wounds we have are well hidden and secret – as the Scripture notes – requiring the triggering of events to “surface” them – to make them accessible for cleansing and healing.

If you’re familiar with inner healing and creative works of God then you know what I mean.

Simply, Christ was the first to experience inner healing completely, perfectly, body, soul, and spirit, from the enmity he inherited in his flesh.

That’s the theme running through much of Romans, 1 Corinthians 15, Galatians, 2 Corinthians 5, Ephesians, Philippians, Hebrews, and 1 Peter.

Christ was not born perfect, but made perfect.

That’s the journey he pioneered and the one we’ve been called, to be made whole, brides adorned for our husband and King, Jesus Christ.

He pioneered (Hebrews 2:10) completely and fully what many of us experience in a measure.

His miracle conception placed him in the position of Adam before the fall, with one exception – he had to redeem what Adam lost, starting with the enmity in his flesh first.

Else, how could the Messiah grace us with love and kindness, and know what we’re going through, our suffering, if he didn’t go through suffering first?

And God’s grace was with him from the beginning to walk him through the process, the long journey, of putting to death the enmity in his flesh.

That’s the glorious story of the New Testament, the perfection of Christ, the New Testament in his blood, a truly “new” testament because he sacrificed everything to the Father, made perfect, redeeming mankind – those who will come.

If you miss this understanding then you miss the glorious story of God, in Christ – reconciling the world to himself through the glorious work of grace, through faith, in Christ first, the “firstborn” of the wonder and magnificence of God – his offer of salvation through Christ.

Some Specifics

Isaiah 53:5 – 6 is a glorious portrayal of the baptism Christ underwent, the cup he drank, in his personal journey, fathered by God, becoming the source of salvation through his perfection.

It foretells the cure for sin, as seen by Isaiah from the balcony of heaven, described by Paul as “dying to sin” 700 plus years later in Romans, and, from the perspective of the priesthood, “being made perfect, once for all” by the author of Hebrews.

Christ brought to death agreements, lies, vows, curses, etc., “the enmity in the flesh” wounds and brokenness cultivate and breed, in the absence of the grace of God to receive care and forgive, giving no place to judgments and its companions.

Sin is the fruit of the seed, the “enmity,” “soiled and trampled ground, wounded, broken and shattered,” passed from parents to children since the time of Adam and Eve.

The enmity in Christ’s flesh was healed and restored by the Father, over a long journey, before his wounds and brokenness conceived sin (James 1).

For us it’s the opposite, we work back from the fruit of sin in our life to the root.

For Christ, his Father dealt with the root of enmity before it bore fruit, being made perfect, without sin.

(Remember in Matthew 15 Christ spoke about his Father uprooting everything his Father did not plant. Christ spoke from experience, totally invested in the truths he spoke – he was not a model as some contend.)

Nonetheless, an arduous and deadly spiritual battle, one from which Christ cried out strongly to his Father (Hebrews 5:7-10).

A man, made perfect, walking in resurrection life, yet, “…a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces…despised…held in low esteem.” (NIV, Isaiah 53:3)

Christ did not suffer from depression, had the joy of God in him like none other, yet, his outward countenance reflected his story, just like ours.

The only way to justly show the refining fire of gold he endured and was victorious, was the transfiguration to the three on the Mount, and even then, it was veiled, else they would have been too overwhelmed.

Christ suffered “wounds” to “wounds” in the grace and care of his Father in bringing the enmity in his flesh to death.

It is really no different from the cleansing and healing many are going through today, except in depth, intensity, and completeness, as Christ is the only one who never sinned in his journey, being fathered to perfection.

****

That was the battle to overcome: grace putting to death the unhealed and wounded areas passed to him through his ancestral line back to Adam.

Grace, the revelation of the Father’s care and love, “wounded” the structures that bore sin in Christ’s human ancestral line, bringing death to the enmity of the flesh in Christ, like no other.

For example, if a person has a particular family trait passed from generation to generation, an enmity, like a propensity to be arrogant, then that will require some kind of “wounding,” to be brought low, humbled, opened, exposed to the grace of God for cleansing and healing.

Or, for example, if a person has a particular family trait of iniquity, a deeply rooted propensity to connive and weave others into sinful behavior and lifestyles, it will require some kind of “piercing,” of the heart, mind, and spirit, to gain access and uproot, cleanse and heal the affected area with the love of God and truth.

In our culture we’ve lost the understanding of the power of words to “bind” and “loose,” and the power of the kingdom of darkness, through the law of sin, to afflict generations after generations with increasing intensity and cruelty through family lines.

That’s why the flood came, the Canaanites were driven out of the land of milk and honey, why Israel and later Judah went into captivity, why Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome, and why the Tribulation will come to pass someday.

God brought all that to an end in Christ, our substitute, so we can access the same grace that cleansed and healed him.

As Isaiah was quoted by Luke, ‘“‘…Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.’”’ (NIV, Luke 3:4 – 5)

Christ, our Messiah, High Priest, Savior, was not exempt from what we go through, in fact, he pioneered them perfectly, fulfilling all righteousness without sin, healed and restored, made perfect, the pattern for you and me.

****

We actually see the principle of wounding, to bring death to a system of beliefs and behaviors played out in Scripture.

The Antichrist system, symbolized in the last days as the Dragon, in Revelation 12 and 13, is said to have a death wound in chapter 13 verse three.

Can you imagine the sores and wounds afflicting those who champion Satan’s beliefs and manner of living in the last days?

He is a cruel taskmaster, afflicting his sons and daughters with the severest of wounds and brokenness.

In Revelation 13, those who have deep wounds, sustain a “wound,” bringing death, at some level, to the Antichrist’s kingdom of evil – its prominence and attraction – during the time of a sweeping global revival before the onset of the “times of trouble.”

It’s an obvious fact of life our inner wounds bring “wounding’s” back on our lives in one form or another.

You may call it bad fruit, but nonetheless, our inner wounds, left unhealed, will breed greater and greater anguish and cruelties to ourselves and others.

Important

David, a type of Christ, prefiguring the Messiah to come in his wilderness journey, spoke about his wounds in Psalm 109.

It foretells the journey of the Christ to come, and ours to follow.

David knew what it was like to suffer loss, to feel pain and sorrow because of being wounded – the wounding of his wounds – in order to produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

The wounding and piercings of Isaiah 53:5 is not the result of bad fruit.

But relationship interactions and events Christ was ushered into spontaneously by the Father, revealing hidden generational enmity – transgressions and iniquities – to the light of God.

And the revelation of the Father by grace brought care and love to areas of the heart, mind, and spirit, long held in the grips of generational sin.

And in that revelation and interaction with the Spirit of God, Christ received cleansing, healing and restoration by grace through faith, being fathered by God.

The old nature, the enmity in the flesh passed to Christ had to be humbled, wounded and pierced “cleansed,” to produce the matchless perfect man who would save you and me.

Finally, from heaven’s perspective, “wounding a wound,” brings disruption to that which contributes or would contribute, promotes or would promote, unrighteousness, causing pain or hurt to yourself, others, or God.

****

Another example.

If someone has a propensity to judge others about a particular area, they will invariably be tempted in the same way they’ve judged others.

That’s the law of sin.

If they succumb to the temptation and fall in the same trap, they will be wounded in the area of woundedness that bore the fruit of their judging.

And now their wound has been exposed, a conversation can now occur to find repentance, forgiveness, and cleansing and healing.

The wound to the wound has made the fruit evident, painfully, and now cleansing can come in repentance and forgiveness by grace through faith in the revelation of Christ.

You’ve stepped into the reality of your mess, your wound, and how broken you are.

And when the deep pain surfaces, you can begin to explore why you judged others and the roots.

God knows how to stir things up in our lives, whether, from a sinful area, or something lying dormant, under the surface, waiting for an opportune time to breed transgression or iniquity in our life and in the lives of others.

“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’

The words “‘once more’” indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” (NIV, Hebrews 12:26 – 27)

And the point of shaking is not to injure or harm us, just the opposite, to bring down the structures of sin in our life (and those lying hidden or dormant) hurting us and others.

To build, by grace through faith, relationship with God.

So our relationship with our self, others, and God, is done out of a pure heart.

Removing structures built by the law of sin requires a wounding, piercing, of those structures so Christ can rule in our hearts by grace through faith.

There is a death that must come to the law of sin to be healed and restored.

The journey of cleansing and healing, wounding and piercing the structures, whether they be active or dormant – the enmity of the flesh – started with Christ first for us to follow.

In John 14, in so many words, Jesus said he was going away, that he would not leave us as orphans, and he would prepare a place for us so we could be with him.

And what better place to prepare, than the various rooms of our heart and mind – his father’s house – the temples of our body made ready as a habitation for the Lord of glory.

I love the passion translation of Psalm 139 recently pointed out to me by a counselor, how God prepares our future, surrounding our past to keep us from harm:

“Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.
² You perceive every movement of my heart and soul,
and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind.
^3–4 You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.
You read my heart like an open book
and you know all the words I’m about to speak
before I even start a sentence!
You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.
⁵ You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way,
and in kindness you follow behind me
to spare me from the harm of my past.
You have laid your hand on me!” (TPT)

Christ is laboring in your life and mine to cleanse and heal our wounded and broken places before they can bring greater damage and destruction.

Salvation is not just about the present, and the future, but the cleansing of the past so the past does not repeat itself in our present and future.

And that includes wounding and piercing on all three fronts, bringing to death the choices we’ve made, the lies we’ve believed, and the vows we’ve made before they bring death and destruction in our lives.

And the mysterious work of grace and faith is the transformation of those areas in our members, formally held in bondage, into the nature of Christ – cleansed and healed – a fragrant offering of the fruit of the Spirit to ourselves, and others.

Christ was the first to partake of the deep grace of God, fulfilling the journey without sin unto perfection.

Though we sin, he’s called you and me into the same journey he pioneered for us, to be made in his likeness according to his desires and satisfaction.

Much more to come on Isaiah 53 in the next post.

Blessings, Drake

(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™

(TPT) Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

(A) The New Greek – English Interlinear New Testament by Translators Robert K. Brown and Philip W. Comfort, Editor: J. D. Douglas. Copyright © 1990. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.