Part 2 of 5 – A New Relationship... Established in Pure Grace

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Fellowship of the Mystery.

 

What actually happened in that moment we received Christ as our personal Savior? Let's now look closer at this new relationship that believers today can enjoy with God via their salvation in Christ and by their union with Christ in their human spirit.

All true believers have entered into a mutually abiding union with Christ, whether they avail their self of it or not. Our union with Christ was received the moment we first believed, when in that moment Holy the Spirit placed us baptized or immersed us (with a 'dry baptism') into Christ's body, where we are sealed and secure "In Him."

1 Corinthians 12:13a For by one Spirit are we all baptized (placed or immersed) INTO ONE BODY..."

Ephesians 1:13 (Christ) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

This is not a baptism "in the Spirit," but rather an immersion into Christ's body, which consists of all genuine the believers, regardless of denomination. This is "the church, which is His body…" (Eph 1:22b-23a). Thus our new life is "in Christ." We may now enjoy all that Christ has done for us in reconciliation, forgiveness, redemption, justification, and we stand in His righteousness.

Now let's go on to note the 2nd half of 1 Corinthians 12:13 (above).

1 Corinthians 12:13bwhether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether be bond or free; and (We) HAVE BEEN ALL MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT.

There are two key matter sin this one verse. First, the Spirit places us into Christ's body, covering us with Christ's righteousness - to establish our imputed standing "in Christ." Then also each of us is "made to drink into the one Spirit (of the Lord)." At the moment of salvation Christ as "that Spirit" (2Cor 3:17) came Into Us. This 'drinking in of the Spirit,' demonstrates that not only are we counted righteous "in Him" but His righteous life is in us. He in us empowers us to live a righteous Christian life.

Gentiles in this age already enjoy the mutuality of us "in Him" and 'He in us,' which we enjoy as of "the grace of God." This fulfills Jesus' John 17 prayer also for Israel who one day will enjoy the same relationship. In this prayer Jesus longs for a mutual indwelling union with His Messianic believers of Israel, when they will one day enjoy Him in the yet coming "Kingdom," when He returns to earth.

John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name( Father), and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I IN THEM.

In His first coming Christ came principally so that Messianic Jewish believers might have His life in them to give them a relationship with God the Father as His reborn offspring, but they rejected Him..

Jn 1:12 as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the SONS OF GOD, even to them that believe (trust in, cling to and rely upon) on his name:

Acts 4:12 for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1Jn 3:1a Behold, what manner of love THE FATHER hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.

It was God's eternal plan to save Gentiles by His grace, apart from the Law, to bring us into this precious 'relationship' by union with Him. This was made possible only through His grace offering of Jesus at the cross "For Us." We gain Christ when we received Him freely... to live in us.

2 Tim. 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to HIS OWN PURPOSE and GRACE, which WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN,

Let's consider past dispensations or economies of relationship that man has had with God in order to better see and appreciate the unique precious relationship we today have by the Lord within us in this age of "the dispensation of the grace of God." The fact is that no past relationship has met God's desire or mankind's need for intimate union with God. Now consider these four past dispensations.

  1. The age of the "Innocence" ended with Adam's fall, by which 'Sin' entered the world of man.

Genesis 3:24 So he (God) drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world...

  1. The age of "Conscience" came by eating of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" ended with sin-infected man mankind  being destroyed by the Noahic flood.

Genesis 6:5-6 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

  1. The age of "Human Government" ended with man's rebellion against God at Babel and God then confounded their languages to disunite them in their activism against god.

Gen 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

  1. Then, out of divided mankind God called one man to follow Him; Abram believed God's great "Promise." Though God gave Abraham only minor requirements... he also failed.

Then Abraham lineage, the children of Israel, rejected God's "Law" for them and its way of salvation. Thus God's "Promise" of 'the King and His Kingdom' to Abraham for his seed, Israel, is now 'set aside' due to their "fall of them" (Rom (10:10-11) by rejecting of "the Lord," then also the Messiah, and then also the Holy Spirit. Thus Israel is "blinded" for a season, during this Gentile age "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" by their rapture to heaven.

Romans 11:25 I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits;   that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Israel first rejected God and His prophets that He sent them in the Old Testament, then they killed Messiah of the Gospels, and then they stoned Stephen representing the Holy Spirit in Acts 7. Israel and "the dispensation of 'the Law" was then set aside for a time. Meanwhile, God has turned to the Gentiles during this age of the Apostle Paul's "the gospel of the grace of God."

Rom 10:4 For Christ is 'the end of the law' for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Rom 6:14b ... are not under the law, but under grace.'

Col. 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (written laws) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might BE JUSTIFIED BY THE FAITH OF CHRIST, and NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW: for BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.

Now a new relationship, one that is built upon the pure grace God and expressed in the giving of His Son for the sins of mankind, has come to the predominantly Gentile "body of Christ." The Apostle, Paul brought the message of a grace relationship for us in this age of "the dispensation of the grace of God."

Ephesians 3:1-5 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD which is given me (Paul) to you-ward (the believers): 3 How that by revelation he (Christ) made known unto me 'the mystery' (Gk. musterion, 'secret' plan of God); (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in 'the mystery' of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was Not Made Known unto the sons of men, as it is Now Revealed unto his holy apostles (sent ones) and prophets (forth tellers) by the Spirit;