Sunday June 5 2022 House Not Made With Hands

So, our aim is to just talk about this a little briefly and. And we will have pretty much gone through most of 1st Corinthians 15 and will be winding down in the very near future. Good morning to you, Eric and Connie and Julie. Great to see you. All right. So, in 2nd Corinthians chapter 3. Remember, when we were laying the foundation for this chapter. We looked at the transition from the ministration of death to the ministration of righteousness. And this theme is carried through chapters 3, chapter 4, chapter 5. And even chapter 6, and I think it ends in chapter 7 in verse 1, as far as the discussion. Of this particular point it's concerned, and so the ministration of death, of course, was the old covenant morning to you, Maryland. Written and engraved on stones is 2nd Corinthians 3 and verse 7 says, but notice in verse 6, when it talks about the contrast between the two. It says that they were made ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter. But of the Spirit. Or the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. So, the distinction between the 2 is that 1 was administration of death, the other was administration of life. And this is how we should see the 2 worlds, if you please, the 2 covenant worlds that Israel lived in. And those covenant worlds determine the extent to which Israel could go in their quest to be in the favor of God. From that perspective, if you're in a covenant that is administration of death, then the highest objective you can receive, unless you keep the covenant. Faithfully, without any infractions against it. Of course, you could obtain life because the commandment was designed to give life. However, if you failed, and of course they did, Peter said that none of them could keep the law. And therefore, it resulted in death. And another aspect of that covenant was that sins were remembered every year. And that's Hebrews chapter 10. That says, for the law having a shadow of good things about to come, but not the very image of those things, could never with those same sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the worshipers perfect. He says, for then would they not have ceased to be offered. But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance of sins every year for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin. So, we have to see that world, we have to see that covenant sphere, that covenant world as a world where they needed to have the atonement every year because of the remembrance of sins. And it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin. So, that world was dominated by sin. And of course, sin is that which causes death. Good morning to you, Paul. I haven't seen you in a while. And David, it's good to see you as well. Levera and Beatrice. So, that's what was going on. And that is the world in which they were living. And that's what we are saying when we are talking about Christ coming as the Lamb of God in John 1 verse 29 to take away the sin of the world. That world where sin dominated so that no matter what the person did, trying to keep the law, they failed under it in the sense that once they transgressed, they were guilty of the whole law and therefore they could never keep it. So, in that sense, it's administration of death. That's the world where sin dwelt from that perspective. And I think that's a very important one. So, when we look in Hebrews 9 in verse 26, for example, where the text says, after speaking of all those sacrifices that were offered, it says, he then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world. But now, once at the end of the ages, he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So, Christ was going to put away that process in the old covenant where they had to keep offering these sacrifices of bulls and goats because sin was remembered every year. Because once he died, instituted the new covenant, he brought about a situation where sins are no more remembered. And hence, administration of life. Because it's sin that brings death and therefore would keep one out of the presence of God. And so, Christ has come, he has dealt with that issue, and now we have administration of life where sins are no more remembered. So, that was the difference in the glory between the old and the glory of the new. And that was also their hope for that process to be completed. And the Bible says we only have one hope. So, that hope toward which they were looking was that transition out of that administration of death to the administration of righteousness. And that was also their resurrection. And he was the first to make that transition and transformation out of it. According to Luke 9 and verse 31, the word is exodus. When Moses and Elijah met and spoke with Christ, they spoke of his decease, which he would accomplish at Jerusalem. But that word decease is the word exodus. So, he's making an exodus out of a system of bondage and death into the new covenant world, as we were just explaining a moment ago. Now, that is very, very significant because that's the power of his death. But there's something else that we should look at regarding the death of Christ. And I want to take us back to Romans for just a quick moment before we move on into chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians. When we look at Romans chapter 6, the very text that we were covering before that we've demonstrated is directly related to 2 Corinthians. The Bible says, therefore, we were buried with him. I'll start at verse 3 because Paul is talking about, shall we continue in the sin that the grace may abound, God forbid. Good morning, Sugar Bear and Stephen. Certainly not. How shall we who die to the sin live any longer in it? So, he's dealing with the sin that entered the world through Adam. And those definite articles are very important. Good morning, Ron. And so, he says, or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Now, that is very, very significant. They were baptized into his death. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death. Into what death? Into his death. That just as Christ was raised from the dead or out of the dead ones is what the text is telling us. That Christ was raised out of the dead ones. So, this is the same phrase. This is the same wording that is used in 1 Corinthians 15 when it talks about Christ being raised out of the dead ones. And therefore, it's very, very important. I'm just kind of looking on my screen to find the, yeah, there it is in Romans 6.4. I could even share the screen, but, you know, since most people don't know Greek, it'll look Greek to you. So, I'm not going to do it. But in Romans 6.4, the point that I want to make is Romans 6.4 speaks about the death of Christ. And it says that this death of Christ is the resurrection out of the dead ones. That's the same phrase used in 1 Corinthians 15 when it says if Christ is preached, that he has been raised out of the dead ones, the nekron. So, that's number one in understanding the resurrection of Christ. This is not focused on his body in the tomb, but it's focused on Christ coming out of the dead ones, being raised out of the dead ones. Now, get the import of this. If we were buried with him through baptism into death, so therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, into his death. Now, what was his death? It was the resurrection out of the dead ones. That just as Christ was raised from the dead or raised out of the dead ones by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Now, what that's telling us is that when the believers died with Christ, they entered into his death out of the dead ones. But they are not physically dead. As he was. And this phrase, even so we also should walk in newness of life, means that when Christ was raised, he walked in newness of life. He's in a whole new world. He's no longer in that world dominated by sin and death, but he's in that new covenant world of the Spirit. And therefore is walking in newness of life. And that had nothing to do with his physical body in terms of a change because he proved that his physical body was the same body that went into the tomb, still had the wound prints in it. And he told him to fill them and touch and see that it is I myself for spirit does not have flesh and bone as you see I have. And he ate fish and a honeycomb with them, etc. But if that is the meaning of walking in newness of life for Christ, and then the text says, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Speaking of the apostles and the church at Rome at that time, then that has to be the meaning of walking in newness of life. And it has nothing to do with the body coming out of the ground, as far as the believers are concerned. And we've shown that even where Christ was concerned, this was not about his body in the tomb. Even though it was through his death, physical death, that this exit took place, but that is the deeper meaning of the death of Christ. And it's overlooked, minimized, or just disregarded. But that is the essence of Jesus's death. And that's what we need to see. Now, I've gone over the error subjunctive several times saying that they should walk. And that's where the future of first Corinthians comes in. That's where the future aspect of Christ being raised out of the dead ones and the dead ones having to be raised later comes in. Now, another point about the death of Christ that directly relates to 2 Corinthians 5 is that this is Christ operating or functioning as the high priest. Because he offered up his own blood for sin. And that goes back to the thesis of the chapter. He offered up his own blood for sin. So the death of Christ was a priestly offering. And in that sense, the element of tabernacle is there. The concept of tabernacle is embedded into the very essence of these verses, even though it says nothing about the tabernacle. But if we talk about the death of Christ, we're talking about his priesthood purging our sins or purging sin through his priesthood. And the work of the priest was in the most holy place of the temple. That's what's involved. So this is temple typology, even in Romans chapter 6 that we need to see. But the other point that I want to bring out is in 2 Corinthians 5, we're going to be talking about the mortal body. Mortality being swallowed up of life. Well, when you look in 1 Corinthians, I'm sorry, Romans chapter 6. But in 1 Corinthians 2, we have the mortal body there. We have a mortal body here. And we have a mortal body in 2 Corinthians. But notice in verse 6, and let me point something else out while I'm here in Romans chapter 6. In verse 5, the text says, for if we have been united with Christ or united together in the likeness of his death. And we just define that death as the death out of the dead ones. The text says if we have been united with Christ. Now the word united is absolutely just explosive with meaning. Because it's from sum futos. So sum futos, I don't know how to pronounce it. Sum being the prefix meaning together. And futos from the word phuo means to plant, to sow. If you're talking about seeds to germinate, etc. And therefore, this is the sowing involved. So they were being sown into the very death of Christ that was out of the dead ones. Christ was raised out of the dead ones. And they were sown into that very death. So the believers were sown at this point. And that parallels what happened in 1 Corinthians 15. That's also connected to what happens in 1 Corinthians 15. But see, here's the point. Most people believe that when you talk about sowing, you're only talking about something that is no longer physically alive. Because they want to talk about the sowing of the body. Is when you put the body, the physical body goes to the ground. At least that's what many say. That's putting the physical body in the ground. But that doesn't fit Paul's seed analogy. Either in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 35 and 36. Nor does it fit right here in Romans chapter 6. And I hope that you're following this point. Let me get off the screen so I can see what's happening on Facebook. All right, good morning to you, Gail. Okay, so that point that I was making is they are sown together with Christ. When they enter into his death through baptism. His death out of the dead ones. So they're entering into that very death. Now here's the point. When we get to, oh, I was talking about the body of sin. So in verse 6, that's what I was about to. And that's why it says we should be in the likeness of his resurrection. Then he says, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him. That the body of sin, that's a conjunction of purpose. In order that the body of sin might be destroyed or done away with. That we should no longer be slaves of sin. So there was an old man that was crucified. There was a body. It wasn't many bodies. It was a body. It was the body of sin that was crucified with him. In order that it might be done away. That might be done away is error subjunctive. The subjunctive is the case of the future. But by using the errors in connection with it, it indicates a past that had already begun. So it's this already but not yet concept. And I've covered that before. But the point that I wanted you to see is this is the mortal body of the text. This is the only body that has been spoken of as dying. Mortal means subject to death or dying. That which is capable of dying, etc. But the moment you mention mortal to these futurists. All they think about is skin. All they think about is your physicality. Is your physical body. But in context of Romans 6. The only body that he's spoken of by dying with Christ. Into his resurrection. Which was the resurrection out of the dead ones. Was this body of sin. This singular body of sin. So when he gets down. And by the way. When you get to verse 9. It will say knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead. Dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died. He died to sin once for all. But the life that he lives. He lives to God. And that's that newness of life we were talking about. And hence he tells them likewise. You also reckon yourselves to be dead. Indeed to sin. So they have to reckon it. Because that's an accounting term. It was like a post-dated check. On their complete deliverance from sin. The consummation of that process. And therefore the full payment had not been made. Because the atonement would not be consummated. Until the time of the parousia. The coming of the Lord. And so that's why he says in verse 12. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body. Now what body? They've been speaking of. That had sin reigning in it. It was the body. Of Adam. And Moses. Just as Romans 5 says. For through one man. Thus sin into the world. Now watch this. In first Corinthians 15 and verse 21. The Bible says. For as by one man. The death. Came into the world. Even so by one man. Came also the resurrection of the dead. Now let me ask the question. Is the death. That came through the one man. In first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 21. Different from the death. That came through one man. In Romans chapter 5. And verse 12. Are these two different Adams. And two different. The death. Or is it the same Adam. In both places. And if the same Adam. Why not the same death. And that's the death that they're dealing with. And then watch in verse 14. It says nevertheless. The sin reign. From Adam to Moses. So that's why we're dealing with. The ministration of death. Because the sin. Which was the sin of Adam. It was just exacerbated in Moses. It abounded. The offense of Adam. Abounded when the law entered. And hence that's why we're dealing with. That point. But that's the mortal. It's Adam. And the death that came through him. So. And we're dealing with. Adam as a federal head. Just like Moses is a federal head. Those are basically covenantal concepts. So when he says. Therefore do not let sin reign. In your mortal body. Notice he calls it your mortal body. But isn't that what he said. About the body of sin. Our old man. So it was their old man too. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body. Because see that body was in the process. Of being destroyed. But that is the mortal body. That you should obey it in its loss. That we should not serve sin. Now. Verse 13. Is very very key. And I want you to get what it says. It says and do not present. Your members as instruments. Of unrighteousness. To sin. And if I'm not mistaken. I got to go back and just double check. The Greek text again on that. There it is. Do not present your members. As instruments of righteousness. To the sin. See he's dealing with the same sin. That was being developed in chapter 5. All the way through chapter 6. Which was the sin of Adam. That brought the death through Adam. So do not present your members. As instruments of unrighteousness. To the sin. But present yourselves. Now watch this phrase very very carefully. But present yourselves to God. As being alive. Out of the dead ones. Now. Let me see if that really. Sunk in with you. Present yourselves. To God as being alive. Out of the dead ones. How did they get out of the dead ones? By dying with Christ through baptism. Being sown with him. Into his death. Which was his death out of the dead ones. This is what the Romans. The living people entered into. So are you telling me. That you could actually. Enter into the death of Christ. Out of the dead ones. Without having to be. Physically dead. So what that's telling us. Is. Romans 6. Has to be. The same resurrection. Of 1 Corinthians 15. But we can see that the resurrection of Romans 6. Has nothing to do with the physical body. Going into the ground. And coming out of it. It has to do with the priestly work of Christ. And the atonement. And Christ coming out of the dead ones. And there being raised through going. Or being baptized into his death. And being raised out of the dead ones also. So living believers. Were raised out of the dead ones. Now. The Bible says. When it talks about sowing. That which you sow. Is not made alive unless it dies. So whatever is sown. Has to be alive. Now we know the physical. The Romans were physically alive. Right. But they didn't physically die in Christ. So that they could get. A new spiritual body. Individual physical body. That's not what happened. But what were they alive to. When they died with Christ. They were alive to sin. And when they died with him. They rose out. The body of sin. Into the body of righteousness. Or the body of Christ. Now if they are sown with Christ. That has to be the same. Sowing of the dead ones. In first Corinthians 15. When the question is asked right after Paul says. Awake to righteousness. And do not sin. For some if not the knowledge of God. I speak to your shame. He says but someone will say. How are the dead ones raised up. And with what body do they come. And he says. Oh foolish one. That which you sow. Is not made alive unless it dies. Well wait a minute. How were the dead ones. Going to die physically. Makes no sense whatsoever. They have already experienced physical death. But if they are going to be. Sown with Christ. They have to die. Which means they got to be alive to something. And what they were alive to was sin. That's why they were in Hades. To begin with. And that's why. First Corinthians 15 is dealing with that. Both in the beginning of the chapter. At the end of the chapter. And all the way through the chapter. Just like Romans 5. All the way through Romans 8. That destroys. Futurism. And physical body resurrection. It just can't happen. So that's what. Their sowing was the same sowing. For the same reason. That the New Testament believers. The living ones. They all shared in the same one death of Christ. Which was the death out of the dead ones. The living had been raised out of it. And the dead ones were being raised. Out of it. And the living ones had to be consummated. In that process. That's why he said they should walk in newness of life. And they shall be in the likeness. Of his resurrection. Now with that background in mind. And we've identified the mortal body. Etc. And we see the covenantal transition. From the ministration of death. In first Corinthians. And I'm just about out of time. I mean in second Corinthians. But I feel like that was an important concept. So when we get to second Corinthians chapter 5. And he says. For we know that if our earthly house. Our is plural. House is singular. What is the house? The house is the church of God. The old covenant body of Moses. The church. From that point of view. The old covenant church if you please. The house of God. The temple. That whole old covenant cultus. We know that if our earthly house. They're still calling it theirs. From a Hebraic perspective. Is destroyed. This tent is destroyed. So he's saying it would be destroyed. He didn't say it would be raised up. When the Bible speaks about the body of sin. What did he say over in Romans? He said that the body of sin. Might be destroyed. Not raised up. We have a building. From God. A house not made with hands. Eternal in the heavens. So there's the contrast. Between the two tabernacles. One house was a house built with hands. Representative of the old covenant system. The other house was a house. Not made with hands. And the first time we see that phrase. It refers to the kingdom. But when you understand that the kingdom. Is a temple. And God's throne was in the temple. Christ sits at the right hand of the majesty. On high a minister of the true sanctuary. Which the Lord pitched. And not man. So this is God's throne. This is the kingdom of God. Doesn't 1 Corinthians 15 50 say. But flesh and blood shall not inherit. The kingdom of God. So the kingdom of God is the body. It's the spiritual body. It's the eternal. Yes it's eternal. But it's also the incorruptible inheritance. That's what they were inheriting. The kingdom. It's the incorruptible inheritance. Well didn't Paul say. They were raised. In corruption. That's the kingdom. Of God. Now I wanted to talk about this. In verse 2. So on next week. When we come back. We're going to talk about why. They are groaning. And why it was necessary for this groaning. To take place. With a view to resurrection. And you find it all over the Bible. In terms of the eschatological. Resurrection. This groaning. It's an exodus motif. And therefore indicates coming out of bondage. And we will see. How this relates. And. This covenant clothing. But I feel like that was foundational. For us to see the connectivity. Between Romans 6 1st Corinthians 15. And coming out of that same death. That Christ died. And that that is coming out of the mortal body. So when we see mortality. Etc. In 2nd Corinthians 5. We understand what we're dealing with. Well that's the message for this morning. I want to thank you for listening. And. Ron is saying the rapture. And I know he's got that in quotes. So I know what he means by that. Was when Christ appeared the 2nd time. Out of the most holy to bless. And finish the atonement which was not complete. Until he did so that's correct. Then to ones who remained. Were caught up or raised up out of the dead ones. Into the body of Christ. Alright so there you have it. So with that be sure and share the video. Leave any comments that you have. Any questions that you have. And I thank you for listening. I'm William Bell. Have a great week. And may God bless you all.