Thank you for reading, Why God Became a Man. It was written primarily to the Church because it is primarily for the Church.
ITS BECOMING CLEARLY WHY
It is becoming clear why God inspired me to write this book at this time even though I have carried this revelation for many years. With each passing season in my life He has added new information and new insights line upon line, precept upon precept. All my previous attempts in years past to write resulted in frustration as I would initiate keystroke after keystroke only to find myself walking away after only a few paragraphs. But with everything under the sun there is a season and it appears this is now the fullness of time for this work.
SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
As I step back and catch my breath I see that this book is about the big picture. I have always been impressed about seeing the big picture before taking on a task. I had lived in California for over twenty years. It is a big state that is spread out and driving great distances is required if you want to get to a certain number of destinations.
In the preplanning stages of any road trip I need to see on a map the final destination. It helps me greatly to see the big picture as I survey the route from beginning to end. Once I have the end in sight then I can start at the beginning feeling confident I can arrive at the desired location.
Another example of seeing the big picture is the challenge of assembling jigsaw puzzles. I enjoy working jigsaw puzzles just as did my grandma. Jigsaw puzzles are very easy to work in the beginning but they become more difficult (challenging) as you progress. First of all you find the four corners. They are very easy to locate for they each have two straight edges that form a ninety degree angle.
After placing them in their respective locations you search for the border pieces. These too are easy to find for they have only one straight edge and three locking sections to the right, left and the center.
After you have successfully connected the pieces together and joined them to their respective corners you have established your border. Next we move to fill the interior of the puzzle as we ponder what is the image we are working to bring to life?
As all the pieces lay in disarray upon the table we begin to find a piece that interlocks with this piece and matches this color and so on until our frustration levels begin to elevate. It is at this time we grab for the puzzle box top and see what the image is to be. Now we have vision for the journey which creates focus upon each individual piece in determining where its place in the puzzle fits.
THE BIG PICTURE OF LIFE
The big picture is to life what the box top is to the jigsaw puzzle. It provides us clear direction and understanding of what the future holds and who holds the future. He who holds the future is the same He who inspired the Holy Scriptures and what a wonder they are.
I have endeavored to walk you through the Scriptures rather quickly in order to share ‘The Revelation’ with you, the reader. I believe Holy Spirit wants the church to have the big picture regarding the Creation Continuum.
One of the key points of scripture that has been overlooked by the church is the two-fold purpose of the cross. In the presentation of the gospel message of Jesus Christ in American churches only one purpose is proclaimed.
It is the message of salvation from sin as we repent from rebellion and embrace righteous living. This single purpose message has been so interwoven into the fabric of the church it lends itself to overtones of humanism.
Humanism in its’ purest form declares that the end of all being is the happiness of man. The gospel of Jesus Christ in its’ purest form declares that the end of all being is the glory of God. The American gospel preached in many churches makes Jesus Christ and His atoning death as a means to an end rather than the end. How this has happened can clearly be understood when the second purpose of the cross is not included.
That second purpose is that Jesus came to destroy the devil and his works. God sent Jesus into to the world to take away sin and destroy the devil. There was a twofold purpose to the cross and God became a Man to accomplish both. This was done in order to restore order in His creation which will produce free moral agents that willingly & obediently follow God for all of eternity future. God became a man to destroy rebellion and sin once and for all.
Now lest you error and embrace the humanistic side of the message let me stop you. Yes the death and resurrection of Jesus did in fact remove the penalty of sin from your life. Also He is working daily in your life to destroy the works of the devil that have been operating since you were a little child.
If you truly repented you can take confidence knowing that you have been freed from the penalty of sin. As you live everyday you are being set free from the power of sin as you walk in newness of life and holiness. A life continued like this until you die will result in your standing in the company of Jesus forever free from the presence of sin. What a wonderful thing to know that you have endured to the end and have been found faithful.
While this is all true and a part of His plan it is not THE PLAN. In order for you and me to experience this life in Christ, God Himself came to die on a cruel cross to defeat sin and destroy the devil and his works. THE PLAN was the destruction
of Lucifer and all his works. The creation and salvation of man was a significant piece of the puzzle in large part because humanity was the vehicle He chose to create and become in order to accomplish THE PLAN.
His plan to destroy Lucifer came as a result of his actions which were the natural outworking of his choices. If Lucifer had remained as he was created then there would be no need for the cross.
I said earlier in ‘The Revelation’ I did not know exactly what Lucifer said to the angels that followed him. What I do know is what he did. Scripture makes it clear that Lucifer came against the Name of God.
What is in a name? Let us just reflect for a moment upon a few names; Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. How significant are those names in American history? As you read them what images came to your mind? Did you reflect upon their presidencies? Maybe it was how they died. Could it be you know a little about their families and that is what you pondered? Maybe your mind went to the character of these men and how they lived their lives. I would submit to you that their names, just like yours and mine, suggest a personal character.
When people hear your name or my name what image of our character pops into their mind? Do they smile warmly or grimace while they shake their heads? Our name is very important for it is a reflection of us. Not convinced yet? Let me call out a few more names from American history. Ponder upon the names of John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald and John Hinckley Jr. Did my experiment work? Did you associate these names with a personal character that will forever go down in the annuals of human history as being deviant and detestable?
What Lucifer did in eternity past was come against the Name of God and so tempted the angels that one-third joined in the angelic anarchy. What transpired in the heavenly realm then can be seen daily played out in our world.
If we understand that Jesus called Satan, “the ruler of this world” then we can expect to see his actions and desires emulated. How often do we hear God’s name being used as a curse word to show disgust? How many times have other people been accused of things they did not do in order for someone else to gain an advantage over them? Has anyone ever lied about you to make you look bad?
The Name of God is blasphemed, blamed and bounced around in such an unflattering and unholy way that it is glaringly apparent what Lucifer did. God is unfairly blamed for virtually everything negative that happens upon this earth. If He is not blamed for causing it then He is impugned for allowing it to happen. God cannot catch a break in the kingdom of darkness upon planet earth.
Yet God is not fazed by any of humanities insensitivities because He has shown His love to them by becoming a man to die on a cross. Satan and this kingdom have but a short time left before it is all wrapped up. He knows his time is short and he is desperately looking for souls to precede him into hell.
What about you dear reader? Are you looking to Jesus as a means to your end or have you rightly seen that He is THE END! If you think that Jesus did all that He did just so you and God could live together forever then you have bitten from the apple of gospel humanism.
God became a Man to rid His creation of sin and the devil. In doing so He made a way so you and I could live forever with Him. God has rightly esteemed His Name to all of creation in heaven and the earth. The church daily exalts the Name of God
when we pray, ‘Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy Name.’ His Bride, the Church knows He is a wonderful God as we look forward to the day of the wedding feast. The angels in heaven continue to embrace the glory and majesty of that Wonderful Name as they did on the day of Lucifer’s rebellion.
All the hordes of hell itself will never admit what they know is true…God is good and the devil is a liar for time and eternity has proven such.
So what does this all mean for me the Christian? It means that we are to willingly take up His cross daily, esteem others greater than ourselves, abide in His love, walk in the Spirit and go from fruit, to more fruit to much fruit.
I am exhorting the body of Christ to understand that without holiness no man will see the Lord. If we do not build our life on the rock by obeying the teachings of Jesus we will be cast away.
Let me ask you this…If you were hauled into court to stand before a judge would there be enough evidence from your life to convict you of being a Christian? If not then you will probably miss heaven upon your death only to spend eternity in the lake of fire.
We are called to a radical obedience to Christ here on the earth because this is where we prove that we will not rebel against Him in the new heaven and the new earth. This life is the place where we live by faith to one day have faith unfold into reality.
By putting to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit we will live in eternity future. For us Christians we are just passing through this life until we are absent from the body and present with the Lord.
I hear the echoes of ‘legalism” ringing in my mind so let me address that. Did you know Jesus issued commandments that He expects His disciples to obey? Jesus said, “A new commandment
I give to you that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this they will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.”
The New Testament teaches that when we obey this one commandment we are in fact obeying each of the original Ten Commandments. James, the half brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem wrote, ‘If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” you do well.’ Paul echoed these sentiments years later in his epistle to the churches of Galatia when he said, ’For all the law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ’
Paul then took the occasion of his epistle to the Romans to expound further by proclaiming, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves one another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal, “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandments, all are summed up in the saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Yet Paul’s greatest treaty on love is found in his writing to the church at Corinth. The thirteenth chapter of his first letter depicts the love God has for, and is available to all humanity. It is this selfless, unconditional love we are to extend to each other in the church and to humanity at large. Doing so proves we are His disciples indeed. If we will practice love every day in every way then we will securely abide in His love.
This abiding has great reward for Jesus will manifest Himself to us along with Him and the Father making their home with us. If they come and make their home with us now then assuredly one day when we enter through death’s doorway we will live with them there also. If we abide not in His love then we do not love Him.
Dear Christian Holy Spirit wanted the Church to see the big picture so she can understand why He did what He did. If we are truly born again then we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. And as such we are to live as children of the light. Failing to do so will bring grave consequences.
To choose your own path in life by rejecting His commandment is your choice to do but understand you can not call Him your Lord. I beg you to choose wisely whose words and teachings you will follow here on the earth for doing so proves who you align yourself with, God or Satan.
