Christ's 4 "Faces" (Our RE-Creator)

CHRIST'S 4 "FACES" (OUR RE-CREATOR!)

The first time someone told me they didn't "believe" in "original sin" (as it is called), I think I said something like, "I didn't know we had that option: to accept or reject (as concept rather than fact) man's sinful nature!". What I meant by that, of course, was that it seemed so obvious to me (and was certainly proved by MY awful character!) that man had to undergo a radical change, or else what did he need God for?

Jesus said "impossible with man, but all things are possible with God!". I wasn't sure I could understand "Salvation" apart from the need of it! Indeed, it was pretty clear man wouldn't permit it (that's right, I said permit!) without first being convinced (by the Holy Spirit, not man!) of his own wretched empty-uselessness and desperately doomed condition. Experience alone taught me this, as it was certainly true in my own re-Birth! In fact, to this day, I cannot (for the Life of me!) understand why God Loved me unto the conversion of my Salvation! No, I was lost - really lost! I knew the evil ways that controlled me; & that I was helpless to overcome!

Jn 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." But why? Why the need for re-birth? And is this "re-birth" similar to re-incarnation? That's a good question! Actually, it's more like "re-Creation", (being Created ANEW, or all over again - fresh!). The Egyptians believed in re-incarnation - that's why they mummified people! But they had the idea that "life after death" was an extension of this life! So, they tried to preserve this life; to be restored again after death. But that's not what we're taught in scripture!

Jesus said "render unto "Caesar" (i.e., Satan!) what belongs to him, and to God what belongs to him!". This carnal body is dust and belongs (returns to) this world (the Province & Dominion of Satan). And no man (soul) born of water only (flesh) belongs to God! Jesus said we had to be born again unto GOD! Only then do we "belong" (are possessed by, and a possession of) God (In-Christ). The flesh? God lets it rot! He merely leaves it behind like any moth or butterfly leaves it's "former house" (shell)! Indeed Paul says in I Cor 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."

So how does this "re-Creation" process occur? How does it happen? Again, Paul gives us a clue in I Cor 1:30 "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: "Here we see four (4) dimensions (for lack of a better word) of Christ's Manifestation to us!

Jn 14:21 (Jesus) "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will MANIFEST myself to him." This "manifesting" of Christ to us needs to be "seen" in the "light" of other scripture to be fully appreciated!

He 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith"; II Cor 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The Greek verb (here translated "are changed into") "metamorphoomai" means literally metamorphized as changed from a worm to a butterfly!

It's worth noting that it is the death of the worm which gives birth (through the "chrysalis stage") to the butterfly! As we "consider Jesus" (He 12:3), we "behold" Him as "manifested" unto us, and are changed into HIS image. And, as our Heavenly Father Who "seeth in secret" "views" us (He 4:13 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."), so .....Jn 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;"

So, "seeing" is "believing"; and "believing" is "beholding"; and "beholding" is "becoming"; and "becoming" is being "born" new!, by the death of flesh (we're baptized into His Death) and being raised into His Life (we're re-created by His Breathing NEW BREATH [Holy Spirit] into us as was done with Adam's dust!).

And it's all done with "MIRRORS"! That is, as Jesus Christ Perfectly "reflects" The Father, so we (as we "behold" Him) also reflect The Father in Christ! But as this process (I call it "crossess") takes place, Christ also "Becomes" unto us!

Here are His "four (4) faces"! (For the sake of analysis, I'll reverse them (as seen in a mirror): God is made (in Christ) 1-REDEMPTION, 2-SANCTIFICATION, 3-RIGHTEOUSNESS, 4-WISDOM.

These four "faces" of God comprise His Whole Plan of Redemption to us! They are how He Re-Creates us by Re-Birth of His Holy Spirit by the Blood of His Son! And the list has meaning in both directions! 1-"Bought back"; 2-"Cleaned-up", made "presentable"; 3-"Named" as His!; 4-"Honored with Royalty"! This much might seem obvious. But when we view the process as Paul presents it, (reversed), it exhorts us with a solemn warning (Salvation is not only first, but also LAST! As Jesus said; 'the first is last, the last is first!').

1-(Wisdom) the Light of the Holy Spirit Exposes our sin AND sin-NATURE! 2-(Sanctification) by a process of condemnation ("conviction") of sin by the Law (sin's own power!), and the Grace of God's Faith indwelling the believer, we are brought unto repentance & "cleansed of all unrighteousness"! 3-(Righteousness) having been "set right" with God, our "hands", "feet", "head", "heart", yes, even our "tongue" (and all our "ways") now "obey" and "keep" His "ways" (commandments, Written, AND Spoken, (as) "My sheep hear My Voice) - (Jesus commands us: Mat 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.").

And there's no use our listening to our flesh whine, "But I can't be perfect!", because: Mat 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them...nothing shall be impossible unto you." And Paul said: Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" No, Righteousness is nothing less than the very "Perfection" of Jesus Christ! Nothing less is acceptable to God!

And finally, 4-(Redemption!) Salvation is Ultimate (final, complete, "Perfect") only if it is Eternal! There is a very big difference between "deliverance" and "Salvation"! We tend to blur the distinctions with common use of these words. But, make no mistake, God is not confused about these differences! This has led to an evil misconception!

Some people have concluded that Salvation is possible with Christ as Saviour, but not as Lord! But even Christ, (if He is not Lord of all your life), cannot, WILL NOT Save you! The entire book of Hebrews was written to emphasize this single point! Salvation apart from Christ's LORDSHIP is a LIE! This delusion ("Mystery Babylon") is "Jezebel"! She has always fought God head-on, and taught man that he could "do" without God!

God has said: Zech 4:6 "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." And again: Ezk 36:27 "And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye SHALL keep my judgments, and DO them."

Here then, is the NEWBIRTH of His Holy Spirit in us as Promised! But His Own children who were; delivered by Him; walked with Him; Named by Him; fed by Him; defended by Him; honored by Him; kept (miraculously!) by Him; led by Him; taught by Him; and Loved by Him (deeply!); ALL (but two souls!) died of "snakebite" (eventually) & failed to "enter into the Promise" because of sin (unbelief) - that is, they refused to allow God to be LORD in their lives! (LOOK & LIVE!).

Oh, they "read His book", all right! But no one ever really gets to know an author merely by reading his book! And, although His Words are Alive, unless we share them with Him, and learn to love having Him Share them with us, we never get to Know HIM! And knowing Him is His test!

Deut 8:2-3 "And thou shalt remember all the ways which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." Deut 4:35 "Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him."

THIS is man's Salvation! And in Christ, God made it Personal! He came in Person, Manifested Himself to us, so that our "knowledge" of Him might be intimate, Loving and Fruitful! Our re-Creation of NEW-Birth in Christ is because He "showed" Himself to us. As we "behold" Him "High and lifted up", we "see" and "believe" and are "changed" by His Perfection. As God has made us to "mirror" (reflect) His Image, so we now see His Image in Jesus Christ!

May the Wisdom of the "fear of the Lord" *Who* is Jesus Christ be unto us Sanctification unto Righteousness; (even) Salvation!