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Inheritance of Abraham

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Israel’s possession of Canaan was an earlier stage in God’s redemptive plan, which always envisioned something larger than Israel or a small plot of land in the Middle East. With the arrival of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Spirit, the covenant promises began to find their fulfillment in the true “ Seed of Abraham ,” and in his “ brethren ” and “ coheirs ,” the promised inheritance that would include bodily resurrection and New Creation.

Redemption of our Body

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According to Paul, there is “ now no condemnation ” for anyone who is “ in Christ Jesus .” This happy condition exists because the “ law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death .” Moreover, he links our salvation to the inheritance of Christ and the coming redemption of the creation. Adam’s transgression condemned the entire universe to bondage and death, not just humanity. However, “ much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus, abound to the many .”

Promise of the Spirit

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The Apostle Paul referred to the “ Promise of the Spirit ” which he equated with the “ Blessing of Abraham .” Jesus subjected himself to the “ curse ” of the Law to redeem believers so that the “ Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through faith .” He wrote elsewhere that believers were “ sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise, the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession .”

Spirit and Resurrection

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The Apostle Paul presents Abraham as the great exemplar of faith. God counted his faith as “righteousness” when he was yet uncircumcised, and that meant He justified him apart from the “ works of the Law .” He thereby became the father of all men who are also “ from faith .” Circumcision was added after the promise as the “seal” of Abraham’s justifying faith.

The Blessing of Abraham

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The Gift of the Spirit bestowed by Jesus is part of God’s covenant promise to bless all the nations in Abraham’s Seed .  After the Day of Pentecost, Peter and John prayed for a man who was “ lame from his mother’s womb ” as he begged for alms near the entrance to the Temple. Rather than money, they commanded him to stand up and walk “ in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth .” Immediately, he began to walk. Afterward, he was seen and heard “ leaping and praising God .”

The Spirit and Mission

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In the Second Psalm, the Messiah is identified as the Son of God and the ideal king who is anointed by Yahweh to rule over the nations, the one to whom the “ Kings of the Earth ” pay homage. In the four gospel accounts, he is anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism in the Jordan River, equipping him for the proclamation of the “ Kingdom of God ” to the people of Israel. In turn, he grants the Spirit to his disciples, empowering them to announce His Good News and sovereignty to all nations.

The Man of the Spirit

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When an angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “ conceived of the Holy Spirit ,” it indicated that something more than just a miraculous birth was about to unfold. From the beginning, the activity of the Spirit dominated the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He was “ Jesus, the one called Christ ,” that is, the “ Anointed One ,” the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.

The Spirit of Life

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The Gift of the Spirit is clear evidence that a person has been justified by God and made a part of His covenant people. In Galatia, “ false brethren ” were preaching “ another gospel ,” one that claimed Gentiles must be circumcised to “ complete ” their faith. Paul would have none of it, and he appealed to the presence of the Spirit among uncircumcised Gentiles as proof positive of their justification and acceptance by God.

Rudimentary Things

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Paul chided the Galatians over their desire “ to return to bondage under the weak and beggarly rudiments ” of the world, including calendrical observations and circumcision. Since they were no longer “minors” but full heirs who lived in the age of fulfillment and had the Gift of the Spirit, resorting to outmoded rituals was tantamount to returning to a state of slavery.

Rend the Heavens!

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In Mark , Jesus first appears when he is baptized by John the Baptist. He is identified with his hometown of Nazareth, a village of no consequence, though its very insignificance plays a role in the story. He is the “ Servant of the LORD ” anointed by the Spirit who does not conform to popular expectations,  BOTH THEN AND NOW .

The Forerunner

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All four gospel accounts apply the passage from the  Book of Isaiah  to John the Baptist, the messenger who called men to repent “ for the remission of sins ” in preparation for the  Messiah. John is identified as the forerunner who was expected before the “ Day of Yahweh ” to summon the nation of Israel - “ The voice of one crying, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD ” - (Isaiah 40:3-5).

The Age of the Spirit

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The history of Israel includes national sins that caused her expulsion from the Land of Canaan. However, God foresaw her failures and determined to institute a new covenant, one  energized and characterized by His Spirit . This covenant included the salvation of the nations and would culminate in the “ New Heavens and the New Earth ” at the end of the age. With the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the Age of the Spirit had commenced in earnest.

Heirs of the Covenant

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The Apostle Paul calls the Gift of the Spirit the “ Promise of the Father ” which he links to the Abrahamic covenant. The promises to Abraham and “ his Seed ” find their fulfillment in the New Covenant inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Jesus. The bestowal of the Spirit on his Assembly marked the start of the age of fulfillment, and Gentile believers now become heirs of the Patriarch and coheirs with Jesus along with believing Jews.

The Kingdom Herald

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After his baptism, the Spirit “ drove Jesus into the wilderness… for forty days and nights .” Like Moses on Mount Sinai, the Messiah of Israel found himself alone in the Judean wilderness where he was confronted by the Devil. His only guide was the Word of God. Like Israel, he was “ tested .” Unlike that nation, he overcame every challenge and emerged victorious from the experience “ FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ,” and he then began to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom in the villages of Galilee.

Stephen Bears Witness

Under the guidance of the Spirit, Stephen gives eloquent and effective testimony to the leaders of Israel .  Early on, the church experienced conflicts between its Greek and Aramaic-speaking members. The apostles instructed the community to select seven men “ full of the Spirit and wisdom ” to take charge of the matter. One of the seven chosen men was Stephen, and  Acts  notes especially that he was “ FULL OF FAITH AND THE SPIRIT .”

In the Last Days...

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The use of Joel’s prophecy by Peter on the Day of Pentecost links the arrival of the Spirit to the start of History's final era. With the Spirit’s outpouring, the “ Last Days ” began in earnest.  The Gift of the Spirit is the “ Promise of Father ,” and an integral part of the  New Covenant  prophesied in the books of  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel . Its arrival pointed to a fundamental change of eras - The time of fulfillment had commenced  - (Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2:17-21).

Spiritual Warfare

Disciples wage spiritual warfare through right conduct, acts of love, and proclaiming the gospel . “Spiritual warfare” is a common topic in popular preaching, an idea derived from Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus - “ Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers… against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places .”

The Sanctuary of God

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Apart from the contacts between Jesus and the early church with the priestly authorities from the Temple, the New Testament shows minimal interest in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Far more frequent are the applications of temple language and imagery to the New Covenant community built by Jesus and his original apostles. What the old Temple and its predecessor, the Tabernacle, foreshowed is coming to fruition among his disciples, the “ Body of Christ .”

Boldness in the Spirit

In response to threats from the high priests, the young church was filled with great boldness of speech by the Spirit  – Acts 4:5-31.  After healing a lame man, Peter and Joh n were confronted by the priestly authorities. They were disturbed because the apostles were “ proclaiming the resurrection ,” and the Sadducees rejected belief in the resurrection of the dead. But the church claimed that the resurrection takes place “ in Jesus ,” and that made its resurrection doctrine especially distinct.

The Spiritual Man

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The spiritually minded man understands that the proclamation of Christ Crucified is God’s power and wisdom . Overused today by both the church and society, the English term ‘spiritual’ has become virtually meaningless. To some people, it is synonymous with the word  religion . To be  religious  is to be  spiritual . To others, it refers to things that are not of this physical universe, things and beings that are supernatural, otherworldly, noncorporeal, invisible, and timeless.