Firstborn Sonship of Christ
Vol 25 No 5
May 2000
The New Birth
Series Number: 18
SEPARATION FROM CHRIST
Article 18 Continued
In the April issue we were in the process of reviewing Rom 11, with emphasis on Israel as God's elect people being cut off out of the election and thereby being separated from Christ. As we continue the article we will be pointing out the following interrelated factors:
1. Israel is God's elect covenant people.
2. Israel is currently cut off from God's covenant favor and is being punished.
3. The church is the medium through which God is grafting Gentiles into the elect covenant Sonship.
4. The covenant people must be faithful to qualify for the election to the firstborn sonship.
5. Only the faithful covenant people will qualify for the election to the firstborn sonship.
6. Saved covenant people who make shipwreck of faith are cut off from Christ and from the election.
7. The firstborn sonship provides the birthright which includes all the covenant promises.
8. The unfaithful saved will be servant to Christ and to all who qualify for the firstborn sonship.
9. The elect in Israel were cut off from the election because of making shipwreck of faith. The Jews were cultured branches in the cultured olive tree, and, for the most part, were true believers in God who made shipwreck of faith, as their fathers did when God brought them out of Egypt.
10. Gentiles in the church are grafted into the election on the basis of the faith of Christ, which we have only in the body of Christ. We are warned that we will also be cut off out of Christ and out of the election if we do not continue in God's goodness by grace through faith. We continue here with Rom 11, separation from Christ, and the firstborn sonship.
THESE WERE SAVED COVENANT PEOPLE
The Jews in the time of Christ were believers in God, and therefore saved as we normally used the word "saved." They were missing the mark with regard to covenant salvation. We hope to have considerable to write on saved people outside the church and outside the covenants after we finish these articles on the firstborn sonship of Christ, and some in these articles.
1. WHEN were the olive branches broken off?
The rejection of Israel as a nation obviously took place over a long period of time, beginning with the commission given to Isaiah (Isa 6:9-15; Rom 11:8-10). This first phase affected the seeing, the hearing, and the understanding: they saw but could not see properly or spiritually, they heard but could not hear spiritually, they understood but could not understand the true meaning. The result was that the interpretation of the Law Covenant was corrupted (Mt 15:1-20), faith was made void (Mt 23:23), and entrance into the kingdom was being blocked for most of the covenant people, Mt 23:13.
John refused to baptize the leaders of the Jews, Mt 3:7-12. This was the beginning of the second phase of God's rejection of Israel as a nation, as well as Israel's rejection of Christ and the New Covenant. The crucifixion of Christ by the nation was the climax of the national rejection of Christ, and was equally God's rejection of Israel as a nation in favorable covenant standing. Israel, as the covenant nation, is now under covenant punishment, with the church grafted into the covenant stock of Abraham. The cutting off of these olive tree bran-ches continued after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
2. Saved and Baptized Disciples Who Forsook Christ.
66 "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more," Jn 6:66.
These were obviously saved and baptized disciples, who, like many today, were not able to endure "sound doctrine" – "the doctrine of Christ," 2Jn 9-11; 2Ti 4:3-4; Jn 8:30-32. Many of those who " were of the olive branches who were cut off. Many Landmark Baptists today are forsaking the doctrine of Christ by converting to the universal church theory, which says that all believers are in the body and bride of Christ.
3. Believers Who Were Afraid of the Religious Powers that Exist.
42 "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
43 "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God," Jn 12:42-43.
Nicodemus (Jn 3) and Joseph of Arimathea (Jn 19:38) were among these rulers, but appear to have improved later. However, there obviously were many who believed but never confessed Christ publicly, and were branches cut off from the olive tree.
4. Many, Many Thousands Were Baptized by John and Jesus, Mt 3:5-6; Mk 1:4-5; Jn 4:1-2.
John and Jesus baptized many thousands of people according to the passages indicated above. What happened to all of them? Only about one hundred twenty received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Act 1:15. Thousands of converts were also made by the Jerusalem church (Act 2 thru 6), then scattered far and wide (Act 8:1; 11:19-20; See below) by the persecution under Saul who was later converted. The first apostles were initially saved and baptized, then later came to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Jn 1:29-51. Still later we read of the churches of Judea (Gal 1:22), which no doubt included many of those baptized by John and Jesus. However, observe as we proceed what happened to these Jewish churches.
5. The Roman Centurion of Great Faith, Lk 7:1-9.
Jesus marveled at the faith of this Roman centurion as being greater than He had witnessed in all of Israel. How did this centurion come to such great faith? Who taught him the truth so well? Jesus marveled at his great faith, but faith comes by hearing, and hearing by a proper teacher of God's Word, Rom 10:14. The centurion's military discipline served as fertile ground for his great faith, but more often that discipline served as a source of selfish pride and brutality. It is obvious that the centurion had been privileged to have some teachers among the Jews who themselves were class "of the faith of Abraham.
6. The Ethiopian Eunuch, Act 8.
The Ethiopian eunuch was a very high official under the queen of Ethiopia, and was evidently a Gentile. What was he doing in the land of Israel, and why was he reading the book of Isaiah? Evidently, he was a proper convert to the Jewish faith under the Law Covenant. And obviously there were proper believing Jews of the dispersion who lived in Ethiopia.
It was appropriate for Jews of the dispersion as well as Gentile converts to make pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem, Act 8:27. The eunuch was honest, sincere, upright, and clearly had proper faith in God. But who taught him? How did he come to be a true convert to the true God? He was clearly already a saved man in Law Covenant standing.
The Holy Spirit sent Philip to the eunuch because this man's heart was right with God and God wanted a church in Ethiopia, as was true with Cornelius and his immediate household shortly after, Act 10. We can be confident there were others with the eunuch, because a man of such "great authority" in charge of all the queen's treasury, would not be traveling this great distance alone. There should be little doubt that others were baptized with the eunuch, and a church organized and provided for by the Holy Spirit. God was still using true believers in Israel, Jerusalem, the temple, and among Jews of the dispersion. The dispersion (diaspora) refers to Jews who were scattered abroad under the Babylonian conquest of Israel (and otherwise), and who did not return to Israel with Ezra and Nehemiah.
Philip was used to spread the Gospel further to the Samaritans, and establish a church among them. Then to these Gentiles, now returning to Ethiopia fully as a church, under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
7. Saul (Paul) Was a Saved Man.
1 "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, ‘Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day,'" Act 23:1.
6 "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless," Phi 3:6. See also Lk 1:5-6.
13 "Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief," 1Ti 1:13.
The first apostles as well as many other Jews were saved (some of them years before they were baptized by John the Baptist), but did not believe that Jesus was Christ until after they talked with Him, heard Him teach, and saw His miracles. This is precisely where Saul was before He personally met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul was persecuting Christians and therefore persecuting the Lord, but he was exceedingly zealous and fully honest, thinking he was doing the right thing. And Saul would have been doing the right thing had he been destroying false prophets, Lev 20; 1Ki 18:20-40.
Saul (Paul) was a true believer in God, just as Nicodemus (Jn 3), Zacharias and Elizabeth (Lk 1:5-6), Joseph and Mary (Mt 1:18-25), Simeon (Lk 2:25-32), Anna (Lk 2:25-32), the shepherds (Lk 2:8-20), and others in Israel and among the dispersion, even the wise men from the east, Mt 2.
Paul said, 27 "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.
28 "Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian,'" Act 26:27-28.
Paul's statement indicates Agrippa was also a believer under the Law Covenant, but was not a Christian, as pointed out above, with so many who had not personally met Christ.
8. Cornelius and Others with Him Were True Converts Under the Law Covenant.
1 "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
2 "A devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
3 "About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!'
4 "And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, lord?" So he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God," Act 10:1-4.
We need to read and thoroughly study the many passages which speak of God's witness to the nations through nature which leaves all the people of the nations "without excuse" (Gen 6:1-7; 11:1-9; Ps 19:1-6; Jn 1:9; 12:32; 16:7-8; Act 14:16-17; 17:26-28; Rom 1:18-20; 10:14-18) – this is only a few of the passages.
But what does it take to render the people of the nations "without excuse," in the sense of Rom 1:18-20? 1) Sufficient knowledge of God's existence, and 2) sufficient grace (ability) to seek, find, and believe, Act 17:26-28. Yet God gave no Gentile person or nation a covenant outside Israel and the church, Deu 4:7-9; 29:29; Ps 25:14; 103:7; 147:19-20; Rom 3:1-2. Through the covenants God provides instructions on worship and godly living. However, every rational person who has ever lived has been given sufficient knowledge and grace to be saved as far as salvation from hell is concerned, though no covenant for salvation of the life has been given to anyone except to Israel and the church since the covenant with Abraham
Clearly, Cornelius and many of his household and immediate subordinates were saved converts to the Law Covenant (Act 10), and God was ready to open the door wide for these Gentiles to be a church within the New Covenant. Cornelius was a man of devout "faith," and had been well taught by someone or more persons who were "of the faith of Abraham,"< Rom 4:11-17; Gal 3:6-9,14.
9. The Jerusalem Church
17 "And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18 "On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 "When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 "And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law (Covenant)," Act 21:17-20.
The Jerusalem church was a Jewish church made up of natural olive branches. They had not yet been cut off from Christ and from the olive tree when the letter to the Romans was written, but they never stopped trying to keep the Law Covenant. This meant they were of the works of the Law Covenant and were therefore inevitably under the curse, condemnation, wrath, death, slavery, etc., of the Law Covenant, Ja 2:10; Gal 3:10; 5:1-4. God gave them a number of years to correct this situation, but according to Edward Gibbons they never did.
Trying to keep the Law Covenant along with the New Covenant carried the ultimate penalty of being cut off from Christ and everything provided and promised under the covenants, Gal 4:21 thru 5:4.
10. The Galatian Churches.
1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
2 "Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
3 "And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
4 "You have become severed from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace," Gal 5:1-4.
The Galatian churches were primarily Gentile churches, but the same covenant rules apply to both Jew and Gentile, to the natural branches and to the engrafted wild olive bran-ches. The covenants must be obeyed by grace through faith – "you stand by faith," Rom 11:20.
The Roman churches were primarily made up of Gentile believers, but the same rule applies to the engrafted branches as to the natural branches; that is, we were graphed into the olive tree by grace through faith (John's baptism), and we must stand by grace through faith. All who make shipwreck of the faith, will be cut off from Christ and all the covenant provisions and promises.
11. The Vine and the Branches.
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned," Jn 15:1-6.
3"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you," Jn 15:3.
In John 15, Jesus was speaking directly to His apostles, who were already clean by His word, Jn 15:3. They were saved, scripturally baptized, formed into a true local church, ordained apostles, and were the ones Jesus left as special witnesses of His new birth resurrection. Yet Jesus warned them that they could become unfruitful and fail to make their calling and election sure. They would thereby be cut off out of the election, by being cut off (separated) from Christ, Jn 15; Rom 11; 2Pe 1:3-10; 2Jn 9-11.
The Galatian church members were saved, scripturally baptized, and properly formed into true churches. These also were not unsaved people. However, they were warned that trying to keep both the Law Covenant and the New Covenant would unavoidably cut them off from Christ, Gal 4:21 thru 5:4. Trying to keep the Law Covenant, in every case, would bring the curse, condemnation, death, wrath, slavery, etc., of the Law Covenant upon them, because such is true with everyone under the Law Covenant, Gal 3:10; 5:3; Ja 2:10.
This would sever (separate) them from Christ (from the body of Christ), Gal 5:2,4. This would cancel out the New Covenant, and would thereby cancel out all the covenants and covenant promises. This includes election because election is clearly a covenant promise to the faithful covenant overcomers, 2Pe 1:3-10.
12. Israelites in the Wilderness
1 "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
"2 All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 "All ate the same spiritual food,
4 "And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
5 "But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 "Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
11 "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,"1Co 10:1-6,11-12.
As demonstrated in these verses and in earlier articles, the Israelites were believers who worshiped God. Their hope was in their covenant God, and God blessed them greatly as well as severely trained them in their 415 years of Egyptian slavery, Ex 1 thru 15; 1Co 10:1-13; Heb 3.
Verses 6, 11, and 12 above are written to and about saved and properly baptized church members concerning making their calling and election sure, and thereby qualifying for the firstborn sonship of Christ. God predestined that His elect must faithfully endure and overcome in His prescribed covenant training program, or they will fail to qualify for the election. Let the one who is thinking to stand, take great heed lest he fall – as Paul severely disciplined his body lest he become disqualified in his agonizing pursuit for the firstborn sonship of Christ.
THE HEAVENLY CALLING
1 "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus," Heb 3:1.
6 "But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end," Heb 3:6
12 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:12-14.
Hebrews was also written to and about saved and properly baptized church members (Heb 3:6; 10:25), who were urged repeatedly throughout the book to "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God," Heb 3:12. Conversely, they were to "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope to the end," Heb 3:6,14.
The Hebrew Christians in the book of Hebrews, the Israelites in the wilderness (Heb 3:7-19; 1Co 1-:1-12), and the Israelites referenced in Romans (Rom 11) were, for the most part, saved covenant people who were urged to hold fast what they had, stand fast where they were, and not to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, 1Ti 1:18-20. The urgency in each of the three cases is equally applicable to all the Lord's covenant people, lest there be in any of us " Heb 3:12; Rom 11:20-22.
The "heavenly calling" of Heb 3:1 is the calling and election into the firstborn sonship of Christ. This was settled in God's predestination before the ages that we must overcome by grace through faith throughout our lives in order to qualify for the firstborn sonship of Christ, Heb 3:1-19; 5:8-9; 12:1-23; 2Pe 1:1-10; Rom 11.
CALLED IN "ONE BODY"
15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were CALLED IN ONE BODY; and be thankful," Col 3:15.
That "one body" is a true local visible church – not a universal invisible church. This "one body" is one from which we can purge out the leaven of unholy (but saved) church members. That cannot be done in the spurious universal invisible church, because that doctrine says all saved people are in a mythical invisible church. Another theory is that the saved person who becomes unfaithful must be saved all over again. Yet again, it is said that the saved person who becomes unfaithful was never saved in the first place. All three of these are incorrect; God has two kinds of sons: the faithful saved who will be firstborn sons, and the unfaithful saved who will be the other sons – servant sons, Gal 4:21-31; 5:1-5; Heb 12:8 (1-29).
If all saved people were in the church, it would be impossible to put a saved person out (without, outside, 1Co 5), regardless of how leavened (unholy or unfruitful) he is, 2Pe 1:8-9. "Without" or "outside" means outside the local church. The Scriptures support "one body," not two (Eph 4:4); and that "one body" is the local church which has a "within" or "inside" and a "without," or "outside." Therefore it is possible to put an unrepenting saved church member "without," 1Co 5; Mt 18:15-18; 2Th 3:6-15.
The elect are "called in one body," a true local church as an institution, Col 3:15. Saved people outside the church are not a part of God's elect, and are therefore not in position to become firstborn sons.
16 "And that He might reconcile them both (Jew and Gentile) to God IN ONE BODY through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity," Eph 2:16.
Again, that "one body" is the local church, and since there is only "one body" that one body is necessarily the local church as an institution. All the faithful covenant people since the first Adam are qualified to be in that "one body" when Christ returns. And "in Christ" (the body of Christ) there are no nations. This means there are no national distinctions in the body of Christ, Gal 3:27-29, and therefore no nations "in Christ."
THOSE WHO LOVE GOD
28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose," Rom 8:28.
Those who "love God" and those who are "the called according to His purpose," are one and the same people. And they are faithful covenant people, because those who love God are faithful (Jn 14:21-14; 1Jn 5:2-3; 2Jn 6), and also because we must be faithful in order to make our calling and election sure, 2Pe 1:5-10; Jn 15:1-11.
If we love God, we will be faithfully keeping His Word, Jn 14:21,23. We will thereby be steadfastly remaining in Christ and bearing the proper fruit, Jn 15:1-5; 2Pe 1:5-10; 1Jn 5:2-3; 2Jn 6,9-11.
HOLINESS, AN ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT
16 "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches," Rom 11:16.
Holiness or sanctification, on the one hand, means being set apart for service to God. In this respect, the tabernacle and temple and all their furnishings were holy. But holiness as God is holy is much more than this, for holiness is one of God's divine attributes, as righteousness, glory, and life are divine attributes of God, and are all infinitely beyond what mere flesh can understand and experience.
11 "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God," 1Co 2:11.
To understand mankind, one must be a human. Similarly, to "know" and understand God, we must be partakers of the divine nature, and that is what God is offering to us within the firstborn sonship of Christ, 2Pe 1:4 (3-10). To be holy as God is holy, we must daily (constantly) be looking into the mirror of God's Word to intently observe the glory of the Lord, and thereby be progressively being transformed into that same image from glory into more abundantly glory, 2Co 3:17-18; 4:17 thru 5:5;9:10; Jn 10:10; Heb 12:1-11; 1Co 15:40-41.
16 "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches," Rom 11:16.
Israel was and is a holy nation by virtue of their covenant position, Ex 19:1-6; Lev 20:22-26; Deu 26:16-19; Lk 1:72. Likewise the church is holy because of its covenant position as the deified body and bride of Christ, Heb 10:29; 1Co 3:16-17; 5; 6:15-20; 2Co 6:14-18; Eph 1:4; :21-22; Col 3:12,15; et al. However, to be holy as God is holy, we must have circumcised hearts, Rom 2:28-29. We must be daily and devotedly reading and meditating on God's Word in order to be constantly and progressively being transformed into the image of Christ in our minds and lives, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:17-19; Eph 4:11-24; Col 3:1-11.
GOD PREDESTINED ONLY HOLY BRETHREN TO HIS ELECTION
4 "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love," Eph 1:4.
1 "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus," Heb 3:1.
12 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 <"But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 "For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:12-14.
There are two things which constitute "holy brethren" in our current covenant standing: 1) Being in the covenant (body of Christ) position, 2) Being personally holy in our lives by grace through faith, according to the Scriptures. An unbelieving and unholy life will cancel out both of these holy relationships. We must be sacrificially believing into Christ by presenting our bodies a living and holy sacrifice, and by continually being transformed into the image of Christ by the renewing of our minds, while munching on God's Word, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18; 4:7-17; 1Ti 1:19-20; Heb 3:1-19; 2Pe 1:5-10; 3:16-17; et al.
GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD
20 "Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
21 "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off," Rom 11:20-22.
Paul said, "you stand by faith." The book of Romans was written to those who were true believers and had been baptized into the body of Christ (Rom 6:3-5). Being properly in the church they had thereby been grafted into the election (the elect nation). That is what this entire chapter of Rom 11 is concerned with.
Christ is the chief objective of all the covenants. Being clothed in the righteousness of Christ (partaking of Christ) is the same chief objective of all the covenants, Gen 3:21; Rev 3:4-5,18; 19:7-8. We will have many articles on this subject, if the Lord permits, when we cover the firstborn sonship in the Old Testament. All the promises of all the covenants are predestined before creation to be fulfilled in the body of Christ. Gal 3:14-19,27; Eph 1:3-5; 2:10-16; 3:6-11.
Christ is "the" Seed of Abraham (Gal 3:14-19), and therefore more than merely of the stock of Abraham. Hence, we Gentiles, being in the body of Christ, are grafted into the stock of Abraham, which is the election. We are grafted in as seed of Abraham by being in "the" seed of Abraham, Gal 3:29.
It was to saved and scripturally baptized Gentile church members, who had been grafted into the stock of Abraham and were thereby properly standing in the election by grace through faith, who were solemnly warned that they must continue in God's goodness or they "also would be cut off," (separated from Christ and from the election). Rom 11:20-22.
CALLING AND ELECTION
IRREVOCABLE
28 "Concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
29 "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable,"
God predestined before creation that we must repent of our sins, believe into Christ, and continue believing into Christ throughout our lifetime in order to consummate our calling and election as firstborn sons together with Christ. That is what Rom 11 requires and that is what the whole Bible requires, as we have been demonstrating and will continue to do so. God requires that we live daily in a holy way, being transformed into the image of Christ in order to make God's calling and election sure. This progressive calling and election is irrevocable, Rom 11:28-29 (1-36).
MAKING OUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE
3 "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 "by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 "To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 "To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 "For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 "For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never fall," 2Pe 1:3-10.
LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH
1 "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have been allotted like precious faith with us (the gift of faith) in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ," 2Pe 1:1.
The "like precious faith" is the "gift" of "the faith of Christ" which we have in the covenants in the body of Christ, Rom 3:26 (Gr); Gal 2:16,20; 3:22-25; Phi 3:9. The faith of Christ is twofold: 1) The personal faith of Christ which we have by the indwelling Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, 1Co 2:16, 2) The system of New Covenant doctrines. Both of these are included in 2Jn 9-11 and 1Jn 2:23-24.
We have believed into Christ that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, Gal 2:16 – an accurate translation. This faith is the "gift" of faith given to us only in the body of Christ, where Christ is the Head, and the Holy Spirit is the One who is endeavoring constantly to work in us both to will and to do of the Father's good pleasure, Phi 2:13; Gal 5:17.
Peter is writing to saved and scripturally baptized people in the body of Christ, "who have obtained like precious faith with us" within the body of Christ, 2Pe 1:1.
ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS
3 "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue," 2Pe 1:3.
"All things that pertain to life and godliness" can be had only in the covenants in the body of Christ. Those who have refused to receive the baptism of John, which is the circumcision of Christ, have rejected the doctrine of Christ and the counsel of God against themselves, Lk 7:29-30; Col 2:11-12; 2Jn 9-11; 1Jn 1:5-7.
PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE
4 "By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust," 2Pe 1:4.
Partaking of the divine nature is a covenant promise of a future experience, a resurrection birth into the divine kingdom of God when Christ returns. These exceeding great and precious promises are cov-enant promises and are contingent upon our overcoming by grace through faith a very wide range of trials and hardships in this life. They require that we make our calling and election sure by a daily transformation of our lifestyle from the old man image of the first Adam into the new man image of the second Adam, Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18; 4:1-12; Eph 4:20-24; Col:3:1-10; 1Co 15:1-2,44-50.
12 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 "For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Heb 3:12-14.
It is not true that once people believe they will always be believing into Christ, and therefore the divine life and divine firstborn sonship are guarantee. An evil heart of unbelief, a root of bitterness, lukewarmness, etc., can cause us to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, Heb 3:12-14; 12:15-17; 1Ti 1:18-20; Jer 17:9; et al.
Partaking of Christ is partaking of the divine nature, and this will happen in the resurrection. The body of Christ was born of God in His resurrection (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:29-33; Heb 5:5-6; 5:5; 1Co 15:44-50), and the faithful covenant people are predestined to consummate their calling and election by partaking of Christ – being born of God in the resurrection when Christ returns, 2Pe 1:4 (3-10); 2Co 6:14-18; Rev 21:7; Mt 5:9,44-45; 12:46-50; 19:16-30; Rom 8:23-25; Jn 8:31-32;Gal 4:21-31; 5:1-5; Jn 3:1-18; 1Pe 1:3-9; et al.
The unfaithful saved will not make their calling and election sure (2Pe 1:5-10; Rom 11:11-22), will not partake of Christ (Heb 3:14; Jn 6:27-67), will not partake of the divine nature (2Pe 1:4-10; Heb 3:14), will not be born of God (2Pe 1:4-10; 1Pe 1:3-9), will not escape the corruption that is in the world, 2Pe 1:4; Gal 5:7-9. The divine nature (divine life) will be given only to those who win Christ (Phi 3:7-14,21), by continuing to believe into Christ (Jn 3:16; 5:24; 1Jn 5:13), progressively coming to Christ, (Jn 6:37; 10:27), habitually sowing to the Spirit, (Gal 6:7-9; 2Co 9:10), diligently putting to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:6,13; Col 3:1-10), and patiently waiting on for the adoption Rom 8:23-25; Gal 5:5; et al.
FOR THIS VERY REASON, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE
4 "By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 "To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love," 2Pe 1:4-7.
"For this very reason"(2Pe 1:5) goes back to the "promise" of divine life (the divine nature) in verse 4. The divine nature has not yet been received, and it is not guaranteed to every saved person. The promise is made on the basis of the believer being one who is constantly believing into Christ, and that always means believing into the body of Christ.
4 "But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,'" Mt 4:4.
27 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him," Jn 6:27.
The divine nature and the divine life are the same. They are in the "promise" and "hope" category, where we must eagerly wait for them with an active mind-set of believing into Christ – the constant renewing of our minds by feeding constantly on the Word of God, Rom 12; Col 3.
"For this very reason" we are to give all diligence by grace through faith (by the Holy Spirit) to progressively maintain a God fearing circumcised heart, Rom 2:28-29. There is a "sad day coming" for us if this is not true both in word and in deed, Mt 23; 2Jn 9-11.
IF THESE THINGS BE IN YOU AND ABOUND
8 "For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ," 2Pe 1:8.
God requires us to give all diligence to abound in these godly virtues, and His promise is that if do give all diligence we will abound. However, we have a sinful nature, where the Spirit is striving against our sinful flesh nature, and our sinful flesh nature is striving against the Spirit (Gal 5:17; Rom 7:14-25), and even when we persistently and severely discipline ourselves (1Co 9:27), there is still reason to fear: "Wherefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall," 1Co 10:12. There is no reason to fear if election is guaranteed to every saved person. Why should Paul so severely discipline himself and urge the Corinthians and everyone else to do the same if there is no danger of falling out of the election? We must remember that we are "CALLED IN ONE BODY," Col 3:15. And again remember that "calling and election" go together, 2Pe 1:10; Rom 8:28- 30; 11:1-29.
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