Eternal Union a Gospel Truth
Eternal Union a Gospel Truth
Paul says, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God, to everyone believing..
Its the Truth that the natural man cannot recieve the things of God because they are spiritually discerned, meaning one must be born of the Spirit in order to be spiritually capacitated to recieve Gospel Truth, and one of the most neglected Truthes of the Gospel is that of the elect of God, sustaining a eternal union, with Jesus christ, their head, before the world began..Eph 1:4-6
4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
This is indicative of this gospel fact, the key phrase being in him. You see Jesus christ was chosen as per 1 Pet 2:4,6
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect [or chosen], precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
And consequently, those whom Peter was writing are also called elect 1 Pet 1:2
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
That word generation is important here for its the greek word:
genos which means:
kindred
a) offspring
b) family
Peter calls them a chosen offspring, or seed..
This confirms the point I am making, that is, as Jesus Christ is chosen, His seed, offspring, generation in him is also chosen..
So peter calls them a chosen generation this could not be if they were not in eternal union with Their Head, Jesus Christ..
Yes, the elect [generation] was chosen at the same date as Christ was, before the world began..Thats why Jesus says:
Jn 17:23,24
23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
If God Loved Jesus Christ [ His elect] before the foundation of the world vs 24 Then likewise did He Love his seed the same vs 23..
Jesus at this early date was The Head of the body per Col 1:17-18
17And he [ Jesus Christ] is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And [At the same time] he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
We see here that He [ Jesus Christ] is before All things, and this while being the head of the church, his body or seed or generation.. And as such He is
#1. The beginning #2. The Firstborn from the dead [ of his church] and 3. He has the preeminence in all things..
This is special, because scripture says He is the beginning as the head of his church body, this means that his church was with him in the beginning Jn 1:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And to confirm that these things are gospel truths in Col 1, we need to look no further than Col 1 23
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
beginning from vs 12-22 is nothing short of the recap of the gospel that had been preached to them aforetime..
12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
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