Characteristics of the “Third Day”
Characteristics of the “Third Day”
Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:1-3)
And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. (Luke 13:32)
As Christians, our goal is the Fullness of God, plus immortality in the body. It is that which was lost in the beginning, through disobedience to God. It is prompt, complete, cheerful obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ that is the path to the Fullness of God and to immortality.
Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Christ lives, serves God, and ministers in the power of an endless life. This is to be true of every member of God's elect, of the Christian Church, of the Royal Priesthood.
There are three great days of redemption. The first day began with the atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
The foundation was laid, during the first two days, for the third day. All we have hoped would be true of our salvation will occur during the third day.
The third day of redemption has begun! It will extend from now to the coming down from Heaven of the new Jerusalem through the new sky to be installed on the new earth.
In the third day, as He said, Christ and His Body shall be perfected.
The new covenant is a better covenant because it guides and enables us to drive from us all worldliness, the sins of the flesh, and disobedience to Christ. It is an eternal release from the chains of darkness.
While they could not "take away" sins, the blood of bulls and goats did forgive sins, according to the Scripture.
And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them ; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance: (Numbers 15:25)
There was no atonement for willful, deliberate sins.
If I am not mistaken, it is the common understanding of Christian people that the new covenant "takes away" or removes sins, while the old covenant forgave them temporarily, until the next Day Atonement came around.
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (Hebrews 10:11)
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
The implication of the above verses is that the blood of Jesus Christ can "take away" or remove sins. Is that right?
I believe the understanding of these two passages is that Christ has taken away our sins for eternity. Am I correct in this?
Does that mean we will not sin anymore? Or does it mean if we sin, God will not notice it?
Let us say a man is bound with a spirit of sexual lust, and molests a little girl. This is, of course a terrible crime.
Although no one found about his sin, he is smitten with guilt and remorse and comes to the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, for forgiveness.
According to what appears to be the prevailing interpretation of the two verses above, that particular sin is taken away forever.
Now, this man has a spirit of lust for little girls dwelling in the members of his body.
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:23)
Remember, his sin has been "taken away" for eternity. He has been "perfected forever."
Some months later he sees a little girl who is unattended. He knows he should ignore her and go on his way. But the spirit of lust dwelling in the members of his body overcomes his fear of being caught. The fire becomes intense. He remembers that he has been "perfected forever." So he molests this child also.
He gets away with this, and so he does it again and again until he is caught and put in jail.
Now tell me: Is the man guilty of these subsequent actions or not? Has he indeed been forgiven in advance for his crimes against little girls? If so, would we claim that he is a new creation in Christ? Is he a member of the perfect Bride of the Lamb?
Some will maintain, "If the person really is saved and forgiven, they will not continue to sin." Although this position often is presented, it goes against all we know about human behavior. So I will not discuss it further.
Would we say "he has been forgiven through the blood of Christ? God sees him through Christ?" If you say this is true, then join practically all of the believers in Christ. They would know intuitively that something is wrong here, but they could not prove it doctrinally.
Christ died on the cross, suffering the penalty for sin, such as the molestation of little girls. He suffered the penalty but did not perform the sin.
Therefore there is a righteousness left over, we might say, which Christ is willing to give to all who ask.
But there is a condition attached that I never have heard preached. Because this condition is not preached, numerous believers in Christ never grow into the image of God.