Where We Have Been, Where We Are, Where We Are Going
THE GOSPEL THAT WE PREACH VIEWS THE SALVATION OF MAN IN THREE GREAT DIMENSIONS:
The first dimension may be referred to as basic salvation. At this level the individual is saved from wrath through the blood of the Lord Jesus, leaves the world, and enters the Kingdom of God.
God wants all mankind, beginning with His Church, to understand that man was created to worship God. To praise and serve God in righteousness is the first duty of every person born on the earth.
THREE TIMES IN A YEAR SHALL ALL THY MALES APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD IN THE PLACE WHICH HE SHALL CHOOSE;
In the feast of unleavened bread,
And in the feast of weeks,
And in the feast of tabernacles:
And they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Deuteronomy 16:16
The second dimension could be termed the Spirit-filled life. At this level the individual has been saved from wrath through the blood of the Lord Jesus and now is learning to rely on the Spirit of God for his thoughts, his words, and his actions. Speaking in tongues helps us press into the rest in God's Spirit.
God desires that all mankind, beginning with His Church, understand that man is not to live his life and perform his roles by his natural strength and wisdom but by the Spirit of God. If we learn now to live in God's Spirit, when the Lord comes we will be given a body that also lives in and by God's Spirit.
Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose;
In the feast of unleavened bread,
And in the feast of weeks,
And in the feast of tabernacles: Deuteronomy 16:16
The third dimension may be thought of as the fullness of God.
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Ephesians 3:19
The fullness of God is the goal of the Christian salvation. The atoning blood of the Lord Jesus gives us the authority to press toward the goal. The Holy Spirit of God gives us the ability to press toward the goal. The goal of our salvation is not a change in location but a change in personality.
God desires that all mankind, beginning with his Church, understand that man was designed to be the throne of God. To man is given to rule all the works of God's hands. But man cannot sit on the throne of his own personality until first the Father and the Son sit there in undisputed sovereignty.
In the feast of unleavened bread,
And in the feast of weeks,
And in the feast of tabernacles: Deuteronomy 16:16
Thus far we have presented salvation as being in three dimensions:
Forgiveness through the blood of the cross, Life through the Holy Spirit, The fulfillment of the program of salvation as the Father and the Son settle down to rest in us--the fullness of God. These same three dimensions are portrayed symbolically by the three great symbols of Judaism--the Altar, the Lampstand, and the Booth.
The Altar symbolizes forgiveness through the blood of the cross. The Lampstand symbolizes life lived through the Holy Spirit. The Booth symbolizes the fulfillment of salvation, the fullness of God which is God in Christ coming to dwell in us. The Christian Church, the Body of Christ, is to experience these three dimensions and then bring them to all of saved mankind.
When the Church has experienced the fullness of salvation, the glorified Church, the new Jerusalem, will descend from Heaven to serve as the royal priesthood over the saved nations of the earth.
The Church is approaching the third dimension now and shall continue to be perfected throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age.
We have portrayed the program of salvation in three dimensions: forgiveness through the blood (the Altar), life lived in the Holy Spirit (the Lampstand), and the fullness of God (the Booth).
Though the program of salvation is clearly seen in these three dimensions, it is portrayed in greater detail when the three dimensions are subdivided into seven phases.
The first dimension, forgiveness through the blood (the Altar), can be subdivided into three phases:
The Atonement
Water Baptism
The Born-again Experience
The second dimension, life in the Spirit (the Lampstand), stands alone. We have identified this phase as:
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The third dimension, the Fullness of God (the Booth), can be subdivided into three phases:
The Call to War
Reconciliation
Rest and Union with God In Jesus
SEVEN PHASES OF SALVATION:
| Forgiveness through the blood (the Altar) | 1 The Atonement 2 Water Baptism |
| The Spirit-filled life (the Lamp stand) | 4 The Baptism in the Holy Spirit |
| The Fullness of God (the Booth) | 5 The Call to War 6 Reconciliation |
As we have seen, the program of salvation can be viewed in three great dimensions: forgiveness, life in the Spirit, and the fullness of God. The three dimensions are symbolized by the Altar, the Lampstand and the Booth.
These three dimensions can also be subdivided into seven aspects or phases of salvation. When subdivided into their seven phases and grouped three-one-three, the three dimensions accurately portray the program of salvation.
These seven phases of salvation are clearly portrayed in the Scriptures in the form of four great types. The four great types, each of which has seven parts, reveal the program of salvation, which is change from the presence and image of Satan to the Presence and image of God.
Thus we have three major dimensions of salvation:
Forgiveness through the blood of the Lamb. Life through the Holy Spirit. Rest in God in Christ and union with God in Christ--the fullness of God. The major dimensions of salvation are symbolized by the Altar, the Lampstand, and the Booth.
The three major dimensions can be viewed in seven phases. The seven phases are grouped together three-one-three:
The Blood Atonement, Water Baptism, and the Born-again Experience (the Altar). Baptism in the Holy Spirit (the Lampstand). The Call to War, Reconciliation, and rest and union with God (the Booth). These seven phases are embodied in each of four major types of Scripture.
Each of the four major types of Scripture portray the program of salvation, which is:
The process of change from the presence and image of Satan to the Presence and image of God.
SATAN (The program of redemption) GOD
We now will employ four great types to describe in detail the seven phases through which we pass as we leave the presence and image of Satan and make our journey toward the Presence and image of God.
The four major types of Scripture are: