The Godhead Pt. 9 The Word Pt. 3

May 21, 2014 We’re in a study on the Godhead and our main verse is First John 5:7—“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Last week we talked about the Word (who is the image or the “Logo” of the invisible God), and we asked, What is His part in the covenant? We looked in Paul’s letter to Timothy to see that He is both the mediator and the ransom for God’s people: For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (I Tim. 2:5-6). We saw that a mediator stands in the middle of God and us, and that we need Him for that because we are sinners and we’ve incurred God’s wrath. By intervening Christ gives us His complete righteousness and guaranteed for us to receive the inheritance. Now we’re going to ask, How does He mediate the New Covenant? This goes right along with our other question, “What is His part in the covenant?” We can sum up this part of His role in three offices: He is our prophet, priest, and king. First let’s talk about how he is our Prophet: We need Him as a priest because we’re ignorant about God. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities (Acts 3:22-26). The Scriptures teach that in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). As a Prophet Christ reveals God, God’s will, and everything we need to know for salvation and to obey.

Next let’s talk about how He is our Priest: We need Him as a priest because we’re alienated from God. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 3For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 4For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 5Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. 6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises (Heb. 8:1-6). He did this by offering a sacrifice for us. It was the priest’s work to go into the holy place and make an offering, and this is what He did. But with Christ it’s even greater than that: not only did He offer the sacrifice, He was the sacrifice! Where the priest could only offer the blood of an animal Christ offered His own blood because He is the Lamb of God. This is significant because each year the priest had to return and this signified that the way into the most holy place was still unknown. But when Christ died the veil tore and there’s no room left for another sacrifice. He offered Himself once for all! But, again, with Christ it’s even greater still: where the priest had to offer the sacrifice on a bronze altar Christ was the altar (Heb. 13:10)! Lastly let’s talk about how He is our King: We need Him as a king because we’ve wandered away and we’re completely unable and unwilling to return on our own. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful (Rev. 17:14). I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate,

the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen (I Tim. 6:13-16). He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven; think what He told His disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel: “all power has been given to me.” Christ spiritually governs His church, has power over all creation, and controls all angels and men, and every circumstance as the King. This guarantees our salvation and the wicked’s demise. Because He is King He subdues our sins, preserves us, strengthens us against Satan, the world, and the flesh, and keeps our hearts full of faith and filial fear by His Spirit. Because He is King He rules the vessels of wrath, using, limiting and restraining them, as it seems good to His infinite wisdom. One day He will put down all rule and authority under His feet, that the glory of the Father may be perfectly manifested in His Son, and the glory of the Father and the Son in all His members. When we come back next week we’ll look at His second part in the covenant: He is the ransom for all. newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com