GOD’S PURPOSEFUL YOUTH (G.P.Y.) ONLINE TEACHING THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS (Fourth Session)

GOD’S PURPOSEFUL YOUTH (G.P.Y.) ONLINE TEACHING

THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS (Fourth Session)

TEACHING BY: BRO SEGUN MAUTON

PRAYER: We thank God for the gift of His Son to us

Can we take a few moment to bless God tonight and thank Him for His grace and salvation?

Father, thank you for all you did for us in Christ, for His sacrifice that redeemed us from sin and death and reconciled us to you.

Glory to your name!

Amen!

Father tonight we receive revelation knowledge of your word, by your Spirit our hearts are enlightened.

We see Jesus glorified and we are edified

We've learnt that whatsoever Jesus Christ did during His ministry even to His death and resurrection were already documented in the Scriptures.

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me" Luke 24:44

"And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:46-47

Please, I implore to always read the bible references, patiently.

We'll see that the Spirit of God was behind the inspiration, God's salvation plan for humanity in Christ was given to the prophets.

"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1Pet 1:10-11

The prophets were in the know of God's grace and salvation, they prophesied about it and also desired to know when it'd be, they wanted to see it.

But, God was patient, He waited for the perfect time. He sent the Son to fulfill all these prophecies at "The Fullness of Time"....

"But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" Gal 4:4-5

What this means is that God knew the PERFECT TIME in human history for the Son to come into the world. This is what Apostle Paul describes as fullness of time.

God knew this by "FOREKNOWLEDGE", that is to know future events before they happen. This can be predominantly seen in the salvation plan of God for man.

Let's hear Apostle Peter...

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it" Acts 2:22-24

Kindly take note of verse 23 and take note of the phrase "Determinate Counsel and Foreknowledge".

The "determinate counsel of God" here refers to the desire or plan of God that has been preordained, in other words, PREDESTINATION. It refers to the predestined purpose of God for humanity in Christ.

Peter was speaking of the death of Jesus for the sins of the world, and that is what constitutes the determinate counsel of God.

God had purposed for the Son to die for our sins.

That's why Jesus is described as "the lamb that was slain before the world was"...

"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" 1 Pet. 1:19-20

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" Rev. 13:8

And the lamb of God, Jesus, was slain to take away sins...

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! John 1:35-36

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29

God knowing by foreknowledge that man would miss the mark, come short of His glory, already purposed to send His Son to redeem man from the consequence of his sin.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Rom. 3:23-24

So at the fullness of time, this "will" of God (salvation/redemption) was made manifest and fulfilled. His determinate counsel was perfected.

That's why we'll also see that redemption/salvation is described with the same language of predestination, as of a determinate counsel...

"According 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: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" Eph. 1:4-5

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" 2 Tim. 1:9-10

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified" Rom. 8:29-30

Jesus too spoke in like manner...

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" Matt 25:33-34

What all these should tell us the most is that the determinate counsel of God was/is LIFE, and this life is only available in the Son through the preaching of His Gospel unto as many that believe...

"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; 3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour" Titus 1:2-3

So, the reason why Jesus had to die in the fulfilment of the determinate counsel of God was because the first Adam, who is described as a figure of Christ, missed the mark and made death pass on all men.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Rom 5:14

Therefore, Jesus had to legally defeat death for our sakes. So, He became like us to taste death for us all.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Heb. 2:9

What happened afterwards is worthy of note. We'll see that after He died for us, He made eternal life available for all who believe.

Just as the disobedience of Adam made sin and death enter into this world, the obedience of Jesus Christ made righteousness and life available.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Rom 5:12

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" Rom. 5:17-19

The Jesus that died is not the same man that resurrected. He was raised a new man, a new creation, who was also described as the last Adam.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 1 Cor. 15:45

This is why anyone who now believes in Him becomes like Him, becomes a new creation, has eternal life and is righteous.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor. 5:17

He died with our sins, but He rose as righteousness to become the righteousness of God to us and we also became the righteousness of God in Him...

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. 1 Cor. 1:30

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. 5:21

We've gone through so much in this study and we're yet to talk about the cross itself, we'll get there in the next sessions.

We just have to note that the cross is a subject today because Christ had to die. Without is death the cross wouldn't even be in our discussion.

God achieved our deliverance from sin in the death of Jesus Christ, we needed to commit much time to understanding that first.

We'd continue from here in the next session.

Glory to God!

King_Hosanna cares

From Awotiku Akinlayo David

G.P.Y. ADMIN

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