| The Second Redemption of Christ 10/10/05 George Poulo In whom we have redemption through his Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to The riches of his grace Ephes.1:7 Our redemption and the forgiveness of sin cost Jesus his life/blood. Through his blood, our spirit was made new (2Corin.5:17) and our sin nature was replaced by a righteousness nature. In this new creation we have a part to play. To begin with, 'our minds must be renewed (our intellect, will, and emotions). By this renewal, we testify to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God' (Rom.12:2). When we are born-again, though we have a recreated spirit united to the Spirit of God, we can still commit sin even though we do not have a sin nature. This is because our souls have not been completely renewed. Our bodies furthermore must be "presented as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service." (Romans12:1) for us to live in complete union with God. The reason that the body must be sacrificed has everything to do with the second redemption. (The sacrifice of Christ redeemed our spirit and soul. Our bodies, as St. Paul states, have not yet been redeemed. Our bodies experience corruption and death. Therefore, from a temporal point of view, we groan within our bodies waiting for their redemption.) Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body. Rom.8:23 We are spirits. We have souls. We live in bodies. When we are born-again our spirits are redeemed and as spirits we cannot experience death (Heb.2:14-15). No spirit, in fact, can experience death, not even Satan. Our soul will join our spirit in heaven. Our bodies, however, experience corruption and death, being not yet redeemed. Because of this, we must keep our bodies under and bring them into subjection to the spirit (1Corin.9:27) until our bodies die or we experience the rapture (1Thes.4:16-17) The rapture, however, cannot be the time of the second redemption. It must precede it. It is at this time that all things will be under subjection to Christ in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. It is at this time that Christ must perform His second great act of redemption. He must give all authority, power, and dominion back to the Father. If redemption is costly, and our bodies have not yet been redeemed, then the giving back to the Father all that He gave the Son is redemptive. It costs Jesus everything the Father gave to Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him,then Shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put All things under him that God may be all in all. 1Corin.15:28 This second great act of redemption is for Christ to succeed where Lucifer failed. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of The morning! How art thou cut down to the ground Which didst weaken the nations. For thou hast said In thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt My throne above the stars of God.... I will ascend Above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah14:12-14 Jesus will be put in the position of relinquishing all his glory back to the Father and perform that act of obedience which will complete the redemption that began before the foundation of the world. St. Paul in 1Corinthians 15 gives a detailed account of the resurrection of the body and how it is to be accomplished. 'The planting of the corruptible will be raised in incorruption.' It is here that the second redemption will culminate. It is when he gives everything back to the Father as the Father gave everything to the Son that this will be accomplished. This is the second redemption. Jesus will experience greater temptation than Lucifer experienced, but where Lucifer failed, Jesus will succeed. While in the first redemption Jesus experienced the height of agony, in His second coming, He will experience the height of bliss. (It is more difficult for the rich man to give to the poor all his wealth because of his attachment to it than it is the widow who gives her last two mites.) Jesus the man- God loved God the Father with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength and loved his neighbor as himself in both redemptive acts. In the first case He proved to be obedient to His Father's will and is thereby worthy of all praise, glory and honor. The second great act of redemption has yet to come to pass but Jesus will prove to be up to the task at hand. In eternity though, what God has said is already done. This second act will be the fulfillment of the Cross. It will complete what God started at the foundation of the world and made manifest at Calvary. It will be the end of the world as we know it and usher in eternity. Amen |
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