The Will Of The FatherBy Fred Handschumacher
Earlier, in the section entitled, "Introduction To Offence", I quoted Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus said,"Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN." The obvious question to ask is "what is the will of the Father?" Everyone who seeks to follow Jesus must settle this question in his or her heart. I have heard many explanations. I discovered that the answer to this crucial question appears simple on the surface. Yet, on a closer examination the meaning goes far deeper. I Timothy 2:4 tells us that it is God's will to... "have all men saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."John 3:16-18 tells us..."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he that not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (KJV)It is clear that God's desire is for the world to be saved. He gave his only Son so that salvation could be made available to us. He did this because he "so loved the world". However, the discovery of this fact leads us to another question, "what does it mean to be saved"? For many Christians, salvation means dedicating one's life to Christ and believing on him to obtain eternal life. While this belief is correct, it still doesn't answer the question of what salvation actually is. The core meaning of salvation is something that I didn't find out about until 6 years after I was saved (Yes, it is possible to be saved and not fully understand it). I received the answer to this question one summer day in 1975 at a "Jesus rally" in Pennsylvania. The answer may not be easy to understand because our American society does not support the methods and ideologies that are involved. The Bible was not written in America. The story of the Bible did not take place on American soil and its truths did not come from American culture. The truths of the Bible originated in the ancient mid-eastern culture. In order to understand what "salvation" means--you have to understand what God means when he uses the term. This is what motivated me to write the book, "Mystery of the Faith". When you understand what salvation is and what our faith is based on--you come away with something that isn't taught in many places, and you are overwhelmed with how much Jesus accomplished at the cross--and how he did it FOR US.The subject discussed here is already covered in the section "Discovering the New Covenant". For that reason, I will not go into great detail. When God speaks about salvation, he is talking about our participation in a blood covenant, which He initiated. Both the old and new testaments are based on blood covenant. You can read about the covenant of the Old Testament between Abraham and God in Genesis 15. Likewise, a covenant is at the center of everything that occurs in the New Testament. Jesus reveals this fact to his disciples at the Last Supper--and it is echoed clearly in the book of Hebrews--which is a book written in blood covenant language. "And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'"(Luke 22:19-20 NKJV)"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."(Hebrews 10:16-17 KJV)"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."(Hebrews 13:20-21 KJV)Various other places in Scripture speak of the covenant, which is rooted in the blood of Jesus. In Hebrews 10:28-29 a warning is given about rejecting Jesus and His covenant..."He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, and unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (KJV)And again reference is made to this covenant in Hebrews 12: 22-24..."But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (KJV)As you study God's character in the Bible, you will find that, above everything else, he is a "covenant keeping God". Every interaction God has with the human race is based on the principles of the blood covenant. In the book of Hosea God says, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge". Choosing to become a Christian without gaining an understanding of covenant is like jumping from an airplane without a parachute. Most Christians have participated in the "Lord's Supper" or "Holy Communion". Unfortunately, many fail to understand the spiritual meaning behind this act. Eating the bread and drinking the wine during communion is the "covenant meal" of the New Covenant of Christ. It is one of the holiest observances for followers of Jesus Christ--and it represents serious business with God.A blood covenant is the most serious commitment that can be made between two people. Nothing in modern culture compares with it. In simple terms, a blood covenant takes two individuals and joins them together in an unbreakable union. This union also affects their families. Before the covenant was made, two individuals existed. After the covenant is completed, these two individuals have entered into a union, which makes them one. They share everything as common. Their strengths, possessions, resources, wealth and liabilities are held common. If an attack is brought against one covenant partner--the other will respond as if the attack was made on him. Even the individual's name is affected. At the making of a covenant, new names will be assigned to each person where each will take ownership of the other's name. That new name is now their name--forever. This is covenant union--it is covenant "oneness". Blood from both participants is spilled and mixed together during the covenant ceremony signifying "two bloods becoming one". Jesus was using covenant language in John 17:20-23 when he said... "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (NKJV)Those who understand that salvation is a "blood covenant" with God can partake of its benefits. Most teaching in modern church fellowships and organizations remove salvation from its covenant framework and attempt to teach it as a series of religious ideologies. This act destroys true Bible faith and replaces it with a religious counterfeit faith which looks and sounds like the real thing.When we put all of this together we see that the "will of the Father" is for everyone to live in the salvation of Jesus Christ through a covenant relationship with God. Our covenant with God has nothing to do with obeying religious laws or attempting to gain salvation through performance. The New Covenant is not a burden that God places on the Christian. It is the method by which the human race relates with God. The New Covenant is about spiritual freedom, grace and learning to operate from God's infinite resources rather than our own. Walking in a covenant relationship with God is participating in a divine process where all your liabilities are exchanged for Christ's resources. Some of these covenant provisions include:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ..." (KJV)The last part of I Timothy 2:4 states that it is also the Father's will that everyone "comes to a knowledge of the truth". You cannot come to a "knowledge of the truth" apart from the covenant of Jesus Christ. The reason many Christians die prematurely, are sick and appear to be cursed rather than blessed is because they try to relate with God using man's philosophy and "religious" ways instead of God's covenant ways. Attempting to relate with God in this manner has the effect of violating the covenant (read I Corinthians 11:28-31). Many Christians today who profess faith in Jesus Christ violate the covenant out of lack of knowledge and by allowing themselves to be deceived by wrong teaching. This is one aspect of what Jesus was discussing in John 6:53-69 (Covered in the website introduction)"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you...Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (KJV)Eating the flesh and drinking the blood are symbolic acts which take place during the making of a blood covenant. These acts are demonstrated through the "covenant meal" consisting of bread (representing the flesh) and wine (representing the blood). Each participant in the covenant ceremony eats the bread and drinks the wine. The symbolism in this act is meant to demonstrate, in the most graphic way, the covenant union of two people and the families they represent. In essence, Jesus is saying that eternal life results from being in His covenant--and apart from His blood covenant there is no life."For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23 KJV)God has made eternal life a product of His grace (unmerited favor)--"a gift" that is received through faith. This means that His covenant is initially entered through the doorway of simply trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and redeemer. In the Greek language of the New Testament this type of faith means, "entrusting your spiritual well-being to Jesus Christ as Lord". By taking this simple step of faith the "righteousness" of Christ's covenant (His life) is imputed (assigned) to your life. Romans 10:9-10 demonstrates this simplicity by saying..."that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". In the book of Acts Paul and Silas were arrested--they prayed and sang praises to God--and God opened the doors of the jail through an earthquake. The keeper of the prison came to them and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house". Salvation is simple to receive--the doorway into Christ's covenant is given as a gift from God. Yet, the Father expects you to learn His ways after entering that doorway. His plan is to eventually conform you into the image of His Son--Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29)! That "conforming" power is only found in Christ's blood covenant. Can you possess eternal life and not go through the Father's "conforming" process? Yes--but this path causes many painful experiences and frustrates spiritual maturity. Many honest, well-meaning Christians walk this path because they are not given the truth in their church.Most Christians walk through the doorway of faith--receive eternal life--and remain clueless as to the incredible covenant in which they now stand. Most Christians never learn the truth--and this is a tragedy. This "lack of knowledge", if it continues, exposes them to many unnecessary painful experiences at the hand of the enemy (Satan)--while making them think that their heavenly Father is inflicting the pain for their good. Religion and religion-based churches teach Christians in such a way that they never discover the truth unless they break free and learn it on their own. When Christians learn about Christ's covenant--they are set free from many misconceptions about God. I estimate that more than 85% of all Christians are never taught the truth about Christ's covenant. They're either not taught about the covenant at all--or they're taught a "redefined" version designed to agree with modern theological thinking. It is the Father's will for everyone to understand the importance of Christ's blood covenant and to know all its benefits! |
