skins of the lamb are received by God just as the lamb
itself was received. Similarly, all who are in Christ—the Lamb of God (John
1:29)—are accepted by God just as Christ was accepted. Today all the saved ones
have come to God through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus by being clothed
with Christ our righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30).
God caused Adam to sleep deeply and made Eve out of his rib.
The sleep of Adam is thus a type or prefigurement of the non-atoning side to
the death of Christ. From within Christ’s flesh God takes out life and gives
this life of Christ—which is God’s eternal and uncreated life—to man. Out of
Christ God takes that with which to build the church.
We know from the book of Genesis that God created many
animals as well as the man Adam. Those many animals belong to various lower
species. In wanting to give Adam a helpmate God did not find such among the
animals; so He took a rib from Adam’s side and made Eve. Thus, Eve’s life is the
same as Adam’s, not that of a lower species. Nevertheless, man’s created life
is lower than God’s uncreated life in Christ. So now God takes out His life that
is in Christ and creates each of us anew so that we may have His life and
arrive at His purpose. Such is the way God builds the church with all the saved
ones as His materials. The life of the church is therefore the same as God’s life
in Christ. What life we receive when saved is therefore a much higher life. The
life by which we formerly lived was of the flesh and earthly, but now God has
given us His life in Christ in order that we might be built up together as the
church of God.
Adam’s sleep mentioned in Genesis 2:21 does not represent
or prefigure the atoning side of Christ’s death, for at that moment in the
Edemic garden man had not yet sinned. Until sin has occurred there is no need
for man’s redemption involving the shedding of blood. But an act of sin by man had occurred
by the time of the death of the lamb told of in Genesis 3:21, and serves as a
type of the atoning side in the death of Christ. Garments of skin are only
needed once man had sinned. And hence, the slaying of the lamb is representative
of the atoning side of Christ’s death. It is altogether different from the
incident told of in Genesis 2:21. Adam’s sleep mentioned there serves as a type
of the other side of Christ’s death. It was not indicative of a human body’s death
but was a deep sleep. It can be likened to the physical demise of the saved
which for them is actually sleep . Henceforth, we believers
in Christ do not die, since death is related to sin. On the other hand, the Lord
Jesus declared that whoever is saved shall never die (John 6:47-51, 58). Hence,
the so-called death of a Christian should be called sleep for his demise has
nothing to do with sin and death.
If we know the Bible, we should be able to differentiate between
the atoning and the non-atoning sides of Jesus’ death. The latter side is
positive for building Christians together as “the bone of His bones and flesh
of His flesh” (cf. Genesis 2:23). Christ releases God’s life that is within Him
in order to create a new man. During the days of His flesh Jesus talked not
only about the atoning side of His forthcoming death but also about the non-atoning
side—the giving to men God’s uncreated life in order to overcome the old
creation. To be saved is to have men’s sins forgiven, thus rescuing condemned
sinners from death. Such is negative in character and all is done by Christ.
But He also has the non-atoning side to His death on the cross, which is: to
give God’s life to us—a life that we never had before. So Jesus’ death has its
negative side of saving us from death and the positive side of giving us a new
life. These two sides are totally different from each other.
Jesus
Came to Cast Fire on Earth
Luke 12:49 and 50 are two verses in the entire New
Testament which are most precious yet most difficult to explain.
itself was received. Similarly, all who are in Christ—the Lamb of God (John
1:29)—are accepted by God just as Christ was accepted. Today all the saved ones
have come to God through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus by being clothed
with Christ our righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30).
God caused Adam to sleep deeply and made Eve out of his rib.
The sleep of Adam is thus a type or prefigurement of the non-atoning side to
the death of Christ. From within Christ’s flesh God takes out life and gives
this life of Christ—which is God’s eternal and uncreated life—to man. Out of
Christ God takes that with which to build the church.
We know from the book of Genesis that God created many
animals as well as the man Adam. Those many animals belong to various lower
species. In wanting to give Adam a helpmate God did not find such among the
animals; so He took a rib from Adam’s side and made Eve. Thus, Eve’s life is the
same as Adam’s, not that of a lower species. Nevertheless, man’s created life
is lower than God’s uncreated life in Christ. So now God takes out His life that
is in Christ and creates each of us anew so that we may have His life and
arrive at His purpose. Such is the way God builds the church with all the saved
ones as His materials. The life of the church is therefore the same as God’s life
in Christ. What life we receive when saved is therefore a much higher life. The
life by which we formerly lived was of the flesh and earthly, but now God has
given us His life in Christ in order that we might be built up together as the
church of God.
Adam’s sleep mentioned in Genesis 2:21 does not represent
or prefigure the atoning side of Christ’s death, for at that moment in the
Edemic garden man had not yet sinned. Until sin has occurred there is no need
for man’s redemption involving the shedding of blood. But an act of sin by man had occurred
by the time of the death of the lamb told of in Genesis 3:21, and serves as a
type of the atoning side in the death of Christ. Garments of skin are only
needed once man had sinned. And hence, the slaying of the lamb is representative
of the atoning side of Christ’s death. It is altogether different from the
incident told of in Genesis 2:21. Adam’s sleep mentioned there serves as a type
of the other side of Christ’s death. It was not indicative of a human body’s death
but was a deep sleep. It can be likened to the physical demise of the saved
which for them is actually sleep . Henceforth, we believers
in Christ do not die, since death is related to sin. On the other hand, the Lord
Jesus declared that whoever is saved shall never die (John 6:47-51, 58). Hence,
the so-called death of a Christian should be called sleep for his demise has
nothing to do with sin and death.
If we know the Bible, we should be able to differentiate between
the atoning and the non-atoning sides of Jesus’ death. The latter side is
positive for building Christians together as “the bone of His bones and flesh
of His flesh” (cf. Genesis 2:23). Christ releases God’s life that is within Him
in order to create a new man. During the days of His flesh Jesus talked not
only about the atoning side of His forthcoming death but also about the non-atoning
side—the giving to men God’s uncreated life in order to overcome the old
creation. To be saved is to have men’s sins forgiven, thus rescuing condemned
sinners from death. Such is negative in character and all is done by Christ.
But He also has the non-atoning side to His death on the cross, which is: to
give God’s life to us—a life that we never had before. So Jesus’ death has its
negative side of saving us from death and the positive side of giving us a new
life. These two sides are totally different from each other.
Jesus
Came to Cast Fire on Earth
Luke 12:49 and 50 are two verses in the entire New
Testament which are most precious yet most difficult to explain.
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