Programme: Writing the Vision Prayer Meeting (WTVPM) - Day 3
Date: Wednesday, 17th May 2023
1. (Eph. 3:9). Apostle Paul was given the allocation of the mystery of Christ in order to make all men see its fellowship, which is a mystery hidden in God. Israel had a Christ concept as the Messiah (the anointed One) that is lower than the concept of the mystery of Christ hidden in God. That was why they could not understand/comprehend Christ; they had a lower understanding of Jesus when He came.
2. The fellowship of the mystery is the participation of how the soul can be initiated into fellowship. This means the essence of fellowship is to demystify mysteries. When a mystery is untied, it becomes a fellowship. To initiate a man into a mystery, the soul needs to come into the fellowship of such a mystery. Every mystery (Christ, Father and God – Col. 2:2) has its fellowship.
3. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3). Apostle John was writing to the church to make them come into the fellowship of the Son. The mystery of the Father is the mystery of the Son of God. There are levels of sonship in the Godhead before a man can arrive at the full dimension of sonship. At the level of the life of Christ, there is the charity Son; while at the level of the Father (everlasting life), there is the Son of the living God. Without these appearances, there is no fellowship. Appearance is the giving of the understanding that initiates us into the fellowship of the mystery.
4. There is the doctrine of Christ and there are the elementary principles of Christ (Heb. 6:1). The latter is called the milk of the word, which is the kindergarten training that prepares one for Christ. The milk of the word was initially called faith towards God in the Old Testament because there was no revelation of Christ yet. But in the book of Acts, it was called faith in the Lord Jesus. Christ had not been revealed, so they connected God through the law. Though it was not a perfect connection, the law was a schoolmaster to bring men to the season of Christ. It was when Christ was revealed that it ceased to be faith towards God and became Faith in the Lord Jesus. However, faith in the Lord Jesus is different from the faith of the Son. The faith of the Son actually began with Christ (Gal. 2:20). Faith of the Son of God did not end with Christ, it continued into everlasting life. Everlasting life is the appearance of the Son of God. In everlasting life, faith is still taught but as the most holy faith (Jude 1:20).
5. Believers have to begin with the elementary Principles of Christ. The apostle's doctrine was a witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus; that was what they preached first until they entered into another phase of their ministry. Those who arranged the bible in books did it by the Spirit; this is why after Apostle Paul preached the unsearchable riches of Christ, Apostle Peter followed with the everlasting word. Peter focused more on how one who has become Christ can be born by the incorruptible seed because he had the revelation of the incorruptible seed.
6. “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. [20]For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God..” (1 Peter 2:19, 20). All the thesis of Peter is about how to make charity fervent. Paul had preached charity, but charity needs to be made fervent to be able to cross. Peter began speaking of things that would make charity fervent. He started his new phase of ministry which is to introduce the incorruptible seed. And he spoke of it consistently. The incorruptible seed is the life of the Father. The Father holds the incorruptible seed and He would only plant it in a soil (soul) that already carries Christ.
7. The incorruptible seed is the seed that saves the soul (1 Peter 1:9). Without the incorruptible seed in the soul, we cannot be saved. The strength of God's salvation is the incorruptibility of salvation. This means salvation cannot be corrupted. Anyone born of the incorruptible seed has been born into salvation. In the realm of the heavens, there are angels who have the likelihood of salvation but not the texture of salvation which is a mystery that is hidden in God.
8. The everlastingness of the present earth is not after the order of righteousness. The new heavens and new earth however have righteousness – “wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13)”. The bringing in of the new heavens and the new earth is because of salvation. The giving of substances of righteousness to us is to make us entities of the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. This is how They give us salvation and an entity that will never pass away. As we are being given such substances, it invariably means we will not pass away. This is the promise or hope of righteousness which is salvation (Gal. 5:5).
9. Incorruptible seed is the substance of everlasting righteousness. Righteousness is Christ while everlasting righteousness is the Father (the allocation of the Son of God). We move from righteousness to everlasting righteousness. Everlasting righteousness is the incorruptible seed. Christ also has a seed which is righteousness; this is the seed that will make a man righteous to receive everlasting righteousness.
10. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;[14] As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:[15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;[16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Pet. 1:13-16). This grace is the grace of everlasting righteousness or the grace of the incorruptible seed; it is the grace that is to be brought to the saints. The saints that constituted Peter’s audience were in the grace of Christ, but there was another grace (of everlasting life) that was to be brought to them. The substance locked up in righteousness is grace (John 1:16). Peter was telling the saints to hope for that grace that is to be brought to them. And the disposition of the heart one ought to have is to gird up the loins of one’s mind, be sober, and then hope for the living hope. The living hope is the inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and 'fadeth' not away (1 Pet. 1:4). It is the incorruptibility that is being discussed in the above scripture. He gathered up the inheritance and summed it up as the grace that is to be brought to them at the appearance of Jesus Christ. It will take the appearance of Jesus as the Son of God for the grace of salvation to be brought to men.
11. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world…” (Titus 2: 11-12). The grace that brings salvation will teach men before it saves them. Hence, grace must have taught them before it can give them everlasting salvation. The grace will teach men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. The grace that bringeth salvation sent an emissary ahead to teach men, by washing them with the washing of the water by the word, sanctifying them, and then the grace will be brought. The grace that would be brought at the revelation of Jesus is the grace for salvation – the grace of the incorruptible seed, which will only come at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
12. (1 Peter 1: 13 - 16). It would take everlasting righteousness to come into the state referred to as "I am holy". One cannot be holy unless such has received substances of righteousness. It is from righteousness unto holiness (Rom. 6:19). 'Holy’ is beauty. Although men have their definition of beauty, the scriptural definition means 'hallow'. Some people feel judged once the word ‘holiness’ is mentioned. We are to serve righteousness unto holiness. And we can only serve by the substances we are given. Everlasting righteousness delivers everlasting holiness. There is a holiness in Christ according to Romans 6:19, which is “righteousness unto holiness”. However, we see how 1 Peter 1:16 highlights an everlasting righteousness that would bring one into "Be ye holy; for I am holy". This is the holiness of the Father.
13. “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:[18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;[19] 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. 1:17-20). The blood of Christ here is the blood of the everlasting covenant. Blood is life. In Christ, blood can be shared. Those who fellowship in the things of Christ share in the life of Christ. Sharing in the life of Christ means sharing in His blood; anyone who is sharing in this life is a brother in the blood. This blood means the life called Christ. But there is also the blood of the everlasting covenant.
14. “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, [21] 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.” (Heb. 13:20-21). The redemption being provided in the scripture above is an everlasting redemption. But you need to receive what is contained in the blood, which is everlasting righteousness. The blood will bring you to glory everlasting because it is the blood of the everlasting covenant. The focal point of Peter is about the incorruptible seed; he told us to be born again by the incorruptible seed that "liveth and abideth" forever (1 Peter 1:23).
Blessings!