Faith # 5

[Brightfame52]

Complete in Him the Head !

Col 2:10

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

The word complete plēroō means:

C.to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise

i.of matters of duty: to perform, execute


iii.to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment

Now for this to be True, the believer, before he or she believed, was first made a believer by Christ or in Christ their head, All that the Law required of a man, like what Solomon wrote Ecc 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Christ has fulfilled the same for him, if indeed He acted in their behalf as a Surety, hence Christ for them caused God's Will, as it is made known in His Law, to be obeyed as it should be ! This entails such obedience to God as the First Commandment, which commands Love to God; Remember Jesus words here in reply to the young lawyer Matt 22:35-40

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Please notice Vs 37, that's what God requires of man, and Christ has obeyed it for the Believer, and that this obedience implies Faith is seen when we compare these Two passages of scripture, Love to God is to be done in obedience to the Law Lk 11:42

42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone !

Now in Matthews version of the same it reads Matt 23:23

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

As we can see Faith and Love to God are used interchangeably as that which ought to have been done as a weightier matter of the Law of God !

Christ fulfilled the Law for those He Lived and died for, so He would have fulfilled Love to God and or Faith in God as that which ought to have been done.

Similar, Micah says it like this, what is required of man Micah 6:8

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Christ Fulfilled this requirement in our stead if He was our Surety ! 13

 

[Brightfame52]

Complete in Him the Head ! 2

Taking up from Micah 6:8

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

That word require means that its a demand, One Translation captures the sense of the word here :

Human being, you have already been told
what is good, what Adonai demands of you —
no more than to act justly, love grace
and walk in purity with your God. CJB

And what is demaned/ required here in this verse of man/adam ? Micah 6:8

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

And how is that to be done ? To walk humbly with thy God ? One way scripture states is to walk by Faith, for that pleases God ! Remember Enoch, it is written that he walked with God Gen 5:24

24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

And the writer of Hebrews informs us it was by Faith Heb 11:5,6

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

That same word pleased in Vs 5 is used in Vs 6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So thats how Enoch walked with God in a pleasing manner, walking by Faith, that's how man humbly walks with God as required Micah 6:8

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Which keeps the Law Matt 23:23; Lk 11:42, which Law Christ has already fulfilled for us as our Surety before God, which makes us complete in Christ, even before we believed !

Christ , before we believed, pleased God for us, Heb 11:6 does apply to Him as a Man, when here on earth Heb 5:7-8

7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Certainly when He offered up prayers, He prayed in Faith James 5:15

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

So in Him, we were made complete, even people of Faith, else it could not have been said this Col 2:10

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Neither would it be True that He for us has fulfilled and obeyed God's Law for us !

 

[Brightfame52]

The Faith of Jesus Christ !

It is written, that the doers of the Law shall be Justified [before God] Rom 2:13

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

And since the Lord Jesus Christ as a Covenant Head, like Adam, did actually keep/do the Law in its entirety for those He was a Surety for, those He both Lived and died for, Note: Christ could not have died for us unless He also Lived for us as a substitute;

Now they in the Just reckoning of God, since He is their Surety Head, reckons them as doers of the Law, and therefore Justified as such, according to the promise of the text Rom 2:13, hence they are Justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ Gal 2:16

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law [in himself], but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

This scripture along with many others proves that while Christ lived on earth as a Second Adam, A Surety Head, that He in that capacity did what adam could not do in the flesh being too weak Rom 8:3, He obeyed God's Law perfectly for them, lived by Faith for them ! How do we know that ? Its simple, because without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Jesus had Faith in the Reward of His Covenantal engagement with God the Father, that once He Lived in Obedience to the Law, and layed down His Life for the People given to Him by the Father, and He to them as a Covenant Isa 42:6, that He would be raised from the dead, for in Heb 12:2

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

That Joy set before Him was to be post after His death, after His resurrection, thats because He believed God His Father Jn 10:17-18

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Remember David speaking as a Type of Christ Ps 16:9-11

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

No doubt that Joy in Vs 11 is referring to that Joy He looked forward to as a Man of Faith Heb 12:2 ! Also see Acts 2:31-32 !

This is to prove that as a Surety, the Man Christ had Faith in the Word of Promise to Him, as the Surety of the People, so His Faith is theirs, the Faith of Jesus Christ Gal 2:16 ! 13

 

[Brightfame52]

Christ is the author of the Believers Faith !

Heb 12:2

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. AMP

The word incentive here is very helpful to understand the Truth here being presented, it means:

a motivating influence; stimulus

looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God .CJB

The word initiator is enlightening, meaning:

To set going by taking the first step; begin

The believers life of faith began in Christ Jesus, when He for them kept the Law. Its just like the believers life of sin began in Adam when he disobeyed the Law God gave him !

That Faith which we began to have in Christ our Head is communicated to us in new birth, just as unbelief and sinfulness we began to have in adam was communicated to us in our natural birth, for neither our life of faithlessness or Faith began in ourselves !

 

[Brightfame52]

Christ is the author of the Believers Faith ! 2


The Faith and Trust that Christ had in God in His Covenant engagements for us Heb 2:13

13 And again, I[Christ the Covenant Head] will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children[Christ Members] which God hath given me.

This word Trust is the greek word peithō and means:



persuade

1. to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe

be persuaded

1. to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with

Its translated believed here Acts 17:4

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Acts 27:11

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

Acts 28:23-24

And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

In fact the word Faith as in Eph 2:8 is the greek word pistis and it is from the same verb peithō , so peitho is the parent of Faith !

And Christ speaking as the Covenant Head swears that He as the Head shall put His Faith/Trust in Him [God] and the Children [His Members] given to Him !

The Faith we have in God in Christ He gives it to us, as He is the Head and Mediator of the Covenant, and so the Faith of the Head becomes the Faith of His Members.

When we believe in time as per Jn 3:16, it only reveals that we had believed in our Head before our time, just like when we sinned in time it revealed we had sinned in our head adam before our time.

It also reveals that we by Him have obeyed Gods Law in the Most God Glorifying way it could have been, so it is written Isa 42:21

21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable

Christ did this not as a private individual, but as a Covenant Head and Representative !

So those who never believe and die in their sins Jn 8:24;3:18,36 means that Christ never believed for them. never obeyed Gods Law for them, so consequently they remain under the curse and condemnation of the Law, and cannot believe, for they were never His Sheep, His Children Jn 10:26

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you

If they would have been His Sheep, they would have to believe because He already has Believed/Trusted for them Heb 2:13 ! 13

 

[Brightfame52]

Christ is the author of the Believers Faith ! 3

Ye must be born again ! Jn 3:6-7

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

This is True for everyone Christ lived and died for, His Sheep, because it is through New Birth of the Spirit Christ's Faith is communicated to them !
Again the comparison is as with Adam, as the Elect had Adam as their natural Head and sinned in him, disobeyed in him, believed not in him Rom 11:32

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

As a evidence of their oneness with Adam in his disobedience Rom 5:19a

For as by one man's disobedience/unbelief many were made sinners/unbelievers, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Now as evidence of this fact, that they were one of the many made sinners/unbelievers, they are born physically of the flesh as sinners and unbelievers confirming their identification in Adams sin !

So likewise, as an evidence of their oneness with Christ their Spiritual Head by Election in Him before the foundation Eph 1:4, and having obeyed in Him, having Trusted/believed in Him Heb 2:13

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

Now as evidence of this fact they are born again Spiritually and become believers/Trusters confirming their Identification in Christ's Obedience/ Faith !

They were given a nature of the flesh to identify with their natural head, and they are given a nature by or of the Spirit in new birth to identify with their Spiritual head !

Christ's Faith is communicated by His Spirit, when we are born again of the Spirit, which proves that we belonged to Christ Rom 8:9

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

So Christ's Sheep must be born again of the Spirit and they must believe ! If one never believes, they were not Christ's Sheep that Christ Lived and died for Jn 10:26 !

A matter of fact, if anyone Christ lived and died for goes to hell in their sins in unbelief Jn 8:24, it would be like saying a Believer has went to hell for their sins in unbelief ! See what a contradiction that would be ? that's because, even when they are unbelievers while in the flesh, they are or had been made believers already in their union with Christ when He believed for them !

 

[Brightfame52]

Christ's Sheep must Believe and Why !

Jesus said this Jn 10:16

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Jesus here means by this, that He had other Sheep besides those He had in the jews, that He had Gentile Sheep too !

The key word here is Have Jesus says He has them ! The word have is the word echō and means:

1. 
   to have, i.e. to hold
   1. to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as
2. to have i.e. own, possess

Notice that it means not only to possess, but to own !

And such that He owns and possess shall hear His Voice and believe, because faith cometh by hearing the voice of Christ Rom 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Some Translations read:

So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).

So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

They shall hear Christ's voice through the Preaching of His servants as they Preach about Christ !

Now , concerning our text, even though Christ own and possessed Sheep, they had yet to believe, however by the simple fact that they were His Sheep that He owned/possessed they must believe; and here's why:

Those who belong to Christ, as a token or seal of His ownership of them, His Spirit is given to them, to mark them as His, and to reveal them as His, and so we read in Rom 8:9

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Now of course even the Sheep before New Birth dont have the Spirit of Christ experimentally, however that's why they must be born again, to show that they are Christ's Sheep, that they belong to Him !

Now this means that if a person never receives the Spirit of Christ, then they were never of His Sheep that He owned and Possessed. Now understand, Christs Sheep were His Sheep before they believed and received the Spirit, but there was no evidence of them being owned by Christ and being His Sheep until they believe !

Its just not possible for anyone of Christ's Sheep to live and die without the mark of ownership [The Spirit], which is His Spirit Rom 8:9, and upon believing He seals them as Christ's Sheep Eph 1:13

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard[Jn 10:16] the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,


Now the word sealed is the greek word sphragizō and means:

sphragízō (from 4973 /sphragís, "a seal") – properly, to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.

sphragízō ("to seal") signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.

The Holy Spirit is Christ's signature attesting to the Sheep being His.

Now where they His Sheep before the attesting of the Spirit ? Yes, we know this because He said, other Sheep I have that are not of this fold and they shall hear my voice Jn 10:16.

And of course they seal is applied after believing, which is the Fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

The Spirit gives us Faith to believe because we belonged to Christ, and because of that we must spiritually hear His voice and Believe as Promised Jn 10:16 ! 13

 

[Brightfame52]

A dead man cannot believe on Christ !

A dead man cannot believe on Christ ! Jn 6:44

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

A spiritually dead sinner cannot and will not believe on Christ unto Salvation, because Faith in Christ is a spiritually vital act, from communicated or quickened Life; before man can believe, he must be given by the Spirit of God, a heart to perceive, eyes to see, ears to hear, that which ot natural israel lacked because God withheld it Deut 29:4

4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Without giving spiritual eyes to see we cannot believe like Jesus says here Jn 6:40

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Believing is the result of seeing first ! I agree with John Gill here :

That everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him; who so sees him as to believe in him; for this is not to be understood of a corporeal sight of Christ, or of a mere speculative knowledge of him, or historical faith in him; for it is not so to see him, as merely to believe what he is, the Son of God, the Messiah and Saviour of the world, or what he says, but to trust in him for righteousness, life, and happiness. Men are by nature blind, their eyes are shut to all that is spiritually good; it is the Spirit of God that opens blind eyes, and illuminates the understanding:

Without ears to hear, how can Faith cometh by hearing as stated by Paul here Rom 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Without these things Spiritually, man is disqualified to believe on Christ ! 14

 

[Brightfame52]

Who does Paul Thank for their Faith ?

Who does Paul Thank for the Faith of these believers in Rome ? Rom 1:8

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Who does Paul Thank for Grace that was given the Corinthian Believers ? 1 Cor 1:4-7

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Whose does Paul Thank for the Faith of the Ephesian believers ? Eph 1:3,15-17

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Paul heard of their Faith because the God and Father of their Lord Jesus Christ had blessed them with all spiritual blessings !

Faith is merely one of many spiritual blessings, its a fruit of Christ's Spirit Gal 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Faith and Faithfulness are the same ! Paul could have very well said :

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faithfulness in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

 

[Brightfame52]

Man by nature has a Faith no doubt, but it is of the flesh John 3:6 , and so it is a dead faith James 2:26 it is from a spiritually dead person without the life of God! 14

 

[Brightfame52]

Believers first believed when Christ believed for them !


This is a Mystery of the Faith, that Faith in Christ is a result of Christ having already believed in God for us by and in His Obedience to Gods Law on our behalf, if He indeed lived and died for us, and here's why this is True ! When the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth, having been made under the Law Gal 4:4

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

He then satisfied for them all of Gods Law Commands, He obeyed for them, all the Commandments God required for man to enter into Life, as it was told the Rich young ruler when he asked this:

Matt 19:16

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

And Jesus replied :

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Jesus is not lying here, If a person will enter into Life, or into eternal life, they must perfectly keep the Commandments !

Jesus states a couple of the Commandments to be kept here Matt 19:18-19

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Now there is One Commandment Jesus did not mention here, but its greater than all the Ones He does mention, and its this one Matt 22:36-39

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Notice, He mentioned the second most important commandment, but not the first one, but in order to enter into Eternal Life, man must also keep the First and Great Commandment which is:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

Now when Jesus was made under the Law, He kept this Commandment for them, they for whom He was made under the Law for, by Him, have Kept, obeyed this First Commandment, along with the second and all the rest, just as God has required ! Now heres the question, when Jesus kept the First Commandment for them He lived and died for, did He have Faith in God ? Would Loving God with all our Heart, Soul, and Mind require Faith in Him ? Could Jesus have obeyed this Commandment without Faith and Belief in God, Yes or No ?

Could Jesus have perfectly Loved God without Faith in Him ? If one can understand that to Love God as required as the First and Great Commandment , that it took Faith in God, for Faith worketh by Love, then they can understand how Christ has already believed in the God of their Salvation for them, the requirement for Faith and Love to God has been met, fulfilled by Christ for them, so through His Obedience alone they are constituted them that Love God Rom 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All for whom Christ Lived and died under the Law for Love God ! They Love God first and for most because Christ for them has obeyed the First and Greatest Commandment which is :

Matt 22:37-38

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

If Christ kept the Law for us, He has fulfilled that Law /Commandment requirement for us Perfectly and has on our behalf obtained Enter Life for us !

Rev 22:14

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 14