The title of the Word: The best hope in the mystery of Christ and the Church (the bride)
God had Adam give the names of all the creatures God had created. But he could not find anyone to help him. Finally, God made Adam fall into a deep sleep and make one of his ribs to make a woman to help him. God made the woman to help Adam to rule all things. Since then, God has created a marriage system in which man leaves his parents and is married to his wife.
However, Adam sinned against God and handed over the rulership of the earth to the devil and lost God’s image. Through the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit testified about the profound reason Adam was created:
” Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” (Rom. 5:12-14)
Apostle Paul testified of the great dispensation. In other word, Adam is the figure of Jesus Christ before God appears in the form of Adam in the future. In this cause, Apostle Paul testified of Christ Jesus as last Adam:
“ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.“(1Cor. 15:45)
In addition, the Holy Spirit even spoke more mysterious plan of God through the Apostle Paul to the Saints in the Church of Ephesus:
” According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,“(Eph. 1;4-5)
What a mysterious word of God it is! Even before the earth was created, Christ Jesus had been predestinated to appear in the earth. Of course, it is even before Adam was created., and he sinned against God, Christ had been predestinated to adopt the children of God who believe in him. The wisdom of man may ask question saying, “Then, did God had known of Adam to sin?”
Knowing the thoughts of man, the Holy Spirit made clear statements about the purpose of Christ Jesus in the world:
” Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;that through death he might destroy him thathad the power of death, that is, the devil;…… He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.“(Heb. 2:14, 1John 3:8)
Yeah! Before God created the earth, he had planned to destroy the Lucifer, the devil that had rebelled against God in heaven to creat the new heavens and new earth.
Of the Lucifer, the devil that had cast out of the heaven because of his sin, the Holy Spirit testified through prophet Isaiah:
” How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! howart thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.. “(Isaiah 14: 12-15)
When the time was fulfilled, God called Abraham. God planned to make Christ Jesus appear as the seed of Abraham. In order to make Abraham’s only son, Isaac a figure of Christ to come, God told Abraham to give his son Isaac to God as a burnt offering on the mountain in Moriah. We can see the image of Jesus seeing Isaac ascending the mountain and climbing the cross to go up the hill of Golgotha:
” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together..” (Gen. 22: 6)
The Holy Spirit testified about Christ when he wrote to the Galatians through the Apostle Paul:
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.“ (Galatians 3:16)
Jesus Christ, who had already been scheduled to take away the sin of the world to appear on earth before the foundation of the world, appeared in the image of Adam, and as when Adam fell asleep, God made his helping hand with his rib, He also caused Jesus to fall asleep in the earth for three days and three nights, and made him resurrected. He became the quickening spirit giving the Holy Spirit unto them that believe on him. In addition, all those who have received His Spirit have become His flesh and bones, and have made them the helping hands forever and ever.
The Apostle Paul witnessed unto the Gentile Christians with eagerness. Because his fellow Jews did not believe in him, but the Gentiles believed first and became his bride:
“ Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. “(2 Corinthians 11: 1-4)
Apostle Paul testified about the mysterious relationship between Christ and the Christian when he witnessed of the marriage between man and woman :
” For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. “(Ephesians 5: 30-32)
Christians who have received wholeheartedly believing in Christ Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit have already become one with Christ. They are the members of Christ, the members of the head of Christ, who have become the spiritual organisms that receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and serve one another. Therefore, the church of God is to be one body and to help him as a helping spouse for Christ’s work.
We need to know what Christ is doing. He wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2: 4). Also, the church of God is to come down with Him back to the earth and help Him doing His judgments. Apostle Paul spoke unto the church of God saying, ” Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much things morethat pertain to this life? ” (1 Corinthians 6: 3) The king of kings, the Lord of Lords, coming to the earth to judge the world will be the only king of the earth after he finish judgment. as Adam did.. Apostle Paul testified to Timothy, a soldier of Christ, pastor of the church:
” If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” (2 Timothy 2:12).
Therefore, we must be victorious and blessed as the glorious bride of Christ not deceived by the devil as old Eve.