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Fred R. Coulter—August, 08, 2009
Mark 14:22: "And as they were eating... [this is on the Passover, the 14th] "…Jesus took bread; and after blessing it, He broke it and gave it to them, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' And He took the cup; and after giving thanks, He gave it to them; and they all drank of it. And He said to them, 'This is My blood… [symbolic, of course] …the blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many (vs 22-24).
They didn't pour the wine out, it was His blood that was shed when He was crucified. Bob brought up that when He was crucified, there was a man on the right and a man on the left. Very interesting. Plus, as He was walking, that was His death walk. So, this is the New Covenant.
Now let's see our part, because when we come into covenant with God, we are also put into the same position where we pledge our lives. Let's see what the meaning of baptism is and how that ties in with covenant law. Since Christ did what He did, then He requires of us, in order to receive eternal life, to pledge our lives in a reciprocal covenant back with Him to be conjoined in that New Covenant with Him.
As He came and died, faithful unto death, as He prophesied and pledged of it in Gen. 15, so likewise, if we're going to enter into a New Covenant, we have to bring a symbolic death of our selves to guarantee our part of the covenant. That's what baptism is all about.
Romans 6:1: "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? MAY IT NEVER BE! We who died to sin…" (vs 1-2).
- How do you die to sin?
- Did you literally absolutely die? No, you're alive, but you are dead to sin!
"…how shall we live any longer therein? Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?" (vs 2-3).
What did Paul say? I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, and the life that I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of man who died for me! Through baptism, you join His death and you pledged your future death if you are not faithful to the end.
Verse 4: "Therefore, we were buried with Him through the baptism into the death…"
That's interesting because in the Greek it is the baptism, into the death. With the definite article there in the Greek it makes it much more emphatic!
"…so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, in the same way, we also should walk in newness of life" (v 4).
With this burial and being fully immersed in water is a symbolic death. So far I've brought everybody back up. God made it easier for us, but it is still just as effective. It washes away our sins and it puts us in conjoining of Jesus death. But this is our pledge to walk in newness of life, and be faithful unto death!
Verse 5: "For if we have been conjoined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified with Him… [you died to sin] …in order that the body of sin might be destroyed…" (vs 5-6).
It is a process then of overcoming! It's not destroyed all at once. You don't rise up out of there and become immediately righteous with no more sin to work on to overcome.
Some Protestants teach that, and some of them even say once you've repented, you don't have to repent anymore. What do you do with the Lord's Prayer? Every day? 'Forgive us our sins,' that's repentance!
"…so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin; because the one who has died to sin has been justified from sin. Now, if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has any dominion over Him. For when He died, He died unto sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives unto God" (vs 6-10).
This is how we enter into the covenant. {note sermon series: Preparation for Baptism} Baptism is very misunderstood. Yes, you're counseled:
- Did you repent of your sins? Yes I repented of my sin!
- Did you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Yes!
In the baptism that we do, we ask the same thing, and the question is asked: Are you ready to enter into an irrevocable covenant with God the Father in Jesus Christ, by your symbolic death in this watery grave? That brings to focus what everything is all about. That also helps ensure no dipping, or dunking. Too many people were dunked.
This becomes our symbolic death that we will
- walk in way of Christ
- change
- grow
- overcome
That's what Rom. 6 talks about in overcoming sin. That is sealed in two ways for its finality. We have to be faithful to the end!
John 3:14: "And even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, in the same way it is ordained that the Son of man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life" (vs 14-15).
The King James says, should not perish. Should is a little less strong than shall. But may is entirely different. May comes from the subjunctive verb, which is conditional and is used in many cases with the IF clause.
"…may not perish, but may have everlasting life." Baptism starts the process!
Verse 16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life."
Because Jesus said, 'The one who endures to the end shall be saved.' IF you don't endure to the end, you don't have eternal life. Now there are many variables in it. We have the parable of the prodigal son who left and came back; that applies to a lot of people. That doesn't mean that they have broken the covenant it means that they have fallen, but have been restored.
That's why when we go through the book of Hebrews we also find the conditions that are there:
- IF we obey
- IF we love
- IF we serve
- IF we overcome
That's why it is "…may have everlasting life." Since God wants to give us everlasting life, He has provided the means of forgiveness through Christ.
- He has provided the covenant of baptism so you can be in covenant with God the Father in Jesus Christ
- He has provided His Holy Spirit to lead you; the begettal of the Holy Spirit of God within you so that you can receive eternal life
- He has provided His Word so that you can study and grow and learn and overcome
Today we have the whole Word of God. So that's how that covenant law applies to us.
{note sermon series: Covenants of God}
James 2:1: "My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory… [it's not referring to two Lords, but just to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Lord of glory] …with respect of persons."
We are to have the faith of Jesus Christ in the way that God wants us to have it! He's saying, 'Do not exercise the faith of Jesus Christ, or have the faith of Jesus Christ—"…the Lord of glory…"—with respect to persons, because God does not have respect of persons! He's saying, 'Don't get your own little clique.' He explains it:
Verse 2: "Now then, if a man comes into your synagogue wearing gold rings and dressed in splendid apparel, and there comes in also a poor man in lowly apparel."
Maybe he needs a bath and even stinks, what are you going to do? Oh, you never know, it could be an angel!
Verse 3: "And you give preference to the one who is wearing the splendid apparel… [he's dressed well, yes, we had better welcome this guy in] …and say to him, 'Seat yourself here in the best place'; and yousay to the poor man, 'Stand over there,' or, 'Sit here under my footstool.'"
Especially when applied to Jews, this is particularly so. It is the synagogue that they came into, so he was writing to the Jews in the synagogue. James was probably written about 35A.D.; very early on before the conference concerning Gentiles and circumcision (Acts 15), because he doesn't mention Gentiles here at all. If it would have been after Acts 15 then it would have been mentioned of Gentiles because of the judgment.
That is why we are to accept each other for what we are, the way that we are, not to judge the heart, not to separate people and have preference, and have little cliques, but we are to love each other. That's the key important thing that God wants us to do. You don't have love for each other when you treat someone better than the other person.
Remember what Paul said? The weaker vessels should be given the more attention! That's what it's referring to there. Yes, He's warning them against saying that they are in the faith of Jesus Christ, if they have respect of persons. That's what he's actually saying. Don't say you have the faith of Jesus Christ, if you're going to have the preferences of men. I mean, look at us and the way the Church of God is today:
- we're scattered
- we're small
- we all have our difficulties
- we all have our problems
- we have those who are in a situation like two that we have here
- we love them
- we respect them
- we greet them
- we welcome them
regardless of what their circumstances are!
Otherwise, we end up having preferences, and when we end up having preferences, then we end up having respect, and then we're not treating those that God shows that need more love and attention. That's just the way that it is.
I think that's especially true of what we are doing with the Christian Biblical Church of God, because we have a lot of people in many different and dire circumstances. God loves them; God has called them!
- we serve them
- we help them
- we visit them
- we do the best that we can do
That's what God wants us to do!
Another thing that is important here is that this gets down to the whole foundation on Christ that we need to build.
Matthew 22:35: "And one of them, a doctor of the Law, questioned Him, tempting Him, and saying, 'Master, which commandment is the great commandment in the Law?'"
All lawyers have to be by nature, very punctilious and correct. That's what he was doing here, but also trying to trip up Jesus.
Verse 37: "And Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment'" (vs 37-38).
And that's our commitment to God. The longer that you have God's Spirit and you're still in the flesh, the more inadequate you find yourself, especially when you understand more and more about God and the nature of God and the love of God and what God has done. God expects us to have a full commitment to Him. This also will have a bearing upon our relationship with God and others, and also a bearing on healing! Then he says,
Verse 39: "And the second one is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (vs 39-40).
1-Thessalonians 5:23: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly… [to be set aside by the Spirit of God; this means completely sanctified] …and may your entire spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
That ties right in with loving God and in loving your neighbor. How do we express the love and having that love and remaining sanctified, completely sanctified? Then becomes an operation of how we love God, love our neighbor, love each other and our enemies. Now, let me explain that.
How important is it that we get problems resolved, not only with people that we interact with, but even those that we don't interact with, from the point of view of our standing before God? If there's a problem that arises, here's what God says. I want you to understand how important that this is.
And that this is part of part of our righteousness exceeding the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, who hated everyone else except their own. Here's what God says if there's a dispute:
Matthew 5:23: "For this reason, if you bring your gift to the altar… [every time we pray, we come to the altar of God in heaven above] …and there remember that your brother has something against you." God says, 'I don't want to hear your prayer, until you go straighten it out!'
Verse 24: "Leave your gift there before the altar… [don't continue on trying to contact Me] …and go your way; first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." That's quite something! Let there be peace:
- not backbiting
- not gossiping
- not wondering
Let there be love and peace! Isn't that what God has called us to? Look at the state of the Church of God today. It's pitiful brethren! It's pitiful! We need to pray for the Church everyday.
The biggest problem they have is that they are they are exercising their faith with preference to people, and they are not resolving the problems. For this reason, the church splits and it splits and it splits.
- What happens?
- What happens to the brethren?
- How do you feel?
Betrayed, victimized and so forth!
I think that with the Church of God, by the devices of Satan the devil—and our own faults, sins, stupidity—that we have created many people's sickness to be intensified because of the problems that have been caused, and our own personal reactions to them.
How many people have you met who've been in the past church experience we were with, who are bitter. I know one man that if he hears the name HWA he goes ballistic. He's afflicted with many sicknesses. Those things are also a root or source or cause of not being healed, because we continually put our bodies—through our emotions and feelings—through bitterness, resentment and hatred because of what was done.
Maybe you did suffer something. So what! Christ was crucified, was He not? Yes! Paul gives us the instruction. {note sermon series on Healing, because many of us do not have the attitude of forgiving one another! You might say:
- How can I forgive someone who's not around anymore?
- How can I forgive someone who is dead?
Remember, Jesus said that if you don't forgive your brother from the heart, your Father will not forgive you either. So, our inner relationship with each other, as well as with God, is dependent on how we handle the difficulties as they come along. There must be forgiveness. There must be forgetfulness. We are to learn the lesson that we are to forget!
I want you to look back at your own past experience. I want you to really think back in your life going clear back as far as you can remember even as a child:
- who offended you?
- who molested you?
- who abused you?
You still cling to this thought, and it springs up in your mind all the time and causes a lot of difficulties.
Think back. What if they're dead? Go to God and get yourself cleaned up through the washing of the water by the Word, by God's Spirit!!
- Did your mother do something to you?
- Did your father do something to you?
That you're still living with this to this day!
- Did a minister do something to you?
- Did a brother or sister in the Church do something to you?
- Are you still living with that offence today?
- Do you have family problems between husband and wife?
- Have you never resolved them?
- Are you never willing to forgive?
- What happens when you don't?
Ephesians 4:22: "That concerning your former conduct, you put off the old man…"
- with its memories
- with bitterness
- with resentment
- with hatefulness
If you have something against someone, and you have a health problem, that may very well be one of the keys that is keeping you from being healed. Even fear and anxiety can cause it. Are you fearful all the time? You've got to love God and trust in God. Put off the conduct of the old man!
"...which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (vs 22-23).
- changed
- converted
- grow in love
- grow in forgiveness
- grow in understanding
Verse 24: "And that you put on the new man, which according to God is created in righteousness and Holiness of the Truth." You are sanctified, because you are:
- loving God
- loving your neighbor
- loving the brethren
- and yes your own enemies
so that you do not have within you
- hatred
- bitterness
- resentment
- fear
- anxiety
I submit that the ministry put a lot of people in the Church through that, and caused a lot of sickness and disease from which a lot of people have not been healed.
Now, granted, that is one cause of sickness, there's the environment, there's the food, there's inheritance, there are other things, but I'm talking about what is necessary to cleanse the mind because of this.
When you have hatred and bitterness in your mind, and you have resentment and fear, your mind produces toxins in your system! Those keep you perpetually sick. You need to understand that. Deep depression. You've got something against someone that you have not resolved!
Notice what we are to do: "…put on the new man..."
Verse 25: "Therefore, let each one put away lies and speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another. When you become angry, do not sin…." (vs 25-26).
- What happens when anger comes?
- Especially with rage?
- You dump all kinds of adrenaline, hormones and toxins in your body!
- What happens to your mind? I know, I've gone through that!
Some of the experiences I went through, as I've mentioned before, I remember the terrible things that I have gone through.
I remember one night waking up at two o'clock in the morning, and I said, 'They can't do this!' It took me quite a while to realize, they already did it! What did that do to me?
You know that the tale of the prodigal son. The key was, when he was in trouble, he came to himself. Likewise, every one of us have to come to ourselves, examine our lives going back as far as you need to go, repent of it, ask God to lift it from you.
It's the sacrifice of Christ that paid for your sins. If you bear your own sins, you're not letting Christ carry them and get rid of them for you! This is why. Don't let these things linger in your mind and cloud your thoughts and poison and 'bitterize' your mind!
Verse 26: "When you become angry, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger." Don't go to bed with it, because you're going to be guaranteed a sleepless night! Have you ever tossed and turned all night because something has happened?
- you wonder this
- you wonder that
- you think about this
- you're fearful of that
- you don't understand this
Listen, get up and pray! Put it before God. Ask Him to:
- cleanse your mind
- cleanse your heart
- get it out of your mind
- give you forgetfulness
As the Apostle Paul said, 'Forgetting the things that are behind and going forward to the things that are before.' That's what we're to do.
Verse 27: "Neither give place to the devil." Because when you keep those things in your mind, you're giving place to the devil! He can't take away your conversion, but he can certainly cause you problems and affect you your thoughts.
Verse 28: "Let the one who stole, steal no more; rather, let him labor with his hands, working at what is good, so that he may impart something to the one who has need. Do not let any corrupt communication come out of your mouth, but that which is good and needful for edification that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not vex [grieve] the Holy Spirit of God by which you have been sealed for the day of redemption" (vs 28-30).
What grieves the Holy Spirit? The things that I just mentioned! Here's what grieves it:
Verse 31: "Let all bitterness, and indignation, and wrath, and clamor, and evil speaking be removed from you, together with all malice."
Those are the things that defile! Those are the things that we need to work on. When you really come to that point of repentance in doing so, then ask God—through His Spirit—to take the washing of the water by the Word! It means you have got to study and draw close to God:
- to cleanse your mind
- to cleanse your thoughts
- to cleanse your heart
- to get rid of all those things that you've got buried in the back of your mind
Because those create actual physical blocks, but are spiritually rooted! So, if you've ever gone through depression, and all of a sudden you come out of it, you feel pretty good. Well, that's what needs to happen in all of these cases.
I'm sure every one of us—I've had to examine myself, too—go back and see what we need to repent of, and 'what do I need to forgive, even though I can't go directly to that person because they're way far removed, or won't talk to me or are dead? God will honor that, because it's still cluttering our own minds and hearts and we need to put it on Christ!
- that way, we can have peace with God
- that way we can have peace of mind
- that way we can be in health and not be inducing in ourselves because of the way that we are thinking
{Note sermons: Stinking Thinking #s1 & 2}
You look at people who are
- hateful
- angry
- bitter
- carry grudges
Don't they have a lot of difficulties in their lives health wise? Yes! Someone who works in a hospital and nursing home says she sees a lot of that there.
That's why God says, 'Vengeance belongs to Me.' God will intervene and take care of things for you in His way and in His time. Who knows, maybe the greatest thing will happen is that that person would be called and be converted. That's why we need to have forgiveness one with another. Especially all of us who have come out of the past church experiences.
We've had several different churches we've gone through trying to find peace, trying to find the Truth and all of that sort of thing. We've got to get those things cleaned out of our heart and our mind. That'd be a big load lifted.
Have you ever had a big monetary debt that you finally got paid off? Didn't you feel great? Yes! Then also know that for every $100,000 in debt you are, your anxiety goes up on the anxiety scale by leaps and bounds. Especially when they get around $300,000 and up.
Now think of that in a spiritual analogy! If you're carrying some of the things within you that I just read and mentioned here, you're like someone who has a big debt, and it's weighing down on you. The way that you can tell whether this is weighing down on you or not is this:
- How often do you think of it?
- How often do we re-live the emotions?
Put it on Christ! That's why He died. Ask him to help you and:
- He'll cleanse your heart
- He will cleanse your mind
- He will give you for forgetfulness
Then you can look back and remember the lesson and not relive the experience!
Scriptural References:
- Mark 14:22-24
- Romans 6:1-10
- John 3:14-16
- James 2:1-3
- Matthew 22:35-39
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- Matthew 5:23-24
- Ephesians 4:22-31
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Genesis 15
- Acts 15
Also referenced:
Sermon Series:
- Preparation for Baptism
- Covenants of God
- Healing
Sermons: Stinking Thinking #s 1 & 2
FRC: po/bo
Transcribed: 3/5/20
