Winter 1998
One New Man
By Nancy Warner

Genesis 1:26 establishes the Lord's intention when He created mankind.

"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image
after Our likeness; and let them have dominion
over ... all the earth."

Revelation 5:9-10 is a testimony of the fulfillment.

"For You were slain and have redeemed us to
God by Your blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation; and have made us
to our God kings and priests; and we shall reign
on the earth."

The Lord's desire was for an intelligent being who would choose to participate with Him concerning the earth that He created. Therefore, Adam was made with this ability of choice. Then he was given dominion over all the earth, and was placed in a garden to dress and keep it.

In this relationship, there was to develop an active friendship between the creator and the man He had created in which the Lord would come for times of fellowship, which He anticipated with desire.

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking
in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and
his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
Lord God among the trees of the garden. And the
Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, Where
are you?" Gen 3:8-9.

Adam choose to go his own way. Through transgression, he died spiritually and became separated from the Lord. He lost the place of dominion that had been given to him, and he was evicted from the garden. Therefore, man lost his friendship and times of fellowship with God.

Redemption began immediately, as the Lord sought a confession from both the man and the woman. An animal was slain and they were covered with coats of skin. This is the first account of the shedding of blood, which resulted in forgiveness and the beginning of a restoration of relationship. Notice that the serpent was simply cursed.

Starting with this act of redemption, the Bible continues as a love story of God's redemptive work in mankind, as revealed in the Song of Solomon.

"Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field;

let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early
to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish,
whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates
bud forth: there will I give you My loves." SS 7:11-12.

The full outworking of this revealed desire for communion is seen in the book of Revelation. Here, those who have been redeemed and have qualified through an overcoming quality, are brought into a place of participation with the Lord in His end-time purposes.

"To he who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in
My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with My Father in His Throne." Rev 3:21.

"After this I looked and behold a door was opened in
heaven; and the first voice which I heard was as it
were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, come
up hither, and I will shew you things which must be
hereafter." Rev 4:1.

The Old Testament reveals Jesus in veiled form. In the New Testament, Jesus is openly seen as the son of man; and in the book of Revelation, He is fully unveiled as the head of "the corporate Body of Christ."

"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the
day God created man (mankind), in the likeness of God
made He him; male and female created He them, and
blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day
they were created." Gen 5:1.

It was after the fall that Adam named woman "Eve." Originally, they were created as "one," in the image and likeness of God. The Lord is restoring this today; not mankind's fallen state - "Adam and Eve," but His original design, "Adam."

Thus, in Christ Jesus, we are all one, members of His body - neither male nor female, bond or free, Jew nor Greek (Gal 3:26).

"For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has
broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law
of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make
in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace;"

"And that He might reconcile both to God in one body by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Eph 2:14-16.

In Genesis we see the Lord's original intention. In Revelation, we see its full outworking as planned from the beginning of time - one (corporate) man brought into fellowship and participation with God in the earth, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

An antique car, in restoration is brought back into its creator's original design; an antique home to the architect's original plan. However, the restored state is potentially better because of the use of improved materials, which were not available in the time of the original. Anything touched by God moves upward.

It has always been the Lord's desire to form a corporate man, "The Body of Christ," to come forth according to His original design and purpose - a singular man who is one in Him.

Today, an intensification of this restoration is taking place within the Body of Christ, in which there is an emphasis on an "unity" by which we can be made one. As we are being joined together in this unity, there is a growing of the Body of Christ into His headship.

It is the love of God which created man and then called out to him in redemption. It is this same love that seeks to bring the redeemed into a higher level of maturity and fellowship with Him.

In the original intention of the Lord, He created man and placed him in a garden, to dress and keep it. Then the Lord came in the cool of the day, to commune with man.

The Lord is again calling man into this personal communion with Him. To make this possible, He provided a full redemption that involved not only the forgiveness of our sin, but also our giving to Him the right to our lives. It is this process alone that deals with the fallen male and female Adamic natures, bringing the restoration of this "one new man" in Christ Jesus.

It is beautiful to see the unfolding of the full intention of the Lord concerning man. It has always been the desire of the Lord to commune and fellowship with man. It has always been His desire for man to have an active part in His creation; to have a part in that which He is doing in the earth.

In Genesis, this invitation was to a man created from dust. In Revelation, it is to an overcoming man.

"And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end,
to him will I give power over the nations, and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron." Rev 2:26-27.

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was
caught up unto God, and to His Throne." Rev 12:5

As we are joined together in right relationship, we are brought into a functional unity, from which the unveiling of the corporate Lord Jesus Christ will come.

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour
out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions:”

“ And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in
those days will I pour out My Spirit. And I will shew
wonders in the heavens and in the earth,
blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.” Joel 2:28-30

This is prophetic of the last days and speaks of the Body of Christ functioning together as "one new man."

May we be a part of that Body, prepared to participate in His coming.