Jesus the Second and Last Adam

I Corinthians 15:44-50 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

There is so much to comment of in this passage but we will limit our focus at this moment to Christ being the second and last Adam.

From the time I was a young Christian in my early teens until now I have probably read this passage a few dozen times. During this same time period I heard it quoted in numerous sermons, and I heard it brought up classes in bible school. Only now in retrospect do I realize that the preachers, teachers and speakers had little idea as to the meaning of this phrase, other than it was something that Paul the Apostle had said -- so of course we believe it. 

One would probably term one’s belief in something that they do not understand as being blind faith. And then they probably grin at you with a crooked smile and say that there as oh so many thinks that we can not comprehend about God and his ways. By doing this, and by labeling this as some mysterious thing of God – all to many believe that they have excused themselves from having to have any understand of it. 

Paul calls this behavior ignorance.  And his calling believers ignorant does not sound all that honorable, or like a badge that I would be willing to wear. 

Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

When we look at this verse in Isaiah we find a clear definition from God on being blind and ignorant.  -- Because of blindness and ignorance they can not speak (the truth) they can not bark (cry out a warning) And God states that people in this state are in slumber, they lie down loving every minute of their ignorant blind bliss.

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

In this passage Paul says these people having devotions to an unknown God was ignorant worship -- and their ignorant worship was of none effect. We could also say that their teachings about this unknown God were also ignorant and unprofitable to themselves as well as their hearers. And therefore we could also say that their belief or faith in this unknown God was ignorant and without effect.

Paul tells us: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing cometh by the word of God.” Knowledge and understanding of God and His ways build our faith. Ignorance and blindness cause unbelief. 

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

If we love the truth we will search out a matter. We will seek until we find, we will knock unto its opened unto us. However in this hour many are not interested in seeking the truth. Many prefer instead to dine on the regurgitated teachings of others rather than seek God for their spiritual sustenance.

These are parasites and leeches trying to live off of Christ’s relationship and teachings to others but never coming to a knowledge of the truth themselves. Christ emphatically warns that these lifeless branches shall be cut off the vine and burned with fire – you have to come to know and walk with Christ yourself, there are no spiritual hitchhikers allowed in heaven.     

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Look now here, Paul says that by being ignorant of God’s righteousness, these people have replaced the true righteousness of God, and instead they have filled the gap in their soul with something of their own manufacture. In this case it is their own righteousness. When one is ignorant one can not leave a blank space in their life alone, so if they can not get it from God they will find something from some other source to fill the gap in their walk.  This is the great evil of a blind and ignorant ministry. Because blind preachers and teachers can not bare to have their nakedness exposed concerning their lack of knowledge of God and his ways – So they fill in the gaps in their teaching with something manufactured from another source, this source could be one’s self, but most of the time  this source is purloined truth or purloined error from other blind preachers and teachers or  from the world and it’s philosophers, religionists. So we have Pastors that speak of themselves, teachers who speak from their teachers, and preachers who sermonize from Aristotle and Plato and compare their words to Christ and Paul the Apostle or lauding the deeds of unregenerate men as a witness to the words of Christ.

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Because the Church let the truths that were delivered unto them slip – they became blind and ignorant.  -- Because of this blindness they became wise in their own conceits. – The same thing that happened to Israel has come upon us, but we want to remain blind. We oh so want to continue to slumber, because we oh so love our own conceits.  We oh so love our Church’s conceits and we oh so love our denominations conceits. We love these above the truth of God to our own peril.

I must confess that I have never had any particular insight into this verse speaking of Christ being the second and last Adam. Nor had I ever given it any real consideration during my entire walk.  So I am guilty of the very attitude I have described above. I have been saved and filled with the Spirit for over three decades, I sat under some of the great teachers of our day, I attended bible school and I have even had had some amazing experiences by almost anyone’s standards, however I now realize that all this time I have been blind and ignorant and was taken in by enticing words of men’s wisdom thinly veiled as “Christian teaching” Almost two decades ago God separated me unto himself. When this began I would say that I had become mildly suspicious of some of the things that were commonly taught in Fundamentalist, Evangelical and Pentecostal circles. It was only as I prayed and meditated on what I had been taught and had taught myself to others that some of these things unraveled before my eyes, while truths from almost seeming nothingness solidified.  More recently God has given to me an understanding of some of the underpinnings of our faith and the word of God that have had very broad and terrifying implications to believers and the Church.  I confess that living as a blind and ignorant fool carried with it a certain delusional bliss, but as God opens our eyes there is a requirement of putting off these childish behaviors and with understanding comes a responsibility for not only my walking in the light but to those around me also to the body of Christ. We are our brethren’s keeper; we cannot look to another to cry out a warning.

 In the Church of this hour there is a sad lack of pondering what you read in the word of God. Few in this day and age meditate on the word of God.  Meditate – literally means: “To chew the cud” As a cow would in the evening in the barn.  they stand chewing for hours after, spending a long day foraging. When they chew the cud it allows them to better assimilate what they foraged.  This is one of the truths that came to me at an early age and had made me over time. I spend a lot of time meditating on scripture after I read it. I spend time replaying conversations with brothers and sisters in the Lord, to better grasp what they said or what they were asking. – Sometime I’ve gone back to talk to people when I realized a vital point was missed or omitted. Likewise in my mind I play back messages and sermons deriving more spiritual nutrients than if I just swallowed and went my way as too many do. Meditating on God’s word gives you greater understanding, and I believe this is the path to spiritual discernment. 

So let us move on the question at hand; “How did Paul come to call Christ the second or last Adam?  With my natural eye I could find no particular scripture that directly addressed this concept in the Old Testament, nor could I find any verse that expanded   upon this in the New Testament or in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. Some might suggest that; Paul the Apostle had some special extra-biblical insight from the Lord when he wrote this verse, I don’t think so.

Acts 17:11-13 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

Do you suppose that in our day and age, if someone were to scrutinize what their Pastor preached, examine under a microscope what their Teacher taught or go over point by point what their Evangelist had to say that any of these people would consider such a practice honorable? And if that someone were to confirm the veracity of these ministers words in of all places to the Old Testament what do you suppose these minister’s or the Church’s or the Denomination’s reaction might be? 

The Berean’s went about judging Paul’s preaching in much the way we are told to that prophecy is supposed to be judged. But more importantly they went into the Old Testament -- the Law and the Prophets to confirm or deny the words of Paul the Apostle.

I want you to pause for a moment and consider the implications of this.  In order to learn we must ask questions. It is not enough to accept things on face value or because some preacher told us it or we read it in a book. We need to understand what we believe and why we believe it. And if what we believe can not be backed in scripture this doctrin or notion in it’s current form needs to be jettisoned.

Why did the Bereans go to the Old Testament to verify New Covenant teaching?  Have we not been repeatedly taught that the Old Testament is not for the Church? Why did not Paul soundly rebuke the Bereans for questioning his authority and daring to question his person? Surely he was an Apostle hand picked by Christ the Father was confirming Pauls words with signs wonders and diverse miracles, perhaps like the Apostle John, Paul could have called down a little fire from heaven to put these rebels in their place. Were they not indeed touching the anointing as it is commonly taught in our day? Why did not Paul shout them down and call them Pharisees and warn them with the sternest words that what they were doing was blocking the kingdom of heaven and stumbling others? How could Paul and the Apostles possibly call someone “more honorable” that would openly challenge his words and discard anything that he said if they could not find it in the Old Testament? Did the Apostles understand something about the word of God and more particularly what we have come to call the Old Testament that we do not some 1950 years later?

It would seem evident that Paul and the Apostles held that the Law and the Prophets was the final authority of all teaching and doctrine – we to our shame and own destruction do not hold to that standard.

And possibly did they understand something about the authority with which they preached even by revelation that maybe it was not all knowing, and all powerful, and that something was expected of their hearers – that is that their hearers were expected to judge their words and searching the scriptures to see if they be so. Why is this not done in our day?  

Recently I had a Baptist preacher spit venom all over me because in an open Bible study I suggested that what he was saying regarding the word “All” was based on the English in the KJV Bible and that the Greek would not substantiate what he was saying.  This carnal man became vitriolic and pounded me for 20 minutes with scripture after scripture waiting for me to break or crumble. When I did not, he promptly adjourned the Bible study meeting. After telling God the Following morning I had failed him, I was told an hour later that one person in the meeting had been impressed that I had stood up to this ungodly Pastor’s assault. This young man, a recent convert to Christ had also become a member of that church, and this same pastor had made a public spectacle of berating this young man until he had capitulated and apologized for asking a simple question about a scripture being discussed during a Bible study.

Consider now this man Paul the Apostle called himself a Pharisee of Pharisees. In a book I recently read that the author said that in order to become a Pharisee one was required among a list of things to memorize word for word the entire five books of Moses and be able to quote them. Gameliel was called a Pharisee of Pharisees this title meant not only that he was ahead and shoulders above his peers but it probably meant that Gameliel and Paul had not only memorized the five books of Mosses but all of the books of the prophets as well. Now imagine a man of this education that can read and translate every word from it’s original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic humbling himself and allowing his authority to be questioned by a bunch of hacks that were more than likely unable find the verses in the scrolls much less interpret them. 

Consider also that Paul had multiple personal visits of Christ – yet he humbled himself before a people that were not even “saved.”

Understand here that Paul did not come to these people with enticing words on men’s wisdom but in demonstration and power.  Paul did not witness of himself rely on other’s to be his witness. So When Paul spoke to these Berean’s, we can be pretty sure that it was accompanied by signs and wonders. But unlike any other city Paul had preached in, these people’s head’s were not turned by his words or arguments. They were not turned by the signs and wonders, they only wanted to know of a surety that Paul’s words were the immutable truth from the scriptures contained in Moses and the Prophets. And for this they were called more honorable than the other synagogues and cities Paul had preached in. We might say that these people had a love of the truth  

And this love of the truth consisted of taking every sentence of Paul and ripped it apart and their wanting Old Covenant verses to back up every statement he made. – With a people like that Paul was forced to cross every t and dot every i. What we would call these Berean’s today? Highly critical?  Having a critical spirit? Being judgmental? Old Covenant minded? Touching God’s anointed?  We could say that these people didn’t care a wit about what Paul had to say. Instead they were so completely caught up with the Old Testament and they only would receive his words or sentences it if met their Old Testament approval standards.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed.

So by application we too should be able to take the writings of Paul and the other Epistles, and that those who possess readiness of mind should search the Old Testament scriptures to see the scriptures that make these things so.  And the believers that would conduct this practice would likewise be called “more noble.”

Now regarding Paul’s Claim that Christ is the second and Last Adam we know where Adam is in the word of God so that would appear to be a good place to begin looking.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

If there is a connection to Christ being called the second or last Adam in this verse, I confess with my natural understanding I can not see it. So we come back to the question above, “How did Paul come to call Christ the second and last Adam?”

I was recently fasting and praying when all of a sudden this verse came to me. As I indicated above by neither peoples’ preaching, peoples’ teaching, or my personal Bible study had I ever latched onto any truths concerning Christ being the first and last Adam.

I now believe strongly that this was something that Jesus had to have revealed personally to Paul. Paul tells us earlier in this same Epistle that Christ revealed to him the events of the last supper and he gives us some tremendous insights in communion that are not detailed in the Gospels. However he just drops a few words on us about Christ being the first and last Adam and then moves on. I would like to suggest this is a hint about Christ being the second or last Adam.

So the Holy Spirit drops this verse into my consciousness and I kind of shrug and say, “Yes Lord.”  After all I have no insight or anything that I can really say. And all of a sudden the Lord shows me that this verse is actually referring to the Virgin Birth. And in an instant several verses come together and I am given an understanding that I have never seen or heard – my breath is taken away. I exult the Lord for revealing to an absolute nobody – in the middle of nowhere. (I live in Alaska.) So lets now look at what I saw.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

So God took dirt and breathed his very breath into it, and it became a living soul. Note here the power of breath of God – that in itself it creates life, consciousness, the ability to reason, it converted mere dirt into flesh and blood and so much more than we could not begin to express the glory of what that single breath of a holy and righteous God did for a nameless altar of dirt.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image . . . and God named him Adam. And God testified of Adam that he had created him in his image and his likeness.

Note here that Adam was created in God’s image and likeness.

So Adam and Eve are created in this Holy blameless state. – They walk side by side with God, and they speak directly with God in the Garden. They may have also ate and communed with God though the scripture does not say so.  So Adam and Eve sin against God and they are kicked out of the Garden. And God then makes a sacrifice on their behalf and covers them with coats of skins.

And Adam later has two sons Cain and Able – and we know what happens between the two Now I want you to note a detail that about the birth of his first two sons appears that is not brought out in the verse that mentions their births.

Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth:

See Adam was created in the Image and likeness of God. But after the fall Adam’s seed was permanently corrupted. So when Adam had children they were no longer in the likeness of God, they were created now created instead in Adam’s fallen image, they were copies of his fallen state.

As God had said in the garden in Genesis 2:17 for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. God knew that this was going to happen, and He told Adam it was going to happen – you might say He warned him. And even though He warned Adam that Satan was a roaring lion seeking those whom he may devour, even though God provided Adam with a way to escape the temptation Adam and Eve succumbed anyway and in that day something died in Adam. Everyone since I was a young Christian says that it was Adam’s Spirit that died – someone needs to find a Chapter and verse that says that. If you search this out you won’t find it because no such verse exists. This is an interesting application, but I think this teaching shrouds instead of illuminating truth.  How do I mean that?  Well I have observed over the decades every time a Pastor or individual comes to this verse they say : And Adam’s spirit died that day” and it stops right there . It is as if the answer was given in Final Jeopardy and so there is nothing left to say and all the contestants pack it in and go home.  This answer doesn’t seem to open truth it seems to close truth by function.

I again remind you of the words of Paul  And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. This means something, but I’ll leave you to wrestle with the Lord to come to what God is saying here. 

So back to the Virgin Birth, if Jesus had been born of the seed of Joseph he would have been born in the fallen image of Adam and therefore he would have been corrupted and subject to the Prince of darkness. But God had a plan, a glorious plan of salvation that would restore man to the walk with God we were called to in Adam.. 

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Luke 1:34-35 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (Gender Neutral) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (And now are we called to become the son’s of God)

So when the appointed time came to pass that Mary was to conceive, The Holy Spirit simply overshadowed her and breathed into her egg -- and her unfertile egg became a living soul.    

And because of this, Christ was born in the original state that God had created Adam in. Thus Jesus became the second and last Adam. The second because in all of the Law and prophets God had not done such a thing to anyone but Adam. The Last Adam in that God will not do this ever again. So Christ was born wholly blameless, able to fellowship and commune with God, and most important Jesus was not subject to the Prince of this world.

So Christ was fully flesh in every sense of the word like the First Adam had been fully flesh.  Because of God breathing into Mary’s seed Christ was not subject to the Devil. Because in Christ the second or Last Adam the knee of the First Adam had not been bent to the God of this world.

So the plan begun in Eden was begun once more in earnest. See God in Adam had a plan that went vastly beyond the Garden. God wanted Adam to go beyond the state of being a living soul to becoming a quickening spirit and he wanted Adam to become a son of God with dominion over all the beasts of the field including – the serpent. But that did not happen – it was aborted – and something died – that something caused Adam created in the image and Likeness of God to have offspring that were in God’s image but no longer in God likeness. Instead of being the son’s of God men become the son’s of the serpent.

Think now of how as Christians are born again is it not that we pray to conformed to his image and likeness  -- if we abide in him . . .  Children of light are to be in the image and likeness of Christ 

Now the Bible says of Jesus that He was tempted on all points and found to be sinless. And there fore could offer himself for the sins of the world. One more brief thought in the Garden the serpent came quoting scripture to Eve (He came quoting the words of God) So too came the serpent to Jesus in the wilderness quoting scripture – I want you to see that this first and Last Adam revelation has more legs to it than what I have said. Seek God. Let him open his truth to you.

This is a very powerful revelation. This is an earthquake in the tainted teachings we have all been made to drink.

Let us look now in the Gospels and Epistles and see if we can find more of what we have been talking about. For surely so important of a revelation, so important a foundation stone of our faith must be talked about and more than in a scant passage by Paul. And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

John 3:1-2 ¹ There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Nicodemus is a Pharisee not just any Pharisee but a Pharisee among Pharisees like Paul and Gamaliel. We know that because he was made a ruler among the Jews. In order to be a Pharisee you were required to memorize the five books of Mosses word for word –but this man was head and shoulders above his brethren.  It is highly likely that this man memorized word for word the entire Law and the Prophets. I repeat all this to make a point.

This man was a man of the word in every sense that a Fundamentalist of our day could be. Pharisees were obsessive, and legalistic about scripture, their crime was they worshipped the letter above the one who wrote it. Because they were natural men the could perceive nothing but the words themselves, so that when God sent them two witnesses John the Baptist and Jesus along with third witness the works of the father they rejected and killed each of the three witnesses.  So Nicodemus comes to Jesus by the night, surreptitiously he slips over to Jesus under the radar screen of his fellow Pharisees and unknown to his fellow rulers. He does this to insure that he keeps his position. – Note that Christ does not rebuke Nicodemus for this offense. We can also say that Nicodemus came to Jesus in spiritual darkness, that he was blind, deaf, naked, spiritually, and this man reeked of the doctrines and traditions of men. – Note that Christ did not rebuke him for these offenses either.

God instead looked upon the yearning heart of this man, as he does with us.  This was a man that the Father had truly drawn unto Christ. And he addressed him as Rabbi, Nicodemus may have been blind spiritually but in his dimness of vision he perceived Christ as a purveyor of truth, truth beyond what he as a  Pharisee of Pharisees held, and being a ruler among the Jews Nicodemus saw Christ was more excellent than any of his fellow peers. So that what Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus is head and shoulders above himself and his entire religious order. His coming to Christ was no small thing. Out of the entire pharisaical system it appears that only this one man came, God called out too many but few came.  And finally Nicodemus acknowledges Christ as a teacher with the witness of God the miracles signs and wonders.

³   Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus now responds and his words should be of the utmost interest to us. Jesus accepts Nicodemus’s perception of him, he accepted Nicodemus’s statement as to his place and position and Jesus accepted Nicodemus’s statement about the witness of the Father attesting to his words with mighty miracles, signs and wonders. Now when Jesus says truly, truly one should perk up their ears – because Jesus is about to speak a deep far-reaching truth. Not that all of Christ’s words aren’t rich and powerful, but when he says truly, truly he’s about to say something huge. And what does Jesus sayin this case: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   

Jesus is saying to Nicodemus your perception of me is correct. You have seen something; you have perceived something through the workings of God in your life. And you have taken the next step and acted upon what you have seen, you have come unto me to receive, but sitting at my feet in the natural and learning of me is not enough.  It is also not enough to witness the witness of the Father, to take in all great miracles, the signs, and wonders that I perform.  Your having a part in all of this is not salvation. All of this is but the Father’s drawing you.  And at this very juncture all of Fundamentalism Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism have staked their claim for Salvation. How is this that all of them walk in lock step on salvation being a once and for all experience that occurs at a certain point of time and then it is complete in itself? Because of the writings of one man that they all unknowingly revere above God and scripture – Their spiritual father Menno Simons.

Jesus is saying to Nicodemus that if you settle for this as your salvation, you will only be a part of the mixed multitudes, which come and rejoice in the light for only a season and then return from whence they came. 

So as way of explanation Jesus said: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I remind you that Jesus is speaking to a Pharisee among Pharisees So when he said: “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God” I believe Jesus expected Nicodemus to recognize in this statement something about God breathing life into a pile of dirt in the garden and that it became a living soul. Jesus says if you come into this born again state, this sanctified state before God, then and only then can you see the kingdom. Note here that Jesus did not say in this state you could enter the Kingdom. In this state you are as Adam the Son of God, you are them made a “son of promise”.  What few have understood is that with all this you are only at the starting line, nothing has yet been accomplished. See what the Church has taught for hundreds of years that if you say a few magic words that include Jesus forgive and heart. When said they receive the whole ball of wax. They state that salvation is at a point of time it is a line that is crossed it is a monument planted but everywhere I read in scripture salvation is a path or highway – it is a lifelong relationship. We are told salvation is finite that we possess salvation, salvation is infinite and we can become possessed of it but that takes time.

God says I have a plan I want to meet with you, I want to dwell with you, I want to sanctify you and give you dominion over all the beast of the field even the serpent. You have none of that, you are but at the starting line.

⁴   Nicodemus saith unto him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?”

Note that Nicodemus in his response to the question of being born again seems to have somewhat understood what Christ was talking about – and he seems to understand as well that it is the starting gate that one can only see the kingdom in this state. What Nicodemus asks is: “How.

Mary asked the same question of the Angel of the Lord when she was told she would bear a child, the Son of God. “How.” Nicodemus said I’m a grown man this can hardly be accomplished by in the flesh crawling into my mother’s womb a second time. So Nicodemus asks “How.” 

⁵   Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Note that Jesus does not rebuke him for a lack of faith. Jesus does not rebuke him for a lack of understanding, he does not rebuke him for being dull of hearing and having a hard heart. I have heard all of these messages preached from this verse and the verse previous. None of them are true. Nicodemus was truly seeking, Nicodemus truly wanted instruction for the teacher above all his peers, because he wanted to do it. 

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

This verse in and of itself may be quite hard for “Christians” to understand, but because we call ourselves Christians that does not make it so. Because we go to the same Church as our parents does not make it so either, and because we use a formula with a specific set of words to “get saved” that does not make it so any more than it did for Nicodemus. Because we “do good works” that does no make it so. See that which is flesh will always be flesh you can rename it you can dress it up in good works you can disguise it with all the Christian trappings but unless you are born of the Spirit nothing inside has changed and it is the heart of man that God is after. Salvation is circumcision of the heart, and that can only be accomplished by being born of the Spirit.

The two are as different as light and darkness but to the natural unregenerate eye there is no difference the two are equal.

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

And its not going to help you one bit to marvel at or be in awe of this concept. This is not a philosophic matter of little consequence this is a command demanding action. Ye must be born again.

Lets looks at what Paul said about the first Adam and the second and last Adam again in order to better appreciate what Christ is acknowledging here.

 Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The first Adam was born of the flesh and sanctified, the second Adam and last Adam Jesus was born of the Flesh he then progressed to the Baptism of John where he was infused the Spirit and John the Baptist declared two things of Christ – he said Jesus had a two part mission to be “The lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.”  And then John revealed Christ’s second mission “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Because of the sting of losing almost 30% of their Churches to the Azusa Street revival from 1906-1910 the Fundamentalists now openly deny Christ’s second mission, they have planted themselves at the gate of the kingdom. They deny all within their ranks to enter therein, and neither do they enter in themselves.  Doesn’t this sound like a verse of Scripture? It should because it is.

Luke 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

So by the time Jesus meets Nicodemus, Jesus has already progressed as the Son of God well beyond the first Adam. He has been tested of the serpent but refused to allow himself to be corrupted.  

Jesus spent years in the temple as a child learning the Scriptures and growing in grace and favor of God and of men. With this experience alone our Fundamentalist brethren say Jesus that was good to go.  They say he needed nothing else he was born again and that is all there is.  But Jesus’ ear was inclined to the Spirit of God and not the doctrines and traditions of the Pharisees of his day, and certainly not the “Christian” Pharisees of our day.  Jesus knew he had to be Baptized of water and then of Spirit. For in order to become a dispenser of the Holy Spirit Christ had to be first a partaker of being born of water and born of the Spirit. I remind you that it was only after that that Jesus came into the power of the Spirit and performed the signs and wonders that we read of His ministry. And knowing all this the Fundamentalists our modern Pharisees deny the experience of Christ to all those who are held under their sway and will not enter into it themselves either. This is a great sin. This is not some minor difference of opinion. This is having a form (or having the appearance of ) Godliness but denying the power thereof (or rejecting its power)  

Paul calls Christ the Author and Finisher of our faith and the Forerunner.  So Christ himself became the divine pattern by being baptized first of water of John, and then with the Holy Spirit and thus became Jesus became the second and last Adam which Paul the Apostle declared “a quickening spirit.” 

In His so doing, God has shown me that Christ became the first Spirit-filled Christian. Christ became the first person who had a well of life of Living life-giving waters springing up out of his soul unto everlasting.

And God also confirmed that Christ was the first spirit-filled Christian with an abundance of scripture.
Isaiah 11:1-3 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

The Bible says that Christ went about doing good and healing all those that were oppressed of the Devil. How did he do so? In the power of the Spirit, demonstrating to the world the flesh and the devil the gifts of the Spirit, and preaching the Gospel to the poor. He did all this that he might impart to his this same Holy Spirit to his Apostles and that they might be able to hit the ground running knowing already what to do with it.  If Christ did all this as the Author and Finisher of our faith, and as the Forerunner and he clearly did. Then anyone who denies this Baptism of the Spirit, this Spirit-filled life of demonstration and power is the salvation that Christ was speaking to Nicodemus of is preaching another Gospel, and is none of His.    

God has shown me in scripture that Jesus himself, was not only filled with the same Holy Spirit that he later gave unto us, but that he operated in every gift of the Spirit during the course of his ministry. This was a jaw dropping revelation – this was huge, this has left me speechless I have never heard anyone preach or teach these words. And yet it is plainly written in the word of God in not a single verse or two verses but hundreds of verses in both the Old and New Testaments. How could we have not seen this all along? How is it that generation upon generation has not seen this? Because they have been blinded by the doctrines and traditions of men. When they read the word of God they read it with blinders on. They see words and hear the teachings of men in their mind so loudly that: Seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

I feel compelled to make a comment here. I want you to see that when  John the Baptist spoke to two of his disciples that they were “Baptists”.  And John the Baptist pointed them to Christ saying behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world and that this same Jesus was to baptize also with the Holy Ghost.

Did either of John’s disciples tell John the Baptist. “Nay, thou art the Baptist of God and we will stay with you? No the Bible says they left John the Baptist and straightway followed Jesus.

These two disciples were John the beloved of the Lord and Andrew – And both were filled with the Holy Spirit as prophesied by John the Baptist – Our modern Baptists forget that John the Baptist was a Prophet and was also moved by the Spirit. The second thing that our modern Baptist’s should consider how their Denominations name came to be. A bunch of believers did not wake up one morning and say we should call our selves Baptists.  The believers that pioneered this movement did not select this name.  You might be interested to know that the revival all this stems from occurred in 1530 and the movement was named “Ana-Baptists” by their enemies and the devil. –  When Menno Simons came along a decade later he knew that the name had to be changed – So take care of this problem, he carnally chose to name the movement after himself as Martin Luther, John Calvin and others hand done. It was less than a century later that breakaway denominations from the Mennonite movement chose to call themselves once again Baptists identifying themselves with forever with John the Baptist and his baptism of water instead of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with which the so called “Ana-Baptist” was born with. See neither the pioneers nor Menno Simons believed alone in water Baptism. Modern Baptists do not know that for the first 100 years of their movement believers were baptized not only in water but Baptized in the Spirit as separate experience as described in the New Testament.

It was only after the movement backslid and no one in the denomination knew any longer the way back to the grace which God had once bestowed upon them Then and only then carnal unenlightened men adopted the named Baptist for the movement in honor of water baptism being their highest realm of attainment. This is very profound. – This is so similar to what happened with the early Church it should give one pause as to what was done and what its meaning is.  

 Consider also the writings of the Apostles that speak of the new birth, being babes, being children, those who use milk, and the first principals in Christ. In these you will find many more truths concerning the first and last Adams and how it relates to us.  This subject is huge in the New Testament with many related scriptures and passages.         

Now we will progress to the subject of sanctification

As I have already indicated, there’s is a lot more to Christ being the second Adam than his having been breathed on by the Holy Spirit and then later being born in the Virgin Birth.

God has also shown me that after God breathed on Adam and he became a living soul, that this same Adam also had been sanctified. Yes Adam was created in a sanctified state.  And Adam as soon as he was first able to move, he walked and talked with God, and fully communed with God.  There was no veil of sin over Adam.

So also when the Holy Ghost breathed upon Christ, Jesus fully enjoyed this same sanctified state. And therefore as a child in natural flesh he too was able to walk, talk and commune with God.

Now before some one decides to jump to the wrong conclusion here that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is sanctification I need to remind you that when Jesus went to be baptized in water of John some 30 years after He was breathed upon by God. Then and only then, did Jesus receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as clearly stated in the four Gospels.  

So what then is this God breathed sanctification that came upon Adam and Christ?

First it may help to define sanctification by scripture: Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

So why was the seventh day sanctified? – Because God rested on that day from all his work.  So it would appear that laboring in whether in works of righteousness, or laboring in prayer, or laboring in fasting are not what God desires. Opening yourself to up God, waiting before God in Prayer, and communing with Him would seem to be more of the order of the day here.  This soundly oddly like what Adam was already doing in the garden in his sanctified state.

We now need to go to Exodus to read of and learn from the most profound example of sanctification or the lack thereof in the entire Bible. This part of the study begins in Exodus chapter 19 and ends in Exodus 33.  I will attempt to go through this material as thoroughly as possible so that you can get the fullest impacts of the events that took place.

Exodus 19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. First I want you to consider when this event we are about to read happened?

In the third month after the Children of Israel were gone forth out of the Land of Egypt. How many years were the Israelites in the wilderness? 40?  No. They were 80 years in the wilderness. After the events in the next few chapters this entire generation was condemned to death in the wilderness, and after this they yet sinned grievously once more 40 years later when Mosses sent out the spies into the promised land and they came back with a evil report the next generation was condemned again to death in the wilderness (I am defining a generation by 40 years.)The generation born in Egypt perished, the first generation born in the wilderness perished it was the third generation (the second generation born in the wilderness (“the children knowing neither good nor evil”) that entered into the promises of God.

So the first lesson of Exodus 19 is that God desired to do a quick work in the people of God. He desired to do this in the third month out of Egypt. We need to understand that if the first generation of Israelites born in Egypt had truly repented and believed God from the first when Mosses appeared in Egypt performing all the signs and wonders as they followed on to know God they would have been well prepared for what was to occur in Exodus 19 but they did not repent or believe God at that time.

If they had truly repented and turned their whole heart to God When they put the blood on their lintels and doorposts and the angles of death passed over they would have been well prepared for what was to occur in Exodus 19 but they did not repent or believe God at that time.

If they had repented and believed when God delivered them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and parted the Red Sea.they would have been well prepared for what was to occur in Exodus 19 The bible says they sand and danced, but the reality of that is that “they soon forgat – because they did not repent or believe God at that time.

See the issue Israelites having stiff necks and hard hearts did not begin in the wilderness – the signs Mosses gave were indisputable but they never really accepted Mosses as their leader or as the Oracle of God and this comes out again and again as they murmur against Mosses.   

If the Israelites had at least repented and turned their heart to God when they first arrived in the wilderness and God miraculously providing them with manna and drink from Divine springs so that they could eat and drink with Him in the wilderness. If at any point they had truly turned their heart to God believing that He is and a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him as Mosses did, then by the third month these people would have been a sanctified vessel, prepared for the Lord’s use. But this clearly did not happen.  

What I am saying is that if these people would given their hearts over to God at any point leading up to this day in Exodus 19 they would have had a spiritual capacity to receive  the divine rain unto their souls. But they didn’t repent they didn’t turn to him they had not reached a state of sanctification. And yet as we will see in this event that God in his love and desire reaches out anyway in the hopes that some will hear Him anyway. 

Exodus 19:3-6 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words, which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Look at this, God tells the people of Israel (and unrepentant and hard hearted at that) He only wants for them to obey His voice, and to keep His Covenant. then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.

We need to understand what Covenant is God is speaking of here? God is speaking of the Covenant of Abraham. The law and covenant of Mosses had not been given yet.

What was the Covenant of Abraham? It is a Covenant where God could swear by no greater than himself. So God appears as a fiery smoking furnace and walks between the blood and parts of the sacrificed animal to seal the covenant between Him and Abraham forever. 

And God then says here, if they will do these two things, “Obey God’s voice and keep His Covenant.” These two things alone, that He will make the people of this mixed multitude a kingdom of Priests and a Holy nation.

Now hold on a minute.  – I thought that promise was reserved for the Church alone. That we could only get that status with God because we have a new better covenant than the Israelites of the Old Testament got? 

If you have been taught this, you might we do well to ponder this point.  Because many of the things we have been told over the years are not true.  We have been all given of the same polluted cup spoken of in Revelation to drink. We must purge ourselves of all of the doctrines and traditions of men that we have been force-fed. Note, that this process of drinking of that cup began long before we first believed or even heard the word of God.

 Books, movies, TV, friends, coworkers, and even your Pastor and Denomination have unwittingly become the messengers of Satan bearing about his doctrines and traditions. As unthinkable as it is, before you even come to the Lord you were thoroughly indoctrinated. This poison in your heart mind and soul affects greatly, in how you read God’s word how you pray, how you hear from God, and how you respond to God. This all needs to be purged and cleaned from our beings. It is no light thing that God has hid his face for generation upon generation since the fall of the early Church. He can not look upon sin, He can not hear when we pray the prayers of the lust of the eye the Lost of the flesh and the love of the world. God wants us to plainly see this repent, and sanctify ourselves and then He will meet with us to build upright ministry.

We were talking about Adam just a few moments ago, and I had mentioned that God had something far better for Adam, more than simply being a custodian in the garden of God – And likewise God also had a far higher purpose for the Children of Israel in the Wilderness. Like Adam God wanted Israel to fellowship with him, to walk with Him to commune with Him and to have dominion over all the people of the promised land that included dominion over the Tempter as well.  

Back now to Abraham and his covenant. Let me give you a thought while you still have Abraham’s covenant fresh in your mind. When God made his Covenant with Abraham he found Abraham wanting. – Abraham was unlike Adam before the fall; Abraham did not have Adam’s state of sanctification. So God having no other than Himself,  that He could swear by, swore by no greater than Himself, and made this Covenant with Abraham by Himself.

Now in the fullness of time when God desired to make a new covenant with men he swear by no greater than himself – And He sent his only Son. And Jesus made this New Covenant by himself. Instead of using the blood of bulls or goats He offered Himself as the offering and He also was at the same time the Covenant maker.  And after he was raised from the dead and glorified He gave us the same Holy Spirit (His quickening Spirit) that lived in him that it might indwell us. So that he could write his laws in our inward parts and write it on our hearts.

Why is this called a better Covenant? It is better because it was not done with the blood of bulls and goats, we now can call on Christ’s name and confess our sins. It is better because we now have available the indwelling Spirit – And Jesus did not offer himself as the carnal men of our day suppose, that God wanted to make us wealthy with the corruption of the world. Nor did God did not do this as the carnal men of our day suppose to give us ministries that would be exulted to be seen and praised of men. Nor did God do this as the carnal men of our day suppose that God wanted to give us every wanton lust of the eyes that we see and desire as our own. Do any of these things sound remotely like the humility of Christ? Does this sound at all like the sacrificial life that Christ led in the flesh? We are called Christians – this means that we are to be Christ-like. Are we in God’s image and likeness, or are we in the image of our fathers before us?

Have you heard this before in your heart? God is revealing new and profound truths. Something big is coming. To herald it He’s bringing forth new Revelation that we might prepare ourselves that we might be sanctified and have a capacity to receive what’s coming. Halleluiah!  

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Exodus 19:7-8 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

What is important here is the mixed multitude’s response to what God had spoken.  All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.  So Mosses the priest of God returns to God and tells God that the people are willing to become a kingdom of priests and a Holy nation.

When I was young in the Lord I heard this saying: “The best Preacher preaches himself out of a church and the best Teacher teaches himself out of a church. If Mosses was to be successful in his ministry  -- one or more members of his “Church” would have to come to a relationship with God like him, no longer needing Mosses as an intermediary.

We see that Jesus did this with the Apostles.   You must understand that God wanted this and Mosses wanted this. But God in his grace has left it up to individual responses from of those who comprised the mixed multitude to determine the final outcome.

Adam was also a son of promise, but he unfortunately wasn’t able to even get out of the batters box. We too like Adam, like Abraham, like the Children of Israel and like the Apostles and the early Church have been given exceeding precious promises.  However many have their eyes only on the promises of God and not on the God who made the promises. Entering in has nothing to do with your ability to quote any or all God’s promises; it is how in our hearts we respond to the wooings of God that determines our final outcome in God.

Exodus 19: 9-11 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

I want you to note it appears that Mosses the friend of God did not hear that God wanted to come down in the sight of all his people. If appears that Mosses only heard that God wanted to come down and speak to him in front of the People. He probably got so excited when God finally told Mosses he was going to vindicate him, that he was unable to receive the rest of what God was still speaking. You need to know that Mosses the friend of God was flesh, like Paul the Apostle and both at times appear to have had selective hearing, and both appear to have gotten in trouble with God over it.

Exodus 19:12 -13 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

This passage is very pivotal in what is taking place here. In this first passage God tells Mosses that there are boundaries to be set up around the mount of God. And that the Israelites and Priests were to take heed to themselves. No one could approach the mount of God. No one can touch it. If they do they were to so they were immediately be killed by their brethren.    

Exodus 19:14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

Now I want to be clear here that we do not know what exactly Mosses did or was done to sanctify the people in this verse. And want to remind you that when this was said and done the neither the Ten Commandments or the Law had been given. Not only that, but I do not think Mosses, Aaron or the people had any hint about the Law or the Ten Commandments. So looking at this verse the bible does not say Mosses made sacrifices on an altar for the People. It does not say Mosses preformed any type of Sanctification Ceremony. Nor does the Bible say Mosses he passed the offering plates. I suspect that Mosses had a little talk with them to try to get them in the right frame of mind for the coming event with God, and then he probably prayed when he was done.   

I want to also mention that despite how this verse reads as the Sanctification and the washing of clothes happening all at once, I think we realize that Mosses would have followed God’s words closely. So if God said do this over two days Mosses did it over two days. So on the second day they (Mosses, the Priests and all the Israelites) washed their clothes and maybe even bathed a little themselves. I will add here that God has shown me that this washing and cleansing that took place here, is the basis of the Baptism of John. We need to understand that nothing in the New Testament was made up out of whole cloth. That all that is in the New Testament is found in the Old. The New Testament was given unto us to be a Tutor and Governor. But that is another subject large subject that we will cover elsewhere.

Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

The name of Exodus in the Hebrew is Literally “These were the names.” In the Greek Septuagint the name means “The way out.” I have another source that says this is “The Book of Redemption.” So it should be of little shock to learn that there are major correlations between the events of Exodus and the Book of Revelations which it the books of the Churches way out. Or the Book of the Churches Redemption   In this verse is the beginning of a series of trumpet blasts from heaven. Mosses and Aaron in chapters 5 – 12 bare strong resemblance to the two witnesses of Revelation 11. Exodus 24:11-12 where they see God standing on sapphire stone

Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Ezekiel 10:1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the Cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

Revelation 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

There is a lot more which of Exodus in Revelation, but we can’t explore that right now..

Exodus 19:17-18 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. ¹⁸   And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

So when are led by mosses outside of their Church to meet God. They are first greeted with the sight of a smoking furnace. I am sure by this point every man woman and child could recite verbatim God’s visit to Abraham and how God had made this covenant with him.  So God appears in a form that they could easily recognize.  Abraham. God then goes beyond being the smoking furnace of Abraham; God wants a greater relationship with his people here, so he comes down to their level and he is now going to seek to elevated their understanding. He wants to be able to commune with them far beyond the level as being a smoking furnace.

Exodus 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

This is now the second trumpet  -- what is here not Mosses praying to an invisible unknowable inscrutable God, but Mosses speaking openly to God these after all a trumpets of revelations or revealing and in this trumpet God answers him by an audible voice.

I have heard it said repeatedly that God’s purpose in speaking with an audible voice was only to get the people of Israel might believe Mosses. But shortly we are Going to see that God had a much higher purpose than merely attesting to Mosses’ words.

God’s true purpose in this little demonstration was that he wanted someone, anyone in the congregation of Israel to stand up during this act or shortly after it’s conclusion and say” “I want God to speak to me as he does with Mosses.”  God was actually calling the people unto himself, He was calling the Multitude of Israel to a higher calling.

 Can we substantiate this claim? I think we can for the context of the chapter. Think back now to the beginning of the chapter. What did God first say he wanted to do? – Don’t you remember? Have you so easily forgotten? God said He wanted to make the mixed multitude into EX: 19:6 “a Kingdom of Priests a Holy Nation.” Was God saying there that he wanted to make all of Israel Priests like Aaron and his sons?  No – the Law and the Ten Commandments had not yet been given!  So what kind of Priesthood did God want to make Israel into? God wanted priests unto himself like unto Mosses, a priesthood that could minister before Him as his friends.  This is why God spoke audibly to Mosses that they would believe him forever. He was trying to provoke something in His hearers. Can you see a glimpse of Christ and his relationship with God here? Can you see Adam and his relationship with God in the Garden? This is about the capacity of relationship, as it relates to our level of sanctification and our hunger for God alone. Not a hunger for a ministry or a gift, but a love and desire of God for himself.

Exodus 29:43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

I digress for a moment. We see plainly in this scripture that sitting in the presence of the Lord, letting his glory waft our beings has a sanctifying or cleansing effect. Gods appearing is true sanctification, of the highest order. But in order to receive of it you have to sanctify yourselves – the bride hath made herself ready. 

Exodus 19:20-25 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargest us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

This is the second passage in this chapter dealing with the separation of God’s people from the mount of God. God says here that Mosses needs to warn the People, lest any of them break through onto the mount to gaze upon the Lord.

Now remember I said that what was said in Exodus 19:12 -13 was very pivotal to this narrative. In the first passage God says erect barricades anyone that approaches or touches the mountain is going to die – not by him but by human intervention. Now only 8 verses later god says warn the people that if they break through unto the Lord to gaze upon Him MANY shall perish. 

I have already told you a few important things regarding what is going on in this passage #1 This narrative is dealing with sanctification of which the mixed multitude of Israelites has precious little. #2 I have Told you that God want to make these people into a Kingdom of Priests like unto Mosses the friend of God. #3 I have spoken of Adam’s relationship with God in the Garden and God’s desire to have this relationship with his people, even in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant.

Note that God warns in the second section not that all will perish or be thrust through for touching the mountain but that many but not all will perish if they break through to gaze upon God –Do you see that rather than His being the hateful wrathful God he is seeking to protect unsanctified flesh. He is not really saying that no one can look on him but that the multitude is not prepared as a group. God want to speak to these people with an audible voice and he wants to meet with his people.

Verse 22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargest us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

Now in Verse 22 God give Mosses a new set of instructions regarding the Priests but again Mosses is using selective hearing and doesn’t get what God tells him. God Tells Mosses to have the priest sanctify themselves Lest the Lord break upon them. Now Mosses gets God ‘s drift here that God is telling Mosses to prepare the priest to come up the mountain but Mosses responds and repeats back what God had earlier said and on to- of that we now have an indication here that Mosses the Friend of God is not comprehending what is really going on here because he tells God this can’t be done because You Just told me to put up boundaries and sanctified the mountain. Now I see in this verse that God gets a little annoyed at Mosses for not paying attention – Mosses mind had no doubt wandered  -- but worse still Mosses negated Gods latest word with an older word that Mosses had also misunderstood. God does not appreciate ministers trying to tie Him up with his own words – and misunderstood words at that.

I think that we can now better see that God was not saying in Verses 12-13 Stay back, keep away from me, For I am a Holy God and if I as much see anyone of you even touch this mountain with your pinky I’m going to break forth on you and annihilate every last one of you. This is important because this thought is regularly taught about this passage.

God in the Old Testament is fearful, hateful, and at the least provocation kills everything that moves. But Jesus in the New Testament is all love and flowers – and tamed the angry God of Old by his sacrifice. Ponder these words. I’m sure that you’ve heard these sentiments many times. This is assumption is very incorrect and has lean to all sorts of erroneous notions among Christians.    

Verse 24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

So in Verse 24 God angrily tells Mosses Away, get thee down. This does not sound like God is very pleased to me. I think you can take Away get thee down and type in an online concordance and you will find that this verse is unique.

So God then tells Mosses you’re going to come back with Aaron. But The Priest and the People can not come because God will break forth on them – the implication of this is that God Himself will vengefully slay them all. Again I remind you this situation is very pivotal in this passage.

Chapter 19:25  So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them. Chapter 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying:  And Mosses read out to the people a long version of the Ten Commandments these are worth reading a pondering because they had a lot of added details..

Exodus 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

While Mosses reading the commandments the Israelites instead of feeling more confident and closer to God are filled with fear and removed themselves and stood afar off. This is their first negative response and God does not condemn them for it.

Exodus 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
The is the second negative response they People tell Mosses we don’t want to hear God speak any more. His audible voice scares the sin out of us and we’re afraid if he speaks anymore we are going to die.  What’s going on here? Why are the Israelites suddenly backing away, why are they afraid – there is a sanctification problem here – there are laden with sin and with just hearing the audible voice of God the sin cries out within them and they back off. Is this a good or bad thing? God reveals sin, when he turns his searchlight on you and reveals something displeasing is this a good or bad thing? It is good you confess it, and you pray for Jesus to forgive you and take it out of your life. And you then are free to move on. But the mixed multitude become paralyzed over this.   

²⁰   And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

So Mosses tries to encourage the people to sanctify themselves and overcome this wave of conviction that’s overwhelming them. Mosses says God is come to prove you – God is come to approve you, and that ye learn the fear of the Lord and sin not.

²¹   And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

Next we will consider a verse of scripture that has long left Pentecostals speechless as to an explanation of events and had Fundamentalists claiming only the wind for themselves.

When the Pentecostal Outpouring began in 1906 it took place with members of a 2^nd Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Since I have been a child I have never seen or heard of any Church that would call itself the Second Church of anything. I have always seen First Presbyterian, First Baptist, First Pentecostal, First Church of Holiness; we know what motivates people to name a Church first, but why would any Church call itself 2^nd Baptist Church – Well it turns out that this particular Church believed in what was called back then the second definite work of grace. And that’s why they called themselves 2^nd Baptist. You are probably not familiar with the term “The second definite work of grace.”

That is because it has fallen out of fashion with Pentecostals, Fundamentalists, and Evangelicals circles. Old hymnals typically have dozens and dozens of hymns that make reference to getting victory over sin. Martha wing Robinson in 1907 speaks of: ”Inbred Sin, the carnal nature, its something more than forgiven sin an man with a quick temper asks for forgiveness and Jesus Blood fully covers that. But when God removes that temper from this man it is sanctification.  When a man has immoral tendencies Jesus blood is more than able to cover that confessed sin but the removal of such deep seated tendencies is sanctification.”    

Sanctification or the second definite work of grace, covers a wide range of behaviors and while much of it is the same for all something that we need to be cleansed of can be personal.  Bad tempers, Jesting, lying habits, immoral habits, conceit, selfishness –even if people around you can not sense what your rally doing because you mask it well when God’s searchlight comes on you know it’s wrong. God does not look on individual incidents with the same interest as patterns in one’s life.

These days when God starts working all to many people say: “I rebuke you Devil.” When the Holy Spirit convicts them, they say: “The accuser is accusing me.”  So it’s become almost impossible for the second work of grace to take place.

 To understand this a little better, people used to pray for days, weeks, months, and I have read of people that would pray for years for God to come in their lives and remove their unclean habits, bad habits and love of the world. And these steadfast believers had it happen all the time.  As hard as it is to believe these people without the baptism of the Holy Spirit were able to live holy chaste lives.  I might well add on more important detail to this – and in that day people didn’t pray through to receive anything for themselves, other than a clean heart before God.

So in 1906 when a black one eyed preacher named William Seymour, He first showed up in town and he hooks of with these people who have prayed through to sanctification after one sermon  where Brother Seymour preached his message that believers should expect to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in unknown tongues, the following day He found the doors chained shut. But a dozen or so people from the church met with him in a house meeting and the Lord quickly found open clean vessels to pour his spirit in.       

So Pentecost began in a sanctified atmosphere and great power great signs and wonders fell immediately.

Now one of the members of the Church was a Charles Parham’s who had a Bible school in Topeka Kansas and in 1901 the baptism of the Holy Spirit fell on only one female student. And you should know that Brother Seymour had been taught by Parham in lecture at his Bible School.  While Brother Seymour a mere student message struck like wild fire, Brother Parham’s tepid success rate was a lot more what we see like today.

What was different?  Sanctified vessels – people that had spent hours if not months between the porch and the altar. Confessing their sins and giving up all worldliness and fleshly desires to walk with God. On top of that they weren’t doing it to get blessed.

Historically the wheels fell off the Pentecostal movement within 20 years of Azusa Street. Pentecost then became known for people tarrying to receive the Holy Ghost. People would kneel at the altar on in a pew for days, weeks, months some tarried for years and still many others never received. See in the old days people sought God to live right, to be a better witness and sought God for himself, but latter greedy selfish people sought the baptism of the Spirit for a gift for a ministry it was devalued so that it was all for self. It was sought to be seen of men, and belong to that fraternal church order. It was sought for one’s personal status. Their motives were mixed. They were not at all like the people that had received of the Lord in the early days of Azusa Street.

You see the secret is that God give unto you as you give unto him. Are you willing to give him that which you hold more precious? Are you willing to sell out all to know him. Some how I see an Image of a father that has a little tree year old girl and she scribbles on a piece of paper or find some leaf or twig in the yard and coming in glowingly and gives it to her father and says I love you daddy and I’m giving you this present – and what father wouldn’t receive anything the child brought with great joy scoop that child up and tell her that their present wasn’t the greatest thing in the world and give them a big hug. But you if you have a teenager and they do that hoping to get some love for the cute factor. The father will be polite and accept it and they may get a pat on the head of a peck on the cheek. But if an adult does the same it is viewed as an insult, a is viewed as a sign that one does not care or is just plain cheap.

All too many spend their lives giving God their leftovers. Ugly out of style ill-fitting clothes that a rummage couldn’t even give away. Canned food that they the giver wouldn’t ever eat themselves. I can just see some man proudly talking with his thumbs under his lapel. “That’s the good thing about my God, throw him an occasional bone and he’s happy. He never complains no matter what we give him, it’s all the same to him.  If this doesn’t make your skin crawl I have nothing to say to you. 

These rainless clouds volunteer only as long as it doesn’t involve work, and they get maximum exposure of being seen of men. In Prayer they give God his three to five minutes during the day spread out throughout the day, in what amounts to small gulps lasting no longer than it takes a Catholic to pelt through a Hail Mary and about as effective.  In Church they do their worship, they perform their sacrifice of praise and even lift their hands at the right moments.  Likewise they give their offering and they probably get out a calculator to figure it out to the exact penny of what ever percentage or formula they use to come to the right amount. This lifestyle this worship this relationship with God is what is described in Revelation as neither being hot nor cold.       

Recently God spoke this to me—the statue in the book of Daniel is a picture of church revival.

Daniel Chapter 2:31-35 ³¹   Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. ³²   This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, ³³   His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. ³⁴   Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. ³⁵   Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

The Gold are those who sought for the revival in the first place their paid the price laying between the porch and altar to turn the heart of God to his people a church or a group in this process they repented, confessed all that came up and over time their changes moved from a realm of selfish desires to a greater vision, a vision that included a love for God himself, for others and for far reaching effects – these people had fallen into the sanctification process.  So that when God rewarded them with an outpouring they were best prepared to received and make use of it. Then the next group comes the silver they are also hungry for God. They know the value of an outpouring They more than likely have a solid life of prayer and studying the word of God – so why are they any different? Those in this group that in times past received sanctification but when you take what God did 5, 10, 20 years ago and wrap it in a handkerchief keep that which is precious safe it does not improve with age or keep well. Instead becomes stale it no longer having that freshness about it. And over time things creep in unawares. Another feature of this group is that these are usually as those who are not as far along in the process, because of that they have given up less of themselves and God finds no fault in that. It call also be said of these people that they are those who have not reached crucial mass themselves – some would call them hitchhikers on someone else’s revival. Who owns revival God or men? Contrary to popular belief God is also not in the habit using marksmanship techniques to hit only those who are worthy.  One day Mosses calls in 70 elders of Israel to be anointed with the Spirit of prophecy God shoots from on high and they start prophesying. Moments later a young Israelite runs to Mosses and tells him something awful is happening outside the camp – two unauthorized men without the ordination of men are prophesying – Go make them stop right this instant.   Mosses only smiles and says would to God that all of God’s people were prophets.

So every level of revival decreases markedly in value until we come to the clay. Adam was formed of Earth or clay and God breathed into him the breath of life. Clay speaks humanity – or lets say it another way the flesh. So this revival in it lowest stages is borne about by the flesh. – Fleshly deeds, the doctrines of men, the traditions of men. Things are done for self-gratification to be seen of men with wanton eyes of lusts etc. You get the picture. And God really despises this in itself but there more to this.

The pieces in themselves only pieces. But when this beast is all put together exalting itself to the heavens – it is an idol and God takes his rod and destroys it. Grinding it to powder and it blows away like chaff.

Can we note this qualitative difference between vessels anywhere in scripture?

I think we can.

John 20: 21-22 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

This particular passage has baffled Pentecostals and given Baptists gleeful fodder allowing them to deny the events in Acts 2:4 as the promise of the Spirit.

So we need to get a few of our facts straight to at all understand what too place here

1)      Jesus us 100% flesh

2)      He was born because to Holy Spirit overshadowed her that he might breath the breath of life into Mary’s egg.

3)      The Holy Spirit took up offical residence in Christ and it could not be shared until he was Glorified –aka seated at the right hand of God.

So when Jesus breathed upon the disciples and said receive ye the Holy Ghost. What was going on? Did he breath on the disciples as God?   -- No he could not. It would have wiped out our salvation and made what he did unattainable.

 

Did he then give them the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Spirit? No he could not. He could not, because  . . . the Holy Spirit had taken up its abode in him and . . . Jeus had not yet been glorified.

He overshadowed them and he opened his mouth and the Holy Spirit breathed life into their carnal minds and bodies and a work of sanctification began and lasted for fifty days until Pentecost and at that time most notably from amount the twelve three were most prepared to be received and work in what had been given Peter , James and John. 

Nothing outwardly discernable seemed to happened because this wasn’t Pentecost but a second definite work of grace. See if Christ was the second and last Adam because of the Holy Spirit breathing on Mary’s egg by the law of Mosses this experience could not have been anything unique to Christ but also had to be transferable to mere mortals like us and it is.

Next note how gigantically different the now sanctified prepared vessel Peter Acts on Pentecost. At Jesus arrest Peter flees, Peter denies him thrice.  After being with him for 3.5 years Peter understood little or nothing of what Jesus was saying even after Jesus was raised from the dead. On Pentecost Peter suddenly speaks in tongues, Peter steps up to bat and preaches by prophecy this sermon that brings 3000 to the Lord, Peter then heals someone at gate beautiful with John. Does he then flee? Does Peter deny the Lord? Does Peter hide behind John? No Peter is a completely new man.

Was that because he received the Baptism of the Spirit? This is actually not hard to judge when reading Paul’s Epistles. In Paul’s Churches it appears that a whole lot of unsanctified not sold out for God people got the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and are doing every kind of sin known to man and Paul is pretty put out . He is unable to speak to them but as babes, he can only give them milk and he says he has to keep repeating basics and the first principals over and over again.

Look back again at Jerusalem and the Church there 3000 get saved and it does not say that they were immediately filled with the Holy Spirit some events take place over an unspecified period of time. The people get very afraid by some things that happen. Then God fills them. Oddly enough we don’t read about the ruckus going on in the Church at Jerusalem like the stuff that’s going on in most of Paul’s Churches. Might Paul have been in too much of a rush? Might Paul have been guilty of not building a core group within each church that were fully operating in the gifts and ministry that he speaks of in 1st Corinthians? Buy Paul’s own account he says he’s an imperfect vessel, like I suspect all the other Apostles.

What does this all mean to us I think that after salvation there needs to be a little time given to become more solid. In the Didache (The teaching of the Apostles) the writer suggests that candidates for water baptism should be made to fast for 2 –3 days, that the Pastor that is baptizing these individuals should also Baptize for 1-2 days, and those in

the Church that are able should also do so also.  It was suggested that in the Didache that the candidate gets a more vital experience that way.

I would also like to further suggest that if a person under those circumstances does not receive the baptism of the Spirit, that the Church go into Jerusalem mode. And provides for these candidates an adequate space and time to let the Holy Ghost do a real work of sanctification.

 The Church in this hour is in crisis. The noxious stench of the Idol the Church has built over the last 500 has reached Gods nostrils and he intends to destroy it. No more is God going to revive this rotting festering copse. He is standing with his rod at the ready but has designated a space of repentance signifying he is willing to put it off for a generation or two or more.

I fear for the Church. I fear what this really means. We are at a moment where a single stroke could cast us into the great tribulation. I have seen how it could happened and it seems that it is unstoppable but for the hand of God. 

The First great woe has struck Canada has fallen. Canada is our sister and went awhoring

After socialism, sexual deviance, and all that is against God. So God gave Canada up and over and they have successfully banned the Bible. They have made preaching about sin illegal, they equate these acts with terrorism. Did I read some article no. I followed this bill in a news group for some 6 – 9 months. Not knowing Canadian Politics we thought it had to pas the house of Lords and be signed by the Prime Minister. Not so one June first an evangelist came to a church I attended she had just been in Toronto for a revival meeting. At the border going in she was interrogated for 45 minutes as to where she was going what she was going to preach all that she said was documented. She said what is this about and they said the law passed. The Bible was banned. She could not speak against sexual orientation or any other deviancy. She could not speak about sin in a negative way.  She was sternly warned and barely let in the country.

This law will first be used to purge the governments of all moral men and women. A cry will rise have you read the Bible, Do you believe in God,  Have you attended Church and if it can be proven they will be forced into resignation.

A few days ago the Anglican Church capitulated and announced they will sanctify gay ministers and gay couples. Soon Dozens of other harlots that have masked their true inner rottenness will Join them and then will be fulfilled before your eyes in that day shall seven virgins lay hold onto the garments of one and say only let us be called by your name so we can legally operate – and take up offerings. We have our own raiment –(buildings and infrastructure) and we have our own food – the money

America is next this is like the 10 tribes of Israel going into captivity, and then later Judah for instead of   repenting and being reviled the opposite happened they became jealous and plated the harlot and were sent into cruel bondage         

The watchmen should be crying out on the walls but the watchmen are drunk with the love of the things of this world so they cannot. The shepherds should cry out but they are too busy fleecing their flocks and feeding themselves so they cannot. The teachers should cry out but they are blind and so filled with the traditions of men and the doctrines of men they cannot. The Prophets cannot for they prophesy only smooth things and lying visions and lying dreams, the apostles can not for they spend all their energies building material kingdoms for themselves and making a name for themselves. So who is left the cry out an alarm in the land that the waster is at the door – lone voices out in the wilderness, men and women of no reputation. I fear for the church. I fear for God’s people.