Being Faithful

Being Faithful

We, who have a heavenly calling, are exhorted to consider our Apostle and High Priest, Jesus, and special mention is made of the fact that He was faithful. In this connection it is also written, “As Moses also was faithful in all His house.” This is how it is. If we are to obtain our heavenly calling, we have to be faithful or it will never succeed.

Before Moses came with the law, everything was black—it was dark. They did not know sin where there was no law. Rom. 4:15, 5:13, 7:7-8. When Moses came, he was faithful to speak what had to be spoken. The shadow of the body of Christ—the body that was to fulfill the law and the prophets—became visible through the law. Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 10:1; Matt. 5:17.

It was necessary to be faithful to be a testimony in this deep darkness that existed before the law, so that they got to see the shadow of the body of Christ. With that came an acknowledgment of sin, resulting in sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. However, they did not manage to stay within the borders of the law, thus maintaining the clear outlines of the body. Sin in the flesh—the desires and passions—were manifested in sinful deeds, and this destroyed the clear outlines of the body. 1 Cor. 6:18. However, if there were people who faithfully testified to what should be spoken, they lived in the acknowledgment of sin, and they could see the clear outlines of the body.

Among the upright this created an expectancy of the body that cast the shadow—the person who could fulfill Moses and the prophets, the person who did not commit sin. Then the prophets began to search, and so they prophesied about Christ, about His sufferings and the glories that would follow, and about the grace of which they could then partake. 1 Pet. 1:10-12.

God sent His Son in the fullness of time and did what the law could not do. The law could do no more than mete out punishment for the sin that came out of the body. It was weak concerning covetousness—sin in the flesh. However, God did this work in Jesus by condemning sin in the flesh. Rom. 8:3. When sin was condemned in the flesh, it was not difficult to keep the outlines of the body clear. Then the requirement of the law, “You shall not covet,” was fulfilled. This was the new and living way which Jesus consecrated, and this way went through the flesh. Heb. 10:19-20. When Jesus said, “It is finished!” the way became passable for all of us. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Then we received the grace of which we were to partake, so that the requirement of the law could also be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. The Spirit will lead us into all truth.

We will not advance on this new and living way unless we are faithful just as Jesus was faithful. We see the spirit of the world seeping in among believers, with the result that they are conformed to the world. When you go to a religious assembly, you do not see the body of Christ, but you meet the world. The leader is not faithful to speak what should be spoken, and so the outlines are erased. This also holds true for our daily life. No one can see the body of Christ in me if I get angry, become anxious, or love the world. I must have victory over sin for the others to be able to see the body of Christ in me. 1 Pet. 2:11-12. Most people strive and endeavor to stay “above water” in this area so they can be sufficiently bold to call themselves Christians. However, even if they can maintain a nice exterior, what is the state of their heart? What about their thought life? What about chastity and bearing with one another? Many are they who resemble whitewashed graves. The body, which should be the temple of the Holy Spirit, is like a den of thieves. 1 Cor. 6:18-20; John 2:14-22.

Jesus came and cleansed the temple—He built up the temple of His body. Finally, a body had come that had never committed sin and in which the fullness of the Godhead could dwell—a body which death could not hold. Col. 2:9-10. The same work can transpire in us because He received a body like ours. Our heavenly calling is to partake of divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:3-4. Yet this is not possible without Jesus’ faithfulness. It is useless just to try to maintain a nice exterior so people can see that I am a Christian. I must also walk before God’s face so that the passions in the flesh are put to death.

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness . . . .” Col. 3:5. The law judges all these things. However, if the death of Christ (death to sin in the flesh) is not working, then the heart (your thought life) becomes like a den of thieves. But if Jesus’ death is working, the life of Jesus will also be manifested. 2 Cor. 4:10-11. Then you have Jesus’ faithfulness and live the hidden life with Christ in God. Then it is not necessary to stand before the face of man and keep the outward appearance in order. This is the bride who is being conformed into Jesus’ image. Death cannot hold their bodies when Jesus comes in the clouds. 1 Thess. 4:16-18.