According to Hebrews, God has spoken His decisive and superior “word” in His son. Moreover, He did so “upon the last of these days.” This clause refers to the end of the period epitomized by the Levitical code with its priesthood and repeated animal sacrifices, a system of worship that was centered in the Tabernacle, and later, in the Temple in Jerusalem. With the exaltation of the Son to the “right hand of the Majesty on High,” a new and final era of salvation has commenced.
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Concerning His Son
Paul begins his Letter to the Romans with a lengthy introduction in which he identifies himself and his mission. The calling and “grace” of God have equipped the Apostle to preach the Good News “concerning His son” and the “obedience of faith” among the “Gentiles.” And in his introduction, he includes a brief description of the messianic qualifications of Jesus of Nazareth, and links what God has done in him to His promises made “in the prophets” and now recorded in the “Holy Scriptures.”
Continue readingMessage & Mission
The Gospel proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth is NOT about reforming a fallen society, fixing a corrupt government, or cleaning up an immoral culture. It summons all men and women to repent and join an entirely new and vastly different social order and political reality, namely, the Kingdom of God. If anything, it subverts the political ideologies and popular beliefs of this age.
Responding positively to this message is vital considering the approaching end of the present age when the existing world order will cease to exist.
Continue readingNot Yet Complete
The biblical faith is forward-looking and integral to its doctrine of salvation is the future resurrection of the dead. And that event will also mark the commencement of the New Creation. In the New Testament, this hope is linked to two events. First, the past resurrection of Jesus, and second, his future arrival at the end of the age. And salvation will remain incomplete without the resurrection of the saints.
Continue readingPursuing Perfection
In the opening thanksgiving of his letter to the Philippians, Paul prepares his readers for a key theme of his letter – going on to “perfection” in Jesus. The promised bodily resurrection is necessary for their “completion.” It is not optional. Instead, it is an integral part of the future salvation they will receive when Jesus arrives in glory.
What God began in the Philippians He will continue to perform until the day that Jesus “arrives” – at “the day of Christ.”
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