The Broken Covenant Restored

Introductory Thoughts
The papers are on the lawyer’s desk, the only thing remaining is to sign them.
The property has been divided, the arrangements have been made to share the children.
Inside, your guts are churning, but you are not going to show it.
It is time to move on…It’s over—there is no turning back—or is there?

1. Facts to Ponder
a. Remember, Marriage is Like Salvation—Eph 5:30—God intends the marriage relationship to be a picture of salvation—eternal, unbreakable
b. Who are you and your wife? What is the most important relationship you share?
(1) Remember, in the resurrection, there is no marriage nor giving in marriage—Luke 20:27-38.
(2) Therefore, the most important relationship you have with your spouse is that you are brother and sister in Christ.
(3) You will not be married a million years from now, but you will never cease to be brother and sister in Christ
(4) To fail to reconcile as a couple is to fail to reconcile with a brother or sister in Christ with whom you shall spend eternity!
c. Remember God’s instructions to the Christian couple in crisis—1 Cor 7:10-11 “… Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife…”
(1) These are commands of God!
(2) I did not write this, and I really did not want to preach this, but God has commanded Christian couples in crisis to take the road of reconciliation, not rupture and ruin.
(3) Why? Because reconciliation is what God is all about!
(a) Sinning Israel—Isa 1:18-20 ""Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
(b) Hosea’s wife, Gomer
(c) The human race—2 Cor 5:17-18

d. The way back is like the return of the backslider returning to God—like the prodigal son—but in marital reconciliation, BOTH are prodigals, both are returning to the Father’s place for them. Like the Diagram below, as they get closer to God, they get closer to each other.
God
Husband
Wife


2. Steps on the journey home

a. Awakening—recognition— Luke 15:17 "But when he came to himself…”
(1) Someone needs to be the first one to say—“What am I doing?”
(2) The Prodigal had come into a place of his own choosing, but once he got there, his choices did not look that smart!
(3) How long he was in the pig sty, we don’t know, but sooner or later, he looked around and realized that he was in someplace he did not need to be and that there was someplace else to go.

b. Repentance—Luke 15:18-20 "'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' 20 "And he arose and came to his father….”

(1) Repentance—when the will, moved by God, moves the feet!
(2) Blaming no one but himself
(3) Unconditional –no excuses, and expecting nothing except minimal reception.
(4) The first step leads to the whole journey

c. Forgiveness—The God kind—Mat 18

(1) The Prodigal’s father did not approach this situation as most of us would have approached it.
(2) What would the attitude of the normal Baptist have been—“Look at that smelly so-and-so, he can forget it if he wants to be welcomed here!”
(3) The prodigal’s father (symbolic of God) was anxious—he RAN to greet the prodigal—he did not even listen to the speech the boy had prepared.
(4) God’s way of forgiveness applies to marriage as well!
(a) Reconciling with a brother—Mat 18:15-20
(b) Forgiving our brother—Mat 18:21-35

d. Reconciliation and Recommitment—like rededication and discipleship
(1) First, it is not wrong to expect to see “fruits meet for repentance,” as John the Baptist demanded.
(2) It is also not wrong to see restitution—Luke 19:8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."
(3) It would be appropriate for counseling and guidance to take place, under the authority if the eldership of the church.
(4) But the parallel commands are plain and unequivocal—2 Cor 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God
(5) 1 Cor 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
(6) The prodigal was received by all concerned—except by the other son, whose self-righteous attitude and pride put him at odds with everything the Father is.

In a Christian marriage in crisis, God is ready to receive both prodigals. As you come to His arms, you come closer together, as you are embraced by the Father, you will find your spouse there as well.

col 1:18

The Person of Christ,
Part 2—Col 1:18


Context: The Colossian Heresy

Overview: The Person of Christ— 1:15-17
c. Jesus Is God—15
d. Jesus Is Creator—16
e. Jesus is Sustainer—17

And Now: Jesus is the Ruler of the church

Col 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

1. Each church is a body; The Kingdom of God (all true churches together) is a Body;

a. What is a church? “I will build my church…” Mat 16:13-20

(1) Church—
(a) the first mention in the Bible
(b) Greek: eklesia—ek = out , kaleo = callè it means a called out assembly
(c) Called from other pursuits
(d) Called by legal authority
(e) Called for a public purpose.

(2) MY church—Jesus owns the church, not any man nor any group of men
(3) Build—see Eph 4:11-16. It is not an option for a church to stay still. A church that is not building is not a church—Mat 7:24-25, 16:18

b. The church is built upon a Rock—Jesus is the Rock!
(1) Some think of the Rock as Peter
(2) Some think of the Rock as the confession of Peter.
(3) But in the Bible, the Rock is Christ
(4) In the Bible, the Foundation of the Church is Christ—Eph 2:20 "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,"


Psa 118:22 "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."

Rom 9:33 "As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.""

1 Cor 10:4 "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."


1 Pet 2:6-7 "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,""
1 Pet 2:8 "and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed."

Mat 21:42 "Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

Mark 12:10 ""Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."

Luke 20:17 "Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?"

Acts 4:11 ""This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'"

1 Pet 2:6-7 "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,""

c. The church is a body


1 Cor 12:12 "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ."

1 Cor 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."

Rom 12:5 "so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

Col 1:24 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,"

Col 2:19 "and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God."

Eph 1:22 "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,"

Eph 4:15 "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ;"

Eph 5:30 "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones."

Col 1:16-17

The Person of Christ,
Part 1—Col 1:16-17


Context: The Colossian Heresy

Overview: The Person of Christ— 1:15-17
ü Jesus Is God—15
a. Jesus Is Creator—16
b. Jesus is Sustainer—17


1. Evolution:

a. What is the pagan teaching of evolution?

(1) According to evolution, All things exist by chance, and by the operation of natural processes. There is no plan nor any logical order to the universe.
(2) According to evolution, Life came to be, and all changes to lifeforms took place, by gradual change over eons of time.
(3) According to evolution, The human race is merely an advanced species of the animal kingdom, and we ascended from lower orders of animals, again, over long periods of time.

b. Implications of evolution
(1) According to evolution, There is no purpose to creation, to mankind, nor to the life of any particular individual.

(2) According to evolution, If there is no creator, there is no retribution, so we may live life any way we choose.

(3) According to evolution, If we are merely a higher order of animal, a blob of protoplasm turned by accident into a human being, then life is not sacred.

b. A key philosophical distinction:
(1) Sanctity of Life—Or, "Quality of Life,"
(2) If you believe that life is not sacred—There is nothing wrong with ANYTHING!!! The Great Russian writer Dosteyevsky said—“If there is no God, then everything is permissible…”

b. The societal implications of the mad, depraved idea of evolution have devastated Western Civilization—This led to Nazism, Communism, hedonism. This doctrine of demons leads to ultimate despair

c. The bottom line on paganism and humanism. Paganism, evolution, leads to a mad society, turning on its young and its old in a depraved orgy of murder and destruction!!!

d. The Truth—the Biblical doctrine of creation....

2. The Truth About the Universe: God is the Creator—Acts 17:24-26

a. Creation by Divine Command—God created the universe by speaking it into existence. He said, "let there be.... " and it came into existence—

Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. …9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

2 Pet 3:5 ...by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,

Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

b. God Created ALL Things—The Almighty One made the earth and everything in it.

Neh 9:6 You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

Rev 10:5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer,

(3) Only in our age, with our increased understanding of the vastness and wonder of space, can we appreciate the extent and the majesty of creation..
(4) God created the entire eco-system—He made each plant type, created all of the microscopic life forms, formed each species of animate life, and gave them all the breath of life.
(5) All that we see on dry land, every rock, every geographical feature, God made.
(6) God Created the sea, and everything in it—Every fish, every mammal, every crustacean, every coral reef—
(7) God specially formed man, and made man in the image of God—Gen 1:26-31.

c. Creation and the Trinity--Creation was the act of the Triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(1) Father—1 Cor 8:6
(2) Son—John 1:1
(3) Spirit—Gen 1:2, Job 26:13, Job 33:4

d. The purpose of Creation was for God's Pleasure: Rev 4:11è. God created because He Wanted to Create-
(1) There has been much speculation over the years as to why God would create anything—We wonder, "What was His purpose in founding the universe?"
(2) There have been many theories advanced, but the Bible is very silent on the issue, except for one thing—God made the universe because He wanted to do so.

Rev 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

Prov 16:4 The LORD has made all for Himself,

e. Practical Implications of the Biblical Doctrine of Creation. This is the key to the cultural war raging in our nation at this moment.

3. Christ Jesus is the Creator and the Owner—“…all things were made by Him…”

a. All things—a Greek phrase which means “the universe…”
(1) Can this mean, as one modern-day false cult teaches, that Christ Jesus made everything except Himself.?
(2) Can this be interpreted to mean, as another false cult teaches, that there were numerous “gods,” etc. in existence before God “became” a God?
(3) NO!—John 1:3 "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." Acts 4:24, Heb 1:1-3,
(4) An OT praise to the Trinity! Neh 9:6 "You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You."

b. The heavens as well—a direct challenge to at least one modern cult, as well as to the Gnostics—Col 1:16 “…For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: …”
(1) Visible and invisible—including the spirit world—these too are created beings!
(2) The hierarchy of heaven!

c. By and For—all things were created by him, and for him:



3. The Eternal Sustainer—Col 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

a. Again, an assault on the Gnostics of any age.—The precedence of Christ in time and the preeminence as Creator are both stated sharply. (A.T. Robertson)

b. The Eternity of Jesus!

(1) Jn 1:1-2, 8:58, 17:5
(2) Rev 22:13
(3) 2Corinthians 8:9
(4) Philippians 2:6-11.

c. The Sustainer of the Universe—Heb 1:1-3

(1) All things hold together in Him
(2) He upholds all
(3) He even upheld all while He was on the Cross!

4. The Head of the Church

a. First, Jesus Owns the church, because He paid for it! The Owner of the Church— ...”I will build my church...” Mat 16:13-19 –Acts 20:28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

Col 1:15

The Person of Christ,
Part 1—Col 1:15

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Context: The Colossian Heresy

Overview: The Person of Christ— 1:15-18
a. Jesus Is God—15
b. Jesus Is Creator—16
c. Jesus is Sustainer—17
d. Jesus is Lord of the Church—18

1. Jesus is God—a vital teaching

a. Along with salvation by Grace (Gal 1:6-9) and with the integrity of the Scriptures (Is 8:19-20, Rev 22:18-19 2 Tim 4:1-4), this is a doctrine with the most severe warnings attached to it—1 John 2:18-23, 1 Jn 4:1-3, 2 Jn 7-11

b. Why is this area of doctrine so vital?
(1) We are looking at the very nature of God
(2) We are looking at something which is essential to the Christian understanding of salvation. Because Jesus is fully God AND fully Man, we have:

(a) Relationship (Jn 10:27)
(b) Representation (1 Tim 2:5, Rom 8:34)
(c) Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-21)
(d) Redemption (Rom 3:24)


2. The Father is “The Invisible God”

a. The Son of God has been manifested in visible forms throughout human history—Josh 5:13-15, Judges 13:18
b. The Spirit has also assumed visible form (Mat 3:16-17
c. But the Father is never seen—Exo 33:20, John 1:18 John 5:37, John 6:46, 1 Tim 1:17, 1 Tim 6:14-16 , Heb 11:27, 1 John 4:12


3. Jesus is the Image (eikon) of the Father—

a. What does EIKON mean? It means Image.

Luke 20:24 ""Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They answered and said, "Caesar's.""

b. The Image of God

(1) We were made in God’s image (Gen 1:26-31)
(2) But the image of God in man has been marred by sin—we now bear a marred image of God, the image of Adam

1 Cor 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

(3) Christ Jesus has no sin—Heb 4:12-16; He has restored God’s image in man, because He isàthe distinct image of God
(4) In Heb 1:3, we see more detail of How Christ Jesus is the Image of God—there the word used is “character”, which refers to an engraver’s tool (MacArthur)—Jesus is an exact representation of the Father.

c. Interesting Comment from ATR—The restoration of the image of God in us is gradual and progressive (2 Corinthians 3:18), but will be complete in the final result (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

d. We are changed to this image, a process we call sanctification, through identification with, study of, and growth in, Christ—See 2 Cor 3:6ff, especiallyè 2 Cor 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

4. Jesus is the Firstborn—prototokos

a. Along with a very few other verses, which cults use to try to teach that Jesus Christ was a created being and not fully God, such groups as the Jehovah’s Witnesses use this verse for that purpose, saying that this verse shows that Jesus was the first being created by the Father. Does it mean that? Can it mean that?

b. What does this word “firstborn” mean?

(1) First, it does not mean that Jesus was created—it cannot mean that
(a) Because of John 1:1-2, which plainly teaches that The Word, the Son of God, is co-eternal with the Father
(b) because of John 1:3, Heb 1:1-3, and the verses that follow this one, which plainly show that the Son has made, in the wonderful words of John 1:3, all that has been made.
(2) Jesus is the uncreated creator, so “firstborn” cannot mean that he has been created.

(3) From John MacArthur—

Although prototokos can mean firstborn chronologically (Luke 2:7), it refers primarily to position, or rank. In both Greek and Jewish culture, the firstborn was the son who had the right of inheritance. He was not necessarily the first one born. Although Esau was born first chronologically, it was Jacob who was the “firstborn” and received the inheritance. Jesus is the One with the right to the inheritance of all creation (Heb 1:2, Rev 5:1-7, 13).
Israel was called God’s firstborn in Exodus 4:22 and Jermiah 31:9. Though not the first people born, they held first place in God’s sight among all nations…

(4) Jesus was the firstborn among the brethren, even though His human birth was thousands of years after the father of the faithful, Abraham—Rom 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
(5) He is the firstborn from the dead—Col 1:18 "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
(6) And, if God had wanted to call Jesus the “first created,” there is a perfectly good Greek word for that.

5. “…over all creation…”

a. Here is a key—Jesus’ status as the Firstborn is about His dominion over all the universe. Some translations say “of” all creation, but the Greek should be rendered “over” all creation.

b. In Mat 8, He is Lord over the storm, disease, and demonic oppression

c. In John 2, He is Lord over natural forces when He turns the water into wine.

d. In John 6, He is Lord over all natural processes when He creates enough food to feed five thousand.

e. In John 11, He is Lord over the grave

f. In His own resurrection, He shows Himself to be the true master over the Grave

g. In Phil 2:9-11, we see that one day, every knee will bow to Him.

h. The very confession that must be made to be saved is to recognize Him as Lord of All (Rom 10:9).

Rev 19:16 "And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."