DEATH OF THE TESTATOR
Friday – January 26, 2018
Our featured picture was taken this past Christmas (2017) and the white at the large window over my shoulder is not the glare of the sun but a whiting out caused by a snowstorm. We got about ten inches of snow that particular day. It has been a long time since we have had a white Christmas so it was fun. I will now return to our wonderful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. Our text, like many other places preceding this, is contrasting the sacrifice of Christ required by the New Testament with that of animals under the Old Testament.
Hebrews 9:13-17 (KJV)
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Christ is the mediator or go-between of the New Testament, the go-between between those who were guilty of sin under the First or Old Testament and the Father. God has written a Will, a Testament, a Covenant, of all the good things He wants those who will believe (exercise faith) to inherit as part of the family of God. The risen Christ is the mediator of that New Covenant bringing eternal redemption from sin under the First or Old Covenant. That is not to say that we cannot sin, certainly we can. The difference between us and Adam is that Adam suffered immediate spiritual death with sin and separation from God whereas we are not subject to the law of sin and death in Christ Jesus. If we do sin however we must repent and that same Blood (New Blood Covenant) that saved us will again cleanse us for we are in Blood Covenant with God the Father.
1 John 1:7, 9 (KJV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Under any covenant there are responsibilities and benefits and a breech of either, that is not exercising our responsibilities or partaking of the benefits is a breech of contract, sin. Christ Jesus has given us the authority and the power to back up the authority according to the terms of the Covenant led of the Spirit to accomplish all of our responsibilities and partake of all our benefits. The one who made the Will (The Holy Bible) died and is known as the testator therefore the benefits and responsibilities of that Will pass to the heirs which are you and me. Our inheritance is from God through Christ Jesus and it is not a temporal thing it is eternal. When we were born again we became the children of God and as children heirs.
Romans 8:15-17 (KJV)
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
All of the responsibilities and benefits found in the Holy Bible are ours and they are eternal. We are joint-heirs with Christ who was appointed heir of all (Hebrews 1:2). Being a joint heir is far different than being a natural heir of say your earthly mother and father. We are used to an estate being divided among the children. It is entirely different in the Kingdom of God. Jesus was heir of all. Can we even start to conceive what that even means? In the Kingdom of God as sons of God we are not only builders of the Kingdom, possessors of the Kingdom, but we are creators in the Kingdom. That means that we have an infinite, expansive inheritance that is subject to creative expansion. A joint-heir inherits all that the original heir inherited but the original is not diminished by each of our additions. This does not compute to the worldly mind but we have the mind of Christ, receive it by faith. Religion has taught us that all of our inheritance is for over there and right now it is rough and we just need to hang on. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! May I ask, why we are living such limited lives when He did not come and die for what we now live but the expansive life of a Kingdom child which should cause the world to just say Wow in amazement.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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