"The Dispensation of the grace of God"

Contents:-

 ** Recap and term definitions

 ** Dynamic difference between Christ and The Law:

** Law Invokes Imitation. Christ is Actuation:

** Semi-Related Special Note:

** Christ is Grace in salvation and spiritual growth:

** Pauls Analogy of Marriage:

** Riddled with failure or real spiritual Growth:

                                      Recap and Term Definitions:    

The term, "The Dispensation of the Grace of God" describes the "Character" or "Disposition" of this Dispensation. [Ephesians 3:2. Example - John 3:16. 2 Corinthians 8:9.]

The Term, "The dispensation of The Gospel" describes how and with what power this dispensation "Accommodates" Adams sinful race. [1 Corinthians 9:17. Example - Romans 1:16. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4]

The term, "The dispensation of the fullness of times" describes the "ultimate Goal" of this dispensation of God, to gather ALL in Christ, "which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him." [Ephesians 1:10. John 13:3. Colossians 1:19. 2:9-10.]

The Term, "The Dispensation of God" describes the "stewardship" or "administration" CONTENT of what God is offering in this "Mystery" of the Riches and Glory of Christ. [Colossians 1:25-27. 2 Corinthians 8:9. Ephesians 3:8.]

                    Dynamic Difference between Christ and the Law:

It is important to point out the difference between Moses and Christ. Moses gave something "neuter" whereas Christ gave Himself and He is Grace and that is not "neuter" but "Dynamic". A person may have all the details of how and what a horse is like, and how it behaves, but to perform as such would be like, "canoeing up stream without a paddle". If on the other hand, you put the Horse, (that is described as the most wonderful and powerful Horse in existence) in them, then now you have the potential of that person to become a great expression of the Perfection, that the Greatest Horse IS!

                     Law Invokes Weak Imitation. Christ is Real Actuation.                       

Sinners are not like God, though we used to be in the original creation. Man has been horribly marred and "deformed" by sin, and to "try" and imitate God is not the solution nor successful. The only solution is a "new creation" and (Praise The Lord) that happens when we come to Christ; When we come to The Lord, we are Baptized by The Spirit into Him and thus the expression - "In Christ" which is prolific throughout Pauls letters.[1 Corinthians 12:13. Ephesians 1:3, 7, 10, 11, 13. 2:6, 10, 13, 20-22.]  This great and wonderful position of being spiritually "In Christ" brings about the beginnings of a new "creature" or "creation" [2 Corinthians 5:16-17.]  This "New Creation" is Glorious in its Foundation and Glorious at its completion, and the completion is "We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is" [1 John 3:2.]  What a wonder is this Grace of God! What Glory awaits every Christian, fulfilling the precious promise "I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith The Lord, thoughts of Peace and NOT of evil to GIVE YOU an EXPECTED END" [Jeremiah 29:11.] This "new creature or new creation" in Christ is an ever increasing work of re-creation BY GRACE as Paul says ... "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ BE FORMED in you" [Galatians 4:19.]  What a Dispensation of greatness! What a Dispensation of Great achievement by the Grace of God - A New Re-Creation of ALL of Adam's race that Come to Christ, and they have come in their millions! This is the final dispensation of "sealing" for man the complete and wonderful remedy for all his need of, Godliness and perfection, and once again, the restored "God-Likeness", that he lost at the beginning of creation. Full redemption and salvation take place at the end of this dispensation of Grace. Another term for this dispensation is "The Church Age"; which ends with the return of The Lord and rapture of The Church. "The dead in Christ shall rise first and we which are alive and remain unto the coming of The Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with The Lord" [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.] At this point Full Redemption/Salvation takes place, "to wit the redemption of the body" [Romans 8:23.]

                                  Semi-Related Special Note

It should be noted here, a very wonderful truth concerning the verse just referred to, (Romans 8:23.) and that is that, Paul mentions that the final redemption work of the body, is that of "adoption": In spirit and soul, we are already adopted, [Ephesians 1:5. Galatians 4:5-6.] But, not the body ... yet! This is clear in the Word ... "Flesh and blood cannot inherit The Kingdom of God" [1 Corinthians 15:50.] "And if Christ be in you, the Body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is Life because of righteousness" [Romans 8:10.] A person without Christ is literally living in the realm of the dead because their body is under the sentence of Death and nothing can reverse it, except "The salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal Glory" [2 Timothy 2:10.] The believer however, who spiritually has been baptised into Christ is actually in another location! When we come to Christ, we are Baptised into Him and The Word says that we are "seated in heavenly Places in Christ" [Ephesians 2:6.]  Because we have been re-located in Christ in heavenly places spiritually, then as Paul said, "The Body is dead because of sin" and being in heavenly places and because SIN CANNOT BE THERE, the body is rendered DEAD from every perspective of God. How reality TRUE, are the words of Jesus, "The Flesh profiteth NOTHING" [John 6:63.]

To say again, how fantastic it is to be a Christian, put the old stethoscope on these truths and the result is that the Christian is in fantastic ETERNAL HEALTH, though he may be very sick and nigh unto, physical death!

                               Christ is Grace in salvation and spiritual growth        

Notice the difference again, in the verse above; it says, "The Law ... given by Moses" but "Grace ... came by Jesus Christ". If the only way that a sinner can qualify to enter Heaven is by Grace, then he must have Christ; and so says the apostle John, "He that hath The Son, hath Life and he that hath not The Son of God hath not Life." [1 John 5:9-13.]

When a person has Christ, they do not have a "neuter" law written to read and try to live up to. Such was "given by Moses" but they now have within them The Living "dynamic" of The Law; and that is why Paul says, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after The Spirit"; [Romans 8:4.] When we come to Christ, we have the "Dynamic" that created the Universe, which is the Spirit of God, (or Spirit of Christ; [same thing]) within us and we are "Born Again".

Having then, Christ in us or The Spirit of God in us, is to have in us the person who wrote the law and has the power to perform the righteousness of the law in us and through us!

                        Pauls analogy of Marriage

When you get married, you enter into a covenant relationship, just as a Christian does when he comes to Christ. The Christian enters into a "new Testament" [Hebrews 9:15-20.] relationship with Christ. Now when you get married, do you enter into a relationship, that is a purely regulatory performance, of striving to conform to "neuter" lifeless laws and commands  and demands from each other that are constantly being pinned up on the "notice board" for each other to read, if one would know what the other requires to be done? Such a relationship is certainly not workable; both are married to a person, not a set of Laws. This analogy is used by Paul, concerning the difference of relationship to The Lord, under The Dispensation of The Law and under The Dispensation of the Grace. And so writes -  "Wherefore my brethren, Ye also are become dead to the Law by The body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" [Romans 7:4.]  

When a sinner comes to Christ, he no longer is looking at a law, to live according to that, because The King who wrote the law has come to live in him, to be his life and his all, and as The Lord is his life;  is The Lord striving to keep the Law? Of course not, and if He is not striving to keep the Law, what are we doing trying to live by the law when we are meant to be LIVING BY HIM! It is only Living by Him that His Life and power may be imparted, so that "The Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in them who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit" [Romans 8:4.]

                                 Riddled with Failure or Real spiritual Growth.

Walking after the Law means self-effort and a development of self-righteousness; which is riddled with failure, but he who walks not after the flesh by the power of the spirit, and resurrection life is walking in the experience of GRACE. In such a walk, is fulfilled the words of Peter ... "But grow in GRACE and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ" [2 Peter 3:18.] Such then is true spiritual growth and change in the believers life and actions.

All Spiritual Reality can only be by Grace and this is borne out by the words of Jesus when Peter gave a great answer to Christ's question, and the Lord reminded Peter... "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in Heaven" [Matthew 16:17.]

The following is a great salvation text. "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast" [Ephesians 2:8-9.] This truth does not only apply to the moment we come to Christ, but is an ongoing MUST, to be able to comprehend the will of God, and be "Saved" from every spiritual "downer".

Paul said, "By the grace of God I am what I am" [1 Corinthians 15:10.] and what a wonderful statement! What we may try to be and try to present ourselves to be, and what we ARE can be as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon.

Even though we are sincere, The Lord will deal with the "wood, hay and stubble" of self and cause us to rejoice in the great work He has done in our hearts, giving real assurance of the safety of, the instruction that Paul gave to young Timothy, - "Take heed unto THYSELF".  [1Timothy 4:16.] 

In everything we need to be cast upon The Lord for spiritual reality, as Paul thus admonishes the saints with the following words,  - "that our hearts might be established with Grace and not with meats which have not profited them that have been exercised thereby". [Hebrews 13:9.]

The Lord bless you much, according to the last verse in the Bible, - "The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." [Revelation 22:21.]

Jesus Loves You.

God Bless.