Body of God

Text: 1 Timothy 3:16

God manifest in the flesh

  • God prepared a body for himself (Hebrews 10:5)
  • He resigned his glory for a span of time and took upon himself the form of a servant, made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:7)
  • Law could not produce victory over sin (Hebrews 10:4-7)
    • God does not create victory out of thin air.  God can do anything you say? Verse 4 says it is not possible, so when God is looking for victory over sin, He needs someone to fight the battle against sin and win.
    • 1 John 3:8-9 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
    • Principle of obedience over sacrifice
    • Psalm 40:6-8 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.  Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
    • 1 Samuel 15:22-23 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
  • Zechariah 12:10 look on ME whom they have pierced

Justified in the Spirit

  • Born of the Holy Spirit of God of a virgin
  • Twelve year old serving His father
  • Baptism Spirit like a dove descending
  • Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
  • Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
  • Fruit of the Spirit
  • His resurrection – Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
  • John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
  • John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Seen of Angels

  • Heralded at birth (Luke 2)
  • Ministered to by angels (Mark 1:13)
  • Angels at the tomb
  • 1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Preached to Gentiles

  • A few Gentiles during his ministry: Centurion, Syrophoenician, Samaritan woman at the well,
    • Illustrated with widow of Sarepta and Naman
  • Gospel spread throughout the world (Acts 8-28)
  • Matthew 28:19-20 go ye therefore and teach ALL nations…

Believed on in the world

  • Romans 10:9-10
  • Blessed are they that have not seen yet believe.

Received up into Glory

  • Acts 1:2
  • Luke 24:50-51
  • B/c he was received into glory it tells me that he was holy