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How God Works
God has given us various pictures in His word that offer a glimpse of the 'division of labor' among the Triune God. One such picture is that of a vineyard where the Father is the Vine Dresser, the Son is the Vine and the Holy Spirit is the agent by which branches are grafted (a.k.a. baptized) into the life of the Vine and by which fruit is produced. A second picture is that of a house where the Father is the architect of His dwelling place, Christ is the Master Builder and Cornerstone and the Holy Spirit is the nameless servant, or tool, used by the Master Builder to accomplish the plan of the Father. In 1 Peter 1:2, we see a summary of how God works to build His house:
1Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:
"according to the foreknowledge of God the Father"
God the Father is the architect of salvation. His plan is being executed through history by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. (click on "foreknowledge" above)
All things are from and for the Father
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him 1Cor. 8:6 [Using the illustration of the Father's house, all things are from the Father in terms of the plan (He is the architect) and for the Father in terms of the purpose (to be His dwelling place). And all things are by Jesus because He is the builder, and through Jesus because He is the Cornerstone.]The Father's role is as an architect of His heavenly dwelling place
"...this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."Acts 2:23 [the plan for the Father's dwelling place requires bloodwashed, living stones]"By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."Heb. 11:9-10
Old Testament Shadow of the Father's Role as Architect
"Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain." Ex 26:30 [the Hebrew word for "plan" is the same word used to refer to God's "design" of Noah's Ark]
The Father is the Architect
"by the sanctifying work of the Spirit"
The Holy Spirit is the tool or nameless servant that sets apart and fastens the heart of fallen man to the word of God; The progression is: first conviction by the word (the gospel), followed by being born-again of the word and then growth in the word. (click on "sanctifying" above)
The Holy Spirit engages the the heart of man with the word of God
"This Jesus has God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. Therefore being to the right hand of God exalted, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear" Acts 2:32-33 [After His ascension to heaven, the Father gave the Holy Spirit to Jesus who sent it into the world to make manifest His word in the hearts of believers and in the ears and eyes of others. All according to the Father's plan and initiation]The Spirit's work in the fallen world
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged" John 16:7-11 [when the unconverted hear the gospel, the Spirit convicts their heart as to its truth; that they are a sinner under God's eternal judgment and Christ is the only escape to heaven]The Spirit's work in believers
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it toyou." John 16:13-15 [the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus into the world to minister the words of Christ to the hearts of believers so that they might glorify the Son. The Spirit glorifies the Father by glorifying the Son. ("He who has seen me has seen the Father")]The Spirit's work through believers
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit 1Cor. 12: 7-8 [The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished through the gifts of believers. The plan being to build up the Body of Christ to glorify Christ by reflecting the light of His word in us]Moses (a type of Christ) uses oil (a type of the Holy Spirit) to sanctify God's dwelling place
And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. Lev 8:10-12
The Spirit is the Word Fastener
"to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood"
Jesus is the builder of the Father's plan. He carried the Father's word into the world and became the blood sacrifice by which the way has been made open for man to be re-created in Christ, Now as His Body, we are also the Father's house, with Christ as the Cornerstone. When we "obey Christ" we are lining up with the words of the Father, His blueprints for His dwelling place.
Jesus builds His Father's universe
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3For 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: all things were created by him, and for him: Col. 1:16
Jesus builds His Father's heavenly dwelling place
He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house...but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house-- whose house we are..." Heb 3:2-3,6 [both Moses and Jesus are viewed as builders of the Father's house plans. Moses was the O.T. earthly shadow of which Jesus and New Jerusalem are the heavenly realites]Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph.2:19-22 [lining up with the Corner Stone on top of the apostles and prophets describes us as people of God's word. The Father's dwelling place will be consumated in heaven exactly as designed]
"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" Heb. 9:11-12
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Rev. 21:22 [The earthly tabernacle built by Moses foreshadows the heavenly temple made of believers with Christ as the Cornerstone. Jesus is the Father's dwelling place in heaven, in the sense that He is the Corner and the whole of it, consisting of Jesus Christ and His Body, reflects the Cornerstone]
Moses foreshadows Jesus, the builder of God's heavenly dwelling place
For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Heb 9:19-22 [Moses was a type of Christ; He followed God's plan for building the Tabernacle and applied the blood to cleanse its vessels]
O.T. Tabernacle forshadows
God's Heavenly Home
Moses was a faithful builder of God's earthly tabernacle; As such he is a type of Christ, the faithful builder of God's heavenly home
New Jerusalem
God's Heavenly Dwelling Place
Jesus is the Master Builder and the Cornerstone
by Steve Popovich
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