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The Bible Teaching Commentary on Genesis: The Book of Foundations
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Redemption Through The Scriptures: The Purpose for Redemption
New Testament Fellowship with God
Paul J. Bucknell
Purpose | Curtain | Closer | Two Covenants | Mosaic Covenant |
Belonging | Change of Covenants | New Covenant | Fellowship | Questions
God’s Purpose for His People
God has higher goals in sending Jesus to die for us than we normally think. This incomplete perspective greatly weakens our trust of His involvement in our lives. Learning these two major purposes, on the other hand, will certainly help you rethink your Christian lives!
New Testament Fellowship with God
The Book of Hebrews showed that the New Covenant laid an adequate
foundation for a greatly enhanced relationship between God and redeemed man
through faith in Christ Jesus under the New Covenant. This fellowship is
revealed in numerous scripture passages and heightened by many New Testament
images. Two powerful images will be used here to enhance our vision of God's
beautiful redemption plan enabling us to gain that purposed intimacy which in turn
joins us up to God's service projects.
The Vine (John 15)
Jesus in John 15 discards any old ideas from our minds with regards to the relationship a person should have with God. God is not seen as a dictator, though powerful He is, but as One who genuinely delights to work along with man.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
Notice
the intimate fellowship. We are hearing and living by His words. They are
instilled in us-just as in the Garden of Eden before the fall. But now it is us
who abide in Him. Could there be a more grabbing picture of intimacy? This is
what the Old Testament Song of Songs was hinting at for the distant future.
Jesus did not stop with this picture of intimacy but showed how when mankind unites with the Lord’s power and purpose, glorious fruit results. The whole scene is radical. Intimacy with God results in obedience which in turn bears fruit that God desires. Could He produce it without man? No doubt He could but, as in the Garden, God is purposed to accomplish certain glorious work with and through man.
A Marriage (Eph 5:31-33)
Another powerful image providing an awesome picture of what God
wants for our relationship with Him is the institution of marriage. Paul
describes this in Ephesians 5:31-33, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking
with reference to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32).
Like in the former picture of abiding in Christ, it is the intimacy that produces the fruit. Just as a husband and wife join in physical intimacy under the marriage covenant and produce children, so it is spiritually. The oneness of marriage is an impressional way to stamp this design of spiritual oneness on our minds so that they would carry out His great works. God declared "the two to become one," and Jesus repeated this declaration.
Reaching the Final Goal (Rev 21:1-8)
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them” (Rev 21:2-3).
The final glimpse of the church is seen at the end of the Book of Revelation. Here in chapter 21 the church, readied in Christ’s righteousness, is said to come down out of heaven as a bride for her husband. The church is the bride. God wants to be ‘one’ with the people of God. The goal of redemption is to see this restoration fully completed.
Later in verse 3 we find God’s presence among men happily announced, “Behold the tabernacle of God is among men. They shall be his people, and God Himself shall be among them.” These remarks are meant to reflect back to the Garden of Eden where God was with man and man was carrying out God’s purposes in the new creation. Here in verse 1 we see the first earth has passed away but God created a new heaven and earth. The river scene again stands out bringing healing from God’s throne.
Summary
Man has horribly misconstrued the God of the Old Testament to be a malicious, foul fiend who does not care for anyone, while holding to Jesus as the sweet picture of God’s love in the New. Testament. How contrary this is to the scriptures! From the original garden to the present and on into eternity we see God imploring man to stay in a close relationship with Him, finding the fruitfulness of life instead of pain and suffering.
How unfortunate that many do not trust God and His design to
bring His people closer and closer to Himself. God’s purpose is so clear that
He has from the beginning reminded us of this pattern in the fruitfulness of
plants and trees as well as in healthy marriages. God wants far more for us
than safe conduct to heaven. He wants now to fellowship deeply with us so that
He can bear more fruit to bring more of His gracious work into this world.
Next -> Study Questions for the Purpose of Redemption
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Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted:
(C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1988