Dovetailed to Christ.
Colossians 1:27 “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The gospel, the mystery of mysteries was hidden for generations, through many ages but has now been made manifest to us.
The people who lived through the times of the Old Testament could only see very dimly through the eyes of faith what was going to be revealed through the New Testament.
The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.
They saw it through the veil of sacrifice and type.
It would have remained hidden if God in His mercy had not revealed the mystery of this Good News, the Gospel in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
More than this, it remains a mystery to us, unless by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, God in His grace and mercy, opens our eyes and reveals it to our hearts.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is revealed in scripture is the only way in which men can be united to God.
Although this is very clear, it avails nothing unless blind eyes are opened to see its truth.
This truth must be appropriated in the life of each individual, if he is to be brought into a right relationship with God.
Christ Jesus is the only hope for the world. He is the only way for men to be saved from the wrath to come.
John 14: 6 “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Me”.
A New Creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The important phrase in this verse is “In Christ”. Without Christ we are lost, without hope and without God in the world.
Eph. 2:12 Without Christ, … having no hope, and without God in the world.
Men are dead in trespasses and sins.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Because of this sin, all men are heading for a lost eternity.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
BUT!
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God has made provision for each one of us to be freed from sin and be saved from the wrath to come.
The scripture reveals that if Christ is in you, if you receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you will be saved.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
When Christ is in you, your life is hid in God.
Col 3: 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
For this to happen one must be born again.
John 3: 1 - 8 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
When one is born again of the Spirit of God, he is baptised into the body of Christ and becomes one with Christ.
1 Cor 12: 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
We become part of the Body of Christ, He in us and we in Him. One body, one flesh and bones.
Eph 5: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
We are joined together with Christ, He in us and we in Him.
This is what God said concerning Adam and Eve. Eve was taken out of Adam and Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. They were joined together as one.
Genesis 2: 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Genesis 2: 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
This typified the marriage of a man and a woman when they are joined together.
Mark 10: 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
Mark 10: 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
The Apostle Paul explained this mystery when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians.
Eph 5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Those who have been drawn to Christ, had their eyes opened to the truth of the Gospel, those who have received Christ by faith are joined to Christ and will never be separated from Him.
They have been dovetailed to Christ for all eternity. They are inseparable.
John 18: 9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What a wonderful joint is a dovetail joint. When this joint is interlocked, it cannot be pulled apart.
John 17: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Are you in Christ, is Christ in you, has the Holy Spirit joined you to Christ?
Rom 8: 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Galatians 2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
