The Three Witnesses in the Church-age.

Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Weekly Review
Tree of Life Week
Ending 041518

We begin this morning with the fact that there are three witnesses in the Church-age,

1) The Lord Jesus Christ; 2) The invisible hero; 3) Christian marriage.

This spiritual intelligence which was once classified information, concealed and restricted from both angels and mankind, is what the Bible now calls a mystery.

It was such a mystery that even the elect and fallen angels had to be taught this mystery by the Church and they either responded or reacted.

In 1CO 4:9, the apostle Paul reveals that believers are on the stage of life, as it were, when the apostle Paul said For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

Here we have the Greek word theatron meaning, for public show, or performing on the “stage of life” with angels observing how the Church glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.

In EPH 3:10, here is the passage that tells us that the angels need to be taught this mystery, for we read in order that the multi‑faceted or many-sides of the wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

Angels even observe the believers in the Church-age receiving commands from headquarters in Heaven; 1TI 5:21, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.

We are also told that even the fallen angels desire to look into the things God has graciously given the Church-age.

1PE 1:10-12, As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven ‑ things into which angels long to look.

In MAT 18:10 Angels also observe and protect children MAT 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.

In Luk 16:22, Angels also were present when Lazarus a believer died and he was escorted to paradise by the angels, Luk 16:22, “Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom;

And in 1CO 11:10 angels observe the attitude that the woman has toward her husband and the symbol of authority that it represents. I think you’re getting the idea of the importance of respect for authority.

So, even the Angels are involved in this and need to be taught the principle of authority. In fact, this rejection of legitimate authority was the first sin committed in the Garden of Eden.

There are always reasons why people throw in the towel and quit on their commitment and dedication and devotion to the PPOG.

Usually they believe almost anything negative toward their victims to give them a way out by blaming others for what’s going on in their life.

Many times people quit because they lack the discipline needed to continue and to be successful, namely perseverance.

However, for the invisible hero of the Church-age, it is the second most  important witness in the appeal trial of Satan NOT Christian marriage.

And so the mystery is now disclosed and so it’s no longer secret, it’s revealed. It only remains secret to the “willful ignorance” on the part of believers in Jesus Christ; 2PE 3:5.

For if a believer desires to know the truth about any biblical subject, it will be revealed to that person, JOH 7:17, JER 29:13.

I don’t care what the subject is, the Bible has the answer.

JOH 7:17, “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.”

Look at JER 29:11-13, “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon ME and come and pray to ME, and I will listen to you. And you will seek ME and find ME, when you search for Me with all your heart.

1CO 4:1, Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Now, the most powerful thing in all of the Bible is Throne Words. And the only way mystery doctrine gets across is through the exegesis of the New Testament Epistles and the mystery doctrine given to the Church-age believer.

Ignore and reject these principles and without a doubt you will be a loser believer. The born again believer in the Church-age who reaches spiritual maturity and then passes the most serious undeserved suffering can endure all things through ACT 1:8; HEB 4:12; PHI 4:13. This motivated and encouraged the spiritual believers in the Church-age.

Now, it is important to understand is that Satan had to ask permission to test Job and his response to the legitimate authority over him beginning in JOB 1:6.

Job 1:6-7, Now there was a day when the sons of God [beni ha elohim] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

What is Satan saying when he says, “from roaming about on the earth and walking around on it?”

Satan is saying, “I am the ruler of the world and I have been roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

You can bet that Satan always started the court room session in heaven by reminding everyone of his authority and power.

Satan always makes it clear that “While God had put Adam in charge of the world as it’s ruler, Satan recovered that rulership back.”

Remember before the human race was created, Satan was the ruler of planet earth.

This is why in MAT 9:34, “Satan is called the ruler of the demons.”

In 2CO 4:4, Satan is called the god of this world.

In EPH 2:2, he is called the prince and the power of the atmosphere.

He is superior in genius, beauty, personality, persuasiveness, and is invisible. His angelic sin of arrogance resulted in rejecting the authority that was over him, Jehovah Elohim in which he said, “I will be like the Most High God,” ISA 14:13‑14; EZE 28:12‑19.

He is the origin of murder and violence in the human race, GEN 4-6, JOH 8:44.

He doesn’t play by any rules. He is the enemy of Bible doctrine, MAT 13:9,39, and attacks your capacity for life.

He is the enemy of the Church (the royal family), REV 2:9‑13, 24. He is the enemy of Christ, REV 12:4.

The Devil rules certain believers though demon influence (not demon possession) and the involvement of the believer in the cosmic system.

Negative volition in the soul creates a vacuum in the soul which sucks the doctrine of demons into the stream of consciousness in the soul.

The apostle Paul really focuses on this, in EPH 4:17-24, This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God,

because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way,

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

All of these verses are based upon us understanding HOW the believer can handle the subtle attacks made by Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

When we study the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union, we will note the power and authority that our Lord Jesus Christ used when HE functioned and pioneered the spiritual life for the believer. He went before us as the shepherd goes before the sheep.