The Exaltation as Part of the Gospel

[Originalist]

As I study what the Apostles preached in Acts, I see that everything they preached concerning salvation was preached in the context of the GLORIFICATION and EXALTATION of Christ. Even the message of the cross was preached in this context. They preached the cross FIRST as the means by which Christ himself was exalted! The cross was about HIM first, US second! We skip that part all too often. Because of his obedience unto the death of the cross Christ was EXALTED and given a name above every name!!

We cannot preach salvation without preaching the EXALTED Christ! He has been MADE both LORD and Christ! His blood can't save us apart from the authority he has been given due to his exaltation. We act as if his blood is alive and has a mind of its own! Yes, Christ justifies and saves us on account of his blood, but that is the point, HE does the saving. He saves us by (on account of) his blood only when we submit to his Lordship.

[votivesoul]

Very good.

The more and more I study the preaching of the Book of Acts the more and more I see the missing ingredients that would help bring revival if only they weren't missing!

[Michael The Disciple]

Mostly preaching Jesus as an exalted man it seems.

[TGBTG]

Mostly preaching Jesus as an exalted man it seems.

What meanest thou?

[KeptByTheWord]

As Jesus suffered, died, and brought forth life in His death, so must we follow Him, and strive to do as He did. While we will never stop having to strive with our flesh, we can live victorious overcoming lives in the victory won for us through His death.

The scripture that has been going over in my mind recently is this... let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... what was the mind of Christ? What was His mindset as he lived his life here on earth? It was to obey the will of the Father, and he set his mind to die, so that he might purchase eternal life for all those who follow in his footsteps. Even as Christ lived to die, so must we.

This is the real message of the gospel. It is in death where the greatest life we will ever have will truly begin. Death to flesh... death to self, brings forth life eternal in Christ.

[KeptByTheWord]

Very good.

The more and more I study the preaching of the Book of Acts the more and more I see the missing ingredients that would help bring revival if only they weren't missing!

I think the missing "ingredients" you mentioned, would first be death. Our flesh wants to skip the death part, and skip ahead to the exaltation. But... as He died, so must we. There is no short cut, no easier way, even though many think and proclaim they have found it.

As Christ lived to die, so must we. It is only then we will experience the exaltation that we desire to have in Him.

[votivesoul]

I think the missing "ingredients" you mentioned, would first be death. Our flesh wants to skip the death part, and skip ahead to the exaltation. But... as He died, so must we. There is no short cut, no easier way, even though many think and proclaim they have found it.

As Christ lived to die, so must we. It is only then we will experience the exaltation that we desire to have in Him.

There does seem to be a blow by it and "get to the good stuff" attitude toward Jesus ACTUALLY DYING.

I've recently been conversing with a friend who admitted they were focusing all their efforts in the wrong area (Oneness, speaking in tongues) instead of preaching repentance.

I tried to help him to realize that, in most cases, a person who has thoroughly repented will obey any commandment of the Scriptures and will receive the Holy Spirit with relative ease.

If people were to embrace the real death of the Messiah, much would change in the movement, I think.

[votivesoul]

Mostly preaching Jesus as an exalted man it seems.

I notice a severe lack in the doctrine of the Ascension.

Much is made of Jesus experiencing "lift-off", but not much is ever said why He left (except maybe to say the Holy Spirit couldn't come without His departure).

Not much is ever said about Christ's role of High Priest in the heavenlies, ever living to make intercession for us at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The Psalm 110 prophecy is often ignored, too.

[KeptByTheWord]

There does seem to be a blow by it and "get to the good stuff" attitude toward Jesus ACTUALLY DYING.

I've recently been conversing with a friend who admitted they were focusing all their efforts in the wrong area (Oneness, speaking in tongues) instead of preaching repentance.

I tried to help him to realize that, in most cases, a person who has thoroughly repented will obey any commandment of the Scriptures and will receive the Holy Spirit with relative ease.

If people were to embrace the real death of the Messiah, much would change in the movement, I think.

Repentance is a good place to start, but it is much more than repentance that is needed within the ranks of Christianity as a whole. The gospel that Jesus brought first involves death, and then life. Our flesh want to circumvent that death to flesh, and self-will, and jump ahead to the life and overcoming power. However, without death, there is no life. Without a seed buried in the ground, there can no life come forth. Without submitting your life, and self will completely to the Lord, and dying to your self will, you will not be able to skip ahead to overcoming power that is promised us in Christ Jesus.

[obriencp]

great thread.

When I see/hear statements like "Repentence is a good place to start, but..." it makes me cringe a little. I say this because preaching on repentance used to make me feel angry because I felt it left out a lot of things that were necessary for salvation (being self-righteous as I was). I now realize true repentance, which cannot be faked, will produce the fruit/works meet for repentence (proving/showing true repentance).

We all need to do a better job explaining all that happened during the death, burial, and resurrection as well as God's love for us. If we focused on helping people to fully understand those concepts, we'd see more people truly repenting and living the lives He'd expect out of his disciples.

[Originalist]

Mostly preaching Jesus as an exalted man it seems.


The Apostles?

[Michael The Disciple]

The Apostles?

For instance just start in Acts chapter 2. Altho one of the foundations of our faith we notice the Apostles preached there to the lost that Yeshua was a MAN.

Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, 2:23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 2:24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Acts 2:22-24

Exaltation?

2:32 This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 2:33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. Acts 2:32-33

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:36

God made Yeshua both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36

So it seems the preaching to sinners was coming from the idea of Yeshua being a "man".

Moreover it does not appear they even mentioned in this sermon he was the Son!

And most shocking there is nothing there about how he died for our sins!

[Originalist]

For instance just start in Acts chapter 2. Altho one of the foundations of our faith we notice the Apostles preached there to the lost that Yeshua was a MAN.

Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, 2:23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 2:24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Acts 2:22-24

Exaltation?

2:32 This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 2:33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. Acts 2:32-33

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:36

God made Yeshua both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36

So it seems the preaching to sinners was coming from the idea of Yeshua being a "man".

Moreover it does not appear they even mentioned in this sermon he was the Son!

And most shocking there is nothing there about how he died for our sins!

Even the cross was preached in the context of what it did for CHRIST, not US. It made him exalted and Lord. Christ has earned the authority to forgive us, and he does forgive us based on his sacrifice. But it all flows through his Lordship. This is why it is impossible to be saved without making him Lord. His Lordship is part of the gospel.

Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus;

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (Acts 4)


The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. (Acts 5)

Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8)

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10)