Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20011125.htm

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY (ORGANIZED BIBLE KNOWLEDGE)
Part X: Christology (Doctrine Of Jesus Christ)
E. The Present Work Of Christ
  1. Introduction
    1. Though faith in the finished work the cross saves him, the believer may live in fear or spiritual defeat in his experience simply because he fails to know and thus use Christ's present work and resources.
    2. We thus examine the present work of Christ for insight into gaining spiritual victory now as follows:
  2. The Present Work Of Christ (I am indebted to John F. Walvoord's work, Jesus Christ Our Lord.)
    1. The Ascension of Christ prepared for His work of progressing the reign of God in the believer's life.
      1. Jesus Christ bodily ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives to fulfill Daniel 7:13-14.
      2. In so doing, He became endowed with all of the glory of the Father, and that as the Incarnate God-man, a remarkable event, Hebrews 1:3a.
      3. He then presented Himself as the Atoning Sacrifice for the problem of man's sin, Hebrews 9:23-26.
      4. Jesus then sat down, resting from His finished atonement at the Father's right hand of power and glory, Hebrews 9:26; 1:3b.
      5. Christ now controls the universe, and He will continue to do so until all that is evil or is the product of sin has become subject to Him. Jesus will then deliver all of the universe's control back to the Father, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Hebrews 1:2-3a.
      6. Hence, Christ's ascension and accession to the Father's throne sets the stage for a sure conquest of the entire universe, a conquest over evil and its effects for the glory and righteousness of God!
    2. The Intercession of Christ sets the stage for personal victory for the believer in this earthly life:
      1. As the believer's High Priest, Christ intercedes for his infirmities making him susceptible to temptation's effect, and to sin; if the believer prays for help over these, Jesus can come to his aid in his practical experience to give him victory over temptation and sin, Hebrews 4:14-16.
      2. If the believer actually sins, he can still find help through confession of sin to God through Christ as his legal Advocate to the Father (defense attorney), 1 John 1:9-2:2.
      3. Hence, the believer has the equipping through Christ's intercessory work to find victory over overwhelming forces of defeat and evil to achieve the will of God in his life and service.
    3. The Supremacy of Christ equips the believer for progress by way of its preservation of his existence:
      1. Jesus rules over all spirit beings, good and evil, Colossians 2:10. Though Jesus does not advocate evil, he uses and controls evil spirits to operate so as to do His perfect will in history, cf. 1 Kings 22:19-23.
      2. Christ rules over all male human adults, and through them, all women and children, 1 Corinthians 11:3.
      3. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Corner unto Israel in preparation for His Second Coming to Earth as Israel's King, Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7.
      4. Jesus Christ specifically is the Head of His Body, the Church, Ephesians 5:23:
        1. He forms and grows the Church, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27.
        2. He adds new converts to local church assemblies, Acts 2:47b.
        3. He bestows spiritual gifts for spiritual service to individual believers at their respective conversions for ministry in edifying others in the Body, Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10.
        4. Christ produces visible service results through the ministries of His believers, John 15:1-8.
        5. Christ sustains the spiritual life of every believer, 1 John 5:11-12; Colossians 3:4.
        6. Christ personally shepherds every believer on the earth, Hebrews 13:20.
        7. Christ gives human speakers in the Church spiritual truths to pass on to others in the Body through the Holy Spirit's ministrations, John 16:12-15 with Revelation 1:20 and Revelation 3:14, 22.
      5. The Preparations of Jesus Christ make room for the believer's future: He is now preparing a heavenly dwelling for the believer in preparation of coming to take him "home" to dwell forever in heaven with the Triune Godhead, John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Lesson: Everything in the BELIEVER'S earthly EXPERIENCE is scheduled, supported and equipped for spiritual VICTORY by what Christ is PRESENTLY doing in Heaven. Thus, we believers do well to APPRECIATE this in order to TRUST in Christ for confident victory over sin in our earthly lives!