1Pet 1:20 Who was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has been manifested in the last of times for your sake, 1Joh 3:5 And you know that He was manifested that He might take away sins; and sin is not in Him.
In verse 20 Peter also says that Christ "was manifested in the last times for your sake." This implies that it was not necessary for Christ to be manifested for the sake of God. Rather, it was for our sake that He was manifested. The incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the constitution of the Spirit of Christ exist eternally in the sight of God. But for our sake it was necessary for Christ to be manifested through incarnation and to pass through human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension so that the Spirit of Christ could be constituted dispensationally. Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world, but "in the last times" and for our sake He was manifested and passed through human living, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Actually, in the eternal sight of God, all this had happened already. Christ had already been ordained to be Christ, and we had already been ordained to be Christians in eternity past. However, it was still necessary for this foreordination to be carried out in time. Therefore, we were born, lived our human life, and committed many sins and offenses. One day we heard the preaching of the gospel, repented, believed, called on the Lord, and thanked Him for all He had done for us. However, the Lord could say, "All this has taken place already. But now, for your sake, this is being carried out." This is the genuine and proper understanding of God's salvation. God did everything in eternity past. The only thing needed was in the last times for Christ to be manifested for our sake. (c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of First Peter, pp. 108-109. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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