GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Mailing address:
PO Box 2830 McDonough, Ga. 30253-1777
Church location:
10452 Fitzgerald Rd., Jonesboro, Ga. 30238
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THE WORLD TO COME
Hebrews 2:5 ¶ For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
The Apostle Peter referred to “new heavens and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13). And here we have the Hebrew writer speaking of the same realm as “the world to come.” For both are referring to the spiritual kingdom of Christ.
Peter said the purpose of his writing was to stir up our minds by way of remembrance, that we might be mindful of the words spoken by the holy prophets, and those of the apostles of Christ. Therefore we find both the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle John referring to the same world kingdom.
Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
In order to impress this upon the religious mind, the veil of the temple, which kept the holy place encased and therefore sanctified, was torn from top downward to show that the Lord God was finished with the old economy of the law. Now there was a new spiritual realm referred to as “new heavens and a new earth.” Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Isaiah had prophesied of the coming of Messiah, who came preaching of the nearness of the kingdom of God. Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Then the Lord Jesus defined his kingdom to the Roman governor. John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
And he preached that the kingdom would be entered invisibly by he new birth effected by the secret workings of the Holy Spirit. John 3:3 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. 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. 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.
The very first issue of faith was the separation of the believer from his natural family into a lifestyle of living more exclusively in a God consciousness. Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And that is still in effect today. Not that a physical separation is essential. Although it might be necessary in some cases in order for one to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and, mind! 1 Corinthians 5:9 ¶ I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Yet the requirement still stands if one genuinely wishes to walk spiritually with the Lord! 2 Corinthians 6:15 And what concord (harmony) hath Christ with Belial? (the devil) or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the (or ‘any’) unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
And we are warned that our natural family ties can be of great danger to our spiritual fellowship with the Lord. Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
And we can clearly see the severity of such intense separations as we read our Hebrew 2:5 verse. For it speaks of the kingdom of grace as “the word to come,” no longer being subject to the angels! But those of us religionists today do not hardly comprehend just how much the realm of the law was associated with the angels of God. Therefore we then cannot comprehend the seriousness of our realm of grace, the Christian dispensation, being actually a new heavens and a new earth!
Yet consider these few verses: Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
And also we then cannot realize the importance of the first two chapters of the Book of Hebrews! For therein the writer takes great pains to reveal to us, by actually quoting the individual verses for us in the Old Testament, in order to reveal the greatness of the Son of God above the angels. And that it is the Son of God through whom the Father speaks to us in our new heavens and new earth! Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 ¶ Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (It would be well worth your time to at least carefully read the first chapter of Hebrews. It will greatly enhance your opinion of our Lord!)
And the next time our phrase is seen is also in the writings of the Book of Hebrews. We have also listed Hebrews 6:5 as part of our text. And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
And here we are given to understand the extreme seriousness of having had the result of the enlightenment of this new realm of grace upon us without our fully embracing it by faith. For in verses four through six of Hebrews chapter six we are given to see just how much greater the punishment shall be upon one who receives its influence, but fails to continuously respond to them. For it is clearly stated that it shall be utterly impossible to restore them to the place of being able to repent all over again! As that would require the glorious Lamb of God to be crucified all over again, and that shall never happen!
It is very rare to obtain a correct commentary upon Hebrews 6:4-6 in these last days. Those who do not hold to the eternal security of the believer insist that it speaks of one losing their salvation. But only those who fall away from redemption never truly had it in the first place. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
But what this speaks of is the difference in the realm of revelation in the Christian age from that under the law. Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
For it is an unforgivable matter to sin against the manifestation of the Spirit, from that of the manifestation of the Humanity of God! Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Far more important is the revelation of spiritual faith than the revelation of physical sight! 2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
For one can be forgiven for even slander against the preacher, but never for that leveled against the Spirit in which he preaches. The Lord set forth his works to be greater believed, as they were accomplished by the Holy Spirit. – Amazing humility! – John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
And he was faithful not to set forth the opportunity to believe on his person upon the false foundation of performed miracles. John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. 3:1 ¶ 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.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
He refused to perform miracles even for the provision of his own life sustaining needs! Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Let us be greatly thankful for spiritual insights in this “world to come” wherein we now abide!
Pastor GENE BREED
June 30, 2022
