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| - J. Preston Eby - Thus far we have considered two Greek prepositions - EN and EK - with their applications of in Him and out of Him. All things in every realm were first created IN God; all things were then lowered from that dimension of pure spirit existence, issuing "out of" God, into the fragmentation of this material realm we now know. With this lowering came the duality of light and darkness, sin and righteousness, life and death, male and female, good and evil and the division of spirit, soul and body, not to mention a thousand other combinations. The Authorized Version of Rom. 11:36 begins, "For of Him... " The Greek preposition EK in this phrase clearly denotes action and movement, indicating God not only as the Source, but showing a separation, disunion, disconnection between the Creator and His creation. There was a coming out from God. Now enter redemption! "For of Him, and THROUGH Him, and to Him are all things." I would draw your attention to the precise order: (1) out of Him (2) through Him (3) unto (into) Him. All was out of Him; and now all is through Him! The term "through" is uniquely related to the redemption that we have by means of Christ Jesus. "Through" is from the Greek DIA denoting a forward action involving a passing through; in spiritual terms, signifying a sweeping up into the redemptive and reconstructive activities of God whereby God brings us again into His sphere of operation. Here we have an entirely new action - the recreative and restorative processes of God wrought out upon creation to alter its course, change its state of being, bring all back into right relationship in God again. This preposition DIA means, among other things, "by means of" or "by the agency of". It is an action of God by means of Christ, we are the objects of the action, and transformation the result. Let us quote several scripture passages which tell us of some things that are accomplished through the Son of God. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14). "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 7:24-25). "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18). "God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (I Jn. 4:9). "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:7). These are but a meager sampling of the vast array of scriptures that tell us what is available to us THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins. Through Him we have reconciliation, peace with God. Through Him we have deliverance from the dominion of sin and death. Through Him we have life. Through Him we have access to the Father. Through Him we are made sons and heirs of God. What does this mean, THROUGH HIM? It means that He is the way, the agency whereby these blessings and benefits are bestowed upon us. He is the means whereby we can receive from God all the redemptive provisions of God. It is through Him, and only through Him that this is possible. They are provided through, by means of, by the agency of the redemptive activities and processes wrought out by our union with Christ. THROUGH Him bespeaks the action of Christ on our behalf to achieve God's redemptive purposes. |
Other Writings in This Series:
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