27.2 The New Name of Christ
© 2017 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
And I will write on him My new name (Revelation 3:12b). Just as Jesus is the connection between Father and us in every moment, so we together are the connection as Christ Jesus between Father and all creation.
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the peoples ‘He shall shepherd them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father (Revelation 2:26-27).
To inherit the new name of Christ is to inherit all the Sending and Purpose of Christ. It is to inherit responsibility.
Loaf Giver. “I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the peoples for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel’” (Psalm 2:7-9).
In the Anglo Saxon tradition, and even more among the Vikings, a lord did not belong to himself, but to all those who had committed themselves to him, to them and to all their families and possessions. A good lord spent his entire career making sure his own were kept and provided for in all their lives and families. He was the giver of bread (loaf-giver – lord).
To be Lord is to bind yourself to full responsibility for others.
The Same Responsibility. Only as Jesus commits Himself to be fully responsible for all that we are does He then commit Himself through and AS US, together with Him, to the same responsibility for all creation. To inherit the estate is to inherit all the people of the estate and to inherit full responsibility for their well-being.
Yet in the Kingdom, although you as lord, “ruling and reigning with Christ,” can give people perspective, even limited advice, yet you can neither tell them what to do nor compel them to do anything. – Even though you are the one who must bear, in yourself, all their mistakes. You see, this is the context and meaning of our taking possession of the new name of Christ, a meaning that may just result in fewer applicants for the inheritance.
Never Alone. When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him (John 8:28-29).
You see, here is the other side of this equation – we are NEVER alone. Always the One who Sends us into full responsibility is with us in that responsibility. And this is how we know, the only way we can know, all the fullness of Christ revealed through us. Here’s how it works. …do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you (Matthew 10:19-20).
Christ Given to Us. We take possession of all that Christ is and means AS we need in each specific moment of the revelation of Jesus Christ through us – forever. Christ, in that moment, is GIVEN to us; we are never alone.
Now this is a new thought. You see, we could simply list all the specifics found throughout the list of “inheritance verses.” All those things would be quite familiar to us. – And we will include some. But as always, understanding the whole picture is more important than briefly listing the many parts. Inheriting all that is Christ Jesus and inheriting all creation go hand in hand. The first is for the responsibility of the second.
Four Arenas of Inheritance. Indeed, a great pattern is opening to us. Let’s continue in discovering the pattern of the inheritance.
Our inheritance includes four arenas, Father – Son (Spirit and Son together) – the New Jerusalem (each other) – and all creation (both realms fully and all entities in both realms.) Inheriting Father is the biggest in substance, for Father is our source, His Pro-Knowing, and the vibration of our hearts. Inheriting creation is the biggest in appearance, for creation will continue to explode in size forever if God has anything to do with it. Father is source and Heart; Christ Jesus is ability and wisdom; one-another is encouragement and fellowship; and creation is what it’s all for.
Singing Together. Just as we match the qualities of Christ Jesus arising in us in every moment together with the specific needs of creation in that circumstance, so, Father and the New Jerusalem are matched as well. Hearts filled with Father in the midst of the quiet hum of fellowship and encouragement coming from walking together in love, these two parts of our inheritance sing together.
I think I will change the order of the remainder of this session, with inheriting all things next, the qualities of Christ Jesus matched through us with the needs of creation, and finishing with our inheritance of one another – that is, knowing Father. Instead of being vague, our inheritance has just become meaningful and real to us.
A Model of Our Inheritance. Now, certainly, Christ Jesus meets the needs of creation through us as a Body together, but that is not “inheritance.” Inheritance cannot be corporate; it must be personal. That is, inheriting the fellowship of one another is personal to each one of us.
Let’s place these four things (five actually) into a chart.
The “Me” is each one of us as individuals. Our own hearts are the Mercy Seat, the throne of God, the connecting center of the universe. We know Father by knowing one another; we know Christ Jesus as we meet the needs of creation.Great Responsibility. (Remember that the chart is referring to inheritance only; we do not try to fit other realities of relationship into it.)
To inherit creation is to inherit great responsibility, a responsibility that will never have compulsion in its hand. Here is the right picture of that great responsibility.
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ (Luke 15:4-6).
Abundance. I always thought this was a little parable; the depths of meaning found in this simple picture send shivers running through me.
Let’s bring in just one inheritance verse, one that includes in itself all others regarding Christ Jesus. And my God will fill full all your need and business with the finest details of His abundance found inside of glory inside all the sphere of Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19 – modified from the Greek). Specific provision to match the specific present need of our business, that is Father’s business, that is, meeting the tangible needs of each entity in creation in present circumstances – Lord – loaf-giver.
On Our Shoulders. And so we see that it is each one of us as individuals who goes out from the places of plenty and fellowship into the wilderness in which this individual member of God’s creation is caught in a specific need. Now, look at what we do when we find the one in need. We lay that one on our shoulders. That means, “I take full responsibility for you, including for all of your mistakes.”
Consider the picture of a butterfly breaking free from its chrysalis. The purpose of breaking free is so that all the strength and life inside the butterfly can flow out into its wings and legs, the parts of it that connect with the world. This same picture is our knowledge of Christ Jesus coming through us in specific ways to meet specific needs – forever.
Rejoice with Me! We KNOW Christ Jesus in all of the details of His Being, Spirit and Word together, as we reach out in tender kindness to bear, in ourselves, the responsibility for this or that member of Oour creation. We know Him as we see Him move through us in each specific way – Jesus Sent.
But then look at what we do the moment we have finished our task! Fellowship, the joy of togetherness, all our friends and neighbors, the New Jerusalem. Let’s throw a party. “Come, and rejoice with me.”
And so we see that the first word in our list of seven, Pro-Thesis, is perfectly matched with the last of our list, Inheritance – working together with God to make all things good.
Man Is God-Revealed. And do you see why hell CANNOT endure? No barrier, no wall, no boundary will keep sons of God from penetrating into Hades, as Jesus said, to seek and to save all that is lost. Only a demon “god” would give us “all things” as our inheritance and then forbid us possession of most of it. Only a demon “god” would make us to be just like Jesus and then forbid us to be what we are – or worse, teach us to laugh at the sorrow of others, as the Calvinists teach. The image of the serpent is so obviously sick.
As Jesus asked, “What man of you would not leave everything in order to search out that last worthless lamb who got himself into so much trouble?” And MAN is God-revealed.
Christ Through Us. Let’s try our list, now, seeing everything as Christ through us to meet a specific need inside our great estate.
It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). – I give you authority – to protect (Luke 10:9). – God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand (John 3:34). We are the hand of God; Spirit is always for flowing out. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life – out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 4:14 & 7:38).
Qualities of Christ. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the peoples (Revelation 22:2b). Specific qualities of Christ Jesus moving through us to heal specific needs. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all (1 Corinthians 12:7). – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
You see, when we know nothing regarding sin and death, or about being “on our way to heaven,” then each one of these specific aspects of Christ continues forever as it is through us in all of its purposes.
Increase Forever. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being pro-determined according to the pro-thesis of Him who energeoes all according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). – That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17).
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and in possession of your full inheritance, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and (Christ) will be given to him (James 1:4 modified from the Greek).
So many verses of Christ Jesus, Spirit-Word, increase forever inside the meaning of our Inheritance.