Behold the Man: Satan’S Secret Weapon Today: Ignorance of Truth

Contents

Section I

Why A Man

Chapter 1

The Beginning: Eden

Chapter 2

Representative Heads: God’s Plan for Man’s Sin

Chapter 3

Justification: God’s Redemptive Purpose

Chapter 4

A Summons: The Gospel Call

Section II

Behold The Man

Chapter 5

Jesus Christ: The Promise Fulfilled

Chapter 6

Jesus Christ: The Man in the Middle

Chapter 7

Jesus Christ: Our Example

Section III

Our

Dual Problems

Sins & Sin

&

Dual Remedies

CHAPTER 8

Remedy: The Blood of Jesus Christ

Chapter 9

Remedy: The Cross of Jesus Christ

Chapter 10

Dead to Sin: Alive to Christ

Section 4

Victory In Jesus

Chapter 11

Sanctification: Has Standards

Chapter 12

Union: A New Creation

Chapter 13

Ambassadors: Conformed to His Image

Chapter 14

Saints: The Highest Calling

Section V

Equipping: The Saints

Chapter 15

Equipping: The Body

Chapter 16

Equipping: The Local Church

Chapter 17

Equipping: The Saints through the Truth

Chapter 18

Equipping: The Saints through Spiritual Gifts

Acknowledgments

To the students of the Bread of Life Bible Institute and to the pastors, ministers and disciples of the Bread of Life Church & Ministry Fellowship, whose willingness to take risks, accept innovation, and follow the Holy Spirit in planting churches and ministries to the glory of God.

To the disciples of our flagship, the Bread of Life Christian Center and Church, Whiteville, N.C. for their faith, teachable spirits, and ability to accept change in order to remain relevant in ministry.

To the churches to whom God has privileged my wife and me to be a part of through the pastorate over the past 28 years, we thank you. June 6, 2010, marked the end of our commitment in the local pastorate. Many of the principles expounded upon in this book were birthed out of our relationship with the local church in both small and large venues in multi-cultural and multiracial experiences. We now rededicate ourselves to God as disciple-making servants on the national and international level helping to restore and energize Spirit-filled old wineskins into new wineskins. It is the task of these new wineskins to pour out the new wine into this generation by passing on the revelation of God’s truths through the witness of the Word and godly example.

The many, many saints in the Lord’s service around the world serving as able apostles, prophets, evangelists, disciple-making pastors, teachers, and missionaries who acknowledge us as their spiritual parents in the Lord, we humbly and prayerfully commit to God. Their humble spirits, biblical worldviews, methods, kingdom attitudes and godly focus make them assets to the furtherance of God’s kingdom purposes in these post-modern days.

To our children, grand and great grandchildren, whose tender and teachable spirits have allowed us to see and experience the third and fourth generation good seed; as they continuously plant the truth of God’s Word into each new born. We praise God!

Jay R. and Magdalene J. Leach (2011)

Bread of Life Ministries International

Visit us at: www.breadoflifenc.com

All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, except where noted.

Introduction

A study of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ reveals all of the great doctrines of the Bible: The deity of Christ, human depravity, our Lord’s sinless life and work of atonement as a man, our salvation by grace through faith, the doctrine of reconciliation, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s second coming and so very much more. It is no wonder Satan is striving so hard to distract the body of Christ from its purpose and get any references and symbols of Christ and Christianity removed from the public square. What is so very sad is the fact that much of the church has seemingly fallen for this web of deception, by keeping Christ within the four walls and to one’s own person. Satan accomplishes this through disrupting public knowledge of Jesus Christ; and he puts forth special effort to distract the body of Christ from the truth of God’s Word.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the very center of the Christian gospel and the Christian life. Not the birth, not the mighty miracles, not the sinless life of Jesus, but His death on the cross is the focal point of divine revelation. We must join the apostle Paul and state boldly, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. How the apostle Paul properly defined the Gospel, Jesus Christ as a Man died for our sins on the cross; He was buried and He bodily arose from the grave on the third day according to the Scriptures. That is the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and it is absolutely the essential and only true foundation upon which our reconciliation with the Father can be based.

In the gospels, Jesus continuously identified himself as the Son of man; rather than the Son of God. In fact, some 82 times it is recorded. Certainly this should command special attention. It has been said, if Satan could rid the Bible of the first eleven chapters of the Book of Genesis where man sinned through disobedience to God; and lost his inheritance to Satan, the balance of the Bible would be meaningless. We would not have the covering of Genesis 3:21 or the Messianic promise of Genesis 3:15, wherein God reveals His answer to sin, a virgin-born man who would be our Redeemer.

Jesus, a man, took back our inheritance which Adam lost to Satan. Without Jesus there would be no basis for the grace of the New Testament. Without Jesus the first eleven chapters of the Bible; where we find the foundational doctrines of God’s plan for reconciling man unto himself. Without Jesus we would all perish. Without Jesus we would have no example, nor purpose. Without Jesus we would be doomed to an eternity of separation from God. Behold the Man!

Jay R. Leach

Fayetteville, NC

2011

Section I

Why a Man?

Chapter 1

The Beginning: Eden

The beginning phrase of the Bible is In the beginning God. God is in the beginning. God is the beginning. God was before the beginning. Therefore, God is the source of all that came in the beginning and has ownership and rule of all that comes during and after the beginning. The rest of the story is He, created the heavens and the earth. Meaning not only did He create the elements but everything contained there in, on, and there under it; so we see from the Book of Genesis, the beginnings. The theme of not only the Book of Genesis, but the Old Testament is given in Genesis 5:1: This is the book of the generations of Adam. The Old Testament gives the history of Adam and his family.

The Scriptures says, God created man in His own image; and gave him stewardship of the Garden of Eden. But man sinned, thus defiling and defacing that image. Sin in Adam separated him from God, his Creator, and caused the loss of his God-given dominion. Man now Adam and Eve, brought forth children in his likeness and after his image (see Genesis 5:3). Their children proved to have inherited the sin of their parents. Therefore, throughout the Old Testament, we find sin and sinners.

The New Testament on the other hand is the book of the generations of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:1). Jesus is the last Adam (see 1 Corinthians 15:45), and He came to earth to save the generations of the first Adam. We should stop and praise God right now; because that saving includes us!

By our natural birth into this world, we were born into the generations of Adam; which means we were born sinners. Oh! But praise God, by His grace we don’t have to die one. Through the choice of repentance toward God, faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work, we can be born again, this time into the generations of Jesus Christ and become children of God.

Reading through the genealogy in Genesis 5, is similar to reading the obituary column of a local newspaper, the repeated phrase and he or she died. The Old Testament amplifies the truth, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But when we turn to the New Testament, the first genealogy emphasizes birth and not death. The theme of the New Testament is, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

The Old Testament is a book of promises while the New Testament is a book of fulfillment. In Genesis 3:15, the so called proto-evangel verse, we find God’s first promise of a Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is the fulfillment of that promise. The word fulfilled in reference to Jesus Christ is very prominent in the Bible. It will come up frequently. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament promises concerning the Messiah. His birth was fulfilled in Isaiah 7:14 where we read: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (see Matthew 1:22-23). Jesus was taken to Egypt for safety, and this fulfilled Hosea 11:1 (see Matthew 2:13-15). Upon the family’s return from Egypt and settling in Nazareth, several Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled (see Matthew 2:22-23).

Each of the four gospels has its own perspective on Christ. He is the King in Matthew. He is the Servant in Mark. He is the Son of man in Luke. He is the Son of God in John. Getting the full picture of God’s plan for man’s redemption requires a composite not only of all four gospels together, but the entire Bible.

Perhaps you are wondering how God, the Creator of all, could allow sin to invade His perfect creation. The Scriptures tell us, that man was created for God’s pleasure and glory (Revelation 4:11). However, Adam’s sin alienated him from God.

Back to Eden

Sin, the cause of our predicament defined in the Hebrew means, to break away from just authority, trespass, apostasy, and quarrel, transgress, perverse, revolt or rebel. Sin was introduced by the archangel Lucifer. The Scriptures reveal that God has an everlasting kingdom, and in that kingdom there are created spirit beings called angels. Angels fall into two categories, good angels and evil angels. The good angels are concerned with our welfare, the evil angels are out to cause harm to the human race, by disrupting God’s plan of redemption for man. There are approximately three hundred references to angels in the Bible which substantiate their existence. The Hebrew word for angel is malek and simply means an agent or messenger. The Greek word for angel is angelos; which also means messenger.

Lucifer

Lucifer means Light Bearer or Son of the Morning (see Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11-17; Ephesians 2:2). Lucifer is seen as the archangel who was associated with the throne of God, as leader of the worship of God among the angelic hosts. Through pride and rebellion he fell from that place. Just as various titles and names of God are used to bring out various aspects of His nature, being, and ministry, so are the designations by which Lucifer now Satan or the devil is known. Two main passages of Scripture describe Satan’s origin and fall (Ezekiel 28:1-19; Isaiah 14:4-23).

Daniel’s prophecy confirms the fact that there are princes of Satan’s kingdom behind the princes of the world kingdoms (see Daniel 8:20-21; 10:10-13; 20-21). Ezekiel 28:1-19; and Isaiah 14:4-23 should be read carefully. It is from these passages mainly that the following description of Satan, prior to his fall is given:

1.   Satan is a real personality. He is evil personified and characteristics are ascribed to him. Satan is not an impersonal influence or power. Personal pronouns, intelligence, knowledge, will, and action, are attributed to him (see Job 1:8; 2:1-2; Zechariah 3:1; II Corinthians 2:11; Matthew 4:6; Revelation 12:12; II Timothy 2:26; Matthew 25:41; Isaiah 14:12-13).

2.   Satan is a spirit being. Even angels are spirit beings; as God is a Spirit being so is Satan.

3.   He is a created being, therefore dependent upon God for his very existence (see Ezekiel 28:13-15).

4.   He was an anointed cherub in the heavenly sanctuary, as were the Old Testament prophets, priests, and kings anointed for office (see Ezekiel 28:12, 16, 18).

5.   He was the covering Cherub placed by God to cover the throne. Compare this with the Cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle covering the mercy seat (see Exodus 37:9; Ezekiel 28:14-16).

6.   He was in Eden, the garden of God (see Ezekiel 28:15).

7.   He was in the holy mountain (or kingdom) of God, in the sides of the north (see Ezekiel 28:14, 16, with Psalm 48:1).

8.   He was perfect in the day he was created (see Ezekiel 28:15).

9.   He was full of wisdom (see Ezekiel 28:12; with James 3:15-16).

10.   He was perfect in beauty (see Ezekiel 28:12).

11.   He was decked with precious stones set in gold very similar to the stones in the breastplate of Aaron, Israel’s High Priest (see Ezekiel 28:13 with Exodus 28:15-21).

12.   He was once in the truth (see John 8:44).

Lucifer’s Fall

These same passages, along with other helpful references, show the cause of Satan’s fall and those angels that fell with him.

1.   He was lifted up in pride over his God-given wisdom, anointing and beauty (see Ezekiel 28:17; Proverbs 16:18; 18:12; 1Timothy 3:6).

2.   He exalted himself and came under condemnation (see Isaiah 14:13-14 with 1 Timothy 3:6).

3.   He manifested self-will against God’s will (see Isaiah 14:13-15).

4.   Note the five I will’s of Lucifer’s ambition (see Isaiah 14:13):

•   I will ascend into heaven (self-will).

•   I will exalt my throne above the stars of God (self-exaltation).

•   I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north (self enthronement).

•   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds (self-ascension).

•   I will be like the Most High (self-deification).

5.   He fell through pride and self-will, the very essence of sin; and he wanted to be independent of God. He rebelled against God (see Isaiah 14:12 with Proverbs 16:18 and Luke 10:18).

6.   He fell as lightening (see Luke 10:18; with II Corinthians 11:14).

7.   He was also cast down by God in his self-deification (See Ezekiel 28:16-17).

8.   He was the original sinner, and iniquity was found in him (see Ezekiel 28:15, 16, 18; I