Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

There are 2 Stages of receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) When we receive Christ, we are baptised into Him, born again, and receive the Spirit of God WITHIN, for our own personal blessing, holiness and life with God. (2) There is a subsequent experience of the Spirit after salvation, called the Baptism in the Spirit, when we receive the Spirit UPON, for the purpose of empowering us to witness to Christ and for ministry. The PROMISE of the SPIRIT is also called the BLESSING of ABRAHAM (Galatians 3:14), which is a 2-fold BLESSING (Genesis 12:2). Jesus is the prime example of this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, and by the indwelling Spirit, He lived a perfect holy life to God as a man, but (2) He was not empowered for supernatural ministry until He received the Spirit UPON, at His Baptism. The BAPTISM in the SPIRIT is when we are clothed with POWER, by receiving the SPIRIT UPON, enabling us to witness and fulfil our ministry. Jesus’ Baptism in the Spirit is the BLUEPRINT for ours (John 1:33). He already had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit UPON, to clothe Him with power for ministry. Likewise, we have the Spirit WITHIN, from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit UPON, to clothe and anoint us with power to fulfil the Great Commission. He confirmed when God’s SPIRIT came UPON Him, He was ANOINTED with God’s POWER to minister (Luke 4:17-21). He described His Baptism in the Spirit as the Spirit coming UPON and ANOINTING Him to preach, heal and set the captives free. He also said that once the Spirit came upon Him, He rested and remained on Him, and so God’s power was present on Him to heal them. Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah (Anointed One) in 11:1-3, 42:1, 61:1-3. In the Old Testament, nobody was BORN AGAIN or had the SPIRIT WITHIN, as this was only made available in the New Covenant. Although certain prophets, priests and kings were anointed with the SPIRIT UPON, this was not necessarily permanent, nor for all believers. But in the New Covenant, the SPIRIT UPON is available to all believers (John 7:38-39, Acts 2:16-18), and is permanent. Jesus described these 2 ministries of the Spirit WITHIN and UPON in His TEACHING. (1) He described the SPIRIT WITHIN us, as an everlasting FOUNTAIN of living water (John 4:10-14). (2) Later in John 7:37-39, He described the SPIRIT flowing out of us as RIVERS of living water, making us channels of blessing to others (v38). In Luke 11:9-13, He taught God will give His born again children more of the Holy Spirit if they ask Him (it's not automatic). In the Gospels, He primarily prepared His disciples to receive the New Birth and the Spirit WITHIN. He taught about the New Birth of our spirit by the Spirit in John 3:3-9,16. Then in John 14:16-17, He introduced the Spirit as another Helper like Himself. This means He is like Jesus, (1) a PERSON, not a force, and (2) GOD. He is a Divine Person, given to us. He also said in the New Birth the Spirit will INDWELL us forever: “He will be WITHIN YOU.” So He taught in the New Covenant the Spirit will indwell all believers forever. He explained the connection between the NEW BIRTH and the SPIRIT WITHIN in Mark 2:22. First, God must make our wineskin (spirit) new, and then He can put the NEW WINE of His SPIRIT WITHIN us. Old wineskins were renewed by rubbing them with oil. Likewise in the New Birth, our old spirits were made new and holy by the application of the OIL of the SPIRIT, making them able to receive the NEW WINE of the SPIRIT WITHIN. Then after they received His Spirit within on the day of His resurrection, during the 40 days He prepared them to receive the SPIRIT UPON, which they did at Pentecost (Acts 2). On the morning Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to Heaven, before returning to earth and appearing to His disciples for the next 40 days, before His final Ascension (John 20:16-17). The 4 Purposes for His first Ascension: (1) To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits of the harvest must be offered up and waved before God, to be accepted by God on behalf of the whole harvest (Leviticus 23:10-11). Therefore, He had to ascend to Heaven and appear before God to offer Himself as the First Fruits, to be accepted on our behalf. (2) To present His Blood in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). Thus, it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He made these holy offerings to God. But after He came back from Heaven, He allowed other women and His disciples to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). (3) To receive all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18, Philippians 2:9-11, Daniel 7:13-14). (4) To receive the Holy Spirit on our behalf, in order to pour Him out (Acts 2:33). He must have received the Spirit from the Father on the resurrection morning, as already that evening, He imparted the Spirit to His disciples (John 20:22).

How should we respond to all the things that happen to us in life, especially the bad things. One of the great promises of God is that: "God all things work together for good to those who are loving God, the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). So as long as we keep loving God through the trial, we can thank God that He will work all things (including evil things) together for our ultimate good, the fulfilment of His wonderful eternal plan and purpose for us, which is described in Romans 8:29-30. God does not cause evil things but He can work them all for our good, because on the Cross He paid the change any curse into blessing (Galatians 3:13-14). In view of this truth, that God is greater than all these things that we face in life, Paul asks how should we respond to these things, or more precisely: "What, then, shall we SAY to these THINGS?" (v31a). It is clear that we are not to be a passive doormat, when bad things happen. These things speak to us and try to create negative thoughts in us, which satan will amplify if we let him, saying things like: "you are a guilty failure, under condemnation, God does not love you anymore, you are separated from His love and He will not fulfil His promises to you. We are meant to actively respond by SPEAKING God's Word back to these THINGS (v31a). The famous climactic verses of Romans 8:31b-39 actually describe the things God wants us to proclaim in the face of all these things that come against us. For example, we should say: "God is for me, who can be against Me?" (v31b), "God gave Me His own Son, surely He will also freely give us all things" (v32), He will work all things together for my good" (v28), "Who shall bring a charge against me for I am God’s elect. It is God who has justified me. There is no condemnation for me in Christ, for Christ has died for me and paid the penalty for my sins, and now represents me before God" (v1,33-34), "nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ?" (v35-36,38-39), for: "in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Christ, who loved me by dying for me on the Cross, and who loves me now and forever" (v37).

"SEEK the LORD and His STRENGTH; SEEK His FACE forevermore!” (Psalm 105:1-4). Derek reveals the BENEFITS of SEEKING the Lord. When we SEEK His FACE, His Hand of STRENGTH comes upon our hearts, filling them with His life (like a hand filling a glove), righteousness, love, joy, peace, and wisdom (Proverbs 21:1, John 7:37-39, Ezra 8:22, Hosea 10:12, Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 5:5, Psalm 16:11, 40:16, Isaiah 40:29-31, Amos 5:4, Psalm 69:32). SEEK first His PRESENCE, before His PRESENTS! (Matthew 6:33).

Derek shows how Israel's journey from Egypt into their Promised Land is a picture of our spiritual journey from the kingdom of darkness into the promised land of God's perfect will for our lives. God has given us an inheritance (promised land) both for this life and throughout eternity, which is hidden in Christ in God. Christ is our life, and as we trust, follow and obey Him, He will lead us into our promised land; that is, we will come into the experience and enjoyment of our inheritance in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4, Ephesians 2:4-10). To possess our inheritance we need to know that (1) God has ordained and defined its boundaries and has GIVEN it to us (legally) through the New Covenant in His Blood, and (2) God Himself is GIVING us (leading us into) our promised land (in our experience), as we walk in fellowship with Him and obey Him, so that as we walk in His footsteps, every place where where our feet tread, has not only been given to us legally in Christ, but also becomes ours experientially, because God is giving it to us, through His Power and Presence with us (Joshua 1:1-4). In this way, we POSSESS the land which the Lord our God is GIVING us to POSSESS (v11). Thus we cannot possess our inheritance without the Presence of God with us (v5), and therefore the key to possessing our promised land is to value the Presence of God in our lives above all things (Matthew 6:33). This vital principle is revealed through a study of Exodus 33, where Moses chooses God's Presence over the Promised Land: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here (to go into the Land)" (v15), and as a result God gave him the great promise of both: “My PRESENCE will go with you, and I will give you REST (in the Promised Land)” (v14). We see these principles with Israel, when Joshua (Yeshua) led them into their land. Now, the greater than Joshua, our Yeshua, is leading us into our inheritance. In Joshua 1:5-9, God gave Israel (and us) the Promise of His Presence going with them to lead them into their inheritance (v5), and then used a 4-fold poetic repetition, where He first told them what He expected of them, and then gave them the promise that they will be successful in possessing their land if they fulfil His 2 conditions (v6-9). Four times, He commanded them (1) to be STRONG in faith and through faith, in their heart, through continual meditation on His Word (v8), and (2) to be COURAGEOUS to observe to do (obey) all His commands (v7), and then (3) they will have good success in possessing their inheritance (v6), for the Lord their God will be with them wherever they go (v9). God summarised the same points, when He said through Isaiah: “If you are (1) willing (in your heart) and (2) obedient (in your life), you shall (3) eat the good of the land” (1:19).

The Prophecies of the New Covenant promise a 2-fold provision of the Spirit for all believers (the Promise of the Father): (1) The Spirit WITHIN, at salvation, enabling us to live holy lives (Ezek 36:26- 27), and (2) the Spirit UPON at our Baptism in the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29), releasing supernatural gifts and empowering us for ministry. The Promise of the Spirit is the 2-fold Blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14): “(1) I will BLESS you (by the Spirit within), and (2) you will be a BLESSING (to others, by the Spirit upon)” (Gen 12:2). Christ brought this into fulfilment through His death and resurrection (Gal 3:13-14). He said the Promise of the Father included the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5). The life of Jesus, our perfect example, reveals this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit within from conception, enabling Him to live a perfect life as a man, but (2) it was only later at His Baptism that He received the Spirit upon, empowering Him for ministry (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33). John 1:33 says Jesus, who received the Spirit upon from the Father, will also give us the same experience of the Spirit upon, by baptising us in the Spirit. So we must come to Jesus to receive the Baptism in the Spirit (Matt 3:11). The Blueprint for our Baptism in the Spirit is Jesus’ own Baptism in the Spirit (John 1:33). He had the Spirit within from Birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit upon, to empower Him for ministry (the fact the Spirit came UPON Him at His Baptism to ANOINT Him for ministry is confirmed by His testimony in Luke 4:18). In the same way, we have the Spirit within from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit to come upon us, to clothe us with supernatural power for our ministry and witness to Christ. Thus the Baptism in the Spirit is the Spirit coming on us, clothing us with power - a different and subsequent experience from receiving the indwelling Spirit. The only difference between us and Jesus is He received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He distributes the anointing of the Spirit to each of us by measure, according to our gifts and ministries. This blueprint also tells us there is a close connection between Baptism in Water and Baptism in the Spirit, for God ordained for Jesus that these took place at the same time. In Matt 3:11, John said: “(1) I indeed BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) WATER unto repentance, but He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, will BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) the HOLY SPIRIT.” Baptism means IMMERSION, so to describe any Baptism, one must specify the MEDIUM into which a person is immersed. This is what this verse does. It should be translated as baptism ‘in water’ not ‘with water’, and baptism ‘in the Spirit’ not ‘with the Spirit': “(1) I baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) WATER, but (2) He will baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) the HOLY SPIRIT” (also Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5). So, Baptism in Water is a picture of Baptism in the Spirit. Just as John immersed people in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, Christ immerses us in His Spirit, covering and clothing us in His Spirit, who comes and rests on us. He does not sprinkle us, but immerses us in the Spirit. Both baptisms are outward expressions and manifestations of our Baptism in Christ, when we received the Spirit within. Jesus' experience of being baptised in water and the Spirit at the same time points to the spiritual connection between the 2 Baptisms, which is confirmed by the pattern we see in Acts, where their Baptism in the Spirit normally followed soon after their Water Baptism. This connection is because (1) Dedication comes before (2) Consecration (anointing with the Spirit). When God calls us to serve Him, we (1) respond by dedicating ourselves to do His will. (2) Then He anoints us to fulfil His will, by His Spirit upon us (Luke 1:35-38). (1) Our Dedication to God's will qualifies us to (2) receive His power to do it. This principle is seen at Jesus’ Baptism (the blueprint): (1) His Baptism was an act of obedient Dedication, pleasing to God, to fulfil His ministry, as He was about to enter into it, so (2) God’s response was to baptise Him in the Spirit, anointing Him to fulfil His ministry. Likewise, (1) our Water Baptism is our act of obedient Dedication to God. This kind of Dedication to God is what He needs to (2) empower us for our ministry by baptising us in the Spirit. Jesus' Baptism was His Dedication to God as He was about to enter into His ministry, that resulted in His death, resurrection and exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God to pour out on us. He prophetically acted this all out in His Baptism, and in so doing He was dedicating Himself to God to fulfil His will. Going under water represented His death and burial, and rising again from a watery grave prefigured His resurrection. Then receiving the Spirit upon Him prefigured His exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God, to pour Him out upon us.

There are 3 Morning Star scriptures. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus said: “I am the Bright Morning Star.” In Revelation 2:28, Jesus promised: "I will give him the Morning Star." 2Peter 1:19 says: "you do well to heed (God's prophetic word) as a light that shines in a dark place, until (1) the DAY DAWNS, and (2) the MORNING STAR arises in your hearts.” This speaks of 2 different future manifestations of Christ's Glory, compared to 2 natural lights, associated with the start of a new day. *(1) The DAY DAWNS at SUNRISE when the SUN appears and lights up the whole world. This is a picture of the manifestation of Christ in His 2nd COMING, when He will rise upon the whole world, and all shall see Him in His Glory (Malachi 4:2, Hosea 6:3). *(2) The MORNING STAR is a different manifestation of Christ, which will be for believers only, when His glory will be released within us, and will arise in our hearts - at the RAPTURE. Christ will give us the Morning Star, which is Himself - His Glory which will transform our bodies and glorify us, completing our salvation (Hebrews 9:28), so that we will shine like the Morning Star. The MORNING STAR appears shortly BEFORE the Dawn, while it’s still dark. It is a sign heralding the coming Dawn. It only appears to those who are awake and watching (believers), not to those asleep in the kingdom of darkness (unbelievers) - Hebrews 9:28. Thus it is a manifestation to true believers before Christ appears to the whole world in the 2nd Coming. After the Morning Star appears (the Rapture), the world remains in darkness (the Tribulation) for a short time, before the Sun of Righteousness appears to bring in a new Day of history, by reigning over all the earth in His glory. The Morning Star is the promise of Jesus, the Bridegroom to His Bride that He will give her Himself (the Morning Star) in all His Glory. This is the Wedding Day, when He will give her everything that He has promised at their covenant betrothal (Ephesians 1:13-14). Thus, Jesus will first appear in His Glory to His Bride as the Morning Star (the RAPTURE), and then after a time of darkness on earth, He will appear in His Glory to the whole world (the 2nd Coming). This confirms the truth of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

The Lamb's Book of Life is God's Family Album with the names of all those saved through the Blood of the Lamb. At the Great White Throne at the end of time, Christ will open this Book to verify that the names of those who had rejected God and His salvation were not included in it (Revelation 20:11-15). So they are judged according to what is written in the books of their lives. Whether or not you are written in the Book of Life defines your eternal destiny (Revelation 20:12,15, 21:27). It is the Lamb’s Book, for if anyone's name is included, it is because they have been redeemed by His Blood. Derek goes through the various Scriptures that refer to this Book (Daniel 12:1, Revelation 3:5, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Isaiah 49:16). On the one hand, the Bible talks about changes being made in this Book as time goes on, which reflects human freedom of choice. Many assume that our name is written in the Book of Life when we trust in Christ, but that is not supported by Scripture, which only talks of names of people being blotted out for rejecting God (Exodus 32:32,33, Revelation 22:19). In fact, everyone who is alive physically is written in the Book of Life at their conception, but if they die in a state of sin (having reached the age of accountability) their names are blotted out (Psalm 69:28). On the other hand, the Bible says that the final list of names in the Book has been foreknown and fixed by God from eternity, and so these names were written in His Book from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8, 13:8), which reflects God's Sovereignty. Thus the Book can be seen from the 2 viewpoints of eternity and time, from God's eternal viewpoint and from man's temporal viewpoint. The eternal Book of Life is unchanging, but its manifestation in time necessarily changes, because of human free-will. At the end of time, as time moves into eternity, the temporal form of the Book will assume its eternal (fixed) form, which was written by God from the foundation of the world. Either your sins will be blotted out by the Blood of Christ (Isaiah 44:22, Acts 3:19), or your name will be blotted out of His Book (John 3:16,36).

The Baptism in the Spirit is when we receive the Spirit upon us, clothing us with His power to witness. 'Baptism means immersion, so to be Baptised in the Spirit means to be immersed in the Spirit (the Spirit upon us). There is a 2-fold ministry of the Spirit in Scripture for us to receive: (1) the Spirit WITHIN, at salvation, for our own blessing, holiness and life with God, and later (2) the Spirit UPON, at our Baptism in the Spirit. To be baptised in the Spirit, we must first be born again and receive the Spirit within (Matt 9:17), then we can receive the Spirit upon. Jesus Himself (1) had the Spirit within from conception, and then later (2) received the Spirit upon, when He received power for His ministry. At salvation, we were BAPTISED into CHRIST and received the Spirit WITHIN (1Cor 12:13). This is the ONE Baptism ALL believers have (Eph 4:4-5). In the Baptism in the Spirit, the Spirit within us also comes UPON us. The PURPOSE of the Baptism in the Spirit is POWER for ministry, for fulfilling the Great Commission. At our Baptism into Christ, we received the blessing for ourselves through the Spirit within, who connects us to God and His life. Next we need to surrender ourselves to God, to receive His power upon us, to be a blessing to others: “You shall receive POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT has come UPON you; and you shall be My WITNESSES” (Acts 1:8). The same Spirit we receive WITHIN us at salvation, wants to also come UPON us to clothe us with power. Both these ministries of the Spirit (the Spirit WITHIN and UPON) are available for ALL believers, and were prophesied in the Old Testament, as coming to pass through the New Covenant of Messiah. Jesus called this promised 2-fold Blessing of the Spirit: ‘the Promise of the Father’, which includes the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4,5). At Pentecost, Peter announced the Promise of the Father had now been received by the exalted Jesus on our behalf, and was now fully poured out and freely given to us (Acts 2:33,38-39). The Father's Promise of the Spirit in both (1) His indwelling through the New Birth and (2) the Baptism in the Spirit is for all believers. The Old Testament Prophecies point to a 2-fold Promise to all believers: (1) The Spirit WITHIN through the New Birth, enabling us to live a holy life (Ezek 36:26-27), and (2) the Spirit UPON to empower us (Isa 59:21, Joel 2:28-32). This New Covenant Ministry of the Spirit is different from what was available before: (1) Before, no one had the New Birth or Spirit WITHIN them, but Ezekiel prophesied in the New Covenant all God’s people would have the Spirit WITHIN. (2) Before, although prophets, priests and kings were anointed with the Spirit UPON, generally God’s people did not have this, but Joel prophesied in the New Covenant the Spirit would be poured out UPON ALL flesh (the answer to Moses’ prayer in Num 11:29). So it was promised that in the New Covenant: (1) ALL God’s people would receive the Spirit WITHIN, and (2) the Spirit UPON would be available to ALL believers. This promised double Blessing of the Spirit was only made available through Christ's death and resurrection (Gal 3:13-14). This Promise is also called the Blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14), which was 2-fold: “(1) I will BLESS you (through the SPIRIT WITHIN), and (2) you will be a BLESSING (to others – through the SPIRIT UPON)” (Gen 12:2). This is parallel to God’s 2-fold BLESSING of Adam: (1) He blessed Adam by putting His Spirit within him (Gen 2:7). (2) Then He blessed him by empowering him to impart the blessing of life to others (Gen 1:28). Jesus is our perfect example. His life confirms the Spirit (1) WITHIN and (2) UPON are 2 distinct aspects of God’s provision for man of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from conception (Luke 1:35), and later (2) He received the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33). In the New Covenant, He makes the same 2-fold provision of the Spirit available to us. But just because (1) we are born again and have the indwelling Spirit, it does not mean we are (2) baptised in the Spirit and have the Spirit UPON, for it is a distinct experience, coming after the New Birth. The Baptism in the Spirit is compared to Baptism (immersion) in Water (Matt 3:11). Just as a baptised man is covered in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, He comes upon us and covers us. “(1) UPON whom you see the SPIRIT descending, and remaining UPON Him, (2) this is He who BAPTISES with the HOLY SPIRIT” (John 1:33). (1) Jesus first received from God the Baptism in the Spirit, which (2) enabled Him to baptise us in the Spirit, according to the same pattern. His Baptism in the Spirit is the BLUEPRINT for our Baptism in the Spirit (except He has the Spirit without measure - John 3:34). If we are born again, Jesus wants to immerse us in His Spirit, so that the Spirit comes and remains upon us, clothing us with His power, just as He came upon Jesus.

CHRIST is our ROCK, our sure FOUNDATION (Isa 28:16, Matt16:18, 1Cor 3:11), the Rock of our Salvation (Ps 89:26, 2Sam 22:47). He contains the waters of life and salvation. "They drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and that ROCK was CHRIST" (1Cor 10:3). Derek studies and compares the 2 stories of WATER flowing from the ROCK, showing how together they give us a picture of the Holy Spirit flowing from Christ. The first is in Exodus 17:1-7 at the start of the 40 years, and the 2nd is in Numbers 20:1-13, 40 years later. (1) When Moses STRUCK the ROCK with his Rod ('the Rod of God'), living waters flowed from the Rock (Ex 17:6, Ps 105:40-41, Neh 9:15). The Rock was split in 2 (Isa 48:21). The Rod of God was used for Divine Judgment. Jesus is the Source of life and salvation, which flows to us from His (1) death and (2) resurrection. Before His death He was full of God's life, but it was not available for us. It was only released when He was smitten. The split Rock is a picture of Jesus on the Cross, bearing our sin and smitten by God in our place, struck by the Rod of God's judgment. Then, on the basis of His death, God released the waters of life for us to drink. He paid the price so we could drink fromHis River freely. (2) At the Rock of Kadesh, Moses was told to bring a different Rod, Aaron's priestly Rod that budded (Numbers 17:1-11), that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle (Num 10:8,9). This time he was told to just SPEAK to the ROCK (v8), and thereby he would bring forth water from the Rock, for the people to drink. The Rock this time was a high, elevated Rock. Whereas the first Rock represents Christ on earth judged for our sins, once for all (Heb 9:28), this high Rock represents the risen, exalted, ascended Christ in Heaven (Ps 61:2), who possesses the Spirit on our behalf, and now pours Him out upon all who call on Him. They were to look to this Rock above them to be their Source of living water. Moses was meant to hold up Aaron's Rod, the Rod of the High Priest, a Rod of grace not judgment (so he was not to strike the Rock with it), and speak to the Rock and say: "Water come forth" and the water would have flowed from the Rock. This is a picture for us. The Rod that budded represented the authority of the anointed High Priest, which now corresponds to the Name of Jesus, risen from the dead. So, when we lift up the Name of Jesus (our resurrected High Priest), and speak to the exalted Rock (Christ) in prayer, calling upon Him to release His Spirit for us to drink, He pours out His Spirit upon us. The Name of Jesus and faith in His Name are the keys to accessing His resurrection life by prayer. In the typology of the Rock, Christ had already been judged once for all (Exodus 17), so was not to die again. It is done! We just have to hold the Rod (believe in the Name), lift it up in prayer, and speak to the Rock (call on His Name), and then the waters of the Spirit will flow to us. The typology was meant to show God gives us His Spirit by grace based on Christ's finished work, not because of our works (John 4:10,14, 7:37-39, Rev 21:6, 22:17). This is where Moses sinned and misrepresented God (Ps 106:32-33), breaking the type by striking the Rock twice, making it seem the water flowed as a result of his efforts, rather than by God's grace, so he got the credit (v10-11). Also striking the Rock a 2nd time signified Christ had to die again, because His work on the Cross was unfinished. As a result, God had to discipline Moses (v12). Despite this, the water flowed abundantly (v11, Ps 78:15-20, 114:7-8, Deut 8:15). Now Christ our Rock has (1) been smitten once for all, and (2) is risen again and pours out His Spirit from Heaven, upon all who call on Him as their Source of abundant and eternal life (Acts 2:33, Rom 10:13). By faith we come to Him as our crucified and exalted Rock of Salvation, and hold up His Name, speaking to Him in prayer, asking Him to release to us His blessings of resurrection life in the Spirit, which He purchased on the Cross for us, and made available to us as a free gift. When we pray, He responds by releasing His Spirit of grace to flow to us for us to drink (believe we receive), so that we become filled with His Spirit. The first time we came to Him and drank, we were born-again, and the Rock (Christ) and His everlasting Fountain of living water (the Spirit) came to live in our spirit (John 4:10,14, 7:37). So now, the Fountain of Life, who is within the Rock (Christ), is also in us and available to fill us, so that as we look to the exalted Christ, and call on His Name to fill us with His Spirit, He fills us from within. So, when we trust in Christ as our Rock of Salvation, not only does He uphold us as our living Foundation, but He lives in us as our abundant life-giving Source of living water (the Holy Spirit) to fill, uphold, bless and empower us for this life and for all eternity.

Derek explores what it means to be in Christ - who we are in Christ and what we have in Christ, by grace through the New Birth. This includes a special study of the classic passage - Romans 5:12-21.