4 Phases of the Work of Christ

"FOUR PHASES OF THE 
WORK OF CHRIST"

COURSE OUTLINE

 

Opening Prayer

Ephesians 1:16-19, "Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."

Course Objectives

2 Timothy 2-25-26, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

Does this sound familiar?

Romans 7:15, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."

I. THE WORK OF CHRIST

    1. There are four dimensions to the work or love of Christ.

      2.  

      Ephesians 3:17-21, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

       
    2. There are four precepts that denote "the rest."

 

Isaiah 28:9-13, "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

Isaiah 28:16, "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."

 

C. There are four measurements that take you into waters to swim.

 

Ezekiel 47:1-5, "Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."

 

 

II. RESTING

Full and Complete Faith/Trust. There are 4 things that lead to Trust - Learning, Knowing, Deciding to Believe, Deciding to Trust.

 

    1. Laboring to enter rest (believing).

      2. Hebrews 4:10-11, "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

       

      John 6:28-29, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
    2. Take my yoke upon you.

      3. Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

       
    3. The rest.

Isaiah 28:11-12, "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."

 

 

D. Old paths.

Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."

 

III. OVERVIEW OF MAN

Spirit, soul and body; the creation of man and his makeup. Motives – Soul divided from the spirit.

 

Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

 

1 Thessalonians 5:23, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

Hebrews 4:11-12, "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

 

Greek Words for Spirit, Soul and Body.

1. Spirit (Greek – Pneuma - powerful) A current or blast of air, breath or breeze; figurative of the human or Holy Spirit, innermost being.

2. Soul (Greek – Psuche - soft) Breath, referring to breath as in the natural breath of life; a soft breeze as opposed to a blast of air. Soul is the place - our emotions and our mind are the battleground.

3. Body (Greek – Soma) The body as a whole; used in a very wide application, literal or figurative, usually referring to the physical body.

 

IV. THE FALL OF MAN

Genesis 2:15-17, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

 

    1. The Fall.

      2. Genesis 3:1-5, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die."

       
    2. Mankind’s denial. Blame-shifting. Adam

      3. did not admit his mistake/sin. "Blameshift"

      mentality (the woman you gave me). Come

      to the light – because there is liberty in the

      light.

 

 

  • 1994, Revised 1998, D. L. Kurcz, Th.M. The revelation of the four precepts, four dimensions and four phases of the work of Christ is a copyright of The Sure Foundation and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express written consent.