"IF LOOKS COULD KILL"

MF Blume
February 20, 2000 am

Exod 33:18-23  And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

John 12:20-33  And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, [saying], I have both glorified [it], and will glorify [it] again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard [it], said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.




 

These Sunday services are such a blessing to myself, ministering these truths, for two reasons.

1). They show the lost soul how to be saved the Bible way, while they....

2) Clarify to the people redeemed, who are already saved, how different we really are from our old lives, and how totally cut off from the power of the devil who.  They reaffirm our new creaturehood in Christ.

Moses heard God say that an angel would be sent to lead them into Canaan due to their sin in worshiping the golden calf.
• Moses beseeched God to change His mind and go with them Himself.
• He appealed to the fact that God’s name would be scoffed by those who heard about the deliverance from Egypt.
• God agreed and then Moses took advantage of the situation and asked God to show him His glory.
• God told him that he could not see His face and live, so he would only see the afterglow.

“Looks” would kill Moses.
• Seeing the face of God would slay him.
• And the important point in all of this is that one day God’s glory would be seen in His face, and people would be slain.
• That would not change the fact that LOOKS WOULD KILL.
• But the beautiful thing about it would be that He would reveal His face to the world during the times of the New Testament when our slaying would be necessary for our salvation.
• For when we see the glory of God’s face, we truly do die, and we become entirely new creatures.

Our sinful lives that are the reason for mankind’s damnation, are dealt with through our opportunity to join to the death of Jesus Christ.
• The way to salvation is not through some religious exercises.
• It is not through a denominational infatuation.
• It is not through joining a group of others who claim they are such-and-such a denomination, and will be of such-and-such a denomination until they die, making that denomination their salvation rather than JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.
• Salvation is through seeing the glory of God and DYING WITH JESUS.
• Salvation is through seeing the glory of God in the form of the manner in which God wants us to see Him... through the face of Jesus Christ.
• And that involves “seeing the light”, so to speak, of how to be truly saved from sin.

First of all, we need to see that mankind is born in sin.
• We distinctly read in the New Testament the following thought:

Roma 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth it shall die....

So the death sentence is upon all of us.

That is where Jesus Christ comes in.

Some Greek people wanted to see Jesus.
• So they came to Jesus’ disciple Philip and requested to see Jesus.
• Philip mentioned it to Andrew and together they introduced these Greek people to Jesus Christ.
• Upon their meeting, Jesus began to speak to them.

John 12:23-25  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.   Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.   He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
When they wanted to SEE JESUS, Jesus spoke to them about one thing.
• A corn or grain of wheat dying, being buried and coming up again in multiplied form of itself.
• This corn of wheat is all alone until it dies.
• And its death causes a subsequent resurrection of itself.
• And in that resurrection, the grain is no longer alone and by itself.
• It is multiplied and joined to many, many other like grains.
• THIS IS THE GOSPEL.
• Jesus was speaking to them about His then-coming death, burial and resurrection.

He did not speak about a denominational membership.
• He did not take them to the greatest cathedrals that existed, nor refer them to any that might come one day.

When they wanted to see Jesus, the issue became the death, burial and resurrection.
• And that message included the thought of Him not being alone any longer, after His death.
• And it also mentioned hating one’s present life and keeping it unto eternal life.
• THIS IS OUR INCLUSION INTO HIS DEATH.

Matt 10:38-39  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
In Matthew 16, when Jesus saw Peter’s revelation that He was the Christ, the son of the living God, Jesus explained His need to die on the cross.
Matt 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Peter rebuked him saying “Be it far from thee.”
Matt 16:23-25  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Jesus referred to the NEED to die.
• And he involved the disciples, also.
• THEY MUST LOSE THEIR LIVES and then find them, otherwise if they held onto their lives, they would lose them forever.

The soul that sins must die, and that death would be a death one would regret forever.
• Dying with sins is not a good way to die, because without holiness no one would see God.
• But SEEING JESUS, and His true purpose would cause us to be able to say that our old sinful lives ALREADY DIED, and our faith in His Plan pulled His death into our record of experiences.

To see Jesus is not to become religious.
• It is not through talking to a person in a confessional booth.
• It is not praying a string of beads on a supposed literally-glorified necklace.
• It is not repeating a doxology.
• It is not saying the Apostles’ creed that is not even found written in the Bible.
• It is not attending the church that the mayor attends.
• Not attending the oldest congregation in the city.

IT IS SEEING A REVELATION THAT HIS DEATH WAS INTENDED TO BE MADE OUR DEATHS THROUGH OUR FAITH.
• It was intended to free us from our old sinful lives.
• When we truly see Jesus, we walk away with what many call a revelation of His VICARIOUS ATONEMENT.
• His different death of dying IN OUR STEADS AS US.

2Cor 5:14-15  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
We walk away having truly seen Jesus when we walk away with a revelation that HIS DEATH WAS COUNTED AS MY DEATH.

If you truly see Jesus, you die with Him.
• Actual LOOKS KILL YOUR OLD LIFE and you are changed forevermore.

When we truly “get it” and see the light, we die with Him by faith.

Faith is what saves us.
• When we have faith in the words of Jesus that explain in the Bible that the entire meaning and purpose of the cross is that His death counts as our deaths, taking away the need for a future death, paying the penalty that our old sinful natures had to pay one day, then we truly die with Jesus.
• And from that point on we can say that we DIED WITH HIM, and have no more need to fear a judgment of death yet to come.

Moses wanted to see God’s face.

Luke 9:28-31  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment [was] white [and] glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Moses and Elijah appeared and talked about Jesus decease.
• They spoke about the purpose of His death.
• The work of the cross.

And Paul made this statement.

2Cor 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
True LIGHT is knowledge.
• We see a certain “light,” so to speak, when we FINALLY UNDERSTAND.
• Since it is LIGHT of understanding, it’s a certain KNOWLEDGE.
• There is something we must understand.
• And Paul said the LIGHT of knowledge is found in a special place.
• It is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God FOUND IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.

The glory of God is in the FACE of Jesus Christ.
• Moses saw God’s glory when He looked at Jesus face and they spoke about the decease He should accomplish.
• It was not for Moses in the Old Testament times.

When Moses saw the afterglow, he heard God say something.

Exod 34:6-7  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].
But He never saw the full GLORY OF this.
• Not until Luke 9 when God allowed him to stand with Jesus and see His face SHINE, and not the afterglow, and UNDERSTAND THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

Peter says there are two answers to two kinds of questions that we all need to be concerned with.

1Pet 3:15-16  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
We need to answer the world when they ask us for a reason of the hope that we have.
• And Peter described it by saying that in doing so, we have a good conscience, we can tell them the Gospel.

Then he wrote:

1Pet 3:19-20  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Baptism is an ANSWER TOWARD GOD of a good conscience.

What is the question if baptism is the answer?
• Well, we know that baptism is a burial into Christ’s death.
• And The Gospel is like a question....
• “Christ died as you, for you.  His death counts as your death to me.  What do you say about that?”
• ANSWER: “WHERE IS MY GRAVE?  SOMEONE BURY ME.”

The answer is that I see the revelation of the Gospel now.
• Its not a religious club.
• It’s the news of CO-DEATH WITH JESUS.
• So I reply, “If you say that His death was my death, God, then I am dead.”
• Saying you want to be buried is saying you believe God’s Word that YOU DIED WITH JESUS.
• YOU ARE DEAD.

I demonstrate to God and to the world that I believe I am dead with Christ by undergoing water baptism.
• Its not the water that saves me, but its MY ANSWER to God about what He says about me and Christ.
• WHEN YOU REALLY BELIEVE SOMETHING YOU ARE GOING TO RESPOND.

Faith causes you to CONFESS something.
• Confession occurs in many forms.
• The way we live our lives confesses whether we believe the Gospel or not.
• What we SPEAK confesses our faith.
• The Heart believes and with the mouth CONFESSION IS MADE.
• If God said our old sinful lives are considered dead through Christ, and you believe it, then you are going to walk around saying that you are dead.
• If you believe you will confess it.
• You will give and ANSWER TO IT: YES!!!
• If He said I am dead, and I believe it, then YES, I AM DEAD.

And the Apostles taught that water baptism is the answer to God and to be your reply, and your way of saying, YES, I AM DEAD.

Its like God saying, “I paid for your ticket to glory.”
• You reply, “Where’s the plane.”

God said you are dead with Christ.
• I say, “Bury me.”

And refusal to be baptized tells God that you did not believe the Gospel.
• That leaves you unsaved and in your sins.
• Lack of confession and evidence of your faith tells me you have no faith.

Faith without works is dead – James 2:17

The works do not save us themselves.
• But true living faith will ACT if it is in us.
• It causes us to confess.
• Dead faith is inactive faith.
• There is no action that accompanies dead faith.
• No desire to be baptized.
• No confession that we are dead.
• True saving faith that God looks for to save us, is faith that WILL ACT.

Only living faith is real faith.
• God only needs to see our hearts.
• He does not need to see our action.
• But the kind of faith that God looks for is living and animate faith, and it MAKES YOU ACT.
• It invariably WORKS.
• You cannot separate activity from a living animate thing.

After Peter preached the Gospel in Acts 2, the hearers were pricked in their hearts.

Acts 2:37  Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do?


And that meant their hearts BELIEVED.
• It was not the kind of dead faith that lays there like a dead fish and does nothing.
• With the heart man believes unto salvation.
• When their hearts were pricked and they BELIEVED, they felt an urge to RESPOND.
• They were driven by that LIVING FAITH to DO SOMETHING.
• And that is why they asked Peter, “WHAT SHALL WE DO?
• And Peter’s response was, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”
• Acts 2:38

Acts 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
When you truly RECEIVE the Word, you got a revelation from it, and it put within you a LIVING AND ACTIVE FAITH that gives an ANSWER back to God.

When you SEE JESUS, you die.
• True visitation with Jesus results in a revelation that YOU DIED WITH HIM.

Those who hear this today and walk away saying, “Interesting concept,” never met Jesus.
• They received no revelation.

But the person who is taking off their feet with glory and excitedly says, “Wow!  I see the light!  What glory!  I believe that I am dead with Christ," has seen Jesus.

And actual and true LOOKS DO KILL.
• YOU ARE CHANGED.
• You will never live the same again.

2Cor 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Verse 16 says a veil is taken away from our hearts when we turn our hearts and really look at Jesus.

WE WILL CHANGE when we see Jesus.

The truth about our deaths with Christ change a person so dramatically because the Bible teaches that as God sees it, we are entirely new creatures.

2Cor 5:17  Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
After Jesus spoke to the Greeks about Himself as a corn of wheat dying, He said:
John 12:31-33  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.
His death draws all men into Him to allow them to say they died with Him.
• But it doesn’t mean anything until you BELIEVE IT and make it your own death..

When you walk away from a glimpse of Jesus, you are not religious, nor a member of a denomination.
• YOU DIED AND ARE NOW A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST.

LOOKS HAVE KILLED.