Before the first gathered nation was scattered, God said He would make a New Covenant with Israel, with people of faith. (a) [see end notes for Scriptures] The renewed call toward faith in His oversight would involve writing “His laws and ways in people’s minds and hearts,” (b) without an earthly location.
You may be wondering, why a second call? This response would not focus on a place but on what the first gathering refused: personal interactions with God. These people would be responsive to God’s abiding presence and learn how to appropriately think, act, worship, and live as natural people governed by the Spirit of God.
The Second Invitation
Daniel reported a vision he saw that revealed, “One like the son of man was coming…and to him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom…which will not pass away…which will not be destroyed.” (c) This coming would bring a spiritual awakening, a rebirth of man’s interaction with God’s presence.
It was some 1500 years after the first saving deliverance from slavery that God intervened again. By this time, the previous perception of God’s will for people of faith had faded into a religion of rules and restrictions to obey. The Jewish Torah in that day contained over 600 Laws.
The prophesied “one like the son of man” that came was Jesus Christ. He proclaimed: “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God (His reigning presence) is at hand (within reach), repent and believe in the gospel (this good news).” (d)
The declaration of God’s insightful oversight was to whosoever will. (e) All could partake of it and live as “born again” (reborn from above). (f) This Kingdom reign of God was “not coming with signs to be observed…behold the kingdom of God is in your midst,” (g) among your interactions. (h)
Jesus said God’s kingdom reign is not always in ideal conditions or is a utopian state. He said God’s kingdom allows for “tares among wheat,” “a lot of flighty birds,” and “wolves among sheep.” (i) Its emerging reality is “full of mystery…a fruitful understanding… spreads like sowing seed…expands to affect everything…is a costly treasure…and can appeal to all.” (j) His reign does not come by force, yet “everyone is forcing his way into it.” (k) Its pursuit brings “righteousness, peace, and joy.” (l)
Instead of accepting this New Covenant, leaders of the existing religious order opposed such an unmanaged response to God. Jesus declared their apparent oversight of God’s kingdom would “be taken away from you, and given to a nation (a gathering people) producing the fruit of it.” (m)
Paul confirmed the old order was “made obsolete…is ready to disappear.” (n) Those that were called “the holy people” were entering their prophesied “end time.” (o) Jesus declared “this generation” (p) that was alive in that day would experience a “great tribulation.” (q) To illustrate the old way was no longer relevant, Jerusalem suffered a destructive siege and the Holy Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.
The prophesied “one like the son of man” that came was Jesus Christ.
A Renewing Birth
While in this life, Jesus prayed that followers would “be with me where I am.” (r) Jesus instructed them to “follow me (my example).” (s) He asked that people would respond to God’s insightful presence just like he did. When we respond to God’s insightful guidance like Jesus did, we live a more “abundant life.” (t) Responsive people of faith receive and express the “fruit of the Spirit.” (u)
Before the crucifixion, Jesus said “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you…will disclose myself…and we (my Father and I) will come…and make our abode with you.” (v) Jesus even said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (w) He was sharing insight regarding his oneness with God.
After the resurrection, the man they had known began to appear to them as a spiritual presence. When Jesus ascended out of natural sight, he clarified, “I am with you always.” (x) A few days later, as the Baptist foretold, (y) Jesus began to baptize people in the Holy Spirit. (z) Jesus began to function with “the glory which I had with You before the world was,” as the expressive (logos) of God. (aa)
Perceptions of Jesus were changing. 
God-in-Christ Jesus was now immersing people in the revealing presence of our unseen Father and His uniquely birthed Son. (bb) They began to see how Jesus would always be with them. Peter declared God’s Spirit was being “poured forth upon all mankind.” (cc)
While this new call was rejected by the old order, many responded to the presence of God-in-Christ Jesus. Like airplanes that soar and function within the restrictions of gravity, people responded to God-in-Christ while living in their different restrictions, circumstances, and cultures.
Multitudes experienced this “new birth” of awareness. (dd) People of faith began to respond to the abiding presence of God-in-Christ as immersions in His presence. (ee) They became the visible “Body of Christ” (ff) in the earth. Their lives visibly illustrated God’s abiding presence in this natural world.
This call to faith was a fresh spiritual awakening. This fresh reality began to “upset the world” (gg) changing perceptions of God as contained in a temple or an emblem on a shelf. Faith in God became a response to the presence of Jesus. Like the first call, this gathering was called “a holy nation.” (hh)
For the next 400 years, people of faith proclaimed “God is with us!” (ii) As people sought to respond to God like Jesus did, they became better expressions of God’s character, attitude, and personality (CAP). People became living examples of God’s love and light in their different ethnic communities.
When we respond to God’s insightful guidance like Jesus did, we live a more “abundant life.”
A Spiritual Captivity
While God did not appear to have a problem with the different perceptions that were developing, men began to want to singularize the faith response into a uniform system. They began to promote the idea that there should be overseeing authorities in each area. One teacher, Ignatius, began to teach “we should follow a bishop as Jesus followed God, respect elders as apostles, and bring honor to bishops as unto God.” Once again a two class system began to slip into the faith response to God’s guidance.
In 313 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine gathered area leaders into a council to singularize an understanding and approach toward faith. The councils continued for the next 200 years, seeking to singularize official doctrine. Once an issue was decided, it was declared that all other views and methods were to be condemned as heresy. A faith response to God was being reduced to controls.
History tells us that in 500 AD, all sacred writings were removed from public access. Scripture was restricted to the ministry class. Public expressions of faith came under the rule of religious officials.
Worship apart from official beliefs and practices were forbidden. Submission to appointed authorities became a spiritual type of captivity for people of faith. Within a few generations the presence of God-in-Christ as being “with us” became a forgotten reality in most Christian communities.
In this short overview of approximate dates, keep in mind that all changes in the earth involve processes with beginnings and endings that involve overlapping starts and finishes. (jj)
- 1500 BC – God saves from slavery to live under His guidance, yet personal interaction is refused.
- 1000 BC – The people chose to be like other nations with a king and began to lose freedoms.
- 500 BC – The national expression ceased to function and the people of faith were scattered.
- 30 AD – God-in-Christ Jesus calls people into personal interactions with the presence of God.
- 500 AD – People of faith come under the controls of a religious system for the next 1000 years.
We can learn much from the first two historical calls to be “My people of faith.” In the next blog, we will shine light on the third call to respond to God’s guidance and live free of enslaving systems.
God-in-Christ Jesus calls people into personal interactions with the presence of God.
a) Jeremiah 31:31-34; b) Hebrews 8:10; 10:16; Philippians 4:7; c) Daniel 7:13-14; d) Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17; e) John 3:16; Acts 2:21; f) John 3:3, 16; g) Luke 17:20-21; h) Matthew 18:20; i) Matthew 13:24-30; 31-32; 7:15; j) Mathew 13:11, 19, 23, 24, 31-33, 44-46, 47; k) Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:12; l) Romans 14:17; m) Matthew 21:43; n) Hebrews 8:13; o) Daniel 12:4-9; p) Matthew 23:36; 24:34; q) Matthew 24:21; r) John 17:24; 14:1-6; s) Matthew 16:24; John 12:26; John 13:15; t) John 10:10; u) Galatians 5:22-25; v) John 14:18-23; w) John 14:9) x) Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; y) Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5; z) Acts 2:33, 39; aa) John 17:5; 1:1-3; bb) John 16:28; 14:7-15, 23-25; cc) Acts 2:16-17, 32-33; dd) John 3:3-6; Acts 1:5; ee) Acts 2:1-6, 41; ff) 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:12; gg) Acts 17:6; hh) 1 Peter 2:4-10; Exodus 19:6; ii) Romans 8:31; Matthew 1:23; jj) Ezekiel 1:16; 10:10
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author