There is only one way to come to God and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Coming to God through the Lord Jesus Christ is foreshadowed in the Old Testament.

Genesis 22:1-13

Abraham and Sarah were 100 and 90 years of age respectively when they had their first and only son, Isaac. He was known as the son of Promise. Abraham had had a son by Hagar, Ishmael, 13 years previously but only the son of Abraham and Sarah was to be the son of promise. (Galatians 4:21-31).

THE SACRIFICE

a. God said to Abraham one day that he was to sacrifice Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering

b. V2. Abraham was told to go to Moriah. That place later became known as Golgotha where Jesus was crucified.

c. Of all the offerings the Hebrews had to give to God the burnt offering was a voluntary one.

d. V3. They went where God told them to go showing their obedience. Jesus showed his obedience in the Garden of Gethsemane when, just before the crucifixion, He prayed that if it were possible, another way might be found to secure the salvation of His people. Nevertheless, He obeyed and voluntarily gave Himself saying “Not My will but Yours be done.” (Matthew 26:36-46)

a. V5. Although God had said Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham showed His faith when he said, “The lad and I will worship and WE will return.”

b. V6. Isaac carried his own wood for the sacrifice. Jesus carried his own cross (John 19:17).

c. Vs 7-8. Isaac asked where the offering was. Abraham’s reply was that God would provide for Himself a lamb (John 1:36).

d. Vs 9-19. As Abraham was about to kill Isaac God stopped him and there in the bushes was a lamb for the offering.

e. This pictures God’s plan for our salvation.

1. Someone has to die.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJV)

2. The one that dies must be a son.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

3. He must be a substitute – not dying for himself but for others.

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (NKJV)

a. God provided Himself – God the Son, Jesus – to die in our place. The only one who could fulfil all the requirements because the Bible says of everyone else, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard.”

WHAT IS UNION WITH CHRIST?

a. God’s plan was carried out to the letter because He wanted a relationship with us.

b. When a marriage is consummated and lived out according to the Bible you have the best example of the relationship between Christ and the Church that can be found.

c. The wedding ceremony is a type of what happened in the Garden of Eden. The father gives the bride to the groom. God gave Eve to Adam.

d. The marriage is consummated and the two become one flesh

Ephesians 5:31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (NKJV)

e. One flesh means you cannot tell them apart. A type of the unity between Christ and His Church.

f. When people see Jesus they see God. When people see the Church they see Jesus – there is no difference; cannot tell them apart. If people cannot see Jesus in us it is because we are not living according to the Word of God and non-Christians then rightly call us hypocrites.

g. That is why adultery and fornication are forbidden in the Bible. Jesus Christ has only one bride – the Christiana. Church – not many brides (faiths). Anything that is more important to us than God means we commit adultery and in doing so we spoil the picture and it is sin.

If you are not enjoying the power of God in your lives, there is something wrong with your relationship and you need to examine yourselves and find out what has come between you and your lover (Jesus).