Weekly Devotional 10-19-15
God’s Work Through All Dispensations
A dispensation is an era of time during which man is tested in respect to disobedience to some definite revelation of God’s will. Seven such dispensations are recognized by many but not all premillennialists. . . Those who hold to the seven, lists them as follows: Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace and the Kingdom.
1) Innocence. Man was created innocent, set in an ideal environment, placed under a simple test and warned of the result of disobedience. The woman fell through pride; the man, deliberately. Although God restored them to righteousness innocence was lost. (Duration of time—unknown).
2) Conscience. By an act of disobedience innocence came to an end and man entered into a new dimension of life, that of knowing good and evil. For a period of time he was to be guided by conscience, God would no longer walk with man as He had in the garden. He (God) however did communicate with man in some way as brought out in the record of His acceptance of Abel’s offering and the rejection of Cain’s, and Cain’s banishment. Man so failed in this dispensation that God destroyed all mankind except Noah and his family.
3) Human Government. Noah and his family even though they had been spared by God’s grace still were the offspring of fallen man. Left to conscience alone they and all generations that were to follow could not and would not live righteously before God. After the flood God gave mankind human government under which they were to live. This governance would not and was not intended to succeed but it would give man added direction, and, if followed would bring stability out of an unstable world. Established under the Noahic Covenant (Gen. 8:20-9:27) it continues through this day and will continue until the Lord Jesus rules in the millennium.
4) Promise. Knowing that human government would fail God called a man by the name of Abraham and promised that through him He (God) would bring forth a nation through which all of mankind would be blessed. Abraham’s seed would not realize the end of this blessing but were to live under its promise. God called Abraham while he was in Haran of the land of Canaan (Gen.11:31- 13:3) and Abraham and his offspring (through the line of Isaac and Jacob) lived under this promise until God would govern them by theocratic rule. Each of these men failed many times but they each in their own time lived and conducted themselves believing in the promise.
5) Law. This era reaches from Sinai to Calvary governing the children of Israel (Jacob). The law (Mosaic) was had a three part reason, a) It showed God’s holiness to Israel (the nation of). b) It governed man’s relationship with God and with his fellow man. c) It was a school master to bring Israel to her need of God’s grace and to her Messiah.
6) Grace. While God’s grace has always been active in each period this period began with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24-26; 4:24-25). Obedience to the law as a condition of salvation in this age has been overcome by acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice. Good works are not a condition for salvation but a product thereof. God in this age calls man to Himself through the work of the Holy Spirit who regenerates man to newness of spiritual life.
7) The kingdom. This age is yet future and when it is established by God it will be ruled by God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be the culmination of that which was promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Mankind will finally realize the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant. Israel will experience the kingdom covenanted to David (2nd Sam. 7:8-17; Zechariah. 12:8; Luke 1:31-33; Luke 12:8). This dispensation will find Israel restored to her glory and her conversion (Romans 11:25-27).” Quoted from Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Merrill F. Unger. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1966.
Our dispensation will end when Jesus calls us, His church, to heaven and there we shall ever be with the Lord. The question that each should ask him or herself is, am I part of the assembly, am I a part of Jesus’ church?
To be a part of Jesus’ church one needs to be reborn spiritually from above (John 3:1-8), and if you are one of these you have trusted Jesus for your salvation and have made Him Lord of your Life. (John 3:18; 3:36).
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
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