We look to Jesus Christ as Saviour. We call upon the name of The Lord to honor Him, gain relief and feel His presence. We pray to Him for our needs and those of others. And we acknowledge Him as containing all the glory and presence of the Godhead. We might even admit He is life: but do we know Him as The Spirit of life in the intimacy of our inner man? How may we recover our true place in Him as the Life? Might it not be a help in knowing the place we hold in Him, the position we have been placed in Him; one of perfect righteous before God. Which is the righteousness of God accomplished in Jesus Christ, as our federal representative before the Father. And really this righteousness is what we have become in spirit by the act of another, it is our very identity. Yet it is still not enough to know that this is true. The recovered Spirit of life is found in practice by our actual participation in the divine nature by His Spirit in us, acquiescing to Him as life. " If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you" Rom. 8:11 It is therefore by the self acknowledged present needful and mindful penetration of His identity in Spirit as our very own, in our newly alive spirit and renewed mind, according to the power of the resurrection of which we partook of with Him. This is the living resurrection [Christ as life] we live in, in this mortal body as Christians: which is an assessment or consideration of our mind, as to condition and then by the faith of being positioned in Christ as life. These my friends are all good and true sayings, but words are easily read and often poorly understood, let alone become actual life. Even if understood very well in a academic light they might not pierce the heart, therefore little toward life is accomplished. By life I mean the laying hold [apprehending] of what we are in Christ. Feelings evoked and experiences felt also will not necessarily penetrate the wall built by the human natural man we all stand up against.Then what is the key to opening the door to Life? Can we recover it as God's intent for us His children? How may we know when we have arrived?
There was a Law given by God to the Jew, which we acknowledge as true holy and binding for all men, only we cannot keep it. You could say the Law is good, and it surely is. But what good if it cannot be kept? Of course The Father knew we would not and could not keep it so He gave a new Law; "the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus". Which because of our weakness he even has had to keep for us, in the Son, as "we are hid with God in Christ Jesus". The truth my friends is we can do nothing of ourselves to enter into life in Spirit. By the trying we relegate ourselves to the flesh and enter the world of works and law. A path many in Christendom are on. I have to admit even knowing the context of one's biblical spiritual condition; in and by which we occupy the very identity of Jesus Christ, as The Fathers only view or expectation of us, will not necessarily accomplish a recovery of The Spirit of Life. Which by the way pretty much, sums up the doctrine of Position/ Identity in Christ Ive been trying to gently shove down your throats for so painfully long. I speak of your pain not mine, as its only a joy to me!
Here's what it all really comes down to my friends; we will never enter into Christ as Life unless an all important truth is touched; which is provided and invoked by a Law that is from God that says: Christ comes to us by Spirit and that spirit is present in The Son of God, and now He is somehow in us and living His very own life through us. " I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me" Gal.2:20. These were not simple metaphorical words pronounced by a man trying to comfort needy believers. No they are revelatory truth as to a actual spiritual condition Paul experienced and we may also. And in fact it is only by a spiritual experience that this is made true. "If we are living in the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by The Spirits power" Gal. 5:25. We must let that fact dominate our Christian minds as a true discovery of ourselves, if we are ever to recover. If you don't know what this means please don't worry about it! You just have to continue on, simply living out your life as best you can. That's all I ever did. We just have to be brought to the place were supposed to be, by God's will of course. No two men are on the path of understanding at the same time. At best we can only try, and maybe that's what its all about anyway. God has love for us all, just as much for one, as He does another. That's a statement by which I find a place of refuge, which I've decided to live my Life in, by the Spirit of Christ Jesus. That love makes all us fellow travelers equal in His sight.
Jesus Christ is in fact life and He has personally told me in my heart and mind and most importantly by His word that He will live His life through me. This is now my life, lived by Him, even in my stumbling manner, even in my sin, doubt and unbelief. I've known others so I know there is a difference! Ive learned to recognize it true that I/we in fact are the only way God has of displaying Himself on this earth via mankind, so He became a Man. I am choosing to be a happy participant in that as a fact of life for the Christian, and especially for me. I am all on board with The Spirit of God in my formation, and conformation to The Man of His desire, by His power, not mine. And what a wonderful place to live that is! Why did I not choose it long before? Good question is it not? And why on earth would we want to choose anything else than Christ as life. Yes it is true we all will ultimately be formed in His image, no matter what. But to participate in the Body in a productive positive way now gives glory to God. It can only help to know that in our possession of Him, He is made manifest to men; He lives out His life through us. We simply must get that my friends in order to progress in the divine life. It is by us being positioned in Him in His federal representation as a sinless Man who has overcome death for The Father first, but also for us; so by that fact His form as He presently exist in heaven is our very own. This is a truth to be pondered deeply and in my observation where lack of faith's understanding most hampers the recovering of the Spirit of life. So how may we know this? And more importantly, how then by this knowledge shall we conduct out affairs?
In order to be connected we must be seen. We all know God sees us even to the depth of our heart. So why are we often, at least as to feelings, unconnected with The living God? The answer is: its because of the view we take. You see my friends we all have a choice as to the platform of understanding upon which we may stand. First there is the old Adam, in whom [the old creation] we live and breath. He sees everything through the opaque lens of the self centered human natural nature. The father completely rejected this character, almost from the beginning. There is simply nothing you can do from this old minded man that will please God. Your flesh precludes any possibility of connection with God as "sin is in the flesh". That only leaves a non-material entity to gain sight by. The Spirit of Life in the law furnished by Jesus Christ for the very purpose of giving a new personality to man which would please God, which only can be observed by God in His Son. This Spirit of The Son's personality is then imparted to us by faith, both The Fathers, and ours, in what the bible refers to as the Second Adam, by whom we have inherited the new creation, and is in fact Jesus Christ. Until a Christian separates himself from any allegiance to the first Adam: by embracing him for what he is "sin" and further gets his arms around the death of that old nature by God's substitute for us, Jesus on the Cross, as absolutely accomplished and done with, his Christan life will be lived at a deficit at best. Without freedom from the old Adam recovering The Spirit of Life in The New Adam will prove extremely allusive.
Recovering that which has been given by God as life in The New Adam, is not hard; as a mater of fact it is very simple. We just have to believe the Word of God. Its all there. We only need call upon His name, then read the revelation as one would a prayer and then wait for His life to appear in us. No nothing more is required, except for the conviction of a need to apply His life to the definition of ours by a deep dissatisfaction of our present condition in the old man. Only Adam the first will prevent, in this life, all that God aspires for us from becoming reality. Perhaps ending with the most simplistic, profound and basic order for accomplishment of Christ as life will work here. " Jesus therefore said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of The Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within yourself" John 6:53. Just before that Jesus said "I am the bread of life" John 6:48. Jesus used this and other references to His body and blood as food in John 6 to show prophetic truth as well as a practical application. Think of it this way: the food we eat goes into our body and becomes a part of it; this is nutrition. In this same way we are to take in Jesus as our life supply. "To eat is to take food into us so that it may be assimilated organically into our body. Hence, to eat the Lord Jesus is to receive Him into us that He may be assimilated by the regenerated new man in the way of life; then we live by Him whom we have received. It is by this that He, the Resurrected one lives", Recovery bible notes 57,1. Just think, my brothers and sisters Jesus must have us to live out His Resurrected life! Of course Jesus lives in sovereignty in the Godhead, but in order for Him to live the Resurrection life on earth, we must participate. What a joy for us and what confidence The Father must have in us! Let us take the bold step, sit down at the table and partake of the Lord Jesus Christ. By this the simplest of concepts we may begin the process of recovering The Spirit of Life.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
RECOVERY OF DIVINE INSTINCT
There are many motivational forces which govern mankind. The first is perhaps need, then desire, others are obligation and passion, then there is compulsion; by far the most powerful. A river flows by compulsion, nothing can stop it. The motivation for the river is to arrive at its destination, no other alternative will due. We as Christians may use this metaphor and apply it to help recover our divine instinct: which is so easily lost to the natural flesh. The Church cannot be recovered until we are individually recovered, for we are the Church. We have been given a gift, the very nature of God, by Christ in us. And for a good reason: that we should not any longer live for ourselves, but for the Resurrected God-Man, Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 5:15. A bold statement, but true, if The Spirit of God indeed does live in us for that purpose, as the bible declares. I Like the idea of applying the use of the word compulsion, in a positive way, to seeking out and living in that divine Spirit. Not as mere servants driven by the natural sense of duty and obligation, but by a deep driving desire that He live His life through us, in every way. Not in a loyalty as to belief or performance of works way, but as an expression of Him in us, both to the world and ourselves; by our recognition of Him as dispensed in us being the primary focus of our mind. We could even say we have a obligation to seek this concept in faith as the only way in which we may please The Father. It should therefore be our life's passion to follow the narrow path which leads us in the power of The Spirit, a life in The Son, who is love.
We cannot recover what we should be until we know what that is. For us to even approach that possibility we must have deep need and a clear desire. The man or woman who lives in the flesh using the natural instinct, Christian or otherwise, will never have the motivation to recover something he does not know he needs. The word recovery means to find something which is lost. In the big picture it is the Church, which has been invaded by the world: but in the micro it is the individuals Spirit derived instinct to become a partaker of the divine nature. The believer must receive and maintain a presence in Christ given by The Holy Spirit, as the defining reality of his life. He must constantly be carrying the identity of Jesus Christ. The key here is to find a view from which we may observe who we truly are as Christians, permitting a exit from the blindness of the natural Adamic old man in whom we are so deeply and irrevocably encased within. For that we need to trek up the mountain, to see the revelation in God's Word of the New Adam Man, in whom we now may choose to become aliened with all purpose, providing there is a overwhelming need within us to do so.. The bible describes in much detail that obligation placed before all men to enter in to understanding of their place in The Son or perish. By perish I do not mean the outer darkness facing those of unbelief only: but also the loss of a life in Christ in the here and now. This new life must be perceived actively in our present circumstance. A new renewed mind of understanding is available to those who believe. If their instinctively driven compulsion, made available by a faith empowered exit from the natural mind has the commanding presence.
Instinct is defined as: a natural innate impulse, inclination, or tendency, a intuitive power in us. This power within is the fruit of the cultivation of the divine garden of our soul by The Spirit in seeking Him with all our being. By Setting all else aside as valueless we will grow in a intuitive strengthening and contain a innate impulse of His very presence in us! As Christians we should desire nothing more. If there is any self centered motivation, any old Adam internal or exterior road block to Christ as life, as the all consuming goal of our life, then we have simply missed the call. This my friends is a lofty pursuit, not for the faint of heart, or the partially committed. It is a path all Christians are on at some level granted, as we all will be conformed to His image no doubt! No my friends Christianity is not simply something to be expected, a moral code, a contemporary habit formed or life style, or even the wish to recover the new testament worship and way, good as that may be. My deep prayer and desire is that the words I write might sear the heart, even of one of the brothers or sisters reading this, in such a way so the inevitable process of divine recovery will be instituted, a bell will be rung, need will penetrate the soul and a compulsion to become what we are in Christ will be recovered as the natural spiritual instinct of our life's motivation. This must all take place before we may rightfully and functionally enter the calling of spiritual maturity of our Christian nature. The recovery will then begin of ourselves as the Body of Christ on earth, as our divine instinct!
Now the question: how is all this accomplished? Sorry to say there is no formula, try as we might to find the seven steps to the all consuming godly life. It is accomplished by The Spirit, a often very gradual formation. Yes perhaps the ocean of ink helps penetrate the firm barrier of the natural flesh. But most often it is simply deep and profound need. A sense of the overwhelming inadequacy of the natural man. Then we may awake from our slumber and become a worthy canvas for the Master Artist of the formation of our spirit and soul, into the likeness and beauty of His Son for all to see. Situational dynamics: the depending upon certain surrounding circumstance, such as the power of the group in calling upon the name of The Lord brings a true sense of joy and belonging, and even may touch the Spirit, but this and all other potentially feeling based formats will not be the catalyst to reveal the presence of His nature within, even done with the most godly intention. It is the complete loss of ourselves, counted as dead to all that we are in the flesh "not I but Christ" that opens the floodgate of The Spirit! "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves[normal natural man] to think anything of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God" 2 Cor. 3:5. For this to take place we must realize the death of the old nature, then we may enter into the New.
Now a new compulsion will begin to form. We will study the Word in a new light, and begin to know the purpose of God in saving us was to conform us to the image of His Son during our time on earth in a new way Rom. 8:28, 29. Then we will learn to count it as true [reckon] upon the finished work of the Cross as His provision for that purpose was the final death of our old nature, seen in Christ's death, held by us in faith. Rom. 6:11. Finally we yield [rest in this truth] to The Holy Spirit as He carries out the daily formation of Jesus Christ in us 2 Cor. 4:11. When Jesus was upon the earth He showed the way. His presence in heaven gives us the power. Any one who does not set his mind upon the Redemption of the Christian by Jesus in His person as representation of all we might ever be; and seek conformity to the purpose of our Redemption; making clear our fellowship with The Father, cannot hold its power in conscious understanding. We were after all Redeemed to be in God's economy, which is only found in Jesus Christ and Him glorified in heaven. To be Redeemed means to be taken from one state of being into another. Therefore our nature is now heavenly [the new state of being] by faith and that is where the power is. There can be no divine instinct without our being in the divine presence. By faith then we are in heaven, made there by The Holy Spirit in us. "Christ lived on the earth that He might show forth the image of God in His life; He lives in heaven that by faith in our presence there by His representation we may show forth the image of God in our lives". By knowing this as a true heart condition in faith as to life we will carry in our daily moment by moment walk the recovered divine instinct and all else will follow.
We cannot recover what we should be until we know what that is. For us to even approach that possibility we must have deep need and a clear desire. The man or woman who lives in the flesh using the natural instinct, Christian or otherwise, will never have the motivation to recover something he does not know he needs. The word recovery means to find something which is lost. In the big picture it is the Church, which has been invaded by the world: but in the micro it is the individuals Spirit derived instinct to become a partaker of the divine nature. The believer must receive and maintain a presence in Christ given by The Holy Spirit, as the defining reality of his life. He must constantly be carrying the identity of Jesus Christ. The key here is to find a view from which we may observe who we truly are as Christians, permitting a exit from the blindness of the natural Adamic old man in whom we are so deeply and irrevocably encased within. For that we need to trek up the mountain, to see the revelation in God's Word of the New Adam Man, in whom we now may choose to become aliened with all purpose, providing there is a overwhelming need within us to do so.. The bible describes in much detail that obligation placed before all men to enter in to understanding of their place in The Son or perish. By perish I do not mean the outer darkness facing those of unbelief only: but also the loss of a life in Christ in the here and now. This new life must be perceived actively in our present circumstance. A new renewed mind of understanding is available to those who believe. If their instinctively driven compulsion, made available by a faith empowered exit from the natural mind has the commanding presence.
Instinct is defined as: a natural innate impulse, inclination, or tendency, a intuitive power in us. This power within is the fruit of the cultivation of the divine garden of our soul by The Spirit in seeking Him with all our being. By Setting all else aside as valueless we will grow in a intuitive strengthening and contain a innate impulse of His very presence in us! As Christians we should desire nothing more. If there is any self centered motivation, any old Adam internal or exterior road block to Christ as life, as the all consuming goal of our life, then we have simply missed the call. This my friends is a lofty pursuit, not for the faint of heart, or the partially committed. It is a path all Christians are on at some level granted, as we all will be conformed to His image no doubt! No my friends Christianity is not simply something to be expected, a moral code, a contemporary habit formed or life style, or even the wish to recover the new testament worship and way, good as that may be. My deep prayer and desire is that the words I write might sear the heart, even of one of the brothers or sisters reading this, in such a way so the inevitable process of divine recovery will be instituted, a bell will be rung, need will penetrate the soul and a compulsion to become what we are in Christ will be recovered as the natural spiritual instinct of our life's motivation. This must all take place before we may rightfully and functionally enter the calling of spiritual maturity of our Christian nature. The recovery will then begin of ourselves as the Body of Christ on earth, as our divine instinct!
Now the question: how is all this accomplished? Sorry to say there is no formula, try as we might to find the seven steps to the all consuming godly life. It is accomplished by The Spirit, a often very gradual formation. Yes perhaps the ocean of ink helps penetrate the firm barrier of the natural flesh. But most often it is simply deep and profound need. A sense of the overwhelming inadequacy of the natural man. Then we may awake from our slumber and become a worthy canvas for the Master Artist of the formation of our spirit and soul, into the likeness and beauty of His Son for all to see. Situational dynamics: the depending upon certain surrounding circumstance, such as the power of the group in calling upon the name of The Lord brings a true sense of joy and belonging, and even may touch the Spirit, but this and all other potentially feeling based formats will not be the catalyst to reveal the presence of His nature within, even done with the most godly intention. It is the complete loss of ourselves, counted as dead to all that we are in the flesh "not I but Christ" that opens the floodgate of The Spirit! "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves[normal natural man] to think anything of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God" 2 Cor. 3:5. For this to take place we must realize the death of the old nature, then we may enter into the New.
Now a new compulsion will begin to form. We will study the Word in a new light, and begin to know the purpose of God in saving us was to conform us to the image of His Son during our time on earth in a new way Rom. 8:28, 29. Then we will learn to count it as true [reckon] upon the finished work of the Cross as His provision for that purpose was the final death of our old nature, seen in Christ's death, held by us in faith. Rom. 6:11. Finally we yield [rest in this truth] to The Holy Spirit as He carries out the daily formation of Jesus Christ in us 2 Cor. 4:11. When Jesus was upon the earth He showed the way. His presence in heaven gives us the power. Any one who does not set his mind upon the Redemption of the Christian by Jesus in His person as representation of all we might ever be; and seek conformity to the purpose of our Redemption; making clear our fellowship with The Father, cannot hold its power in conscious understanding. We were after all Redeemed to be in God's economy, which is only found in Jesus Christ and Him glorified in heaven. To be Redeemed means to be taken from one state of being into another. Therefore our nature is now heavenly [the new state of being] by faith and that is where the power is. There can be no divine instinct without our being in the divine presence. By faith then we are in heaven, made there by The Holy Spirit in us. "Christ lived on the earth that He might show forth the image of God in His life; He lives in heaven that by faith in our presence there by His representation we may show forth the image of God in our lives". By knowing this as a true heart condition in faith as to life we will carry in our daily moment by moment walk the recovered divine instinct and all else will follow.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
INTERNALLY YOUR'S
Holding on to the past is like gravity, it presses us toward the earth. The future, looking outward in anticipation, is like stepping from a precipice into thin air, no foundation so we flail about. The now is all we have, but even that is quite precarious and mailable without strong columns to hold us in place. We may find ourselves at our destination in the present, but without a home, no defined place to lay our head. It is only normal for us to wish to gather before the hearth to enjoy the comfort we so desire. But to find our house on solid ground we must grasp and maintain a true value to our existence in the now. The world offers much to cleave onto no doubt: but for the Christian, can it offer that which is required for a firm foundation? For solidity we will need confidence or recognition that we have arrived, or at least are entering into the place we have been called to. Of course if this call is not headed and founded in the power of God's will for the believer; which is the formation of Christ in our mind and spirit, by the understanding of His Word in faith, then the world holds out its wide net and we may become captured. The religious as well as the secular world is always seeking to destroy our individuality, which is given in grace by God to us. We now have an identity in His Son, presented by God in the new creation, which we have become in Christ. The natural worldly process operates by imposing a conformation to its ways; turning its victims into mere faceless by standers with no shelter, often so slowly and naturally they are taken unawares.
In order to know ones calling and identity, to gain the hope of firm attachment to a value which is beyond ourselves, yet available to all; that of Christ Jesus, we must become aware of who and what we are to begin with: a starting point, a established identity. We have a heritage and a destiny to be conformed not to the world, religious or otherwise, but to His image. Not at the loss of our individuality or our personality, but by the gain of His nature and His character, a transformation into the new man self identified in Christ. "I in you" John 15:4; "Christ lives in me" Gal:2:20. Here is how the bible further defines us: "we are no more strangers and sojourners [in The Fathers presence], but fellow citizens [of heaven, a spiritual condition] with the saints,[living and dead] and of the household of God [which is in Spirit by faith,] and we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone" Eph. 2:19,20. This my friends is the solid place of residence where all Christians dwell knowingly or not. It is true that we can take joy in these words. However the question Christians must all ask themselves, and are encouraged to find the answer to by The Father in His Word is: is this a description of a nature that is internally yours? Do we even contemplate such a possibility as present in Christ, in union with His Spirit, as a real condition of ourselves as a believer? Is our life in, for and about knowing our self in the interior of the soul, Christ and only Christ, citizens of heaven positioned with Him? Are we engaged in a constant search for the meaning of the proclamation of God's Word, Christ the foundation, our infusion into His Son The cornerstone? For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God' Col. 3:3, proclaims The Word. What does that mean to us?
In my observation much of Christianity in this day, is walking upon a weak definition of its internal foundation which does not encourage growth of individuality in spirit by its own self centered nature, the chief cornerstone covered by works; the goal appears to be to produce many participants, observers and workers. The principal of spiritual growth has a objective side and a subjective component which must be maintained in balance to avoid falling into the trap of the domination of experience, becoming part of a programed gathered crowd. There is something which must be done in us as well as for us to avoid this trap. We all should know what has been done for us; Christ suffered and died to make us His own for all eternity. After and by this the greatest sacrifice the world has ever known, the Church we all enjoy so much was begun. It was built upon the blood of Jesus Christ and the apostles, not to mention the host of martyrs throughout the ages; a foundation of blood and death for the purpose of bringing a people to become His very Body, His image, which seems forgotten. I liken much of today's institutional Church environment to the contemporary American comfort zone we have all come to see as normal, and rest in. We are always expecting more and much incitement is in the offering, a plethora of activity; while the powers which surround us, often with good intent whittle away the freedoms and privilege others died to give. We have little concept of a defined individuality and enlightened self interest toward a purpose with lasting true value. Which was the attitude that built the place we so enjoy, by our forefathers sacrifice. We are now offered, both by the world and much of institutional Christianity what the old Roman empire presented to its pacified softened populace, bread and circus or a sense of security/comfort and entertainment. Yes I know The Father will still uses all this for His purpose and in this we can take heart, and most modern Church's as well as our government do much good and people are saved, and helped. But what remains a vacancy for The Church is to challenge the body subjectively to open its mind to the reality of Christ as life, a union with Him and identity in Him as our condition of active existence. He The Object of our life. Making us a peculiar people when observed by the world. We must be held accountable by The Church, but also by our own self motivation to carry this banner at all times in out minds and hearts, seeking spiritual growth as the all important ingredient. We must come to know that our spiritual freedom comes through a bondage, a obedience of faith to Christ as life, moment by moment, every waking hour. And the life we have now in the present, must be defined through the application of His death to everything we are in the flesh, including the worthlessness of all that we have as priority in the natural world. All else without a quest for the individually of the Spirit which only a known position in Christ can supply, while perhaps important in the temporary condition we find ourselves in, and might even serve a uplifting roll by adding service, duty, works, even a sense of belonging, is mere dross.
Paul said to the Philippians, after explaining to them the many attributes of Jesus and His sacrifice for them, and the position Jesus Holds and the identity we acquired by that position, that every knee would bow to Him. That it was by these realizations they should "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" Phil. 2:12. It is no different for us. A word came to my mind recently that I believe fits this thought very well, "synergy". Meaning: the interaction or cooperation of two substance's or agents to provide a combined effect greater than would be provided by only one. In a very practical way Jesus needs us, oh yes He is sovereign no doubt, but that being said, we were destined to be His Body before the foundation of the world. We are to carry out His life on earth in spirit-soul-personality and internal self concept by a renewed mind living out His Resurrection. That means we must challenge even Him to become all that The Father intends. He becoming fully formed in us to produce God's purpose. Of course we in turn desperately need His Spirit to come to the required formation in our mind by faith; to meet His destiny. Him established on the earth in us in full acceptance by The Father, not in the flesh by works. But in the mental image [His image] we gain in the understand of our reason for being. It is by and in that quality we may take the action we are destined to in serving Him. We must come to know we are not being used by Him as mere agents. No we are Him, His Body; by The Spirit in us. It is by His glorified human body, in the same form/shape as ours, but now in heaven in complete accord with The Father that this is made true. He is the representative and eternal life reality of us here by Spirit and there by His person. We are by His presence at the right hand of The Father made justified and able to be His life here by the regenerated mind given us by The Holy Spirit of this, the true truth for all believers which is Internally yours.
It truly saddens my heart to write this blog at times, as my experience in the last year or so in attempting to convey the positional truth reality has resulted in, it seems, little to no interest even in those closest to me. But I am not alone in heart break, and I will not give up hope. I will end with a quote from my mentor long dead. "It is a marvelous grace that we should be conformed to the image of God's Son. I think it is very sad that the highest thought which God has about us, and that which His heart is so set on, is that which is least known by Christians; for I know no truth that is so little realized as union with Christ" J. B. Stoney.
In order to know ones calling and identity, to gain the hope of firm attachment to a value which is beyond ourselves, yet available to all; that of Christ Jesus, we must become aware of who and what we are to begin with: a starting point, a established identity. We have a heritage and a destiny to be conformed not to the world, religious or otherwise, but to His image. Not at the loss of our individuality or our personality, but by the gain of His nature and His character, a transformation into the new man self identified in Christ. "I in you" John 15:4; "Christ lives in me" Gal:2:20. Here is how the bible further defines us: "we are no more strangers and sojourners [in The Fathers presence], but fellow citizens [of heaven, a spiritual condition] with the saints,[living and dead] and of the household of God [which is in Spirit by faith,] and we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone" Eph. 2:19,20. This my friends is the solid place of residence where all Christians dwell knowingly or not. It is true that we can take joy in these words. However the question Christians must all ask themselves, and are encouraged to find the answer to by The Father in His Word is: is this a description of a nature that is internally yours? Do we even contemplate such a possibility as present in Christ, in union with His Spirit, as a real condition of ourselves as a believer? Is our life in, for and about knowing our self in the interior of the soul, Christ and only Christ, citizens of heaven positioned with Him? Are we engaged in a constant search for the meaning of the proclamation of God's Word, Christ the foundation, our infusion into His Son The cornerstone? For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God' Col. 3:3, proclaims The Word. What does that mean to us?
In my observation much of Christianity in this day, is walking upon a weak definition of its internal foundation which does not encourage growth of individuality in spirit by its own self centered nature, the chief cornerstone covered by works; the goal appears to be to produce many participants, observers and workers. The principal of spiritual growth has a objective side and a subjective component which must be maintained in balance to avoid falling into the trap of the domination of experience, becoming part of a programed gathered crowd. There is something which must be done in us as well as for us to avoid this trap. We all should know what has been done for us; Christ suffered and died to make us His own for all eternity. After and by this the greatest sacrifice the world has ever known, the Church we all enjoy so much was begun. It was built upon the blood of Jesus Christ and the apostles, not to mention the host of martyrs throughout the ages; a foundation of blood and death for the purpose of bringing a people to become His very Body, His image, which seems forgotten. I liken much of today's institutional Church environment to the contemporary American comfort zone we have all come to see as normal, and rest in. We are always expecting more and much incitement is in the offering, a plethora of activity; while the powers which surround us, often with good intent whittle away the freedoms and privilege others died to give. We have little concept of a defined individuality and enlightened self interest toward a purpose with lasting true value. Which was the attitude that built the place we so enjoy, by our forefathers sacrifice. We are now offered, both by the world and much of institutional Christianity what the old Roman empire presented to its pacified softened populace, bread and circus or a sense of security/comfort and entertainment. Yes I know The Father will still uses all this for His purpose and in this we can take heart, and most modern Church's as well as our government do much good and people are saved, and helped. But what remains a vacancy for The Church is to challenge the body subjectively to open its mind to the reality of Christ as life, a union with Him and identity in Him as our condition of active existence. He The Object of our life. Making us a peculiar people when observed by the world. We must be held accountable by The Church, but also by our own self motivation to carry this banner at all times in out minds and hearts, seeking spiritual growth as the all important ingredient. We must come to know that our spiritual freedom comes through a bondage, a obedience of faith to Christ as life, moment by moment, every waking hour. And the life we have now in the present, must be defined through the application of His death to everything we are in the flesh, including the worthlessness of all that we have as priority in the natural world. All else without a quest for the individually of the Spirit which only a known position in Christ can supply, while perhaps important in the temporary condition we find ourselves in, and might even serve a uplifting roll by adding service, duty, works, even a sense of belonging, is mere dross.
Paul said to the Philippians, after explaining to them the many attributes of Jesus and His sacrifice for them, and the position Jesus Holds and the identity we acquired by that position, that every knee would bow to Him. That it was by these realizations they should "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" Phil. 2:12. It is no different for us. A word came to my mind recently that I believe fits this thought very well, "synergy". Meaning: the interaction or cooperation of two substance's or agents to provide a combined effect greater than would be provided by only one. In a very practical way Jesus needs us, oh yes He is sovereign no doubt, but that being said, we were destined to be His Body before the foundation of the world. We are to carry out His life on earth in spirit-soul-personality and internal self concept by a renewed mind living out His Resurrection. That means we must challenge even Him to become all that The Father intends. He becoming fully formed in us to produce God's purpose. Of course we in turn desperately need His Spirit to come to the required formation in our mind by faith; to meet His destiny. Him established on the earth in us in full acceptance by The Father, not in the flesh by works. But in the mental image [His image] we gain in the understand of our reason for being. It is by and in that quality we may take the action we are destined to in serving Him. We must come to know we are not being used by Him as mere agents. No we are Him, His Body; by The Spirit in us. It is by His glorified human body, in the same form/shape as ours, but now in heaven in complete accord with The Father that this is made true. He is the representative and eternal life reality of us here by Spirit and there by His person. We are by His presence at the right hand of The Father made justified and able to be His life here by the regenerated mind given us by The Holy Spirit of this, the true truth for all believers which is Internally yours.
It truly saddens my heart to write this blog at times, as my experience in the last year or so in attempting to convey the positional truth reality has resulted in, it seems, little to no interest even in those closest to me. But I am not alone in heart break, and I will not give up hope. I will end with a quote from my mentor long dead. "It is a marvelous grace that we should be conformed to the image of God's Son. I think it is very sad that the highest thought which God has about us, and that which His heart is so set on, is that which is least known by Christians; for I know no truth that is so little realized as union with Christ" J. B. Stoney.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
BEHOLDING HIM
There is only one truth and one life for the Christian and that I think we would all agree is Jesus Christ. " I am the way the truth and the life" John 14:6. In the original language 'truth" could be translated as "reality". Which might make this verse more subjective and applicable if thought of in this way. To say that He is our truth and life in quoting this verse is easy: but for Him to be our "reality" as a active expression of our personal existence, however might be a different thing. I covered in my last blog Jesus' statements to His disciples which included this truth verse. I referred to their lack of understanding pertaining to the future Church, which was limited by them not having the Holy Spirit. My recent life's effort has been to perceive myself as a man who rests in spirit by faith, for that it is necessary for me to know The Spirit; which comes by The Word of God. That's where the disciples were limited before the Holy Spirit was given, and also where trouble it seems brews for the Christian in this day and age. There is only one way to learn about the truth of The Word in Spirit for the Christian; through the administration of The Holy Spirit. Any perception that we will be fulfilled by works, law, experience, or mental exercise only is a misconception, and can never be acceptable in the economy of God as application to Christ as life. These things are often used as substitute for internal Spirit truth. The truth is found by the simplicity of God's Word made clear in the Spirits revelation of position and identity in Christ for the Christian. Which is strongly emphasized, and to be quite frank, hard to miss if thoughtfully sought in The Word! We must know who we are in "reality". However we can take heart, The Father will use all things, even our sins and the natural minds efforts to form us. Every Christian has the administration of The Spirit. Its what we do with Him, and how we process Him in making ourselves available to The Holy Spirit's leading, through applying the Word of God to our own personality and existence, that makes all the difference.
In 1 John 5:6 it speaks of the water [Jesus' baptism] the Blood [shed for remission of our sins] and The Spirit; going on to say; "and the Spirit is He who testifies, because The Spirit is the reality". In John 14:6, prior to His glorification while He was still on the earth, Jesus is the reality and life, in 1 John 5:6 it is The Spirit, they are now one in the same. Also in John 14:17 Jesus said to His disciples; "even The Spirit of reality whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides [Christ on earth physically] with you and shall be [via The Holy Spirit post Ascension] in you". It is now The Spirit as that reality who is Jesus Christ Himself who lives and forms us, He is our life by The Spirit. By knowing this we can see it is key to consider this same reality and life [Christ Himself] has now been infused in all who believe by The Spirit. The Spirit abiding in our spirit therefore is in place in us to germinate all those who have Faith in Christ; regenerating them with the Divine life. We can now live by the Spirit, in the love of God and be His expression on the earth. It is The Man Jesus Christ who is in heaven that has placed, by the exercise of our own faith, the Spirit in us: hence the mingling of Him with us in our spirit, and our position [union] in Him and our possession of Him by spirit internally. This completion of us comes by our renewed mind as the only means of actualizing Him as life. In truth it is the Tri-Union God Himself in whom we are completely-joined by Jesus' actions on earth, and then through His presence as the representative New Adam-New Man, a Human Man in a glorified form: thereby making us acceptable to God in heaven. This has accomplished The Father's acceptance of man in a new Holy image, which was never before in existence. He may now enter us in Spirit by faith. Because we now have a heritage which is spiritual, of a Adam Who is sin free. The old heritage has been made dead. By apprehending ourselves wholly in this fact by faith we begin to be formed in spirit in the inner man and will behold Him as reality, and life!
There is no doubt that our eye's should be on Jesus. He is the object which presents everything as to mans salvation and all that God is to man. We should view all that we are is in connection to the Lord Jesus, as to defining our Christianity; any other way is of no value. But it is The Holy Spirit that defines Him subjectively in our spirit for this purpose. He, The Spirit, reveals God to us. What I am trying to say here is; spirit is the most necessary ingredient, not our natural mind; which cannot see him as He is. Even the born again experience itself, us as new men, cannot completely of itself understand Him. The ministry of The Spirit, not the mind, provides the reality. Let me illustrate: I once followed a man who was expert at explaining in a apologetic manner scientifically and using persuasive philosophical reasoning to show that God exists; very stimulating indeed. But you see that is merely using the mind as object or reason. Oh yes belief was there, but no nurturing growth of spirit [Jesus as the reality of life] in this form of conceptualization by the mind only; therefore of little value to growth in spirit. The Spirit enters by revelation and by the Word and is the reality and the life for the Christan. The disciples are good examples; they believed, were born of God after the resurrection, but it was not until The Spirit arrived to give revelation that they were able to behold Him in understanding the scriptures, and enabling them in power to witness the truth. This my friends I believe is important to recognize, because it is so easy to be diverted by the world or experience, using our mind/intellect and feelings as the primary condition of defining reality and life, making the Word of God nothing more than a helper to our humanity stoking our pride and easing the natural mans inherent troubles. By living thus we cast aside the reality of Spirit and faith which is found in the subjective revelation of The Word by the ministry of The Holy Spirit. It is by the power of God's gift in recognition of who we are: brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself. We are seen by The Father positionally contained in Christ in heaven just as if we were there personally present. Now as Christ Jesus' Body in spirit we may rest in simple trust and faith; beholding Him in the inner man as the One who is the occupant of the place of salvation for us! No other incite will do for the mature Christian.
I believe with all my heart that the responsibility of the Christian on whatever level he is capable of achieving it, is to search for a higher level of intimacy with The Lord. While the mind comes into play here on the human natural level and certainly can accomplish the task of directing us toward that goal, the spiritual roll of faith, must be the paramount way of our entering into Christ. We can only be in touch with Spirit by listening to the voice of our inner man, made clear by The Word [Spirit renewed mind/soul] and even trusting it. This is a sometimes precarious road with many often difficult turns. That is why we must have the Word of God instilled in us as the defining end to all things of The Spirit in the inner man. This requires a right understanding and a proper motivation when we read it. This admittedly can be a road fraught with potential deviations; if denominational-ism be an example. But take encouragement my friends, the Lord is our guide. We only need the all important ingredient of a desire to be formed in the inward parts in His image. By His Spirit it all will be accomplished; we just need to need it enough, and there is the true test.
"But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory even as from the Spirit" 2 Cor. 3:18. This verse reflects the condition we should find ourselves in as Christians! By unveiled it's referring to our spiritual sight as compared to the veiled Jew [law tradition self] and the world. The mirror is us reflecting Him by spirit, knowing who we are in Christ in the reality of life. By Glory it is referring to us in ministry as Christ, seen as Him in self conceptualization, His Body on earth both individually and corporately. In the transformation we are changed gradually, in our renewed mind, into the same image as Jesus; by His life giving Spirit. Not making the flesh better by works but the spirit growing in maturity. We actually are being transformed metabolically in spirit [the process of breaking down our former self] to have His shape: by the renewing of our natural mind into something new in self image. A union of oneness in spirit with Him. We now have His power His life essence, His image by Spirit; the Resurrected One, conformed by Him in death in a new image; putting away all that we were in the flesh. He is ours we are His! The Spirit is the compound title of the all inclusiveness of The God head. It is the Spirit who has the power of the creation, who gives life, who ministers, who transforms and frees us to live His life on earth. We as believers are to imitate Him in our self concept, apprehend ourselves as Him living out His life in us in the understanding of His Word. The Spirit as Life will follow, and overtake naturally. We then my friends will be seen by all the world as those who are beholding Him. Thank you to The Local Church recovery bible for clarity of this important verse.
Just as a personal note: again I say this blog is for my growth and advancement in the Body life. Not a teaching. Although I do have a strong desire for others to come to the realization of Christ as life. I know I sometimes stumble and also use logic our verbiage which is hard to understand. I also know from the dieing off of readers that many probably just don't get it. Or perhaps they are unwilling to take up the challenge, give up the comfort zone. I do not know! I therefor request, you that are still with me, to please pass this blog on to friends you think might have a hunger for something more than the status quo. A final request, and perhaps this is my ego speaking, but a word of encouragement or even criticism once in a while would be greatly appreciated. God bless you all!!
In 1 John 5:6 it speaks of the water [Jesus' baptism] the Blood [shed for remission of our sins] and The Spirit; going on to say; "and the Spirit is He who testifies, because The Spirit is the reality". In John 14:6, prior to His glorification while He was still on the earth, Jesus is the reality and life, in 1 John 5:6 it is The Spirit, they are now one in the same. Also in John 14:17 Jesus said to His disciples; "even The Spirit of reality whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides [Christ on earth physically] with you and shall be [via The Holy Spirit post Ascension] in you". It is now The Spirit as that reality who is Jesus Christ Himself who lives and forms us, He is our life by The Spirit. By knowing this we can see it is key to consider this same reality and life [Christ Himself] has now been infused in all who believe by The Spirit. The Spirit abiding in our spirit therefore is in place in us to germinate all those who have Faith in Christ; regenerating them with the Divine life. We can now live by the Spirit, in the love of God and be His expression on the earth. It is The Man Jesus Christ who is in heaven that has placed, by the exercise of our own faith, the Spirit in us: hence the mingling of Him with us in our spirit, and our position [union] in Him and our possession of Him by spirit internally. This completion of us comes by our renewed mind as the only means of actualizing Him as life. In truth it is the Tri-Union God Himself in whom we are completely-joined by Jesus' actions on earth, and then through His presence as the representative New Adam-New Man, a Human Man in a glorified form: thereby making us acceptable to God in heaven. This has accomplished The Father's acceptance of man in a new Holy image, which was never before in existence. He may now enter us in Spirit by faith. Because we now have a heritage which is spiritual, of a Adam Who is sin free. The old heritage has been made dead. By apprehending ourselves wholly in this fact by faith we begin to be formed in spirit in the inner man and will behold Him as reality, and life!
There is no doubt that our eye's should be on Jesus. He is the object which presents everything as to mans salvation and all that God is to man. We should view all that we are is in connection to the Lord Jesus, as to defining our Christianity; any other way is of no value. But it is The Holy Spirit that defines Him subjectively in our spirit for this purpose. He, The Spirit, reveals God to us. What I am trying to say here is; spirit is the most necessary ingredient, not our natural mind; which cannot see him as He is. Even the born again experience itself, us as new men, cannot completely of itself understand Him. The ministry of The Spirit, not the mind, provides the reality. Let me illustrate: I once followed a man who was expert at explaining in a apologetic manner scientifically and using persuasive philosophical reasoning to show that God exists; very stimulating indeed. But you see that is merely using the mind as object or reason. Oh yes belief was there, but no nurturing growth of spirit [Jesus as the reality of life] in this form of conceptualization by the mind only; therefore of little value to growth in spirit. The Spirit enters by revelation and by the Word and is the reality and the life for the Christan. The disciples are good examples; they believed, were born of God after the resurrection, but it was not until The Spirit arrived to give revelation that they were able to behold Him in understanding the scriptures, and enabling them in power to witness the truth. This my friends I believe is important to recognize, because it is so easy to be diverted by the world or experience, using our mind/intellect and feelings as the primary condition of defining reality and life, making the Word of God nothing more than a helper to our humanity stoking our pride and easing the natural mans inherent troubles. By living thus we cast aside the reality of Spirit and faith which is found in the subjective revelation of The Word by the ministry of The Holy Spirit. It is by the power of God's gift in recognition of who we are: brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself. We are seen by The Father positionally contained in Christ in heaven just as if we were there personally present. Now as Christ Jesus' Body in spirit we may rest in simple trust and faith; beholding Him in the inner man as the One who is the occupant of the place of salvation for us! No other incite will do for the mature Christian.
I believe with all my heart that the responsibility of the Christian on whatever level he is capable of achieving it, is to search for a higher level of intimacy with The Lord. While the mind comes into play here on the human natural level and certainly can accomplish the task of directing us toward that goal, the spiritual roll of faith, must be the paramount way of our entering into Christ. We can only be in touch with Spirit by listening to the voice of our inner man, made clear by The Word [Spirit renewed mind/soul] and even trusting it. This is a sometimes precarious road with many often difficult turns. That is why we must have the Word of God instilled in us as the defining end to all things of The Spirit in the inner man. This requires a right understanding and a proper motivation when we read it. This admittedly can be a road fraught with potential deviations; if denominational-ism be an example. But take encouragement my friends, the Lord is our guide. We only need the all important ingredient of a desire to be formed in the inward parts in His image. By His Spirit it all will be accomplished; we just need to need it enough, and there is the true test.
"But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory even as from the Spirit" 2 Cor. 3:18. This verse reflects the condition we should find ourselves in as Christians! By unveiled it's referring to our spiritual sight as compared to the veiled Jew [law tradition self] and the world. The mirror is us reflecting Him by spirit, knowing who we are in Christ in the reality of life. By Glory it is referring to us in ministry as Christ, seen as Him in self conceptualization, His Body on earth both individually and corporately. In the transformation we are changed gradually, in our renewed mind, into the same image as Jesus; by His life giving Spirit. Not making the flesh better by works but the spirit growing in maturity. We actually are being transformed metabolically in spirit [the process of breaking down our former self] to have His shape: by the renewing of our natural mind into something new in self image. A union of oneness in spirit with Him. We now have His power His life essence, His image by Spirit; the Resurrected One, conformed by Him in death in a new image; putting away all that we were in the flesh. He is ours we are His! The Spirit is the compound title of the all inclusiveness of The God head. It is the Spirit who has the power of the creation, who gives life, who ministers, who transforms and frees us to live His life on earth. We as believers are to imitate Him in our self concept, apprehend ourselves as Him living out His life in us in the understanding of His Word. The Spirit as Life will follow, and overtake naturally. We then my friends will be seen by all the world as those who are beholding Him. Thank you to The Local Church recovery bible for clarity of this important verse.
Just as a personal note: again I say this blog is for my growth and advancement in the Body life. Not a teaching. Although I do have a strong desire for others to come to the realization of Christ as life. I know I sometimes stumble and also use logic our verbiage which is hard to understand. I also know from the dieing off of readers that many probably just don't get it. Or perhaps they are unwilling to take up the challenge, give up the comfort zone. I do not know! I therefor request, you that are still with me, to please pass this blog on to friends you think might have a hunger for something more than the status quo. A final request, and perhaps this is my ego speaking, but a word of encouragement or even criticism once in a while would be greatly appreciated. God bless you all!!
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