I sometimes wonder about all this spiritual stuff. After all we can only experience what we are, and we are all just humans. But The Word says; "we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit". Yet we are constantly struggling and trying to recover what we think The Father wants us to be for Him. It surely could not be for us only that we try so hard. After all were just a part of the withering mass stumbling about the earth; what good are we anyway? Well perhaps we are some good or the Father would not have chosen us: but at least the consideration of applying the natural life, the old man or the flesh, must be disallowed for anything worthy of God to be accomplished, all must be done in Spirit as He demands in His Word. However it seem that the conditions of the flesh is what we are the busiest with. That is not resting in what we are in spirit; but always trying to adjust our own behavior to programs of our own making, worldly needs or someones agenda, via well planned Christian activities etc.. Well then if man out side of The Spirit is not a functioning member of the Body of Christ who may be? For crying out loud how on earth do we enter into something other than what we are? Yet that is what is called for. "But you are not living the life of the flesh [natural man] you are living the life of the Spirit, if The Holy Spirit of God really dwells within you-directs and controls you" Rom. 8:9, Amp. Well friends there you have it we are to live the life of the Spirit, we can only do that it seems if the Spirit of God really dwells in us and not only dwells but directs and controls us. The "if " is in the dwelling of God in us, which evidently eliminates the natural flesh as what we may dwell in for this purpose as; "it is impossible to please God in the [natural state] flesh". Well if that is true then how can we be assured of our dwelling place? Or should I say, to know He dwells within us, to know we are operating in The Spirit.
On the surface the answer is very simple for the Bible says: "we are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power". This is a fact of faith for all born again Christians to be reckoned upon. We just don't often know it enough! A hint might be the Word's call for us to be completed "in Him". Maybe sometimes we feel quite sure, other times not, because we are disappointed in ourselves. Perhaps it is our behavior, even sin. Or could it be the burden of a discernment that something is wrong here? So much of what much of the Church has taken on as identity it seems, is a fleshly effort to make something they see as a sort of godly duty come true, in a effort to make the world a better place and establish a happy prosperous Christian community. Which is not a bad thing, just not the call of the Church, nor the Christian. "But God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world" Gal. 6:14. Never the less, I have come to see that God is using all the earth and all the people to accomplish His will and I take soils in that, no need to judge. But I must discern. In order to discern I must know what I am in my self evaluation first. The not knowing our true godly personality is the most prominent point of immaturity and weakness for the Christian I believe. But if I grow in Spirit, I may become wise enough to align myself with the people of God who are most sincerely attempting to live the Christian life in Spirit. And just what is that like? It is nothing more nor less, than the open declaration and display of Jesus Christ as life. Not as works or accomplishments to display our goodness, nor even a doctrinal academic mental position, but the life of Christ in the inner man first! No one will or can live a perfect biblical approved life. We cannot expect that. But by the same token we should be able to gain enough maturity in Christ as the goal of our life to know the difference. My good and faithful friends if you are not seeking with all of your heart's desire a life in Christ; then you cannot be sure who you are yet. If one is not gaining spiritual knowledge and maturity from his personal search of The Word of God, then he only has one other place of influence, the world and the natural flesh nature!
In order to change and grow, we must take on the redefining of ourselves into what the bible, God's Word, has openly revealed us to be; and then believe it. "Seek those thing which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God" Col. 3:1. " I long to know Christ and the power which is in His resurrection" Phil. 3:10. This really and quite simply is the total spiritual duty of the Christian. We should have no other overriding goal in life. To what are we chained? This is the question we should ask ourselves! Is it something that makes the Christ life constant and true? Call it a biblical/spiritual sense of orientation as to a our new nature. There are only two options available in the living of life on earth. The first is in our flesh or the natural as life, where we perceive things in the natural mind and we have unlimited room for failure. Ask yourself what is your daily concern most attuned to? Your worldly affairs, money, family difficulties, Church duty's etc. Or the second choice, Christ as life. In Him only will we will find the firm foundation, from which we cannot fail or fall both now and forever. How does this work? Again simply put, only death and sin resides in the flesh, no spiritual mature man need apply for a true Christ life in the flesh mode; he simply cannot be accepted! Whereas if our identity is found in Christ as conscious thought of He who sits at the right hand of the father, in the form of a man. And by that as our own definition we may know a justification before God, entirely by the Representative presence of Jesus. The place of perfect righteousness for us viewed by The Father in The Son, as The Son presents us to The Father in Himself. This must become the clear and overriding view we have of our Christian new nature, which is totally a spiritual matter.
Well then just who are we by a conscious understanding of life in the Spirit. The bible tells us without any hesitation in plane words few care to risk to understand. " Now the God of peace...make you perfect [complete and mature] in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ" Heb. 13:20,21. By risk I mean, it seems the dearest wish for mankind is to maintain a sense of themselves; Christianity calls for just the opposite. The Christian life is the presentation and expression of The Lord Jesus Christ through the believer to men in the world, and also to the Church. There is nothing else for us the Church to do! The question is then, to what are we anchored? Is it something that makes life constant, seeking Christ in all our ways. Are we obliged to life in The Spirit? Or, are we still living in the realm of death by engaging in life's perception in the natural man? A change of mind it seems is required to know who we are. In other words we must seek maturity. Which requires self evaluation and hard work.
There is no one more protective of their inner self than a child. We think of them as so open and free. Not true. They are trapped, victims of their condition, as self centered beings. We all know the child will cry until he gets what he wants, its only natural. The last thing a child will tolerate is a change of direction he is set upon! This is also the condition of the vast sea of immature Christians. He is held in childhood by himself first and reinforced in his choice by a complacent church. The door of the presentation of being challenged to turn his back on the world is held closed by a need to be pampered, the desire to do good things, and thereby become fulfilled; which the provision of, the institutional church has taken to a fine art. Like the declaration of governments; send us your money give us your attention, we will do many good works as your representatives and you then may feel a sense of accomplishment, never fear you are a part of us. That cannot be the true calling of those who have a life in Christ. We must all come to know that on some level, or we will perish, at least to the active living of Christ in this life, in favor of the world and the flesh. Why would we choose that Christian friend? May it never be!
No my friends it is past time we grow up. All the truth needed for the accomplishment of God's purpose upon the earth has been revealed. We must stop listening to men, perhaps of good intent, but many are of the world. The life of the Christian is not one of improvement as to worldly condition. The bible say's "we are not even citizens of this world". If anything we are called to suffer. Remember the Word says: "As He is so are we in this world" 1 John 4:17. This is a great and most wonderful saying, and we can aspire to a perfect destination by it. But He also suffered and died that we may have life. He still bears the scars, as he showed Thomas. He is in heaven with those same wounds. Are we any better? What a privilege it is to walk in the light of the new creation, even in pain and weakness. He is our righteousness and sanctification, our all in all. Our very Christian life. Our motive for obedience should be in the faith of His footsteps, perhaps persecuted and scorned. We must walk so as to nurture a life in Christ Jesus, regardless of the sacrifice. The word say's of Jesus; "Who died for all, that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again" 2 Cor. 5:15 From this day forward its my prayer we will all be sure who we are!!
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