There is something of immense importance all Christians must know: the Adam nature man has been fully judged and ended before God. Many know this on some level at least. Even if only that they perceive they are justified before the Father, by Jesus' death on the cross. Having relief that they are saved.
Very few however identify within themselves His death as a co-death [that they died with Christ] which must be renewed daily in faith in order to have His life actively alive in their mind and spirit. A objective biblical fact that when perceived by faith produces the Christian life. "Of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us....sanctification" 1Cor. 1:30. It is the required acknowledgement of our own natural mans crucifixion "take up you cross daily" which then opens the door to our consecration in Christ's life. In death we are a living sacrifice with Jesus and must even be partakers of His suffering, by our recognizing we are weak and incapable of living His life, carried out in the natural Adam. This is the order by which The Holy Spirit's life grows within. All else is a vain effort to live the Christian life.
Many Christians do not have a confident personal awareness that the death of our Saviour has been applied to them. That the sinful Adam nature as a race and thereby their own natural human Adam man is dead in God's judgement. By His death taking on our death the door opened to us becoming entirely new creatures. Newly alive by faith, contained wholly in Jesus Christ. Which is all made true by the death of the Adam man and the flesh accomplished by Him on the Cross. The entire race redeemed by one act; it's death, then converted to newness by belief. We are then transferred or re-made in spirit, born again from death, when we believe this is true. We are now seen as perfect in the Fathers estimation. His judgement of our sin nature completed. Our perfect heavenly position as new creatures is provided to God exclusively in His son, from redemption to eternal heavenly life.
There can be no application of Christ Jesus life to our Adam nature in any way. Yes our soul becomes transformed by knowledge, but any life we have is all His by Christ's federal representation, His substitution. Therefore we simply must be done with any reliance upon the natural! This is the crux of the biblical orthodox positional truth doctrines. Rom. 6,7,8. Further more this positional truth in very certain terms tells us, all that we are as a saint of Christ is entirely seen in the Son and can only be lived in our mind/spirit by faith of its truth. God will honor us by His grace in this approach.
The Christian died as a child of Adam in a co-death with Christ that is positional in nature. Meaning that Jesus Christ the Son of God in His death and also in His Resurrected glory, is seen by the Father as the objective representation of the very man we are by the new birth. First the dead Adam then the newly alive new creation in Christ. Mans old dead nature, which is still active in him, can have no part of the perfect sacrifice or the new life. Therefore we must come to see ourselves entirely in Christ as a spiritual position, sanctified into a new spiritual life which is Christ's and His alone and by faith alone. Both as to death and life. Our part in this truth is our belief that this is true, nothing more!
All that is applied by God to The Son in Glory is applied to us who have believed. Including His Sons own death to the flesh and old nature. As well as eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus is the object seen by the Father, then His life is transferred to us by God's Spirit through our belief and by faith in the position we hold in Him. This is according to the God's divine authority. All that Christ Jesus is and was is given by grace to His new creation. He is the object for all that we ever will be. No action on our part, behavior or display of enthusiasm, will ascertain or confirm His life as the object before God which accounts for our presence there. He is all there is. His work is finished and we are established in it.
Many seem unaware that despite the work of the Cross they still carry with them this same old man, as a permanent fixture which cannot be remade by any Christian virtue. Yes the man who was judged is still with us and is even capable of doing good things. But the sin in the Adam nature, sin in our flesh, is not forgiven. But is forgotten; it has been judged in the Sons death. Adams nature will never be improved. Many Christians simply acquiesces to waking up with the old nature each morning. Allowing its control and it is there they stay throughout the day. Only a refreshing by the washing of the Word each day will serve to put our heart and soul where it belongs. In the death of all that is natural. Then we become alive in the supernatural, which is Christ's life."So that we can no longer spend the rest of our natural life living by human appetites and desires but for what God wills" 1 Pet. 4:2 amp.
I believe this fact is the most difficult dichotomy [division into two mutually opposed groups] we will ever face as Christians. We will spend the balance of our Christian lives dealing with it: that is if the Holy Spirit is not grieved and held back by our settling for a natural Christian Adam life in the sinful Adam personality. All because we lack the benefit of a great suffering in our Adam natures incapacity for holiness, and thereby do not see its utter worthlessness. If so one may become satisfied with the formality of a active self accepted Christian life as a mere behavior, tradition, obligation or happy comfortable church life style, albeit perhaps lived with great sincerity.
What are we to do then? First we must know from the Word that it is only by faith we may display the new nature in Christ, it is wholly internal. "God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" Rom. 8:3. Where sin brought us, love brought the Lord Jesus Christ....even to death; and His death is the end before God of all that we were as children of Adam...men in the flesh. Only faith will live this true Christian condition out in the quietness of the inner man. The Holy Spirit will then live Christ's life by grace within His saints. No natural effort is required. His will, will be done.
Secondly we must see by faith in order to please God, that this death in the flesh of Jesus Christ is always and only positional. Which means it is objective. In other words it is a view and condition we are held in, in God's eye's and His only. We cannot live it out in our natural behavior! Or in any physical/mental format or designed program. No matter how godly or uplifting it seems.
Thus by adopting God's approach, our spiritual new nature is completely taken out of the hands of the first Adam personality; which we are all subject to at all times while on earth. It is by positional faith, wholly a Spiritual condition, which we are in. This objective position, His Sons place and life, has fully satisfied God. We are there in Christ's life by being placed positionally in spirit in Him, we are put on God's ground. One of Spirit, His Sons and our final completed destiny together. "You were set free from the tyranny of sin" Rom. 6:18
By the title we now have in Christ Jesus He has granted us, who remain in our sinful nature, as Adam men a new life. A life which may be lived only by faith in a positional fact: we have been replaced by another, Jesus Christ Himself. He holds us in heaven in His life, a eternal position, a federal position. There is nothing more to know or to do than this; for us to realize our new creation spirit is in Christ life. "For we are His workmanship [He positioned us in His Son] created in Christ Jesus" Eph. 2:10.
How then shall we live? We are dead as a Adam personality before God and manifested to the Father positionally in representative glory by Christ. But on the other hand we are here. So now simply by faith we must live in another life.... a life of, "A Man who is risen from the dead". In this marvelous act God has included us, His new creation. The Father has granted us His Sons very life. A Man in the flesh of a human became glorified. God's choice, His method, His way, to our benefit forever.
We did belong to the race of which Adam was the head, the sin nature. But the death of Christ in God's reckoning is applied now, in positional or representative-objective-sanctified form. Christ's work is counted as true and final by God toward us. All thing are contained in Him. This is the termination of our history in Adam, in God's sight. A new head has been provided for us, and we have been transferred by divine grace from Adam to Christ! This is entirely a spiritual heavenly condition which can only be recognized by faith of it's truth; and must be lived that way by God's design. This is the normal Christian life. This is being a over comer.
This transfer is in Spirit and made aware to our mind only by faith. It is seen by the father and applied to us as a new creation life, the very life of Jesus His Son. His life in heaven is applied to our very being and essence. The Father still fully recognizing our individual creation, [our soul] but grants us a new spirit.... created for us in the very person of His Son to live by. By Knowing this truth renewed in our mind daily in faith we may experience Christ as life on earth.
In God's estimation this new spirit or life is not only positioned in or represented by His Son within His person; but in fact is His Son. This is God's perfect will in the reconciliation of the Adam man. Christ Jesus life then enters us by the Holy Spirit. A perfect God can see us no other way except in His Son a perfect Man. We as a new creation hold the exact same esteem as His son at His right hand. A position we are spiritually contained in! We of ourselves no matter how sincere or good will never qualify for His life. This is His method of reconciliation of mankind to Himself. He became a Man and took us with Him from death to life. We are not to question this work or try and live up to it, but to accept it by faith. We now have and are in God's life. "If any man is in Christ [positioned there by God] he is a new creation" 2 Cor. 5:17. Attempting to enact this truth in our flesh is the total downfall of the Christian man. And is a condition every Christian group has been guilty of.
Well now what? We still must deal with the old Adam each day. Can we make our new man of faith the leader in our physical/mental life on earth in the old Adams body and personality? Do we act a certain way, are we now empowered because we know by faith the new nature in Christ? Can adopting a new countenance by our knowledge please God?
No my dear brothers and sisters in Christ this is not possible. But the Word does tell us all we need for certain victory in this new life is faith. "He died for all, that they that live [in faith of their position in Christ in glory] should not henceforth live unto themselves [the old Adam personality]; but unto Him" 2 Cor. 5:15. Only by faith! Yes this truth will "thank God" effect our life here in transformative behavior. But our behavior does not prove faith or make us worthy of His life in any way. It is a free gift to be partaken of in our hearts and it is there it must rest.
We do not live unto Him by hard work, studies, meetings and especially feelings. Man will never be successful in creating a proper environment for Jesus Christ. His life is found by faith in the facts of God's declarations at our fingertips each morning. His word contains the only revelation we will ever need. We must study it, know the doctrines of His revelation. Only the dedicated shall find His positional truth as life and experience and take rest in that life. We must count all things as loss for faiths discovery. This is the only way we may touch the reality of Spirit. "For He has made Him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" 2 Cor. 5:21. Glory be to God that He has provided a way across the divide by placing/positioning us in the Righteousness of Jesus the perfect Man.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
A CHANGE IS COMING
The words transformed and conformed are often used in church circles to encourage the forming of a vision, a image or even a goal of becoming something more than we perceive we are. These words are by their own definition a process which is taking place, some sort of change. Its just that these all important spiritual alterations, according to God's standard, must not take place as a mere intellectual realization, a lifestyle change or an accomplishment, as many suppose they must. In other words conformity to Jesus Christ does not take place as a aspiration of our natural man. Something so much more is required to please Him.
The transformation/conformity process the bible speaks of must not become simply a accepted way in which we conduct ourselves. Or a emotional feeling based composure. Even with all good intent and godly sincerity. If so then by God's biblical standards, we are simply in the flesh of the first Adams nature. Or worse followers of the law. Never acceptable in the Fathers sight."For me the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free" Rom. 8:2
Really all the changes that are necessary for God's grace to flow and His perfect will for our acceptance as transformed ones are and have been completed in and by His Son. If that is true as our spiritual reality and we know it as our condition in mind [a awareness of positional truth as doctrine] then becoming a spiritual reality within us, there is nothing more we need do. If we just know this much, as a inner reality, then by exercising faith, that we are contained in His life, we have arrived at the place of conformity to Christ. The Holy Spirit is now free to form His life in us. By faith of this fact as true in our life we have entered the realization of the completed transformation which is all by grace. We have begun, by His Spirit, to perceive ourselves alive in Christ in our bodies here on earth. "God....has made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Eph. 2:4-6. This is your irrevocable status as a saint before God.
How then do we deal with the Word when it says, we will be conformed to His image? What does this mean? At church we hear we are being transformed? How is this process taking place? Does God want us to change our behavior on the earth? Are we to think in a new and certain way as to our condition, then apply what we learn to our performance, by a intellectual acquiescence. Does a mere declaration in a sincere enthusiastic manner count? Can we be taught to act on the outside what in reality we already are in the spirit of the inner man and in God's estimation in heaven, completed in His Son?
The very word "teaching" could indicate we are developing and are engaging a process to alter the self, so that we might perform in a prescribed manner. Take on a certain countenance. Much like the transformation that takes place in the military in turning a civilian into a solider with great conviction. By his proper attitude and action he shows his military bearing.
The truth is that every Christian is already in the eternal completed state of God's desire. However he must come to know this by the Holy Spirit, then he may manifest Christ. Yes even those who are true Christians in the degraded worldly churches. Along with those who with good intent are organizing, working and praying for their congregation or assembly to catch the vision of a recovered Church. All have the same finalized spiritual identity and position before the Father. That of the Son. "For you have died and your [new creation] life is hid with God" Col. 3:3. The question is can we actually be taught this truth and then apply it to ourselves as the normal Christian life; as one transformed or conformed to His image?
The Lord is in no way dependent upon any teaching or mentally realized condition we might arrive at for His return, or us knowing our place in Him. Nor does He need us to perform or meet a standard in a certain manner to enable Himself in our spirit. The Word has described all that is necessary for a saint to be used as His Body. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great precious promises: that you might be partakers of the divine nature" 2 Pet. 1:4. The Holy Spirit dwells in us to ever glorify Christ. All that we ever will be or can be is already accomplished entirely by Him in us and in glory by His Spirit. We only need to completely abandon our natural man to experience it. This truth is slow to arrive for most.
So He waits patiently for us to become aware of something before we may realize our transformation. To first discover something very important ! "Jesus Christ must become our entire life". How? By a simple daily reckoning of His very death as ours and nothing more. The old Adam is finished, dead! Thereby if we believe this, we may experience in the inner man a divine spiritual reality: Christ's life in us and in heaven as the perfect new second Adam Man and we in that very same place. He has become our identity, us as a new creation in Him. He is in truth our very and only true life, both in our mortal bodies and in heaven.
Thus we become the manifestation of Christ on earth. The transformation that already exists, taking place, applied each day by the faith of our objective position [finished work of Christ] in Him. We thereby become mentally/spiritually conformed, by becoming aware of a life wholly in Him. We need expend no self effort once we have this assurance as life. Grace will supply all that is necessary to continue. But how is this accomplished in a way we may rest in; a daily peaceful assurance of this life as our condition?
It is by the individual acquisition of a faithful recognition of our position of death on the Cross with Christ as a objective fact. We then may live in apprehension of this fact in a subjective or experiential life in Christ Jesus. Each saint alone in their room having come to an end daily of their self in the old Adam. Casting off the old Adam nature in favor of the new creation in Christ. Usually by experiencing great personal need to no longer be a self centered man, living alone in the old Adam personality which plagues us all.
Recognizing and acknowledging each day our own death with Christ Jesus on the cross. Seeing the total incompetence of the self. The utter disputation of any reliability on personal self effort to know God. At that moment of truths desire and discovery a baptism of Spirit takes place, the new man is formed. No teaching or training will accomplish this in and of itself.
The saint will have now begun to allow a door to open. The transforming by faith, of the already completed and transformed one in Christ, is now beginning. The newness of a understanding of the total conformation that has already taken place upon the cross and in our spirit and in heaven. All accomplished by the very person of Christ Himself. Nothing of ourselves in any way qualifies for this position. Our life is only Christ's life! We are entirely "hid in Christ" and if this is our faiths position, a transformed life then takes place upon the earth; a change has come.
The transformation/conformity process the bible speaks of must not become simply a accepted way in which we conduct ourselves. Or a emotional feeling based composure. Even with all good intent and godly sincerity. If so then by God's biblical standards, we are simply in the flesh of the first Adams nature. Or worse followers of the law. Never acceptable in the Fathers sight."For me the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free" Rom. 8:2
Really all the changes that are necessary for God's grace to flow and His perfect will for our acceptance as transformed ones are and have been completed in and by His Son. If that is true as our spiritual reality and we know it as our condition in mind [a awareness of positional truth as doctrine] then becoming a spiritual reality within us, there is nothing more we need do. If we just know this much, as a inner reality, then by exercising faith, that we are contained in His life, we have arrived at the place of conformity to Christ. The Holy Spirit is now free to form His life in us. By faith of this fact as true in our life we have entered the realization of the completed transformation which is all by grace. We have begun, by His Spirit, to perceive ourselves alive in Christ in our bodies here on earth. "God....has made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Eph. 2:4-6. This is your irrevocable status as a saint before God.
How then do we deal with the Word when it says, we will be conformed to His image? What does this mean? At church we hear we are being transformed? How is this process taking place? Does God want us to change our behavior on the earth? Are we to think in a new and certain way as to our condition, then apply what we learn to our performance, by a intellectual acquiescence. Does a mere declaration in a sincere enthusiastic manner count? Can we be taught to act on the outside what in reality we already are in the spirit of the inner man and in God's estimation in heaven, completed in His Son?
The very word "teaching" could indicate we are developing and are engaging a process to alter the self, so that we might perform in a prescribed manner. Take on a certain countenance. Much like the transformation that takes place in the military in turning a civilian into a solider with great conviction. By his proper attitude and action he shows his military bearing.
The truth is that every Christian is already in the eternal completed state of God's desire. However he must come to know this by the Holy Spirit, then he may manifest Christ. Yes even those who are true Christians in the degraded worldly churches. Along with those who with good intent are organizing, working and praying for their congregation or assembly to catch the vision of a recovered Church. All have the same finalized spiritual identity and position before the Father. That of the Son. "For you have died and your [new creation] life is hid with God" Col. 3:3. The question is can we actually be taught this truth and then apply it to ourselves as the normal Christian life; as one transformed or conformed to His image?
The Lord is in no way dependent upon any teaching or mentally realized condition we might arrive at for His return, or us knowing our place in Him. Nor does He need us to perform or meet a standard in a certain manner to enable Himself in our spirit. The Word has described all that is necessary for a saint to be used as His Body. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great precious promises: that you might be partakers of the divine nature" 2 Pet. 1:4. The Holy Spirit dwells in us to ever glorify Christ. All that we ever will be or can be is already accomplished entirely by Him in us and in glory by His Spirit. We only need to completely abandon our natural man to experience it. This truth is slow to arrive for most.
So He waits patiently for us to become aware of something before we may realize our transformation. To first discover something very important ! "Jesus Christ must become our entire life". How? By a simple daily reckoning of His very death as ours and nothing more. The old Adam is finished, dead! Thereby if we believe this, we may experience in the inner man a divine spiritual reality: Christ's life in us and in heaven as the perfect new second Adam Man and we in that very same place. He has become our identity, us as a new creation in Him. He is in truth our very and only true life, both in our mortal bodies and in heaven.
Thus we become the manifestation of Christ on earth. The transformation that already exists, taking place, applied each day by the faith of our objective position [finished work of Christ] in Him. We thereby become mentally/spiritually conformed, by becoming aware of a life wholly in Him. We need expend no self effort once we have this assurance as life. Grace will supply all that is necessary to continue. But how is this accomplished in a way we may rest in; a daily peaceful assurance of this life as our condition?
It is by the individual acquisition of a faithful recognition of our position of death on the Cross with Christ as a objective fact. We then may live in apprehension of this fact in a subjective or experiential life in Christ Jesus. Each saint alone in their room having come to an end daily of their self in the old Adam. Casting off the old Adam nature in favor of the new creation in Christ. Usually by experiencing great personal need to no longer be a self centered man, living alone in the old Adam personality which plagues us all.
Recognizing and acknowledging each day our own death with Christ Jesus on the cross. Seeing the total incompetence of the self. The utter disputation of any reliability on personal self effort to know God. At that moment of truths desire and discovery a baptism of Spirit takes place, the new man is formed. No teaching or training will accomplish this in and of itself.
The saint will have now begun to allow a door to open. The transforming by faith, of the already completed and transformed one in Christ, is now beginning. The newness of a understanding of the total conformation that has already taken place upon the cross and in our spirit and in heaven. All accomplished by the very person of Christ Himself. Nothing of ourselves in any way qualifies for this position. Our life is only Christ's life! We are entirely "hid in Christ" and if this is our faiths position, a transformed life then takes place upon the earth; a change has come.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
THE SPIRITUAL QUESTION
Just what does it mean to be spiritual? This is a question that often seemed difficult to me. It is becoming less so these days. It really means finding the answers to all of life's issues in something which is quite invisible to our natural mind. It is not a emotion or feeling yet can be experienced. It is a faith in a biblical truth which is a substance which is called Spirit. The substance is God Himself. He is made true and real in our life by Spirit. His Sons Spirit dwelling in us. Occupying our mind and thoughts.
Exercising our spirit in Christ is applying mentally a firm mature belief that the Holy Spirit is having a certain and applicable effect upon our very existence. That He is forming a spiritual life in us which is above and more than our self life. It is God's actual life replacing ours. A understanding that we indeed are not alive or have God's life, by God's spiritual standards while remaining in the flesh [natural thought] as a mental attitude of our existence for the purpose of knowing God. The natural man [first Adam] cannot form or experience the Christian life in spirit.
We then must in faith of these facts be formed by His Word and Spirit. Then we may be revalued in attitude and thought and become, by biblical standards, "spiritual". Based upon the true facts of the Word. Which we act on in belief or reckon as true. We thereby take on the second Adams life by faith. We then may become dispositionally diffident from those in the world and live in the true Christ life. We become new men in spirit, the new creation in Christ. Fully formed in Him.
The bible tell us we are in a spiritual battle. It is between the old nature and the new. The Word also says there are two types of Christians: First the carnal fleshy natural, those still living in the old nature. Second is spiritual: those mature in their faith and the Word; gaining faith that they are in the new nature who is Jesus Christ Himself. Well which are you? For me it is sometimes a mixture, so I know I have a ways to go!
A wise man once said the questions we ask and the answers we receive are determined by the pre-suppositions we have. What then are the suppositions we must have to know our spiritual place? It seems quite obvious we would find the answer when we ask God. The Father has prescribed the answer to all our needs in His Word. So then our spiritual mind is matured and formed by taking in the Word of God. The more dedicated we are the more chance we have for growth; to leave the elementary behind. It all really seems quite simple and very straight forward.
There is a processing that must take place however for spiritual growth. It is in the battle. Yes the war was won on Calvary, but the battle still rages on; the fight is for our true identity. This battle is the very means used by Jesus Christ to accomplish His work in us, making us spiritual or mature biblical Christians by the formation of need. The bible tells us we have spiritual armor for this battle, but we must learn to wear it. And we must come to recognize the leader on the front line. It is His Holy Spirit within us who shows the way. He is there to engage us in recognizing our leaders life as our very own in our newly realized spirit.
We have entered into Christ Jesus the promised land, it is beautiful and rich and free there. But surprises are waiting. After we step across the flowing brook into the garden we find conflict. Really as we grow there is no less conflict, as we might have hoped; but instead constant conflict. The natural man in us and the world become more observable against the landscape of the perfect man who we are coming to see we are wholly contained in. Whose identity we have been given and are growing to know more in spirit. He is the good land of milk and honey within us. Our Christ positional identity in the new nature is a heavenly nature of the Spiritual man. Whose life we have inherited at the Cross after His life and ours died together to the flesh or natural man.
The great difference for our new life is in maturity we may take cover in our leader the Victorious Man Jesus Christ, just where He is. He has identified Himself with us by being found in us as our re- born life. The carnal Christian and the worldly man only has himself to look too because he does not know Christ as his identity. A very poor choice when a war rages on all fronts and we are in its mist.
The advantage for the mature spiritual solider is that he is in the front with the leader. He may see the battle first hand. He thereby observes the crushing defeat of the enemy. This is the battle zone of the most conflict and where we find the greatest reward. We are not ever free from this conflict but may rest trusting Him during it; because our leader has won the war on the Cross. It really is His battle. This is faiths great gift. Therefore the spiritual man is highly honored on the field of battle by exercising his graceful free gift of faith in his place of identity, Christ our life. Then God is also glorified.
Let us all form in our mind a determination, a deep desire, to join the mature forces of the Spiritual man. The conflict will serve to sharpen our swords by creating much need. The mature are of course the best trained, ready to do battle, confident of victory, experienced in suffering. They are never satisfied with staying in the rear formations. They wish only to be where the action is. They have cast off their former self in complete trust that their leader will take them to victory, forming His life within them. They have no thought for their own safety. They fight as one unit together, the stronger battle hardened protecting the weaker, but all one none the less.
The final answer to the spiritual question is that we are to walk according to the Spirit. This is not a self-occupation or even a Holy Spirit occupation. But a dependence upon the fact that the Lord Jesus is in heaven and we are to walk or live out our active conscience thought life in the sphere where our Saviour dwells. He is before the father and we are guided by His Spirit of life within us.
He is in heaven before the Father as our very propitiation, the overriding realization and consecrated fact of God's love toward us; God accepting us wholly in His Son. Him as propitiation, meaning to make satisfaction for us toward God. He satisfied God's justice and righteousness, and then the Fathers mercy flowed toward us, His beloved Children through His Son. As such ones who have received Him we then became viewed entirely in His Son. Sanctified in His glory, in His person, in His place and being. A positional reality found or realized only in Spirit by faith of its reality applied to us. This is a true truth announced to us by the Word of God.
We are seen by the Father in the Resurrected Man's glory. His very image is ours, "hid with Christ". All saved ones are in this heavenly position, none are in the flesh in the Fathers eye's. He sees us only in the Spirit as He views His Son before Him. "For you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you" Rom. 8:9.To know this as your very Christian existence is God's fervent desire for all who would seek the answer to the Spiritual question!
Exercising our spirit in Christ is applying mentally a firm mature belief that the Holy Spirit is having a certain and applicable effect upon our very existence. That He is forming a spiritual life in us which is above and more than our self life. It is God's actual life replacing ours. A understanding that we indeed are not alive or have God's life, by God's spiritual standards while remaining in the flesh [natural thought] as a mental attitude of our existence for the purpose of knowing God. The natural man [first Adam] cannot form or experience the Christian life in spirit.
We then must in faith of these facts be formed by His Word and Spirit. Then we may be revalued in attitude and thought and become, by biblical standards, "spiritual". Based upon the true facts of the Word. Which we act on in belief or reckon as true. We thereby take on the second Adams life by faith. We then may become dispositionally diffident from those in the world and live in the true Christ life. We become new men in spirit, the new creation in Christ. Fully formed in Him.
The bible tell us we are in a spiritual battle. It is between the old nature and the new. The Word also says there are two types of Christians: First the carnal fleshy natural, those still living in the old nature. Second is spiritual: those mature in their faith and the Word; gaining faith that they are in the new nature who is Jesus Christ Himself. Well which are you? For me it is sometimes a mixture, so I know I have a ways to go!
A wise man once said the questions we ask and the answers we receive are determined by the pre-suppositions we have. What then are the suppositions we must have to know our spiritual place? It seems quite obvious we would find the answer when we ask God. The Father has prescribed the answer to all our needs in His Word. So then our spiritual mind is matured and formed by taking in the Word of God. The more dedicated we are the more chance we have for growth; to leave the elementary behind. It all really seems quite simple and very straight forward.
There is a processing that must take place however for spiritual growth. It is in the battle. Yes the war was won on Calvary, but the battle still rages on; the fight is for our true identity. This battle is the very means used by Jesus Christ to accomplish His work in us, making us spiritual or mature biblical Christians by the formation of need. The bible tells us we have spiritual armor for this battle, but we must learn to wear it. And we must come to recognize the leader on the front line. It is His Holy Spirit within us who shows the way. He is there to engage us in recognizing our leaders life as our very own in our newly realized spirit.
We have entered into Christ Jesus the promised land, it is beautiful and rich and free there. But surprises are waiting. After we step across the flowing brook into the garden we find conflict. Really as we grow there is no less conflict, as we might have hoped; but instead constant conflict. The natural man in us and the world become more observable against the landscape of the perfect man who we are coming to see we are wholly contained in. Whose identity we have been given and are growing to know more in spirit. He is the good land of milk and honey within us. Our Christ positional identity in the new nature is a heavenly nature of the Spiritual man. Whose life we have inherited at the Cross after His life and ours died together to the flesh or natural man.
The great difference for our new life is in maturity we may take cover in our leader the Victorious Man Jesus Christ, just where He is. He has identified Himself with us by being found in us as our re- born life. The carnal Christian and the worldly man only has himself to look too because he does not know Christ as his identity. A very poor choice when a war rages on all fronts and we are in its mist.
The advantage for the mature spiritual solider is that he is in the front with the leader. He may see the battle first hand. He thereby observes the crushing defeat of the enemy. This is the battle zone of the most conflict and where we find the greatest reward. We are not ever free from this conflict but may rest trusting Him during it; because our leader has won the war on the Cross. It really is His battle. This is faiths great gift. Therefore the spiritual man is highly honored on the field of battle by exercising his graceful free gift of faith in his place of identity, Christ our life. Then God is also glorified.
Let us all form in our mind a determination, a deep desire, to join the mature forces of the Spiritual man. The conflict will serve to sharpen our swords by creating much need. The mature are of course the best trained, ready to do battle, confident of victory, experienced in suffering. They are never satisfied with staying in the rear formations. They wish only to be where the action is. They have cast off their former self in complete trust that their leader will take them to victory, forming His life within them. They have no thought for their own safety. They fight as one unit together, the stronger battle hardened protecting the weaker, but all one none the less.
The final answer to the spiritual question is that we are to walk according to the Spirit. This is not a self-occupation or even a Holy Spirit occupation. But a dependence upon the fact that the Lord Jesus is in heaven and we are to walk or live out our active conscience thought life in the sphere where our Saviour dwells. He is before the father and we are guided by His Spirit of life within us.
He is in heaven before the Father as our very propitiation, the overriding realization and consecrated fact of God's love toward us; God accepting us wholly in His Son. Him as propitiation, meaning to make satisfaction for us toward God. He satisfied God's justice and righteousness, and then the Fathers mercy flowed toward us, His beloved Children through His Son. As such ones who have received Him we then became viewed entirely in His Son. Sanctified in His glory, in His person, in His place and being. A positional reality found or realized only in Spirit by faith of its reality applied to us. This is a true truth announced to us by the Word of God.
We are seen by the Father in the Resurrected Man's glory. His very image is ours, "hid with Christ". All saved ones are in this heavenly position, none are in the flesh in the Fathers eye's. He sees us only in the Spirit as He views His Son before Him. "For you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you" Rom. 8:9.To know this as your very Christian existence is God's fervent desire for all who would seek the answer to the Spiritual question!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)