There is indeed a great advantage to living by faith for it contains the power of a true transformation. Faiths very nature calls for a living out the wisdom of God by believing in a "substance not seen" as the only means to please Him.
The Father had the occasion of calling out of history a heavenly portion, a inheritance of His very nature, to be established on the earth: who while passing through on a path of predestined suffering as earth bound creatures would be established as His children by faith alone. "Have this mind in you which [oneness with the Father] was also in Christ Jesus" Phil.2:5.
Faith provides something much more than mere experiences. Not just a hope for a heavenly residence in the by and by, but a portion of heaven in the here and now in our mortal bodies. By reckoning a heavenly union in His Son true by faith in His word, in our mind, by His Spirit: which is the acknowledgement of His promise to sanctify His Son's life into us by our new creation. We have come to know union with Christ Jesus as the definition of our Christian life by faith. "If we live in the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk in the[Holy]Spirit" Gal. 5:25.
The Lord Himself is absent from the earthly scene of his future millennial glory. But He has secured to Himself a people who by faith alone have a hope; and despite their suffering and condition [Adam men] have a higher place than that of heaven itself; sitting in union with Jesus Christ at the right hand of God. We may apprehend ourselves there in faith only, by knowing His word. "As He is [at God's right hand] so are we in this world". We have this, truths power, exclusively contained in us by faith alone.
The following study is taken from and inspired by "The Complete Green Letters" by Miles Stanford. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write to us, "Examine yourself, whether you are in the faith" 2 Cor. 13:5a. The first thing we must do then by God's command is remember that "without faith it is imposable to please Him" Heb. 11:6a. The most important thing we can discover regarding faith is that true life transforming faith is based solely on scriptural facts, for "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Rom. 10:17.
If our faith is not based on facts from the word. Or we are counting on experiencing God in our emotions, tradition or duties, or any thing of the natural man we have failed. "We walk by faith not [emotions,feelings] by sight". If we depend too heavily on even inspired commentary's of other men's scriptural incite alone we remain self-contained. Those attempts are not much better than a speculation, or a presumption of another man vision for us. To increase your faith and for it to have true value for the recovery's growth we must study the word of God. On our own and in depth, excluding the diversion of the world, motivated by the Holy Spirit; thus transforming the soul.
Hebrews 11:1 leaves no questions regarding the need to know the facts: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". Faith standing upon the word of God substantiates and gives evidence of things not seen. We all know evidence must be founded on by facts. This is the very principal which applied to us when we were born again. Our belief stood directly on a fact. This is the same faith we go forward upon into the recovery. "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him". In other words its all by faith in facts! Knowing the fact for salvation is but a first step; many more biblical facts must become know to be a actively transformed saint.
I know much of this is elementary. The reason for the instance of the faith principle based on scriptural facts is to promote personal private bible study, the gateway to overcoming. Facts equal more faith, more faith brings growth. Christ as life then becomes our condition as saints. The alternative is often mere happy Adam impressions.
Yes Programs, training and the church life can be very beneficial. But our natural soul is often satisfied with these well intentioned opportunities and we gain comfort, but perhaps only a impression is left after some time. Our soul is not fully converted to His life. The facts of the word taken into our mind in concentrated specific private study based on sound doctrines however leave the word of life deeply penetrating the soul; the only hope for a true transformation. There simply is no substitute.
A mature Christian does not seek growth by a extroverted exercise of his spirit, which really is his natural emotions. At best this provides a temporary appearance [good feelings]of a expected outcome. The question we must always ask for growth; has God spoken it in His word? Do we believe it true? How do we apply it to transformation? Faith must be based upon certainty. There must be definite knowledge of God's purpose and will [The doctrine of union]. Without that there can be no true transforming faith. For faith is not a force that we exercise or a striving to believe something.
If we are trying with all our might to achieve a worthy goal for Christ then we have left faith and are living in the Adam mans soul. The only effort needed for faiths accomplishment is ever gaining knowledge of His word, in trust of the Holy Spirits provision; converting our mind and soul to perceiving ourselves as in union with Him at the right hand of the Father.
There can be no steadfastness apart from immovable facts. If a saint takes the more difficult path, that of faith, he forsakes the stimulation of the natural man and will encounter opposition. Peter addressed that when he said by God's inspiration: "That the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that will perish, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Peter 1:7.
Once the facts are well apprehended we will begin to reckon upon them, count them as true. This is a matter of trust. Then The Holy Spirit, no longer grieved by the natural man, causes our faith to grow, our conversion begins. Defeats, trials, obstacles along the way only serve to strengthen us and are very good for the food of faith.
We have now a gathering dependence upon God. And this God-dependence only begins when self dependence ends. Self-helplessness, suffering, affliction serve to quicken the end of self. Only with trials do we learn the lesson of faith, "fellowship with His suffering". Thus opening a door to a victory and power undreamt of in the days of fleshly self-reliance, "the just shall live by faith"
The more we see our life here as a place of sorrow, captured in a sinful Adam man, the more we will be attracted to Him in glory and drawn away from the place where the sorrows are. To Him where He is at the right hand of God. And ourselves positioned there with Him. "Set you affections [mind] on things above" Col. 3:2a.
"Actually, we cannot trust anyone further than we know him. So we must not only learn the facts involved, but must always intimately come to know the One who presents and upholds them! "And this is life eternal that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You Have sent John. 17:3. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be [by growing faith in positional truth] partakers of the divine nature" 2 Pet. 1:2-4. Saints, we enter into the position we hold in heaven and hence the life of Christ, by faith founded upon the facts, there is no other avenue for recovery.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
IT IS HIS LIFE NOT OUR'S
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the positional doctrine that I go on and on about in my blogs and in my conversations is the all important truth. The most paramount truth we could know as Christians. THE TRUTH imparted to our soul and our mind in which by God's grace we will live Christ Jesus as life.
In a very real positional- objective and biblical sense it was not only us which were saved by the cross. Yes we were born again receiving salvation, but it was Jesus Christ, God's Son who was saved or directly was our salvation. He lived as the perfect Adam [in humiliation] on the earth, not us. He died on the cross, a perfect Man, not us. He was buried and was Resurrected and walked the earth as a transfigured Man, not us; and He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, not us. He was saved-transferred from this life here as a son of man. He became a "New Adam" a "New Man" and God's Son in a perfect salvation.
So here is the first critical point: all that happened to Jesus Christ which accomplished the salvation of the Adam man, a human man on earth; was done for God [His judicial perfections demand toward the Adam man, us] accomplished by His Son in the form of a man. Then His Son's perfect propitiation [satisfaction toward God's demand] was applied [a position, we formed in spiritual union, as a new creation] to the Adam man us, left on the earth, we still in our Adam man.
The second critical point is that all of this wonderful God applied Godly life we have in Christ is seen only in Him [Jesus] by the father, but applied to us. However this truth is ONLY RECOGNIZABLE and lived out by pure FAITH that it is true. Exercising our spirit [often a Adam man emotional response]will not provide it. Our very salvation and life must be seen as Christ as the object us positioned in Him providing a relationship with The Father. How my brothers and sisters do we gain the kind of faith to believe this truth as life. Its not by experience, training or the church life. No it is by studying the Word of God and by that I mean the specific teaching of positional doctrine taught by Paul in the Word. We must seek and single out positional studies in order, "to apprehend what we have been apprehend of by Christ Jesus".
If we respond to this truth; our applied salvation accomplished by Christ, in or by our own experience we will always do it in a natural Adamic sense and never be satisfied. This is the Adam man Christian. The bible calls this the old mans or natural mans way; "which seems right to him". That is why we must develop a deep understanding of the all sufficiency of Christ and Him as God's substitute for us, on earth and in heaven. In other words the POSITION, UNION, we hold in God's mind when He views or contemplates His Son, applied to us. This is called a objective position, another as our totality. We exists in no other way for the purposes of God's salvation toward man. The Adam man in us will not satisfy God in any way! Our whole Christian life as His Body here on earth is subject to knowing Him in this way, our position in Him apprehended and known by the FAITH of our position [we seen in God's sight in His Son] in Him only.
Now brothers and sisters the third and final all important point and where all of our positional applied salvation of and in Jesus Christ is found: the very born again life we have in us, is NOT our own, but it is the Life of Jesus Christ. Brought to us by the Holy Spirit. Him in us; to impart His life too us. It is not our life in any way. His life is ours only by our faith that He is "our life" and the reality of that life. We are alive, eternally in God, only positioned in union with Him [Christ Jesus] and He now makes that real in our soul by living in us here. All that we were as unacceptable Adam men and women has been annulled in the death of Jesus Christ for God's salvation of men. His judgement completed. But only faith in His Word will prove that is true in our life.
Our only Job, as long as we live on this planet, is to allow by faith the Holy Spirit to impart the position we hold in Christ in heaven to our mind. Transforming our souls to God's exclusive view of His Son as our own view also. This is accomplished and apprehended only by God's grace. This was what Paul was trying to get across to the saints. The big mistake all Christian make is they, just like those of of old, very naturally and even encouraged by the church and their culture attempt to attain their Christian reality by training their old Adam mans mind/soul. In a attempt to bring the church life alive long before the saint develops by the Holy Spirit, a sense of just who they really are positionally by faith in Jesus Christ as their life. They have not learned by the Word and have avoided Godly doctrine and teaching which has been made clear by Paul, that the life they live is His life. They have not given up their self yet.
In a very real positional- objective and biblical sense it was not only us which were saved by the cross. Yes we were born again receiving salvation, but it was Jesus Christ, God's Son who was saved or directly was our salvation. He lived as the perfect Adam [in humiliation] on the earth, not us. He died on the cross, a perfect Man, not us. He was buried and was Resurrected and walked the earth as a transfigured Man, not us; and He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, not us. He was saved-transferred from this life here as a son of man. He became a "New Adam" a "New Man" and God's Son in a perfect salvation.
So here is the first critical point: all that happened to Jesus Christ which accomplished the salvation of the Adam man, a human man on earth; was done for God [His judicial perfections demand toward the Adam man, us] accomplished by His Son in the form of a man. Then His Son's perfect propitiation [satisfaction toward God's demand] was applied [a position, we formed in spiritual union, as a new creation] to the Adam man us, left on the earth, we still in our Adam man.
The second critical point is that all of this wonderful God applied Godly life we have in Christ is seen only in Him [Jesus] by the father, but applied to us. However this truth is ONLY RECOGNIZABLE and lived out by pure FAITH that it is true. Exercising our spirit [often a Adam man emotional response]will not provide it. Our very salvation and life must be seen as Christ as the object us positioned in Him providing a relationship with The Father. How my brothers and sisters do we gain the kind of faith to believe this truth as life. Its not by experience, training or the church life. No it is by studying the Word of God and by that I mean the specific teaching of positional doctrine taught by Paul in the Word. We must seek and single out positional studies in order, "to apprehend what we have been apprehend of by Christ Jesus".
If we respond to this truth; our applied salvation accomplished by Christ, in or by our own experience we will always do it in a natural Adamic sense and never be satisfied. This is the Adam man Christian. The bible calls this the old mans or natural mans way; "which seems right to him". That is why we must develop a deep understanding of the all sufficiency of Christ and Him as God's substitute for us, on earth and in heaven. In other words the POSITION, UNION, we hold in God's mind when He views or contemplates His Son, applied to us. This is called a objective position, another as our totality. We exists in no other way for the purposes of God's salvation toward man. The Adam man in us will not satisfy God in any way! Our whole Christian life as His Body here on earth is subject to knowing Him in this way, our position in Him apprehended and known by the FAITH of our position [we seen in God's sight in His Son] in Him only.
Now brothers and sisters the third and final all important point and where all of our positional applied salvation of and in Jesus Christ is found: the very born again life we have in us, is NOT our own, but it is the Life of Jesus Christ. Brought to us by the Holy Spirit. Him in us; to impart His life too us. It is not our life in any way. His life is ours only by our faith that He is "our life" and the reality of that life. We are alive, eternally in God, only positioned in union with Him [Christ Jesus] and He now makes that real in our soul by living in us here. All that we were as unacceptable Adam men and women has been annulled in the death of Jesus Christ for God's salvation of men. His judgement completed. But only faith in His Word will prove that is true in our life.
Our only Job, as long as we live on this planet, is to allow by faith the Holy Spirit to impart the position we hold in Christ in heaven to our mind. Transforming our souls to God's exclusive view of His Son as our own view also. This is accomplished and apprehended only by God's grace. This was what Paul was trying to get across to the saints. The big mistake all Christian make is they, just like those of of old, very naturally and even encouraged by the church and their culture attempt to attain their Christian reality by training their old Adam mans mind/soul. In a attempt to bring the church life alive long before the saint develops by the Holy Spirit, a sense of just who they really are positionally by faith in Jesus Christ as their life. They have not learned by the Word and have avoided Godly doctrine and teaching which has been made clear by Paul, that the life they live is His life. They have not given up their self yet.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
THE CONVERSION OF THE SOUL
The body of man is in neutral territory and therefore subject to two influences. That is our mind will and emotions [our soul] can be influenced by two men. The first, the Adam man: his inherited nature, self centered and sinful. He [Adam] first sinned and we carry his nature, it has been imputed to us "sin is in the flesh". A vestige of our father Adam from time past is now applied to us. His sin is our sin, therefore objective, he is the source. We are him in a positional sense .
In fact his nature has become our natural mans nature. Sins propensity, received from Adam, applied to all his progeny. He went his own way and so do we. The question is, as a Christian will we live with him as our defining personality, our object? Or do we view ourselves in another light, positioned in the New Man? Is there a alternative; another object which can be our internal souls definition?
Yes, God has provided us a new identity. That of His Son, the Second Man, the New Adam. In fact He is now our only identity in the Fathers view, "Christ who is our life" Col.3:4. We may by faith, through His grace and by Godly biblical knowledge allow the Holy Spirit to renew our soul and mind toward this God's view. His grace has given us a completely new life we only need partake of it. How is this done?
We enter into the fullness of our new creation life, the second Adam Jesus Christ, by a faith that has permeated our mind, with biblical knowledge. A New Adam inheritance, a true desire for our Father's Words. Which then by His Spirit, Christ Jesus' life in us, forms our mind/soul transforming us by transferring Him to us as our identity knowingly. All of which is processed in us only by studying His written Word. Yes all is complete, already accomplished in heaven, we were predestined to be at His side there for all eternity. But our new creation life [His life in us] must be worked our here; as to practical Christian life: for His work on earth is made active in our mind. "But we all with unveiled face [factual awareness]beholding as in a mirror [seeing His image in viewing ourselves] the glory of the Lord" 2Cor. 3:18.
Our physical body is simply for the grave valueless, as is our Adam old nature and sin itself, dead in God's judgement. The old mans nature or his sin cannot even enter God's mind. All that we will ever be of any consequence is really in spirit or metaphysical, until the transfiguration of our body at least. Both as to man's natural thoughts which are immaterial, and God's life by Spirit; speaking to our mind. So that is where we must concentrate; allowing the encouragement of our mind by the Holy Spirit, in a renewal by the Word of God. In order to over come the natural man and allow God to convert or reform our soul to His life; here and now on the earth. We must now ask; does the self analytical thought of ourselves project a person who exists objectively in the life of Jesus Christ? Do we even know what that means?
This conversion will be the most important thing a Saint achieves and in fact is our destiny, "We are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" 2 Cor. 3:18. It requires, for a true fullness of life, knowing biblical positional truth doctrine [teaching] for growth in godliness. Him as the object. His life as a present spiritual reality we live in each day will not simply come as a vision or revelation, is not mere enjoyment and is not learned by a corporate experience alone. It is not church life itself, as satisfying as it might be. It is individual and internal and requires a great personal sacrifice. The objective and subjective sacrifice of the self, the great enemy of God. It is often accompanied by failure. Loneliness and separation as well as frustration are its hallmarks. Joy and Christ's life are its end.
All the called out ones of Jesus Christ are His Church. Most denominations and even many cults started with good intentions and a heart felt goal to serve Christ on the earth as His church. To be His Body. But they became degraded. Why? Because the thoughts and desires of the natural man became their guide. Their positional- objective-spiritual life as heavenly citizens formed in Christ was not constructed in their conscience as their personal definition of their Christian life. They did not divide His Word. The structure and influences surrounding them became their object. They entered a temple and it is there they stayed to whiter and die, albeit often smiling. "Study to show thyself approved, a workmen that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing [studying doctrine[ the Word of truth" 2 Tim. 2:25.
Habits, traditions, formal structures and emotional experience were mistaken or presented as a means or indication of godliness. This all fed the natural Adam man we are, in a attempt to convert him, organize him to be godly. Not ever knowing the second nature must be cultivated as to a new mental apprehension. Even the inherit security of group dynamics became Adams shelter for godliness. They all had neglected the most important teaching of the Word of God; The Doctrine of positional truth, taught excursively by Paul.
"All scripture is God-breath and profitable for teaching [doctrine], for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" 2 Tim. 3:16. Which converts the soul of a saint to God's life, when learned and taken to heart. Positional doctrine teaching takes in faith, builds it; defining our new life, not only the intellect. It is the beginning of the end of self when learned, and applied to faith's destiny. It is the beginning of Christ when mentally/spiritually actualized in daily life. There will be no growth of lasting value and no true change if positional teachings are neglected. We will simply make the old Adam-christian man more acceptable, taking comfort in him.
The heart of a saint must first be broken. He must realize that it is impossible for him to live the Christian life. It is then the Holy Spirit begins by God's Word permeating the mind, converting the soul. This must take place! Our Christianity will always remain on a first Adam level, alive to the world: if we do not partake of the spiritual/ mental doctrinal teachings as biblical reality, that we find in His Word. "Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" Eph. 5:17.
Along with Paul we must affirm ourselves each day dead in Adam, by Christ's work. We must know what that really means in a doctrinal biblical explanation for that to be realized. Then we may come to know by The Holy Spirit and by faith: we as Adam men and women have been changed by God's Spirit. Our life is not our own, we now have the life of another, His Son. That in God's estimation we are there at His right hand in heaven, viewed exclusively in His Son. God's view must become ours, a positional view! Then applied to our souls definition. "You have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" Col. 3:3. Could it not be more clear that it is in faith of that truth we enter in God's life. We of ourselves are in no way qualified. No declaration will make it so!
This is the practical essence of positional truth and Paul's direct teaching and his most neglected, Romans 6, 7, 8. A practical as well as spiritual view of Christ as life hangs in the balance. We must come to the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ" to form His body here. This knowledge is found in the positional doctrine, God's most important biblical revelation to His children.
"You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you" Rom. 8:9. Watchman Nee was very influenced by the main proponents [early Plymouth brethren] of the doctrine [teaching] of identification and position. Brother Lee's desire was for all to know positional reality. The only hope for the Church in forming true organic unity in any aware way. In Christ by position we are all one. We must come to know what that means though. We have no other job to do, all else will follow! We have a choice in this Christian life. The choice is in our mind and the development of faith's knowledge there. What has been done in Spirit is already completed for all eternity [justification, salvation] but must be developed mentally by biblical knowledge for the souls conversion [transformation] on earth. Otherwise we only have Adams life here, even as Christians.
Brothers and sisters we may remain in our condition, which should be obvious is the flesh and Adam man. Or we can develop a new deposition "Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit". This is a command most disobey simply because they do not know what it means. We must recognize we are no longer the originator of our life. We are not of this world! A godly true spiritual walk will not be accomplished by attitude or enthusiasm, tradition or even the wonderful nature of the church life. Adam has been very well proven to be capable doing much good, but alas without any godly value what so ever.
We were recreated in Christ to be self perceived as "in the Spirit" that is in Christ's Spirit "hid with Christ in God". Only positional doctrine teaching will open this door as a possibility, a living reality. A conscious presence of our eternal salvation and the new creation which we are. This new life, seen and realized only in Jesus Christ and Him before the Father, us included with Him; at the Fathers right hand. Positioned and identified in Him. Our life is His by Spirit, both in us here and in heaven. We are in God's mind found in no other way. "My soul waits only upon God; for my expectation is from Him" Ps. 62:5.
If you wish to glorify God in your mortal body your mind must be changed. My experience has proven life changing in my studies of the Positional Truth Doctrine. If you wish a new life as a over comer you must study the Word! This requires knowing doctrine or specific bible teachings presented by God to us for a specific purpose. Your newly discovered life in Christ however will not make you happy or change the the worlds impact on you, Adam is always with you. But God being glorified in our mortal bodies rests in our taking on the conscious life of His Son, perceiving ourselves in Him for His glory, even if we must suffer. The simplest way to do that is to follow God's provision in men who have gone on before; sacrificing there life for His truth, so that we may have His light.
Therefore I recommend for you enlightenment: The Complete Green Letters by Miles Stanford. [invaluably important] Romans Verse by Verse by William R. Newell [a must have book]. Both available on Amazon. Also I have received great benefit in reading the Spiritual Anthology's of writers like, Darby, L.S. Chafer, J.B. Stoney and William Kelly, plus many more. All these great Christian positional truth devotees can be found on line, many at withchrist.org, or if you contact me by email I will send you a contact number for a three volume set of Anthology's which I promises if read daily will likely prove to be the most valuable readings you could have outside of God's Word itself. My prayer is that you my brothers and sisters will join me in seeking a true and living identity in Christ as life. The conversion of our souls.
In fact his nature has become our natural mans nature. Sins propensity, received from Adam, applied to all his progeny. He went his own way and so do we. The question is, as a Christian will we live with him as our defining personality, our object? Or do we view ourselves in another light, positioned in the New Man? Is there a alternative; another object which can be our internal souls definition?
Yes, God has provided us a new identity. That of His Son, the Second Man, the New Adam. In fact He is now our only identity in the Fathers view, "Christ who is our life" Col.3:4. We may by faith, through His grace and by Godly biblical knowledge allow the Holy Spirit to renew our soul and mind toward this God's view. His grace has given us a completely new life we only need partake of it. How is this done?
We enter into the fullness of our new creation life, the second Adam Jesus Christ, by a faith that has permeated our mind, with biblical knowledge. A New Adam inheritance, a true desire for our Father's Words. Which then by His Spirit, Christ Jesus' life in us, forms our mind/soul transforming us by transferring Him to us as our identity knowingly. All of which is processed in us only by studying His written Word. Yes all is complete, already accomplished in heaven, we were predestined to be at His side there for all eternity. But our new creation life [His life in us] must be worked our here; as to practical Christian life: for His work on earth is made active in our mind. "But we all with unveiled face [factual awareness]beholding as in a mirror [seeing His image in viewing ourselves] the glory of the Lord" 2Cor. 3:18.
Our physical body is simply for the grave valueless, as is our Adam old nature and sin itself, dead in God's judgement. The old mans nature or his sin cannot even enter God's mind. All that we will ever be of any consequence is really in spirit or metaphysical, until the transfiguration of our body at least. Both as to man's natural thoughts which are immaterial, and God's life by Spirit; speaking to our mind. So that is where we must concentrate; allowing the encouragement of our mind by the Holy Spirit, in a renewal by the Word of God. In order to over come the natural man and allow God to convert or reform our soul to His life; here and now on the earth. We must now ask; does the self analytical thought of ourselves project a person who exists objectively in the life of Jesus Christ? Do we even know what that means?
This conversion will be the most important thing a Saint achieves and in fact is our destiny, "We are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" 2 Cor. 3:18. It requires, for a true fullness of life, knowing biblical positional truth doctrine [teaching] for growth in godliness. Him as the object. His life as a present spiritual reality we live in each day will not simply come as a vision or revelation, is not mere enjoyment and is not learned by a corporate experience alone. It is not church life itself, as satisfying as it might be. It is individual and internal and requires a great personal sacrifice. The objective and subjective sacrifice of the self, the great enemy of God. It is often accompanied by failure. Loneliness and separation as well as frustration are its hallmarks. Joy and Christ's life are its end.
All the called out ones of Jesus Christ are His Church. Most denominations and even many cults started with good intentions and a heart felt goal to serve Christ on the earth as His church. To be His Body. But they became degraded. Why? Because the thoughts and desires of the natural man became their guide. Their positional- objective-spiritual life as heavenly citizens formed in Christ was not constructed in their conscience as their personal definition of their Christian life. They did not divide His Word. The structure and influences surrounding them became their object. They entered a temple and it is there they stayed to whiter and die, albeit often smiling. "Study to show thyself approved, a workmen that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing [studying doctrine[ the Word of truth" 2 Tim. 2:25.
Habits, traditions, formal structures and emotional experience were mistaken or presented as a means or indication of godliness. This all fed the natural Adam man we are, in a attempt to convert him, organize him to be godly. Not ever knowing the second nature must be cultivated as to a new mental apprehension. Even the inherit security of group dynamics became Adams shelter for godliness. They all had neglected the most important teaching of the Word of God; The Doctrine of positional truth, taught excursively by Paul.
"All scripture is God-breath and profitable for teaching [doctrine], for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" 2 Tim. 3:16. Which converts the soul of a saint to God's life, when learned and taken to heart. Positional doctrine teaching takes in faith, builds it; defining our new life, not only the intellect. It is the beginning of the end of self when learned, and applied to faith's destiny. It is the beginning of Christ when mentally/spiritually actualized in daily life. There will be no growth of lasting value and no true change if positional teachings are neglected. We will simply make the old Adam-christian man more acceptable, taking comfort in him.
The heart of a saint must first be broken. He must realize that it is impossible for him to live the Christian life. It is then the Holy Spirit begins by God's Word permeating the mind, converting the soul. This must take place! Our Christianity will always remain on a first Adam level, alive to the world: if we do not partake of the spiritual/ mental doctrinal teachings as biblical reality, that we find in His Word. "Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" Eph. 5:17.
Along with Paul we must affirm ourselves each day dead in Adam, by Christ's work. We must know what that really means in a doctrinal biblical explanation for that to be realized. Then we may come to know by The Holy Spirit and by faith: we as Adam men and women have been changed by God's Spirit. Our life is not our own, we now have the life of another, His Son. That in God's estimation we are there at His right hand in heaven, viewed exclusively in His Son. God's view must become ours, a positional view! Then applied to our souls definition. "You have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" Col. 3:3. Could it not be more clear that it is in faith of that truth we enter in God's life. We of ourselves are in no way qualified. No declaration will make it so!
This is the practical essence of positional truth and Paul's direct teaching and his most neglected, Romans 6, 7, 8. A practical as well as spiritual view of Christ as life hangs in the balance. We must come to the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ" to form His body here. This knowledge is found in the positional doctrine, God's most important biblical revelation to His children.
"You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you" Rom. 8:9. Watchman Nee was very influenced by the main proponents [early Plymouth brethren] of the doctrine [teaching] of identification and position. Brother Lee's desire was for all to know positional reality. The only hope for the Church in forming true organic unity in any aware way. In Christ by position we are all one. We must come to know what that means though. We have no other job to do, all else will follow! We have a choice in this Christian life. The choice is in our mind and the development of faith's knowledge there. What has been done in Spirit is already completed for all eternity [justification, salvation] but must be developed mentally by biblical knowledge for the souls conversion [transformation] on earth. Otherwise we only have Adams life here, even as Christians.
Brothers and sisters we may remain in our condition, which should be obvious is the flesh and Adam man. Or we can develop a new deposition "Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit". This is a command most disobey simply because they do not know what it means. We must recognize we are no longer the originator of our life. We are not of this world! A godly true spiritual walk will not be accomplished by attitude or enthusiasm, tradition or even the wonderful nature of the church life. Adam has been very well proven to be capable doing much good, but alas without any godly value what so ever.
We were recreated in Christ to be self perceived as "in the Spirit" that is in Christ's Spirit "hid with Christ in God". Only positional doctrine teaching will open this door as a possibility, a living reality. A conscious presence of our eternal salvation and the new creation which we are. This new life, seen and realized only in Jesus Christ and Him before the Father, us included with Him; at the Fathers right hand. Positioned and identified in Him. Our life is His by Spirit, both in us here and in heaven. We are in God's mind found in no other way. "My soul waits only upon God; for my expectation is from Him" Ps. 62:5.
If you wish to glorify God in your mortal body your mind must be changed. My experience has proven life changing in my studies of the Positional Truth Doctrine. If you wish a new life as a over comer you must study the Word! This requires knowing doctrine or specific bible teachings presented by God to us for a specific purpose. Your newly discovered life in Christ however will not make you happy or change the the worlds impact on you, Adam is always with you. But God being glorified in our mortal bodies rests in our taking on the conscious life of His Son, perceiving ourselves in Him for His glory, even if we must suffer. The simplest way to do that is to follow God's provision in men who have gone on before; sacrificing there life for His truth, so that we may have His light.
Therefore I recommend for you enlightenment: The Complete Green Letters by Miles Stanford. [invaluably important] Romans Verse by Verse by William R. Newell [a must have book]. Both available on Amazon. Also I have received great benefit in reading the Spiritual Anthology's of writers like, Darby, L.S. Chafer, J.B. Stoney and William Kelly, plus many more. All these great Christian positional truth devotees can be found on line, many at withchrist.org, or if you contact me by email I will send you a contact number for a three volume set of Anthology's which I promises if read daily will likely prove to be the most valuable readings you could have outside of God's Word itself. My prayer is that you my brothers and sisters will join me in seeking a true and living identity in Christ as life. The conversion of our souls.
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