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.
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