HEAVEN IS HERE NOW

      "For our citizenship is [present tense] in heaven, from which [present tense] we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body [transfigured upon His return to earth] that it may be conformed to His glorious body according to which He is able to subdue all things to Himself" Phil. 3:20.21.

      The Bible makes itself clear we [born again believers] are not a earthly race, either as individual Christians or as a Christian community called the Church. All that we are is heavenly, all that we are is not here in its spiritual essence. This fact is made known to us by the knowledge we gain, then it is lived out by our faith of it's truth. What we are is found wholly in Jesus Christ the New Man who was rejected from the earth and who resides in heaven. This is a biblical fact whether we know it, feel it, or not. "He raised us up together [a present condition] and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus [a present spiritual position]" Eph. 2:6. The Holy Spirits work is to make us realize this.

      Just what does this mean and how do I experience it? This is what you should be asking yourself! Most believers after the new birth remain [as their personal identity] in their flesh or Adam personality. This is the very man who Christ died unto [put away forever by death] for God's judicial satisfaction. His sacrifice was in order to obtain us judicially, thereby releasing us from a sentence of death. All for the Fathers judicial satisfaction, since all that is sin must die. He killed the old Adam man on the Cross to obtain us. And obtain us He did, by that event. Therefore we became, or had the choice to become, all new forgiven creatures in Christ. Thereby converting us into His identity, to a brand new creation, only seen in a Resurrected Man who is Christ.

     Not becoming justified or displayed [works] by our Adam bodies actions. His fellowship, His identification of us could not in any way be aliened with the old Adam man we are in the flesh, a sinful condition. Not his [Adams] good and godly works or even his biblical/moral fortitude, service or church life nor any attempted change in the Adam personality would ever qualify him. You ask then How can I experience the biblical new creation heavenly order, live it as a active definition of my Christian life? Good question!

      In my last two blogs I explained the transition process from the old to the new and that we have two natures. The new is the heavenly man who we are in Christ; the only acceptable man. I explained by the despair of being in the old we may be led to the Word's revelation of the new or heavenly, which is entirely unique and new. This is a Godly ours by grace lived out by faith mental perception of ourselves, our true destiny by God's desire. The Holy Spirit waits patiently for us to gain the awareness of the utter lack of value [toward the things of God] of the dead Adam man we live in as a condition.

      However this revelation is not merely academic leading to a performance on our part. It comes by the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes of understanding to a new and renewed mind. We are introduced to our new heavenly identity by studying His Word turning our attitude toward God's life and ways, His Mind. Our purpose now by God's standard is to see ourselves as the new creatures of heaven having power within Christ, not merely earthly Christian workers waiting here gratefully in our weak condition [as identification] to go to heaven.

      We will by a new revelation then begin to see ourselves as strangers and sojourners on the earth, not a part of it; we will become aligned with God's very thoughts by this knowlwdge. "But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off [living in the old identity] are made near by the blood of Christ" Eph. 2:13. The object we must now learn to look to is a heavenly image, who is Christ and ourselves as part and parcel of His very being.

     We then begin to establish our own true new creature identity to fit the new order which God has already positioned us in as he observes us in His Son in heaven; His own recognition of us seen only in Jesus Christ. By His spiritual and Resurrected Mans representation of us in heaven. This is not a condition of feeling for a emotional experience, but one of knowing our new heavenly nature by biblical revelation and then counted upon in faith! "Now are you children of light" Eph 5:8a.

      If we do not gain this understanding as to heavenly positional status, enter it as life by pursuing it with all our hearts effort, we have no choice but to remain in the sinful self centered Adam personality even as a Christian. Grateful for salvation yes, Christians yes, functioning as church members, perhaps even serving, giving etc. But having no victory, not overcoming [by a new self perception] the flesh. Not by a altered behavior, but as to a new identity; God's mandate, His very intention for His Children. Anything else is therefore experiential in the flesh and therefore temporary, of no value. No sense of the total glory we share with Christ in heaven.

     We actually remain unidentified when in the Adam nature in God's judgement as this man is dead. Both as to our true self, the new creation heavenly being and to God, as He can have no fellowship with that old man what so ever. Even though His love and blessing is never the less lavished upon us even in our Adam sinful condition all by His by Grace.  Also by His Grace through faith do we and He see the real and new creation, the rightful saint clothed in Jesus Christ. That is where His Love and fellowship for us exists! "Walk [live out you life] as children of light" Eph 5:8b. Why do we not join Him there?

      Most Christians have great difficulty with this biblical fact because they do not believe it of themselves, they see and experience [define themselves] only by the drama of the natural flesh emotions and are held in their sinful condition by their own non-biblical failed self perception. They really are not exercising their mind not receiving the Holy Spirits message. Having refused by ignorance the revelation of His Word as to their true identity.

      They have no in-depth understanding of Paul's teachings on the all important aspect of their true Christian being and positional presence with God in glory [the doctrine of a heavenly in Christ identification] because they are mostly busy with worldly affairs which are really centered in themselves. They will only believe what they feel or take comfort in, what they have accomplished on the earth. Paul's main frustration was in dealing with this the Adam mans earthly condition. "My little children of whom I travail [attempting to help them understand their true nature] in birth again until Christ be formed in you" Gal, 4:19. Which is simply a Godly mental perception of their heavenly nature intended for all Christians.

     The institutional church of today will never teach this doctrine as a way of life. Because it not only does not know it as a truth, but also this type of institution has become a accepted Christian religious comfort zone, spooning out pabulum, which has become the norm in many churches today. They are steeped in traditions and a worldly image, and this worldly church has a steak in not upsetting their own apple cart or comfort zone. Which would happen if they were to enter into proclaiming and learning just what the new heavenly creation is. As a heavenly biblical teaching would prove very challenging to teach to a chronically biblical immature flock. Which due to the lack of challenge presented them is most common.

     The reformers influence of old while accomplishing much [salivation by faith alone and not church affiliation] still carries the burden given it by Rome. A earthly concept of the church improving the world and the individual Christian as needing simply to be remade by constant urging to live the Christian life by his behavior. So the church now prominently teaches the sprucing up of the old Adam so we look and feel more Christian to the world and ourselves. These are not bad or even always un-Christian things but often unknowingly are simply used as substitutes. Not teaching The Fathers true desire for us; a Christ centered heavenly position with only Him as our object and Him known to us as our internal self image; our true conscience as to the reality of the Christian heavenly form of life.

      However if we know a heavenly positional identification, one of us "hid in Christ": a new recognition of the true self changes everything. Service, good neighbor teaching, emotional entertainment worship and obedience to a prescribed behavior can be good and even godly. The problem is this is just not a good definition that will led us to Christ's personal self image for our selves as all new heavenly creatures. A all new definition which will end in knowing Christ as life. "Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" Eph 1:3b. The knowing of a perfect presence of our eternal life as contained in and with Christ in heaven is the all important message or mental perception Paul had received as revelation to pass on to the believer. "The Spirit of truth takes what is mine and will make it known to you" Jn. 16:15.

      We must come to realize that training the flesh to respond to salvation in the many man centered traditionalized accustomed ways is found to be entirely useless as a God contact as to a defined life in Christ. Because it is wasted on a dead Adam man. Oh the activities might be good things and even blessed by the Father, often quite enjoyable. But of course even the world can and does take part in this kind of formula called good works. But the natural Adam man in the world or the Christian remaining in Adam's old identification can never live merely by his actions in the God ordained heavenly identification. Much to his great loss of joy and the very life The Father wishes for him.

      We may find by faith that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is Himself in His Manhood present in heaven as our complete identification and soul representation.  God has found a way that He may manifest Himself and inclusively bring us into a new spiritual creation that qualifies us to be in His presence. Thus God's glorious way has consciously opened heaven by The Spirit; to the man who has hopelessly lost earth and his allegiance to the old man of the it. The blessed truth that heaven is here now comes by the Words revelation of a heavenly new in Christ positional identification only available by faith. A new life for all those who believe and have the faith of it's true reality as revealed by the Word of God. "Walk [actively live in faith dependent upon] the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill [live in the old nature as definition] the lust of the flesh Gal. 5:16.