THE HEAVENLY GOSPEL

      The long and continued attempt to apply Christianity to the world as an aid to it's culture and it's civilization has led to the loss of the spiritual/heavenly appropriation so urged by Paul in his revelation from God to His children. "He Himself equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" Heb 13:21. Over time the aspect of a internal Christian life by Spirit, derived from intelligent and individual biblical faith, has become offensive to many, that is to the "dwellers of the earth". Because many see their primary roll as Christians in a accomplishment on the earth, a interpretation by and of their own feelings, not God's Word.

     The assertions of the heavenly Gospel, the peculiar privileges and special hopes of the Church as explained so thoroughly by Paul to be heavenly [spiritual] in its identification toward us, as that of Christ Himself, have been set aside to promote works and experiences or merely to improve mankind and it's culture. Men of the earth [carnal Christians] think and are taught this is what God wants of them. Urged to become workers before becoming spiritual. "The carnal mind is enmity against God" Rom 8:7.

      The testimony of the Holy Spirt and the sufferings of the Lord and the glories extended to us, in making us new creatures in spirit, have been forgotten by the Christian earth dwellers whom we have been made into by poor teaching and our own attachment to the world. "Therefore, brethren we are debtors bound not to the flesh [works, accomplishment, culture etc.] that we should live after the flesh [but to the Spirit and faith] Rom. 8:12. There is a obvious lack to take into account the spiritual absorbing and heavenly power of His Cross, which has been exchanged for the all absorbing physical, emotional, and experiential power of the earth.

      "They are enemies of the cross of Christ...who set their mind on earthly things" Phil. 3:18,19. "If you then are risen with Christ [have taken on his life by spirit in new birth]...set you affections [minds in the Greek] on things above [spiritual/heavenly], not on the things of the earth" Col. 3:2. These biblical revelations written by Paul to the early Church simply cannot be ignored as fully applicable today, but they are by most. Why?

      The fact of our position as that of being found by the father as only in His Son, by faith in that fact, is not often explored or made clear to the believer. Yes many of us had a foretaste of it's power when we felt the great relief in our first blush of justification/salvation/sanctification, when we were born again. But because of our own institutional church nurtured self centeredness we fail to thoroughly translate the biblical available apprehend truth into a mindful/spiritual definition of our Christianity. Thereby morally affecting our character and walk. We simply do not live, nor are we taught, what we truly are in a spiritual new creation. Which by we might become one with who He is [positioned in Him], in conscious/faithful apprehension; as a personal identification of our divinely defined [God's thoughts of us] character. "Christ who is our life" Col. 3:4.

      The Christian may advance spiritually only by seeing what he really is in Christ, not by trying to be what he hopes or is encouraged to be by his behavior or his feelings. Seeing the accomplished fact of our co-death, co-burial and co-resurrection and ascension with Christ by the Word, ministered by His Holy Spirit to our minds enlightenment, brings us His life. This end is discovered in seeing by faith, not by feelings or working. The only possibility of spiritual progress lies in seeing the truth just as God sees it, the truth concerning Christ, the truth concerning ourselves in Christ, as a faithful image within our mind. "For you died and you life is hid with God in Christ" Col. 3:3. What holds us back?

      The answer lies in our world view! Or who and what we place our personal value in. God and His Word or our own self centered thoughts and those of others we may listen to. We must learn that the Cross has effectively cut our connection to the world and the Resurrection has brought us into a new reality, a new wholly immaterial association above. The world rejected Christ, God exalted Him, and therefore us, as He is the representation of the believer before Him "hid with Christ". Man and the world gave Christ Jesus the very lowest, God ascended Him to Glory. In as much as the believer is in full fellowship with the Fathers thoughts of His Son, by faith in His Word, he is enabled to turn from the world to He who is above; in identification within his own mind and heart, contained in that very same Glory as Christ Himself. "He has created us through our union with Christ Jesus" Rom. 8:37.. Why is this truth so ignored?

      Because so very few of our church leaders know the meaning of the identification doctrines, as their Christian life, which are so clearly taught in Romans 5,6,7 and 8. They therefore cannot teach or even encourage us to find a growing inner spiritual life by faith in the Word.  Perhaps they have learned the word identification in their academic studies to consider. But because they to often remain in the reformed first man of the earth, experience and feelings, works and law, becomes their apprehension model for the Christian life. They are taken captive by the bread and butter supplied by their institutional obligations and the experiential pleasures so needed by their carnal flock. In short many are simply dwellers of the earth, or carnal. As a result many Christians who claim to believe the Bible is God's Word, do not read it and sadly many never study it. We claim it's God's divinely inspired inerrant message to us, yet despite this, we have not made it or Him our life by His Word in spirit. Why?

     A recent LifeWay Research study found only 45 percent of those who regularly attend church read the Bible more than once a week. Over 40 percent of the people attending read their Bible occasionally, maybe once or twice a month. Almost 1 in 5 churchgoers say they never read the Bible—essentially the same number who read it every day. Few Christians are challenged from the pulpit. Even fewer have any idea of a need for a biblical proper [literal] and constant hermeneutic [a method or theory of interpretation] to study it by. Without which there is little chance to honor God in any in-depth understanding of His Word! Whose fault does this great shame fall upon?

      Yes our leaders have a burden to bare in the biblical illiteracy we have grow comfortable with. But it is us as individuals who have simply become satisfied with our own self centeredness who are really to blame. The world, politics, creature comforts, family, sports, work and cultural ministry all take center stage in the lives of the average Christian. Not God's truth as to identification and resurrection and ascension of the saint. Therefore most remain first Adam creatures, carnal ["sin is in the flesh"] in nature, as to their spiritual life. This is not the life God has directed us too. Then why is it the dominant Christian apprehension of the Gospel?

      It really quite simple. We have not reached a place of deep enough sorrow and loneliness, in reliance upon self, to gain the opportunity the Lord has for us in His heavenly life by Grace. If our affections are true to the Lord Jesus they will make this world a barren wilderness in our estimation of all around. This is the place He will speak to our hearts. But we and the institutional church avoid such at all costs in order to maintain the status quo. Jesus Christ was utterly rejected by man and the world systems. We must realize that we have taken up that very same position in spirit. This is our place of true spiritual life according to Paul; God's biblical revealer of heavenly positional and identification gospel truth.  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ " Eph. 1:3. Whose side and life will you abide within, the worlds or the Lord Jesus Christ?