THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CROSS

      Which cross will we chose is most reveling; that of the external is surly a most valued expression, that is, "Christ died for our sins". But beyond His gracious action on our behalf is another element of His Cross, the internal action impetrated by Spirit and faith. That we may be.... " always delivered unto death for Jesus sake" 2 Cor. 4:11, a gift to His children by grace. The announcement of His internal work, His cross and its effect upon us. "That He might deliver us from this evil age according to the will of God our Father" Gal. 1:4. What does that bible truth men in our Christian life?

      The Christians embrace of the death of self as implied and directed in God's Word. Few understand the internal blessing of the cross in a intellectual and faithful sense never knowing a deliverance from what they are in the flesh. A Freedom from our sin nature here in this place, made possable by our own faiths accounting of the death of our Adam nature with Christ Himself. Why do we so often miss this doctrine [teaching] in scripture? "Likewise [as Christ Jesus] reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin" Rom:611.

      We tend to occupy our minds with what we once were, [in the flesh] and, apparently [by our sinful life], are not now; or what we ought to be and seem not to be at the moment. Comparing ourselves with ourselves, allowing ourselves to live life in the unconsciousness programed senses of the mind of the flesh is a fatal hindrance to finding present rest in the blessed mind and will [our completed identity and presence before God in Christ] of our Father.

      Spiritually speaking we tend to live unconsciously, in other words we are often just thinking of ourselves, as the explanation of ourselves; which is simply identification with the mind or emotions or what we were; who is the man God judicially declared death unto. These thoughts are the reasons for the profound weakness and worldliness of many Christians and the apparent need for our churches to act as cultural fellowship and social centers which happily cater to the profound self-centered neediness of the modern man. "God forbid that I should glory, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I to the world" Gal. 6:14.

      Very few seem to know that the spiritual nature or the spiritual life is simply a knowledgeable recognition of the mind of God toward us as explained in scripture; any other source is simply invalid in explanation. His internal Cross and its application too us found there is all of faith and is found in knowing of Christ's propitiation as a representative of mankind or substitution, a replacement for us in The Fathers mind; as He has deemed the natural Adam man dead within His Son's sacrifice. A strictly judicial measure freeing us judicially for Him to acquire us into His perfection eternally.

      We are  inclusive [spiritually] co-presence [known by faith], as described in the Word by that act. "You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit" Rom. 8:9. We have been spiritually incorporated into One who is not here, but in Heaven. Which we practically enjoy by faith only. The learning to trust in scriptural knowledge is all important to honor Him. What we are in God's mind is found in Him [Christ Jesus] only as His Word commands. Never in who we think we are, ought to be, or what we do! Why can we not see this weakness of character is usually simply our own spiritual ignorance. "But I see another law in my members [flesh] warring against the law of my mind [what I know I should be] and bringing me into captivity of the law of sin" Phi; 1:21; Rom. 7:23.

      Yes the Spirit is working in all believers at all times. But many think because they have the truth [the external cross] that they are in practical reality of the Christian life. No not necessarily, as God has made it so the Holy Spirit is yielded to as the Cross, with its crucifixion of the flesh and the world, has become the attitude of the heart.. Oh we may know scripture even reckon on its truth, but there is no growth into His internal Cross beyond the measure of the Holy Spirit's work in us. And the Holy Spirit is given power over life's circumstance by making known the Cross with its internal crucifixion [the reckoning by faith of our own death with Him] of the flesh and the world. However in God's grace provision only great weakness on our part [need] will show us the way to a life of freedom from the flesh. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me 2 Cor. 12:9.

      The Cross of Christ and its true meaning is almost never taught in churches today. Why? Because first of all it is offensive. The truth seems to be [by my observation] that most teachers do not even know its reality internally in there own lives, so how can they ever share it? The love we could have for the savior and all that He has given is often captured by our former course of life, or our pre-programed flesh mind. We have left His thoughts in a closed unstudied and dusty bible, leaving it to our old nature to decide its meaning, what we feel and think, to guide the way. Therefore we remain external, dependent upon the Cross for salvation and comfort but not for life.

      Those who expect the work of God [the Cross of His Son] to be considered in a earthly way do not know the mind of the Father. They have not learned how He considers them by the death of His Son as a internal work. Therefore He must disrupt any attempts to settle here in the mind of the flesh. Because in God's reckoning we have nothing here, all is of the internal spirit, all is heavenly, all is spiritual. Any service or works must emanate from that mind [heavenly positional identification] or remain earthly and of no true godly value.

      As we increase our knowledge and apprehension of His internal work there is a constant sense that we are not practically up to what we have received. Hence the enjoyment of fellowship and the fulfillment of service is not the measure of the Christian life. It is the way we surmount the difficulties in our path, and not the enjoyment of the truth, which defines our position and identification. This internal Cross work is only known and maintained by a diligent and studious pursuit. Alas few will pursue this path and it is seldom taught as the requirement is.... "always being delivered unto death for Jesus' sake". 2 Cor. 4:11.

   

FINDING OUR PLACE IN HIM

      "Now faith is the assurance [the confirmation, the title deed] of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of the reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses] Heb. 11:1.

      God's explanation of the thing [faith] which is required to approach Him goes much deeper than most suppose. Christians usually connect faith with their own self, how it makes them feel and act is often the translator. Few actually look beyond their own concerns. This is only natural, as all that is of God is reveled by Spirit so then it must be perceived by spirit and men have self limited themselves in this area due to their own selfish introspection. Men have a very hard time with a faith concept as their awareness is wrapped up in themselves and their surroundings.

      The key to understanding His Faith is in the knowing of our assurance of it. Man is predisposed to thoughts of his ego or self as to the defining quality of his life's meaning, again this is only natural. So how do we find the life He has for us within the faith realm? Well first we must come not only to know who we are by the Word of God but most importantly who we are not before Him, or who He has made us to be anew. A exclusive faith perception requiring a new mind which sees a new man, represented in Christ as example. We now are a completely new creature in God's own faith toward His Son, altogether, us inclusive in His contemplation of Christ Jesus.

      This assurance or new perception is discovered as we become disenchanted with who we are in light of the scriptural explanation of who He says we are too be within His Son. In other words our own failure to be what we think and the Word says we should be as Christians. If we are satisfied with our current status we have already been defeated and missed His mark. Happiness, good social fellowship, service and tradition, if relied upon as a defining quality, are a misleading indicator of our Christianity and is simply often a cultural phenomenon.

      Awareness by faith, as a power to define being, is concealed in the present moment. The ultimate purpose of God's action on earth and in heaven, on our behalf, is so that we might contain a new identity, as power and action, on earth to glorify Him. If we are not in the present moment a new creation in our mind, as taught by His Word, then we are confined to the self centered ego programed in the self conscious inner man. Only presence in His new life as a defining quality can free us from this ego-centric control. As a matter of fact presence in a new self perception, made for us by God, found by faith, will undo the past in us and thus transform our state of consciousness toward His will to become the image of His Son Christ Jesus, His design for us from the beginning.

      This is a spiritual realization. Not the belief that we are spirit, that's simply a thought. Spiritual realization is to see clearly that what I perceive, experience, think, or feel is ultimately not who I am. That I cannot find myself in all those things which pass away. As a matter of fact Jesus said it best "Deny yourself" or negate [and thus undo] the illusion that we as self acting, self centered individuals, can please God in any way what so ever.

      When God said He was "I Am" and His Son inferred that He was that same "I Am" on earth; He was saying that His essential identity was contained within His perfect all powerful presence as the God and creator of the universe. We by inheritance have access, through the veil, to His holiness by Grace, making us also incorporated in the great I Am of God by acquiring a sense of our essential godly identity as consciousness itself. But first must come need and then comes the trudging the long road of happy destiny. Few have the patience or endurance to make use of that worldly seemingly unrewarding process though.

      How we prepare ourselves for the trip is all paramount to serving Him. Yes it's His road but we must read the signs along the way. Most Christian seem to be happy with the status quo. In other words they live and take their cues from the world and thus are relegated to the old inner ego man of the past. Only weakness and suffering will guide them to the turning. Be assured it will come, as God's intent for us, as fallen men and women, is held in the imagine [death] of His crucified Son. His judicial provision for His children, resulting in a new hope of; "I count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge [who and what He is and we have become by the word] of Christ Jesus, my Lord" Phil. 3:8.

      Form and experience are the cause of the Christians lack of emancipation from the world system. Holding us back by the powerful force of our inner man in his pursuit of ego fortification. All that had gone on before the cross was based in Law and tradition, man was entirely destined to the earths requirements before the relief [our co-death as natural Adam men] of His Cross became available.

      It seems clear that a great rectification was needed for the early Christians, as most of Paul's letters to them were of a corrective nature. They did not seem to know that they we freed from the requirements of form by a new administration of Spirit, which heretofore had never existed as a indwelt Spirit. Paul's efforts were to educate them and be a example to them of a new life which was wholly formless, a spiritual life of thoughts based on the faith in the accomplishment of another. The early church wasted little time in rejecting Paul's positional/identification teaching and they still do today as most efforts are of a cultural nature. The roman government church was the leader in our modern methods and we still follow it's example, despite the Reformation. Which was not really a change but a attempt to improve something already in existence as the word reformation connotes.

      There are many things necessary to conform the image of the Christian into that of Christ Jesus and our God will see to its doing. Suffering pain weakness all conspire to place us in a position to better see the death of our old nature. The Word is the only sure guide to a new platform, from which to place our reliance upon a new nature. After we see the desperate loss in our own self, to be anything to the Father [including culture reform and service], we have a chance to find the new man in our self through His Grace and a new identity by faith. The moment we become aware of the old man or the ego's control the emerging awareness comes to light as to who we are beyond the ego. The true identity of Christ within us. The recognition [observation] of the false old man or ego is the paramount contributor to the arising of the true new nature. "If any man suffer as a Christian, let Him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this [the sufferings] behalf" 1 Pet. 4:16.