In Romans six and seven Paul, a Jewish Pharisee, is not only explaining God's new revelations to us, but also speaking of his inability to follow his heart in his love for God's law, which was given to the Jewish nation and peoples only. He is also lamenting upon his inability to refrain from sin, as a earth dweller in the flesh. "I find therefore the law of my nature to be that when I desire to do what is right, evil is lying in ambush for me Rom. 7:21 wey. Take note, this was the greatest of all the Apostles if you will who exclaimed "Oh retched man that I am" Rom. 7:24! Perhaps the most honored man among mankind ever, excepting God's Son of course. A man who not only saw Jesus in His Heavenly Resurrection Glory but also a man who had personally seen the third heaven or the divine paradise of God. "I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up into the third heaven, in the body or out of the body I do not know" 2 Cor. 12:2. A man who was given the all new revelations, which were never before contemplated, which became the explanation and the road upon which all Christians now tread, even though many are unaware of it. The Christian life as reckoned by Paul's teaching, of a God inspired doctrine, of internal Christ Jesus identity in spirit. A man whose teaching on the exclusively spiritual/positional or heavenly life [his identity in God's eyes] of the Christian is almost never mentioned in most churches today. " Your life is hidden with Christ in God" Col. 3:3.
I spent many years [35] in the same condition [not knowing]. It was not until my inability to perform the so called Christian life I had been exposed to as example, and my sins and guilt were overwhelming me that I discovered, as Paul had, that Christianity would never bring any relief from my first nature. Yes the very human nature God had to condemn unto death [judicially] was still active in me. That of a earthly man seeking his own satisfaction. No matter how uplifting the music or feel good the message, my service to the church, or even the inclusiveness or socialization of old fashioned fellowship, I was still left empty. It was I learned all for the best, as He [the Holy Spirit] then [when I was ready] showed me the utter simplicity of Paul's message from the Father. The Doctrine [teaching] of identification and position that makes up the explanation of our new second creation nature, which we may approach and possesses only in faith. But first [to have it in conscious knowledge] of course we must be well acquainted [by knowing His Word] with Christ Jesus' biblical expressed sanctified positional transference of our personal being, as see by God, too a all new creation, as represented by Him Himself in Heaven. "Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" Eph. 1:3.
Few seem to realize we have [old and new] two natures, both active within us. Yet Paul taught that that was so, and he suffered under the old as we all do. "Now if I do what I will not to do, but sin that dwells in me" Rom. 7:20. The old nature is present as we are captured within our flesh or the ego and is unacceptable to God. Unfortunately to accommodate the ego or old man much of our Christian experience is designed by men to identify with form/conceptualization/action, which is the opposite of the nature of the new man we are shown to be by Paul. A new identity which is wholly spiritual, or of the mind. And of which the experience of is found in the rest in God's truth, as taught by Paul, and only lived by faith. We then may discover what we have internally and experience it as eternal life, beginning now; in reckoning upon the fact of our spiritual presence in His Son in heaven. "Hid in Christ in God".
The new way, the reckoning way [counting it as true] positional [Christ as object in Heaven] way of faith, God's biblical expressed way, is obscured however by religion and tradition, experience and showmanship. Even service is often a path which reflects upon the old natures constant need for reaffirmation. So what then has Paul showed us in his new Gospel that we may apply the new spiritual nature to our inner mans identity, absent of form? He has given us a all new way to God, that of Spirit, which within us is, and can only be, of the mind...so we could say spirit, as understanding, is simply conscience. Although a new ["renewed mind"] conscience, which requires a change of mind from the old identity, in order to honor God. This was Paul's entire message. "Rightly dividing the Word of truth" 2 Tim. 2:15. Unfortunately few churches teach this biblical truth as it does not reaffirm the ego and does not necessarily play to human earthly satisfaction and comfort. The institutional traditional modern cultural church leaders are simply often victims of their own manmade ideology and tradition designed in order to have a comfortable methodology for their constituents. In essence they simply do not know of any other way.
I think that the real reason for all the activity in many churches is to provide what is expected. The old nature must be constantly renewed, the ego requires it. Often churches good intentions are draw from their Christian world view being steeped in old earthly concepts. They drag the old way of the earth into the new dispensation of Spirit. The old testament and the synoptic books were all about the earth man of old. But this man had no spiritual life or perception. All of his godly activities centered around the produce of the earth. The reformed church [Protestantism], while bringing the need for faith as the central truth, never broke away from the Roman government churches' worldly adherence to the themes of the old Jewish system which promoted law and a attitude of action. A system that was formed/allowed [Jewish Law and developed traditions] by God yes. But interpreted by minds that served the earth. Minds which were so self centered that they willfully ultimately even colluded with the hated pagan Roman government to kill their own Messiah.
The Jewish mind saw all life as one completed and always carried out on this earth. Worshiping a God whose concern is always for the earth. And so a mind that was deeply controlled by earth bound concepts. This mind [the millennial or kingdom mind] wrote the old books and the synoptic. This mind was formed by God to display Himself here true, but a new way [after Pentecost] has come now. A spiritual way. Although many Christians know little of it as a life experience, absent of emotion that is, as most teaching is taken from the old message and the synoptic.
So then, without a new creation biblical learned heavenly attitude, founded upon a biblical faith, and a common hermeneutic as taught by Paul in his new Gospel, the church of today is still effectively Roman influenced. All based upon Jewish old testament thought. By that thinking then the new protestant reformed church was too function as a unit of God's design in order to form a better man and to preform helps upon the earth, really to prepare the earth for Christ's return by mans effort or build a kingdom for Jesus. The expectation of His return of course is a act of faith, that by the way we are too be most prominently thinking of. A expectation or thought very seldom heard today! So then might this great loss of the churches eminent anticipation of His return contribute to a laxity in spiritual apprehension?
If the new creation truth of the Word is to detach us from the former things and the flesh, the world and its influence, to bring peace and liberty, and to direct the hope of the Christian it must be definite. "The Spirit of truth takes what is mine and will make it know to you John 16:15. Thus is the spiritual way taught by Paul, a all new way absent of earthly expectations This is not often made clear in todays institutional traditional Christian culture.
The overriding notion that the church is made up of workers who are to serve Christ on earth is the likely culprit in our mis-identity. True under God's Grace much is allowed and faithful service is important. Yes we know all things under Grace, even our sins, are made to display His providence. His grace abounds in our works and service, even when done under the auspiciousness of the world system. So how then do we explain ourselves, our role, in light of His view of us as found in Paul's identification spiritual doctrine separate from action? We must discover that we are seen only within His Son [position and identity], who is [Christ Jesus] His recognition and thought of our personal being or presence according to His perfect standard requiring no performance on our part. Do we now have something more to learn for His Spiritual identity to grow, to win our hearts by these all new spiritual standards just as Paul struggled with his spiritual children? "My little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ [in Spirit] be formed in you." Gal. 4:19.
In light of the fact that there is not one bit of us in the flesh [natural actions] that is acceptable to the Father what are we to do. "For the flesh [natural man] lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and are contrary to one and another" Gal 5:17. Most of us Christians are still under the reformed concept that we have been somehow made new within the flesh, a converted carcass if you will. When we are distinctly told or commanded to walk in Spirit only. I remind you spirit is formless therefore strictly of the mind."Let us go past the elementary stage in teaching and doctrine of Christ" Heb. 6:1a.
Contrarily to the acts of the natural flesh it is a wonderful moment when we realize that by faith we may appropriate and occupy our heavenly position via a new conscience in favor of the Father. We may do this only as we reckon the old flesh dead as we defer to the occupation of Christ Himself as our image and life, a heavenly position. For this too happen however we must know His Word as taught in Paul's new ["my gospel"] gospel or truth concerning our all new creation. That of Spirit and mind establishing a all new identity within our mortal bodies, one of Spirit, His Spirit. Therefore formless, no action required....."advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity" Heb. 6:1b.
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