What a blessing it has been for me to engage in the writing of this blog. I thank God that He has arranged my life that I have so much time to contemplate the simplicity of the gospel and thereby grow and be formed into His desire for me; the image of His Son. I know I have a long way to go, but never the less progress is being made. The subjective formation of His image in me has resulted in the apprehension of my life in position and identity with Jesus Christ the Object; a beautiful place to live, in His grace. What a blessing to have a subjective knowledge of who God sees me as, and made me to be; by the Death of His Son. This new awareness I have found is the key that has opened the door to my desire to discover myself formed and living in His Body; which is the Church.
I realized I could have all the information that Christian books have to offer. I could learn thoroughly to deal in doctrines, dispensations, end times prophecies, etc. and pile up paper after paper on different principals of the deeper life for theological decimation and still not have the enjoyment of His Body available to live in by my minds conception. There is always much to take in and be delved into in the inquiries of the things of God, a never ending supply it seems. One might even become addicted to the constant need for more information, thinking that perhaps the next bit of knowledge will form a new vista. But the end is empty without the appropriation of His life in the peace and rest we may find in obedience to faiths enjoyment of Him as life which comes by The Spirit in His Body. Yes we can so easily risk by a constant searching, the loss of the gentle call of His voice in our spirit. Thereby finding ourselves absent of the joy which The Father wishes for us individually and as His corporate Body in our oneness with Him in His Son by the presence of His Holy Spirit as life's ultimate definition.
There is a intrinsic significance to God's Church Body and I believe that the building of it was the primary reason for God humbling Himself in becoming a Man. "on this rock I will build my Church". He came to build a Church primarily. The Temple in the old era was the dwelling place of God. In the new it is His Church Body. He takes up habitation in us. He has dispensed Himself into us. We are now "the temple of God" by the residence of The Holy Spirit in us. In John 14, it speaks of many dwelling places or abodes in the Fathers house. I was always taught this referred to a lot of mansions for us to live in, in heaven. But one must wonder if this were the case why would Jesus be teaching this to a bunch of earthly Jews, seeking a earthly Messiah to save them from Roman oppression? They could not possibly be encouraged or empowered by this kind of concept it would pass right over their heads, as there was no indwelt Holy Spirit to carry revelation to their hearts of the heavenly nature in Christ of the believer. Then Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for them, which actually meant His death and Resurrection, the place being us positioned and identified in His Spirit in heaven. Later he said he will come again [via the Holy Spirit] to receive His followers to Himself in heaven in Spirit, so that they could be there also. This was not a reference to the second coming at the end of the age, the disciples could know nothing of this: but it was the oneness they would have by His Spirit after the Resurrection and Ascension. After that He said "they would know the way". Thomas said to him upon hearing this "we do not know the way". Jesus then said " I am the way the truth [reality] and the life". If carefully read in proper context one can see Jesus was not trying to tell His disciples about a future heaven with buildings etc. He was speaking of His Body as the temple, the Church Body as found in Him, which we became. He living His life through us. He was conveying to them that by Him, leaving them in death and by His glorification their dwelling would be supplied. In John 14:23 He proves this when He said" If anyone loves Me, I and the Father will make a abode with him". Abode is simply another way of saying Him in us, we in Him, abiding [living] in the Body of Christ. His Body by The Spirit. This is not a mental condition we work in, but a spiritual position we may rest in by faith.
There is a responsibility inherent to being in the Church of Christ's Body: but it is held as individuals. Today's institutional Church is most often run on the trickle down theory and our participation is by order of works. We go, we observe, we are uplifted, maybe even convicted, we do some works, we go home, we're done. In the Gospel of Jesus while He was on the earth His life was one of works, certainly a fine example, but one which we could hardly duplicate, nor are we expected to, try as we might. No my friends it is His life in Glory which we are to emulate in thought and us there in Him. He as the ideal New Adam in whom we have our new creature heritage. His spiritual DNA passed on to us as life. If that truth is contemplated and lived in as our personal incite of ourselves, all else will follow. That is the place of responsibility we must strive for in our faith's perception. The natural mind goes to work, the spiritual mind rests in the supply of The Holy Spirit to reveal all.. The sovereign God is at work here, not us. He deals with the conscience heart of a fallen creature in us on this earth, in many ways by His Spirit: to awaken us to the responsibility of His will for us to be His element, His Body, His Life, by being formed in His image in self awareness. This image formed will ultimately be accomplished for all who believe in Spirit, and eventually in a glorified body like that of Jesus in heaven. It is really already completed by Jesus in Spirit in heaven before The Father, as He is there in our image shape and form existing as a Glorified New Adam, a perfect example of man in Christ Jesus: this view of us seen in His representation is the only way of acceptance by The Father for the Christian in the economy of God. Awareness of our responsibility to apply the recognition of this moral work by the Sovereign God in us is ours to seek in this place in order to function as the true Body of Christ in inner spiritual awareness, on earth. It is not our natural mind at work here but The Holy Spirit in revelation to a renewed mind.
Something new is indeed taking place in me and it is in spirit. This elusive place I've sought to be settled in for so long. It is likened to love held in emotion and feeling but constantly supplied with the anchor of truth from His Word for assurance. I am entering into the Body, His Body, the place of His desire; which is the reason He chose me. Not accomplished and finalized with deeper things of my natural minds effort as the platform; mere knowledge. Now the purposeful effort of my many hours of searching and contemplating His Word are coming home to nurture my soul in binding me to Him in the experience and reality of spirit by His Spirit. I am not a member, a functionary, a congregationalist or even a devoted student/disciple, with the weight of need for constant learning. I am just a fragile man who was lost, even in belief, and now am found. I need not prove anything to anyone, or act in a certain manner to show my true colors. Live a sin free upright life before men. Nothing need be marked upon my forehead to prove my worth. Nor do I need to enter into the world of reason and apologetic philosophy to explain myself. I am contained in Him the Saviour of the universe by His purpose expressly for me, proven and shown by His Word. By His power He has made me to live in Him, He is my life. I do not have a formula for my presence in the Creator, the union of Father Son and Spirit in me. Nor can I explain it in a theologically correct way: but it is true this I know. I need nothing more. By grace it is given in spirit in the here and now; the Body as life.
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