You know there's something that really bothers me. If God wanted us to build a Church on this earth which is a reproduction of the first; why did He leave it for us to do? What poor stewards of this goal we are, that's for sure. By my observation we are not even close to living in the shadow of what we are called to be in The Body of Christ by faith, if the bibles mandate for the Church [Jesus Christ as reality and life] be the guide anyway. And if man was in any way capable of building a organization with such perfect form himself why hasn't he been able to in the past two thousand years? I mean just look around at the religious/political/financial mess the world is in! Just where has our [the Church's] influence changed much in the macro? Yes I know we Christians like to think we are doing a good job for God, and some surely are. But lets be real here; people make a real mess along the way including within the Church. Whats the reason for all the confusion in both the world and the Church? Its all because we have a Adam 1 problem i.e. sin nature, which we can never get away from, as it permanently lives is our flesh.. Few even officially recognize it, nor much more the need to shed it in order to even approach being the Church. Little credit is given for the need to enter into the new nature given us by The Father in Christ in any conscious awareness. That is if we are to accomplish anything of godly value anyway. See 1 Cor. 15:45-49 to make this clearer!! We just can't get it right that is, if we work and try to prosper for God from the self centered soul of the first Adam. Yes I know many good things and great sacrifice's are taking place in Christendom. However the natural souled man who seeks comfort from a worldly way, apprehending his service as what is true as to a contribution by him for the carrying out God's work. Where as by the Word of God's declaration, if he is not in the Spirit of the new nature he is not even capable of pleasing the Father. No our true call is to; "keep on seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" Col. 3:1. But it seems the great seeking by mankind in general is all about self relief, we will always want comfort and attempt gain, its natural. Or prove ourselves by action and a job well done. On the contrary according to The Father we are along with Paul are to say; "but what things were gain to me, those I counted as loss for Christ" Phil. 3:7. The world for a Adam 1 life is living in the worlds system conducting our Christianity in the flesh; which is corrupt to the max. We all know that, just look around!. Jesus said; "if any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily" Luke 9:23. To take up the cross is the opposite of worldliness and the natural Adam flesh, by flesh the meaning here is: a state of being and conduct outside of God, which is us conducting ourselves by our natural inclinations, or what seems right to us. Yes there are good people along the road, but they all have failed, at least if their hope was a improvement of the overall prevailing flesh and its inherit evil. Because they were dealing with a dead instrument, and a condemned world, at least according to the bible. " But you are not living the life of the flesh [it was pronounced dead in God's determination, on the Cross] you are living the life of the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells within you---directs and controls you" Rom. 8:9. As example: a collective mankind who would sanction war and borrowing as the road to their own security, and embrace the finalization of our children's future is not to be relied upon for any spiritual apprehension I believe. This is not the system in which the Christian should expect a contribution to growth in Christ as life to be found. It is the world of works and law corrupted by mans innate selfishness. Nor should it be the system he embraces. Unless he lives in the flesh that is. I see no need to model my life after, nor depend upon such a disappointing world atmosphere. I desire to repent from adherence to this system. To be separate from the world, not ape it. I prefer to enter the mindset in which I gain freedom in Christ through apprehension of The Spirit. Unless of course I am attempting to mind my matter in the flesh modality.
Well what might be the reason for such a comprise? A great deal of our material standards today are built upon a worldly conspiracy to gather wealth, and main line Christianity has become attracted to that lure. And so has much of the congregation. Yes the Church does wonderful things and I know most love Jesus and are brothers and sisters in Christ; but the word invasion comes to mind. Never the less, I know we must always stress those who hold Jesus Christ as Saviour are set aside in Christ in the most total security possible, regardless! The great deficit my friends is weak faith, simple as that. Just think if we only had the faith really to believe and live the life of, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God-through our Lord Jesus Christ" Rom. 5:1. And just think if that were all we needed to know or desired, for the satisfaction of the condition we find ourselves in here? A life through Christ being the key, as our conscious daily awareness of our soul. The consideration of the world's normal daily trauma set aside in favor of His presence. I think it is clear we are weak in knowing this truth. Why? To call upon the name of the Lord in a manner as this kind of peace requires we must have a total reliance upon something unseen. The very definition of faith, Heb. 11:1. To have peace here and with God we must pass through Christ and we cannot see Him, so instead we substitute a approved lifestyle, a comfortable tradition perhaps. That is where the waters get muddy. Its really the mystery of the human mind that cause's all the problem: we just always want to go our own way. Mostly this takes place psychology. We come to the table with formed souls and minds, a flesh nature, a natural personality, damaged to some extent, along the way by the world.. Which will gladly lends itself to the Adam 1 prescription for life which many choose to actively live in. But for the Christian the availability of a complete new nature has been set aside in The Spirit of Christ, in which we may abide by faith. Our own matter is set aside for good as we have been given access to a new mind and been made to be new men and women by His Spirit, and this is realized only in spirit and only by faith. Nothing my friends will ever be accomplished to please God in the flesh. The father is simply incapable of sanctioning a life lived in the flesh, for he is Holy and we are as natural Adam 1 creatures only sin; despite good works and a wholesome lifestyle. A condition unavoidable for the human being. Yet thanks to God's Spiritual provision we have another wonderful option.
How much are we expected by God to come to life's terms on and by His conditions? Which by the Word is through and in Christ and in Spirit? What does the Word say about that? "He the Father has chosen us in Him [the son] before the foundation of the world" Eph.1:4. For what you might ask? To be saved yes. But also, the answer of Paul was; once saved, " I long to know Christ and the power which is in His Resurrection" Phil. 3:10. Could he or we ask for more? Can we truly know this power? Remember my friends; "your life is hid with Christ in God" Col. 3:3, and that is where we may find the power, in awareness of this positional fact. I would venture to say the implications of that wonder may bear some needful consideration of obligation for allegiance in us Christians toward the apprehension of Christ as life in The Spirit, as the advised coerce. Maybe not necessarily resulting in our comfort and gain in this world, but His glory where the only true value is! It should be obvious that this life we are given in Christ is not to be judged by our accomplishments and gain; although blessed it may be. But we are to worship The Father through Christ The Spirit, in spirit. This requires an acquaintanceship with Adam 2.
Adam 2 is the new man I spoke of. God has declared you to be just that; all new and necessarily so. A purely spiritual condition. Its by your own reckoning it is to be made known in our minds. When did this take place? In the death of Jesus Christ and by the power of his Resurrection we were, "set free from the tyranny of sin, and became bond servants of Righteousness" Rom. 6:18 While this impacts our body, it could not possibly take place by or in the flesh. He did not make our natural sinful man better! The term tyranny should be taken note of here. This is release and freedom given us from the very condition we acquired and which we all currently must deal with, in Adam 1. Which the Word describes as tyrannical. A gift of grace has taken place for all Christians, but few are aware of its freedom in this life. Why is that? Because the need to be deposed by faith of the natural flesh in their Adam 1 has not been made great enough! A change of mind completely. Why would we allow ourselves to live under the hard hand of this oppressor? Because we are yet unaware there is a alternative. We still are minding our matter.
Is it necessary to cast aside your worldly goods, go to a mountain top to find your new Adam? No my faithful friends we only need look as far as our minds. The Word of God has revealed your new nature. "God who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us...has made us alive together with Christ...and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places [position] in Christ Jesus" Eph. 2:4-6. This verse can be conceived in spirit only. If a attempt is made to apply this spiritual truth to the Adam 1 flesh natural life it simply will not fit. It can only be apprehended in spirit. This my friends is the home of the second Adam whose destiny the Word portrays as follows; "so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires but [he lives] for what God [who is Spirit] wills" 1 Pet. 4:2, Amp. What is His will for us? "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke [the world of traditions, works, the law and the self centered flesh] of bondage" Gal. 5:1. And; "God forbid that I should glory, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" Gal. 6:14. You see friend there simply is no room for a embrace of natural life in true living Christianity. We must gain all by Spirit, which will, when apprehended, change our walk from one which is controlled by conditions which prevail here in the flesh to a heavenly position where we will find the gift given in the second Adam. The bible holds this truth as self evident: "Christian experience is our measure of apprehension of that which is already true of us in the Lord Jesus Christ", which is the essence of position/identity in Christ and the path to spiritual freedom and true service. My dear friends, forge life's meaning by the Spirit build your identity in Christ and by that you will, display Jesus on this earth! Your matter has been dealt with on the Cross and no longer requires minding!
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