As we go through the Word of God seeking His wisdom, we find that God wants us to know and understand His covenant with us. Most of the problems affecting the Body of Christ result from not knowing what the Father's will for us really is. His will for us is revealed in His Word and is for us to know, but we must trust the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. If we read the Word with simply carnal knowledge, then we will never understand His will.
Over the years, we've begun relying on our own understanding instead of God's understanding. Psalms 25:14 (Amplified) says that, "The secret (of the sweet, satisfying companionship) of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its (deep, inner meaning)." Colossians 1:9 (Amplified) says, "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, (Your love) have not ceased to pray and make (special) request for you, (asking) that you may be filled with the (full, deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom (in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of Gd) and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things."
We also find in 1John 5:14-15 (Amplified), "And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him; (we are sure) that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His Own plan) He listens to and hears us." Verse 15 goes on, "And if (since) we (positively) know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know (with settled and absolute knowledge) that we have (granted to us our present possessions) the requests made of Him."
If we read even these few scriptures and allow the mind of Christ to live in us, then it becomes evident that we are actually expected to know what God's will is. If we would allow the Holy Spirit to reveal all things in His Word to us, then we could put away the old religious prayer of, "O, Lord if it be Thy will." This kind of prayer might sound good, but is full of unbelief and doubt. This indicates that we have no idea what God's will is at all.
Once in a great while,m we actually get a prayer answered, but mostly it comes by total grace and mercy and by accident. The mind of Christ (the understanding of the Anointed One) will show us all things which are to come. In John 16:13 (Amplified), Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is to be our Teacher after Jesus was gone. The Holy Spirit was poured out in Acts 2:1-3 (Amplified) and is to be the wisdom of God revealed to the Church.
Without the mind of Christ, man (in his own understanding) is no different than he was before. The Spirit of the Lord indwells his spirit, but his mind hasn't been renewed by revelation of God's Word. We insist on reading God's Word with the same traditions which were handed down from those coming before us. Many such men as E.W. Kenyon, had revelation knowledge for us from the Word. Man's traditional tea chings have rejected Brother Kenyon's words and have held fast to religious thinking. In doing this, we haven't only deceived ourselves, but have led many others into deception throughout the years. We have become "old wine skins."
We've centered in on the same old things that have kept us in bondage for years. Without the wisdom of God, we've determined that God uses sickness, death, hard times and accidents to teach His children. I find from reading God's Word that God uses the Holy Spirit to teach His Church. Read John 14:16-17 , John 15:26, John 16:13, Ephesians 4:11-13 and 2Timothy 3:16-17.
When the Father teaches His children, He doesn't need the help of the devil to show us things of God. He uses the Holy Spirit, His five fold ministers and His Word. However, we have neglected to be led by these instruments of the Spirit and have preferred to follow the carnal minds of man. By doing so, we've all but lost all the supernatural power of the Church through Jesus Christ.
We've proclaimed the new birth to all the world and we've brought many babies into the Kingdom. Unfortunately, we've left most of them in the nursery. We were born again by the Holy Spirit into the very Image and likeness of our Father and conformed into the Image of His Son. Jesus was the firstborn of many brethren. The same Holy Spirit Who performed miracles and healings through Jesus, lives in us according to John 14:12-13. Natural man will disregard this fact found in Verse 12 which says, "I assure you most solemnly I tell you, If anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
The "greater things" Jesus spoke about was the miracle of getting someone born again. Jesus couldn't get someone born again while He was here on earth. He first had to die, be buried and then rise again from the dead. He had to enter into the presence of the Father with His Blood and as our High Priest. Once He was accepted and His Blood accepted for the new covenant, then the sin of those would believe were blotted out forever. Now, Jesus could send the Holy Spirit back unto us and we could be born again and have the power of God's Word to get others born again.
This new covenant also insured that once we were born again, the same Holy Spirit would manifest Himself through us into this natural realm like He did in Jesus. By His presence in us, we now through Him would heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, speak with new, unknown tongues and preach the gospel of life to those who were spiritually dead like Mark 16:15-20 says.
To both understand and accept the Great Commission, you must receive it by the inspiration and knowledge of the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ. The natural, carnal minded knowledge will disclaim the supernatural things of God. But, the mind of Christ will cause those who believe to become fearless in the face of the enemy and to rise up as a light upon the hill.
Only Jesus could ever meet the needs of mankind and He, through the Holy Spirit, will meet them just like He always did. Now, though, He will do it through the Church. Hebrews 13:8 (Amplified) tells us that, "Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is (always) the same, yesterday, today, (yes) and forever (to the ages)." This scripture declares that whatever Jesus did, He still does and that He now does it through His Body, the Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment