Jesus said in John 10:7 (Amplified), "Again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the door for the sheep." He goes on to say in Verse 27, "The sheep that are My Own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me."
Although the disciples had been with Jesus for three and half years, walked with Him and heard what He had been saying, they couldn't comprehend the Spirit and Truth of His Words. In John 20:9 (Amplified) Jesus said, "For yet they did not know (understand) scripture that said He must rise again from the dead."
Even after all the times the disciples spent with Jesus, saw the miracles He performed and heard His teachings, they couldn't believe in their hearts the Truth of the Spirit of life in His Words, without the Holy Spirit. Today, we have the revelation of His Words given by the Apostle Paul to the Church. Yet, without the Holy Spirit's giving us light, they are not more Truth and Life to us, than they were to the disciples.
We have gleaned enough life from the Word to accept Jesus as our Lord, but we still struggle with the Truth of the power of being in the Father's family. We struggle to find a greater way into the Father's presence, when all the time Jesus is the Door and there is no other way to gain access to the Father, but through Him anymore. We think we'll find favor with Him if we fast more, pray more, read more of the Word, sacrifice more or discipline ourselves. None of these things will give us more access to Him than what we already have.
In the old covenant, people gained an audience with God through sacrifice and fasting. In the new relationship, we have access and an audience with Father all the time by Jesus. We're not trying to impress God, but coming in thanksgiving to the Father. The full truth of this revelation must come by the Holy Spirit.
Man has contrived many various natural minded and carnal minds, how to reach God. We've tried bombarding the Gates of Heaven with prayer. We've tried praying in all night vigils and we've tried self punishment rituals, but none of them are required or even work to gain His attention. The Name of Jesus is the only thing required to gain His attention. This is the Door that give entry into not only the presence of just "God," but "Father."
When you speak for the Name of Jesus, you are bringing again into the heavenlies, the Only sacrifice that is now acceptable to the Father. Jesus is the Only thing needed to receive from a Father Who loves you. The Word without the revelation of the Holy Spirit, will only do what the Law did and will cause you to see only the scriptures about the sinner. You will only see yourself the way the world or perhaps even the way you still focus on self instead of Him.
The Holy Spirit will not remind you of who you were before being born again, but will reveal who you are now in the Father's family. There are more sermons even today, being preached about sin to the Church than about righteousness. In many churches, you cannot say you're righteous through Him without it causing great friction. We sing the beautiful old hymn "Just as I am" in church. But, Jesus didn't leave you "Just as I am." He raised you with Himself and made you a new creation and a child of the Father like He is. The Father doesn't have one family that is righteous and one family that isn't. The whole family, both in heaven and in earth, are all called by one name according to 1Thessalonians 5:18-21 (Amplified) which says, "Thank (God) in everything (no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks) For this is the will of God for you (who are) in Christ Jesus (the Revealer and Mediator of that will) Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the (Holy) Spirit." Verses 20-21 go on, "Do not spurn the gifts or utterances of the prophets (do not deprecate prophetic revelations, nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning) But test and prove all things."
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the Spirit and Truth of the scriptures, instead of relying of the carnal minded men to do so. When we try seeking other ways to gaining access to God, we nullify everything Jesus suffered and sacrificed to do so for us. Jesus and Jesus alone has made us "perfect" in the Father's sight and once we begin seeing ourselves like He sees us, we will be changed from "Glory to Glory" as we behold Him (instead of beholding ourselves).
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