Thursday, March 24, 2016

Lesson 22 The New Creation

     Through the new birth, you are now a new creation.  Your spirit is again alive within you.  The Word of God, in your new spirit, is again created to bring Life into your natural flesh and blood body.  Your body was made to house your spirit and your spirit was created to be in charge of your flesh.
     We've had the plan of salvation upside down, for many years.  We've been waiting for God to do what He has already done.  When we feed on His Word, it strengthens our spirit and when your spirit is strong, it subdues the flesh and brings it into subjection to the Spirit.  Because of Adam's fall, the flesh will still die someday, but God promised that we'd have 120 years.  Genesis 6:3 (Amplified) says, "Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man, for he also is flesh, but his days shall yet be 120 years."
    Even though we're in this flesh and blood body, we can extend and hold onto to finish our work, by feeding Life into our spirit by God's Word.  Doctors can only bring healing from the outside-in, but God brings healing from the inside-out.  We've failed to see what God said about our being a new creation and have failed to appropriate what He has for us here on earth, as well in heaven.
     We are now super-natural beings on this earth.  We've failed to accept the super-natural power of God's Word, that lets us function in His realm of Life. We've already received Life in our spirit, but we've failed to extend it to Life in our flesh.  We're not supposed to merely read God's Word, as a religious obligation.  We're instructed to "feed" on His Word, in order to sustain Life in the flesh and blood body we live in.
     We've identified more with the suffering we go through, rather than the victories we achieve through it all.  We all know people who suffer, and don't know Jesus.  Satan hates all mankind and is only interested in "killing, stealing, and destroying" them all.  Through Jesus, though, we now have the God given ability to walk above much of these things.  We must learn to live in and by our spirit, instead of our flesh.  We've nearly denied the super-natural things of God, even in the Church.
     The only way to walk in victory, is by walking in the Spirit.  Satan is a master at controlling the flesh.  He has set up a kingdom here, that is being run by "spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (super-natural sphere."  Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 (Amplified), "For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), but against the depotisms, against the (master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the forces of wickedness in the heavenly (super-natural) sphere."
     We have erroneously believed that evil spirits were only in demon possessed persons.  Truthfully, this entire planet has been influenced by the same satanic powers that seduced Adam and Even in the Garden.  I've heard people say that "demons can only work through the unsaved" and "demons can only oppress Christians, if God allows it."  Both beliefs are extremely wrong.  Let's read further in Ephesians 6:13-24 (Amplified), which tells us that the believer is under the same attack as the world, but we have a Way above satan's assault, which is God's Word.  Thus, Verse 13 says, "Therefore, put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day (of danger) and, having done all (the crisis demands), to stand (firmly in your place)."
     If we use what God has given us, as new creation people, we've been given all that is needful, according to Verse 16, "Lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked (one)."  We've tried fighting a spiritual battle with natural weapons and it isn't working very well for most of us.  I've heard Christians say that, "You cannot take the Word of God literally."  We've lost faith in God's Word, where if comes to our deliverance.  Some have gone overboard in what they deem as "faith."  Some have lost faith in what God has promised in His Word, for the new creation people.  We need not wait until we die, to become the new creation, because if you're born again, then you're already a new creation.  We must learn how to live as new creation people.
     To live a super-natural life, you must learn what that is.  1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says, "Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk (the Word of God) that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto (completed) salvation."  We have a new baby in our congregation.  He is already a citizen of the United States and he maintains all the rights and privileges of citizenship here.  He is perfect in every way, but he is too young to even know what gender he is.  Until he is nurtured and fed and raised into completed adulthood, he can only depend upon someone else to care for him.  He will only know what he is taught.
     If we are never taught how to live like new creations, then we will continue living by the flesh.  Although there is nothing wrong with the young boy in our congregation, he will never know who he really is or what he is supposed to do, it he remains in the infant stage.  He will remain a baby.
     We've come to a place in the Body of Christ, where we've remained in the baby stage for too long.  Paul speaks to the Church in Corinth in 1Corinthians 3:1-3 (Amplified) saying, "However brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual (men), but as to non-spiritual (men of the flesh in whom the carnal nature predominates), as to mere infants (in the new life) in Christ (unable to talk yet)! I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough (to be ready for it); but even yet you are not strong enough (to be ready for it). For you are still (unspiritual, having the nature) of the flesh (under the control of ordinary impulses) for as long as (there are) envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh? behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men."
     The Galatian Church didn't do like Paul said, so he admonished them, in Galatians 3:1-3 (Amplified), "O you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated and bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom-right before your eyes Jesus (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you this one question; Did you receive the Holy Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works; or was it by hearing (the Message of the Gospel and believing it)?"
     
    

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