2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition has passed). Behold, the fresh and new has come."
The new creation is a being born out of Love, operates by Love and is directed by Love. We can all probably recall some teaching about Love from John 3:16, but these teachings haven't been brought down to a personal level and telling us how much God Loves each and every one of us (even those in the world). Although most of us know God Loves us individually, we've never comprehended this in reality and have lived with the reasoning, "If I do (or don't do) certain things, then God will do things to me or will allow things to be done to me, to teach me."
We're reluctant to lay hands on the sick or reach out into the Power Gifts of the Holy Spirit, because we fear failure. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) tells us, "There is no fear in Love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) Love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of Love (is not yet grown into Loves complete perfection)."
We have some faith in God's Love for us, but don't seem to have much faith in His Love through us. The very same Love that healed my body, wants to reach out through us and heal others. Today, we don't witness many healings and miracles is because we are afraid that it won't work. This is primarily caused from a lack of maturity in the Love that lives in and through us.
The above scripture told us that "perfected, mature Love will cast out fear altogether." Do we really believe in this Love to maturity and allow Love (God is Love) to reach out through our hands and lips? Jesus was constantly reminding His followers, that it "wasn't Him, but the Father in Him Who does the work." Do we believe that the very Same Father Who lived in Jesus, wished for the work to continue through us? We are His Body, we are the only hands He has to lay on the sick, the only Voice He has to speak to the lost and the only feet Has has to carry Him into the homes of the sick and lost.
We've repeated the adages, "If God wants something done, then He will just do it," but the truth is that if God wants something done, then we are to be the vehicle used to carry Him to where the need is. 2Corinthians 4:6-7 (Amplified) says, "For God Who said, Let Light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as (to beam forth) the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God (as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed) in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure (the divine Light of the Gospel) in (frail, human) vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not ourselves."
Now, we can understand what Jesus meant when He said, "It's not Me, but the Father in Me Who does the work." Even while in His earthly Body, Jesus was careful to reveal that it was "the Father in Him Who brought healings and miracles" to the people. Only fear and lack of understanding the greatness of God's Love for others, has kept the world in bondage and prevented His working through us and in us. We have this Precious Treasure, the Light and Glory, God's Love and His Presence living in these "earthen vessels," so we can give the Glory.
The revelation of God in us, has been downplayed throughout the ages, by the world and the carnality the Church has walked in. We've majored more on Paul's tribulation, instead of the Revelation the Holy Spirit gave to him. We have an enemy of God and man, who cannot afford to let this revelation be manifested in the hearts of God's family. The Truth of this revelation will "Loose on earth, that which is already loosed in Heaven," according to Matthew 18:19 (Amplified).
We have been given the authority to declare "lawful on earth," which is already declared "lawful in Heaven." Satan has no ability to stop what God has declared "lawful in the heavens or the earth." He can only try to confuse the laws governing, so that we cannot understand them and walk in them. The old saying, "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse," applies here too. Even though we're ignorant of these Laws, they are still Laws and we only need to apply them in the Name of Jesus.
Satan might be insane, but he isn't stupid and knows the Law better than we do. His greatest fear is that Church finally having the revelation of the Laws and operating in them. He has taught the Church, using culture and religion, so that we believe more in his lie that "God is holding back on us, instead of it's us holding back on God." Satan didn't have the chance to pervert the Gospel right away, with the early Church. After several years of hearing satan's lies, the Church became convinced that the works of the Father are not for us today.
There were martyrs in the early Church (as well as in today's Church), who refused their deliverance for a greater resurrection, according to Hebrews 11:35-40 (Amplified) which says, "(Some) women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death by clubs, refusing to accept release (offered on the terms of denying their faith) so that they might be resurrected to a better life. Others had to suffer the trial of mockery and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death (to renounce their faith) they were sown asunder, they were slaughtered by the sword; (while they were alive) they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated." Verses 39-40 go on, "And all of these, though they won divine approval by (means of) their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they (these heroes and heroines of faith) should not come to perfection apart from us (before we could join them)."
The revelation of "God in us," is what the were waiting for. Satan tried to prevent this revelation for the new creation. I marvel at the faith of people who would suffer such things at the hands of satan and demon controlled men. We can honor such faith and bring this revelation into focus for the Church and the world today. Many in the Church are confused by the things happening across the world today and are asking, "Where is God, while all these things are happening/" Or, they ask, "Why doesn't God put a stop to all the injustice occurring today?" It all comes back to, "It's not Me, but the Father in Me Who does the work."
There was plenty of justice occurring in Jesus' day and only those He could reach were delivered. Many people remained sick, crippled and were being killed in the time of Jesus. Those who were delivered, were delivered when Jesus brought "the Father in Him" to them, while all of the others, were not healed. Was God still God? Of course He was, but He had chosen to be presented to the world through Man, in Jesus. The new creation is God's choice and His means of operating and being shown to the world. Remember, that "We have this glory in earthen vessels, so that the glory may be of God, and not ourselves."
The Word says it is "Christ in us, our Hope of Glory." What glory is Paul speaking about here? He's speaking about the Glory of God, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us. This is the "glory in earthen vessels" we contain. It's not us, but the Father in us Who does the work. We can better understand what Jesus taught in John 14:12 (Amplified) saying, "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 even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
The "greater things" are the ability to bring forth the new creation, the new birth. Jesus never had the privilege of seeing the new birth in His earthly ministry. The new birth required His death and His resurrection to accomplish this miracle.
As the new creation, we cannot only get the body healed, but by the Gospel, we have the privilege of giving life to a spirit by the power of the Word of Life, the Seed of God that brings the new birth. In Jesus' time, the Church did not exist, but only came about after He was raised from the dead. As The Seed, Jesus brought forth the harvest of the family, unto the Father. The Father has now chosen to make this new creation His dwelling place the the vessel He has chosen to contain His glory on earth. We must not only learn to have faith in His Love for us, but also to have faith in His Love through us. God still does "So Love the world," but now He is able to reveal Himself in all of His Glory, through us (His chosen vessels)."
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