2Corinthians 5:17-18 (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. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
We have been made alive again unto the Father, by our union with Jesus, in this new creation man. The Spirit of God is now not only alive to us, but is alive within us in our new creation. The Spirit-filled man never existed before, in all of creation. Now, we are alive again in the Spirit and are actually one with God Himself. This union isn't merely a saved man, but has now been made a son or daughter of God. And, this Awesome God is now our Father.
The entire relationship with God has now changed completely, because we're no longer a people who is petitioning God for our needs. We are God's family depending on our Heavenly Father to provide for us. This relationship isn't any different than it was for Jesus, when He was here in His earthly body. Jesus never had a need that His Father failed to provide, according to John 17:18,22 (Amplified) where Jesus said, "Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." He goes on in Verse 22, "I have given them the glory and honor which You have given Me, That they may be one (even) as We are One."
Jesus' statement in the above scriptures, have changed the entire universe for those who will dare believe what Jesus was saying. Jesus declared that "Everything the Father sent Him to do, was now being transferred to the new creation man." God never intended us to become the sacrifice for man, but we were the results of Jesus' Sacrifice to the world. Our responsibility wasn't to die on the cross, but to live in the results of the cross for the world.
The Father sent Jesus to "Be the Light of the world" and He has now said we are "the light of the world." The Father sent Jesus (the Word) to heal and deliver and now those of us who are born of the Word, are to heal and deliver others from the darkness. All that we are and were meant to be, was to start and end in the spirit. The new creation man was to be a spirit that wouldn't just rule our flesh, but would exhibit the same ability to rule over sickness and bondage that rules the flesh of others.
As our new creation man begins learning who we are, our spirit (by and through the Holy Spirit now living within us) is to take complete dominion over our flesh and then walk like Jesus Himself walked. Jesus' carnal nature never overrode His Spirit. We sometimes forget that Jesus was a flesh and blood Man, Who was simply led by the Spirit of God. Jesus overcame the things of the world, by the same thing He gave us, so that we could overcome them too. When we discuss the "Faith Movement," we usually think of those people as being "strange people," who were outside the traditional Church.
Jesus overcame every obstacle in His earthly ministry, by faith in what the Father said. 1John 5:4 (Amplified) says, "For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith." It's our faith in God and His Word that "conquers the world." Some have faith that, "God puts sickness on them" or faith that "God uses bad things to teach us something," but their faith in these things doesn't conquer the world. We can transfer our faith into many different thins and have no victory in our lives.
Many times we put our faith in God, into things we've been erroneously taught or into things that we've been taught that don't line up with God's Word. If we put our faith in God, into the wrong things, then God is simply not going to fulfill these things. If we don't understand what His purpose and plan for us it, then we put our faith into traditions and rituals that God will not acknowledge at all. We've learned many things that we thought were God, but were traditions of man and not God.
Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:23-25 (Amplified) and said that the Word of God was the Seed sown into our hearts. Thus, He said, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you-and more (besides) will be given to you who hear. For to him who has (ears to hear) will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (by force)."
If we "hear" the wrong things and put our faith in them, then the enemy will strip us of our true faith and use our "wrong hearing" against us. We will consequently become discontent in our lack of success in walking in the Word and quit trying to do so. Throughout the years, satan has undermined the Truth of God's Word in the ears of God's people. We've been taught many things that are contrary to God's Word and His purpose for His children. We've been taught such things as "these things have passed away," "are not for us today," "were only for the early Church" and many other things that are contrary to His Word. If we hear these things and apply our faith towards them, then our faith is void of power to produce on our behalf. This is why Jesus warned us to, "Be careful what you are hearing."
Not everything that is called "the Gospel," is THE GOSPEL. Even during Paul's ministry, there were already people preaching "another gospel" and even another Jesus. Satan began at once, to undermine the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Gospel and the Truth of it, were the downfall of satan's dominion and he tried immediately to discredit it. Satan knew that if the Truth ever penetrated the heart of God's people like it did with the first few who believed, then his kingdom was doomed.
The handful of early Church believers, so stunned the world that they said this in Acts 17:5-6 (Amplified), "But the unbelieving Jews were aroused to Jealousy, and getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the market place, they gather together a mob, set the town in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring (Paul and Silas) out to the people, But when they failed to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also."
When was the last time you heard about believers who "turned the world upside down" with the power and Presence of the Lord or the Name of Jesus?
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