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 has 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)."
This new creation is a spirit. Your body is still in a state of decay. The old man (your dead spirit) was content to live in this house (your body), in the same condition it was in. Your new man was created by and in Jesus and isn't content with leaving the body in it's same state of decay. Your new creation man realizes that this house (the flesh) is now the temple of God and isn't "your own" any longer. 1Corinthians 6:19-20 (Amplified) says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received (as a Gift) from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a Price (purchased with a Preciousness and paid for, made His Own) so then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body."
The body (which is the house of the spirit) didn't change, when we were born-again. It still has the same desires and furnishing of the old man, that lived there. Galatians 5:17,22-24,25 (Amplified) says, "For the desires of the flesh (house) are opposed to the Holy Spirit, and the (desires of the) Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other (continually withstanding and in conflict with each other) so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do."
Paul goes on to list the desires of the old tenant who used to live in this house and with the furnishings that were in the house. "The new man, who is living in this house," Paul says in Verses 22-24, "is refurnishing and renovating this space by the Holy Spirit." This is like "Fixer Upper." It's renewing the old house and turning it into one that's desirable to the Lord and those around us. Paul writes in Verse 25, "If we live by the Holy Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (if by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit)."
Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For we are God's (Own) handiwork (His workmanship) recreated in Christ Jesus (born anew) that we might do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live)." God has great plans for His new creation family, that we have never really seen yet. By our not having seen what the Father has for us, we've lived in this house of flesh and have only painted or made some cosmetic repairs on it. We have adorned it with some different clothing and outer layers of paint, but we've continued furnishing it with the same furnishings of the old tenant.
This leaves us struggling to live in this house with the old, stained and torn things that the former tenant was content to live with. In Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified) Paul says, "Strip yourselves of your former nature (put off and discard your old unrenewed self) which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lust and desires that spring from delusion And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude) And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (Godlike) in true righteousness and holiness."
"True righteousness" is the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ Jesus and isn't the righteousness that comes by works, from the former tenant. The temple of God (which you are), is furnished by the things of the temple in God's order. All of the furnishings of this new house (this temple of the Holy Spirit) come only from the grace and righteousness which He Alone furnishes.
This temple of God can only be furnishes by faith in Jesus Christ. Many have changed some of the furnishings, while leaving some of them. We have believed that if we changed some things, then we could be "alright" as Christians. We could only furnish the new creation temple, by what we could think or even ask in the natural carnal realm. Faith is to the "constant worker" in this temple is is constantly beautifying it, by the things of the Father. Only faith in God, can furnish this new temple with righteousness. The previous, old tenant tried furnishing it with the natural man's ideas of righteousness, but the Holy Spirit is cleansing the temple of the old man's furnishings.
The former tenant could only "ask and think" by the carnal, natural mind of the world. The new creation man who now lives in this house of flesh, can by faith and the Spirit, reach out into the realm of Spirit and bring Spiritual things into this temple of God, according to Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified) which says, "Now to Him Who by (in consequence of) the (action of His) power that is at work within us, is able to (carry out His purpose and) do super abundantly, far over and above all that we (dare) ask or think (infinitely beyond your highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams)." The things Paul just listed are connected to the carnal, unrenewed mind of the old man, who used to live in the house that is now God's temple. The old, unrenewed mind is limited as to what we ask, think, pray, desire or even dream. The new creation man however, can by faith, reach into the very realm of the Spirit. Our new creation man can receive the things God planned for us. Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For we are God's (Own) handiwork (His workmanship) recreated in Christ Jesus (born anew) that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live)."
The new man who lives in this temple of God, can "ask and think" by the new creation union with the Spirit of God and can by Spirit and faith reach beyond the realm of the carnal mind of its former tenant. We now have the mind of Christ, and can reach into the very heart of the Father. The new creation man can "see" into the realm of God's Spirit, by revelation into God's Word and can furnish this old house with the furnishings for the temple. God isn't a "slum Lord." He intends to live in us with the splendor and glory of the furnishings of the glorious temple of God.
The only way to truly see who we now are in Christ, is by faith in God's Word, concerning our new identity. The former tenant's residual carnal, worldly thinking and ideas, can only be elevated into this new identity who now lives here by the renewing of the mind with God's Word and by the Holy Spirit's revelation of God's Word. We must refurnish this house, now God's temple, by renewing our minds to "think, ask, pray, desire, and see" into the "unseen realm of God." This is where all of our furnishings for this new temple of God, are "laid up for us beforehand by God Himself."
This is one of the main reasons I believe like I do about my personal health and my state of mind. I don't believe that my Father ever intended to furnish this temple with sickness and disease. What someone else does with his house, is between him and the Father. I intend to glorify God in this body, not only by not smoking, not drinking, and not cussing. These are just "painting" the house. I plan to complete renovate both the inside and the outside.
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