Lesson 276 The New Creation

     2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) tells us, "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)."
     The world and man's idea of religion have trained us to think of ourselves by the way men portray us, instead of how the Word of God portrays us.  In John 17:19 (Amplified) Jesus said, "And so for their sake and on their behalf I sanctify (dedicated, and consecrate) Myself, that they also may be sanctified (dedicated, consecrated, made holy) in the Truth."
     Do you believe that Jesus accomplished the things He went to the cross to do?  If you do, then you must also believe what the Word (the Truth) is in our lives and bring your thoughts into captivity and under the authority of the Truth.  It doesn't matter what satan, your neighbors, your family, or even your conscience says about you, because the Truth (the Word) is what you must believe and trust to bring you to a place of reverence before God and to a place of fellowship with Him.  We must be confident in both relationships simultaneously.
     Even tithing isn't under Law, nor is it a law, nor is Old or New Testament. It is a matter of honor, according to Proverbs 3:9-10 (Amplified) which says, "Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency (from righteous labors) and with the first fruits of all your income. So shall your storage places be filled with plenty and your vats be overflowing with new wine."
     For many years, I believe we've misquoted and misread Malachi 3:9, 10-14 (Amplified), saying it's about "robbing God."  We've tried making men tithe by declaring them to be "robbing God."  Even though the scripture says this, we must allow the Spirit to reveal the Truth about this robbery, to u.  First of all, God DOES NOT need your twenty dollars.  Secondly, He has promised a Blessing upon the tither, making the tither dependent upon no man, except God Himself.  Thus, God says in the above scripture, "You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation."  Why were they "cursed with a curse?"  Because, they were "robbing God."
     In Verses 10-14 God explains what He wanted to do for them, if they would honor Him in their tithe and offerings.  God said He would override the curse they had come under and would be able to bless them, heal them, rebuke them and put them in a place where "All nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of Hosts."  Where then did the robbing part come in?  They had robbed God of His heart's plan and purpose to bless them in all areas of their lives.  They refused to do so.
     It wasn't a matter of their money, but their trust and honor towards God.  If they would trust Him, then God could have had the joy of blessing and healing and exalting the nation.  They instead, robbed God of the joy of being a Loving God and Provider for them.  Times have arisen in my life, where I wished to do things for my children, but because of their distrust or childish foolishness, they placed themselves in a place where I couldn't do so.  I too, felt like they robbed me of the joy of blessing them.
     God said in Malachi 3:7,14-15 (Amplified), "even from the days of your father's you have turned aside from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts; But you say, How shall we return?"  Remember Proverbs 3:9-10 says we "honor the Lord with our tithes and offerings."   We place ourselves in a place of being under the curse, when we withhold and don't honor God.  Malachi tells us that the people didn't honor God, but they were actually in contempt of Him.  Thus, Verses 14-15 the people say, "It is useless to serve God, and what profit is it if we keep His ordinances and walk gloomily before the Lord of Hosts? And now we consider the proud and arrogant to be happy and favored; evil doers are exalted and prosper; Yes, and when they test God, they escape (unpunished)."  This is how they "robbed God."  They not only dishonored Him with the fruits of their blessing, but they disdained Him with their words of distrust and accusations of favor.
     It's totally up to your discretion whether or not you bring your tithes and offerings to the Lord.  As a pastor, I have no idea whether you gave or not.  It's between you and your Heavenly Father.  This is an act of honoring Him for Who and What He is to you, in your life.  This is an expression and acknowledgment of Him and what He's done.  When you honor Him, then you've "opened His joy," according to Verse 10 where God says, "I will open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing upon you that you can't find room enough to receive it all."
     This is how we rob God.  We rob the joy He receives when He is able to Bless us with His great Love.  The world made this scripture about money and greed, but God meant if for fellowship, honor and the joy of Blessings.  It's not about religion and law, but it's about relationship and Love.  This is an individual walk of honor and trust, between the Father and yourself.  We must pray about what we've seen from this revelation and talk to the Father about it.  Abraham said in Genesis 12:23 (Amplified), " I would not take a thread or shoelace or anything that is yours; lest you should say,I have made Abraham rich." Abraham wanted everyone to know that it was Almighty God and His blessing, that made Abraham rich and this was a matter of honor for him, according to Genesis 15:1 (Amplified) which says, "After these things the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, Fear not Abram I am your shield, your abundant compensation and your reward shall be exceedingly great."
     You must study God's Word for yourself and look unto the Holy Spirit to reveal Truth into your spirit.  It's not that we shouldn't tithe or give or share or do any of these things.  It's not as much about "what we do," but "why" we do them.  One is Law and works, while the other is Love and worship.  They might look like they're the same thing, if you only see them in the offering plate.  But, they are not the same in the Eyes of the One Who receives them.
 "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)."
     Balancing living in this body (the flesh) and walking in the spirit, has been a constant source of friction in the Church for two-thousand years.  How do we still live in this natural body and walk in the new creation spirit man we've become?  The body (the natural man) is a constant reminder of the old man and holds many in condemnation.  For others, the new creation man (spirit man) means for "when we die and get to Heaven."
     Some constantly fight to control their flesh, in order to be acceptable to God, while others use grace like some loophole for their lack of self-control and acting foolish.  Where do we actually fit into this new man and our place with a Holy God?  We've viewed God as being so holy, perfect and unapproachable.  Or, we've made Him so familiar that He has lost His perfection and position as Almighty God.  There must be a balance between God and Father.  Receiving this Awesome God in the realm of Father, comes only by fellowship.
     Jesus never forgot (even for a second), that He was in the Presence of Almighty God and He still was never intimidated by His power or His glory.  Jesus was always mindful of the Father's Presence in His life and in His Body.  Jesus said that, "It's the Father in Me Who does the works."  This illustrated His awareness of the Ever Present indwelling of God, in Him.  Even so, Jesus never condemned Himself for ministering to the lowest of people.
     It was a matter of fact in the Life of Jesus, that God would also heal and deliver the lowest of people, as well as the highest.  Jesus never doubted that His Father would deliver a prostitute, just as quickly as He would a King.  Jesus also knew that the Father needed Him to be "human enough," so the people could identify with Him.  Jesus also knew that the Father needed Him to infinitely be "Spirit enough," in order to hear and move by the power and Presence of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus never allowed His flesh or any sense of the enemy, to cause Him to doubt His identity in the Father.
     Jesus was never boastful of Who He was and He was never intimidated to deny His Godliness, by the world or those around Him.  Today, it seems we're quick to say that, "God is our Father," while simultaneously being reluctant to say we are His sons and daughters.
     I am His son, but I am not THE SON (Jesus).  I am nonetheless, God's son.  I'm not saying this in boast, but I declare it in Truth.  I am a son of the Most High God and nothing can change or modify this Truth.  While I am God's son, how can I please Him or walk with Him in this body of flesh, without condemnation?
     The concerns we hold about coming close in fellowship with Him, stem from the teachings of man and not from the Spirit.  Even though you're born-again and have become a new creation in Christ, the world and carnal minded men will still identify you with the sinner and not with the Christ.  Satan wishes to hold you back from your new identity with Jesus, in order to hold the Church in condemnation and guilt's prison.  This is the only way he can control the new creation family of God.
     We've fought over such things as whether or not to tithe; whether tithing is under the Law or under grace.  We've argued over whether it's a command to read the Word or can we simply follow the Golden Rules of the Beatitudes.  Do we "have" to go to Church or can we walk our own walk without it?  Some Christians are arguing about which day is the correct day to worship and what is the humblest and most chaste way to dress before the world and the Father.  Balancing the human body with the Divine Spirit Who now lives in it, has presented a dilemma for centuries.  The new creation man that lives inside this natural body, is in fact, a divine creature.  How can it be "Christ in us, our hope and glory"  and not be "divinity?"  How can we be the temple of the Holy Spirit Who now lives in our spirit and that not be a "Divine Being?"
     The natural mind with the world's idea of Christianity deems this as "blasphemous" to say, but this is what God's Word says about us.  It says we are sons and daughters of God, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Jesus.  Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth in 2Corinthians 10:3-5 (Amplified), "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of flesh and blood) but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds (in as much as we) refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
     Jesus handled the "thoughts and reasonings and argument" that satan tried bringing against the Truth, in Luke 4:3-4 (Amplified) saying, "Then the devil said to Him; If you are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf (of bread). And Jesus replied to him; It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone, but by every Word and Expression of God."
     Notice how Jesus didn't try justifying Himself by saying that He was "born of a virgin."  He didn't deny Who He was, in order to appear humble.  Jesus succinctly stated that "He was to live by God's Word and what it said."  The same temptation that came to Jesus, is the same one that comes to us, in our walk with the Father.  You don't have to shout on the streets, "I am a son or daughter of God," but you also shouldn't allow the enemy to cause you to doubt that you are indeed God's son or daughter.  Don't look at the flesh, look at the Word.  Your flesh will lie to you, but God's Word is Truth.
     The world and religion have trained us to doubt our holiness in Christ, because of our flesh.  Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:17 (Amplified), "Sanctify them (purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy) by the Truth, Your Word is Truth."  If God's Word says that "you are holy," then confess what the Word says, because" it is Truth," and not something you've invented.