2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold! All things are made fresh and new. 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)."
Jesus prayed in John 17:15-18 (Amplified), "I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that you will keep and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world (worldly) belonging to the world (just) as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy) by the Truth; Your Word is Truth Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world."
Jesus said we were "In the world, but not of the world." The Church has struggled with living in the world, by the ways of God's Kingdom. We've cleaned-up our lives in the natural and have ministered to the poor, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, gave homes to the homeless and preached salvation to the world. These are all good and scriptural things to do, but are all things that the world can do and has done, in the flesh of natural man.
Jesus prayed above in Verse 18, "Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them." This is to be what sets us apart from the world. This is something that only the new creation can do, because no one on the earth can do what Jesus did, unless they are ingrafted in Jesus. All the things the Church is now doing, are things that the Father has called us to do. It's not that we haven't been doing what God has called us to, but we've left out the other part of our calling.
Jesus said we are not of this world, indicating we have power and ability from our Heavenly home and Kingdom. We've cautious about the Super-natural Gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, in our lives. Many of us have even been taught that, "These things are no longer for us, today. Our Love and compassion for mankind is to exceed far beyond caring for their physical needs (like clothing, food, shelter) and is to reach into the realm of restoring the body (not just feeding it).
We've thankfully been faithful in leading others to Christ, but we've mostly left them in the same state they were in before being saved. You might not have the Gifts of the Spirit, but you do have the Spirit Who gives the Gifts. The world has charities to help the needs and the world (government) has become the source of help, for millions of people. But, the government is not God. It's only God, through His people, Who can open blind eyes, cleanse the leper or raise the dead. I'm not saying we should race to the hospital and raise up all those who are sick, but I do believe we must listen to the Lord and be obedient to His Voice when He calls.
Our Love is to reach further than just the needs of the flesh, into the Liberty of the Spirit into the flesh and bringing complete wholeness. We've sadly reduced God's ability to only what the world has been doing by itself. As the new creation, we are a Super-natural source of God's Spirit in this earth. We're to enjoy our lives here, while simultaneously having our lives fed and sustained by the Kingdom, while we're here. We're left here, to bring God's Kingdom into the lives of mankind. This is what Jesus meant, when He said that "He sent us, Just as the Father sent Him." Jesus' earthly ministry overlapped the charitable things, into the depths of despair that the sick, demon possessed,and the disabled held.
Jesus said some things that we may have read over or simply haven't understood. He prayed in John 17:15,17 (Amplified), "Sanctify them (purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy) by the Truth; Your Word is Truth." Rituals and traditions that will not make us what God has called us to be. God's Word will do this. Jesus also prayed in Verse 15, "I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one."
When was the last time that we believed God to "protect and keep us from the evil one?" We've been so confused about our identity as new creations, which leads us to only see ourselves being in God's hands, only after we leave this earth. We've tried to sanctify, separate, consecrate and become holy, by trials and tests. This isn't what will make us new creation people. Jesus said that, "The Truth (God's Word) does the work in us." Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) says, "The beginning of Wisdom is get wisdom (skillful and Godly Wisdom) (For skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principal thing); And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension and interpretation)."
You have come into the Presence of Wisdom, when you open your Bible. The problem has been that we have no discernment, revelation or interpretation of what the Word is saying. Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified) says, "Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God) the people perish but he who keep the Word of God is blessed."
We've seemingly lost the vision of the redemptive revelation of God. Most of the new creation people believe "redemption" means "when we get home to Heaven." This is when our redemption is made complete (spirit, soul, and body), but the only part of our redemption that is lacking here, is that we are still living in this house, natural body. Jesus has redeemed us even now, according to 1Peter 1:18-19 (Amplified) which says, "You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from (your) forefathers, not with corruptible things (such as) silver and gold. But (you were purchased) with the Precious Blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a (Sacrificial) Lamb, without blemish or spot."
The above scripture doesn't say that "He was going to redeem us," but that Jesus "did redeem us." In a previous blog (The Return to Eden), I wrote about have we've been restored and redeemed all the way back to prior Adam, by the Blood of Jesus. Adam had dominion over the earth and we've been "raised together with Christ into the heavenlies and seated there with Him; at the right hand of the Father, high above all principalities, dominions, and authorities." This is already done, now, while we're still in this world.
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