John 1:17 (Amplified) says, "For while the Law came through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
The Spiritual Blessing that came through Jesus, is something the Law could never bring. Those under the Law were spiritually dead, so the Spiritual Blessing couldn't be manifested until the new birth. The Spiritual Blessing included being redeemed from the Curse of the Law and being made righteous, through our being joined with Jesus by the Holy Spirit. The Church has rejected most of the things involved in these Spiritual Blessings.
The Law of Sin and Death entered into mankind through Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden, causing mankind to be spiritually separated from God. Paul spoke about his physical body's being under the Law of Sin before being born-again and how he had been pulled by his flesh and mental senses to walk back under the Law and it's traditions. Paul knew better than to do this, because of the Revelation he had received from Jesus. His body and senses had been trained under the Law, causing them to wish to continue walking under the Law. In Romans 7:24-25 (Amplified) Paul writes, "Who will deliver me from the shackles of this body of death?" Paul answers his own question in Verse 25 saying, "Oh Thank God! He will through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."
Paul goes on in Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified), "Therefore, there is now no condemnation, no adjudging guilty of wrong for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus, the Law of our new being has freed me from the Law of Sin and of Death."
Paul stated that the Spiritual Blessing that came through Christ Jesus, put him in a place of being joined with God's Spirit, to the point where his spirit had dominion once again, over his flesh. This Spiritual Blessing made us alive and joined us once again with God, giving Paul (and us) "power beyond my flesh." Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified), "It is the Spirit Who gives Life, He is the Life-Giver; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever, there is no profit in it. The Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life."
The Holy Spirit now lives in and through us. We have received the ability of God, to once again govern the flesh and walk in the Spirit. The flesh and satan wish that mankind didn't once again, walk in the Spirit. Satan controlled mankind through the absence of dominion, that our fallen state of being caused. Our spirits were dead unto God and man was simply ruled by his five senses, because of Adam's transgression. Satan had been controlling our minds and clouding our lives, through the influence over our flesh. Our spirits remained dormant, because our souls were clouded by physical things.
Through Jesus, now, our spirits are alive to God again and are infused by the Holy Spirit of God. God Himself can speak to us and actually live through us again. These Spiritual Blessings that came through Jesus, include "Life, son-ship rights, righteousness or right standing with God, justification, sanctification, freedom from guilt and condemnation, liberty from sin and being raised together with Jesus into Heavenly seating with Him," according to Ephesians 2:6 (Amplified) which tells us, "And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together, giving us joint seating with Him in the Heavenly Sphere, by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
The Spiritual Blessing that came through Jesus, has placed us back into a place of authority over satan, sickness, sin and the flesh. The flesh no longer controls, but the Spirit. Many remain carnal minded and haven't renewed their minds and are still being led by the senses, because the carnal mind cannot discern the Spiritual Word. Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified), "The Words I am speaking to you are Spirit and Life." He was saying this to all of us. The flesh (carnal mind) can't even understand the Revelation of Jesus' Words.
We've taken Spiritual Truth and reduced it to carnal understanding, which has resulted with our return to Law and it's fleshly traditions. Remember, Grace is "unearned, undeserved Spiritual Blessing and Truth." We've had a difficult time with the Spiritual Blessing that came through Jesus, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified) says, "But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the Gifts and teachings and Revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding and becoming acquainted with them), because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
Paul wasn't saying that these people "weren't saved," they will continue thinking like they did before being born-again, until they renew their minds. Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified), "I appeal to you therefore brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies, presenting all your members and faculties as a living sacrifice (holy, devoted, consecrated and well-pleasing to God) which is your reasonable (rational,intelligent) service and Spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs, but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind, by its new ideals and attitudes, so that you may prove for yourselves what is the Good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is Good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you."
In order to dedicate our body as a living sacrifice to God, we must first see to it, that we're living through the Spirit and not simply living still in the flesh. The outward show of the new creation man, is the external, superficial customs of the world and we are "not to conform to" these things. It's not the customs, clothing, eating certain meats and the outward things that make the body a "living sacrifice." It's the Life of the Spirit that makes it a living sacrifice. The dead body cannot be a living sacrifice in itself. The dedication of the renewed mind does this, by discerning the Truth of God's Word with the mind of Christ, instead of just reading the words. One can educate the mind by the senses and still not discern or receive Revelation into his/her spirit. To be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is Life and peace with God.
Romans 8:6-7 (Amplified) says, "Now the mind of the flesh which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit, is death (death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin) both here and hereafter (still living in condemnation and fear of punishment) But the mind of the Holy Spirit (the renewed mind) is Life and soul peace, both now and forever. That is because the mind of the flesh with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Laws, indeed it cannot."
The unrenewed mind in a believer, has a difficult time believing we are righteous and not just forgiven, but cleansed from the stain of sin. It cannot believe that God has made you so pure, that you've become the temple of God. 1Corinthians 6:19 (Amplified) says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives withing you, Whom you have received as a Gift of God? You are not your own."
It's only the renewed mind that can discern the mind of Christ and the Revelation of what Jesus has truly done for us. In order to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, we must first renew our minds to the Truth that our body is no longer our own and that Jesus is the True Life living within it. God calls our body a "temple for Himself."
We've entered into the new creation being, with the carnal mind of the old man and continue thinking in terms of the sinful man, instead of the new man. We remember more about who we once were, instead of who Christ has made us to be. It's hard to dedicate this sinful body as a holy, living and acceptable sacrifice to God, when we do this. We must renew our minds and allow the Holy Spirit to gives us discernment, instead of allowing the enemy to distort our vision by the old man. When you begin renewing your mind by the Holy Spirit and God's Word, the things of the flesh will cease to be a problem and we can know the "Good, acceptable and perfect will of God in His sight for you and prove it for yourself." God's will for you is something that only comes from understanding what His will for you ACTUALLY IS. This understanding comes only through discerning by the Holy Spirit, not from education through the carnal mind and senses. When Grace and Truth enter into you by Revelation, you will know what is "the Good, acceptable and perfect will of God that He wants for you." Until then, the carnal mind will keep you in enmity against the Truth of Grace.
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