We read in John 1:16-17 (Amplified), "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another, and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
Romans 4:15-16 (Amplified) says, "For the Law results in Divine wrath, but where there is no Law there is no transgression of it either. Therefore, inheriting the Promise IS THE OUTCOME OF FAITH and DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON FAITH, in order that it may be given as an act of Grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants; not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham who is thus the father of us all."
We have received everything given through Jesus in John 1:16-17, as his fellow heirs. There are no longer "merits," of the Law and keeping it's rules and sacrifices, but now all the Promises are ours in Christ Jesus. These are already ours to enjoy and receive, because we all share these things in Jesus, all have a share, and were all supplied with these things. In order to activate the Blessings in our lives, we must accept and receive them by faith. Even the salvation God offers to the world, is of no use to the unsaved, if they don't accept it by faith and receive what Grace has made available to them. Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) says, "For it is by free Grace (God's unmerited favor), that you are saved, delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation through your faith And this salvation is not of yourselves (of your own doing, it came not through your own striving), but is the Gift of God."
The Grace upon Grace, Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing, favor upon favor, Gift heaped upon Gift and Truth are all ours, but like everything else in the covenant, we must receive and accept them by faith and not works. Too many in today's Church, are striving to become attain the place where they can receive these things. The harder one strives to "deserve" them, the farther from Grace he gets. I'm not saying we shouldn't do good works, but that we cannot earn or deserve God's favor. We already have these things in His Promise and His salvation. If we don't, by faith, activate God's favor and don't know we are favored, then we try to do whatever we believe is required to have favor with God. These things in our inheritance are received by faith and must be activated by faith.
We've been left these things in His will, but we must believe they are ours in order to enjoy and walk in them. This is faith. Galatians 4:1 (Amplified) says, "Now what I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate. But he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father." Paul is speaking about the Jews, who were not under Grace, but under Law and couldn't receive their inheritance of Christ yet. This is also true of the baby Christian, who doesn't know his place in God's family, according to 1Corinthians 3:1-2 (Amplified) where Paul writes, "However, Brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual men, but as to non-spiritual men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates, as to mere infants in the new Life in Christ, unable to talk yet. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough to be ready for it, but even yet you are not strong enough to be ready for it."
We've never been taught to expect the things God has so freely given us, as the children of the Kingdom. Most of our expectations are for after we leave this earth and enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus says in Luke 11:20 (Amplified), "But if I drive out the demons by the Finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has already come upon you." Where the King is, the Kingdom is also. We've failed to allow the Spirit of God, Who is now living in us, to express the Kingdom forth from us to the world.
The Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom be restored to us? The Jews leaders were really asking, "When will the Roman occupation end and the Kingdom be restored to the Jews?" Jesus answered them in Luke 17:21 (Amplified) saying, "Nor will people say, Look! Here it is! or see, it is there! For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you, in your hearts and among you, surrounding you."
Many differing teachings about faith matters, are being disputed in today's Church, because we're still on the milk, instead of the meat of the Word. We're a House divided by doctrines and traditions. The Church isn't operating in the unity of faith as a whole. We're fragmented by our own ideas of "What and where is the Kingdom" and "What is really God's will and nature for us at the time."
Through the centuries, we've seen many women and men of God facing and accepting the persecution and arguments that surrounded their ministries. Many were rejected by the "mainstream" denominations and were considered to be "strange." The Lord persisted, however, to send preachers, teachers, and evangelists who would teach the people about the inheritance that is theirs already by Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can bring unity in the Church, but it will only come to those who will accept it in their lives.
Over the last four decades, there have been so many teachings that differ from the "standard" teachings of religious traditions of the past. This has left the Church wary of anything that is considered "different." We've become intent on holding onto what we know, rather than expanding on what we know. The old saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water," applies here. Some things are Foundation Stones and should not be changed, but other things are things we've built upon the foundation and need to be changed.
We are all born of the Spirit of God and we all have the ability to read, listen, judge and understand by the Same Holy Spirit, so we should know what is Truth and what isn't. 1John 2:19,27 (Amplified) tells us, "But you have been anointed by, you hold a sacred appointment from (you have been given an unction from), the Holy One, and you all know the Truth, or you know all things." John goes further in Verse 27, saying, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction), which you have received from Him, abides permanently in you; So then you have no need that anyone instruct you. But just as His Anointing teaches you concerning everything and is True and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in), never depart from Him, being rooted in Him, knit to Him, just as His Anointing has taught you to do."
This doesn't mean we're never to listen to teachers and disregard everything we've learned, doing our own thing. We are to listen to the Holy Spirit in our own spirits, and discern things we've been taught and preached. The Holy Spirit will tell us whether or not these are from Him. John isn't saying you're to go start your own denomination (God forbid), but that you can know for yourself, what is of God and what's not of Him.
There are worldly laws that people say are, "Alright and are okay to pass." In our own lives, we don't have to partake of these things, but can decide and discern if they're Godly Laws or worldly laws. If they're not Godly Laws, then we might decide we won't participate in them, in our own lives. Others might see nothing wrong with these laws, abide by them and believe everyone should follow them (like laws about sugary drinks). This is true in the believer's life too. I have the right of choice in God, to "Choose Life and Blessing or Death and Cursing," according to Deuteronomy 30:19.
This isn't to make us puffed-up in our own eyes, nor is it for brow-beating others, but it's for walking naturally Super-natural in our walk with the Father. Just because someone else believes that "The Baptism of the Holy Spirit has ceased," doesn't mean I'm obligated to believe it too. I'm to seek the truth from the Unction that's within me and know for myself. I don't have to reject Truth, for tradition.
We are all God's children and part of His family, but we're still individuals in the family too. I'm not writing these things in order to disagree with your opinions or religion, but I write these things from my own experience of 45 years of walking with God. Many disagree with these teachings, but they have worked in my own life and they continue to do so. You don't have to believe in healing, that's your choice to believe in Life and Blessing or death and Cursing. The choice is yours to make and God will respect your right to choose. He gave the right to do so.
Many have received Jesus' invitation and made Him the Lord of their lives, but many have chosen not to do so. The choice is left up to them to make. I can fellowship with people who believe differently than I do and still agree with some things they believe, but many of today's teachings are ungodly and against the Truth of God's Word and I will never agree with that. It's not my job to crusade against every wrong thing, but to teach that which is right and Truth. You're responsible for listening, learning, deciding, and weeding your own garden.
Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4:24 (Amplified) saying, "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." Notice how Jesus instructed, "Give thought and study to the Truth you hear." The only way for virtue and knowledge to come to you from God, is by the Truth you hear. God will not and cannot, bring virtue and knowledge when it's not His Truth.
There might be increase in the seeds (words) sown into your heart, but not all the seeds (words) being sown are Truth, hope, Blessing and Life. Many of them bring heartache, despair, sickness and hopelessness, instead of virtue and knowledge. We must weed our own gardens, instead of allowing someone else to do it and trusting they won't pluck the good plants, instead of the weeds. This is looking to the Word, for those who are serious about their lives in God. This isn't solely looking to television evangelists and megachurch ministers, but looking to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. A true disciple and child who honors God at His Word, will not compromise His Truth, for the sake of being like everyone else.
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