Religion has caused God's Church to lose sight of Who He has created us to be, by making us look on the negative. Instead of seeing Paul's success in proclaiming the Gospel in the face of great persecution and seeing the victory over hardship, we've been taught to only focus on the hardship. The Apostle Paul was the only enemy satan had at that time, who knew the Truth of the new creation Jesus had brought into being. If satan could silence Paul and prevent him from spreading the Revelation he received from Jesus, then the Church would never know who Jesus had made us to be.
No man was righteous under the Law, because Jesus hadn't come yet. The idea of unrighteousness has continued to keep today's Church without confidence in God's hearing and answering our prayers. Paul preached about "being made righteous in Jesus," which caused God's Church to pray with confident expectancy. This change made it possible for God to move in the early Church and the cities around it. The Church had tried mixing the new covenant with the Law. They continued sacrificial rituals in order to please God, until Paul received the Revelation from the Lord and taught them the Truth of the new covenant.
Paul taught about the new creation and how we're no longer servants under the Law, but are sons and daughter in God's family. Paul taught believers that we are now God's children, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Paul later wrote in Hebrews 4:16, that we have the privilege of "Coming boldly into God's Presence and before His Throne of Grace, as His family, without sacrifice or shame, to receive Grace and mercy anytime we need it" (which really is all the time).
In Paul's letter to the Church in Corinth, we learn that, "Our bodies have become the temple of God" and that God no longer abides in a building, but in His people. Paul taught about our being raised together with Jesus and seated together with Him in Heavenly places and about our having the authority over spirits in high places through the Name of Jesus.
None of these things were known to the Church, until Paul received the Revelation from God. Satan has clouded this awesome Revelation and blinded the eyes of the Church, causing us to believe God still deals with us like He did with the old covenant people. We've been deceived into thinking God teaches His Church by disease, plagues and hardship, instead of with His Word, His Holy Spirit and the five-fold ministry. We've been deceived into believing that "only certain people are anointed and hear from God," instead of knowing that God's sheep hear His Voice.
1John 3:2 (Amplified) tells us, "Beloved, we are even here and now God's children; it is not yet disclosed and made clear what we shall be hereafter, but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall as God's children resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He really is." I don't know what we will look like after we're fully in His Presence, but this natural body will be put aside and our glorified bodies will be manifested in full. Elijah and Moses seemingly looked much like they did while on earth, when they appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, so we'll still know one another and our family members. We've lived much more by our flesh and senses or carnal minds and bodies, instead of our new creation spirit. We've never learned to walk in and by our born-again spirit.
We've been taught by carnal minded men and women throughout the centuries, which have pushed us into rituals and traditions and the enemy's deceptions. We've been taught that "being Spiritual," means we stop drinking and swearing and start going to church. We've been taught that most of the Spiritual things of God are for when we die and go to Heaven. We see God's Power illustrated in His Word, but not so much in His Church on earth.
John is writing to believers in the Lord and not just to those in the five-fold ministry in the above scripture. His writings are still true for us today. This isn't to say that we don't need teachers, but Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11, that, "Teachers are Gifts unto men by the Holy Spirit." Paul tells us that all who are born-again have the right standing with God and have the Holy Spirit Who will expound and reveal things to us, on an individual basis. 1John 2:27 (Amplified) says, "But as for you, the anointing, the sacred appointment, the unction, which you received from Him, abides permanently in you: so then, you have no need that anyone should 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 is a personal invitation to "Come boldly to the Throne of God's Grace" for yourself. You must seek God's Word and listen to His Holy Spirit, instead of relying on the opinions and teachings of others. Several years ago, I preached a sermon titled, "How Far Is Too Far," about how many things I learned from others, didn't settle right in my spirit. I refused to stay at the level of faith that those people stayed at and went on in my personal quest for God and His Truth. At every step I took into the deeper Truth of God's Word, I heard others say, "You've gone too far." Some believed that speaking in tongues was "too far," while others thought that laying hands on the sick was "too far.' Every time I drew closer to God, others would be right there saying, "You've gone too far," to where I began wondering, "How far is too far?"
I discovered that those on Faith's Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11, were those who were told by everyone that they had gone too far. God didn't tell them that though. Not many are listed in this chapter, but they were those who set their hearts on God and His Word. They simply believed that if God said it, then He could and would do it. Caleb and Joshua were the only two out of nearly two million people in the Wilderness, who believed God would do what He said. They all worshiped the Same God, but only those two entered into God's Promised Land. Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) tells us, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God."
Just because others don't believe, doesn't mean you must settle for their faith. You can go before God for yourself and the Holy Spirit (the anointing) will lead you to a deeper walk with Him. Your Father created all things and is still the One Who decides how far is too far. He will show you and teach you His Truth, no matter how many oppose you. I'm not talking about being foolish and trying to create your own thing, but don't stop because others say, "We can't take the Land" and stay in the wilderness. Believe God and you will never be disappointed. Like Jesus, Paul, Peter and John, you will suffer persecution, but it's worth it!
The cry of Paul's heart was to know Jesus and the Power of His Resurrection. Other than Jesus Himself, this man probably suffered more persecution than any other person, but he never stopped. The Jews who refused Jesus, refused Paul, so he went into the Gentile nations. Thank God he did. Satan tried everything to shut Paul up, but he refused to be silent. Most of the Revelation we now have, came through this one man who fell in love with Jesus and wouldn't stop preaching. We've centered on Paul's persecution, instead of identifying with the Truth Jesus gave him. If you wish to identify with the persecution, instead of the Truth, then there's no need for persecution from the enemy, because you're harmless to his kingdom of darkness. Hearing that the Spiritual things of God have "passed away," has never brought persecution to anyone. It just pleased the people and left God's Church helpless.
We're not called to fight the devil, because he's already been defeated. We're called to, "Fight the Good fight of faith." Having faith in God's Promises will be a fight, but we have the God kind of faith and are overcomers. Every time you step out into the arena of faith, the enemy will try to put you back into your place, because you've become a danger to his kingdom.
Without faith in the Super-natural things of God, we're just another religion to the devil. Satan can't prevent unsaved persons from being born-again and led into salvation, but he can try keeping them from become mature Christians and being a problem for him. We only have to believe that God will do the things He said He will do and that's all. We must allow God's Word and His Holy Spirit to teach and lead us. Just prior to His Ascension, Jesus said in John 16:13 (Amplified), "But when He (the Spirit of Truth, the Truth Giving Spirit), comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole Truth, full Truth). For He will not speak His Own Message on His Own authority, but He will tell whatever He hears from the Father; He will the Message that has been given to Him and He will announce and declare to you, the things that are to come (that will happen in the future)."
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