When we read in God's Word about the things Jesus did for us, we tend to believe that those things are for when we get to heaven. The truth of the Word is, that although eternity is the final goal, Jesus delivered us for here as well as heaven. When He gave us the power of attorney in His Name, it wasn't for use in heaven because there's nothing there to have to take authority over. We've somehow reduced all the power of Jesus' death and newness of life through His resurrection until a later time.
If we will read God's Word by the Holy Spirit, then we'll find that here is where we need to have His power. Until we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us who we are now in Christ, we can never do all God wants us to do. We still walk more in a sin conscience rather than in a righteousness conscience.
The mind of Christ is exactly what it says it is. It is thinking and acting like Jesus would if He were still here in human form. Since we are the Body of Christ, we are all He has to do His work. We are His hands to lay on the sick with. We are His feet to go into all the world. We are His voice to proclaim His salvation. And, we are His arms to hold and comfort the sick and depressed.
Possessing the mind of Christ isn't something we have in our natural bodies any more than we have anything else by our natural man. When we were born again, we received His life, His mind, His righteousness and His place before the Father. Even after we were born again, we had to receive everything He gave us by faith. We knew that in ourselves we were not righteous, but that by faith in Him we became righteous. Romans 3:22 (Amplified) says that, "Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (and is meant) for all who believe, for there is no distinction."
Even though Jesus made us righteous in the Father's sight and whether or not we know that we've been made righteous, we still must that righteousness in order to walk before God in it. Everything that grace provided must be obtained by faith in order to operate here in this world. And, the mind of Christ is no different.
The only way to ever bring the things Jesus did for us to come to pass in this world, is by faith. It's already ours by His sacrifice and it's already done in the Father. The only thing holding us back is our mindset from the world. We're capable, through Jesus, to do everything He called us to do. The way we see Him is how we're supposed to see ourselves. 1John 4:17 (Amplified) says that, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us; that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we."
There's no way we can walk in the light of this scripture without faith in Him. There's no way you can accept this truth in the old man (with the carnal mind). We still have more connection with our old selves and the world than we do with God's Word.
Ephesians 4:20-24 (Amplified) says, "But you did not so learn Christ." Verse 21 says, "Assuming that you have really heard Him and be taught by Him, as (all) truth is in Jesus (embodied and personified in Him)." Verse 22 says, "Strip yourselves of your former nature (put off and discard your old unrenewed self) which characterized your previous manner of life and became corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion." Verse 23-24 say, "And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude). And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image, (God like) in true righteousness and holiness."
The only way to believe and do what the Word says in these scriptures is by faith. We must learn to forget who we were and start living as who we are. 2Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified) tells us, "And all of us, as with unveiled face (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
For the greater part of our lives,we have felt and have been told that it was boasting and being prideful to say you're righteous or holy. It would truly be boastful and prideful to exact yourself above what Jesus has done for you and what He says we are and to tell Him He is wrong. It would be boastful and prideful to tell God that what Jesus did isn't enough to make us righteous or holy like Him. It's the old unrenewed mind of the world that denies these things. If God says that we are now righteous and holy and like Him, then who are we to say it isn't so?
The mind of Christ will identify you with His resurrection and the carnal mind will still identify you with your sin. Humility will yield to the grace of God, but pride will stand against what He says you are. Sounds kind of backwards, doesn't it?
What we just read in 2Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified) says that we are being changed with the Word into His Image and in ever increasing splendor. Being in sin conscience isn't His Image. Continually seeing ourselves as though what Jesus did for us wasn't enough, surely isn't in His Image. We must learn to set our minds on Him and not on us. My righteousness isn't based on how I feel, but on what Jesus has done. Don't deny what His sacrifice has done in us because of false pride and a carnal mind. If God hadn't wanted us to be like Jesus, then He would have left us under the Law.
Under the Law, we were always and only identified with our failures and our sin. Under grace, we are to identify ourselves by His total success and forgiveness and to walk by faith in His grace as new creatures. The Law was put into place to show us our sin and weakness. Grace came into play to put it away and set us free.
Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after dictates of the Spirit." Verse 2 goes on, "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 death."
Verse 1 told us that there's no condemnation for those who walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. The dictates of the flesh or the unrenewed mind will acknowledge what Jesus did and still speak as though it didn't work. The old mind will say, "Yes, I believe that I am forgiven, but, you know brother, we are still just sinners saved by grace." We still identify ourselves with who we were. You were a sinner and through faith you are saved by grace. Now, you're no longer a sinner, but the righteousness of God because you are saved. Now our identify isn't a sinner, but a son and heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus. Think that way, act that way and conduct your life that way.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Lesson 4 The Mind of Christ
1Corinthians 2:7 (Amplified) tells us, "But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden (from the human understanding) but now revealed to us by God (that wisdom) which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification (to lift us into the glory of His presence)."
Paul goes on to discuss the difference between the carnal mind (the natural man) and the mind of Christ in 1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) saying we can now understand what he's talking about because we have the mind of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Because we have the Holy Spirit, Paul says, we can now understand Spiritual things and read the Word of God in a new light. Those walking under the old covenant or those who are still trying to use the carnal mind to understand spiritual things, don't understand what the Father is telling His people.
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says that, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
To those who are no longer under the Law, Paul's statement that, "Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for," meant there's no more sacrifice that can obtain anything and that now only faith can obtain it. The carnal Christian understood this statement to mean that it's not based on your performance or works, but only through faith in what Jesus did. This is simple to believe to the carnally minded because the carnal minds wants to do something to earn the favor of God. To the Jews, this statement means we still have to follow certain laws and rituals. But, to those who will discern this scripture by the Holy Spirit (the mind of Christ), it means exactly what it says, "Now faith is how you receive.
You no longer need to try and perform in order to be righteous, but only take by faith the truth of the Word. 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, in His goodness)." Romans 3:24 (Amplified) says that, "(All) are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, free and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus."
As long as the Church, which is now righteous because of Jesus, continues trying to become righteous by works, aren't we still carnal in our minds? Jesus made us righteous in His Own Image and His Own right standing with the Father. No matter how hard we try or how hard we work at it, we can never be anymore righteous than He is and He is our righteousness.
When Christian people read in the Word that we are blessed with all spirituals blessings through Jesus, the carnal mind will retort, "Yes, when we get to heaven all these blessings are ours." The spiritual man will know and understand that, now, all of the blessings of heaven have been poured out on us by the Holy Spirit.. The man who will walk in the mind of Christ knows that through Jesus, we've been redeemed from the curse of the Law and that the "blessings of Abraham have now come upon us, the Gentiles through faith in Christ Jesus" according to Galatians 3:13 (Amplified).
The carnal mind puts off everything Jesus completed to until we get to heaven. The Spiritual minded (the mind of Christ) working in man will realize how all of God's blessings were poured out on man through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We keep trying to discern a spiritual Word by the same carnal mind that is in enmity against the Word of God.
We've allowed ourselves to be cheated out of our inheritance through Jesus until we get to heaven. Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) tells us that, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit, (Assuring us) that we are children of God and if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory."
Most Christians only want to see the last part of this scripture and use it for a reason to suffer on this earth. The only thing Jesus suffered on earth was the persecution of the religious leaders He was trying to reach. The suffering of Jesus on the cross, isn't what this scripture was referring to. Everything Jesus did on the cross was for us. He was the only One Who could do this. We cannot suffer what Jesus did on Calvary. We can only receive what Jesus did and thank Him for His sacrifice.
I can't go to the cross for someone else and I can't be crucified for my own sins. I must accept that Jesus' suffering on the cross isn't what this scripture was referring to. How can you or I go to the cross to become righteous or to forgive sin? Only Jesus could do that. The suffering we will endure is being persecuted for declaring (as Jesus did) that God is My Father, I am a son of God and I am now righteous before God.
Try telling these things to those who still walk in the carnal mind and you'll begin to suffer like Jesus did. We still try walking with God on our own terms. We set up rules and doctrines and rituals that we practice to be righteous before Him. We deal with the length of our hair, the way we dress, the day or time we worship to the denomination we serve and many other such carnal rules. We struggle over what we can or cannot eat. Don't we yet know what James 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For whoever keeps the Law (as a) whole but stumbles and offends in one (single instance) has become guilty of (breaking) all of it."
As Christians, how can we only take part of the Law and teach it without breaking some of the parts of it? If you wish to observe certain days or foods or other parts of the Law to obtain right standing with God, then you must maintain the entire Law to obtain that right standing with God. Only someone with a carnal mind would even attempt such a thing. Those who are Spirit led and know the mind of Christ, will walk in the liberty that Jesus gave us and no longer come under bondage to the Law.
James 1:5-8 (Amplified) illustrates very clearly, the difference between those who walk in the carnal mind and those who don't. It says, "If any of you is dedficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God (Who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or fault findingm and it will be given him." Verse 6 goes on, "Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating or no doubting) for the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind." Verses 7&8 say, "For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anythings (he asks for) from the Lord (for being as he is) a man of two minds (hestating, dubious, irresolute), (he is) unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything (he thinks, feels, decides)."
Here is a man who seeks God for the truth of His Word, God gives him the truth, and then the carnal mind takes over and says, "I wonder if this is really God?" Now, he is a man of two minds; the mind of the Spirit abides in him, but the carnal mind is still in control. And, because of his being double minded, he has lost the wisdom God gave him altogether. Remember that, "God has made unto us wisdom in Christ Jesus."
Through the new birth, we have been given honor and the ability to understand what has been hidden from the foundations of the earth. Ephesians 1:9-10 (Amplified) says, "Making known to us the mystery (secrets) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose) (and it is this) In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him." Verse 10 goes on, "(He planned) for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, (both) things in heaven and things on the earth."
God has, through Jesus, revealed this great mystery to us by the Holy Spirit.
Paul goes on to discuss the difference between the carnal mind (the natural man) and the mind of Christ in 1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) saying we can now understand what he's talking about because we have the mind of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Because we have the Holy Spirit, Paul says, we can now understand Spiritual things and read the Word of God in a new light. Those walking under the old covenant or those who are still trying to use the carnal mind to understand spiritual things, don't understand what the Father is telling His people.
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says that, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
To those who are no longer under the Law, Paul's statement that, "Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for," meant there's no more sacrifice that can obtain anything and that now only faith can obtain it. The carnal Christian understood this statement to mean that it's not based on your performance or works, but only through faith in what Jesus did. This is simple to believe to the carnally minded because the carnal minds wants to do something to earn the favor of God. To the Jews, this statement means we still have to follow certain laws and rituals. But, to those who will discern this scripture by the Holy Spirit (the mind of Christ), it means exactly what it says, "Now faith is how you receive.
You no longer need to try and perform in order to be righteous, but only take by faith the truth of the Word. 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, in His goodness)." Romans 3:24 (Amplified) says that, "(All) are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, free and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus."
As long as the Church, which is now righteous because of Jesus, continues trying to become righteous by works, aren't we still carnal in our minds? Jesus made us righteous in His Own Image and His Own right standing with the Father. No matter how hard we try or how hard we work at it, we can never be anymore righteous than He is and He is our righteousness.
When Christian people read in the Word that we are blessed with all spirituals blessings through Jesus, the carnal mind will retort, "Yes, when we get to heaven all these blessings are ours." The spiritual man will know and understand that, now, all of the blessings of heaven have been poured out on us by the Holy Spirit.. The man who will walk in the mind of Christ knows that through Jesus, we've been redeemed from the curse of the Law and that the "blessings of Abraham have now come upon us, the Gentiles through faith in Christ Jesus" according to Galatians 3:13 (Amplified).
The carnal mind puts off everything Jesus completed to until we get to heaven. The Spiritual minded (the mind of Christ) working in man will realize how all of God's blessings were poured out on man through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We keep trying to discern a spiritual Word by the same carnal mind that is in enmity against the Word of God.
We've allowed ourselves to be cheated out of our inheritance through Jesus until we get to heaven. Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) tells us that, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit, (Assuring us) that we are children of God and if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory."
Most Christians only want to see the last part of this scripture and use it for a reason to suffer on this earth. The only thing Jesus suffered on earth was the persecution of the religious leaders He was trying to reach. The suffering of Jesus on the cross, isn't what this scripture was referring to. Everything Jesus did on the cross was for us. He was the only One Who could do this. We cannot suffer what Jesus did on Calvary. We can only receive what Jesus did and thank Him for His sacrifice.
I can't go to the cross for someone else and I can't be crucified for my own sins. I must accept that Jesus' suffering on the cross isn't what this scripture was referring to. How can you or I go to the cross to become righteous or to forgive sin? Only Jesus could do that. The suffering we will endure is being persecuted for declaring (as Jesus did) that God is My Father, I am a son of God and I am now righteous before God.
Try telling these things to those who still walk in the carnal mind and you'll begin to suffer like Jesus did. We still try walking with God on our own terms. We set up rules and doctrines and rituals that we practice to be righteous before Him. We deal with the length of our hair, the way we dress, the day or time we worship to the denomination we serve and many other such carnal rules. We struggle over what we can or cannot eat. Don't we yet know what James 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For whoever keeps the Law (as a) whole but stumbles and offends in one (single instance) has become guilty of (breaking) all of it."
As Christians, how can we only take part of the Law and teach it without breaking some of the parts of it? If you wish to observe certain days or foods or other parts of the Law to obtain right standing with God, then you must maintain the entire Law to obtain that right standing with God. Only someone with a carnal mind would even attempt such a thing. Those who are Spirit led and know the mind of Christ, will walk in the liberty that Jesus gave us and no longer come under bondage to the Law.
James 1:5-8 (Amplified) illustrates very clearly, the difference between those who walk in the carnal mind and those who don't. It says, "If any of you is dedficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God (Who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or fault findingm and it will be given him." Verse 6 goes on, "Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating or no doubting) for the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind." Verses 7&8 say, "For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anythings (he asks for) from the Lord (for being as he is) a man of two minds (hestating, dubious, irresolute), (he is) unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything (he thinks, feels, decides)."
Here is a man who seeks God for the truth of His Word, God gives him the truth, and then the carnal mind takes over and says, "I wonder if this is really God?" Now, he is a man of two minds; the mind of the Spirit abides in him, but the carnal mind is still in control. And, because of his being double minded, he has lost the wisdom God gave him altogether. Remember that, "God has made unto us wisdom in Christ Jesus."
Through the new birth, we have been given honor and the ability to understand what has been hidden from the foundations of the earth. Ephesians 1:9-10 (Amplified) says, "Making known to us the mystery (secrets) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose) (and it is this) In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him." Verse 10 goes on, "(He planned) for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, (both) things in heaven and things on the earth."
God has, through Jesus, revealed this great mystery to us by the Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Lesson 3 The Mind of Christ
1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) tells us, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts and (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
When a Christian reads the Word of God with an unrenewed mind, he reads it with a carnal mind. He reads the scriptures with a sense of unworthiness and guilt. A man who has a renewed mind (the mind of Christ) and is led by the Holy Spirit, will read the same scripture with an understanding of the truth in Jesus. Romans 3:10 (Amplified) says that, "As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one." The man with the unrenewed mind will read this and apply it to himself. A man who has a renewed mind (the mind of Christ), will realize this scripture doesn't apply to the born again believer.
The mind of Christ and one who is filled with the Holy Spirit will read past the old covenant, into the new. A renewed mind will see the truth in the finished work of the cross when reading Romans 3:24 (Amplified) which says, "All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus." The old, carnal mind that's not led by the Holy Spirit, doesn't see both sides of the cross.
The carnal mind still reads God's Word under the letter of the Law. The mind of Christ that is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, reads the Word through the liberty of the Spirit. One still lives under the condemnation of the old man, while the other walks in the liberty of the new man.
When the mind of Christ is allowed to lead us Christians, we see that the debt for whatever we were guilty of was paid for by Jesus. The old man with the carnal mind, continues trying to find a way to pay for his debt on his own. One lives in freedom from sin and death through the Lamb of God and the other one reads the same Word with his unrenewed mind and sees himself as a guilty man.
The spiritual man with the mind of Christ, goes beyond the cross to the resurrection of Christ. The carnal mind sees himself as the sinner. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the light of the New Testament to the believer. The carnal mind still fights the truth. 1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) says, "But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our wisdom from God (revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as) our righteousness (thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God) and our consecration (making us pure and holy) and our redemption (providing our ransome from eternal penalty for sin)."
The carnal minded Christian reads this scripture as true and he actually walks in the fullness of this truth, but he doesn't know it. So, although this is a truth for all Christian people, some will not allow this great truth to operate in their lives. They continue to live in fear, in condemnation and the thought of not being righteous before the Father's eyes. We're still more conscience of sin than we are of the Sin Bearer. The carnally minded cannot believe that they're righteous even though they believe Jesus died for and bore their sins.
When the mind of Christ is working and leading the believer, they now walk in the knowledge of the resurrection and the finished work. They rest in the truth that if Jesus bore it, then it is done. We no longer try seeking approval from God, but walk in the approval that Jesus gave us. He doesn't work to be righteous, but receives his righteousness through Jesus by faith.,
The carnal minded Christian wants to believe he's saved by grace, but still thinks he must be made righteous by his own works. The Spirit led Christian, believes by faith that Jesus is his righteousness and that now he can walk pleasing before the Father by grace. If we've been made to be righteous in His righteousness, then how can anyone improve on that? Can we, by works, become more righteous than He is?
1Corinthians 2:6 (Amplified) says, "Yet, when we are among the full grown (spiritually mature Christians) who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a (higher) wisdom, (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden) but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away."
Paul teaches that there's a wisdom of God that can only be understood by those who are spiritually mature and those in whom the mind of Christ is allowed to be manifest. We see in 1Corinthians 2:9 (Amplified) where the carnal Christian has taken out of context and used a scripture to display the lack of spiritual wisdom from the mind of Christ. It says, "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him." The carnal minds stops at this scripture. The spiritual minded (has the mind of Christ) goes onto the next scripture and delights itself in it.
1Corinthians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny)."
So, it's only through the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ that we can know and understand the revelation of the things of God. Paul didn't say in Verse 9 that God didn't want us to know, but that the carnal mind couldn't receive the things God has prepared for those who love Him.
These are spiritual truths revealed from the Holy Spirit to our born again spirits. We no longer have to see with our eyes or hear with our ears, because now these truths are revealed to our new hearts (our new spirit man) by the Holy Spirit. Now, we have the mind of Christ and can know the things that God has in store for those He loves (us).
Jesus said that the words He speaks are Spirit and they are life. Only your spirit can understand spiritual things. The mind of Christ is really nothing more than the the Word of God illuminated by the Holy Spirit. If we just read the Word with our intellect and not with the mind of Christ, then we will only see what the Old Testament people saw. We'll only see that we're sinful and that God is Holy and so we cannot stand in His presence.
The new man with the mind of Christ and by the Holy Spirit, sees the Word in a different way. We see ourselves through the mirror of the Word and the way God sees us by His Holy Spirit. The mind of Christ reveals who are and not who we were. The Spirit show us the liberty we now have through Jesus. The carnal minded Christian and the Christ minded Christian both read the same Bible. The carnal minded will still hold us in bondage. But, the Christ minded will walk in revelation, knowledge and liberty. The carnal minded will still persecute the Spirit minded because we don't keep all their rules and customs. Those in whom the mind of Christ is allowed to reveal Jesus in their lives, will go on from one glory unto another glory, from one faith to a higher level of our faith and to allow the righteousness of God to bring us unto the presence of God through Jesus by faith and not by works or guilt.
Unless we allow the mind of Christ to dwell in us and reveal His finished work through the Word, then reading the Word with a carnal mind will not produce the liberty in which it was sent. You will truly be free, but like the Kodiak bear, the prison of your mind will hold you in bondage even when the door is open.
1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified) says, "But the natural, nonspiritual 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 incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
Only the mind of Christ and the illumination of the Holy Spirit can reveal the truth of the revelation of the new birth in all its liberty to you.
When a Christian reads the Word of God with an unrenewed mind, he reads it with a carnal mind. He reads the scriptures with a sense of unworthiness and guilt. A man who has a renewed mind (the mind of Christ) and is led by the Holy Spirit, will read the same scripture with an understanding of the truth in Jesus. Romans 3:10 (Amplified) says that, "As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one." The man with the unrenewed mind will read this and apply it to himself. A man who has a renewed mind (the mind of Christ), will realize this scripture doesn't apply to the born again believer.
The mind of Christ and one who is filled with the Holy Spirit will read past the old covenant, into the new. A renewed mind will see the truth in the finished work of the cross when reading Romans 3:24 (Amplified) which says, "All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus." The old, carnal mind that's not led by the Holy Spirit, doesn't see both sides of the cross.
The carnal mind still reads God's Word under the letter of the Law. The mind of Christ that is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, reads the Word through the liberty of the Spirit. One still lives under the condemnation of the old man, while the other walks in the liberty of the new man.
When the mind of Christ is allowed to lead us Christians, we see that the debt for whatever we were guilty of was paid for by Jesus. The old man with the carnal mind, continues trying to find a way to pay for his debt on his own. One lives in freedom from sin and death through the Lamb of God and the other one reads the same Word with his unrenewed mind and sees himself as a guilty man.
The spiritual man with the mind of Christ, goes beyond the cross to the resurrection of Christ. The carnal mind sees himself as the sinner. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the light of the New Testament to the believer. The carnal mind still fights the truth. 1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) says, "But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our wisdom from God (revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as) our righteousness (thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God) and our consecration (making us pure and holy) and our redemption (providing our ransome from eternal penalty for sin)."
The carnal minded Christian reads this scripture as true and he actually walks in the fullness of this truth, but he doesn't know it. So, although this is a truth for all Christian people, some will not allow this great truth to operate in their lives. They continue to live in fear, in condemnation and the thought of not being righteous before the Father's eyes. We're still more conscience of sin than we are of the Sin Bearer. The carnally minded cannot believe that they're righteous even though they believe Jesus died for and bore their sins.
When the mind of Christ is working and leading the believer, they now walk in the knowledge of the resurrection and the finished work. They rest in the truth that if Jesus bore it, then it is done. We no longer try seeking approval from God, but walk in the approval that Jesus gave us. He doesn't work to be righteous, but receives his righteousness through Jesus by faith.,
The carnal minded Christian wants to believe he's saved by grace, but still thinks he must be made righteous by his own works. The Spirit led Christian, believes by faith that Jesus is his righteousness and that now he can walk pleasing before the Father by grace. If we've been made to be righteous in His righteousness, then how can anyone improve on that? Can we, by works, become more righteous than He is?
1Corinthians 2:6 (Amplified) says, "Yet, when we are among the full grown (spiritually mature Christians) who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a (higher) wisdom, (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden) but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away."
Paul teaches that there's a wisdom of God that can only be understood by those who are spiritually mature and those in whom the mind of Christ is allowed to be manifest. We see in 1Corinthians 2:9 (Amplified) where the carnal Christian has taken out of context and used a scripture to display the lack of spiritual wisdom from the mind of Christ. It says, "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him." The carnal minds stops at this scripture. The spiritual minded (has the mind of Christ) goes onto the next scripture and delights itself in it.
1Corinthians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny)."
So, it's only through the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ that we can know and understand the revelation of the things of God. Paul didn't say in Verse 9 that God didn't want us to know, but that the carnal mind couldn't receive the things God has prepared for those who love Him.
These are spiritual truths revealed from the Holy Spirit to our born again spirits. We no longer have to see with our eyes or hear with our ears, because now these truths are revealed to our new hearts (our new spirit man) by the Holy Spirit. Now, we have the mind of Christ and can know the things that God has in store for those He loves (us).
Jesus said that the words He speaks are Spirit and they are life. Only your spirit can understand spiritual things. The mind of Christ is really nothing more than the the Word of God illuminated by the Holy Spirit. If we just read the Word with our intellect and not with the mind of Christ, then we will only see what the Old Testament people saw. We'll only see that we're sinful and that God is Holy and so we cannot stand in His presence.
The new man with the mind of Christ and by the Holy Spirit, sees the Word in a different way. We see ourselves through the mirror of the Word and the way God sees us by His Holy Spirit. The mind of Christ reveals who are and not who we were. The Spirit show us the liberty we now have through Jesus. The carnal minded Christian and the Christ minded Christian both read the same Bible. The carnal minded will still hold us in bondage. But, the Christ minded will walk in revelation, knowledge and liberty. The carnal minded will still persecute the Spirit minded because we don't keep all their rules and customs. Those in whom the mind of Christ is allowed to reveal Jesus in their lives, will go on from one glory unto another glory, from one faith to a higher level of our faith and to allow the righteousness of God to bring us unto the presence of God through Jesus by faith and not by works or guilt.
Unless we allow the mind of Christ to dwell in us and reveal His finished work through the Word, then reading the Word with a carnal mind will not produce the liberty in which it was sent. You will truly be free, but like the Kodiak bear, the prison of your mind will hold you in bondage even when the door is open.
1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified) says, "But the natural, nonspiritual 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 incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
Only the mind of Christ and the illumination of the Holy Spirit can reveal the truth of the revelation of the new birth in all its liberty to you.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Lesson 2 The Mind of Christ
1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
We understand from this scripture that the wisdom of Christ is beyond anybody being able to instruct or teach Him anything. God's wisdom is beyond anything that man has to yield. Even with all out earthly wisdom combined, we are far from knowing the wisdom of God. We can't instruct Him or teach Him anything. But, the above scripture goes on to say, "God has (by the new birth and the indwelling Holy Spirit) given us Jesus' Own mind and wisdom." So, it's not that God has withheld His wisdom from us, but through Jesus has made it available to us.
Ephesians 4:23-24 (Amplified) says, "And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude." Verse 24 goes on, "And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (God like) in true righteousness and holiness."
This indicates that we are the ones who, by faith, are to put the "mind of Christ" to work in our lives. God has already placed the mind of Christ and His wisdom in us by the Holy Spirit. We've been slow to understand the scripture because of a sin conscience that continues to dwell with the unrenewed or carnal mind of the old man.
Romans 8:5 (Amplified) says that, "For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the (Holy) Spirit."
So you see how even a born again man who is still carnally minded, has set his mind on the things of the flesh. The things of the flesh and it's desires don't always mean sinful things like we think of sin. A carnal mind is one that still tries to justify one's self by trying to interpret the Word of God through its own understanding and reasonings.
Those who are after the Spirit are walking in God's wisdom and have the mind of Christ. And, have the revelation to understand the mysteries of God by faith in His Word. We've seen what carnal thinking (the natural mind) has done to a spiritual Word. Because of an unrenewed mind, we have done away with the wisdom of God found in the scriptures. We've done away with the gifts of the Spirit like the new language (or tongues) of the born again spirit because of carnal thinking. We're still sin conscious and continue to declare ourselves unrighteous even after the cross. We say that God no longer speaks to His children, healing ad miracles have ceased and no one can know for certain if they're going to heaven when they die.
These things are the results of a mind that has never been renewed by the truth of God's Word. Man's idea of God's revelation comes without ever consulting the wisdom or mind of Christ that's been deposited within us by the Holy Spirit at our new birth. We were more religious minded than righteous minded. Even as born again people, we were still controlled by the mind of the flesh.
Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) sets a standard and way to judge whether we are spiritually or carnally minded. Verse1 says, "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." Verse 2 goes on, "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."
According to the first verse, those who walk after the Spirit (the mind of Christ) no longer have any sense of condemnation or guilt of wrong doing. Those who walk after the dictates of the flesh (even if they're born again), still walk under guilt and bondage and consider themselves sinners and unrighteous.
Only a renewed mind (one that has the mind of Christ) can, by faith in the finished work of Jesus, walk in the wisdom of this portion of God's grace. The unrenewed mind reads what Paul wrote concerning the potter and the clay and determines God makes people just to damn them. Paul was really talking about the potter taking Gentiles and making them righteous outside the Law. Paul wrote, "Can the clay (those under Law) say to the potter (the God of Grace) you can't do that?"
God took us (those who were without God) and without covenant, put us on His potter's wheel and made us into vessels of honor in the Master's house. The carnal mind only sees death and wrath, but the mind of Christ sees grace and honor. He has made us all in Adam and He's made salvation available to all in the last Adam (Jesus). Even though God (the Master Potter) has made all of us, some of us will eventually end up as vessels of honor and dishonor.
The Potter has fashioned the vessels (us), but we determine by our faith in Jesus, what's being poured from the vessel. Will we be vessels of honor in the Master's house or will we remain filled with self? Isaiah 55:8-9 (Amplified) says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
As we renew our minds by the Word, we allow the mind of Christ to manifest itself in us. We will see things and think like He thinks from heaven's viewpoint rather than the earth bound viewpoint of the carnal mindset.
We understand from this scripture that the wisdom of Christ is beyond anybody being able to instruct or teach Him anything. God's wisdom is beyond anything that man has to yield. Even with all out earthly wisdom combined, we are far from knowing the wisdom of God. We can't instruct Him or teach Him anything. But, the above scripture goes on to say, "God has (by the new birth and the indwelling Holy Spirit) given us Jesus' Own mind and wisdom." So, it's not that God has withheld His wisdom from us, but through Jesus has made it available to us.
Ephesians 4:23-24 (Amplified) says, "And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude." Verse 24 goes on, "And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (God like) in true righteousness and holiness."
This indicates that we are the ones who, by faith, are to put the "mind of Christ" to work in our lives. God has already placed the mind of Christ and His wisdom in us by the Holy Spirit. We've been slow to understand the scripture because of a sin conscience that continues to dwell with the unrenewed or carnal mind of the old man.
Romans 8:5 (Amplified) says that, "For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the (Holy) Spirit."
So you see how even a born again man who is still carnally minded, has set his mind on the things of the flesh. The things of the flesh and it's desires don't always mean sinful things like we think of sin. A carnal mind is one that still tries to justify one's self by trying to interpret the Word of God through its own understanding and reasonings.
Those who are after the Spirit are walking in God's wisdom and have the mind of Christ. And, have the revelation to understand the mysteries of God by faith in His Word. We've seen what carnal thinking (the natural mind) has done to a spiritual Word. Because of an unrenewed mind, we have done away with the wisdom of God found in the scriptures. We've done away with the gifts of the Spirit like the new language (or tongues) of the born again spirit because of carnal thinking. We're still sin conscious and continue to declare ourselves unrighteous even after the cross. We say that God no longer speaks to His children, healing ad miracles have ceased and no one can know for certain if they're going to heaven when they die.
These things are the results of a mind that has never been renewed by the truth of God's Word. Man's idea of God's revelation comes without ever consulting the wisdom or mind of Christ that's been deposited within us by the Holy Spirit at our new birth. We were more religious minded than righteous minded. Even as born again people, we were still controlled by the mind of the flesh.
Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) sets a standard and way to judge whether we are spiritually or carnally minded. Verse1 says, "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." Verse 2 goes on, "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."
According to the first verse, those who walk after the Spirit (the mind of Christ) no longer have any sense of condemnation or guilt of wrong doing. Those who walk after the dictates of the flesh (even if they're born again), still walk under guilt and bondage and consider themselves sinners and unrighteous.
Only a renewed mind (one that has the mind of Christ) can, by faith in the finished work of Jesus, walk in the wisdom of this portion of God's grace. The unrenewed mind reads what Paul wrote concerning the potter and the clay and determines God makes people just to damn them. Paul was really talking about the potter taking Gentiles and making them righteous outside the Law. Paul wrote, "Can the clay (those under Law) say to the potter (the God of Grace) you can't do that?"
God took us (those who were without God) and without covenant, put us on His potter's wheel and made us into vessels of honor in the Master's house. The carnal mind only sees death and wrath, but the mind of Christ sees grace and honor. He has made us all in Adam and He's made salvation available to all in the last Adam (Jesus). Even though God (the Master Potter) has made all of us, some of us will eventually end up as vessels of honor and dishonor.
The Potter has fashioned the vessels (us), but we determine by our faith in Jesus, what's being poured from the vessel. Will we be vessels of honor in the Master's house or will we remain filled with self? Isaiah 55:8-9 (Amplified) says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
As we renew our minds by the Word, we allow the mind of Christ to manifest itself in us. We will see things and think like He thinks from heaven's viewpoint rather than the earth bound viewpoint of the carnal mindset.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Lesson 1 The MInd of Christ
1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ(the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
"We have the mind of Christ (the Messiah)." What a statement to make to the Church. In the Strong's Concordance #3563, the meaning of the word "mind," means "the intellect, i.e.mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling or will) by implying meaning, mind or understanding." It would do us all well to read the entire chapter of 1Corinthians 2 (Amplified) in order to get a fuller meaning of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church. As the church, we have never really dare believe some of the things the Father has given to us. To say we have the mind of Christ, sounds too far out for religion to grasp.
Romans 12:2 (Amplified) says, "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 its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
I read a true story about a giant Kodiak bear several years ago. Germany was building a zoo for exotic animals and sent a man out to trap and capture a giant Kodiak for their zoo. They spared no expense in building a place for this bear to live. They did their best to make it as much like his own habitat as possible and it spread for many acres. They planted trees and placed a stream that flowed through the expanse. There was an abundance of lush grasses and flowers growing there. They build rock caves and surrounding walls that looked more like stone and naturally occurring structures than walls.
The trapper returned to Germany with the bear before his habitat was completed. And, because the place for the bear wasn't completed yet, it had to remain in a 24'x20' steel cage. He was only t remain there until his beautiful habitat was completed.
This giant bear had been snatched from the wild and was now confined to this small place. He began to walk from one end of the cage to the other. His big head swung from side to side as he walked the cage. He would walk ten paces one way, then turn and walk ten paces back. He did this all day and all night. He refused to eat and would only stop to drink from the water they brought him grudgingly. He paid no attention to the crowds who stopped to watch him.
They began throwing things in front of the bear, trying to distract him, but with no avail. He continued pacing until his feet were raw and bloody, leaving bloody paw prints across the cage. Finally, the bear's new home was ready and they brought his cage into the beautiful park prepared for him. When they opened the door to his cage, he raised his great head and looked out into the park. He saw the trees, the grasses, the flowers and the clear running stream created just for him. As he gazed out over the park, he lowered his head and began to walk ten paces one way, turned and walked ten paces back, swinging his giant head side to side as he walked.
Finally, the zoo keepers took a cattle prod (an electric shock device) and tried driving him from the cage. Once out of the cage and onto the grass in the park, the bear stood still, raised his great head and looked at the beauty of the park. Then, he dropped his head and began to pace ten paces one way, then turned and walked ten paces back. He did this until he wore a path through the lush grasses of the park until finally, they had to put him down and destroy him.
Even after the cage was opened and he was free in the park, he wasn't free. The cage was still in his mind. He couldn't accept liberty, even when it was there for him, because he was locked up in his mind.
I come upon Christian people who remind me of this Kodiak bear. They still pace back and forth in the same path of guilt and condemnation and apathy even after they have accepted Jesus, even after the new birth and even though their forgiveness has come. Even after their saved, they only see the things God has for them through the bars of the cages in their minds.
Only the renewing of your mind by the truth of the Word, will allow you to walk free. The door to your pain and guilt and condemnation has been unlocked and flung wide open. We can only enjoy the freedom of the new man when we let the mind of Christ instead of the old,carnal mind rule us.
Through the Holy Spirit our Teacher, Jesus our example and God as our Father, we have a beautiful place prepared for us by God Himself. Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For we are God's (Own) handiwork (His workmanship) recreated in Christ Jesus (born anew) that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them (living the good life which He pre-arranged and made ready for us to live)."
The door is open, the promise is true and the life and blessings are real. All we're required to do is leave the cell we once lived in and walk in the liberty of His grace. Renew your mind by the Word of God to the truth of our covenant.
"We have the mind of Christ (the Messiah)." What a statement to make to the Church. In the Strong's Concordance #3563, the meaning of the word "mind," means "the intellect, i.e.mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling or will) by implying meaning, mind or understanding." It would do us all well to read the entire chapter of 1Corinthians 2 (Amplified) in order to get a fuller meaning of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church. As the church, we have never really dare believe some of the things the Father has given to us. To say we have the mind of Christ, sounds too far out for religion to grasp.
Romans 12:2 (Amplified) says, "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 its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
I read a true story about a giant Kodiak bear several years ago. Germany was building a zoo for exotic animals and sent a man out to trap and capture a giant Kodiak for their zoo. They spared no expense in building a place for this bear to live. They did their best to make it as much like his own habitat as possible and it spread for many acres. They planted trees and placed a stream that flowed through the expanse. There was an abundance of lush grasses and flowers growing there. They build rock caves and surrounding walls that looked more like stone and naturally occurring structures than walls.
The trapper returned to Germany with the bear before his habitat was completed. And, because the place for the bear wasn't completed yet, it had to remain in a 24'x20' steel cage. He was only t remain there until his beautiful habitat was completed.
This giant bear had been snatched from the wild and was now confined to this small place. He began to walk from one end of the cage to the other. His big head swung from side to side as he walked the cage. He would walk ten paces one way, then turn and walk ten paces back. He did this all day and all night. He refused to eat and would only stop to drink from the water they brought him grudgingly. He paid no attention to the crowds who stopped to watch him.
They began throwing things in front of the bear, trying to distract him, but with no avail. He continued pacing until his feet were raw and bloody, leaving bloody paw prints across the cage. Finally, the bear's new home was ready and they brought his cage into the beautiful park prepared for him. When they opened the door to his cage, he raised his great head and looked out into the park. He saw the trees, the grasses, the flowers and the clear running stream created just for him. As he gazed out over the park, he lowered his head and began to walk ten paces one way, turned and walked ten paces back, swinging his giant head side to side as he walked.
Finally, the zoo keepers took a cattle prod (an electric shock device) and tried driving him from the cage. Once out of the cage and onto the grass in the park, the bear stood still, raised his great head and looked at the beauty of the park. Then, he dropped his head and began to pace ten paces one way, then turned and walked ten paces back. He did this until he wore a path through the lush grasses of the park until finally, they had to put him down and destroy him.
Even after the cage was opened and he was free in the park, he wasn't free. The cage was still in his mind. He couldn't accept liberty, even when it was there for him, because he was locked up in his mind.
I come upon Christian people who remind me of this Kodiak bear. They still pace back and forth in the same path of guilt and condemnation and apathy even after they have accepted Jesus, even after the new birth and even though their forgiveness has come. Even after their saved, they only see the things God has for them through the bars of the cages in their minds.
Only the renewing of your mind by the truth of the Word, will allow you to walk free. The door to your pain and guilt and condemnation has been unlocked and flung wide open. We can only enjoy the freedom of the new man when we let the mind of Christ instead of the old,carnal mind rule us.
Through the Holy Spirit our Teacher, Jesus our example and God as our Father, we have a beautiful place prepared for us by God Himself. Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For we are God's (Own) handiwork (His workmanship) recreated in Christ Jesus (born anew) that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them (living the good life which He pre-arranged and made ready for us to live)."
The door is open, the promise is true and the life and blessings are real. All we're required to do is leave the cell we once lived in and walk in the liberty of His grace. Renew your mind by the Word of God to the truth of our covenant.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Lesson 8 Fruit of the Spirit
Jesus said in John 15:1-5 (Amplified) that, "I AM the True Vine, and MY FATHER is the Vine dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away): and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 3 goes on, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)." Verse 4 says, "Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you (live in Me, and I will live in you) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me." Verse 5 says, "I AM the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
Within these five verses of the scripture, lies all the truth and wisdom that are needed to do what Galatians 5:22-26 describes as the fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes, we do what Paul wrote about in Galatians 3:3(Amplified) which says, "Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependence) on the flesh?" We forgot that the fruit of the Spirit is as much a spiritual gift as any other thing in our lives. Whether it's the gifts of the Spirit from 1Corinthians 12 or the Great Commission from Mark 16 of walking in love found in 1Corinthians 13, all are impossible to do without walking in the counsel and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit is called "the fruit of the Spirit" for a reason. Only the Holy Spirit can produce these actions in our lives. And, it's much more than simply being nice to folks. This fruit of the Holy Spirit depends on what Jesus said in John 15:5 (Amplified),"I AM the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
This vital union or constant fellowship that comes from the Word, is the washing of water by the Word according to Ephesians 5:29. Jesus also said in John 15:3 (Amplified) that the Word and the teachings of the Word prunes and cleanses the branches to bear better fruit. The more we're in fellowship with Him and the more we're in His Word, the more and better fruit we produce. As we're shown in the Word (by the Holy Spirit) things that need to change in our lives, we allow the Spirit to trim that off or prune that from our lives.
We were created by the Father to reveal Him to the world. His very nature and His Own Spirit has been given to us by our faith in Jesus. All of the seed that's necessary to produce everything, is already in place. We like "Prego;" "it's already in there." What we are required to do to produce it, isn't to try harder, but to listen more.
The devil's favorite trick is to keep us looking at ourselves instead of Jesus. If we keep our eyes focused on all of our mistakes, then we keep them off of His perfection. We're supposed to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us and allow Him to conform us into that Image. The devil will reveal you unto yourself and keep you conformed to that image and all of your imperfections.
The fruit of the Spirit cannot be made manifest by the flesh. No matter how hard we try to do it, it won't work. The fruit the Spirit produces in us is the very manifestation of the Love of God. This is what Love produces in our lives, Paul said in 1Corinthians 13 (Amplified that, "Even f I give my body to be burned, if I have not love, I gain nothing."
Does this mean that I should not keep my flesh from doing wrong? Of course not, but don't rely on the flesh to do only what the Spirit is capable of. If we allow the flesh to rule, then it produces death. If we allow the Holy Spirit to control the flesh, then we produce life.
Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore (there is) now no condemnation (no adjusting 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."
Once the Holy Spirit has broken the law of sin and death over our lives, we are now to be led by Him into the life of Jesus to the fullest. We understand that God has forgiven our sins and our old life, but it stopped there. This is a journey we've begun with Him that goes on until we actually stand in His presence for eternity. Don't stop abiding in Him after you get born again. The journey's just begun.
God will never leave us, but we forget that sometimes. When we stop being "God minded," we have the tendency to return to doing things in the flesh. If we abide in Him, stay in fellowship, stay in the Word, attend church in praise and keep our hearts and minds on Him, then we can't help but bear the fruit. Matthew 12:33 (Amplified) says that, "Either make the tree sound (healthy and good) and its fruit sound (healthy and good) or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad) and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad) for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit."
Jesus said that, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" in Luke 6:45 (Amplified). If we keep our hearts filled with the Word and the Spirit, then what is produced in our lives and speech will be the fruit of the Spirit. We won't speak anything that isn't pruned and cleansed by the Word and the Spirit.
The Seed (which is the Word) will produce only what it is exactly designed to produce. All we're required to do with this seed is to protect it from contamination and other seeds that could choke it out according to Mark 4 and Proverbs 4:23. Allow the Holy Spirit to conform you to the Image of the Messiah by His Word. Don't look to yourself and your own failures, but look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your Faith. As we become more like Him, we will naturally produce the fruit that's pleasing to the Father.
1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and to instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
Within these five verses of the scripture, lies all the truth and wisdom that are needed to do what Galatians 5:22-26 describes as the fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes, we do what Paul wrote about in Galatians 3:3(Amplified) which says, "Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependence) on the flesh?" We forgot that the fruit of the Spirit is as much a spiritual gift as any other thing in our lives. Whether it's the gifts of the Spirit from 1Corinthians 12 or the Great Commission from Mark 16 of walking in love found in 1Corinthians 13, all are impossible to do without walking in the counsel and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit is called "the fruit of the Spirit" for a reason. Only the Holy Spirit can produce these actions in our lives. And, it's much more than simply being nice to folks. This fruit of the Holy Spirit depends on what Jesus said in John 15:5 (Amplified),"I AM the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
This vital union or constant fellowship that comes from the Word, is the washing of water by the Word according to Ephesians 5:29. Jesus also said in John 15:3 (Amplified) that the Word and the teachings of the Word prunes and cleanses the branches to bear better fruit. The more we're in fellowship with Him and the more we're in His Word, the more and better fruit we produce. As we're shown in the Word (by the Holy Spirit) things that need to change in our lives, we allow the Spirit to trim that off or prune that from our lives.
We were created by the Father to reveal Him to the world. His very nature and His Own Spirit has been given to us by our faith in Jesus. All of the seed that's necessary to produce everything, is already in place. We like "Prego;" "it's already in there." What we are required to do to produce it, isn't to try harder, but to listen more.
The devil's favorite trick is to keep us looking at ourselves instead of Jesus. If we keep our eyes focused on all of our mistakes, then we keep them off of His perfection. We're supposed to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us and allow Him to conform us into that Image. The devil will reveal you unto yourself and keep you conformed to that image and all of your imperfections.
The fruit of the Spirit cannot be made manifest by the flesh. No matter how hard we try to do it, it won't work. The fruit the Spirit produces in us is the very manifestation of the Love of God. This is what Love produces in our lives, Paul said in 1Corinthians 13 (Amplified that, "Even f I give my body to be burned, if I have not love, I gain nothing."
Does this mean that I should not keep my flesh from doing wrong? Of course not, but don't rely on the flesh to do only what the Spirit is capable of. If we allow the flesh to rule, then it produces death. If we allow the Holy Spirit to control the flesh, then we produce life.
Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore (there is) now no condemnation (no adjusting 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."
Once the Holy Spirit has broken the law of sin and death over our lives, we are now to be led by Him into the life of Jesus to the fullest. We understand that God has forgiven our sins and our old life, but it stopped there. This is a journey we've begun with Him that goes on until we actually stand in His presence for eternity. Don't stop abiding in Him after you get born again. The journey's just begun.
God will never leave us, but we forget that sometimes. When we stop being "God minded," we have the tendency to return to doing things in the flesh. If we abide in Him, stay in fellowship, stay in the Word, attend church in praise and keep our hearts and minds on Him, then we can't help but bear the fruit. Matthew 12:33 (Amplified) says that, "Either make the tree sound (healthy and good) and its fruit sound (healthy and good) or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad) and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad) for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit."
Jesus said that, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" in Luke 6:45 (Amplified). If we keep our hearts filled with the Word and the Spirit, then what is produced in our lives and speech will be the fruit of the Spirit. We won't speak anything that isn't pruned and cleansed by the Word and the Spirit.
The Seed (which is the Word) will produce only what it is exactly designed to produce. All we're required to do with this seed is to protect it from contamination and other seeds that could choke it out according to Mark 4 and Proverbs 4:23. Allow the Holy Spirit to conform you to the Image of the Messiah by His Word. Don't look to yourself and your own failures, but look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your Faith. As we become more like Him, we will naturally produce the fruit that's pleasing to the Father.
1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and to instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Lesson 7 Fruit of the Spirit
In Galatians 5:22:26 (Amplified), Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit and the conduct of the Spirit controlled Christian. This conduct is nothing more than not committing adultery, theft, murder or any other acts of the flesh. We, as Christian people, allow the Word and the Holy Spirit to bring our flesh under the control of the Spirit, but somehow we haven't allowed Him to help us control our emotions.
We haven't renewed our minds and emotions by the Word. Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified) says, "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." Verse 2 says, "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 ITS NEW ATTITUDE)."
Sometimes, we forget that the way we act and feel is motivated by the way we think. If we live and think the same as before we were saved, then something's really wrong with out commitment to our new Lord. We forget that in our old lives we lived by the dictates of our mind. Even now that we're born again, our minds still control the emotions (soulish) and directs our steps. In our spirit, we know what to do, but in our minds, we continue to operate the way our minds tells us to do.
If we think on certain things, they can determine the way we act and feel. Loneliness is a feeling of being alone that brings depression. A renewed mind (one that's filled with the Word) knows that we're never alone. Jesus said that He will never leave you, nor forsake you, but be with you always. You might say, "Well, I know Brother, but I need someone to talk to." A Spirit led man knows he always has the ear of the Father.
As Christians, we somehow still don't see God as a "real" audience and Someone we can have fellowship with. We continue walking as carnal men allowing our emotions to rule us. We use some wisdom in our lives, but only when we want to. Have you ever wondered why we don't allow our emotions to rule us when we are pulled over for speeding? We don't jump out of the car and cuss out the policeman, but very politely address him and answer his questions. We might ask, "How may I help you, Officer?" But, when we get home, we unload on our wife and/or children about the ticker we got.
So too, we can control the way we act, think and feel by the Holy Spirit and wisdom. You can choose to be depressed or you can choose to be happy. You can choose to forgive or you can choose to hold onto your unforgiveness. You can choose to be full of anger or joyful. Just like you can choose to be saved or you can choose not to be saved. You can choose to heed what the Spirit says or ignore what He says to do.
Walking in the fruit of the Spirit is a choice we make. It may be the last part of the old man to truly die to Christ. We sometimes want to hold onto the old man, good or bad, in our minds. People who were hard into the world are plagued by the memories of the sins that held them. We walk in condemnation of some of the awful things we used to do. This isn't the good soil for the seed of the fruit to grow in.
The unrenewed mind is the thorns, thistles and weeds that choke out the seed and prevent it from growing. Mark 4:19 (Amplified) says, "These old thoughts and memories, control the emotions and keep us under the bondage of the past (even into the present)." We have thought that reading the Word was just something we're supposed to do now that we're saved. The importance of reading the Word is to renew our minds as to who we are now.
We can change the way we conduct our lives by the Word. We can also change the way we conduct our emotions by the same Word and the Holy Spirit. We seem only to allow Him to change our speech and emotions to a certain degree. By the Holy Spirit, I don't swear anymore. Yet with the same Holy Spirit, I can't (or won't) allow Him to change my speech into something pleasant. The residue of the old man still haunts my mind and therefore, my emotions. My flesh and blood body only responds to what my mind allows it to do. It can't do whatever it wants too, unless my mind and emotions give it liberty to do so. Your body can't simply (by its own accord) do whatever it wants. It must be told to do it or allowed to do it.
A renewed mind (the mind of Christ) knows exactly how we're to walk before God as His children. We've allowed Him to guide us and keep us free from the sins of the flesh that were committed under the Law. We're no longer under the Law, but grace and the Spirit and have so much more to enjoy. Don't we know yet that the Holy Spirit isn't going to make us do anything? We aren't driven by the Holy Spirit, but led by Him. He won't make us walk in love, but He will show us how and lead us into His love.
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, full truth) for He will not speak His Own message (on His Own authority) but He will tell whatever (from the Father, He will give 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)."
This is the same Holy Spirit Who is to produce the fruit in us. He will do it by leading and guiding us through the Word and the Love (which is God) within us. This is the same God Who loved us enough to die in our place when we didn't even know Him. This is the same God Who forgave and forgot all of our mistakes. This is the same God Who rejoiced in the return of the prodigal son. This is the same love, the same God, the same Spirit Who commands us to love other and He has loved us.
He will not make us do it, but He will enpower, lead, reveal, strengthen and encourage us in how we're to act and live. His job is to change us into the Image of the Father. We must learn to hear and to be led by His voice and presence. As Christians, we're not always very tolerant of others. This is called self-righteousness and it not the fruit of the Spirit. We forget sometimes that sinner sin...that's what they do. We can't expect the unsaved to walk in the Spirit because they don't have the Holy Spirit.
The old criticisms of the Church have to stop. We're intolerant of other Christians who believe differently than us. We're almost brutal in our walk at times. I remember being refused communion at another church once, because I wasn't a member of their fellowship. Am I not a member of the same family? What makes us family isn't having a card in their fellowship, but the Blood of Jesus.
If we learn to practice the fruit of the Spirit at home, then we can learn to walk in it any place. This isn't a conduct that we put on, but a life that we live. It's not what we do, but who we are. If they Holy Spirit can change us from a sinner to a child of God, if He can take us from unrighteousness to His righteousness, if He can take the dead in sin and make them alive to God, then He can remove our old temperment and attitude and produce fruit in the new soil of our hearts.
If we will allow Him to be God in our emotions and minds like He is in our spirit, then He'll produce fruit to His harvest. We forget that even Jesus had to allow God's will to be done in His life and not His Own. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that, "If there is any other way to let this cup pass Me, but if not, Not My will but Yours be done." We mostly still want our will to be done. We don't admit it, but we want what we want instead of what He wants. We know better, but we exercise our will for our own pleasure instead of His.
An apple tree doesn't have to try being an apple tree because it is one. A Christian doesn't have to try being a Christian. God made us to be one when we got saved. Just be what we are and bear the fruit that shows it. Simply abide in the Vine and the fruit will come. The word "abide" means to "stay united and to live in Him." That's the life that produces the fruit. Fellowship with the Father.
We haven't renewed our minds and emotions by the Word. Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified) says, "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." Verse 2 says, "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 ITS NEW ATTITUDE)."
Sometimes, we forget that the way we act and feel is motivated by the way we think. If we live and think the same as before we were saved, then something's really wrong with out commitment to our new Lord. We forget that in our old lives we lived by the dictates of our mind. Even now that we're born again, our minds still control the emotions (soulish) and directs our steps. In our spirit, we know what to do, but in our minds, we continue to operate the way our minds tells us to do.
If we think on certain things, they can determine the way we act and feel. Loneliness is a feeling of being alone that brings depression. A renewed mind (one that's filled with the Word) knows that we're never alone. Jesus said that He will never leave you, nor forsake you, but be with you always. You might say, "Well, I know Brother, but I need someone to talk to." A Spirit led man knows he always has the ear of the Father.
As Christians, we somehow still don't see God as a "real" audience and Someone we can have fellowship with. We continue walking as carnal men allowing our emotions to rule us. We use some wisdom in our lives, but only when we want to. Have you ever wondered why we don't allow our emotions to rule us when we are pulled over for speeding? We don't jump out of the car and cuss out the policeman, but very politely address him and answer his questions. We might ask, "How may I help you, Officer?" But, when we get home, we unload on our wife and/or children about the ticker we got.
So too, we can control the way we act, think and feel by the Holy Spirit and wisdom. You can choose to be depressed or you can choose to be happy. You can choose to forgive or you can choose to hold onto your unforgiveness. You can choose to be full of anger or joyful. Just like you can choose to be saved or you can choose not to be saved. You can choose to heed what the Spirit says or ignore what He says to do.
Walking in the fruit of the Spirit is a choice we make. It may be the last part of the old man to truly die to Christ. We sometimes want to hold onto the old man, good or bad, in our minds. People who were hard into the world are plagued by the memories of the sins that held them. We walk in condemnation of some of the awful things we used to do. This isn't the good soil for the seed of the fruit to grow in.
The unrenewed mind is the thorns, thistles and weeds that choke out the seed and prevent it from growing. Mark 4:19 (Amplified) says, "These old thoughts and memories, control the emotions and keep us under the bondage of the past (even into the present)." We have thought that reading the Word was just something we're supposed to do now that we're saved. The importance of reading the Word is to renew our minds as to who we are now.
We can change the way we conduct our lives by the Word. We can also change the way we conduct our emotions by the same Word and the Holy Spirit. We seem only to allow Him to change our speech and emotions to a certain degree. By the Holy Spirit, I don't swear anymore. Yet with the same Holy Spirit, I can't (or won't) allow Him to change my speech into something pleasant. The residue of the old man still haunts my mind and therefore, my emotions. My flesh and blood body only responds to what my mind allows it to do. It can't do whatever it wants too, unless my mind and emotions give it liberty to do so. Your body can't simply (by its own accord) do whatever it wants. It must be told to do it or allowed to do it.
A renewed mind (the mind of Christ) knows exactly how we're to walk before God as His children. We've allowed Him to guide us and keep us free from the sins of the flesh that were committed under the Law. We're no longer under the Law, but grace and the Spirit and have so much more to enjoy. Don't we know yet that the Holy Spirit isn't going to make us do anything? We aren't driven by the Holy Spirit, but led by Him. He won't make us walk in love, but He will show us how and lead us into His love.
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, full truth) for He will not speak His Own message (on His Own authority) but He will tell whatever (from the Father, He will give 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)."
This is the same Holy Spirit Who is to produce the fruit in us. He will do it by leading and guiding us through the Word and the Love (which is God) within us. This is the same God Who loved us enough to die in our place when we didn't even know Him. This is the same God Who forgave and forgot all of our mistakes. This is the same God Who rejoiced in the return of the prodigal son. This is the same love, the same God, the same Spirit Who commands us to love other and He has loved us.
He will not make us do it, but He will enpower, lead, reveal, strengthen and encourage us in how we're to act and live. His job is to change us into the Image of the Father. We must learn to hear and to be led by His voice and presence. As Christians, we're not always very tolerant of others. This is called self-righteousness and it not the fruit of the Spirit. We forget sometimes that sinner sin...that's what they do. We can't expect the unsaved to walk in the Spirit because they don't have the Holy Spirit.
The old criticisms of the Church have to stop. We're intolerant of other Christians who believe differently than us. We're almost brutal in our walk at times. I remember being refused communion at another church once, because I wasn't a member of their fellowship. Am I not a member of the same family? What makes us family isn't having a card in their fellowship, but the Blood of Jesus.
If we learn to practice the fruit of the Spirit at home, then we can learn to walk in it any place. This isn't a conduct that we put on, but a life that we live. It's not what we do, but who we are. If they Holy Spirit can change us from a sinner to a child of God, if He can take us from unrighteousness to His righteousness, if He can take the dead in sin and make them alive to God, then He can remove our old temperment and attitude and produce fruit in the new soil of our hearts.
If we will allow Him to be God in our emotions and minds like He is in our spirit, then He'll produce fruit to His harvest. We forget that even Jesus had to allow God's will to be done in His life and not His Own. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that, "If there is any other way to let this cup pass Me, but if not, Not My will but Yours be done." We mostly still want our will to be done. We don't admit it, but we want what we want instead of what He wants. We know better, but we exercise our will for our own pleasure instead of His.
An apple tree doesn't have to try being an apple tree because it is one. A Christian doesn't have to try being a Christian. God made us to be one when we got saved. Just be what we are and bear the fruit that shows it. Simply abide in the Vine and the fruit will come. The word "abide" means to "stay united and to live in Him." That's the life that produces the fruit. Fellowship with the Father.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Lesson 6 Fruit of the Spirit
Let's delve a little deeper into the twenty fifth verse of Galatians 5 which says that, "If we live by the Holy Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God), let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit."
Even though the Holy Spirit lives in us and is actually God in us, we still have to yield to His promptings in order to do and carry out God's will in our lives. The Seed (Jesus), has perfectly reproduced within us the same kind of being that He is. Remember the Law in Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to its own kind and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved." We also read in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified) that, "God said, Let Us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our Image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the (tame) beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."
According to the Law of Genesis, everything produces after its kind. We have watched this law in motion our entire lives. Horses produce horses, dogs produce dogs, corn produces corn and flies produce flies. This is a law of the Creator of all things. This is also a reason that evolution is a false theory. We didn't evolve from something else and become men and women. We were created that way. And, now God has brought about the new birth from "The Seed---Jesus." We are produced after kind just like He is. We were born again after the Spirit of God. John 4:24 (Amplified) tells us that, "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth (reality)."
So you see that we're born again by the Seed of God to reproduce us in His Own Image. We have walked in the flesh for so long that now we have to learn over again to walk in the Spirit. The only way to produce any fruit from this new seed, is to allow the seed to produce after kind. We can't duplicate the fruit of the Spirit by our own will and works. The seed is able to produce fruit if we give it what it needs to produce.
We've tried to make it a hybrid seed and force it to produce the way we want it too. But, it doesn't work that way. This seed in us is designed by God to produce His Own family, just like Jesus. John 6:63 (Amplified) says that, "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."
This fruit will come if we allow it to produce after kind. You don't have to make an apple tree produce apples. You just have to take care of it and it does the work by itself. Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) says that, "The ones (seeds) sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word." Verse 19 goes on, "Then the cares and anxieties of the world and the distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word (Seed), and it becomes fruitless."
We've tried producing the fruit of the Spirit by the flesh. We've tried being good and kind to other people, and that's a good things, but it's not the real fruit. I remember when my great grandson took a wax apple out of the fruit bowl at my daughter's house. It looked real and he believed it was real, but the look of disappointment on his face was proof enough that it wasn't the real thing.
The fruit of the Spirit is just that; it's the fruit of the Spirit. Only the Spirit can produce it. It's produced through our own spirit as we yield to Him. The fruit of the Spirit is the very nature and character of our Father. It's His love, His joy, His grace and His mercy being reflected in us from glory to glory.
1Corinthians 2:12-13 (Amplified) says that, "Now we have not received the spirit (that belongs to) the world, but the (Holy) Spirit Who is from God, (given to us) that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts (of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly) bestowed on us by God." Verse 13 says, "And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the (Holy) Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language (to those who possess the Holy Spirit)."
What we must do first to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit is to find out who we are. We have an identity crisis in the Body of Christ for quite some time. If you could confuse the carnal mind and shut out the mind of Christ, then we'd never know what kind of seed (Spirit) we are. That's why it's so vitally important to be in the Word and listen to the Father's voice.
Many in the Church still walk under the Law and try to perform by the flesh. Some have taken grace to the point that it's no longer grace. The Holy Spirit keeps the Word of truth in context to the Word of God. The Word speaks about not sowing mixed seed in the Word. If we cannot distinguish between the Father and the Holy Spirit from the enemy and the world, then it's hard to produce anything but the flesh.
2Corinthians 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom) and all of us, as with unveiled face (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
For some, it seems to be boasting or blasphemous to say we're like Him. To others, they still try identifying with the old man they were more than the new man they are. For others, they continue walking in the religion of others instead of relationship with the Holy Spirit. We've been taught in some circles that the fruits of the Spirit have passed away. We've done what those in the old covenant did and tried being righteous and walking in love by acts of the flesh.
The seed will produce the fruit or the character of the Holy Spirit if we will allow Him to show us Who He is. In every garden I've ever planted, I put a seed packet on a stick at the end of each row. I did this because once the seed is sown, you can forget what you planted in that row. I could look at the packet and could confidently say I planted corn or beans in this row because I had a picture so I wouldn't forget. You must keep the Word before you as a picture of who you are in order to know. Once the seed is sown in your heart, your job is to know what Spirit you are of and it will produce after kind.
The reason for our being in the Word is to show and remind us who we are; not who we were. We don't need to be reminded of our old sinful man because God doesn't remember our sins anymore. We're to be reminded of who and how we are now through Him. The Seed Who gave us life (The Holy Spirit) has everything in the seed to produce the fruit. If you plant a kernel of corn, inside that kernel is the shoot, the stalk, the ear and the corn in the ear. It's all in there.
In the seed if the Word is everything you are including a new being, a baby in Christ, a young man, an elder, an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. It's all in that seed you received. Help it to produce by yielding to the Spirit of God and He will produce the nature of God in you. When the fruit is genuine, then it's pleasant to those who are hungry. As you're changed into His Image from glory to glory, the fruit will manifest itself on its own. There's no effort to producing the fruit if we will simply allow Him to reveal Himself to us. Jesus said that, "When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." An apple has no problem being an apple because that's what it was meant to be and so that's what it is. A child of God has no problem being a child of God because that's what he was meant to be so that's what he is. Just let the seed produce after kind. Let the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in your heart and it will show in your life.
Even though the Holy Spirit lives in us and is actually God in us, we still have to yield to His promptings in order to do and carry out God's will in our lives. The Seed (Jesus), has perfectly reproduced within us the same kind of being that He is. Remember the Law in Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to its own kind and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved." We also read in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified) that, "God said, Let Us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our Image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the (tame) beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."
According to the Law of Genesis, everything produces after its kind. We have watched this law in motion our entire lives. Horses produce horses, dogs produce dogs, corn produces corn and flies produce flies. This is a law of the Creator of all things. This is also a reason that evolution is a false theory. We didn't evolve from something else and become men and women. We were created that way. And, now God has brought about the new birth from "The Seed---Jesus." We are produced after kind just like He is. We were born again after the Spirit of God. John 4:24 (Amplified) tells us that, "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth (reality)."
So you see that we're born again by the Seed of God to reproduce us in His Own Image. We have walked in the flesh for so long that now we have to learn over again to walk in the Spirit. The only way to produce any fruit from this new seed, is to allow the seed to produce after kind. We can't duplicate the fruit of the Spirit by our own will and works. The seed is able to produce fruit if we give it what it needs to produce.
We've tried to make it a hybrid seed and force it to produce the way we want it too. But, it doesn't work that way. This seed in us is designed by God to produce His Own family, just like Jesus. John 6:63 (Amplified) says that, "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."
This fruit will come if we allow it to produce after kind. You don't have to make an apple tree produce apples. You just have to take care of it and it does the work by itself. Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) says that, "The ones (seeds) sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word." Verse 19 goes on, "Then the cares and anxieties of the world and the distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word (Seed), and it becomes fruitless."
We've tried producing the fruit of the Spirit by the flesh. We've tried being good and kind to other people, and that's a good things, but it's not the real fruit. I remember when my great grandson took a wax apple out of the fruit bowl at my daughter's house. It looked real and he believed it was real, but the look of disappointment on his face was proof enough that it wasn't the real thing.
The fruit of the Spirit is just that; it's the fruit of the Spirit. Only the Spirit can produce it. It's produced through our own spirit as we yield to Him. The fruit of the Spirit is the very nature and character of our Father. It's His love, His joy, His grace and His mercy being reflected in us from glory to glory.
1Corinthians 2:12-13 (Amplified) says that, "Now we have not received the spirit (that belongs to) the world, but the (Holy) Spirit Who is from God, (given to us) that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts (of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly) bestowed on us by God." Verse 13 says, "And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the (Holy) Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language (to those who possess the Holy Spirit)."
What we must do first to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit is to find out who we are. We have an identity crisis in the Body of Christ for quite some time. If you could confuse the carnal mind and shut out the mind of Christ, then we'd never know what kind of seed (Spirit) we are. That's why it's so vitally important to be in the Word and listen to the Father's voice.
Many in the Church still walk under the Law and try to perform by the flesh. Some have taken grace to the point that it's no longer grace. The Holy Spirit keeps the Word of truth in context to the Word of God. The Word speaks about not sowing mixed seed in the Word. If we cannot distinguish between the Father and the Holy Spirit from the enemy and the world, then it's hard to produce anything but the flesh.
2Corinthians 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom) and all of us, as with unveiled face (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
For some, it seems to be boasting or blasphemous to say we're like Him. To others, they still try identifying with the old man they were more than the new man they are. For others, they continue walking in the religion of others instead of relationship with the Holy Spirit. We've been taught in some circles that the fruits of the Spirit have passed away. We've done what those in the old covenant did and tried being righteous and walking in love by acts of the flesh.
The seed will produce the fruit or the character of the Holy Spirit if we will allow Him to show us Who He is. In every garden I've ever planted, I put a seed packet on a stick at the end of each row. I did this because once the seed is sown, you can forget what you planted in that row. I could look at the packet and could confidently say I planted corn or beans in this row because I had a picture so I wouldn't forget. You must keep the Word before you as a picture of who you are in order to know. Once the seed is sown in your heart, your job is to know what Spirit you are of and it will produce after kind.
The reason for our being in the Word is to show and remind us who we are; not who we were. We don't need to be reminded of our old sinful man because God doesn't remember our sins anymore. We're to be reminded of who and how we are now through Him. The Seed Who gave us life (The Holy Spirit) has everything in the seed to produce the fruit. If you plant a kernel of corn, inside that kernel is the shoot, the stalk, the ear and the corn in the ear. It's all in there.
In the seed if the Word is everything you are including a new being, a baby in Christ, a young man, an elder, an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. It's all in that seed you received. Help it to produce by yielding to the Spirit of God and He will produce the nature of God in you. When the fruit is genuine, then it's pleasant to those who are hungry. As you're changed into His Image from glory to glory, the fruit will manifest itself on its own. There's no effort to producing the fruit if we will simply allow Him to reveal Himself to us. Jesus said that, "When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." An apple has no problem being an apple because that's what it was meant to be and so that's what it is. A child of God has no problem being a child of God because that's what he was meant to be so that's what he is. Just let the seed produce after kind. Let the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in your heart and it will show in your life.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Lesson 5 Fruit of the Spirit
The Word speaks about the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in our new, born again lives in Galatians 5:22-26 (Amplified). Jesus said in John 15:1-3 (Amplified) that, "I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vine dresser." He continues in Verse 2 saying, "Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away): And He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 4 says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."
The Father is still the Vine dresser by His Holy Spirit. He still prunes and cleanses the branches (which are us) so we bear more and better fruit. He still uses the same means to prune and cleanse the branches as He did then. He uses His Word and His teachings. Jesus, Who is the Vine, supplies the life that flows through the branches. Without Jesus and His life flowing through us, then we have no life in us at all. The Vine produces the sap (life) to the branches and the branches produce the fruit. The Father Himself cares for the Vine and the branches as the Vine dresser.
Few of us have ever really thought much about the reason for bearing fruit. The reason for bearing fruit is to protect and replenish the seed needed to produce a new plant. Jesus said in John 12:24 (Amplified) that, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one gram, it never becomes more) but lives alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
He was the Seed that produced the Vine that now gives life to us, the branches. As the branches, we're to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. That fruit is what contains the seed to produce many more branches. Few of us have ever given much thought to producing fruit.
You can produce a watermelon vine with one tiny seed. That one life giving vine will grow many branches. Every branch will produce the fruit of the vine which is a watermelon. The meat of the melon is rich and red, cool and sweet...all things that make the melon more desirable to partake of. The real reason for the melon is to contain the seed which will produce more melons. Within this pleasant tasting melon is the real reason for the fruit which is so the seed will reproduce more and more melons with more and more seeds.
The entire reason we're to produce fruit is to reproduce new creatures in Christ. How are we to make more born again men and women without having the fruit which makes us desirable to the lost? How are we to pass on the seed that produces new life to the lost without having the desirable fruit? This isn't some song we sing or simply something we display only at church. This is the Word of Life that dwells in the words we speak into the lives of others. The world's not interested in simply joining a church or religious order. They are interested in the change they see in our lives which is the fruit of the Spirit. For the most part, we've been barren as far as being attractive to the world. The world sees very little in our fruit that makes us desirable to them. We're as sick as they are, we have as many divorces as they do, we have as many issues as they have and we don't have more joy (or even as much joy) as they do in their lives. In short, Church, we aren't bearing much fruit at all.
One good watermelon can produce enough seeds to start a whole watermelon patch. God's still trying to prune and cleanse us by His Word, but we don't spend much time reading His Word. Sermons about the Word or books about God's Word aren't really enough to produce much fruit. We need to spend time in His Word and in His presence. After all, He is the Vine and that's where we get life enough to produce any fruit.
There are many good churches around in nearly every area. Most of these people are involved in a local church. We spend most of our time in what I call "Recycled Christians." They go form one church to another seeking something they feel is missing in their Christian lives. We continue having people pray for us to keep from thinking bad thoughts or doing wrong and then it doesn't work. The only thing that can keep us from sin is a renewed mind by God's Word. That's what cleanses and prunes us to bear better fruit. We can put on a happy face for awhile, but it doesn't last very long. We can dance and sing while we are at church, but how long does it last after we leave? This is the more excellent and the lasting and richer fruit that makes people want what we have.
If we will bear the fruit that bears the seed of the new birth, then God will take care of the whole watermelon patch. He is the vine dresser. We try getting someone born again and then telling them what they can and cannot do and where they can and cannot go. We lay down a long list of rules (ones we didn't walk in either) for them to do. Jesus told His disciples to "Loose Lazarus and let him go." Ephesians 5:26 (Amplified) says to, "Take the grave clothes off them by the Word of Life, let the Vine dresser clean them up by the washing of water by the Word." Only the Word of truth can cleanse us from our old lives.
We've never been taught the importance of the real fruit of the Spirit. When we see someone walking in the joy of the Lord, we think he's nuts or just isn't serious about Jesus. We've grown so accustom to seeing Christians who look like they were baptized in lemon juice and don't recognize the real thing anymore. We still walk in the condemnation of our past even though the Word tells us the old man is dead. We're still trying to be good so God will bless us. We're still working hard to get to heave when the only thing we're to work at or labor in according to Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) which says, "Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently [The King James Version says "Labor to enter into His rest] to enter the rest of God (to know and experience it for ourselves) that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience (into which those in the wilderness fell)."
If we learn to rest in the finished work of Jesus and stop trying to do things on our own, then we'll rest in Him and bear the fruit. No watermelon has to try to produce seeds and no branch has to struggle to produce the melon and no branch has had a hard time producing branches. The vine dresser knows how to dress the vine. Just abide in the vine and let the Word produce after itself. You've never seen an apple tree struggle to produce an apple. It just happens naturally.
Rest in Him and allow the Vine dresser to prune you with His Word and walk in the fact that He will do it. Only the Spirit can produce the fruit. On your own, you cannot do it no matter how much willpower you have. It's only through His power.
The Father is still the Vine dresser by His Holy Spirit. He still prunes and cleanses the branches (which are us) so we bear more and better fruit. He still uses the same means to prune and cleanse the branches as He did then. He uses His Word and His teachings. Jesus, Who is the Vine, supplies the life that flows through the branches. Without Jesus and His life flowing through us, then we have no life in us at all. The Vine produces the sap (life) to the branches and the branches produce the fruit. The Father Himself cares for the Vine and the branches as the Vine dresser.
Few of us have ever really thought much about the reason for bearing fruit. The reason for bearing fruit is to protect and replenish the seed needed to produce a new plant. Jesus said in John 12:24 (Amplified) that, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one gram, it never becomes more) but lives alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
He was the Seed that produced the Vine that now gives life to us, the branches. As the branches, we're to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. That fruit is what contains the seed to produce many more branches. Few of us have ever given much thought to producing fruit.
You can produce a watermelon vine with one tiny seed. That one life giving vine will grow many branches. Every branch will produce the fruit of the vine which is a watermelon. The meat of the melon is rich and red, cool and sweet...all things that make the melon more desirable to partake of. The real reason for the melon is to contain the seed which will produce more melons. Within this pleasant tasting melon is the real reason for the fruit which is so the seed will reproduce more and more melons with more and more seeds.
The entire reason we're to produce fruit is to reproduce new creatures in Christ. How are we to make more born again men and women without having the fruit which makes us desirable to the lost? How are we to pass on the seed that produces new life to the lost without having the desirable fruit? This isn't some song we sing or simply something we display only at church. This is the Word of Life that dwells in the words we speak into the lives of others. The world's not interested in simply joining a church or religious order. They are interested in the change they see in our lives which is the fruit of the Spirit. For the most part, we've been barren as far as being attractive to the world. The world sees very little in our fruit that makes us desirable to them. We're as sick as they are, we have as many divorces as they do, we have as many issues as they have and we don't have more joy (or even as much joy) as they do in their lives. In short, Church, we aren't bearing much fruit at all.
One good watermelon can produce enough seeds to start a whole watermelon patch. God's still trying to prune and cleanse us by His Word, but we don't spend much time reading His Word. Sermons about the Word or books about God's Word aren't really enough to produce much fruit. We need to spend time in His Word and in His presence. After all, He is the Vine and that's where we get life enough to produce any fruit.
There are many good churches around in nearly every area. Most of these people are involved in a local church. We spend most of our time in what I call "Recycled Christians." They go form one church to another seeking something they feel is missing in their Christian lives. We continue having people pray for us to keep from thinking bad thoughts or doing wrong and then it doesn't work. The only thing that can keep us from sin is a renewed mind by God's Word. That's what cleanses and prunes us to bear better fruit. We can put on a happy face for awhile, but it doesn't last very long. We can dance and sing while we are at church, but how long does it last after we leave? This is the more excellent and the lasting and richer fruit that makes people want what we have.
If we will bear the fruit that bears the seed of the new birth, then God will take care of the whole watermelon patch. He is the vine dresser. We try getting someone born again and then telling them what they can and cannot do and where they can and cannot go. We lay down a long list of rules (ones we didn't walk in either) for them to do. Jesus told His disciples to "Loose Lazarus and let him go." Ephesians 5:26 (Amplified) says to, "Take the grave clothes off them by the Word of Life, let the Vine dresser clean them up by the washing of water by the Word." Only the Word of truth can cleanse us from our old lives.
We've never been taught the importance of the real fruit of the Spirit. When we see someone walking in the joy of the Lord, we think he's nuts or just isn't serious about Jesus. We've grown so accustom to seeing Christians who look like they were baptized in lemon juice and don't recognize the real thing anymore. We still walk in the condemnation of our past even though the Word tells us the old man is dead. We're still trying to be good so God will bless us. We're still working hard to get to heave when the only thing we're to work at or labor in according to Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) which says, "Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently [The King James Version says "Labor to enter into His rest] to enter the rest of God (to know and experience it for ourselves) that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience (into which those in the wilderness fell)."
If we learn to rest in the finished work of Jesus and stop trying to do things on our own, then we'll rest in Him and bear the fruit. No watermelon has to try to produce seeds and no branch has to struggle to produce the melon and no branch has had a hard time producing branches. The vine dresser knows how to dress the vine. Just abide in the vine and let the Word produce after itself. You've never seen an apple tree struggle to produce an apple. It just happens naturally.
Rest in Him and allow the Vine dresser to prune you with His Word and walk in the fact that He will do it. Only the Spirit can produce the fruit. On your own, you cannot do it no matter how much willpower you have. It's only through His power.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Lesson 4 Fruit of the Spirit
Read Galatians 5:22-26 and 1Corinthians 13:4-8 (Amplified).
These two scriptures relating to love and the fruit of the Spirit show the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Love, Who is God, wants to live inside us to the extent that He overshadows all of the flesh and the soul to live by His Spirit.
Love isn't a gift of the Spirit. Love is the Spirit. We've been trying to produce love in our lives in the same way we did when we were unsaved. We gave to charitable organizations and to the poor even when we were in the world. We tried being nice to people and even felt compassionate towards them. After we were born again, we continued doing the same things in the same way.
This love, which is the fruit of the presence of the Spirit of God Who lives within us, isn't the same kind of love we felt before. Before, we tried being what we knew to be right, but it didn't always work. This fruit of the presence of the Love of God Who came when we received His Holy Spirit and isn't something we've conjured up in our lives. He only comes when we surrender our lives.
1Corinthians 5:26 (Amplified) basically says the same thing that 1Corinthians 13:4-5 (Amplified) says. We read in Galatians 5:26 (Amplified) that, "Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another." These are the traits of the old, natural men we used to be.
We can never portray the real fruit of the Holy Spirit until we learn to yield to and be led by the Holy Spirit. We keep doing the works of the flesh and actually believe it's God's will. Don't misunderstand what I am saying here! We are supposed to good things and to give to the poor just like the Scriptures tells us, but there's a difference.
1Corinthians 13:3 (Amplified) says, "Even if I dole out all that I have (to the poor in providing) food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's Love in me) I gain nothing." So you see, it's not always a matter of what we do, but it's why we do it. Did we do it to gain glory from men, or to bring glory to God? Many times we do good things for all the wrong reasons.
Jesus bore the full fruit of the Holy Spirit in His earthly walk. It isn't recorded anywhere in the Word where Jesus did any miracles before He received the Holy Spirit. Every work Jesus did was the fruit of the Spirit. Surely, He was a good man and He did good things before receiving the Holy Spirit. But, the Holy Spirit didn't record any of them because they were done in His flesh as natural works. Only the works He did in the Holy Spirit are recorded in the Word. All of our works, our own righteousness, weren't recorded. We've died and now our life is in HIM.
There are so many things the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives, but we hinder Him from doing because we don't surrender to His Love in us. All of the gifts of the Spirit are found in 1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified) and Paul sums up the way to obtain and operate in them in one verse, saying, "But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way (one that is better by far and the highest of them all---love."
Paul didn't say that Love was the greatest gift. He said Love was the greatest and most excellent way to obtain and walk in these gifts and to cultivate or desire them. He simply said that by walking in love, we become the perfect candidates for receiving these gifts. I believe that the fruit of the Spirit, is the full manifestation of the gifts in the Spirit in our lives. No matter what part of the body we may be called to portray, we are a vital importance to the whole of the body.
We see men behind the pulpit and seem to think of them as being more important to God than we are. NOT TRUE! The man behind the pulpit is a gift to the people to teach them how to minister and build up the body (the Church, Christ's body). Jesus said in John 13:35 (Amplified) that, "By this shall all (men) know that you are My disciples, if you love one another (if you keep on showing love among yourselves)."
The gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit and the Love (Who is the Spirit) are all One and the same thing. They are the very character and the nature of our Father, Who is Love Himself. This is a supernatural force of the very presence of God in our born again Spirit. This is the very DNA that was passed into our spirits by His Own Blood at our new birth. The same DNA that was in Jesus Who was born of the Spirit, is the same DNA that was birthed in us at our new birth.
We have the nature and design of our Father and He Is Love. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God Is Love. All of His power, is in His love, and all of His love is in you by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 (Amplified) says, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes us or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us."
We must study about the depths of God's Love for us and begin walking in the security of that Love. Put aside all the doubt, unbelief and the old guilt conscience form you and begin to walk in the power of God and display the power of His Love for you and me. This love will heal the sick, set at liberty those who are bound and bring new life to those who are dead.
These two scriptures relating to love and the fruit of the Spirit show the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Love, Who is God, wants to live inside us to the extent that He overshadows all of the flesh and the soul to live by His Spirit.
Love isn't a gift of the Spirit. Love is the Spirit. We've been trying to produce love in our lives in the same way we did when we were unsaved. We gave to charitable organizations and to the poor even when we were in the world. We tried being nice to people and even felt compassionate towards them. After we were born again, we continued doing the same things in the same way.
This love, which is the fruit of the presence of the Spirit of God Who lives within us, isn't the same kind of love we felt before. Before, we tried being what we knew to be right, but it didn't always work. This fruit of the presence of the Love of God Who came when we received His Holy Spirit and isn't something we've conjured up in our lives. He only comes when we surrender our lives.
1Corinthians 5:26 (Amplified) basically says the same thing that 1Corinthians 13:4-5 (Amplified) says. We read in Galatians 5:26 (Amplified) that, "Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another." These are the traits of the old, natural men we used to be.
We can never portray the real fruit of the Holy Spirit until we learn to yield to and be led by the Holy Spirit. We keep doing the works of the flesh and actually believe it's God's will. Don't misunderstand what I am saying here! We are supposed to good things and to give to the poor just like the Scriptures tells us, but there's a difference.
1Corinthians 13:3 (Amplified) says, "Even if I dole out all that I have (to the poor in providing) food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's Love in me) I gain nothing." So you see, it's not always a matter of what we do, but it's why we do it. Did we do it to gain glory from men, or to bring glory to God? Many times we do good things for all the wrong reasons.
Jesus bore the full fruit of the Holy Spirit in His earthly walk. It isn't recorded anywhere in the Word where Jesus did any miracles before He received the Holy Spirit. Every work Jesus did was the fruit of the Spirit. Surely, He was a good man and He did good things before receiving the Holy Spirit. But, the Holy Spirit didn't record any of them because they were done in His flesh as natural works. Only the works He did in the Holy Spirit are recorded in the Word. All of our works, our own righteousness, weren't recorded. We've died and now our life is in HIM.
There are so many things the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives, but we hinder Him from doing because we don't surrender to His Love in us. All of the gifts of the Spirit are found in 1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified) and Paul sums up the way to obtain and operate in them in one verse, saying, "But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way (one that is better by far and the highest of them all---love."
Paul didn't say that Love was the greatest gift. He said Love was the greatest and most excellent way to obtain and walk in these gifts and to cultivate or desire them. He simply said that by walking in love, we become the perfect candidates for receiving these gifts. I believe that the fruit of the Spirit, is the full manifestation of the gifts in the Spirit in our lives. No matter what part of the body we may be called to portray, we are a vital importance to the whole of the body.
We see men behind the pulpit and seem to think of them as being more important to God than we are. NOT TRUE! The man behind the pulpit is a gift to the people to teach them how to minister and build up the body (the Church, Christ's body). Jesus said in John 13:35 (Amplified) that, "By this shall all (men) know that you are My disciples, if you love one another (if you keep on showing love among yourselves)."
The gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit and the Love (Who is the Spirit) are all One and the same thing. They are the very character and the nature of our Father, Who is Love Himself. This is a supernatural force of the very presence of God in our born again Spirit. This is the very DNA that was passed into our spirits by His Own Blood at our new birth. The same DNA that was in Jesus Who was born of the Spirit, is the same DNA that was birthed in us at our new birth.
We have the nature and design of our Father and He Is Love. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God Is Love. All of His power, is in His love, and all of His love is in you by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 (Amplified) says, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes us or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us."
We must study about the depths of God's Love for us and begin walking in the security of that Love. Put aside all the doubt, unbelief and the old guilt conscience form you and begin to walk in the power of God and display the power of His Love for you and me. This love will heal the sick, set at liberty those who are bound and bring new life to those who are dead.
Lesson 3 Fruit of the Spirit
We find the fruit of the Spirit and what the Holy Spirit is supposed to produced in our lives in Galatians 5:22-23 (Amplified). We find in 1Corinthians 13:4-8 (Amplified) what Love is not. When putting these two scriptures together, we find what the fruit of the Spirit is and what love is not. The fruit of the Spirit is nothing short of God (Love) manifested in our lives by the Spirit of God. We have the Spirit of Love, of God Himself living in us.
What the fruit of the Spirit really is , is the life of the Father revealed in our lives. The reason for the fruit in our lives is ultimately to make us Jesus living inside us, desired by those around us to want to partake of. When we see an apple, we see the bright red of the skin and taste the crisp white fruit and its satisfying taste of the fruit. The real reason for the sweet and attracting fruit is to contain the seed.
John 15:1-3 (Amplified) says, "I Am the Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser." Verses 2-3 go on,
Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away) and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you."
The Law of Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says that, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees Bearing fruit in which was their seed. Each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. And, we're strive for and allow God's love to be brought into full manifestation in our lives so that this fruit of love, this fruit of the Spirit, can cast its seed. Everything bears fruit after its kind.
What we're to do with the fruit of the Spirit is to cast forth the seed within us and let it reproduce "after kind" the new birth. 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm) but from one that is immortal by the everliving and lasting Word of God." 1John 4:17 (Amplified) says, "In this (union and communion with Him) Love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgement (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world."
Everything bears fruit after its kind. Everything bears seed that reproduces the same kind of plant, animal, man or Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote about this seed and reproduction after kin in 1Corinthians 15:35 -49 (Amplified). Verse 38 says, "But God gives to it (seed) the body that He plans and sees fit, and to each kind of seed a body of its own." Verse 49 declares, "And just as we have borne the image (of the man) of dust (Adam) So shall we and so let us also bear the Image (of the Man of heaven)."
God's plan for Genesis is still holding true to this day. Everything bears fruit and reproduces after its kind. Horse always produce horses, dogs always produce dogs, humans always bear humans and the Spirit always produces Spirit beings. Every single thing that has seed, reproduces the same kind of thing. Each one is a different tree, but each tree is the same.
Jesus is the Seed in Galatians 3:16 (Amplified) which says that, "Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his seed (his offspring, his heir) He (God) does not say, and to his seeds (descendants, heirs) as if referring to many persons, but And to your seed (your descendant, your Heir) obviously referring to One Individual, Who is (none other than) Christ (the Messiah)." Galatians 3:29 (Amplified) says, "If you belong to Christ (are in Him) Who is Abraham's seed then you are Abraham's offspring and (spiritual) heirs according to promise."
This is why the fruit of the Spirit is so vital in the life of the believer. If the fruit is unattractive, then no one wants to eat from it. An apple with worms and bruises on it isn/t very attractive either.
According to John 15:3 (Amplified), Jesus said that the pruning and cleaning of the branches would be made by the Word and the teachings that He gave us. As we grow in God's Word, the old, unproductive things in our lives will break off and be tossed aside. As this comes, we can and will bear more and better fruit. As branches of the True Vine, we will bear fruit from the Sees we are from and bear more seed to grow into good soil. Hebrews 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For it was an act worthy (of God) and fitting (to the Divine nature) that He, for Whose sake and Whom all things have their existence, In bringing many sons into glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation (the first Seed Jesus) perfect, (should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest) through suffering."
The Seed was sown to reproduce after kind and bring many sons into glory. If we are God's sons, then we're like the Seed Who spawned us.
What the fruit of the Spirit really is , is the life of the Father revealed in our lives. The reason for the fruit in our lives is ultimately to make us Jesus living inside us, desired by those around us to want to partake of. When we see an apple, we see the bright red of the skin and taste the crisp white fruit and its satisfying taste of the fruit. The real reason for the sweet and attracting fruit is to contain the seed.
John 15:1-3 (Amplified) says, "I Am the Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser." Verses 2-3 go on,
Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away) and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you."
The Law of Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says that, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees Bearing fruit in which was their seed. Each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. And, we're strive for and allow God's love to be brought into full manifestation in our lives so that this fruit of love, this fruit of the Spirit, can cast its seed. Everything bears fruit after its kind.
What we're to do with the fruit of the Spirit is to cast forth the seed within us and let it reproduce "after kind" the new birth. 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm) but from one that is immortal by the everliving and lasting Word of God." 1John 4:17 (Amplified) says, "In this (union and communion with Him) Love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgement (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world."
Everything bears fruit after its kind. Everything bears seed that reproduces the same kind of plant, animal, man or Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote about this seed and reproduction after kin in 1Corinthians 15:35 -49 (Amplified). Verse 38 says, "But God gives to it (seed) the body that He plans and sees fit, and to each kind of seed a body of its own." Verse 49 declares, "And just as we have borne the image (of the man) of dust (Adam) So shall we and so let us also bear the Image (of the Man of heaven)."
God's plan for Genesis is still holding true to this day. Everything bears fruit and reproduces after its kind. Horse always produce horses, dogs always produce dogs, humans always bear humans and the Spirit always produces Spirit beings. Every single thing that has seed, reproduces the same kind of thing. Each one is a different tree, but each tree is the same.
Jesus is the Seed in Galatians 3:16 (Amplified) which says that, "Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his seed (his offspring, his heir) He (God) does not say, and to his seeds (descendants, heirs) as if referring to many persons, but And to your seed (your descendant, your Heir) obviously referring to One Individual, Who is (none other than) Christ (the Messiah)." Galatians 3:29 (Amplified) says, "If you belong to Christ (are in Him) Who is Abraham's seed then you are Abraham's offspring and (spiritual) heirs according to promise."
This is why the fruit of the Spirit is so vital in the life of the believer. If the fruit is unattractive, then no one wants to eat from it. An apple with worms and bruises on it isn/t very attractive either.
According to John 15:3 (Amplified), Jesus said that the pruning and cleaning of the branches would be made by the Word and the teachings that He gave us. As we grow in God's Word, the old, unproductive things in our lives will break off and be tossed aside. As this comes, we can and will bear more and better fruit. As branches of the True Vine, we will bear fruit from the Sees we are from and bear more seed to grow into good soil. Hebrews 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For it was an act worthy (of God) and fitting (to the Divine nature) that He, for Whose sake and Whom all things have their existence, In bringing many sons into glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation (the first Seed Jesus) perfect, (should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest) through suffering."
The Seed was sown to reproduce after kind and bring many sons into glory. If we are God's sons, then we're like the Seed Who spawned us.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Lesson 2 Fruit of the Spirit
We find that the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-26 (Amplified) is almost exactly like what 1Corinthians 13:4-8 (Amplified) says about the Love God has poured in us when the Holy Spirit entered our lives. We describe the Holy Spirit as the power of God. We have mistakenly not identified the Holy Spirit as the Love of God. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says that, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is LOVE.
John didn't say that God does not know you, but that you do not know Him. We've viewed God in many different ways and doctrines. Some still see God through the old covenant viewpoint. Many have a viewpoint of God seen through uncertainty and confusion. Some have even preached the viewpoint of God being outdated for our lives today and that we are our own gods
God's true identity is the Father and we need to recognize His love for his children. The Word declares in Romans 8:14 (Amplified) that, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." The Holy Spirit is the Love of God Who has entered into our born again spirit and is directing us by Love. He never drives us, but He gently leads us in His love for us. Until we understand God's love, we will never walk in God's power. the fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of God's Love in action.
This love is His power. Don't mistake meekness for weakness. When we yield to the Spirit of God, This is meekness, but it produces power and not weakness. The Apostle Paul commented on this in his letter to the Church of Corinth in 2Corinthians 12:9 (Amplified) saying, "But He said to me; My Grace is (My favor and loving kindness and mercy) is enough for you (sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully) for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me."
Paul discovered that it was his ability to determine where God's love was able to reach it's full potential. Once he realized he was unable to do the work is when the works got done. We've looked at love as a form of weakness because when we walked in love, then people took advantage of us. That's the human love we're afraid to reveal. God's love is anything but weakness.
Jesus was the Love of God walking in the flesh. He's our example of how to walk in God's Love. No one could take advantage of Jesus because the Love would protect Him in everything He did. John 17:23 (Amplified) says, "I in them, and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and (definitely) recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved (them) even as You have loved Me."
The power of Jesus flowed from the love of God. John 3:16 reveals how powerful this love actually is. It was love that broke all the hold over the enemy in our lives. We've always looked for heroes to pattern our lives after. Mostly though, they showed up as Superman or Batman or some other powerful favorite. We never thought of Jesus as Superman. We can imagine all the super heroes doing any kinds of imaginable feats, but we only see Jesus as a man Who died.
Maybe, because Jesus yielded Himself to die on the cross, we feel pity for Him. But, His death on Calvary revealed the full power of Love because this Love raised Him from the dead. It was the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead by Love. Romans 8:11 (Amplified) says, "And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you."
The amazing Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Love, never fails. As natural men, we never considered that love is power. God's power works best and only by love. When Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit, he is talking about someone who yields to the Love in him by the Spirit of God.
We've condensed the fruit of the Spirit to "being nice." If we were nice to others, then we were walking in the fruit of the Spirit, right? We should be nice to others, but the fruit of the Spirit is for loving others enough to set them free. If I'm sick, then you're being nice to me doesn't help me. When we walk in the fruit of the Spirit then we're walking in Love. And, when we walk in love, then we're walking in the Spirit. When we walk in love, then we find we're now in the place where the "gifts of the Spirit" can be manifested in us.
1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified) says, "But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and the choicest graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces) And yet I will show you a still more excellent way (one that is better by far and the highest of them all, LOVE." Paul said the better way to receive these gifts of grace other than seeking and coveting them, is to learn the power power of the One Who is the giver of these gifts-Love, Himself."
We've tried walking in love by our own efforts in our covenant walk. Love is the supernatural presence of God Himself in us. Acts 1:8 (Amplified) says, "But you shall receive power (ability efficiency and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."
Romans 5:5 says that, "God's Love is shed abroad in our hearts." The Love Paul's speaking up is God's power shown through us to the world. We cannot use the same kind of love we used before we were saved and expect it to produce power. We must become so in touch with the Father like Jesus was and do the work He wants done.
John 14:10 (Amplified) says, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My Own authority and of My Own accord; But the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works (His Own miracles and deeds of power)." The fruit of the Spirit is as supernatural as raising the dead or growing a new limb that was severed. We can never muster enough goodness in our flesh to operate in His supernatural Love. It must come by seeking Him to the point that it was with Jesus Himself. It's not me, but the Father in me Who does the work.
John didn't say that God does not know you, but that you do not know Him. We've viewed God in many different ways and doctrines. Some still see God through the old covenant viewpoint. Many have a viewpoint of God seen through uncertainty and confusion. Some have even preached the viewpoint of God being outdated for our lives today and that we are our own gods
God's true identity is the Father and we need to recognize His love for his children. The Word declares in Romans 8:14 (Amplified) that, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." The Holy Spirit is the Love of God Who has entered into our born again spirit and is directing us by Love. He never drives us, but He gently leads us in His love for us. Until we understand God's love, we will never walk in God's power. the fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of God's Love in action.
This love is His power. Don't mistake meekness for weakness. When we yield to the Spirit of God, This is meekness, but it produces power and not weakness. The Apostle Paul commented on this in his letter to the Church of Corinth in 2Corinthians 12:9 (Amplified) saying, "But He said to me; My Grace is (My favor and loving kindness and mercy) is enough for you (sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully) for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me."
Paul discovered that it was his ability to determine where God's love was able to reach it's full potential. Once he realized he was unable to do the work is when the works got done. We've looked at love as a form of weakness because when we walked in love, then people took advantage of us. That's the human love we're afraid to reveal. God's love is anything but weakness.
Jesus was the Love of God walking in the flesh. He's our example of how to walk in God's Love. No one could take advantage of Jesus because the Love would protect Him in everything He did. John 17:23 (Amplified) says, "I in them, and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and (definitely) recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved (them) even as You have loved Me."
The power of Jesus flowed from the love of God. John 3:16 reveals how powerful this love actually is. It was love that broke all the hold over the enemy in our lives. We've always looked for heroes to pattern our lives after. Mostly though, they showed up as Superman or Batman or some other powerful favorite. We never thought of Jesus as Superman. We can imagine all the super heroes doing any kinds of imaginable feats, but we only see Jesus as a man Who died.
Maybe, because Jesus yielded Himself to die on the cross, we feel pity for Him. But, His death on Calvary revealed the full power of Love because this Love raised Him from the dead. It was the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead by Love. Romans 8:11 (Amplified) says, "And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you."
The amazing Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Love, never fails. As natural men, we never considered that love is power. God's power works best and only by love. When Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit, he is talking about someone who yields to the Love in him by the Spirit of God.
We've condensed the fruit of the Spirit to "being nice." If we were nice to others, then we were walking in the fruit of the Spirit, right? We should be nice to others, but the fruit of the Spirit is for loving others enough to set them free. If I'm sick, then you're being nice to me doesn't help me. When we walk in the fruit of the Spirit then we're walking in Love. And, when we walk in love, then we're walking in the Spirit. When we walk in love, then we find we're now in the place where the "gifts of the Spirit" can be manifested in us.
1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified) says, "But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and the choicest graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces) And yet I will show you a still more excellent way (one that is better by far and the highest of them all, LOVE." Paul said the better way to receive these gifts of grace other than seeking and coveting them, is to learn the power power of the One Who is the giver of these gifts-Love, Himself."
We've tried walking in love by our own efforts in our covenant walk. Love is the supernatural presence of God Himself in us. Acts 1:8 (Amplified) says, "But you shall receive power (ability efficiency and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."
Romans 5:5 says that, "God's Love is shed abroad in our hearts." The Love Paul's speaking up is God's power shown through us to the world. We cannot use the same kind of love we used before we were saved and expect it to produce power. We must become so in touch with the Father like Jesus was and do the work He wants done.
John 14:10 (Amplified) says, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My Own authority and of My Own accord; But the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works (His Own miracles and deeds of power)." The fruit of the Spirit is as supernatural as raising the dead or growing a new limb that was severed. We can never muster enough goodness in our flesh to operate in His supernatural Love. It must come by seeking Him to the point that it was with Jesus Himself. It's not me, but the Father in me Who does the work.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Lesson 1 Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-26 (Amplified) says, "But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence, within accomplishes) is love; joy, (gladness), peace, patience, (an even temper), forbearance, kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness, (meekness, humility), self-control, (self-restraint, continence), Against such things there is no law (that can bring a charge)." Verses 24-25 go on, "And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. If we live by the (Holy) Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (if by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit)." Verse 26 says, "Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another."
1Corinthians 13:4-7 (Amplified) says that, "Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily." Verses 5-6 say, "It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride) it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail." Verses 7-8 goes on, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything (without weakening). Love never fails (never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to and end)."
The above scriptures are the very pictures of a born again man who is submitted to God. The power of this man is moved by his Love, both the love God has for him and the love he has for God. Until we understand the love God has for us, we can never walk in a true love for Him. Galatians 5:14 (Amplified) says, "For the whole Law (concerning human relationships) is completed within the one precept; you shall love your neighbor as (you do) yourself."
Many of God's people struggle to learn to love themselves. For some, it seems prideful to love yourself. For God, it's a matter of how much He loves you. It's hard for us to look beyond religion to see the full power of His love for us. When we realize how valued we are in God's sight, it becomes seemingly sinful to say we're unworthy. We were unworthy when God found us, but He didn't leave us that way.
If you ever had a child who felt that you didn't love him as much as you love his siblings, then you know how the Father feels about His children. For some reason, maybe because of something he did, the child feels as though you no longer care for him the way you once did. Many children, even from good families, have this complex and it's extremely hard to make them see the truth. Some children will even do wrong things in order to get you to pay more attention to them. They live with low self-esteem and don't hold their heads high.
They come from the same family and the same bloodline, but never seem to walk in the same way as their siblings. If you cannot learn to finally love yourself like God loves you, then how can you display this love to others? You never want to extend a hand to others because you feel like you have nothing to offer. These people seem to always drift off into the company of others just like them. And, sadly, they mostly end up in trouble or simply reject other people and up up depressed and oppressed.
The discipline we always receive from God is the discipline of the Word into our spirit. God is a Spirit and He deals with your own born again spirit. People who cannot learn to love themselves like God loves them, are always people who are easy targets for the enemy's torment. They always feel like they deserve punishment. They have very little of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives because the fruit of the Spirit is the Love spoken of in 1Corinthians 13. This is the fruit of God Himself because God is Love according to 1John 4:8.
When we reject God's love for us, then we're actually rejecting God Himself. We feel boastful and arrogant when we say that "you can love yourself." God says that you are His treasure and His glory. We must learn to feel valued and loved. When God spoke of Jesus, He declared that, "This is My Son, in Whom I am well pleased." Do you ever see yourself as God's being "well pleased " with you? Yes! But, I still make mistakes and mess up. God sees you through the Blood of Jesus and if He was well pleased with Jesus, then He is well pleased with you because you are in Christ Jesus.
I believe the reason we don't see more of the gifts of the Spirit moving in our lives today, is that we do not accept the fullness of His love. All of the gifts of the Spirit we read about in 1Corinthians 12 are controlled by and flow by the Holy Spirit Who Is Love. This love was infused into our inner man (your born again spirit) when Love Himself (the Holy Spirit) was poured into our hearts like Romans 5:5 (Amplified) says. God didn't just pour out some love when He came because He is Love. When He was poured out into our hearts, it was Love Himself.
By nature, we learned not to trust others. We have such little sayings that show just how much we distrust as "if it looks too good to be true, then it probably isn't" and "there's no such things as a free lunch" and "they're only after your money." We have built up walls to protect ourselves from people and even God and we're afraid to let our guard down.
Man's love has been bankrupt for a very long time. We tried trusting in it and then were hurt. When you open yourself up to love, you think it makes you vulnerable and that people will walk all over you. Because of this, we won't even allow the fullness of God Himself to love us like He wants to do.
When the fruit of the Spirit becomes the Love of God, you're in a position for God to use you like never before. We must learn to trust our outer man to the new inner man which is in His Image. We say we trust God for eternal life, but we still protect our outer man ourselves. Even in our churches, we still look down on certain person and judge them unjustly. This isn't love that's bearing fruit.
We are called to be like Him. The only way to be like Him is to Love like Him.
1Corinthians 13:4-7 (Amplified) says that, "Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily." Verses 5-6 say, "It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride) it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail." Verses 7-8 goes on, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything (without weakening). Love never fails (never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to and end)."
The above scriptures are the very pictures of a born again man who is submitted to God. The power of this man is moved by his Love, both the love God has for him and the love he has for God. Until we understand the love God has for us, we can never walk in a true love for Him. Galatians 5:14 (Amplified) says, "For the whole Law (concerning human relationships) is completed within the one precept; you shall love your neighbor as (you do) yourself."
Many of God's people struggle to learn to love themselves. For some, it seems prideful to love yourself. For God, it's a matter of how much He loves you. It's hard for us to look beyond religion to see the full power of His love for us. When we realize how valued we are in God's sight, it becomes seemingly sinful to say we're unworthy. We were unworthy when God found us, but He didn't leave us that way.
If you ever had a child who felt that you didn't love him as much as you love his siblings, then you know how the Father feels about His children. For some reason, maybe because of something he did, the child feels as though you no longer care for him the way you once did. Many children, even from good families, have this complex and it's extremely hard to make them see the truth. Some children will even do wrong things in order to get you to pay more attention to them. They live with low self-esteem and don't hold their heads high.
They come from the same family and the same bloodline, but never seem to walk in the same way as their siblings. If you cannot learn to finally love yourself like God loves you, then how can you display this love to others? You never want to extend a hand to others because you feel like you have nothing to offer. These people seem to always drift off into the company of others just like them. And, sadly, they mostly end up in trouble or simply reject other people and up up depressed and oppressed.
The discipline we always receive from God is the discipline of the Word into our spirit. God is a Spirit and He deals with your own born again spirit. People who cannot learn to love themselves like God loves them, are always people who are easy targets for the enemy's torment. They always feel like they deserve punishment. They have very little of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives because the fruit of the Spirit is the Love spoken of in 1Corinthians 13. This is the fruit of God Himself because God is Love according to 1John 4:8.
When we reject God's love for us, then we're actually rejecting God Himself. We feel boastful and arrogant when we say that "you can love yourself." God says that you are His treasure and His glory. We must learn to feel valued and loved. When God spoke of Jesus, He declared that, "This is My Son, in Whom I am well pleased." Do you ever see yourself as God's being "well pleased " with you? Yes! But, I still make mistakes and mess up. God sees you through the Blood of Jesus and if He was well pleased with Jesus, then He is well pleased with you because you are in Christ Jesus.
I believe the reason we don't see more of the gifts of the Spirit moving in our lives today, is that we do not accept the fullness of His love. All of the gifts of the Spirit we read about in 1Corinthians 12 are controlled by and flow by the Holy Spirit Who Is Love. This love was infused into our inner man (your born again spirit) when Love Himself (the Holy Spirit) was poured into our hearts like Romans 5:5 (Amplified) says. God didn't just pour out some love when He came because He is Love. When He was poured out into our hearts, it was Love Himself.
By nature, we learned not to trust others. We have such little sayings that show just how much we distrust as "if it looks too good to be true, then it probably isn't" and "there's no such things as a free lunch" and "they're only after your money." We have built up walls to protect ourselves from people and even God and we're afraid to let our guard down.
Man's love has been bankrupt for a very long time. We tried trusting in it and then were hurt. When you open yourself up to love, you think it makes you vulnerable and that people will walk all over you. Because of this, we won't even allow the fullness of God Himself to love us like He wants to do.
When the fruit of the Spirit becomes the Love of God, you're in a position for God to use you like never before. We must learn to trust our outer man to the new inner man which is in His Image. We say we trust God for eternal life, but we still protect our outer man ourselves. Even in our churches, we still look down on certain person and judge them unjustly. This isn't love that's bearing fruit.
We are called to be like Him. The only way to be like Him is to Love like Him.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Lesson 18 The Condition of the Heart
We've been studying such conditions of the heart as a divided heart, a hardened heart, a fearful heart along with others. The last two studies have nee on the most important condition of all...a hearing heart.
A hearing heart is one that will move and abide in the voice and directing of the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit speaks and leads us, we flow and move in the total will of God. We have tried many ways to learn how to walk with a hearing heart and haven't been successful for the most part.
1John 4:16 (Amplified) tells us, "And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believed (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the Love God cherishes for us. God is love and he who dwells in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in Him."
When we begin understanding God's love for us, it becomes easier to dwell in Him. We've used a broad brush to paint God's love for mankind, but we seldom narrow it to His love for us on an individual level. The Apostle John received the Revelation of God's love for him. He knew that Jesus loved all of the world. It was John who wrote John 3:16. But, John knew more than that. He knew that God loved him as an individual and he referred to himself as the "Disciple that Jesus loved." John 19:26 (Amplified) says, "So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His Mother (Dear) woman, see (there is) your Son." Verse 27 says, "Then He said to the disciple, See, (here is) your Mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own (keeping, own home)."
John understood God's lover for him alone, on a personal level. This same Apostle went on to write the Gospel of John and 1John, 2John, 3John and The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Here was a man who had a hearing heart that was tuned to the flow of God's love. It makes very little difference how much we may learn about the scriptures if we don't know how much God loves us. I don't have a problem saying to someone that my wife loves me and me alone. I know she loves our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. And, I know she loves other people as well, but I know she has a special love for me as an individual. I'm the man she loves.
This is the same attitude we need to have about our Father. He loves us all with an unconditional love, but only some of us don't dare take it to a personal level. When we know His love for us One on one, we are in a position to have a hearing heart. This is a matter of knowing Him personally and not collectively as part of the congregation or the Church.
This doesn't mean that God has favorites or loves one person more than another. It just means that certain individuals have seen this love for them personally. Romans 6:5 (Amplified) says that, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us."
Your spirit will respond in faith and obedience to Love every time. Those we read about or know who walk in power and signs and wonders, all know God's love on a very personal level. They hear God even in the most wild and courageous things. Such men as Smith Wigglesworth did things most of us would never have believed it was God Who told us to do them. He heard God saying to remove an embalmed man from his coffin and command that body to walk. And, he did it. Most of us would have been afraid to do such a thing, but 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into love's complete perfection)."
The hearing heart is moved by God's Own Love that's inside us by the Holy Spirit. All of God's power to heal, save, deliver, bless, take onto Himself is based on His Love man. All of the gifts of the Spirit are based on Love and without Love we are just "clanging cymbals."
Jesus, Who was love, walking and talking by the shores of Galilee, only did what the Father (Love) told Him to do. Jesus said that when "you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (or God's love in action)." A hearing heart can hear the sounds of those weeping and the very depths of their heart and then respond in love to set them free. We can do this only if when we hear God's love speak into our hearts saying to "loose the captives and set a liberty those who are abound."
If we learn to know His love for us (an individual love), then we can learn to love others. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love." Many people in the family of God don't really know Him. God really knows and loves them, but they don't really know Him. They don't spend a lot of time in His presence or speak to Him in fellowship. They address Him as God, but not as Father. They don't see Him in His love, but in His judgment and His anger. Mostly, they feel as though they're never pleasing to God and therefore, can never be used by Him for anything outside of going to heaven when we die.
This comes from a fearful and condemning heart. This is a heart that doesn't truly know the heart of God ,the Love of God Who is God Himself shed abroad in our own heart. A hearing heart hears the very heart of God Himself. A hearing heart is one that is moved by love from God and love for God, to meet the needs of all who are oppressed of the devil. Acts 10:38 (Amplified) says, "How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the (Holy) Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by (the power of) the devil, for God was with Him."
Romans 8:27-28 (Amplified) says, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the (Holy) Spirit (what His intent is) because the Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) on behalf of the Saints according to and in harmony with God's will." Verse 28 goes on, "We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are (fitting into a plan) for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose."
A hearing heart is one that will move and abide in the voice and directing of the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit speaks and leads us, we flow and move in the total will of God. We have tried many ways to learn how to walk with a hearing heart and haven't been successful for the most part.
1John 4:16 (Amplified) tells us, "And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believed (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the Love God cherishes for us. God is love and he who dwells in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in Him."
When we begin understanding God's love for us, it becomes easier to dwell in Him. We've used a broad brush to paint God's love for mankind, but we seldom narrow it to His love for us on an individual level. The Apostle John received the Revelation of God's love for him. He knew that Jesus loved all of the world. It was John who wrote John 3:16. But, John knew more than that. He knew that God loved him as an individual and he referred to himself as the "Disciple that Jesus loved." John 19:26 (Amplified) says, "So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His Mother (Dear) woman, see (there is) your Son." Verse 27 says, "Then He said to the disciple, See, (here is) your Mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own (keeping, own home)."
John understood God's lover for him alone, on a personal level. This same Apostle went on to write the Gospel of John and 1John, 2John, 3John and The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Here was a man who had a hearing heart that was tuned to the flow of God's love. It makes very little difference how much we may learn about the scriptures if we don't know how much God loves us. I don't have a problem saying to someone that my wife loves me and me alone. I know she loves our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. And, I know she loves other people as well, but I know she has a special love for me as an individual. I'm the man she loves.
This is the same attitude we need to have about our Father. He loves us all with an unconditional love, but only some of us don't dare take it to a personal level. When we know His love for us One on one, we are in a position to have a hearing heart. This is a matter of knowing Him personally and not collectively as part of the congregation or the Church.
This doesn't mean that God has favorites or loves one person more than another. It just means that certain individuals have seen this love for them personally. Romans 6:5 (Amplified) says that, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us."
Your spirit will respond in faith and obedience to Love every time. Those we read about or know who walk in power and signs and wonders, all know God's love on a very personal level. They hear God even in the most wild and courageous things. Such men as Smith Wigglesworth did things most of us would never have believed it was God Who told us to do them. He heard God saying to remove an embalmed man from his coffin and command that body to walk. And, he did it. Most of us would have been afraid to do such a thing, but 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into love's complete perfection)."
The hearing heart is moved by God's Own Love that's inside us by the Holy Spirit. All of God's power to heal, save, deliver, bless, take onto Himself is based on His Love man. All of the gifts of the Spirit are based on Love and without Love we are just "clanging cymbals."
Jesus, Who was love, walking and talking by the shores of Galilee, only did what the Father (Love) told Him to do. Jesus said that when "you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (or God's love in action)." A hearing heart can hear the sounds of those weeping and the very depths of their heart and then respond in love to set them free. We can do this only if when we hear God's love speak into our hearts saying to "loose the captives and set a liberty those who are abound."
If we learn to know His love for us (an individual love), then we can learn to love others. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love." Many people in the family of God don't really know Him. God really knows and loves them, but they don't really know Him. They don't spend a lot of time in His presence or speak to Him in fellowship. They address Him as God, but not as Father. They don't see Him in His love, but in His judgment and His anger. Mostly, they feel as though they're never pleasing to God and therefore, can never be used by Him for anything outside of going to heaven when we die.
This comes from a fearful and condemning heart. This is a heart that doesn't truly know the heart of God ,the Love of God Who is God Himself shed abroad in our own heart. A hearing heart hears the very heart of God Himself. A hearing heart is one that is moved by love from God and love for God, to meet the needs of all who are oppressed of the devil. Acts 10:38 (Amplified) says, "How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the (Holy) Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by (the power of) the devil, for God was with Him."
Romans 8:27-28 (Amplified) says, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the (Holy) Spirit (what His intent is) because the Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) on behalf of the Saints according to and in harmony with God's will." Verse 28 goes on, "We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are (fitting into a plan) for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose."
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