2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person in (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Easter is the most important day of not only Christianity, but the most important day for the world as well. Without this day, the birth and death of Jesus would have been for nought. His Resurrection wasn't only the beginning of this new creation, but the hope for the lost.
We've been taught many doctrines of Christianity; some things are correct and other things are incorrect. The one things that is absolute about Christianity, is the resurrection from the dead. This isn't only about a future event, but for those who were brought back from spiritual death (separation from God through sin), it's about the resurrection of our mortal bodies too.
Those of us who have believed and been "ingrafted in Christ Jesus," were raised from the dead, when Jesus was raised from the dead. In our dead spirit, we were made alive in Him and restore back to God. We weren't just forgiven or cleansed from sin, but we were made alive in Him. We went from being covenant people (like the Old Testament believers), to being family by the One Sacrifice for all time. It's no longer a requirement that's been placed on us, but a fulfillment that was placed on Him. No longer are all of the requirements under the covenant between God with man, but the obedience of One Man for all men, met in Him. We are no longer just covenant men and women, but we are God's sons and daughters. We are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Jesus Himself.
Few of us have ever made the distinction of our going from covenant to family. This is the greatest part of this Resurrection Day. We're not only forgiven, but we're restored. We have no past to repent of, because in Jesus Christ we are a new creation. We've not only been forgiven, like the covenant people were, but we're new creations. There doesn't ever need to be anymore sacrifice made, in order to cleanse us, because "the wages of sin was death." Before Jesus, we had already received death by our separation from God (Who is Life), because of Adam's sin. Now, by His death and new life, we died with Him and were raised with Him. We also are redeemed by Him and He (as family) is the "Firstborn of many brethren."
We still try to function as covenant people, by doing certain things, in order to receive from God. This was a covenant made by man, that man could not keep. The new creation covenant, was made with One Man Who met all of the requirements for all who would believe. The only requirement now, is that we simply believe in Him.
As we celebrate this Resurrection Sunday, we need realize that this was the greatest miracle God has ever performed. He perfectly cleansed, redeemed, restored and created a new creation being in the midst of death itself. This was a "mystery" hidden in God, until now. The world, the devil, the angels, and all who witnessed what occurred on the Cross, couldn't understand this mystery, until the Lord rose from the dead. This mystery was that Jesus bore our sin and we could be made righteous with God once again.
Jesus never committed any sin. He took our sins upon Himself, but was not a sinner. Jesus separated Himself from the Face of God, on our behalf, so that we could be restored back in right standing with God, through Him. All of Heaven stood mute, as the Lord of Glory died and was sentenced to death (separation) from the Father. Even the angels had no insight into what was happening with Jesus. Satan and his fallen angels, rejoiced in the fact that they thought they had won over God, because Jesus was dead. None knew the plan God had about the Perfect Sacrifice that would change all of creation and make a new creation.
1Corinthians 2:8 (Amplified) says, "None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory." When Jesus was crucified, satan thought he had won and that all of mankind was doomed forever. This mystery or plan was in the mind and heart of the Father and the Son and was so legal and just by the Laws of God, that it was beyond anything the world could ever understand. It requires the Holy Spirit to convey it even now, to the spirits of the new creation. The new creation family, continues operating like the Old Testament people, instead of like God's family. Even though we call Him "Father," we still seem to think in terms of the Old Testament people.
Even though we can read and comprehend 2Cornthians 5:21 (Amplified) in our intellect, we seemingly fail to have the revelation of it, down in our spirits. Thus, it says, "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 an in right relationship with Him, by His goodness)."
This is what we were always to have been, before sin came into the world or death came as a result of sin. We were to be "approved, acceptable, in right relationship and family by His goodness."
Praise God for His goodness and the new creation through Christ Jesus. Live like family.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Lesson 199 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Galatians 6:15 (Amplified) says, "For neither is circumcision (now) of any importance, nor uncircumcision, but (only) a new creation (the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus (the Messiah)."
The new creation has been so misunderstood throughout the years and we have really missed what God did for us, through Jesus. Many of us have believed that being born-again meant we were forgiven of our sins and we will one day go to Heaven. I suppose that if we really understood what has happened to us through the new creation, then we would still find it difficult to accept.
Ephesians 1:20 (Amplified) says, "Which He (God) exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His (Own) right hand in the Heavenly (places)." Ephesians 2:5-6 (Amplified) continues, "Even when we were dead (slain) by (our own) short comings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and union with Christ (He gave us the Very Life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for) it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve), that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the Heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
The word "raised" from Ephesians 1:20, can be found in other Verses and means, "resurrected." The Strong's Concordance #1453,#1454 says "raised" means, "To awaken, or "to raise from sleep, from sitting, lying, from disease, from death, from obscurity, from inactivity, from ruin," "non-existence, awake, raise, up again, take up, resurgence from death, resurrection."
The same word "raised" from Ephesians 2:6, according to the Strong's Concordance #4891-#4862 means, "To rouse from death, in company with, to revive (spiritually) in resemblance, to raise up together, rise with, denoting union with, or together but much closer (example by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, completion, resurrection."
When Jesus was resurrected in the Spirit, we who believe in Him, were also simultaneously "resurrected in the Spirit." This is what He made the new creation to be. We were once dead in trespass and sin, but we were made alive and were raised (resurrected) from the dead with Him. We were "raised (resurrected) together with Him and seated together with Him in the Heavenly sphere." The new creation was resurrected together with Him and made alive through Him. We were raised from death into life with Him, in Spirit and companionship and resemblance in Jesus.
The only thing left to do in our salvation, is the final resurrection of our mortal bodies, according to Romans 8:11 (Amplified), which says, "And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead (resurrection) dwells in you (then) He 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."
1Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Amplified) tells us that those who were resurrected in the Spirit (created a new creation), and have been laid to rest here in their mortal short lived bodies, will have Jesus come to receive their fleshly bodies. Thus, it says, ""Now also we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall asleep (in death) that you may not grieve (for them) as the rest do who have no hope (beyond the grave). For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will also bring with Him through Jesus, those who have fallen asleep (in death) For this we declare to you by the Lord's Own Word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede (into His Presence) or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep (in Him at death) For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with the blast of the Trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living ones who remain (on the earth), shall simultaneously be caught up along with (the resurrected dead) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord, Therefore comfort one another with these Words."
Paul tells us in Verse 15 that, "It was the Lord's Own Words" he was quoting to the Church. These early Christians were already with the Father by their resurrected spirits in the new creation, but Jesus had already paid for our mortal body and will raise it up (resurrect) it too. Paul goes on in 1Corinthians 15:51-52 (Amplified) saying, "Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or council of God) We shall not all fall asleep (in death) but we shall all be changed (transformed) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the (sound of) the last trumpet call; For a trumpet will sound, and the death (in Christ) will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay) and we shall be changed (transformed)." 1John 3:2 (Amplified) says, "Beloved, we are (even here and) now God's children; It is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be (hereafter), but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall (as God's children) resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He (really) is."
The final resurrection of our mortal body, will the final stage of our new creation man and we will be "made like Him" (spirit, soul and body), to live in the Father's House for eternity. We will celebrate Easter this Sunday and thank God for the resurrection of Jesus. We have the same new creation Spirit and have been resurrected in Him. We've been raised together with Him and seated together with Him. We are ambassadors of Christ and have been living in this world form our place with Christ, in order to reconcile the world to Him. Our new creation being has already experienced resurrection in Him.
Jesus prayed in John 17:16-18, 20 (Amplified) saying, "They are not of this world (worldly, belonging to the world) Just as I Am not of the world. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." He went on in Verse 20 saying, "Neither for these alone do I pray (it is not for their sake only that I make this request) but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching." 2Corinthians 5:20 (Amplified) tells us, "So we are Christ ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We (as Christ's representatives) beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor (now offered you) and be reconciled to God."
This is the Great Commission Jesus gave, saying, "As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them." Even though we're here in this natural body like Jesus was, we are ambassadors from the Kingdom and are already "living spirits by His resurrection." When we were dead in trespass and sin, the resurrection power of (and through) Jesus, raise us up, gave us life and presented us to the Father as His brethren and sons/daughter in His family. We are new creation children!!!
Galatians 6:15 (Amplified) says, "For neither is circumcision (now) of any importance, nor uncircumcision, but (only) a new creation (the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus (the Messiah)."
The new creation has been so misunderstood throughout the years and we have really missed what God did for us, through Jesus. Many of us have believed that being born-again meant we were forgiven of our sins and we will one day go to Heaven. I suppose that if we really understood what has happened to us through the new creation, then we would still find it difficult to accept.
Ephesians 1:20 (Amplified) says, "Which He (God) exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His (Own) right hand in the Heavenly (places)." Ephesians 2:5-6 (Amplified) continues, "Even when we were dead (slain) by (our own) short comings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and union with Christ (He gave us the Very Life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for) it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve), that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the Heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
The word "raised" from Ephesians 1:20, can be found in other Verses and means, "resurrected." The Strong's Concordance #1453,#1454 says "raised" means, "To awaken, or "to raise from sleep, from sitting, lying, from disease, from death, from obscurity, from inactivity, from ruin," "non-existence, awake, raise, up again, take up, resurgence from death, resurrection."
The same word "raised" from Ephesians 2:6, according to the Strong's Concordance #4891-#4862 means, "To rouse from death, in company with, to revive (spiritually) in resemblance, to raise up together, rise with, denoting union with, or together but much closer (example by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, completion, resurrection."
When Jesus was resurrected in the Spirit, we who believe in Him, were also simultaneously "resurrected in the Spirit." This is what He made the new creation to be. We were once dead in trespass and sin, but we were made alive and were raised (resurrected) from the dead with Him. We were "raised (resurrected) together with Him and seated together with Him in the Heavenly sphere." The new creation was resurrected together with Him and made alive through Him. We were raised from death into life with Him, in Spirit and companionship and resemblance in Jesus.
The only thing left to do in our salvation, is the final resurrection of our mortal bodies, according to Romans 8:11 (Amplified), which says, "And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead (resurrection) dwells in you (then) He 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."
1Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Amplified) tells us that those who were resurrected in the Spirit (created a new creation), and have been laid to rest here in their mortal short lived bodies, will have Jesus come to receive their fleshly bodies. Thus, it says, ""Now also we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall asleep (in death) that you may not grieve (for them) as the rest do who have no hope (beyond the grave). For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will also bring with Him through Jesus, those who have fallen asleep (in death) For this we declare to you by the Lord's Own Word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede (into His Presence) or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep (in Him at death) For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with the blast of the Trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living ones who remain (on the earth), shall simultaneously be caught up along with (the resurrected dead) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord, Therefore comfort one another with these Words."
Paul tells us in Verse 15 that, "It was the Lord's Own Words" he was quoting to the Church. These early Christians were already with the Father by their resurrected spirits in the new creation, but Jesus had already paid for our mortal body and will raise it up (resurrect) it too. Paul goes on in 1Corinthians 15:51-52 (Amplified) saying, "Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or council of God) We shall not all fall asleep (in death) but we shall all be changed (transformed) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the (sound of) the last trumpet call; For a trumpet will sound, and the death (in Christ) will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay) and we shall be changed (transformed)." 1John 3:2 (Amplified) says, "Beloved, we are (even here and) now God's children; It is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be (hereafter), but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall (as God's children) resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He (really) is."
The final resurrection of our mortal body, will the final stage of our new creation man and we will be "made like Him" (spirit, soul and body), to live in the Father's House for eternity. We will celebrate Easter this Sunday and thank God for the resurrection of Jesus. We have the same new creation Spirit and have been resurrected in Him. We've been raised together with Him and seated together with Him. We are ambassadors of Christ and have been living in this world form our place with Christ, in order to reconcile the world to Him. Our new creation being has already experienced resurrection in Him.
Jesus prayed in John 17:16-18, 20 (Amplified) saying, "They are not of this world (worldly, belonging to the world) Just as I Am not of the world. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." He went on in Verse 20 saying, "Neither for these alone do I pray (it is not for their sake only that I make this request) but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching." 2Corinthians 5:20 (Amplified) tells us, "So we are Christ ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We (as Christ's representatives) beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor (now offered you) and be reconciled to God."
This is the Great Commission Jesus gave, saying, "As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them." Even though we're here in this natural body like Jesus was, we are ambassadors from the Kingdom and are already "living spirits by His resurrection." When we were dead in trespass and sin, the resurrection power of (and through) Jesus, raise us up, gave us life and presented us to the Father as His brethren and sons/daughter in His family. We are new creation children!!!
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Friday, April 7, 2017
Lesson 198 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
The new creation beings have not yet understood the great miracle that the Father has done in Jesus. We've been taught, trained, preached to, and raised to see we are "just old sinners," and we've overlooked the truth of the new creation. What the Father did through Jesus, was a wholly Spiritual thing. We still identify more with our flesh and our senses, while overlooking the Truth of the new creation.
We were made to the "Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus," according to 2Corinthians 5:20-21. This righteousness is the Very Righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is complete and entire, that no one can improve upon it. It is the Very Right-standing of Jesus, in the Presence of God.
The new creation man is so perfect in Jesus, that God Himself can now indwell and tabernacle in us and walk in us. We know that God cannot/will never co-exist with sin in the same Temple and then declare it to be "Holy." We must accept what He did to declare us to be a new creation Temple for Himself. We can only receive and understand this Truth, in our spirits. Our unrenewed mind and senses only sees this as being carnal religion, and will not receive or walk in this Truth.
We are constantly reminded of who we used to be, instead of who we are. Many take one part of Romans 8:28 out of context and use it to include all the things our carnal minds and guilt ridden senses required from us, saying "All things work together for good." This isn't what this chapter says, but we've been taught to believe that "all things-good or bad, sick or well, early death or long life-work together for good."
If you will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you when reading the above chapter of Romans, then you'll see that through Jesus, those who are in the new creation are clean, pure, holy, righteous, and justified by His Sacrifice and we're not just "forgiven," but have actually died, been resurrected, been raised up together with Christ and made to be sons after the Image of Jesus Himself.
When we fail to understand this Word of Truth in the Spirit, we will continue walking under the same guilt and condemnation as before being born-again. In Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) Paul 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. For the Law of the Spirit and Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being) has freed me from the Law of sin and death.
Paul is simply stating how, "If we allow the Spirit to lead and teach us, instead of the world and the senses, then we can walk in the total liberty of the new creation." You are already free (even if you don't know it), but your senses will keep you from the liberty of operating in your new creation righteousness. Your sense will keep you from the liberty of enjoying your fellowship with the Father.
Allow me to pose a question to you and then let yourself answer truthfully. Romans 8:1 says, "We are in Christ Jesus," but do you believe this? If we are in Him, then we must be new creation who are without sin or iniquity, in order to truly be in Him. If we are what the senses tells us and are not "clean, pure, holy, righteous, and new in Him," then impurity, unholiness, uncleanliness and unrighteousness and sin would have to be in Him as well. We know that there is no sin or unrighteousness or "Shadow of turning" in Him.
This is what Paul says in Romans 8:1 (Amplified) which 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." If you allow your flesh or senses (which are taught by the world) to dictate your walk, then you will continue walking in condemnation and guilt from the old man of the world. If you allow the Holy Spirit to dictate this new life to you, then you can walk in the perfect Law of liberty, which allows you to feel free to have faith in your new creation through Christ.
Satan and our senses will reduce the entire chapter of Romans 8 to saying that "All things work together for good" and keep us walking under the dictates of the flesh (senses). We've missed the Truth of our liberty in Christ and the new creation. If we read this chapter in the Truth of the Spirit, then we'll see how it's one of the most liberating scriptures in the entire New Testament. Paul explains the dictates of the senses as "carnally minded, the senses of the flesh and the guilt of religious worldly ideas about the scriptures." Through the Holy Spirit, Paul explains the difference concerning Verse 1 in Romans 8:7-8 (Amplified) saying, "(That is) because the mind of the flesh (with its carnal thoughts and purposes) is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's aw; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh (or as Paul described in Verse 1 "after the dictates of the flesh) (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him."
"Catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature" doesn't mean "sinning," but also denying the full act of the new creation and living in the carnal act of not receiving the full cleansing of Jesus' Sacrifice. The carnal man remains more aware of his carnal nature, instead of the new creation cleansing of being in Christ and made pure. You can't be in Him, while still being in sin. The two are incompatible. When you understand this Truth in your spirit and not with your carnal mind, then you will be free to fellowship on a different level, with your Heavenly Father and you will be open to revelation knowledge and Wisdom. You'll have faith in the fact that He hears you and you will stop doubting yourself. You will begin trusting in who He has made you to be, instead of who the world and satan tells you, you are.
You will then realize that Romans 8:28, doesn't mean sickness, defeat and satan's intended misery, are "for your good." You will see receive the Truth of the Holy Spirit Who says, "God has deprived the power of sin over us, by the death of the flesh. The flesh no longer dictates our limits, but the Spirit, We now can set our minds and seek after the Spirit, the mind (now controlled by the dictates of the Spirit) is Life and (soul) peace now and forever. You are not living the Life of the flesh, but the Life of the Spirit," in Romans 8:3-9 (Amplified). Throughout this chapter, the Holy Spirit is speaking about the new creation and how when we understand this in our spirit, we will be set free. He is saying that "All these things are working together for the good to those who are in Christ Jesus." Let God lead you in the Truth of this Word. Romans 8:28 has nothing to do with all the carnal things that have been read into it, but with the Spiritual things of the Spirit of God. This includes our prayer lives too. When we don't know how to pray like we should, then the "dictates of the Spirit" or understanding of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus will release all guilt and condemnation of the flesh, allowing us to pray correctly. Our new creation spirit is filled with the Righteous Spirit of God and can pray through us, "The perfect prayer of faith," without the flesh holding us back by carnal reasonings of the old, dead man.
The new creation beings have not yet understood the great miracle that the Father has done in Jesus. We've been taught, trained, preached to, and raised to see we are "just old sinners," and we've overlooked the truth of the new creation. What the Father did through Jesus, was a wholly Spiritual thing. We still identify more with our flesh and our senses, while overlooking the Truth of the new creation.
We were made to the "Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus," according to 2Corinthians 5:20-21. This righteousness is the Very Righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is complete and entire, that no one can improve upon it. It is the Very Right-standing of Jesus, in the Presence of God.
The new creation man is so perfect in Jesus, that God Himself can now indwell and tabernacle in us and walk in us. We know that God cannot/will never co-exist with sin in the same Temple and then declare it to be "Holy." We must accept what He did to declare us to be a new creation Temple for Himself. We can only receive and understand this Truth, in our spirits. Our unrenewed mind and senses only sees this as being carnal religion, and will not receive or walk in this Truth.
We are constantly reminded of who we used to be, instead of who we are. Many take one part of Romans 8:28 out of context and use it to include all the things our carnal minds and guilt ridden senses required from us, saying "All things work together for good." This isn't what this chapter says, but we've been taught to believe that "all things-good or bad, sick or well, early death or long life-work together for good."
If you will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you when reading the above chapter of Romans, then you'll see that through Jesus, those who are in the new creation are clean, pure, holy, righteous, and justified by His Sacrifice and we're not just "forgiven," but have actually died, been resurrected, been raised up together with Christ and made to be sons after the Image of Jesus Himself.
When we fail to understand this Word of Truth in the Spirit, we will continue walking under the same guilt and condemnation as before being born-again. In Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) Paul 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. For the Law of the Spirit and Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being) has freed me from the Law of sin and death.
Paul is simply stating how, "If we allow the Spirit to lead and teach us, instead of the world and the senses, then we can walk in the total liberty of the new creation." You are already free (even if you don't know it), but your senses will keep you from the liberty of operating in your new creation righteousness. Your sense will keep you from the liberty of enjoying your fellowship with the Father.
Allow me to pose a question to you and then let yourself answer truthfully. Romans 8:1 says, "We are in Christ Jesus," but do you believe this? If we are in Him, then we must be new creation who are without sin or iniquity, in order to truly be in Him. If we are what the senses tells us and are not "clean, pure, holy, righteous, and new in Him," then impurity, unholiness, uncleanliness and unrighteousness and sin would have to be in Him as well. We know that there is no sin or unrighteousness or "Shadow of turning" in Him.
This is what Paul says in Romans 8:1 (Amplified) which 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." If you allow your flesh or senses (which are taught by the world) to dictate your walk, then you will continue walking in condemnation and guilt from the old man of the world. If you allow the Holy Spirit to dictate this new life to you, then you can walk in the perfect Law of liberty, which allows you to feel free to have faith in your new creation through Christ.
Satan and our senses will reduce the entire chapter of Romans 8 to saying that "All things work together for good" and keep us walking under the dictates of the flesh (senses). We've missed the Truth of our liberty in Christ and the new creation. If we read this chapter in the Truth of the Spirit, then we'll see how it's one of the most liberating scriptures in the entire New Testament. Paul explains the dictates of the senses as "carnally minded, the senses of the flesh and the guilt of religious worldly ideas about the scriptures." Through the Holy Spirit, Paul explains the difference concerning Verse 1 in Romans 8:7-8 (Amplified) saying, "(That is) because the mind of the flesh (with its carnal thoughts and purposes) is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's aw; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh (or as Paul described in Verse 1 "after the dictates of the flesh) (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him."
"Catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature" doesn't mean "sinning," but also denying the full act of the new creation and living in the carnal act of not receiving the full cleansing of Jesus' Sacrifice. The carnal man remains more aware of his carnal nature, instead of the new creation cleansing of being in Christ and made pure. You can't be in Him, while still being in sin. The two are incompatible. When you understand this Truth in your spirit and not with your carnal mind, then you will be free to fellowship on a different level, with your Heavenly Father and you will be open to revelation knowledge and Wisdom. You'll have faith in the fact that He hears you and you will stop doubting yourself. You will begin trusting in who He has made you to be, instead of who the world and satan tells you, you are.
You will then realize that Romans 8:28, doesn't mean sickness, defeat and satan's intended misery, are "for your good." You will see receive the Truth of the Holy Spirit Who says, "God has deprived the power of sin over us, by the death of the flesh. The flesh no longer dictates our limits, but the Spirit, We now can set our minds and seek after the Spirit, the mind (now controlled by the dictates of the Spirit) is Life and (soul) peace now and forever. You are not living the Life of the flesh, but the Life of the Spirit," in Romans 8:3-9 (Amplified). Throughout this chapter, the Holy Spirit is speaking about the new creation and how when we understand this in our spirit, we will be set free. He is saying that "All these things are working together for the good to those who are in Christ Jesus." Let God lead you in the Truth of this Word. Romans 8:28 has nothing to do with all the carnal things that have been read into it, but with the Spiritual things of the Spirit of God. This includes our prayer lives too. When we don't know how to pray like we should, then the "dictates of the Spirit" or understanding of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus will release all guilt and condemnation of the flesh, allowing us to pray correctly. Our new creation spirit is filled with the Righteous Spirit of God and can pray through us, "The perfect prayer of faith," without the flesh holding us back by carnal reasonings of the old, dead man.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Lesson 197 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
The great Apostle Paul, received this Truth and revelation directly from the Holy Spirit, according to 2Corinthians 12 and Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified) which says, "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standards) For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it; but (it came to me) through a direct revelation (given) by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." Whether or not we agree with the above Gospel, it is a revelation given directly o Paul, from Jesus Himself.
There has been much debate in the Church, concerning the Great Gospel above, but the bottom line is this, Jesus in the One Who said it and it is True. Man's soul was to be the go between, for man's spirit and the brain, which is a storage and communication center for his physical body. The spirit was to transmit information (revelation) from the Spirit of God, to our spirit. The soul was to transmit this revelation (or information) to the brain and then mortal man could walk according to the Spirit of God.
Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden, caused his spirit to be cut off from God, leaving man's soul to function on a different level of knowledge. The only other source of information came from man's fallen state and the world system fed man's soul, directing the brain and determining how to live.
The brain was educated by this world system and directed mankind for millennia. Our carnal teachings have omitted God, leaving mankind to drift further and further from the Truth of Him, in our lives. We fostered carnal understanding for spiritual things and have lost sight of God's original plan for both us and Himself.
Using human understanding, left us seeing God in a light, that He never intended for us. The Word tells us that, "The entrance of the Word, brings Light" in 2Corinthians 4:6 (Amplified) which says, "For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts (spirits) so as (to beam forth) the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God (as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed) in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." God didn't just "beam forth this Light," but He (Who is Light) has "shone in our hearts (spirits)."
When creating the new creation being, this Light Who is God Himself, has been joined in our spirit man once again. Our soul (which is the communicator to and director of our physical brain) must be trained to hear from our new source of direction for our physical man. Since all it has known is the world's information, we must renew it by revelation from God's Holy Spirit. Our soul isn't familiar to the Voice of God and has difficulty distinguishing between His Voice and the myriad of other voices that are trying to direct us.
After being born-again, we are still led by voices that are familiar to us and we end up in a man-made relationship with our Father. Even today, in some Christian circles, people will look at you very strangely, if you say, "God told me something." We've been taught that God "only talks to certain people." This is not true. God speaks to all of us, but our soul (which has been trained by our senses) discards His instructions and follows only what it's familiar with. Then our brain (which directs the human body) denies the revelation, because revelation only comes into our spirit and not the brain.
We've never seriously considered Paul's words, when he instructed us to "renew our minds by the Word of God and pull down the strongholds in our minds" about the Super-natural Word and Presence of God, in our spirits. Your brain is a flesh organ and has not part of God. It's an organ, like our liver is a physical organ. It can only function in and for the physical man. It only knows what you put into it, from your own search of knowledge. It is not spiritual or reconciled to God, but only in the natural world. The brain is the most important organ for the body and the body cannot function without it. It's there for a purpose, but that purpose isn't for walking with God. When a person is "brain dead," his body doesn't work. His live spirit leaves the body and goes onto God to live forever with Him. But, the body will not.
The soul's work is to take the Spiritual Wisdom from God, and transmit that to the brain, so that the body will learn to walk by its new instructions. Your body can only do what your brain tells it to do. It cannot rise out of bed by itself, without receiving instructions to do so from the brain When we renew our minds or our souls by the Word of God, the brain can learn a new way of operating in this physical realm. Jesus controlled His Body by His Spirit. He said, "I can only do and say what My Father says and does." He refused to allow His brain (or His Body) to do whatever it wished to do. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus' Body had to be disciplined by His Spirit, to prevent it from doing as it would.
The great Apostle Paul, received this Truth and revelation directly from the Holy Spirit, according to 2Corinthians 12 and Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified) which says, "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standards) For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it; but (it came to me) through a direct revelation (given) by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." Whether or not we agree with the above Gospel, it is a revelation given directly o Paul, from Jesus Himself.
There has been much debate in the Church, concerning the Great Gospel above, but the bottom line is this, Jesus in the One Who said it and it is True. Man's soul was to be the go between, for man's spirit and the brain, which is a storage and communication center for his physical body. The spirit was to transmit information (revelation) from the Spirit of God, to our spirit. The soul was to transmit this revelation (or information) to the brain and then mortal man could walk according to the Spirit of God.
Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden, caused his spirit to be cut off from God, leaving man's soul to function on a different level of knowledge. The only other source of information came from man's fallen state and the world system fed man's soul, directing the brain and determining how to live.
The brain was educated by this world system and directed mankind for millennia. Our carnal teachings have omitted God, leaving mankind to drift further and further from the Truth of Him, in our lives. We fostered carnal understanding for spiritual things and have lost sight of God's original plan for both us and Himself.
Using human understanding, left us seeing God in a light, that He never intended for us. The Word tells us that, "The entrance of the Word, brings Light" in 2Corinthians 4:6 (Amplified) which says, "For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts (spirits) so as (to beam forth) the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God (as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed) in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." God didn't just "beam forth this Light," but He (Who is Light) has "shone in our hearts (spirits)."
When creating the new creation being, this Light Who is God Himself, has been joined in our spirit man once again. Our soul (which is the communicator to and director of our physical brain) must be trained to hear from our new source of direction for our physical man. Since all it has known is the world's information, we must renew it by revelation from God's Holy Spirit. Our soul isn't familiar to the Voice of God and has difficulty distinguishing between His Voice and the myriad of other voices that are trying to direct us.
After being born-again, we are still led by voices that are familiar to us and we end up in a man-made relationship with our Father. Even today, in some Christian circles, people will look at you very strangely, if you say, "God told me something." We've been taught that God "only talks to certain people." This is not true. God speaks to all of us, but our soul (which has been trained by our senses) discards His instructions and follows only what it's familiar with. Then our brain (which directs the human body) denies the revelation, because revelation only comes into our spirit and not the brain.
We've never seriously considered Paul's words, when he instructed us to "renew our minds by the Word of God and pull down the strongholds in our minds" about the Super-natural Word and Presence of God, in our spirits. Your brain is a flesh organ and has not part of God. It's an organ, like our liver is a physical organ. It can only function in and for the physical man. It only knows what you put into it, from your own search of knowledge. It is not spiritual or reconciled to God, but only in the natural world. The brain is the most important organ for the body and the body cannot function without it. It's there for a purpose, but that purpose isn't for walking with God. When a person is "brain dead," his body doesn't work. His live spirit leaves the body and goes onto God to live forever with Him. But, the body will not.
The soul's work is to take the Spiritual Wisdom from God, and transmit that to the brain, so that the body will learn to walk by its new instructions. Your body can only do what your brain tells it to do. It cannot rise out of bed by itself, without receiving instructions to do so from the brain When we renew our minds or our souls by the Word of God, the brain can learn a new way of operating in this physical realm. Jesus controlled His Body by His Spirit. He said, "I can only do and say what My Father says and does." He refused to allow His brain (or His Body) to do whatever it wished to do. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus' Body had to be disciplined by His Spirit, to prevent it from doing as it would.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Lesson 196 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) tells us, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that be word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him).
God created man in His Image and according to John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)." From the beginning, God made man a spirit being, just like He Himself is a Spirit. Genesis 2:7 (Amplified) says, "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Spirit of Life, and man became a living being." I believe this is when God joined the body and soul with the spirit being named Adam and this body (which was formed from the ground), became a living being. Your spirit is alive, even after your body has died, but your body is only alive, as long as the spirit is within it.
Adam was already "alive" as a spirit man (like God), but the man or being God formed from dust, was simply a dead lump (like a mannequin), until God breathed the soul and Life into it. We have a spirit man that was made in God's Image and we also have a physical, soulish man, to rule over this earthly realm with. Man was led by God's Holy Spirit and learned through his spirit. Man learned and led this earthly man by the soul or senses and all these were to be subject to the spirit realm. The Blessing that was upon Adam, was an outpouring of God to subdue and have control over the things of earth. In the natural realm, man is to take dominion over natural things, and subject to God's Word through his soul, which was the middle ground between the natural and the Spirit.
Jesus is the Perfect Example of how Adam was supposed to walk. He lived in a natural, flesh and blood Body and took dominion over all the natural elements of earth, by saying and doing "Only what the Father said to do." Jesus had a will of His Own, but He subjected it (His soul and emotions) to the Spirit realm, as He walked here on earth. This was how the Father intended man to be, from the beginning. We are not puppets, but sons and daughters. God didn't create us to be "on a string" like puppets, but made us without strings, so He could walk in Love with Him as family.
Our soul is the middle ground, between our natural body and our spiritual body and is the unrenewed place of rebellion in our new creation man. Man's soul or senses, didn't get born-again. It still spoke, thought, acted and sifted God's Wisdom, deciding what he wanted to believe or not believe. The carnal mind or unrenewed soul of man, simply rejected the Super-natural or Spiritual, in order to maintain control of the body. Your soul or senses had totally controlled the body in the manner it wished and the senses try to maintain that control over what they allow to be dispersed from the senses to the spirit.
This is one of the most important part of our Christian walk, here on earth. We will either allow the senses or soulish man to educate our spirit, or we will allow our new creation man to receive revelation, through the Word. A carnal mind will develop religions, while the renewed mind or restored soul will build relationship. One is soulish and one is spiritual. One is carnal and one is restored.
I was a heavy smoker and drinker, before being born-again. When I allowed Jesus to "restore my soul," He brought me to a "place of innocence" in m soul. I didn't care about drink or nicotine, but was completely free. It was like I had never drank or smoked before. I wasn't repulsed or attracted by drink of nicotine, but was totally innocent again. This is what Jesus wants to do for us, when He restores our soul (Psalm 23:3). He wants to bring us to a place, where sin is no longer thought of, where righteousness is a place we simply walk in, and where forgiveness is such a part of our new creation man, that the soul or sense do not bring us to the place of guilt and condemnation.
God created man in His Image and according to John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)." From the beginning, God made man a spirit being, just like He Himself is a Spirit. Genesis 2:7 (Amplified) says, "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Spirit of Life, and man became a living being." I believe this is when God joined the body and soul with the spirit being named Adam and this body (which was formed from the ground), became a living being. Your spirit is alive, even after your body has died, but your body is only alive, as long as the spirit is within it.
Adam was already "alive" as a spirit man (like God), but the man or being God formed from dust, was simply a dead lump (like a mannequin), until God breathed the soul and Life into it. We have a spirit man that was made in God's Image and we also have a physical, soulish man, to rule over this earthly realm with. Man was led by God's Holy Spirit and learned through his spirit. Man learned and led this earthly man by the soul or senses and all these were to be subject to the spirit realm. The Blessing that was upon Adam, was an outpouring of God to subdue and have control over the things of earth. In the natural realm, man is to take dominion over natural things, and subject to God's Word through his soul, which was the middle ground between the natural and the Spirit.
Jesus is the Perfect Example of how Adam was supposed to walk. He lived in a natural, flesh and blood Body and took dominion over all the natural elements of earth, by saying and doing "Only what the Father said to do." Jesus had a will of His Own, but He subjected it (His soul and emotions) to the Spirit realm, as He walked here on earth. This was how the Father intended man to be, from the beginning. We are not puppets, but sons and daughters. God didn't create us to be "on a string" like puppets, but made us without strings, so He could walk in Love with Him as family.
Our soul is the middle ground, between our natural body and our spiritual body and is the unrenewed place of rebellion in our new creation man. Man's soul or senses, didn't get born-again. It still spoke, thought, acted and sifted God's Wisdom, deciding what he wanted to believe or not believe. The carnal mind or unrenewed soul of man, simply rejected the Super-natural or Spiritual, in order to maintain control of the body. Your soul or senses had totally controlled the body in the manner it wished and the senses try to maintain that control over what they allow to be dispersed from the senses to the spirit.
This is one of the most important part of our Christian walk, here on earth. We will either allow the senses or soulish man to educate our spirit, or we will allow our new creation man to receive revelation, through the Word. A carnal mind will develop religions, while the renewed mind or restored soul will build relationship. One is soulish and one is spiritual. One is carnal and one is restored.
I was a heavy smoker and drinker, before being born-again. When I allowed Jesus to "restore my soul," He brought me to a "place of innocence" in m soul. I didn't care about drink or nicotine, but was completely free. It was like I had never drank or smoked before. I wasn't repulsed or attracted by drink of nicotine, but was totally innocent again. This is what Jesus wants to do for us, when He restores our soul (Psalm 23:3). He wants to bring us to a place, where sin is no longer thought of, where righteousness is a place we simply walk in, and where forgiveness is such a part of our new creation man, that the soul or sense do not bring us to the place of guilt and condemnation.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Lesson 195 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
The part of our new creation man that's been hardest to curb, is our soulish part. The spirit was made instantly new when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We received the Life of God once again into our spirit and instantly became new creation. Our body (the fleshly, sensual man) is the house our spirit lives in, had been trained by our soul (or senses) since the fall of Adam.
As a result of Adam's transgression, our spirit was separated from God and dwelt in spiritual death, because God is Life and our soulish man was now controlled by only our soulish intellect and feelings. The most difficult part of walking out our new creation man, has been with the renewing our minds (which is part of our soulish man) by the Life of God's Word and bring it back into subjection to our spirit. We can read the Word with our intellect, but still not receive revelation into our spirit, where it would produce this new creation in wholeness.
Our minds (which were carnal or sensual), wouldn't receive the Word as Truth, because it was spiritual in nature and our minds (senses) were programmed by the world, senses and the carnal things of this fallen (lost) world. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified) saying, "The natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart (spirit) the Gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to hi; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
The thing that led us for centuries, has now that we are born-again, become our downfall and doesn't recognize the Truth of God's Word in our lives. Until being born-again, our soul, along with our senses and their outside directions, had been our teacher. After receiving the new birth, these have become our enemy, because they don't understand the new creation being (which is spiritual). All it knows, is what it has learned from the worldly realm and how we were raised. The things of the Spirit, are from the spiritual realm and cannot be understand by these things.
As born-again people of God, we must allow the Lord (by the Holy Spirit) to restore or renew our soul. Man's soul was to receive Wisdom from our spirit, which was to receive from the Spirit of God. And, as we receive guidance and Wisdom from God into our spirit, our spirit is to teach our soulish man and physical body how to live on earth, according to the Father's plan. We were spirit people, living in a natural body that we could contact this natural earth. But, our bodies were to be dominated and ruled by our spirit.
Adam's transgression caused his contact and union with God to be severed, leaving him with only his senses to guide him. His soul or senses could not longer guide him from within, but only from what they could come into contact with from the outside. The entire planet then came under the domain of the enemy, so all that could come from our soul or senses, was strictly of the sense realm.
Today, even though we're born-again, much of the Church still walks more in the senses, than in the spirit. Our new creation spirit man, is still being fed more from education, rather than by revelation. Educations comes into the mind and senses, while revelation comes into the new creation man by the spirit. This has caused separation in the Church, since it's birth. Many have denied the Super-natural things of God, because they are spiritually discerned and are "folly" or "nonsense" to the natural man. They make no sense to the sense-ruled Christian. The sense-ruled Christians has built our own traditions and our own religions from the Word of God (which is Spirit), because we don't receive the Word into our spirit by a renewed mind or restored soul.
Psalms 23:3 (Amplified) says, "He refreshes and restores my life (my self). He leads me in the paths of righteousness (upright and right standing with Him-not for my earning it, but) for His Name's sake." The King James Bible says, "He restores my soul." The unrenewed soul tries earning righteousness by acts of the flesh, while the restored soul or renewed mind receives the revelation of restored right standing through Christ Jesus, into the new creation spirit. This might seem like "splitting hairs" to some, but it's vital that our new carnal minds receive revelation and not education. Your carnal mind can be educated and can read the Bible and can comprehend the words, but only the renewed mind or restored soul can allow the Life of the Word to flow from your spirit, into the natural man and senses. Without the restoring of the soul, the Word is simply education.
Psalm 19:7 (Amplified) tells us, "The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the (whole) person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." 3 John 1:2-3 (Amplified) says, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and (that your body) may keep well, even as (I know) your soul keeps well and prospers. In fact, I greatly rejoiced when (some of) the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke (so highly) of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth (the whole Gospel presents)."
There must have been some who were "living and walking" in what John called "the whole Gospel," and some who had not achieved the "soul peace" he wrote about in 2John 1:3 (Amplified) saying, "Grace ( spiritual blessing) mercy, and (soul) peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ (the Messiah) the Father's Son, in all sincerity (Truth) and Love."
Many consider the soul and spirit, to be one and the same, but God's Word divides the spirit, soul, and body into three separate parts of the same person. All of these parts must be brought back into the unity of the new creation, by the Word and the Holy Spirit. 1Thessalonians 5:23 (Amplified) says, "And may the God of Peace Himself sanctify you through and through (separate you from profane things, and make you pure and wholly consecrated to God) and may your spirit, soul, and body, be preserved sound and complete (and found) blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
According to Psalm 23:3, Jesus not only can, but will, restore our soul. To "restore" a house or building, means to bring it back to its original state. God doesn't just make us a new creation in our new, born-again spirit, but He fully intends to bring us back "wholly, spirit, soul, and body." He began in the new birth of our spirit, by the renewing of our minds and the training of our senses and by allowing our soul to be converted by His Word. And, according to 3John, He even brings back healing to our natural body. This is what John called the "whole Gospel" and it included the spirit, the soul, and even healing and health for the natural body.
The Life of God has flooded into our new creation spirit and now by restoring the soul or renewing our minds and sense by the Word, we allow this new Life to flow through the entire new creation being (spirit, soul, and body). We've allowed our unrenewed mind and fallen, worldly, soulish man to determine how much of the Truth of God's Word will be accepted in our lives. The restored soul, will allow the Truth of God's full Gospel to flow into our daily lives. The restored soul will transmit this Truth from us, into the healing and lives of others.
The part of our new creation man that's been hardest to curb, is our soulish part. The spirit was made instantly new when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We received the Life of God once again into our spirit and instantly became new creation. Our body (the fleshly, sensual man) is the house our spirit lives in, had been trained by our soul (or senses) since the fall of Adam.
As a result of Adam's transgression, our spirit was separated from God and dwelt in spiritual death, because God is Life and our soulish man was now controlled by only our soulish intellect and feelings. The most difficult part of walking out our new creation man, has been with the renewing our minds (which is part of our soulish man) by the Life of God's Word and bring it back into subjection to our spirit. We can read the Word with our intellect, but still not receive revelation into our spirit, where it would produce this new creation in wholeness.
Our minds (which were carnal or sensual), wouldn't receive the Word as Truth, because it was spiritual in nature and our minds (senses) were programmed by the world, senses and the carnal things of this fallen (lost) world. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified) saying, "The natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart (spirit) the Gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to hi; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
The thing that led us for centuries, has now that we are born-again, become our downfall and doesn't recognize the Truth of God's Word in our lives. Until being born-again, our soul, along with our senses and their outside directions, had been our teacher. After receiving the new birth, these have become our enemy, because they don't understand the new creation being (which is spiritual). All it knows, is what it has learned from the worldly realm and how we were raised. The things of the Spirit, are from the spiritual realm and cannot be understand by these things.
As born-again people of God, we must allow the Lord (by the Holy Spirit) to restore or renew our soul. Man's soul was to receive Wisdom from our spirit, which was to receive from the Spirit of God. And, as we receive guidance and Wisdom from God into our spirit, our spirit is to teach our soulish man and physical body how to live on earth, according to the Father's plan. We were spirit people, living in a natural body that we could contact this natural earth. But, our bodies were to be dominated and ruled by our spirit.
Adam's transgression caused his contact and union with God to be severed, leaving him with only his senses to guide him. His soul or senses could not longer guide him from within, but only from what they could come into contact with from the outside. The entire planet then came under the domain of the enemy, so all that could come from our soul or senses, was strictly of the sense realm.
Today, even though we're born-again, much of the Church still walks more in the senses, than in the spirit. Our new creation spirit man, is still being fed more from education, rather than by revelation. Educations comes into the mind and senses, while revelation comes into the new creation man by the spirit. This has caused separation in the Church, since it's birth. Many have denied the Super-natural things of God, because they are spiritually discerned and are "folly" or "nonsense" to the natural man. They make no sense to the sense-ruled Christian. The sense-ruled Christians has built our own traditions and our own religions from the Word of God (which is Spirit), because we don't receive the Word into our spirit by a renewed mind or restored soul.
Psalms 23:3 (Amplified) says, "He refreshes and restores my life (my self). He leads me in the paths of righteousness (upright and right standing with Him-not for my earning it, but) for His Name's sake." The King James Bible says, "He restores my soul." The unrenewed soul tries earning righteousness by acts of the flesh, while the restored soul or renewed mind receives the revelation of restored right standing through Christ Jesus, into the new creation spirit. This might seem like "splitting hairs" to some, but it's vital that our new carnal minds receive revelation and not education. Your carnal mind can be educated and can read the Bible and can comprehend the words, but only the renewed mind or restored soul can allow the Life of the Word to flow from your spirit, into the natural man and senses. Without the restoring of the soul, the Word is simply education.
Psalm 19:7 (Amplified) tells us, "The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the (whole) person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." 3 John 1:2-3 (Amplified) says, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and (that your body) may keep well, even as (I know) your soul keeps well and prospers. In fact, I greatly rejoiced when (some of) the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke (so highly) of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth (the whole Gospel presents)."
There must have been some who were "living and walking" in what John called "the whole Gospel," and some who had not achieved the "soul peace" he wrote about in 2John 1:3 (Amplified) saying, "Grace ( spiritual blessing) mercy, and (soul) peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ (the Messiah) the Father's Son, in all sincerity (Truth) and Love."
Many consider the soul and spirit, to be one and the same, but God's Word divides the spirit, soul, and body into three separate parts of the same person. All of these parts must be brought back into the unity of the new creation, by the Word and the Holy Spirit. 1Thessalonians 5:23 (Amplified) says, "And may the God of Peace Himself sanctify you through and through (separate you from profane things, and make you pure and wholly consecrated to God) and may your spirit, soul, and body, be preserved sound and complete (and found) blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
According to Psalm 23:3, Jesus not only can, but will, restore our soul. To "restore" a house or building, means to bring it back to its original state. God doesn't just make us a new creation in our new, born-again spirit, but He fully intends to bring us back "wholly, spirit, soul, and body." He began in the new birth of our spirit, by the renewing of our minds and the training of our senses and by allowing our soul to be converted by His Word. And, according to 3John, He even brings back healing to our natural body. This is what John called the "whole Gospel" and it included the spirit, the soul, and even healing and health for the natural body.
The Life of God has flooded into our new creation spirit and now by restoring the soul or renewing our minds and sense by the Word, we allow this new Life to flow through the entire new creation being (spirit, soul, and body). We've allowed our unrenewed mind and fallen, worldly, soulish man to determine how much of the Truth of God's Word will be accepted in our lives. The restored soul, will allow the Truth of God's full Gospel to flow into our daily lives. The restored soul will transmit this Truth from us, into the healing and lives of others.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Lesson 194 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
The things we're learning about who we are in Christ Jesus, are not just new things to preach about, but are raising up a people who will do the work of the covenant. We are to pray and do "His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven." There are so many things that have been lost to God's children throughout the years, and we are ignorant of who He has made us to be.
I know there will be a time when this physical body will cease to live and our spirit will be set free to return to the Father, but there is a way we are to die. We're not to die because of ravaging diseases and sickness, but Psalm 91:16 (Amplified) says, "With long life will He satisfy you, and show you His salvation."
There was an anointing and a knowing in the early Church, that seems to have been lost to today's Church. We've taught salvation to the lost and this is our primary mission, but we seem to have ability to do the things we should, for those who are here. Jesus and the Apostles didn't only preach the Kingdom, they demonstrated it by their actions. Everyone that Jesus healed during His earthly ministry, ultimately died. It wasn't that they would live forever after being healed by Him, but they would fulfill the days of their natural lives, bringing comfort and hope to others.
Today, I lost a friend and part of our my life as a pastor. I know that it's far better where she now is, than where we live. It's not that I don't believe she is better off with the Father, but her family and loved ones are left mourning. Her life was cut short by a disease that should never have been in her body at all. We've made excuses for why some people haven't been healed or delivered, because we know they should never have left this world in the manner they did.
My reason for teaching some of the things I teach, is to bring the Church into a place in Jesus where they can live and bring comfort to those who remain here and not just "wait until we get to Heaven." God has made Promises in His Word, that are just as true now, as they ever were. We've been so out of touch with His will and ways, that most of these Promises have never been revealed to the world or the Church.
Psalm 91 tells us that God's Word is still true today, but we don't see it being fulfilled in the lives of most of God's covenant family. God is not slack concerning His covenant and He cannot lie, which only leaves one reason why His Word isn't working like He said it would. The reason is because we've lost sight of what He said.
We were Blessed, in order to be a blessing to others. We were to understand God's will and His Promises, so that we can walk in His healing and Blessings and so we can bring these things to others. Even though I prayed over and for my friend, she went home to the Father. It wasn't because "it was her time," but because disease evicted her spirit from her body, before it was time
Jesus understood the Father and His will better than anyone has ever done before or since. This wasn't simply because "He was Jesus," but because He understood His Fathers heart and His will. My desire is to encourage more and more people, to delve deeper into their walk with the Father and manifest Heaven in the earth, instead of just "waiting until they go to Heaven." No disease could stand before the Presence of the anointing, either then or now. If only we could understand our Father, more than we do now.
I will have the task of ministering both as a pastor and friend, to the loved ones who are left to carry-on here. Even though I can see their despair and loss here, I can comfort them with the surety of being together again in the Kingdom of Heaven. But, the question of "Why did she go so early?" is still left unanswered.
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the pat answers of religion and I seek to know the truth. As new creation people, we are supposed to know the answer and through Him, we're to be the answer. This isn't for "only a few people," but for all who will believe. Today's Church is suppose to raise our expectations to a much higher level, and expand our beliefs t include this earth, as well as Heaven.
Healing doesn't need to be preached in Heaven, because there are no sick people there. Disease and death don't reside there either and this is God's will for earth "as it is in Heaven." As the Body of Christ, we are to bring that will and manifestation of our Father, into this realm and to the world. Even though I can find comfort in the fact that my friend is in Heaven, I still feel like I am to seek out God's Wisdom, so that others don't leave here prematurely.
I've buried too many people who left prematurely, leaving sorrow and heartache for their loved ones. I'm not doubting the glory of the Father's House, nor am I reluctant to go there, but only when both He and I are ready and not when our enemy (death) decides. I refuse to be governed by death and will only be governed by Life. God has not called us to allow the enemy to drive Life out of a body that doesn't belong to him.
John 10:10 says we are to, "Have an abundance and an overflow of Life within us." This is more Life, than we will ever use up, because this is God's Life within us and not the world's life to extinguish when it wants. This Life isn't only to live in me, but is supposed to overflow from me and bring Life to the sick, as well as the lost. In these Last Days, before Jesus' return, I believe there is going to be a people, who will finish the Book of Acts of the Apostles. We only saw the beginning of the Church in it. The conclusion of the Church should be (and will be) much more glorious than its start.
God is still searching for a remnant of people, like Joshua and Caleb, who will enter into this rest and not be detained by unbelief. I for one, am seeking not only Wisdom, but understanding. Wisdom is the principle thing, according to Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) which says, "Get Wisdom and with all of your getting, get understanding."
1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) says "We have Wisdom, But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus. Whom God made our Wisdom from God, (revealing) 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 ransom from eternal penalty for sin)."
We haven't only been given Wisdom, but we now possess the "Spirit of Wisdom," Who is the Spirit of God Himself. Many of us in God's Church love God and have a zeal for Him, but we are sometimes like the Church before us. Paul writes to those people in Romans 10:2 (Amplified), "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge." Could it be that we too, "have a zeal for God", but are not walking in "correct and vital knowledge of Him?" I believe we would win more lost to the Lord, by raising one person from the dead, then by burying a dozen.
The things we're learning about who we are in Christ Jesus, are not just new things to preach about, but are raising up a people who will do the work of the covenant. We are to pray and do "His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven." There are so many things that have been lost to God's children throughout the years, and we are ignorant of who He has made us to be.
I know there will be a time when this physical body will cease to live and our spirit will be set free to return to the Father, but there is a way we are to die. We're not to die because of ravaging diseases and sickness, but Psalm 91:16 (Amplified) says, "With long life will He satisfy you, and show you His salvation."
There was an anointing and a knowing in the early Church, that seems to have been lost to today's Church. We've taught salvation to the lost and this is our primary mission, but we seem to have ability to do the things we should, for those who are here. Jesus and the Apostles didn't only preach the Kingdom, they demonstrated it by their actions. Everyone that Jesus healed during His earthly ministry, ultimately died. It wasn't that they would live forever after being healed by Him, but they would fulfill the days of their natural lives, bringing comfort and hope to others.
Today, I lost a friend and part of our my life as a pastor. I know that it's far better where she now is, than where we live. It's not that I don't believe she is better off with the Father, but her family and loved ones are left mourning. Her life was cut short by a disease that should never have been in her body at all. We've made excuses for why some people haven't been healed or delivered, because we know they should never have left this world in the manner they did.
My reason for teaching some of the things I teach, is to bring the Church into a place in Jesus where they can live and bring comfort to those who remain here and not just "wait until we get to Heaven." God has made Promises in His Word, that are just as true now, as they ever were. We've been so out of touch with His will and ways, that most of these Promises have never been revealed to the world or the Church.
Psalm 91 tells us that God's Word is still true today, but we don't see it being fulfilled in the lives of most of God's covenant family. God is not slack concerning His covenant and He cannot lie, which only leaves one reason why His Word isn't working like He said it would. The reason is because we've lost sight of what He said.
We were Blessed, in order to be a blessing to others. We were to understand God's will and His Promises, so that we can walk in His healing and Blessings and so we can bring these things to others. Even though I prayed over and for my friend, she went home to the Father. It wasn't because "it was her time," but because disease evicted her spirit from her body, before it was time
Jesus understood the Father and His will better than anyone has ever done before or since. This wasn't simply because "He was Jesus," but because He understood His Fathers heart and His will. My desire is to encourage more and more people, to delve deeper into their walk with the Father and manifest Heaven in the earth, instead of just "waiting until they go to Heaven." No disease could stand before the Presence of the anointing, either then or now. If only we could understand our Father, more than we do now.
I will have the task of ministering both as a pastor and friend, to the loved ones who are left to carry-on here. Even though I can see their despair and loss here, I can comfort them with the surety of being together again in the Kingdom of Heaven. But, the question of "Why did she go so early?" is still left unanswered.
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the pat answers of religion and I seek to know the truth. As new creation people, we are supposed to know the answer and through Him, we're to be the answer. This isn't for "only a few people," but for all who will believe. Today's Church is suppose to raise our expectations to a much higher level, and expand our beliefs t include this earth, as well as Heaven.
Healing doesn't need to be preached in Heaven, because there are no sick people there. Disease and death don't reside there either and this is God's will for earth "as it is in Heaven." As the Body of Christ, we are to bring that will and manifestation of our Father, into this realm and to the world. Even though I can find comfort in the fact that my friend is in Heaven, I still feel like I am to seek out God's Wisdom, so that others don't leave here prematurely.
I've buried too many people who left prematurely, leaving sorrow and heartache for their loved ones. I'm not doubting the glory of the Father's House, nor am I reluctant to go there, but only when both He and I are ready and not when our enemy (death) decides. I refuse to be governed by death and will only be governed by Life. God has not called us to allow the enemy to drive Life out of a body that doesn't belong to him.
John 10:10 says we are to, "Have an abundance and an overflow of Life within us." This is more Life, than we will ever use up, because this is God's Life within us and not the world's life to extinguish when it wants. This Life isn't only to live in me, but is supposed to overflow from me and bring Life to the sick, as well as the lost. In these Last Days, before Jesus' return, I believe there is going to be a people, who will finish the Book of Acts of the Apostles. We only saw the beginning of the Church in it. The conclusion of the Church should be (and will be) much more glorious than its start.
God is still searching for a remnant of people, like Joshua and Caleb, who will enter into this rest and not be detained by unbelief. I for one, am seeking not only Wisdom, but understanding. Wisdom is the principle thing, according to Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) which says, "Get Wisdom and with all of your getting, get understanding."
1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) says "We have Wisdom, But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus. Whom God made our Wisdom from God, (revealing) 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 ransom from eternal penalty for sin)."
We haven't only been given Wisdom, but we now possess the "Spirit of Wisdom," Who is the Spirit of God Himself. Many of us in God's Church love God and have a zeal for Him, but we are sometimes like the Church before us. Paul writes to those people in Romans 10:2 (Amplified), "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge." Could it be that we too, "have a zeal for God", but are not walking in "correct and vital knowledge of Him?" I believe we would win more lost to the Lord, by raising one person from the dead, then by burying a dozen.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Lesson 193 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Jesus said in John 10:10 (Amplified) that, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
We've read the above scripture many times, and probably never gave a second thought to the importance of what Jesus said. Paul says in 1Corinthians 15:21-22 (Amplified), "For since (it was) through a man that death (came into the world, it is) also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead (has come). For just as (because of their union of nature) in Adam all people die, so also (by the virtue of their union of nature) shall all in Christ be made alive." The death Paul spoke about, is the spiritual death that separated mankind from the Life in God.
The problem with our Christian walk with God, doesn't come from our spirit, but from our soul (our senses) that were deadened to the union with God's Life. Since the fall of Adam, man was directed completely by his senses, instead of by his spirit. Our brain is the greatest computer ever created and was fed information from only our five senses. Our brain controls our physical being and was fed only with the knowledge and wisdom gained from our earthly existence, and not from the Spirit of Life, but of death. Your brain was your guidance center of our physical life and was constructed for only natural information, instead of spiritual information. We were guided only by the five senses, before being born-again.
When we were born-again, we became new creations, and created in union with the Spirit realm of God Himself. The spiritual knowledge had been deleted, because of Adam's transgression and it only had access to what it was programmed in, the natural man. Now, we receive knowledge into our soulish man from our spirit. This process is totally incompatible to the brain, which is programmed against this new information. 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 is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated)."
Your senses have been programming your natural brain, for all of your non-saved life. Your soul (senses) were meant to receive from your spirit, which was to be directed from God's Spirit. Your soul (senses) were then supposed to program your brain, to operate on the level of your spirit. After man was separated from the Spirit of God, the soul (senses) received only from the earthly realm and programmed the brain to reject anything the senses couldn't detect. If we couldn't feel, smell, touch, taste, or hear it, then it wasn't "real."
Now we are born-again and instructed to "walk by faith" in God's Word. The brain which was programmed by the five senses, cannot see, hear, touch, smell or taste faith, because it is a spiritual force. The brain denies the existence of faith, in the earthly realm. We are now instructed to be "transformed by the renewing of our mind (senses)," in Romans 12:2 (Amplified) which says, "Do not be conformed to this age (this world) (fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (senses) (by its new ideals and its new attitude)." This is what God made the senses for, when He created man in the beginning.
There are certainly benefits of having our sense teach us how to function in this body, while we are in this world. Our bodies were made to function in this natural realm, but were to be led and instructed by our spirit. Our wisdom and knowledge was to have come from God's Life and His Spirit, which would be fed into our spirit, in order to instruct our soul (senses). Our brains would have been schooled by God's Wisdom and could teach our bodies, to live by the Spirit (even in this natural world).
We watched Jesus do exactly this, in His earthly ministry. He had a flesh and Blood Body that was not held back by His senses. His senses were controlled by His Spirit. Jesus knew and heard from God in His Spirit, and didn't allow His soul (senses) to dictate what was "impossible," according to what He saw around Him. This is how man was made to be from the beginning, just like our Last Adam (Jesus).
We are to see, hear, smell, touch and feel the things around us, without having them control us. We were put in dominion over them, not under them. God created the beauty of this planet for us to enjoy, but not to control us. What good would it have done for God to create the fragrance of the flowers, if we couldn't smell them? Or the beauty of them, if we couldn't see it? The senses were to deliver to the brain in our spiritual capacity, to understand and walk in. If the spirit wasn't in control, then the brain could only learn and catalog and walk in the natural things. Your brain is the highest form of computer, which creates super computers that exponentially double their knowledge.
The Word tells us to "be transformed," which is where we derive the word "metamorphosis." A caterpillar transforms or completely changes during its metamorphosis, becoming a beautiful butterfly. That's what God did for the new creation, by totally changing who we were and making us into something beautiful, a child of His. This is a process that requires time and study. The more time we spend in His Word, the sooner the transformation. Your senses, which are now being renewed by our "ingrafted" spirit with the Holy Spirit, now begin transmitting new information to the brain (the control center of the body) and its begins to renew itself with new data.
Romans 8:11-12,13 (Amplified) says, "And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, (then) He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh (senses) we are no obligated to our carnal nature (senses) to live (a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates) of the flesh (senses)." Paul goes on in Verse 13 saying, "For if you live according to the dictates of the flesh (senses) you will surely die, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you are habitually putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the (evil) deeds prompted by the body (senses) you shall (really and genuinely) live forever."
When we set out to believe God's Word, which our senses cannot conceive of, then the senses immediately deny access to our reprogrammed brain, in order to reject it. The brain can't conceive "faith," because faith is a spiritual force. After undergoing all its pre-saved programming, the brain finds that faith isn't part of its programming, distrusts it, and rejects it. The brain has been so perfectly designed, that is not supposed to forget anything. God made it to be progressively gaining more information, but He designed it to get its information from the Spirit of God and not from the world.
It seems like, the more we learn in and from this world, the harder it is to believe the things from God. The greatest minds of men and women are trying to figure out where we came from, and what's in the Universe around us. The natural trained mind (senses) cannot contact the Truth of Creation and God, because this is outside the realm of our sense ruled brain. The brain is still doing what God intended it to do, which is receive information. That information though, comes from the world and not the Holy Spirit. When you are born-again, it seems like God and Creation are the simplest things to believe in. When you're not yet born-again, this seems impossible for the senses to grasp.
We still need the senses, because they are tools in this life. We must renew them though, so they are a successful tool and so they won't block our spirit man. As new creation people, we have once again been given authority and power through our new creation spirit, in order to bring the senses under dominion and control. We can now tell our senses "how to be," instead of our senses telling us "how to be." People asked Smith Wigglesworth how he felt and he answered them, saying, "I never ask Smith Wigglesworth how he feels, I tell him how to feel." This is the place our senses were created to be in, subordinated to our spirit.
Jesus said in John 10:10 (Amplified) that, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
We've read the above scripture many times, and probably never gave a second thought to the importance of what Jesus said. Paul says in 1Corinthians 15:21-22 (Amplified), "For since (it was) through a man that death (came into the world, it is) also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead (has come). For just as (because of their union of nature) in Adam all people die, so also (by the virtue of their union of nature) shall all in Christ be made alive." The death Paul spoke about, is the spiritual death that separated mankind from the Life in God.
The problem with our Christian walk with God, doesn't come from our spirit, but from our soul (our senses) that were deadened to the union with God's Life. Since the fall of Adam, man was directed completely by his senses, instead of by his spirit. Our brain is the greatest computer ever created and was fed information from only our five senses. Our brain controls our physical being and was fed only with the knowledge and wisdom gained from our earthly existence, and not from the Spirit of Life, but of death. Your brain was your guidance center of our physical life and was constructed for only natural information, instead of spiritual information. We were guided only by the five senses, before being born-again.
When we were born-again, we became new creations, and created in union with the Spirit realm of God Himself. The spiritual knowledge had been deleted, because of Adam's transgression and it only had access to what it was programmed in, the natural man. Now, we receive knowledge into our soulish man from our spirit. This process is totally incompatible to the brain, which is programmed against this new information. 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 is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated)."
Your senses have been programming your natural brain, for all of your non-saved life. Your soul (senses) were meant to receive from your spirit, which was to be directed from God's Spirit. Your soul (senses) were then supposed to program your brain, to operate on the level of your spirit. After man was separated from the Spirit of God, the soul (senses) received only from the earthly realm and programmed the brain to reject anything the senses couldn't detect. If we couldn't feel, smell, touch, taste, or hear it, then it wasn't "real."
Now we are born-again and instructed to "walk by faith" in God's Word. The brain which was programmed by the five senses, cannot see, hear, touch, smell or taste faith, because it is a spiritual force. The brain denies the existence of faith, in the earthly realm. We are now instructed to be "transformed by the renewing of our mind (senses)," in Romans 12:2 (Amplified) which says, "Do not be conformed to this age (this world) (fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (senses) (by its new ideals and its new attitude)." This is what God made the senses for, when He created man in the beginning.
There are certainly benefits of having our sense teach us how to function in this body, while we are in this world. Our bodies were made to function in this natural realm, but were to be led and instructed by our spirit. Our wisdom and knowledge was to have come from God's Life and His Spirit, which would be fed into our spirit, in order to instruct our soul (senses). Our brains would have been schooled by God's Wisdom and could teach our bodies, to live by the Spirit (even in this natural world).
We watched Jesus do exactly this, in His earthly ministry. He had a flesh and Blood Body that was not held back by His senses. His senses were controlled by His Spirit. Jesus knew and heard from God in His Spirit, and didn't allow His soul (senses) to dictate what was "impossible," according to what He saw around Him. This is how man was made to be from the beginning, just like our Last Adam (Jesus).
We are to see, hear, smell, touch and feel the things around us, without having them control us. We were put in dominion over them, not under them. God created the beauty of this planet for us to enjoy, but not to control us. What good would it have done for God to create the fragrance of the flowers, if we couldn't smell them? Or the beauty of them, if we couldn't see it? The senses were to deliver to the brain in our spiritual capacity, to understand and walk in. If the spirit wasn't in control, then the brain could only learn and catalog and walk in the natural things. Your brain is the highest form of computer, which creates super computers that exponentially double their knowledge.
The Word tells us to "be transformed," which is where we derive the word "metamorphosis." A caterpillar transforms or completely changes during its metamorphosis, becoming a beautiful butterfly. That's what God did for the new creation, by totally changing who we were and making us into something beautiful, a child of His. This is a process that requires time and study. The more time we spend in His Word, the sooner the transformation. Your senses, which are now being renewed by our "ingrafted" spirit with the Holy Spirit, now begin transmitting new information to the brain (the control center of the body) and its begins to renew itself with new data.
Romans 8:11-12,13 (Amplified) says, "And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, (then) He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh (senses) we are no obligated to our carnal nature (senses) to live (a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates) of the flesh (senses)." Paul goes on in Verse 13 saying, "For if you live according to the dictates of the flesh (senses) you will surely die, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you are habitually putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the (evil) deeds prompted by the body (senses) you shall (really and genuinely) live forever."
When we set out to believe God's Word, which our senses cannot conceive of, then the senses immediately deny access to our reprogrammed brain, in order to reject it. The brain can't conceive "faith," because faith is a spiritual force. After undergoing all its pre-saved programming, the brain finds that faith isn't part of its programming, distrusts it, and rejects it. The brain has been so perfectly designed, that is not supposed to forget anything. God made it to be progressively gaining more information, but He designed it to get its information from the Spirit of God and not from the world.
It seems like, the more we learn in and from this world, the harder it is to believe the things from God. The greatest minds of men and women are trying to figure out where we came from, and what's in the Universe around us. The natural trained mind (senses) cannot contact the Truth of Creation and God, because this is outside the realm of our sense ruled brain. The brain is still doing what God intended it to do, which is receive information. That information though, comes from the world and not the Holy Spirit. When you are born-again, it seems like God and Creation are the simplest things to believe in. When you're not yet born-again, this seems impossible for the senses to grasp.
We still need the senses, because they are tools in this life. We must renew them though, so they are a successful tool and so they won't block our spirit man. As new creation people, we have once again been given authority and power through our new creation spirit, in order to bring the senses under dominion and control. We can now tell our senses "how to be," instead of our senses telling us "how to be." People asked Smith Wigglesworth how he felt and he answered them, saying, "I never ask Smith Wigglesworth how he feels, I tell him how to feel." This is the place our senses were created to be in, subordinated to our spirit.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Lesson 192 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) into Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Proverbs 20:27 (Amplified) says, "The spirit of man (that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God) is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts."
Proverbs 21:30 (Amplified) says, "There is no (human) wisdom or understanding or counsel (that can prevail) against the Lord."
Revelation knowledge comes into our spirit, by the Word and the Holy Spirit, according to the above scripture. All of the human wisdom, counsel, and understanding cannot stand against God's Wisdom. All of our human knowledge comes from our five senses and not our spirit. When we try to understand spiritual things in the sense realm, our senses will deny that the spiritual things are real. Our human wisdom (sense knowledge) cannot stand against God's Wisdom.
God created the new creation man by and in His Spirit. We are created to be led by His Wisdom and to hear from the Holy Spirit. Our sense rebel against the Super-natural things of God, because they cannot understand. It's only in our spirit, that we can get True Wisdom and counsel from God. We were created by faith in Jesus, and this is the Spiritual connection we receive from God through. When Jesus gave the "Parable of the Mustard Seed," He said we should have "Faith as a mustard seed." The mustard seed is very, very small, but if it is planted in good soil, then it will grow into something much larger.
As new creation, we are created as fertile soil for the Seed of the Word, by the Holy Spirit. All words are seeds, not just the Word of God. Your spirit is now alive to God and is "fertile soil." We know that "faith comes by hearing." Romans 10:17 (Amplified) says, "Faith in God, comes by hearing the Word of God." Faith in any other thing comes the exact same way, by hearing. This is why Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified) admonishes, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it (your spirit) flow the springs of life."
As a new creation, you have the ability to hear, know, understand and to walk in the spirit realm, in a way that no other being on this planet has ever done. Your old man (the senses) has guided your whole unsaved life, has never been renewed. You still understand the Word by your old sense realm when you read it, but it stays in the sense realm (like reading a story). When we came into the Body of Christ (the Church), we probably didn't know much of God's Word and we didn't know how to walk in our new born-again life. We've mostly receive information in the Church still, based on the senses and not the spirit. Much of our learning has come from the intellectual realm of the senses. And, we've placed the spiritual, Super-natural into a time for the future ("when we get to Heaven...) and the past ("those things have passed away"). This is because your flesh (senses) cannot accept the Word as being "Truth."
We continue to teach, move, walk and talk like we did before being saved. This seed of faith was sown into our spirit (fertile soil) and was crowded out by the sense realm (knowledge) that previously guided our unsaved lives. Learning to understand and adapt our new spirit man to the realm of God's Word, is not been taught to God's people. Faith comes by hearing. If we've hearing isn't Truth, then it remains in the senses and our faith grows in that realm.
When the Wisdom of God instructed the Church about "having what you say," many rejected the teaching because of what was being ministered about it. We begin hearing that it was "foolishness" and then put our faith in that, because "faith comes by hearing." We continue speaking like we always did, because it "makes sense" in the natural realm. Even though we read in the Word about the power of spoken words, our faith never developed in it, because of what we heard preached. There is ample proof in the Bible that we can "have what we say," our senses couldn't grasp the revelation of it. Our speech mostly remained like it was before we were born-again. We had more faith in the sense knowledge speech, than we had in the Word, because of the world we spent our old life.
Many in the Church, consider Jesus' Words in Mark 11:23 (Amplified) as being "metaphorical." They reject this being Jesus speaking literally, because the senses tell us "You can't move a mountain." When we read this scripture carefully, we realize Jesus wasn't simply speaking about moving a mountain, but about believing and having what you say. Jesus said we're to "believe in our hearts, without doubting and to believe what we say, and then He said, "We can have whatever we say." Our words of belief will work for or against you.
We talk contrary to the Blessing, healing, prosperity, hearing God and many other things that are spirit and then we wonder why these things don't work for us. God calls this, "wicked speech," in Proverbs 18:20 (Amplified) saying, "A mans (moral) self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth, and with the consequences of his words he must be satisfied (whether good or evil)." Jesus said in Matthew 12:37 (Amplified), "For by your words you will condemned and sentenced."
Romans 10:10 tells us that it was "what we believed and what we said," that made us "justified and acquitted through Jesus." You confessed and believed "Jesus was your Lord and Savior," which led to your being saved and not being condemned and sentenced. Does what we say and believe make a difference in our lives? Yes, of course. If this principle works towards our salvation, then why wouldn't it work for other things after we're saved?
God created our new creation, we believe His Word and bring the senses into submission to the Word, by faith. We've been created to "speak" with creative power and to believe the impossible. But, if it's not preached, then it cannot be heard. If we don't hear it preached, then faith for it doesn't come. We read about the woman with the issue of blood, in Mark 5:27-28 (Amplified) which says, "When she heard the reports concerning Jesus, she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment." Verse 28 says, "For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health." This woman was gaining faith by what she heard Jesus preach. She build faith by what she then said. And, she had what she said and believed. She was cured.
Proverbs 20:27 (Amplified) says, "The spirit of man (that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God) is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts."
Proverbs 21:30 (Amplified) says, "There is no (human) wisdom or understanding or counsel (that can prevail) against the Lord."
Revelation knowledge comes into our spirit, by the Word and the Holy Spirit, according to the above scripture. All of the human wisdom, counsel, and understanding cannot stand against God's Wisdom. All of our human knowledge comes from our five senses and not our spirit. When we try to understand spiritual things in the sense realm, our senses will deny that the spiritual things are real. Our human wisdom (sense knowledge) cannot stand against God's Wisdom.
God created the new creation man by and in His Spirit. We are created to be led by His Wisdom and to hear from the Holy Spirit. Our sense rebel against the Super-natural things of God, because they cannot understand. It's only in our spirit, that we can get True Wisdom and counsel from God. We were created by faith in Jesus, and this is the Spiritual connection we receive from God through. When Jesus gave the "Parable of the Mustard Seed," He said we should have "Faith as a mustard seed." The mustard seed is very, very small, but if it is planted in good soil, then it will grow into something much larger.
As new creation, we are created as fertile soil for the Seed of the Word, by the Holy Spirit. All words are seeds, not just the Word of God. Your spirit is now alive to God and is "fertile soil." We know that "faith comes by hearing." Romans 10:17 (Amplified) says, "Faith in God, comes by hearing the Word of God." Faith in any other thing comes the exact same way, by hearing. This is why Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified) admonishes, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it (your spirit) flow the springs of life."
As a new creation, you have the ability to hear, know, understand and to walk in the spirit realm, in a way that no other being on this planet has ever done. Your old man (the senses) has guided your whole unsaved life, has never been renewed. You still understand the Word by your old sense realm when you read it, but it stays in the sense realm (like reading a story). When we came into the Body of Christ (the Church), we probably didn't know much of God's Word and we didn't know how to walk in our new born-again life. We've mostly receive information in the Church still, based on the senses and not the spirit. Much of our learning has come from the intellectual realm of the senses. And, we've placed the spiritual, Super-natural into a time for the future ("when we get to Heaven...) and the past ("those things have passed away"). This is because your flesh (senses) cannot accept the Word as being "Truth."
We continue to teach, move, walk and talk like we did before being saved. This seed of faith was sown into our spirit (fertile soil) and was crowded out by the sense realm (knowledge) that previously guided our unsaved lives. Learning to understand and adapt our new spirit man to the realm of God's Word, is not been taught to God's people. Faith comes by hearing. If we've hearing isn't Truth, then it remains in the senses and our faith grows in that realm.
When the Wisdom of God instructed the Church about "having what you say," many rejected the teaching because of what was being ministered about it. We begin hearing that it was "foolishness" and then put our faith in that, because "faith comes by hearing." We continue speaking like we always did, because it "makes sense" in the natural realm. Even though we read in the Word about the power of spoken words, our faith never developed in it, because of what we heard preached. There is ample proof in the Bible that we can "have what we say," our senses couldn't grasp the revelation of it. Our speech mostly remained like it was before we were born-again. We had more faith in the sense knowledge speech, than we had in the Word, because of the world we spent our old life.
Many in the Church, consider Jesus' Words in Mark 11:23 (Amplified) as being "metaphorical." They reject this being Jesus speaking literally, because the senses tell us "You can't move a mountain." When we read this scripture carefully, we realize Jesus wasn't simply speaking about moving a mountain, but about believing and having what you say. Jesus said we're to "believe in our hearts, without doubting and to believe what we say, and then He said, "We can have whatever we say." Our words of belief will work for or against you.
We talk contrary to the Blessing, healing, prosperity, hearing God and many other things that are spirit and then we wonder why these things don't work for us. God calls this, "wicked speech," in Proverbs 18:20 (Amplified) saying, "A mans (moral) self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth, and with the consequences of his words he must be satisfied (whether good or evil)." Jesus said in Matthew 12:37 (Amplified), "For by your words you will condemned and sentenced."
Romans 10:10 tells us that it was "what we believed and what we said," that made us "justified and acquitted through Jesus." You confessed and believed "Jesus was your Lord and Savior," which led to your being saved and not being condemned and sentenced. Does what we say and believe make a difference in our lives? Yes, of course. If this principle works towards our salvation, then why wouldn't it work for other things after we're saved?
God created our new creation, we believe His Word and bring the senses into submission to the Word, by faith. We've been created to "speak" with creative power and to believe the impossible. But, if it's not preached, then it cannot be heard. If we don't hear it preached, then faith for it doesn't come. We read about the woman with the issue of blood, in Mark 5:27-28 (Amplified) which says, "When she heard the reports concerning Jesus, she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment." Verse 28 says, "For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health." This woman was gaining faith by what she heard Jesus preach. She build faith by what she then said. And, she had what she said and believed. She was cured.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Lesson 191 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
In Romans 10:14 (Amplified), Paul speaks about receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When people hear this Word about salvation, they get faith to receive salvation and become born-again into the family of God. Thus, Verse 14 says, "But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed (in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance?) And how are they to believe in Him (adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him) of Whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?"
What we have been preaching is producing results and faith has been forthcoming. It wasn't that we weren't preaching before, but what we were isn't all that salvation includes. Faith has been coming to those who are hearing, but the faith hasn't been according to the new creation people. We've been preaching the Law, which doesn't apply to the new creation. We've been preaching that "God uses sickness and hardship to teach and deal with His children." Faith is coming by what we are hearing, but it's faith in the wrong things.
No one needs to go to God's Word, in order to find out how to be sick, broke, oppressed, divorced or a failure. One only needs to live the same way he did under the the old creation and accept all the things the world wants to bring on us.
We've come to a place where we seemingly need to apologize, for preaching that "God isn't your problem...He is your answer." Many frown upon our preaching the Blessing, instead of embracing it. And, many are left feeling like they should repent for telling people that "God's Word is true." We've tried living the new creation life, under the same standards of religion we had before knowing about the new creation.
Paul says in Roans 10:9 (Amplified), "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, rely on the Truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." This is not the only part of the Word that is true to the believer. Romans 1:17 (Amplified) is another scripture that we have to hear, in order to believe. It says, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith), As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."
The last scripture above, is just as true as the salvation scripture. We don't hear a lot of preaching on being made righteous in Him, only about our going to Heaven by Him. We've taught more about the weaknesses of the men in scripture, instead of the victories of men in scripture. By our carnal minds, we have identified more with the natural man and his religious ideas, instead of the Truth of our new creation identity.
Why would we ever feel the need to apologize for saying that "Jesus is still a Healer" or that "Blessing still works?" Simply because these parts of this new creation inheritance are not working for the believer, doesn't mean that they aren't true. It just means they're not being preached. If "faith comes by hearing," then how will we ever have faith to lay hands on the sick, stand on the Blessing, cast out devils, or do the things we are called to do, without a preacher?
We've had faith in what we've been hearing, but we haven't been hearing the Truth of the new creation. If we are preaching salvation and it's working, then if we preached the rest of God's Word, won't that work too? If faith comes by hearing, then what is being preached is where our faith begins and ends.
If speaking in tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit isn't being preached, then how can the people have faith for it, in their lives? I've heard more preaching against these things, than I've heard preached for them. We find the same thing occurring through the Word, concerning this principle. Numbers 13:32-33 (Amplified) says, "So they brought the Israelites and evil report of the Land which they scouted out, saying, the Land through which we went to spy it out is a Land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilium (or giants) the sons of Anak, who comes from the giants, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
Faith comes from what they heard preached and faith for fear and failure came from the preacher, not from God. What we preach brings faith to those who hear and we're responsible for preaching the new creation, instead of the failure of the old man. We're to preach about the victory we received from the Last Adam (Jesus), and not the failure of the first Adam. We don't live in the past, but always in Christ Jesus.
If we preach what we think, instead of what the Word says, then God calls that "an evil report." This might be popular, might be accepted, might be what you want to believe and might even be what you see (like the giants above), but it's not what God said and is therefore, "an evil report." It takes time to teach people how to walk in this new creation and not all of them will like what you say, but without preaching it, we remain in the Wilderness (like the Israelites did) and like we were before being born-again.
Just because we teach healing, doesn't mean that everyone will believe it (anymore than if we preach salvation, everyone will be saved). If we don't plant or sow the Seed, then we will not get a harvest, according to Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) which says, "Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that 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)."
Only a few of the Israelites believed the good report that Joshua and Caleb preached, because it took faith to look past the giants and see the victory. Nearly all of the large congregation (the Israelites) stayed in the Wilderness where they felt safe and they died there. They still belonged to God and He continued to care for them, even though they remained in the Wilderness. God took care of them for forty more years in the Wilderness, until they died off. The Promise of God's Word still came to those who would believe what God, Joshua and Caleb preached. Just because some don't believe it, doesn't mean we shouldn't preach it. Their faith will never rise higher than the Word they hear.
God's Word says we're new creation. We weren't only created new, but we have the capacity to believe and walk in things the world cannot believe. We've been blessed with the Blessing of Abraham, whether or not we ever have faith to believe it. Only what we put faith in, is manifested in our lives. And, we only have faith in, what is preached. The Word says, "How will they hear without a preacher?" and how will they have a preacher, "unless he is sent?" Jesus was sent to preach the things He preached and we were likewise, sent to preach what He preached.
Of course, preaching the new birth is the foundation of the Gospel, but bringing the new birth into the maturity of the new creation should be what we preach too, because "Faith comes by hearing." We will never mature beyond what we hear. We much preach salvation and then preach about growing in this new creation.
In Romans 10:14 (Amplified), Paul speaks about receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When people hear this Word about salvation, they get faith to receive salvation and become born-again into the family of God. Thus, Verse 14 says, "But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed (in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance?) And how are they to believe in Him (adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him) of Whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?"
What we have been preaching is producing results and faith has been forthcoming. It wasn't that we weren't preaching before, but what we were isn't all that salvation includes. Faith has been coming to those who are hearing, but the faith hasn't been according to the new creation people. We've been preaching the Law, which doesn't apply to the new creation. We've been preaching that "God uses sickness and hardship to teach and deal with His children." Faith is coming by what we are hearing, but it's faith in the wrong things.
No one needs to go to God's Word, in order to find out how to be sick, broke, oppressed, divorced or a failure. One only needs to live the same way he did under the the old creation and accept all the things the world wants to bring on us.
We've come to a place where we seemingly need to apologize, for preaching that "God isn't your problem...He is your answer." Many frown upon our preaching the Blessing, instead of embracing it. And, many are left feeling like they should repent for telling people that "God's Word is true." We've tried living the new creation life, under the same standards of religion we had before knowing about the new creation.
Paul says in Roans 10:9 (Amplified), "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, rely on the Truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." This is not the only part of the Word that is true to the believer. Romans 1:17 (Amplified) is another scripture that we have to hear, in order to believe. It says, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith), As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."
The last scripture above, is just as true as the salvation scripture. We don't hear a lot of preaching on being made righteous in Him, only about our going to Heaven by Him. We've taught more about the weaknesses of the men in scripture, instead of the victories of men in scripture. By our carnal minds, we have identified more with the natural man and his religious ideas, instead of the Truth of our new creation identity.
Why would we ever feel the need to apologize for saying that "Jesus is still a Healer" or that "Blessing still works?" Simply because these parts of this new creation inheritance are not working for the believer, doesn't mean that they aren't true. It just means they're not being preached. If "faith comes by hearing," then how will we ever have faith to lay hands on the sick, stand on the Blessing, cast out devils, or do the things we are called to do, without a preacher?
We've had faith in what we've been hearing, but we haven't been hearing the Truth of the new creation. If we are preaching salvation and it's working, then if we preached the rest of God's Word, won't that work too? If faith comes by hearing, then what is being preached is where our faith begins and ends.
If speaking in tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit isn't being preached, then how can the people have faith for it, in their lives? I've heard more preaching against these things, than I've heard preached for them. We find the same thing occurring through the Word, concerning this principle. Numbers 13:32-33 (Amplified) says, "So they brought the Israelites and evil report of the Land which they scouted out, saying, the Land through which we went to spy it out is a Land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilium (or giants) the sons of Anak, who comes from the giants, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
Faith comes from what they heard preached and faith for fear and failure came from the preacher, not from God. What we preach brings faith to those who hear and we're responsible for preaching the new creation, instead of the failure of the old man. We're to preach about the victory we received from the Last Adam (Jesus), and not the failure of the first Adam. We don't live in the past, but always in Christ Jesus.
If we preach what we think, instead of what the Word says, then God calls that "an evil report." This might be popular, might be accepted, might be what you want to believe and might even be what you see (like the giants above), but it's not what God said and is therefore, "an evil report." It takes time to teach people how to walk in this new creation and not all of them will like what you say, but without preaching it, we remain in the Wilderness (like the Israelites did) and like we were before being born-again.
Just because we teach healing, doesn't mean that everyone will believe it (anymore than if we preach salvation, everyone will be saved). If we don't plant or sow the Seed, then we will not get a harvest, according to Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) which says, "Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that 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)."
Only a few of the Israelites believed the good report that Joshua and Caleb preached, because it took faith to look past the giants and see the victory. Nearly all of the large congregation (the Israelites) stayed in the Wilderness where they felt safe and they died there. They still belonged to God and He continued to care for them, even though they remained in the Wilderness. God took care of them for forty more years in the Wilderness, until they died off. The Promise of God's Word still came to those who would believe what God, Joshua and Caleb preached. Just because some don't believe it, doesn't mean we shouldn't preach it. Their faith will never rise higher than the Word they hear.
God's Word says we're new creation. We weren't only created new, but we have the capacity to believe and walk in things the world cannot believe. We've been blessed with the Blessing of Abraham, whether or not we ever have faith to believe it. Only what we put faith in, is manifested in our lives. And, we only have faith in, what is preached. The Word says, "How will they hear without a preacher?" and how will they have a preacher, "unless he is sent?" Jesus was sent to preach the things He preached and we were likewise, sent to preach what He preached.
Of course, preaching the new birth is the foundation of the Gospel, but bringing the new birth into the maturity of the new creation should be what we preach too, because "Faith comes by hearing." We will never mature beyond what we hear. We much preach salvation and then preach about growing in this new creation.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Lesson 190 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Seeking God's Wisdom through the Holy Spirit, brings revelation to the way that Kingdom principles function. Collectively, we viewed the spirit realm (Super-natural) as belonging to the world of Pixie dust and magic wands. If God truly wishes for us to do something for Him, then He will "touch" you with Super-natural power for it.
God's Kingdom (the Kingdom of Heaven) functions on very precise Laws of the Spirit and walking contrary to these Laws will result in their not working for us. When Jesus walked as a Man on earth, He didn't walk in anything that isn't available to the new creation man, because "we are in Him," according to Ephesians 2:4-8 (Amplified) which says, "His Spirit, His Wisdom, His righteousness, His Very Life, is imparted to us by His resurrection, and we have even been seated together with Him in Heavenly places."
The biggest reason we struggle with the Super-natural, is not that the Father is holding-out on us, but that we don't know how to function in the Kingdom we are now part of. We've been waiting for "when we get to Heaven," to receive this anointing, instead of realizing the Kingdom of Heaven is now with us. We don't understand or strive to discern those Laws, but establish our own way of doing things. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek (aim at, and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." Jesus' disciples were discussing material things like what they should eat, what they should wear, what they should drink and where they should live. Jesus told them that, "If they would seek God's way of doing and being right, then all these material things would be added to them, along with the spiritual things we are seeking as well."
God provided everything the Israelites needed in the Wilderness. He met all their needs, including what they wore, what they ate, drank and His Presence was in their midst continuously. He didn't do these things because of law, but because of the same grace we now live under with Him. These people were spiritually dead and not new creation people. We have so many more advantages over them, because we are born-again. We not only have access to the Father, but we actually have His Spirit living within our new creation spirit.
God's ways of doing and being right, are the Kingdom Laws or principles. We entered into His righteousness, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We became the righteousness of God, in Him. Jesus spoke about His ascension and told His followers that He would send the Holy Spirit to take His place in their lives, in John 16:13-15 (Amplified) saying "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 will tell whatsoever He hears (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). He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take care of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine, and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He (the Spirit) will take the things that are Mind and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
If Jesus meant what He said to them, then we are not only able to receive Wisdom on how to operate in God's Kingdom, but when we receive Wisdom, then the entire Kingdom will back us up. We've interpreted God's Word using man's carnal wisdom, instead of listening to the Voice of the Holy Spirit and His teaching. How else could the things Jesus said in John 14:12 (Amplified) be true? Thus, He said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do, and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
We've never seriously strove to do things His way, but have relied and walked in our own interpretation of doing things. The Laws governing Heaven are unchangeable, because "His Word is forever settled in Heaven." God's Word is unchangeable and will only operate by His Own righteous Spiritual Laws, by which it stands. The Laws governing God's Kingdom, supersede the natural laws that govern earth. When we operate in "His way of doing and being right," then they will override the natural things.
We read in Luke 2:52 (Amplified), "And Jesus increased in Wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man." Jesus Himself, studied the Word daily and "increased in Wisdom and favor with God," because of this. If Jesus needed to "increase in Wisdom," then doesn't it make sense that we should study God's Word and increase in Wisdom too? We have the Holy Spirit living in us and have access to this Wisdom, so why haven't we increased in it, like Jesus did? We must know how to walk in the Spirit, in order to do and reveal Jesus to a dying world. The whole earth is presently awaiting this manifestation of Him.
Seeking God's Wisdom through the Holy Spirit, brings revelation to the way that Kingdom principles function. Collectively, we viewed the spirit realm (Super-natural) as belonging to the world of Pixie dust and magic wands. If God truly wishes for us to do something for Him, then He will "touch" you with Super-natural power for it.
God's Kingdom (the Kingdom of Heaven) functions on very precise Laws of the Spirit and walking contrary to these Laws will result in their not working for us. When Jesus walked as a Man on earth, He didn't walk in anything that isn't available to the new creation man, because "we are in Him," according to Ephesians 2:4-8 (Amplified) which says, "His Spirit, His Wisdom, His righteousness, His Very Life, is imparted to us by His resurrection, and we have even been seated together with Him in Heavenly places."
The biggest reason we struggle with the Super-natural, is not that the Father is holding-out on us, but that we don't know how to function in the Kingdom we are now part of. We've been waiting for "when we get to Heaven," to receive this anointing, instead of realizing the Kingdom of Heaven is now with us. We don't understand or strive to discern those Laws, but establish our own way of doing things. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek (aim at, and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." Jesus' disciples were discussing material things like what they should eat, what they should wear, what they should drink and where they should live. Jesus told them that, "If they would seek God's way of doing and being right, then all these material things would be added to them, along with the spiritual things we are seeking as well."
God provided everything the Israelites needed in the Wilderness. He met all their needs, including what they wore, what they ate, drank and His Presence was in their midst continuously. He didn't do these things because of law, but because of the same grace we now live under with Him. These people were spiritually dead and not new creation people. We have so many more advantages over them, because we are born-again. We not only have access to the Father, but we actually have His Spirit living within our new creation spirit.
God's ways of doing and being right, are the Kingdom Laws or principles. We entered into His righteousness, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We became the righteousness of God, in Him. Jesus spoke about His ascension and told His followers that He would send the Holy Spirit to take His place in their lives, in John 16:13-15 (Amplified) saying "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 will tell whatsoever He hears (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). He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take care of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine, and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He (the Spirit) will take the things that are Mind and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
If Jesus meant what He said to them, then we are not only able to receive Wisdom on how to operate in God's Kingdom, but when we receive Wisdom, then the entire Kingdom will back us up. We've interpreted God's Word using man's carnal wisdom, instead of listening to the Voice of the Holy Spirit and His teaching. How else could the things Jesus said in John 14:12 (Amplified) be true? Thus, He said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do, and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
We've never seriously strove to do things His way, but have relied and walked in our own interpretation of doing things. The Laws governing Heaven are unchangeable, because "His Word is forever settled in Heaven." God's Word is unchangeable and will only operate by His Own righteous Spiritual Laws, by which it stands. The Laws governing God's Kingdom, supersede the natural laws that govern earth. When we operate in "His way of doing and being right," then they will override the natural things.
We read in Luke 2:52 (Amplified), "And Jesus increased in Wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man." Jesus Himself, studied the Word daily and "increased in Wisdom and favor with God," because of this. If Jesus needed to "increase in Wisdom," then doesn't it make sense that we should study God's Word and increase in Wisdom too? We have the Holy Spirit living in us and have access to this Wisdom, so why haven't we increased in it, like Jesus did? We must know how to walk in the Spirit, in order to do and reveal Jesus to a dying world. The whole earth is presently awaiting this manifestation of Him.
Lesson 189 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) says, "The beginning of Wisdom is, get Wisdom (skillful and Godly Wisdom) (For skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principal thing) and with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation)."
The new creation family endured struggles and trials, trying to understand who we are and what we are. Many Christians who truly love God, have struggled to understand the reality of our salvation and what it really means, on this side of death. In this natural realm, it's been difficult to understand some of the things we read in the Word or hear from the pulpit. Many differing ideas and opinions have been preached, written and determined by many well meaning people.
We've come up with our own ideas of God and His plan for His family, because of a lack of wisdom and the discernment of spiritual things. Having little understanding of Who He is and His view of who He has made us to be, we've mostly failed in our understanding of the new creation. We've tried applying man's wisdom to spiritual things and have come up empty in that learning. Our natural (carnal) way of thinking and our not understanding of the renewing of our minds, has led to failure so many times, that many have simply stopped trying.
When airplanes were first introduced into the world, many believed it could never work and laughed at their creator's failed attempts to fly. The components and elements used in the creation of airplanes were always here in the earth, but we never had the wisdom needed to make them work. Airplanes could have flown in the eighteen hundreds or the nineteen hundreds, if someone had dreamed it and held the determination to accomplish that dream.
When we're birthed into our natural lives, we have no understanding of the natural things in life. We couldn't talk, walk, dress or feed ourselves, drive a car of count to ten. It required understanding, earthly wisdom and plenty of determination, to become the persons we are today. We failed time after time when learning to walk, but we were determined to accomplish this task and it's now a simple part of life we take for granted. At one time though, this was a great challenge for us. We proceeded to learn one thing at a time, about our natural lives. We passed things we learned onto our family and they progressed into even more learning and wisdom. We've gone from the telegraph that seemed unfathomable to many in their day, to today's smart phones. All this came from wisdom and not always the wisdom of man, but the emergence of God's Wisdom through man. This Wisdom was mostly kept in the natural realm of our lives and was used to enhance the way we now live.
For those who are unable to accept the way man's determined our spiritual lives to be, this Wisdom is still available. Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) tells us, "Get Wisdom, and get understanding." We have Wisdom in Christ Jesus, made available to us, according to 1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) which 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 in right standing with God); and our consecration (making us pure and holy) and our Redemption (providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin)."
By grace in Christ Jesus, we've been granted this Proverbs kind of Wisdom and by the Holy Spirit, we also have access to the understanding of this Wisdom. If the new creation could be determined to discern the things of the Spirit, as the natural man has been to learn the things of the natural world, then we could and will grow in the understanding our our new creation life in Christ.
We came to an understanding by man's wisdom, that "God doesn't want us to know the secret things of the Kingdom," and we stopped trying to grow in Wisdom. If we had done this in the natural realm, then we would still be living in the Dark Ages and we wouldn't have the modern day things we take for granted. Men who invented electricity, space travel, cures for deadly diseases were mocked and ridiculed by others around them, but once their inventions were proven to the people, they became part of our everyday life. Man was created to excel and grow and create, as was the first Adam and the Last Adam.
When we become determined to know God and the new Life in the Spirit, like we have been in the natural, then we will can can step into a reality that will set mankind free. That's what the new creation were called and born to do. We can't set the spirits free with carnal wisdom and might, but only by God's Wisdom and might.
Proverbs 3:15-21 (Amplified) says, "Skillful and Godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are highways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of Life to those who lay hold of her and (happy, blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast." Verses 19-21 go on, "The Lord by skillful and Godly Wisdom has founded the earth, by understanding He has established the Heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, the skies distill the dew. My Son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and Godly Wisdom and discernment."
This Wisdom, is the same Wisdom that has been granted to us in Christ Jesus, the Word. We might never create another world or universe by this Wisdom, but we can certainly change the course of our lives and the lives of others by it. Of course, we will make mistakes while we're learning how to walk in this new creation and we will meet opposition, but the first airplane didn't fly, the first light bulb didn't work...they were starting points to grow from. It might not work the first time you lay hands on someone for healing, but we must try again and listen for Wisdom to guide us. You probably weren't successful at tying your shoes initially either When we become as determined and constant in our discerning of our new creation, as we are in the natural, then "All things are possible for those who believe." We've settled for less than our Father created us to be and mankind has suffered because of it. If we've been as determined to seek His Wisdom as we have been at seeking man's wisdom, then we would certainly know much more about who we are, than we currently do.
God has made secret things known to us and we need His understanding of His Wisdom, in order to operate in them. Everything we know in this natural realm, we came to do so by constantly trying, until we were successful. Why then, do we stop at the first failure in the new Kingdom attempt? This is a maturing process in the new creation. We begin as babies, but we don't remain babies. Toddlers fall and sometimes get discouraged, when they're learning to walk, but they don't quit.
We will become more confident in our ability in Him and will become more bold in our new life. After all, it is "He Who leads us in these paths of righteousness." He has invested His Own Life and Spirit in us, so how can we fail? Jesus said it "Is the Father in Me, Who does the work."
Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) says, "The beginning of Wisdom is, get Wisdom (skillful and Godly Wisdom) (For skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principal thing) and with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation)."
The new creation family endured struggles and trials, trying to understand who we are and what we are. Many Christians who truly love God, have struggled to understand the reality of our salvation and what it really means, on this side of death. In this natural realm, it's been difficult to understand some of the things we read in the Word or hear from the pulpit. Many differing ideas and opinions have been preached, written and determined by many well meaning people.
We've come up with our own ideas of God and His plan for His family, because of a lack of wisdom and the discernment of spiritual things. Having little understanding of Who He is and His view of who He has made us to be, we've mostly failed in our understanding of the new creation. We've tried applying man's wisdom to spiritual things and have come up empty in that learning. Our natural (carnal) way of thinking and our not understanding of the renewing of our minds, has led to failure so many times, that many have simply stopped trying.
When airplanes were first introduced into the world, many believed it could never work and laughed at their creator's failed attempts to fly. The components and elements used in the creation of airplanes were always here in the earth, but we never had the wisdom needed to make them work. Airplanes could have flown in the eighteen hundreds or the nineteen hundreds, if someone had dreamed it and held the determination to accomplish that dream.
When we're birthed into our natural lives, we have no understanding of the natural things in life. We couldn't talk, walk, dress or feed ourselves, drive a car of count to ten. It required understanding, earthly wisdom and plenty of determination, to become the persons we are today. We failed time after time when learning to walk, but we were determined to accomplish this task and it's now a simple part of life we take for granted. At one time though, this was a great challenge for us. We proceeded to learn one thing at a time, about our natural lives. We passed things we learned onto our family and they progressed into even more learning and wisdom. We've gone from the telegraph that seemed unfathomable to many in their day, to today's smart phones. All this came from wisdom and not always the wisdom of man, but the emergence of God's Wisdom through man. This Wisdom was mostly kept in the natural realm of our lives and was used to enhance the way we now live.
For those who are unable to accept the way man's determined our spiritual lives to be, this Wisdom is still available. Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) tells us, "Get Wisdom, and get understanding." We have Wisdom in Christ Jesus, made available to us, according to 1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) which 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 in right standing with God); and our consecration (making us pure and holy) and our Redemption (providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin)."
By grace in Christ Jesus, we've been granted this Proverbs kind of Wisdom and by the Holy Spirit, we also have access to the understanding of this Wisdom. If the new creation could be determined to discern the things of the Spirit, as the natural man has been to learn the things of the natural world, then we could and will grow in the understanding our our new creation life in Christ.
We came to an understanding by man's wisdom, that "God doesn't want us to know the secret things of the Kingdom," and we stopped trying to grow in Wisdom. If we had done this in the natural realm, then we would still be living in the Dark Ages and we wouldn't have the modern day things we take for granted. Men who invented electricity, space travel, cures for deadly diseases were mocked and ridiculed by others around them, but once their inventions were proven to the people, they became part of our everyday life. Man was created to excel and grow and create, as was the first Adam and the Last Adam.
When we become determined to know God and the new Life in the Spirit, like we have been in the natural, then we will can can step into a reality that will set mankind free. That's what the new creation were called and born to do. We can't set the spirits free with carnal wisdom and might, but only by God's Wisdom and might.
Proverbs 3:15-21 (Amplified) says, "Skillful and Godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are highways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of Life to those who lay hold of her and (happy, blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast." Verses 19-21 go on, "The Lord by skillful and Godly Wisdom has founded the earth, by understanding He has established the Heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, the skies distill the dew. My Son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and Godly Wisdom and discernment."
This Wisdom, is the same Wisdom that has been granted to us in Christ Jesus, the Word. We might never create another world or universe by this Wisdom, but we can certainly change the course of our lives and the lives of others by it. Of course, we will make mistakes while we're learning how to walk in this new creation and we will meet opposition, but the first airplane didn't fly, the first light bulb didn't work...they were starting points to grow from. It might not work the first time you lay hands on someone for healing, but we must try again and listen for Wisdom to guide us. You probably weren't successful at tying your shoes initially either When we become as determined and constant in our discerning of our new creation, as we are in the natural, then "All things are possible for those who believe." We've settled for less than our Father created us to be and mankind has suffered because of it. If we've been as determined to seek His Wisdom as we have been at seeking man's wisdom, then we would certainly know much more about who we are, than we currently do.
God has made secret things known to us and we need His understanding of His Wisdom, in order to operate in them. Everything we know in this natural realm, we came to do so by constantly trying, until we were successful. Why then, do we stop at the first failure in the new Kingdom attempt? This is a maturing process in the new creation. We begin as babies, but we don't remain babies. Toddlers fall and sometimes get discouraged, when they're learning to walk, but they don't quit.
We will become more confident in our ability in Him and will become more bold in our new life. After all, it is "He Who leads us in these paths of righteousness." He has invested His Own Life and Spirit in us, so how can we fail? Jesus said it "Is the Father in Me, Who does the work."
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Lesson 188 The New Creation
2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
In the new creation, our spirit was created new in Christ Jesus and connected back unto the Father. The very Life of God has been generated in our now living spirit and the new creation man has regained access to the wisdom and counsel of Almighty God Himself. The problem with God's family (the Church) isn't that the new birth didn't work or that the children don't love the Lord, but they don't understand the new Life in the Spirit.
When you're born-again, your spirit is now recreated and receives the nature and Life of the Father, but the mind has held your spirit in captivity by the same carnal thinking. The only knowledge your mind has had, comes from your senses and cannot be renewed, because they are part of the physical body. They can be brought into subjection and they can be controlled, but they cannot be renewed. The spirit is recreated. Our minds (or brains) receive their knowledge from the senses, can though, be brought into subjection by the Word of God.
Paul says in Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified), "I appeal to you therefore brethren, and beg of you in view of (all) the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties) as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted,consecrated) and well pleasing unto God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age) (fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs) but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude), so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
Paul says we must "present" our body (which holds the five senses), as a "living sacrifice to God." They are the most important part of the body, the seeing part, the hearing part, the feeling part, the tasting and smelling parts. The five senses are the five channels, where the impulses flow to the brain and teaching all the brain knows. Paul implores us to give the home of our five senses, over to the Lord. He tells us to lay our body on the altar, like the old covenant people laid the lamb as an offering on the altar. We're to lay this body down as a dedication and give it over the Lordship of God's Word. Paul goes on, directing us to "be transformed by the renewing of our minds." Before being born-again, our minds were fashioned after the things of the world and this has been the only form of information, your body could receive until then. Now, your mind must come under the dominion of your new creation spirit, through the Word of God
As new creation people, we must renew our minds to recognize the Lordship of the Word, the Lordship of Jesus and the commandment of Love. All these things were previously foreign to our carnal mind, because everything it knew came from the world and the five senses. Faith, love and revelation knowledge from our new creation spirits are learned from God, His Word and His Spirit. Things that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, felt, heard or tasted are fighting against the things of God.
The thing that has guided your body throughout your life, is now the enemy of your born-again man. Being led by the Holy Spirit, is contrary to everything your body (senses) has previously known. This is the thing which has hindered God's people, for so very long. Your spirit man is in direct conflict with the senses and it cannot be reconciled to it. Your senses have to be renewed. You must take the Word of God and train the senses, in order to limit them to the natural things they were made for.
The senses were to be servant to the spirit and not the master. God placed them in the body of Adam, so he could contact the natural world (or earth) God designed for him. The senses could determine the natural sounds of the earth, but couldn't contact God. Adam could hear the wind, the birds, the voice of his wife Eve, but the instruction of Life came from his Father, into his spirit. Adam's spirit could then relay God's instructions to his mind.
After his transgression, Adam could no longer receive instructions from God and needed to rely on only the natural (carnal) instructions of his five senses. It was like disconnecting your computer from the internet and trying to receive information from the web. You could continue doing a minute amount of tasks on that computer, but not the endless amount of things before severing the Internet connection. You can reconnect your computer to the Internet, but must program or renew contacts to receive information again.
When we become born-again and our mind (or computer) is reconnected to all the information made available to us, we need God's Word to direct us into the new source of information. Your computer will still put things in front of you for saving or deleting and these decisions continually need to be made.
As we are renewing our minds (our senses), there are things that pop-up and must be deleted. The only source for flagging these things is the Word of God, which is Spirit. There are always words written or spoken that arise against God's Word, but they're prevented from entering or remaining in your mind, when it's renewed with God's Word and led by God's Spirit. It doesn't matter what men might say, if their words don't line up with God's Words, then you must build a firewall against them.
Revelation will always come come into your spirit and then must be reloaded into your mind. What comes from the outside, isn't always reliable Truth. A mind that is renewed, will always check to see whether or not the outside information should be received, but an unrenewed mind will grab hold of the old things of the world and rebel against revelation knowledge of the Spirit. This worldly wisdom is always in opposition to anything that doesn't come from the five senses. If I cannot feel, see, hear, taste or smell something, then my unrenewed mind will not believe it.
This has been and still is, the greatest enemy to our maturing in the Lord. We're still trying to "feel" the Presence of the Lord, in order to believe He is here. We're still saying, "If only I could touch the hem of His garment" or "If only I could see the glory of the Lord, then I would believe." If the only time we believe God is there, is when we "feel" Him, then we must not believe He is present very often, because we rarely "feel" Him in our lives. I don't want Jesus to be Lord only when I "feel" like He is here. I want to have faith and believe "He will never leave me or forsake me, but be with me always to the end of the age."
If you can only believe in the Holy Spirit when you can see Him, then you will miss Him altogether. I have never seen the wind, but I have seen the results of the wind. I have seen cities that were devastated by the wind, but I have never seen the wind. I know that the leaves are being blown around my yard by the wind, but I cannot see the wind. I have seen the results of the Holy Spirit in healings, miracles and the glory reflected on the people, but I still haven't seen the Holy Spirit. This is faith, which is born of a renewed mind.
In the new creation, our spirit was created new in Christ Jesus and connected back unto the Father. The very Life of God has been generated in our now living spirit and the new creation man has regained access to the wisdom and counsel of Almighty God Himself. The problem with God's family (the Church) isn't that the new birth didn't work or that the children don't love the Lord, but they don't understand the new Life in the Spirit.
When you're born-again, your spirit is now recreated and receives the nature and Life of the Father, but the mind has held your spirit in captivity by the same carnal thinking. The only knowledge your mind has had, comes from your senses and cannot be renewed, because they are part of the physical body. They can be brought into subjection and they can be controlled, but they cannot be renewed. The spirit is recreated. Our minds (or brains) receive their knowledge from the senses, can though, be brought into subjection by the Word of God.
Paul says in Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified), "I appeal to you therefore brethren, and beg of you in view of (all) the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties) as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted,consecrated) and well pleasing unto God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age) (fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs) but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude), so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
Paul says we must "present" our body (which holds the five senses), as a "living sacrifice to God." They are the most important part of the body, the seeing part, the hearing part, the feeling part, the tasting and smelling parts. The five senses are the five channels, where the impulses flow to the brain and teaching all the brain knows. Paul implores us to give the home of our five senses, over to the Lord. He tells us to lay our body on the altar, like the old covenant people laid the lamb as an offering on the altar. We're to lay this body down as a dedication and give it over the Lordship of God's Word. Paul goes on, directing us to "be transformed by the renewing of our minds." Before being born-again, our minds were fashioned after the things of the world and this has been the only form of information, your body could receive until then. Now, your mind must come under the dominion of your new creation spirit, through the Word of God
As new creation people, we must renew our minds to recognize the Lordship of the Word, the Lordship of Jesus and the commandment of Love. All these things were previously foreign to our carnal mind, because everything it knew came from the world and the five senses. Faith, love and revelation knowledge from our new creation spirits are learned from God, His Word and His Spirit. Things that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, felt, heard or tasted are fighting against the things of God.
The thing that has guided your body throughout your life, is now the enemy of your born-again man. Being led by the Holy Spirit, is contrary to everything your body (senses) has previously known. This is the thing which has hindered God's people, for so very long. Your spirit man is in direct conflict with the senses and it cannot be reconciled to it. Your senses have to be renewed. You must take the Word of God and train the senses, in order to limit them to the natural things they were made for.
The senses were to be servant to the spirit and not the master. God placed them in the body of Adam, so he could contact the natural world (or earth) God designed for him. The senses could determine the natural sounds of the earth, but couldn't contact God. Adam could hear the wind, the birds, the voice of his wife Eve, but the instruction of Life came from his Father, into his spirit. Adam's spirit could then relay God's instructions to his mind.
After his transgression, Adam could no longer receive instructions from God and needed to rely on only the natural (carnal) instructions of his five senses. It was like disconnecting your computer from the internet and trying to receive information from the web. You could continue doing a minute amount of tasks on that computer, but not the endless amount of things before severing the Internet connection. You can reconnect your computer to the Internet, but must program or renew contacts to receive information again.
When we become born-again and our mind (or computer) is reconnected to all the information made available to us, we need God's Word to direct us into the new source of information. Your computer will still put things in front of you for saving or deleting and these decisions continually need to be made.
As we are renewing our minds (our senses), there are things that pop-up and must be deleted. The only source for flagging these things is the Word of God, which is Spirit. There are always words written or spoken that arise against God's Word, but they're prevented from entering or remaining in your mind, when it's renewed with God's Word and led by God's Spirit. It doesn't matter what men might say, if their words don't line up with God's Words, then you must build a firewall against them.
Revelation will always come come into your spirit and then must be reloaded into your mind. What comes from the outside, isn't always reliable Truth. A mind that is renewed, will always check to see whether or not the outside information should be received, but an unrenewed mind will grab hold of the old things of the world and rebel against revelation knowledge of the Spirit. This worldly wisdom is always in opposition to anything that doesn't come from the five senses. If I cannot feel, see, hear, taste or smell something, then my unrenewed mind will not believe it.
This has been and still is, the greatest enemy to our maturing in the Lord. We're still trying to "feel" the Presence of the Lord, in order to believe He is here. We're still saying, "If only I could touch the hem of His garment" or "If only I could see the glory of the Lord, then I would believe." If the only time we believe God is there, is when we "feel" Him, then we must not believe He is present very often, because we rarely "feel" Him in our lives. I don't want Jesus to be Lord only when I "feel" like He is here. I want to have faith and believe "He will never leave me or forsake me, but be with me always to the end of the age."
If you can only believe in the Holy Spirit when you can see Him, then you will miss Him altogether. I have never seen the wind, but I have seen the results of the wind. I have seen cities that were devastated by the wind, but I have never seen the wind. I know that the leaves are being blown around my yard by the wind, but I cannot see the wind. I have seen the results of the Holy Spirit in healings, miracles and the glory reflected on the people, but I still haven't seen the Holy Spirit. This is faith, which is born of a renewed mind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)