Lesson 8 The Character of Christ

     When we realize that love is not a gift of the Spirit, but is actually the Giver of the gifts, then we learn somethings about the nature and the character of Christ.  The Holy Spirit is God Himself and is the Giver of life.  That life is the very life and nature of our Heavenly Father.
     The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit Jesus spoke about in John 15:5 (Amplified) and that fruit is what Jesus produced in His life and resurrection.  This fruit isn't what Paul spoke of in Galatians 5:22-23. 
     In John 15:5 (Amplified) we see that the fruit Jesus produced was the life of the Father in all who will believe and the fruit produced in Galatians 5 produces the character of this life.  Galatians 5:22-23 (Amplified) says, "But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (restraint, continence). Against such things there is no Law (that can bring a charge)."
     These things (fruits) are the very nature and character of the new life the Holy Spirit produces through our salvation in Jesus.  In the Law of Genesis 1:11-12 (Amplified), "God said, Let the earth put forth (tender) vegetation; plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so, the earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding see according to their own kinds and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it."
     We are called to reproduce the seed sown in us, which is the new birth in unbelievers.  1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm) but from one that is immortal by the everliving and lasting Word of God."
     When we go forth preaching the Word (seed) of God, that seed (Word) will bring forth the new birth to unbelievers.  It will produce the same new life in them that it did in us and make them part of the family of God, too, because "everything produces after kind."  This is the fruit Jesus spoke about in John 15.  A watermelon seed will produce another watermelon.  The meat of the watermelon is what entices people to eat it.  The whole purpose of the "fruit" of the melon, is to carry and nourish the seed within in.
     The "fruit" of the Spirit that we're to produce in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23) is to make the seed or the Word we minister attractive to the hearer so that they receive it and reproduce it in their own lives.  The only purpose for the fruit of the watermelon  (the rich, red, succulent meat of the melon)  is to carry the seed.
     We've never really given much attention to the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians and have failed to understand what Paul was saying.  The fruit of the Spirit in our lives, is the character of our Father that should be manifest in our lives to the world.  Instead of wrapping the seed in the character of Christ and making it attractive, we wrap it in religion and make in unattractive and unattainable.  We wrapped the seed of the new birth in how we dress, speak, worship and the Laws we insist on in our churches.
     These things aren't always a "meat" of the fruit we're to bear nor the seed we are to sow.  Remember the Parable of the sower in Mark 4?  Jesus said that the sower sows the Word.  If the fruit we sow isn't desirable to the hearer, then the seed (Word) falls on deaf ears or hard soil.  Jesus said in Mark 4:21 (Amplified), "Is the lamp brought in to be put under a peck measure, or under a bed, and not (to be put) on the lampstand?"  In other words, the sower it to be a light for those to whom he is speaking and is not to keep the seed (Word) darkened by something else.
     If we read this parable in the light of the Spirit in which it was spoken, then we are the ones who determine if the lamp is lifted high or placed under a darkened rule of religion.  We are the ones who are sowing the seed of the new birth now.  This seed (Word) is to produce in kind, the new birth Jesus spoke of in John 15.  The fruit of the Spirit spoke about in Galatians 5:22-23 is the nature and character of the Vine (Jesus) that makes the seed desirable to the hearer.
    Galatians 5:22-23is what we're to bring to pass in our lives as we yield to the life and leading of the Holy Spirit on a personal basis in our lives.  2Corinthians 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom. And all us, as with unveiled face, (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigures into His very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another, (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
     The above scripture perfectly reveals the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 which is the character and nature of the Image of Jesus in our lives.  The fruit or character of Jesus and our Father, is the goodness or the meat of what we've become.  The new creature brings forth the enticing watermelon meat that makes our seed fall upon the hearts of man.  We're called to become bearers of the seed (the Word of reconciliation) and to bear the fruit, which is the Image of the Vine Who produces the fruit we've become.  The fruit is the life of God, the sons of God and the fruit of the vine.
    

Lesson 7 The Character of Christ

     1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love."
     Until we become acquainted with the Father of the new covenant, we will never know love the way we should.  Love is not the character of God, but is actually God Himself.  Love is not a "gift of the Spirit," but is the actual presence of God's Spirit Itself.
     Love is the author and the very person of the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. The more we allow our Father to fully live in and through us, the more of His Own person is revealed to the world.  Without Him, we're incapable of displaying His person of love.  Our natural person of flesh is by nature (fallen nature) selfish and boastful.  We can only reveal our Heavenly Father to the worldby allowing Him to live through us.
     The gifts of the Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit are God Himself living in our place.  Jesus said in John 10:30 that, "He and the Father are One."  He said in John 15:9-10 (Amplified) that, "I have loved you (just) as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love (continue in His love with Me). If you keep My commandments (if you continue to obey My instructions) you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love."
     This Love is not the gift, but is the Giver of the gifts.  It's very person of God Himself.  Without knowing Him as love, we become once again, religious in our relationship with Him.  We begin laying down laws and rules and rituals in order to gain access to Him, when all the while, He has already made the way into His presence.  All that is required of us is that we simply believe in His love (His person) and receive.
     We can only ever hope to flow and move in His gifts and bear fruit by knowing Him in His person (love).  John 15:4-5 (Amplified) says, "Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you (live in Me, and I will live in you). Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me."  Verse 5 continues, "I am the Vine; you are the branches, Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
     Many in the Body of Christ today have either cut themselves off from or have been cut off from this knowledge of Him by teachings that don't reveal Love as the One Who is our life.  We try conuring love by our own notions and mostly reveal a bias and self righteous presentation to the world.
     1John 4:8 says that if we don't love and reveal God through our lives, then we don't now and never did really know our Father.  We can be born again and saved from death, but still really not know our Father.  We've never truly understood that it's not our understanding of what love is, but God Himself living in through us Who is love.
     We become self righteous when we judge others in our own understanding of love.  As we judge and allow Him to judge through us, can we only then reveal the redemptive character of  Love (God).
     We see the gifts of the Spirit (love) moving in order to release those who are in bondage to sin and the world in 1Corinthians 12.  We've mostly believed that these gifts were for the Church.  These can be used in the Church to help those who are still babies in Christ and are struggling , but they're mostly to be used by the Church for the unsaved world.  God still "So loves the world" and is sending His Spirit, Who is Love Himself, to deliver them through us.
     These gifts are the same life and character Jesus walked in when He said in John 14:11-12 (Amplified), "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the (very) works themselves, (If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's Name convince you), I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the thing that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
     It was only after Jesus had gone to the Father and the Spirit of the Father (love) had been poured out on mankind and the earth, that we could ever dare hope to do the things Jesus spoke of.  Jesus said that its wasn't Him, but the Father in Him, Who did the works.  Only Love, God Himself, could ever overlook, forgive and remove all the things sin had brought onto the people.
     The people under the Law rejected those outside the Law.  Even those who had the Law, regulated the divine deliverance of the Law by judging wrongly.  We see how those under the Law were commanded to love, but without God (love living in them) they couldn't do it.  The leaders under the Law assigned certain days for healing and other things like it.
     God (love) wanted to cleanse the leper, but man wanted to separate them.  Love (God) wanted to change man's spirit, but man wanted to change man's behavior.  Anything leaders under the Law invoked could never produce the Fruit of the Spirit (the character of God-Love) because they were still separated from the Vine Whoe produces love.
     The entire character of our Father was displayed in the life of Jesus.  We still judge and sentence mankind based on our own love that operates in us.  When God's love, His very life is operating through us, we don't need to separate man from us, but separate them from the world by His gifts of the Spirit, Love (God) can and will set them free.
     Isn't this what Jesus said in Luke 4:18 (Amplified) where He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, to release the captives, set at liberty those in bondage, to preach the good news?"  These gifts are Love (God) living through us to deliver the world from captivity.  Love has come into the earth, grace has removed the barrier, mercy has overridden judgment and Love God has triumphed over death.
     Now this fruit of John 15:1-12 (Amplified) is actually producing the very life of the Vine Who is Love Who is God Himself in the midst of earth.

Lesson 6 The Character of Christ

     1John 4:8 (Amplified) tells us that, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never know Him) for God is love."
     Love is the very person of our Heavenly Father.  John said that those who don't walk in love, don't know and never have known God.  He didn't say that they aren't known by God, but that they don't know Him.
     Many in today's Church, still only know God through the Old Testament personality.  They find it difficult to know Him under the new covenant.  The reason we struggles with this, is because we actually know Him.  We seemingly know about Him and draw conclusions from what others say about Him, but we really have no personal relationship with Him.
     We see the just and righteous God of the Old Testament.  We watch as He deals with His people and we believe this how He deals with us.  Has God "gone soft" on sin and unrighteousness?  Of course not!  Does He still judge sin?  Of course He does.  The question is, how does He do it?
     The person of God (love) determines the character of God.  He is love and He is also just and righteous.  As a Holy God, He must judge sin in order to remain righteous.  The thing we seem to miss is that He already judged and punished all sin and unrighteousness in Christ Jesus.
     We can't seem to get it into our hearts and conscience that this is what the sacrifice of Jesus was for.  God had to judge sin in order to maintain His righteousness.  He covered man's sin and unrighteousness the best He could through the sacrifice of bulls and goats.  He knew, though, this could never remove the sin, but could at least cover it for a time.  As man continued to transgress, God had to deal with it, as a righteous judge.
     Because we see this part of God's character, we expect to see the same reaction to our sins today.  What we fail to realize is that we've already been judged, punished, died the death of the cross and now that sentence has been passed and the penalty paid, we're declared righteous with Him, because of Jesus.
     We hear that, we read that and we know that, but we don't walk in that.  We still have an unconscious need to be punished when we fail to measure up.  It's only by faith that we can truly allow the fulfillment of the penalty to be paid by Jesus.  We know we're still not perfect and we believe we deserve to be punished for our failures.
     Do you remember what the Holy Spirit inspired John to say in 1John 4:16-18 (Amplified), "And we know (understand, recognize, are conscience of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to, and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in Him."  Verses 17-18 go on, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into love's complete perfection)."
     John makes a second statement about the fear of punishment in 1John 4:8 (Amplified) saying that he who lives in this state of fear "does not and never did know God."  As we read these scriptures in the text that the Holy Spirit assigned them, we find how because we don't understand (know) God as love, we're still awaiting our deserved punishment when love has already paid the penalty and punishment for us.
     It's nearly impossible to walk in the character of Love or the Image of our Father without understanding the very person of God (love).  When we have a wrong image of our Father, we have a problem living up to what He has created us to be.  When Love paid my debt and then declared me righteous in His sight, I can now see others in that light and change my behavior to yield to His Spirit and walk through His love.
     Once we understand the Person of Love (God our Father), it becomes easier to allow Him to express His Own character through us.  We don't have the ability to walk in this character without Him living through us because only love has these characteristics and attributes.  Man cannot do it without the love of God (the expression of His life) in him.
     This has become a great source of condemnation to the Church.  We try doing what love demands and expects because we know this is His command to the Church, but fail because we don't allow Him to live through us.  When we fail at our "love walk,"we expect punishment.  1John 4:18 declares that not knowing or understanding this love, brings fear of punishment.
    It's of utmost importance that we come to know the Father of the new covenant, instead of just knowing the God of the old covenant.  How can we let the character of love live through us, if we don't understand the Person of Love?
     As we begin to understand the Person of God, we see His character in an entirely different way.  We can begin to know what Peter said in 2Peter 1:5-9 (Amplified) about "adding to our faith", along with  Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) which says "we're saved by grace, through faith."  Now that by faith, we've received the grace of God to be born again, we begin adding to our faith (our relationship to this Love) and add the character of Him to that relationship.
     When you know Who He really is, you can trust Him to live through you with all His attributes.  Love has judged us, found us guilty, punished our trespass in Jesus and declared the debt fully paid and restored us back to right standing with God our Father.  There's no need to be fearful or to walk under condemnation of the mistakes we make.  We will out grow them as we allow Him to walk and live through us.  And, when we understand these things, we can see beyond the faults and mistakes of others and actually Love them like He does.

Lesson 5 The Character of Christ

     We have allowed the Word to be read and separated into small parts.  We've determined that the Fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit are separate things.  The gifts and the fruit are all a part of the same character of the Lord Who saved us.  The same Spirit Who lives in and through us, is the same Spirit Who lived in and through Jesus.  It is the very Spirit of our Father, the Almighty God.
     Galatians 2:13-14 (Amplified) says that, "Christ purchased our freedom (redeeming us) from the curse (doom) of the Law (and its condemnation) by (Himself) becoming a curse for us, for it is written (in the scriptures) 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified) [Deuteronomy 21:14}.'"  Verse 14 goes on, "To the end that through (their receiving) Christ Jesus, the blessing (promised) to Abraham mighty come upon the gentiles, so that we through faith might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
     The "promise of the Holy Spirit" is the blessing in itself.  Once we have received the Holy Spirit of God, we have all God has promised, in and through His presence in us.  The gifts of the Spirit include the nature of the Spirit, the character of the Spirit, the authority of the Spirit and the power of the Spirit.  The same Holy Spirit lived and moved through Jesus in everything He ever did in His earth walk.  This is the same Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead.
     I've heard people break the fruits of the Spirit into portions and sections.  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches who bear the fruit.  Apple trees don't have any trouble deciding what fruit to bear.  And, Christians shouldn't have any problem determining what fruit they're to bear.  I've heard people say that they walk in the Spirit of love, but not of joy.
     Love (God) is the very life and the sap that flows through the vine and the branches.  The Holy Spirit is that sap.  So, all the fruits of the Spirit are already flowing in our spirit by the very life of God in us.  This is the "blessing of Abraham."  Abraham only had the shadow of the blessing by the outward application of the Spirit.  We have the fullness of the blessing by the indwelling of this Spirit.
     1Corinthians 12 is a chapter that talks about the very nature of the Holy Spirit and how He is the blessing and the One Who gives these gifts as He wills.  This Church age is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit Himself.  How does He determine who to distinguish Himself to in giving these gifts?  He gives to those who will allow Him liberty to flow through according to Galatians 5:16 (Amplified) which says, "But I say, walk and live (habitually) in the (Holy) Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit), then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)."
     The degree we allow the Holy Spirit to live through us, is the degree that we bear fruit.  This fruit is actually God's very presence, revealed through us to the world.  Jesus said that, "When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father."
      1Corinthians 13 is called the Love chapter and tells the very nature of God.  The fruit chapters are Galatians 5:22-26 tell the very character of God.  The gifts chapter of 1Corinthians 12 explains the power of God.  The Holy Spirit is the Promise of God to fulfill the blessing.  Thus,Genesis 12:2-3 (Amplified) says, "And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you (with abundant increase of favors) and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing (dispensing good to others). And I will bless those who bless you (who confer prosperity or happiness upon you) and curse him that curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed (and by you they will bless themselves)."
     Paul says in 1Corinthians 1:7 (Amplified), "That you are not (consciously) falling behind or lacking in any special spiritual endowment or Christian grace (the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in your souls by the Holy Spirit) while you wait and watch (constantly living in hope) for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and (His) being made visible to all."
     The Holy Spirit isn't only living in us, but actually is the only life we have, as are the attributes and the nature and character of our heavenly Father.  As Christians, we have decided that "not everyone cane do these things" or that "not everyone has these qualities" or that "not everyone walks in this power."
     It's true that each person in the Body of Christ has his own function, but we all have the same Holy Spirit to manifest all of the same functions to the glory of Jesus.  1Corinthians 12:18-20 (Amplified) says, "But as it is, God had placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each (particular one) of them, just as He wished and saw fit and with the best adaptation."  Verses 19-20 say, "But if (the whole) were all a single organ, where would the body be? And now there are (certainly) many limbs and organs, but a single body."
     Some have decided after reading these scripture that certain parts of the Body of Christ are "more anointed" than others.  Not so!  The whole body is anointed and each one has the same Holy Spirit and the same gifts, fruits, and abilities with its own duties or function for the same glory of the Father.
     

Lesson 4 The Character of Christ

     Jesus said that it was not Him, but the Father in Him doing the works He did.  Paul made a synonymous statement in Galatians, saying that it wasn't him who lived, but Jesus living through him.
     We've not arrived at the place yet, where we have learned to live through Christ.  We've been living for Christ, but not through Him.  Paul said in Galatians that, "It's no longer I who live, but Christ that now lives in me."  The is the thing now coming to be realized in the Church of the Lord Jesus that will truly manifest the true character of Christ in and through us.
     We've been trying to manifest this nature and character in our lives for years.  We've made valiant efforts, but always returned to laws and rules to modify our behavior.  We always failed in our efforts because the nature and the character resides in our spirit and not in our flesh.  We've tried making our body behave like it should through our own efforts instead of allowing the Spirit of God to rule from within us.  This isn't from lack of trying on our part or from lack of devotion, but from a lack of understanding.
     The supernatural presence of God resides in our spirit and not in our flesh.  It doesn't matter how hard we try to keep our flesh in line (and we should).  It can't be done by our own efforts.  We can make it do or not do good things, but we can't make supernatural things happen by operating in the natural realm.  We can only manifest His character by having His Spirit and presence in us.  This is why 1Corinthians 13:3 KJV says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned; and I have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
     Although feeding the poor and giving your body to be burned for Christ may be "good things,"  it's still not the character from within, but the works of the flesh (good works) of man, instead of the actual Love or nature of God from within.  Even under the Law, men worked from their own efforts instead of from the spirit.  They had no choice because the Holy Spirit and the new birth hadn't been given yet.  We, however, aren't called to walk in Law, but by Spirit.  We're not called to be bound by works of the flesh man, but directed by the Holy Spirit from within us.
     It doesn't matter how noble our efforts seem, they are not enough without the Spirit within us.  1Corinthians 13:9-13 KJV says, "For now we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away; When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."  Verses 12-13 go on, "For now we see through a glass darkly; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity."
     God Himself, Who is Love, must be the true source of what we do and who we are.  Otherwise, it's still simply the works of the flesh (man's own idea and effort) and not God, Who is Love, working through us.  Some of the meanest people I have ever encountered are Church people.  This was true in Jesus' Own ministry when the "religious" people withstood Him even to the point of delivering Him up to death.  This sort of religions isn't motivated by Love (God), but is what man thinks it should be.
     The only way the world will see Jesus in the Church, is by our allowing Jesus to live and through us.  It seems we're always in one ditch or the other.  On one hand, we don't wish to seem judgmental and we allow sinful acts to occur without consequence or our saying a word.  On the other hand, we've become so judgmental that nearly everything we do is considered wrong. Man's religious laws can never replace the Love of God within us.
     When we try being charitable to others, we almost always fail in our efforts.  It seems like we can't give to the poor without really then feel poor.  We give at the expense of their dignity and self respect.  Jesus, though, was always giving and serving the poor while maintaining their dignity.  We seem to think our name should be on a plaque that shows how much we have given and done.
     We pride ourselves in our giving and workings and don't credit Jesus for them.  I understand where we are and how we got here, but we're still wrong.  We're still living for Jesus and working for God when we're supposed to be living through Jesus and working by God.
     Jesus said and did these things so simply that we missed what He'd done.  And, we've concluded that He could do these things because He was Jesus.  This made it easier for us to excuse our own lack of surrender to the Spirit. 
     If Jesus was the only One Who could do these things, then He had no right to make this statement in John 14:12 KJV, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father."  Nor should He say in Mark 16:15-18 KJV, "And He (Jesus) said unto them, God ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned."  Verses 17-18 go on, "And these signs shall follow them that believe, In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall  speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they (those who believe in His Name) shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
     The acts Jesus spoke of are the manifestation of the Father living through believers and living in us like He was in Jesus.  None of these things can be done without allowing Him to live through us.  Jesus said that, "It's the Father in Me Who doeth the works."  John 6:63 KJV says, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth (makes alive); the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life."  
     The character of Christ is the very nature and character of our heavenly Father.  Only He, living through us, can manifest the true nature of love to the world.  Jesus never had a youth group, a children's ministry or any of the things we think reveals His character to the world.  We must learn to surrender to Him so that He is living through us. 
     This truth is for the whole Church and not just a few elite persons.  It's a personal decision that every individual must make.  Romans 10:1 KJV says, "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
     We've always believed it necessary to "clean ourselves up" in order to present ourselves a living sacrifice to God. God took care of "cleaning us up" by the sacrifice of Jesus.  Paul says to present ourselves a living sacrifice or give our body over to God to live through and make us acceptable to God.  He already lives in you.  What He wants is for us to present ourselves for Him to live through us.

Lesson 3 The Character of Christ

     Philippians 3:10-11 (Amplified) says, "For my determined purpose is, that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and clearly) and that I may in that same way come to know the power out flowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers) and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His likeness even) to His death (in the hope) that if possible I may attain to the (spiritual and moral) resurrection (that lifts me) out from among the dead (even while I am in the body)."
     Paul's prayer and purpose was to be continually transformed into the very Image of Jesus, even in his natural body.  Paul's purpose was that the character and nature of Jesus to be manifest in him, even while he was still in his own fleshly person.  This is something we must yield to rather than do works to achieve.  This character has already been placed inside us through the new birth.  We must learn how to yield by faith, to Him living through us, instead of our trying to live to ourselves.  We keep trying to mast the flesh instead of allowing Him to master the dead flesh by His Living Spirit.  We've tried making the the flesh behave differently through regulations and laws, but the flesh has been well trained by the sin nature living within it.
     Paul makes a statement that we should strongly desire to do more than just read in Galatians 2:20 (Amplified).  Thus, he says, "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion), it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
     Paul determined himself to be dead and that Jesus was alive and living through his dead body. We've always tried living for Jesus instead of allowing Him to live through us.  If we were crucified with Him, then we died with Him.  Now, He is the only One Who actually is living through us.  We've always tried finding a way to let us feel worthy enough to have God use us.  If only we could arrive to the place where we realize that it's Him Who is the Only life we have.
     We read the scriptures and understand what they say, but then miss the truth about what they truly say.  Because we still walked, talked, ate, slept and worked at our jobs, we considered ourselves alive.  Truthfully, though, we are already dead, buried in baptism and raised to newness of life in Jesus.  Paul said that, "The life that I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God."  This means that "The just shall live by faith."  Romans 1:17 (Amplified) 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."
     We believed, by faith, that we've been forgiven of our sin and are saved.  Mostly, we didn't let our faith "lead us to more faith," but instead we just had faith we were going to heaven when we die.  Our faith was supposed to continue growing into His life and by faith, having His life living through us. 
     The character of Christ Himself is something we must allow, by faith, to flow out of Him through us.  We've always felt we were unworthy or saw ourselves as still sinners in some cases.  Our lack of faith in these areas of our life, is the reason why the world doesn't see Him represented in our lives. The world has been seeing people striving to live for Christ and not seeing people who are living through Christ.  The world views us as phony and self-righteous.  This isn't what the people saw when Jesus walked among them.  They saw His holiness, but they also saw His love and His ability to change them without condemning them.
     We've tried walking in His character by means of the soulish realm or by our feelings.  Our own humanity gets in the way of His Spirit.  Because we didn't wish to seem self-righteous, we went to the other extreme of accepting everything.  We laid down laws and creeds to live by instead of allowing Him to live through us without all the ritual.
     The world has seen a bunch of hard nosed, judgmental people who had no compassion (even among themselves).  We fought against one another and against other denominations.  We became self-righteous and  refused to listen to anyone who disagreed with us.  We weren't called to make the world behave differently, but we were called to reveal Jesus to others.  When Jesus is revealed, He doesn't make the world behave differently.  He changes the world into new creatures who behave differently.
     You can lead a donkey into the stables of a Kentucky thoroughbred and you can groom it until it shines.  You can feed that donkey the best grain and hay and give it jockey colors and a jockey of his own.  You can lead it to the track and place him at the starting gate.  But, when that gun signals the start of the race, that donkey will still be standing at the gate because he was never a race horse,but     a well treated donkey.
     The presence and character of God can only be manifest in us by the Spirit of God.  We need to allow our faith to accept the that that this is acceptable and desirable by God for us.  Once we realize that this is God's will and purpose for our lives, we will walk in this area.  Only God can manifest God's love through us.  His presence needs to be revealed to the world.  They need to see Him and not us.  God's character can't be counterfeited nor can we make it manifest aside from Him.  We might change the way we dress, talk, walk, sing or do anything, but these things can't reveal Him.  He has to reveal Himself and not reveal us, to the world.
     Jesus said in John 12:45 (Amplified) that, "Whoever sees Me sees Him Who sent Me."  Most of us can't say that, "Whoever sees me sees Him Who sent me."  We still want people to see the goodness and right things that come from us, but they are of no value unless they reveal Him.  If it only reveals us, then it is still by works and not by faith.  Our good works and right things are important, but only if the world sees Jesus in them and not just us.
     1Corinthians 13:1-3 (Amplified) show us the very difference between good works and God works.  All of the things Paul spoke about in these verses are good things, but if they don't reveal the presence of God (Love) in them, then they don't mean much to God's kingdom.  The world can feed the hungry, clothe the naked and even house the homeless, but never reveal Love in them.

Lesson 2 The Character of Christ

     1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him), for God is love."
     Notice how this scripture doesn't say that the person isn't saved, but that he doesn't know his Heavenly Father.  Many in the body of Christ today don't know God.  We've mostly drawn our understanding of God from the Old Testament.  And, many Christians have never actually known Him as Father.  When God brought about the new birth through Jesus, the relationship with mankind changed forever.  1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says that, "You have been regenerated (born again) not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is immortal by the everliving and lasting Word of God."
     When God brought about this new birth, as our Father, He made the decision to become responsible for us in every way.   Even in our mortal state or natural life here in America, we have laws about "dead beat dads."  Every man who brings forth offspring, is responsible for raising and providing for his own children.  Would we expect our Heavenly Father to be less responsible for His children?
     In the old covenant, God watched over His people as their protector.  He stood against their enemies as their help and guard.  As Father, He now deliberately took the full responsibility of a Father and His family.  This character and nature of God has now been passed onto us through our new birth and the indwelling Spirit of God.
     We've received the very nature and character of our Father by this new birth.  Because we've not actually begun to think of ourselves as really being in His Image, we don't strive to become as He is.  We keep hearings such things from Christians as, "Yes, but that was Jesus and we can't be like He was in our walk with God."  We've looked upon Jesus as being something different from ourselves.  I'm not implying at all that we are the Messiah or Savior.  And, we're not the Head of the Church, but we are called "the body of Christ."
     Since Jesus is the Son of God and we are also called sons of God, it would stand to reason that if we both have the same Father, then we would have the same attributes and character.  Jesus was not born of mortal man and never had the same genetics of death and sin that was bred into us from the Garden on.  Mankind walked in the darkness for generations.  The character of God that flowed so easily from Jesus, is something we must learn how to allow flow from us.  The very same Spirit, life, character and attributes that Jesus had as a man, are also present in us.
     Learning how to flow in this new birth and learning how to live is where we run into problems.  We had walked in the realm of the flesh and darkness that we had trained ourselves to respond only in that realm.  Our mind and body have never known anything else.  This is why Peter admonished the Church to know the full personal knowledge of Jesus and the promises of the new birth in 2Peter 1:4-5 (Amplified) saying, "For this very reason, adding your diligence (to the divine promises) employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop all the other attributes of Christ."  All of these things come by faith in your personal knowledge of Jesus.
     We exercised our faith in God when we received forgiveness and our new birth, but we didn't always add the other parts of the promise to our faith.
     Until we realize we're supposed to be this way, we will exercise our faith in these areas.  Because we know from 1John 4:7 that, "God is love," we can assume that as God's offspring, this is also our nature.  Paul gives us a perfect plan for operating in the same supernatural gifts of the Spirit when he said in 1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified) that, "Earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and choicest graces) And yet I will show you a more excellent way (one that is better by far and the highest of them all-love)."
     Paul teaches that the best way to obtain these gifts is by knowing and walking in love.  All of these gifts of the Spirit are attributes of God's character.  Without the character of God's love, all these gifts are out of our reach.  Jesus, Who was God's Love in the flesh, didn't do the things He did because of pride or proud display, but because Love couldn't stand seeing the people bound in sin or sickness.  God's heart went out to the people and love set them free.
     Both 1Corinthians 12:4-8 and 1John 4:7 teach us that God is love.  We can read these verses by putting (love) in the place of God, reading"God (love) endures long and is patient and kind, God (love) never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, God (love) does not display Himself haughtily."  Verses 5-8 say, "God (love) is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride) God (love) is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act becomingly. God (love)  (His Own presence in us) does not insist on His Own rights or His Own way, for He (love) is not self-seeking, God (love) takes no account of the evil that is done to Him (He pays no attention to a suffered wrong. God (love) does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. God (love) bears up under anything and everything that comes, God (love) is ever ready to believe the best of every person, God (love) His hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and God (love) endures everything (without weakening). God (love) never fails (never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to and end)."  Verse 13 says, "And so, faith, hope love abide (faith-conviction and belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things; hope-joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love (God) true affection for God and man growing out of God's love for and in us) These three; but the greatest of these if love (God Himself)."
     The gifts of the Spirit listed in 1Corinthians 12 are God's (love's) weapons of warfare against an enemy who has held God's people in bondage for millenniums.  It's God Himself (love in action) Who moves by His grace to set the people free from the curse.  Jesus Himself said, "It's not Me, but the Father (love) in Me that does the works."
     This love (which is God Himself), is the most powerful things in the universe.  As we come to know Him in this person knowledge that Peter spoke of, we understand how these gifts and miracles work.  They work by love or God in us.  They work by the Father in me Who does the works.  The great heart of God cannot stand to see what sin and death does to mankind who He made in His Image.  There's no "dead beat dad" who would care about his children.  Our Abba Daddy cannot stand to see His children  suffer.  He depends on our learning and being directed by His presence in us, "To set at liberty, all those who are bound."

Lesson 1 The Character of Jesus

     2Peter 1:3-10 (Amplified) says, "For His Divine power has bestowed upon us all things that (are requisite and suited) to life and godliness through the (full, personal) knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His Own glory and excellence (virtue) By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, So that through them you may escape (by flight) from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in from the world because of covetousness (lust and greed) and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature."  Verses 5-7 go on, "For this reason, adding your diligence (to the Divine promises), employ every effort in (exercising) your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy) and in (exercising) virtue (develop) knowledge (develop) self-control (develop) steadfastness (patience, endurance) and in (exercising) steadfastness (develop) godliness (piety) And in (exercising) godliness (develop) brotherly affection (develop) Christian love."  Verses 8-10 say, "For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep (you) from becoming idle or unfruitful unto the (full personal) knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) For whoever lacks these qualities is blind (spiritually) short sighted (seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious to the fact) that he was cleansed from his old sins. Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall."
     There is so much to glean from the above scriptures and it's imperative that we seek the Holy Spirit when trying to understand them.  This is the very entrance and dwelling into the nature and character of Jesus Himself.  Peter said that, "If we will follow these instructions, then we can come into the place in out walk where we will never stumble or fall."
     This is the position every serious Christian has been trying to obtain since being born again.  Peter shows us in Verse 8 that these qualities are ours and will increasingly abound in us.  They will keep us from becoming idle or unfruitful in the full personal knowledge of Jesus.    
     In Verse 2 from the same chapter of 2Peter he says, "May (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in (the full, personal, precise and correct) knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord."
     According to these scriptures, we already have all these things through our new birth inside us.  As we exercise these attributes or character natures of God in us, we can and will, come into the full personal knowledge, grace and peace and freedom from fear and more conflict will be multiplied to us.
     These character traits of Jesus are already in us by our new birth according to Verse 8 which says, "As these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you and they will keep you from being idle and unfruitful in personal knowledge of Jesus."  These aren't things we have to believe God for, but things we need to realize God has already placed in us.  These traits of God will come into play in our lives when we yield to the Holy Spirit.
     Many of us have allowed some of these things to function through us, but few have actually tried to develop them on a full time basis.
     1Corinthians 13 tells us about the character of love, which is the very nature of our Father.  This love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  Romans 5:5 (Amplified) tells us, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, For God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us."
     1John 4:8 (Amplified) says that, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love."  1John 4 declares that if we don't have these attributes of love, then it's because we don't really know God.  It's not that God doesn't know you or that you aren't saved, but that we don't know Him.
     Paul speaks about the manifestation of the character and nature of this love in Galatians 5:22-23 (Amplified) saying, "But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), Gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (self restraint, continence) against such things there is no law (that can bring a charge)."
     All of these things found in the above scripture are the very nature of our Father.  These things became part of us when we became born again.  They aren't  something we have to become, but they're only things we must learn to develop and exercise in our lives.  2Peter 1:5 (Amplified) says, "For this reason, adding your diligence (to the divine promises) employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop."
     We've used our faith for many things in our Christian walk through the years, without many results.  These scriptures tell us that if we will just exercise our faith in these things, then our faith will make us these things.  1Peter 1:10 (Amplified) says, "If you do this (employ these attributes in our lives) we will never stumble or fall."
     Paul says in Galatians 2:20 (Amplified), "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion); it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; And the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
     The life we are living is really His life, by faith in Him.  This same faith in Him, is the same faith Peter spoke of in 2Peter 1:3 (Amplified) when he said that, "Exercising your faith to develop" all these other attributes of the character of Jesus in our lives.
     The personal knowledge of Jesus and our Father is just that; personal knowledge.  This doesn't mean you don't need what your pastor is preaching in a service or the things we've learned throughout the years.  Jesus said in John 10:4 (Amplified), "When He has brought His Own sheep outside; He walks on before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice."
    Many of us have never really developed a personal relationship with our Lord to where we truly "Hear His voice."  Many Christians even, would doubt

Lesson 1 Walking in the Spirit

     For many years, we've teetered with being in the spirit and being in the flesh.  It seems like Christians have split personalities for centuries.  How many times have we heard the age old statement about "being in the flesh"  We've mostly been frustrated with trying to walk in the spirit and then ended up walking in the same old traditions and religious rituals.
     We find scriptures or are preached the same sermons that have kept us in bondage to the old life.  Instead of simply believing what the scriptures say, we put our faith in the testimonies of other Christians.  We seem to need a justification for whatever goes on in our lives and for some reason we omit the truth that this world is still in a fallen state.
     As Christians, we seem to think we're either exempted from trials or that God's subjecting us to them.  I've often wondered who or what we blamed things on before being saved.  I don't remember my old  friends and I (before I was saved), thinking God was testing us when trials occurred in our lives.  We mostly, picked ourselves up and went on with our lives despite trials.  The same trials and problems that confront Christians, are the same trials and problems that confront the unsaved persons.  The devil knows no boundaries (as far as he is concerned).  He is consistent in what he does because he hates all of us, both saved and unsaved.
     We seek out certain Bible verses and use them as cover for whatever occurs in our lives.  Romans 8 is one such verse and seems to sum it all up for us.  We bypass all the other verses in that chapter and focus on Verse 28 which says, "All things work together for the good of those who love God."  We mostly misquote this verse and make it say what we want it to say.
     We customarily quote this scripture to mean that, "Whatever happens to us as Christians is God and the mostly bad things happening are God working for our good."  This covers a wide assortment of trials and such bad things as car accidents, cancer, death, child abuse, poverty, sickness, divorce, homelessness and storms of Biblical proportions that occur in our lives.  We say that "All these things are working together for our good." 
     If our earthly father treated any of his children like that, then he'd be put in prison for child abuse.  Even the laws that govern our natural life have determined that this isn't acceptable behavior.  Do we honestly believe that we are more loving towards our children than God is towards us?
     We also misread Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) which say, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who (live and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
     Romans 1:8(Amplified) is where those looking to justify their actions read, "So then those who are living the life of the flesh (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him."  They say, "See, Brother! We are back in the flesh."  That's not true.  Read on to Verse 9 which says, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the (Holy) Spirit of God (really) dwells within you (directs and controls you) but if anyone does not possess the (Holy) Spirit of Christ, he is none of His (he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God)."
     So, then, we are either saved and in the spirit or we are unsaved and still in the flesh.  You cannot go from being in the Spirit to being in the flesh.  You are either walking in one or the other.  If we make mistakes as we grow in Christ, we haven't returned to our fallen state, but we simply don't have enough of the Word in us to walk properly.
     I can't understand how something as positive as the new birth and the victory of the resurrection have become so negative to so many people.  We spend most of our Christian walk reading Job and identifying with him rather than reading about Jesus and identifying with Him.  We focus on Paul's fight to get the Word out rather than identifying with Paul's receiving great revelations from God.  How can the children of God be so powerless against all the things that the children of satan seem to overcome?
     We glean the scriptures looking for ways to fail and declare it to be for the glory of God and God's will for our lives?  Do Christians have trials and troubles?  Of course, we do.  Is our heavenly Father bringing them to us?  Of course not.  If God is our problem, then we don't have any recourse.  God is not our problem, but He is the answer to the problem.
     When trials and problems arose in the Apostle Paul's life, he didn't sit down and quit.  He went on with what God called him to do despite the problem.  Everyone who has ever done anything at all for the kingdom of God, has suffered persecution from the devil and the world, but not from God.  If you're looking for an excuse to sit down and quit, then don't use Jesus as that excuse.  He is the only help you have to rise above your trials.  If you think that Jesus is the origin of your problem, then where do you go for help?
     When we read the Bible, we need to read it from the perspective of those who are redeemed and not like someone who is still without Christ.  God's Word is still a mystery to the world, but it's our victory and revelation of newness of life.

Lesson 11 Learning To Live

     Jesus spoke in John 10:10 (Amplified) saying, "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)."
     For the most part, we've not understood what Jesus was actually saying and truthfully, we continue not understanding what He said.  Everyone in the crowd listening to Jesus probably believed that they were indeed already alive.  They had no idea Jesus was speaking of the total reconciliation to the very life of God that man was separated from because of Adam's fall in the Garden.  Life in the Spirit was (and still is) a mystery to most men.
     Jesus came that we have life and enjoy life to the full.  Religion would tell us that we cannot enjoy this earthly life and must wait until we go to heaven to do so.  Our church traditions have tried making life here as miserable as possible.  We, as Christians, are not aloud to sing, listen to worldly music, attend football games, watch T.V., dance, dress nicely, along with such other things.
     When our Father created this earth, He said that, "It was good."  As a matter of fact, He said that, "It was very good!"  The fall of Adam brought into this realm, a hard task master and a new order.  The "worldly things" like demonic nature, are off limits to the believer.
     To enjoy life here means to live like it was meant to be from the beginning.  Under satan's lordship, the world has many ungodly pastimes and degrees of carnal pleasures.  These are the things we don't become involved in. The things God created for man in the beginning are still enjoyable to the believer.  We've decided that as long as we're on earth, we cannot (or shouldn't) be happy.  There's a great difference between "things of the world" and the earthly things.  The "world" is a system that runs according to the fallen nature.  The earth is "The Lord's and the fullness thereof."
     1John 4:4-5 (Amplified) says, "Little children, you are of God (you belong to Him) and have (already) defeated and overcome them (the agents of the anti-Christ) because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world."  Verse5 goes on, "They proceed from the world and are of the world (its whole economy morally reconsidered) that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them."
     In John 15:19 (Amplified), Jesus said, "If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world (no longer one with it), But I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you."
     We've been delivered from this world system and not the earth.  How many Christians do you know who feel like they've back slid because they enjoyed life?  God created this earth for us to enjoy.  The simple things in life are God given.  All of the things the wisdom of God has created in these last days, are for the enjoyment of God's children and not for the perverse use of the world.  We've given most of these things over to the world without a fight.
     Our government was supposed to be led by Christian people and not heathens.  It's been taught for numerous years in the Church, that Christians don't get involved in politics.  Now, we find ourselves living under the bondage of laws preventing any God related things in our government.
     We've never learned how to live in the authority and dominion that Jesus Christ restored back to us.  We've tried functioning in the newness of our new life in the Spirit, by the same laws that governed us in the world.  We never learned that the new life in Jesus has lifted back into a new realm.  In Jesus, we were given haven's laws and principles to govern the laws of this earth.
     We try getting heaven to move on our behalf while using worldly knowledge.  We were given a whole new life which is the very life of God Himself.  Jesus ruled the laws that governed this earth, but He operated in the higher laws of the Spirit.  He could (and did) govern even the laws of gravity.
     Jesus controlled storms, the seas, gravity, death, sickness, unclean spirits, the laws of lack (by the loaves and the fishes) along with everything satan  had trusted in and established.  Jesus superseded it all.  This was to be the fullness and abundant life that Jesus came to restore back to us.
     Matthew18:18 (Amplified) says, "Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven."  This kind of authority became ours in this new life.  This is the God kind of life that we received when we were born again.
     This is the life we must now learn how to live.  We've allowed the "world" to govern our lives like it did before we were born again.  We've really never bothered learning about our new life at all.  It only meant rules to keep us in line and not to change things around us.  We imposed the things we decided were right and wrong unto others.  We used the same rules that governed the old covenant to govern the new covenant.  We used the things of the flesh to only control things of the flesh.
     This abundant life is God now living through us and no longer ourselves only.  The same life that was in Jesus is the same life that's in you now.  What are we to do with this authority, dominion and ability when we get to heaven?  There won't be anyone there who needs to be saved, healed, delivered or anything else we were empowered to do.
     This power of life was to be used here where it's needed and not in heaven where we won't need or lack anything.  What will we need to bind or loose in heaven?  Why would we need to lay hands on the sick there?  Why indeed, would we need to cast out devils?  This God kind of life, this abundant, overflowing life, this Jesus ruled life and power...is for here.  We just never learned how to live it.
      

Lesson 10 Learning To Live

     As we're learning how to live and thrive in the new life we've been given through Jesus' resurrection, we're finding that we must start from scratch.  1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says that, "You have been regenerated (born again) not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm) but from one that is immortal by the everliving and lasting Word of God."  1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says that, "Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow into (completed) salvation."  This same verse in The King James Version says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby."
     Once we become born again, it seems like we want to remain in the infant state where we started.  We get born again into the spirit and try to grow by demands on our flesh.  We fashion rules and traditions in hopes of keeping out of sin.  It's certainly not wrong to discipline the flesh, but we still need to feed our spirit.
     Galatians 5:16 (Amplified) says, "But I say, walk and live (habitually) in the Holy Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit), then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)."
     When we try walking in our own power even after being born again, then we walk like we're still without God.  The constant fight we have with the flesh comes from our trying to walk without the Holy Spirit.  We don't walk that way because we don't care, but because we don't know how to walk by the Holy Spirit.
     Galatians 5:25 (Amplified) says that, "If we live by the (Holy) Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit)."   We have very few examples of Spirit led men, so we need to spend time studying the men from the Word as examples.
     1Corinthians 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Pattern yourselves after me (follow my example), as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah)."  By his own admission, Paul imitated Jesus.  This was the pattern for his life.  Jesus, on the same token, patterned His life after the Father.  Very few people have actually walked by the Holy Spirit, but Jesus, Paul, Peter and those of the early Church did.  The difference in their lifestyle and our lifestyle today, is the signs and wonders that are from this new spirit life we have.
     Acts 16:6 (Amplified) says, "Paul and Silas passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Word  in (the province of) Asia."
     How many of us today would hear the Holy Spirit in such a way?  Learning to live this life in the Spirit, will require our listening to and paying attention to hear Him as He leads us.  Jesus was our example of how a Spirit led man walks with God.  We've used the fact that Jesus was God as an excuse for not following His example.  We continually excuse ourselves by saying, "Yes, but that was Jesus."  He wasn't to be the only One to hear and obey the Father's voice.  He was our example of what can be done by those who will hear.
     Paul said he was imitating Jesus and his ministry included signs and wonders, wisdom and counsel and power from the Holy Spirit.  He learned how to walk in the presence of the Spirit.  As we follow the Apostles and men of the early Church throughout the Word, we see healings, miracles and revelation that is missing in our lives.
     We learned the doctrines and traditions, but we didn't always learn the way of the Spirit.  These men learned how to actually live in the spirit realm with God.
     If you are truly born again, then your position in heaven (salvation) is secure.  I'm not talking about whether or not you're saved, but whether we are learning to live in the Spirit while we remain in this body.  We must listen to and for God's voice.  We must learning how to distinguish His voice from all the voices we hear.
     Jesus wasn't speaking idly when He said that, "His sheep know His voice."  We are enabled by the new birth to hear God's voice and to be led by His Spirit.  Some people find it strange when someone declares that God told him something.  We seem to have problems with spiritual things and people in the Church.  Healings and miracles are the very character of our Father, but they are foreign in today's Church.
     As we learn how to live in this new life of the Spirit, there are many things to learn.  Following in Jesus' footsteps doesn't mean to stop sinning.  Following in His footsteps means receiving from the Father, the ability to help others on every plane of life.  This can only be achieved from having the Spirit of God in us.  In His Spirit abides everything needed to set the captives free.  We must learn how to live in the Spirit in order to do what He told us to do.
     Don't come under condemnation over not knowing how and don't just pass it off as foolishness.  Seek the Holy Spirit on your own and He will teach you and lead you into all truth.  The Father has placed these things into the Holy Spirit's hands.
     1Corinthians 12 isn't simply a chapter for the Church at Corinth, but it's a chapter for the Church as a whole.  The gifts and miracles are part of our new being and living in this new life.  They are the very nature and character of God in us.  Jesus walked as our example of how a Spirit filled, born again man is to walk and function on earth.
     It's up to us to learn how to live.  We already have this life within us, it's just a matter of learning to yield to it more than we yield to the flesh, like we did before.

Lesson 9 Learning To Live

     When we were born again, we were instantly moved into a new life that we'd never had before.  Everything instantly changed.  But, because we had no idea how to function in this new kingdom, we continued on in the only way we knew how.  If you could imagine being moved into a new country where you couldn't speak or understand the language.  You would have no idea how to get along, drive, work, or shop.  You would either have to try getting along in the only way you knew, or learn how to speak and make life bearable. 
     When we were born again, we had the Bible as our guideline and the Holy Spirit as our Teacher.  We had to learn a new language and learn how to hear in an entirely different way.  Because God is a Spirit, we needed to learn to listen and function in the new level of the spirit.  Since our spirits had been shut off from God through Adam's transgression, we had no idea what the Father's voice even sounded like.
     Satan couldn't keep you from becoming born again, so his only way of controlling the new believer was to try keeping up from learning how to live in this new life.  He tries keeping us from learning the language and ways of the Spirit.  As long as he can keep us functioning in the flesh, we will be unsuccessful in our spiritual walk.
     Paul speaks about spiritual warfare in several of his writings like Ephesians 6:11-12 (Amplified) which says, "Put on God's whole armor (the armor of a heavy armed soldier which God supplies) that you may be able successfully to stand up against (all) the strategies and the deceits of the devil."  Verse 12 goes on, "For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents) but against the depotisms, against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere."
     Before we were born again, we walked in this world ruled by satan.  This worldly way of living was familiar to us, but the spirits themselves weren't.  Most of us had no idea that our lives were being manipulated by evil forces.  We had no idea how to deal with spirit things at all.  Many of us were involved in such satanic things as horoscope readings and had no idea about the consequences of involvement.
     Now then, we are thrown into a battle with forces we don't recognize or see.  We can no longer defend ourselves with conventional weapons or with muscle power.  We don't know how to live in this new life.  Mostly, we've chosen to act like it doesn't exist.  Even when we do acknowledge the truth of a spiritual enemy, we act like he is powerless to do anything to us if we're saved.  We are not to be fearful of this enemy, but we are to be able to stand against "all the strategies and deceits" of the devil.
     When we realize that things are wrong in this world, we try handling them with the knowledge of the world in which we are familiar.  When the nation is in trouble (and it is), we march with signs and protest and work for fair elections.  We return to being a democrat or republican, but we don't see it as a satanic attack and as one of his strategies.  The armor of God and the weapons of our warfare are mostly dormant in our lives.
    We've been moved into a place with God in the new birth that supersedes this natural world and its authority, but we don't know how to function in it.  2Corinthians 10:3-4 (Amplified) says, "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons."  Verse 4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of flesh and blood) but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds."
     Learning to live in this new life must be a spiritual understanding of supernatural things.

Lesson 8 Learning To Live

     When Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came so we could have and enjoy life, He didn't mean when we got to heaven we'd have it.  He meant that He would restore our relationship (our life) back to the Father as it was intended before the fall of Adam.  This Life was to be the very presence of God on a continual basis.  We would never be out of fellowship or be cast out of God's presence again.
     We were created and made by God our Father, for fellowship and joy in His life as well as the joy and fellowship in our lives.  Jesus brought us back to the place in God's heart that had been lost in the Garden.  We never actually lost our place in His heart, but we lost His presence.  The continual plan of our Father was always at work to bring us back.  We have been wholly restored back like Adam's fall never happened.
     Because we were cut off from God, we never really knew what it was like to be His family.  We walked in death and darkness for thousands of years.  We learned how to walk in the world and only by the flesh and the five senses.  God was always at work, but only from the outside and not from our spirit.
     Now that Jesus has come and brought spiritual life back into God's with His sacrifice, we have to learn how we were meant to live from the beginning.  Through great patience and understanding, God has given grace for our childish ways as we learn what it means to be alive unto Him.  As new babies, we make many mistakes while we learn.  We have lived and behaved the same way we did before being saved.  We still try doing it on our own because that was all we knew.
     The Holy Spirit is always at work in our lives bringing life to God's Word into our spirits.  Every child must learn as they grow into maturity and we are no different.  As natural men and women, we have made many mistakes as we grow, just like all babies do.
     As we now learn not to live from the senses, but by the Spirit, it is all new to us.  We find ourselves under condemnation at our continued mistakes and failures.  We find ourselves trying harder and harder to get it right, but we always end up failing or messing up somewhere.
     Learning how to live is a process that will be with us for all of our natural lives on this earth.  We can only watch the life of Jesus and follow His example of how to live.  Jesus said that He only says and does what the Father says and does.  So, like our example, we must follow Him when we treat others kindly and when we hear the Father's voice and move on it.
     We were never in the place that Adam and Jesus were in at the beginning.  They were both in God's presence from the start.  We however, were trained and taught by the world and the "Spirit of disobedience" for most of our natural lives.  Now that we've been brought back to life through Jesus, we must learn a completely new way of living.
     We try disciplining our flesh and controlling it by the same means we did before we were saved.  Only the Holy Spirit can bring this to pass in our hearts.  This new life we are learning to live, is actually God's life living through us.  As we learn to listen to our Heavenly Father, He will instruct us just like every father does.
     Our earthly father taught us how to "become men" in the only way they knew how.  Mostly though, unless your father was born again (mine was not), he could only teach you what they have learned through the natural life.  Some didn't even do that much.  We grew up with no or very little knowledge about God.  We lived what we were taught, both good and bad.  Some people grew up without an earthly father or father figure.
     Once you've learned something and it's already lodged in your brain, it's hard to unlearn or dislodge it or ignore it.  Our minds were to be filled with the knowledge of God and never to be erased.  Once the thoughts and knowledge are in our minds, learning to renew our minds to think differently is a life long process.  The old memories of our disobedient past are still there.  All of the wrong things we did still haunt us and seem to always make us feel unclean in God's presence.
     Even though we struggle to be right and do right, we fight this battle of faith over our past.  Placing faith in what Jesus has done for us is the only way we can ever hope to approach a Holy God and help us feel unclean.  Even when we read His Word about Jesus' sacrifice, we still seem to meditate more on our mistakes than on the victory.  We mediate more on Paul's snake bite, shipwreck, and his beatings and stoning.  We still refer more to his "thorn in the flesh," which didn't come from God, but was a messenger from satan sent to buffet Paul.  We seem to miss the abundance of the revelation of Christ and the works in the Church that God gave him.
     This learning to live message, is a new way of thinking about who you are now in Jesus and not who you were before you were saved.  It almost seems to be a contradiction in our lives to say we are now righteous because of remembering who we used to be.  Sometimes, it makes you feel like you are lying when you say you are clean in His presence.
     We struggle walking in the truth of our salvation and restoration because of our past and our mistakes.  The contradictions of our flesh with God's Word is a constant battle in our walk with Him.  Our carnal mind still says that we don't deserve it and we keep working so we can feel justified for His favor.  The truth about this new life is that we didn't deserve it and it was all by His grace.  This is somehow hard for us to deal with.
     In our life before Jesus, we had to work hard to get anything.  When you got a paycheck, it was something that was owed to you and you felt justified in taking it because you felt deserving of it.  Now, all these things that God has granted us, come by grace.  It's backwards to everything we ever knew.
     Learning how to receive from our Father is a whole new way of doing things and we must learn how to live this new life by faith in Jesus' finished work and not by our works.  This doesn't mean we can do whatever we want to do, but it also doesn't mean you should constantly beat yourself up because of your mistakes.  Surely, you can't believe that our Father didn't foresee the fact that we would have to learn and would make mistakes when He sent Jesus.
     Jesus' Blood didn't merely take care of our past, but our future too.  It's hard to believe we can be blessed even when we fail.  We still try punishing ourselves for our mistakes instead of believing, by faith, that Jesus bore our punishment.  It's hard to understand from our old point of view.  We still feel like we don't belong sometimes.  And, we can't come into God's presence until we feel we've made restitution when we're under condemnation for our mistakes.  This hurts the very heart of God because He made provision for this in Jesus.  Jesus bore everything that was due us, so that we could not only be in God's presence, but abide there always.
     When you make a mistake (and you will), don't run from Him, but run to Him.  You won't catch Him by surprise.  That's what His throne of grace is all about.  Grace made a blanket of the Blood of Jesus that covers us for all time.  As we stand in God's presence, He only sees the Lamb and not the one who brought the Lamb.  Every time we pray in Jesus' Name, we present the Lamb.  Every time we praise Him in that Name, He sees only the pure, sinless Lamb and not you.
     We need to learn how to rest in our sacrifice that was provided for us and not in our own performance.  Learning how to live in God's presence, is learning how to stay in faith with our sacrificed Lamb.  When the Lamb is pure, you are pure. Amen.

    

Lesson 7 Learning To Live

     John 10:10 (Amplified) says, "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)."
     The abundant, joyful and overflowing Life, is the very restored and resurrected Life with the Spirit of God through Jesus.  We have had a difficult time enjoying this new life because of the condemnation of the dead man we were.  We have failed to appropriate the fullness of this new life because we've never learned how to live life to the fullness. 
     Sometimes, it sounds like we never really got born again.  We say we've received Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  We declare that our sins have been cleansed and remitted, but then we try holding onto the condemnation of those sins.  Everything seems to contradict what we're learning here because we try living in the deadness of the old man.  The flesh still wants to rule us by our senses and the Spirit wants to lead us by His truth. 
     We've been given the very Life of God and we don't know how to live in it.  The changes we have to make in order to live this new life, seem to be too many to make.  If you were moving from California to Alaska, then you'd have to change the way you live.  Surfing will become sledding, coats will replace shorts, and your entire way of life will necessarily need to change.  The life you have is the same life, but there needs to be a new way to live it.
     Jesus gave us the Life of the Spirit of God Himself when we were born again.  We received the life, but continued trying to operate the same way we had before we received it.  We didn't learn to change our habits and ways of doing things.  We still wanted to dress and live the way that was appropriate for California, but it was difficult to do in Alaska.  We tried surfing, but the ice made it impossible.  We tried wearing shorts, but the temperature was greatly uncomfortable.
     We tried to live in the old death of the spirit and force the flesh to walk in the newness of life.  Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."  
     Who walks without condemnation ?  Those who are saved?  No!  Those who do not walk according to the dictates of the flesh, but according to the Spirit, walk without condemnation.  Romans 8:1 (Amplified) says, "There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't live by the flesh but by the Spirit."  Notice that they are both in Christ Jesus?  One lives in the condemnation by the flesh and the other lives without condemnation by the Spirit.  They were both in Christ Jesus.    
     Romans 8:2 (Amplified) tells us why we can walk above the condemnation of the flesh saying, "For the Law of the Spirit of Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being) has freed me from the Law of sin and of death."
     These verses tells us that even though both persons were "in Christ Jesus," one walked in the Law of the Spirit of Life and one was walking under the Law of Sin and death.  Life had come to both persons "who are in Christ Jesus," but only one of them learned how to Live, while the other didn't make the change.  Both were "in Life," but one still walked in death.  Notice that death didn't walk in him, but he was walking in death.  Although the individual was saved, cleansed, declared righteous and given God's Own life, he still walked in the death and condemnation of the flesh.
     In Romans 8:3 (Amplified), we ready why it's possible to walk in this joyful, abundant and overflowing life, without condemnation.  Thus, it says, "For God has done what the Law could not do, (its power) being weakened by the flesh (the entire nature of man without the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, (God) condemned sin in the flesh (subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice."
     You can see that it's not a matter of whether we have life now, but whether we will learn how to live.  If we continue trying to live in the flesh like we did before, the flesh will always fail you and bring you the same condemnation you had before being saved.  If we learn to live in the Spirit, then we'll be able to "enjoy this Life to the full, till it overflows, and is now abundant Life to you."
     It seems like we've read the entire chapter of Romans 8 and only centered in one one verse to justify our lack of learning how to live.  We came up with, "All things work together for the good," and failed to read what that chapter was saying.  First of all, that isn't what the true verse says.  Secondly, what are "all things" that Romans 8 spoke about?
     By reading this chapter by the flesh, we've determined that "all things" meant car accidents, cancer, sickness, death, divorce, drugs, poverty and whatever else we might throw into the mix, work together for our good.  That's not what it says !
     What it does say, is that this Life we've been given and this new creation that we've become, are clean before God even though the flesh may still try to condemn you.  It says that, in Jesus Christ, if we will learn how to live this new life we've been given, then we will walk above the lies of the old, dead man we were and walk in the joy of the Life we now have in Jesus.
     The old, dead nature of the lost man, still wants to rule over the new creation.  We are to live after the dictates of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and not after the dictates of the flesh.  The only way to live and enjoy the life that John 10:10 speaks about, is to live by the Spirit despite of the flesh.  We already have this new, abundant, overflowing life, but we don't want to change from the way we've always done things to live it.
     It no longer matters what the dead or flesh part of you says.  You are not walking and living by and through the flesh, but by and through the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.  The flesh could never fulfill the demands of God's holiness.  Romans 8:3 says that God has done what the Law could not do  because of the weakness of the flesh.  If you still live in the weakness of the flesh instead of the newness of the Spirit, then you will never learn how to live and enjoy this abundant life we now share with Christ.
     When I say that we have to learn how to live, it's because the Word and the Holy Spirit keep telling us to be spiritually minded.  Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (mature) of God."

     Don't forget that we're having Convention this week with Tommy Williams.  If you're unable to attend, then please pray that this Convention will be successful in bringing new people to God's family.  Thank You.
     Don't forget that tomorrow, Wednesday, September 24th is "See You At The Pole day."   We will be gathered around the flagpole at Ken's beside the church.  We hope that you will join us and pray for our school, the students and teachers along with Pastor Jim (the Principal).  Let's be a witness to others tomorrow.  Thank You.

Lesson 6 Learning To Live

     John 10:10 (Amplified) says 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)."
     I've noted before, how strange Jesus' statement must have seemed to the people He was speaking to.  I'm sure they thought they were alive.  Because we have misunderstood the importance and the truth of spiritual life and death, many in today's Church still have a problem with this statement.
     The life we were living before receiving Jesus, was simply the life of the flesh and not the life of the spirit.  We could only love to a point and do only the things that the flesh knew how to do.  Only the life of God, through the Holy Spirit, could allow us to love and live like God intended for us.  We were limited by the death that was in our spirit because of the fall of Adam.
     We've mostly believed that the new life held just the forgiveness of sin that came when we were saved.  Now though, we understand that once the sin was dealt with and that it wasn't simply forgiveness of our sin, but the removal of that sin, death had no more dominion over and in our spirit.  Now, God Himself could enter into our spirit and intertwine His life into our very spirit.  And, the life we're living is actually His life within us.
     Paul said in Galatians 2:20 (Amplified) that, "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion) it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
     So, the life we're now living is actually God's very life itself.  When Jesus said that, "He came that we should have life," He meant His life lived through us.  Again, you must be born again.
     John 3:6 (Amplified) says, "What is born (from) the flesh is flesh (of the physical is physical); what is born of the Spirit is spirit."  By misunderstanding spiritual death, we misunderstood what Jesus was talking about.  We're like Nicodemus who couldn't understand how someone could be born a second time.  We ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we ask Him to forgive our sins, and we ask Him to be our Lord, but we still don't understand what happened to us when we did these things.
     Because we failed to learn how to live from the life within, we went on living the same life we lived before (which was the life of the flesh).  We still tried ruling over our body with willpower and rules and laws from the religious foundation we served. We bound ourselves with more laws about wearing make-up, jewelry, certain clothes and cleaving to behavioral modifications.  We made the "Liberty" in Christ, so hard to follow that we had no joy left in our walk with Him.
     We never learned to live the new life we have received because we never recognized it as actually being a new life.  We tried to stop sinning after we were saved, but for the most part, we still did sin.  Perhaps we didn't commit the same old sins we used to, but nonetheless, we found that we weren't perfect.  We tried walking in obedience to God, but we were still disobedient.
     And, because we continued making the same dumb mistakes, we walked in condemnation most of the time and always felt unworthy and lowly.  This is far from what Jesus promised in John 10:10 (Amplified) which says, "I came that they may have and enjoy life; and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
     Most of the time, our new life was a constant struggle.  Since we never learned (by the Holy Spirit) how to live, we continued walking in the death that was in the world we were born in and not in the world we were now born out of, even though we no longer had death in us.  It was the only "life" we had known.  Like a child learning to walk, we were afraid to turn loose of the support we held onto.  So now, we are full of life, but we're still living in death instead of being free from sin and still walking in condemnation and still struggling with sickness even though we've been healed.
     We write sermons about how hard it is to walk with God, how weak we are and how we need to just hold on until the end.  We put off ever having victory in this life and have resigned ourselves to "someday everything will be alright."  We tried consoling ourselves by identifying with such men as the Apostle Paul and his struggles.  We patterned our lives after Job and other men in the Word.  We forgot that Job didn't have the life that Jesus gave the Church.  The life he had was just the flesh.
     Paul and the men of the early Church, were pioneers of the Gospel we read today.  Paul wrote in 2Corinthians 12:7 (Amplified), "And to keep me from being puffed up and to much elated by the exceeding greatness (pre-eminence)  of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted."        
     We've allowed religion to use this man's experiences with God, to be twisted into a pattern of defeat to pattern our lives after.  We said that "God kept Paul knocked down because of his pride."  This isn't what the scripture says.  Paul said that the revelations came from God and that the thorn in the flesh (the pain in the neck) was a messenger of satan sent to stop Paul from revealing this new birth.
     God exalted the Apostle Paul above almost all other New Testament preachers.  So, he was afterall, exalted.  Despite all the persecution Paul suffered, he went on to victory in this world and glory when he left.  If you wish to conform to what Paul suffered, then walk the walk he walked.  Don't identify with his trials if you don't identify with his mission.
     Paul learned how to live by learning how to die unto himself.  Jesus met with much persecution of His Own.  It wasn't because God didn't want Him exalted, but because the devil didn't want Him to be exalted.  Jesus' Own thorns in His flesh, was demons who constantly buffeted Him, but who could not stop Him.  When they thought they had finally defeated Jesus and had Him crucified, He was lifted up and exalted above all Names, Kingdoms and Thrones.
     We need to stop looking for excuses to fail and living in the old way of death.  We must enter into the victory of the new walk in life.  If it is His life we're now living, then how can it fail?  The religions Scribes and Pharisees of our day are always telling us what we cannot do, just the way they did with Jesus.  The Holy Spirit and the Word of God are always telling us that, "With God, all things are possible."
     We are finally learning how to live for Him and live in Him and live from Him.  Afterall, it is His life.  The enemy would like us to believe that there is no way we can measure up to God's standards.  You know, he's right.  The Good News is that you don't need to worry about measuring up to God's standards because your life is in Christ Jesus and it's His place with God that now measures your standing with God.  If Jesus is righteous, then you, in Him, are also righteous.  If Jesus is pure before God, then you are, in Him, also pure before God.
     When learning how to live this "God kind of life," always be mindful to put your faith in Jesus' sacrifice and not in your performance.  The Priest already knew you were messed up and that's why we brought the lamb for them to sacrifice.  He doesn't see your mistakes, but He only sees the Lamb.  Never return to judging yourself by your own efforts.  Always judge yourself by the Holiness of the Sacrifice Lamb, Jesus.
     Even though you might mess up, your Lamb did not or will not.  God only sees the Lamb and not you.  As long as you live the life of the Lamb, you will learn how to live.