We concluded in the previous lessons that the earth was the reason for the creation of the universe. And, the reason for the earth and everything in it, was man. Why, then was man created? Some have stated that man was created to worship God. Others have said that God just needed servants, so He created man. It is true that we worship God, but that's not why man was created.
The angels worship God on a full-time basis and are servants of God, so why make man to do what's already being done and what's always been done? To understand the reason for man, we must understand the heart of God. If all of creation was made for man's benefit, then what is man to God? Why create all of the universe, the earth and everything God placed on the earth, if not for man? Without man being on the earth, everything here would have been created simply for the beasts and animals. Man was the inspiration for all of creation.
We now come to the part of God's creation that has been overlooked for a long time, which is the Father's heart. Ephesians 1:4-5 (Amplified) says, "Even as (in His love), He chose us (actually picked us out for Himself as His Own) in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated, and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love." Verse 5 goes on, "For He fore ordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His Own children through Christ Jesus, in accordance with the purpose of His will (because it pleased Him and was His kind intent)."
Before creating the entire universe with its heavens and earth, mankind was marked out for sonship in God's heart and dreams. Man was to hold the place as family in the Father God's love. Man was to be the answer to the Father's desire for family and children according to Romans 8:15-17 (Amplified) which says, "For (the Spirit) which you have received (is) not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption (the Spirit producing sonship) in (the bliss of) which we cry Abba (Father) Father!" Verses 16-17 says, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with out own spirit, (assuring us) that we are children of God. And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him); only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory."
Many use Ephesians 1:4-5 as a doctrine for predestination for you future. Some have used this to say that your whole life was laid out in the very beginning. They believe that some persons were destined to be saved while others were predestined to be lost and that God planned it that way. This is a false teaching that relives man of ever having to believe in Christ at all. These false teachings would have you believe that if you are lost, then it was God's plan for you and if you are saved, then that's God's plan for you.
Why bother preaching the Word to anyone if God has predestined everyone's future? What happens if I don't want to be lost and called on the Name of the Lord to save me? If my number didn't come up, then would God deny me salvation? What this scripture is saying is that God had desired for man to be His children and family before He created the heavens and earth. When Adam fell into transgression, God lost His family. Satan became the spiritual father of man because of this transgression. The Father would never leave His children in bondage and would pay the highest cost (ransom) to bring them home.
Because we never saw the true reason for creation, we actually viewed man as a minor part of what God created. Our spirits were separated and alienated from God by Adam's sin. Because of this separation, we failed to see through our sense realm, that the Father longed for His children along with the joy having man in His Own Image created. God gave man the authority and dominion over creation, but we saw Him as a harsh, controlling and almost impossible to please God.
We invented sayings like, "You never know what God will do" because of a complete lack of understanding of our Father. We got stuck in the rut of unbelief and formulated prayers like, "Lord, if it be Thy will" because we didn't see His heart. Because we didn't see God's heart and understand His great love, we were quick to believe the worst about Him. He was blamed for everything from the death of innocent children to the hell and heartache of the world. We became so separated in our spiritual being that we only understood by religious acts and rituals.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Lesson 3 The Reason for Creation
People all over the world search for the reason and purpose for creation and life when God's Word opens the first chapter of Genesis with that reason and purpose. God has always revealed creation and the reason for creation. There are very few things left to know for those who believe the Word of God.
The reason for creation, is this earth that we live on. Everything in the universe was created to minister to and provide for this planet. When I look at pictures of earth that were taken from space, I am always awed by the power of God's Word. Hebrews 11:3 (Amplified) says, "By faith we understand that the worlds (during the successive ages) were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God, So that what we see was not made out of things which are visible."
It's one thing to stand in my backyard at night and look up at the moon, but it's something else altogether, to look from space where my backyard is. When I look at the sky, I don't see any cables, pillars or foundations holding it in place. The Word of God alone keeps it in orbit like it should be.
For those who struggle with the truth of God's Word, there can be no understanding, according to Romans 1:19-20 (Amplified) which says, "For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God (Himself) has shown it to them for ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiwork). So (men) are without excuse (altogether without any defense or justification)."
As you struggle with the existence of God, you are confronted with the question of why and what you are and where you came from. In his dismissal of God, man has invented evolution, alien beings made us and the Big Bang theory as substitutes. Personally, all of these things require more faith to believe than God's Word does.
The reason for creation is this planet we live and the reason for this planet is man. All the things God put on this planet are to please and take care of man. When God had made and seen that "All things were pleasing to Him," then God said in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified), "Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our Image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the (tame) beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth." Genesis 1:27 (Amplified) says, "So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Thus, we see that the reason for creation was the earth and the reason for the was was man. Man was the heart of the Father Who longed for and desired to have a family of children made in His likeness and Image. The Father walked in the Garden where He had placed His son Adam and fellowshipped with His new family. Genesis 3:8 (Amplified) says, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife his themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden."
When Adam transgressed against the command of God in the Garden, he was instantly separated from God in his spirit and was at that time forced to live only by his five physical senses. God could no longer walk with His children in the Spirit like He had intended from the beginning. From that very day, God set in motion the plan of redemption to restore His family back to Him like He had always intended. Genesis 3:14-15 (Amplified) tells us, "And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this; you are cursed above all (domestic) animals and above every (wild) living things of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust (and what it contains) all the days of your life." Verse 15 goes on, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He will bruise and tread your head under foot, and you will life in wait and bruise His heel."
After losing His family, God never ceased in His purpose of restoring His children to Him. Day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year, He began speaking His plan of redemption into the world. He would have lost His man and his wife in the Garden, if God had only done it there. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, He could legally restore all that was lost in the Garden.
The reason for creation, is this earth that we live on. Everything in the universe was created to minister to and provide for this planet. When I look at pictures of earth that were taken from space, I am always awed by the power of God's Word. Hebrews 11:3 (Amplified) says, "By faith we understand that the worlds (during the successive ages) were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God, So that what we see was not made out of things which are visible."
It's one thing to stand in my backyard at night and look up at the moon, but it's something else altogether, to look from space where my backyard is. When I look at the sky, I don't see any cables, pillars or foundations holding it in place. The Word of God alone keeps it in orbit like it should be.
For those who struggle with the truth of God's Word, there can be no understanding, according to Romans 1:19-20 (Amplified) which says, "For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God (Himself) has shown it to them for ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiwork). So (men) are without excuse (altogether without any defense or justification)."
As you struggle with the existence of God, you are confronted with the question of why and what you are and where you came from. In his dismissal of God, man has invented evolution, alien beings made us and the Big Bang theory as substitutes. Personally, all of these things require more faith to believe than God's Word does.
The reason for creation is this planet we live and the reason for this planet is man. All the things God put on this planet are to please and take care of man. When God had made and seen that "All things were pleasing to Him," then God said in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified), "Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our Image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the (tame) beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth." Genesis 1:27 (Amplified) says, "So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Thus, we see that the reason for creation was the earth and the reason for the was was man. Man was the heart of the Father Who longed for and desired to have a family of children made in His likeness and Image. The Father walked in the Garden where He had placed His son Adam and fellowshipped with His new family. Genesis 3:8 (Amplified) says, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife his themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden."
When Adam transgressed against the command of God in the Garden, he was instantly separated from God in his spirit and was at that time forced to live only by his five physical senses. God could no longer walk with His children in the Spirit like He had intended from the beginning. From that very day, God set in motion the plan of redemption to restore His family back to Him like He had always intended. Genesis 3:14-15 (Amplified) tells us, "And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this; you are cursed above all (domestic) animals and above every (wild) living things of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust (and what it contains) all the days of your life." Verse 15 goes on, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He will bruise and tread your head under foot, and you will life in wait and bruise His heel."
After losing His family, God never ceased in His purpose of restoring His children to Him. Day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year, He began speaking His plan of redemption into the world. He would have lost His man and his wife in the Garden, if God had only done it there. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, He could legally restore all that was lost in the Garden.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Lesson 2 The Reason for Creation
When we understand how man is the sole reason for creation, then it all seems to come together. Science and the study of the heavens, has revealed how everything in our universe is there to minister to the earth. Even science doesn't deny the fact that every planet, sun, moon or star in our universe has its influence upon on earth.
Our sun is approximately ninety-three million miles away, but it causes climatic conditions of light, heat, rain and winds that make this planet capable of sustaining life for humans, animals and plants. We even have our own protection by the transparent atmosphere around earth.
The ocean's tides are influenced by the heavenly bodies. We can predict the seasons of spring, summer, winter and fall by the signs of the planets. We can predict storm and frost and even heat waves months in advance by the position of the heavenly bodies. All of the planets and heavenly bodies were created to minister to the earth. In Genesis 1:14-19 (Amplified), we see the plan of creation which says, "And God said, let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be signs and tokens (of God's provident care) and (to mark) seasons, days, and years. And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so. And God made the two great lights-the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars." Verses 17-19 go on, "And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day."
For all of its searching, science hasn't found another planet in our known universe that does, or can, support life. Our planet is so small compared to all of the creation in our universe, which makes no sense if it weren't made so in order to provide for God's family. Our planets are a perfect timepiece. We use them to know exactly when each will pass another or to precisely predict when a comet will pass through the skies.
If it wasn't for man being on this earth, then all these things would be useless. Even the vegetation and waters which act as thermostats to control the earth's temperatures, would be meaningless if not for the sustaining of human life.
It takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang theory than it does creation. It's difficult to believe that an explosion in outer space by a great stroke of luck, happened to place our planet in such a perfect position. That theory still doesn't explain how all those things occurred without the orchestration from a creator.
Our little planet is so small that a thousand of them could fit and become lost in the sun, but is the epicenter and purpose of all creation. The Great Master Who designed all of the heavens, made all things to minister to the earth. Then He Himself set about ministering to His man that He placed in the midst of His masterpiece.
So, now we know that earth is the reason for creation and that man was the reason for earth. Genesis 1:1 shows us how God created everything and when He had perfected the heavens and the earth, He placed the greatest and highest of all His creations in the earth. God only rested from His work after He created man and set him in the center of all His creation. After God placed man in the midst of His creations, everything worked to provide for him.
Isaiah 45:18 (Amplified) says, "For thus says the Lord-Who created the heavens, God, Himself, Who formed the earth and made it, Who established it and did not create it to be a worthless waste; He formed it to be inhabited-I am the Lord and there is none like Me."
This scripture sums up the reason for the universe is for the earth and the reason for the earth is for man. Man has been scratching his head for thousands of years asking, "Why am I here?" "Where did I come from and what am I?" Even David pondered these questions in Psalm 8:4-6 (Amplified) saying, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of (earth born) man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God (or heavenly beings) and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; and have put all things under his feet."
Our sun is approximately ninety-three million miles away, but it causes climatic conditions of light, heat, rain and winds that make this planet capable of sustaining life for humans, animals and plants. We even have our own protection by the transparent atmosphere around earth.
The ocean's tides are influenced by the heavenly bodies. We can predict the seasons of spring, summer, winter and fall by the signs of the planets. We can predict storm and frost and even heat waves months in advance by the position of the heavenly bodies. All of the planets and heavenly bodies were created to minister to the earth. In Genesis 1:14-19 (Amplified), we see the plan of creation which says, "And God said, let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be signs and tokens (of God's provident care) and (to mark) seasons, days, and years. And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so. And God made the two great lights-the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars." Verses 17-19 go on, "And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day."
For all of its searching, science hasn't found another planet in our known universe that does, or can, support life. Our planet is so small compared to all of the creation in our universe, which makes no sense if it weren't made so in order to provide for God's family. Our planets are a perfect timepiece. We use them to know exactly when each will pass another or to precisely predict when a comet will pass through the skies.
If it wasn't for man being on this earth, then all these things would be useless. Even the vegetation and waters which act as thermostats to control the earth's temperatures, would be meaningless if not for the sustaining of human life.
It takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang theory than it does creation. It's difficult to believe that an explosion in outer space by a great stroke of luck, happened to place our planet in such a perfect position. That theory still doesn't explain how all those things occurred without the orchestration from a creator.
Our little planet is so small that a thousand of them could fit and become lost in the sun, but is the epicenter and purpose of all creation. The Great Master Who designed all of the heavens, made all things to minister to the earth. Then He Himself set about ministering to His man that He placed in the midst of His masterpiece.
So, now we know that earth is the reason for creation and that man was the reason for earth. Genesis 1:1 shows us how God created everything and when He had perfected the heavens and the earth, He placed the greatest and highest of all His creations in the earth. God only rested from His work after He created man and set him in the center of all His creation. After God placed man in the midst of His creations, everything worked to provide for him.
Isaiah 45:18 (Amplified) says, "For thus says the Lord-Who created the heavens, God, Himself, Who formed the earth and made it, Who established it and did not create it to be a worthless waste; He formed it to be inhabited-I am the Lord and there is none like Me."
This scripture sums up the reason for the universe is for the earth and the reason for the earth is for man. Man has been scratching his head for thousands of years asking, "Why am I here?" "Where did I come from and what am I?" Even David pondered these questions in Psalm 8:4-6 (Amplified) saying, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of (earth born) man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God (or heavenly beings) and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; and have put all things under his feet."
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Lesson 1 The Reason for Creation
For as long as man has been here, he has questioned about where creation came from and why was everything created. The world's greatest minds have struggled with this question for millions of years. Scientist and professors have sought answers to this question and have tried explaining it with evolution and the Big Bang theory.
This question should never arise with the child of God. Men questioning the spirit realm because they cannot see it, would be like a fish believing the entire world is underwater because they've never lived on land. We are made in the Image and likeness of our Heavenly Father, God, Who is a Spirit. The spirit realm should be as familiar to us as it was to Jesus.
The reason the earth and the vast universe was created was for man. If you omitted man from the equation, then there would be no need for the vast provisions earth provides. All of it's beauty and resources would be wasted on the animals of earth. Our Father created and prepared a place that would please His children, just like a couple expecting a baby would prepare a nursery with pleasing and necessary provisions for that child.
Man was never supposed to be separated from his Heavenly Father. Man's body was to be immortal and his spirit eternal. Sickness, disease and death were never part pf God's plan for His children. The disobedience and high treason that occurred in the Garden of Eden caused man to die in his spirit and be separated from the life coming from his connection to God, Who is our life. Jesus came to do away with that spiritual death and bring restoration to God's family.
If man hadn't died spiritually, then he would never died physically. Spiritual death came first and then the life of God was gone from man and his body began dying. It took satan 930 years to teach Adam to die. Adam had only known life until that time in the Garden. We're taught to die after only 85-90 years, today and simply accept that. All of the misery and heartbreak that death has wrought to humanity was never in the Father's plan Whose heart longed for a family.
Even today, as we pray, "Our Father," we still hold back from a Father and son/daughter relationship with God. It must greatly hurt the heart of God when He sees His children being afraid and distant from Him. We still stand afar off in the outer courts instead of in the throne room of His grace. Even after God gave His Own Son as a sacrifice for us, we feel unworthy and unclean in His presence. All that God did through Jesus still seems not to have been enough to cleanse our conscience from our guilt and shame. This keeps us away from the great heart of Love Who gave it all to gain us back.
The whole of creation was to be a blessing of love and a nursery for God's family. He left nothing undone in His quest for the things that would please us. If we dive to the deepest parts of the ocean, there are a wealth of unknown fish and creatures of great beauty to amaze us. God didn't simply crate one bird, but He make thousands of different birds to please every one of us. God didn't just make one type of dog, but He made hundreds of different breeds to please different persons. He made thousands of varieties of flowers for the pleasure of various persons.
All of creation was just to be a pleasant place for His family to live. God declared that "everything was very good" before He created man to live among it. Everything was to be subjected to God's man, including animals and birds and the fish of the sea. Jesus proved all of this to be true during His earthly walk. As the "Last Adam," Jesus was like the first Adam except Jesus didn't succumb to the tests and trials of the enemy. Jesus did all of what God's children were born to do in the beginning. He had dominion over the elements, the laws of physics, demon spirits, the laws of gravity and even then fish of the sea. Jesus made the fish fill Peter's nets until the boat nearly sank under the load.
This is how all of God's children were to walk and live in the abundance of His creation. This is the place that Jesus came to deliver back into our hands for the Father. Through Him we were to be reconciled back to son ship rights with our Father. We were made to be in right standing and righteous by our faith in His completed work,. All the authority given to Adam was restored back to us in Jesus. His Name is our power of authority to all His inheritance.
We keep waiting to go to heaven for these things to be regained again. In His death and resurrection, Jesus has already done everything needed to deliver us from the bondage of the first Adam and bring us back to be one as He and the Father are One. When Jesus said that, "It is finished" on the cross, He meant it. There is no more debt to be paid under the Law of sin and death.
.
This question should never arise with the child of God. Men questioning the spirit realm because they cannot see it, would be like a fish believing the entire world is underwater because they've never lived on land. We are made in the Image and likeness of our Heavenly Father, God, Who is a Spirit. The spirit realm should be as familiar to us as it was to Jesus.
The reason the earth and the vast universe was created was for man. If you omitted man from the equation, then there would be no need for the vast provisions earth provides. All of it's beauty and resources would be wasted on the animals of earth. Our Father created and prepared a place that would please His children, just like a couple expecting a baby would prepare a nursery with pleasing and necessary provisions for that child.
Man was never supposed to be separated from his Heavenly Father. Man's body was to be immortal and his spirit eternal. Sickness, disease and death were never part pf God's plan for His children. The disobedience and high treason that occurred in the Garden of Eden caused man to die in his spirit and be separated from the life coming from his connection to God, Who is our life. Jesus came to do away with that spiritual death and bring restoration to God's family.
If man hadn't died spiritually, then he would never died physically. Spiritual death came first and then the life of God was gone from man and his body began dying. It took satan 930 years to teach Adam to die. Adam had only known life until that time in the Garden. We're taught to die after only 85-90 years, today and simply accept that. All of the misery and heartbreak that death has wrought to humanity was never in the Father's plan Whose heart longed for a family.
Even today, as we pray, "Our Father," we still hold back from a Father and son/daughter relationship with God. It must greatly hurt the heart of God when He sees His children being afraid and distant from Him. We still stand afar off in the outer courts instead of in the throne room of His grace. Even after God gave His Own Son as a sacrifice for us, we feel unworthy and unclean in His presence. All that God did through Jesus still seems not to have been enough to cleanse our conscience from our guilt and shame. This keeps us away from the great heart of Love Who gave it all to gain us back.
The whole of creation was to be a blessing of love and a nursery for God's family. He left nothing undone in His quest for the things that would please us. If we dive to the deepest parts of the ocean, there are a wealth of unknown fish and creatures of great beauty to amaze us. God didn't simply crate one bird, but He make thousands of different birds to please every one of us. God didn't just make one type of dog, but He made hundreds of different breeds to please different persons. He made thousands of varieties of flowers for the pleasure of various persons.
All of creation was just to be a pleasant place for His family to live. God declared that "everything was very good" before He created man to live among it. Everything was to be subjected to God's man, including animals and birds and the fish of the sea. Jesus proved all of this to be true during His earthly walk. As the "Last Adam," Jesus was like the first Adam except Jesus didn't succumb to the tests and trials of the enemy. Jesus did all of what God's children were born to do in the beginning. He had dominion over the elements, the laws of physics, demon spirits, the laws of gravity and even then fish of the sea. Jesus made the fish fill Peter's nets until the boat nearly sank under the load.
This is how all of God's children were to walk and live in the abundance of His creation. This is the place that Jesus came to deliver back into our hands for the Father. Through Him we were to be reconciled back to son ship rights with our Father. We were made to be in right standing and righteous by our faith in His completed work,. All the authority given to Adam was restored back to us in Jesus. His Name is our power of authority to all His inheritance.
We keep waiting to go to heaven for these things to be regained again. In His death and resurrection, Jesus has already done everything needed to deliver us from the bondage of the first Adam and bring us back to be one as He and the Father are One. When Jesus said that, "It is finished" on the cross, He meant it. There is no more debt to be paid under the Law of sin and death.
.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Lesson 17 The Character of Christ
The character of Christ is the very personality of the Father and is spoken about in many scriptures like John 10:30 (Amplified) which says, "I and the Father are One." Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) says, "He is the Sole expression of the glory of God (the Light Being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very Image of (God's) nature,upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 is the very nature of Jesus Who is the very Image of God's nature. When we make the same decision that Jesus made to listen to the Holy Spirit within us, we also will be able to reveal this nature of the Father. This doesn't mean that we can act any way we choose until God makes us act correctly because He will not. Only by yielding to His Spirit within us can we do what Jesus did and act like Jesus acted.
We can only produce the real character of Christ by yielding to and listening to the Holy Spirit. We've made some progress in not acting like we did before being saved through our own efforts. We inherently knew we should stop cussing and brawling and drinking. All these things should rightly be shut down in our lives, but did we stop them in order to become righteous before God or did we stop them because we have become righteous before God?
The first reason to stop these things is of the flesh and the other is of the Spirit. One is by Law and the other is by grace. One is to gain a place in Christ and the other is to receive your place in Christ. According to 2Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified), we have already been "declared righteous in Christ Jesus." And, now that we've been made righteous in Him, we simply allow His Holy Spirit to bring forth fruit of His righteousness.
Our old nature, the training and educating of our flesh and mind, must be renewed and brought into subjection by the Word and His Spirit. 2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin; for correction of error and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Most of us have never looked at the Word as a power to change, but a rule to live by. Without the Holy Spirit to bring about the power of change through the Word, it once again becomes Law to the hearer and a source of condemnation and shortcomings. Somehow, we fail to see what we are in Christ and struggle to become what He has already made us to be. As a result, we failed to produce the character of Christ in our lives.
Once we receive by faith what grace has already made us to be in Him, it becomes so much easier to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit. So long as we continue seeing ourselves as we were instead of who He made us to be, we cannot portray the character of Jesus. One of satan's most powerful tools against the child of God, is convincing us that we are still unworthy and unrighteous.
The character of Christ must come from within us and not from rules. As long as satan can convince you that you're unworthy and a sinner, how can you ever hope to conduct yourself in the joy and peace of Christ?
John 14:27 (Amplified) says, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled)."
Jesus reveals to us in this scripture how we can walk in the Fruit (or character) of the Spirit. His peace is "the peace that passes all understanding" and is available to us by faith in Jesus' sacrifice. The only way of receiving this peace is by faith in His grace. It has nothing to do with who you were, but only who you are now. Only those who have been made righteous can walk in His character.
The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 is the very nature of Jesus Who is the very Image of God's nature. When we make the same decision that Jesus made to listen to the Holy Spirit within us, we also will be able to reveal this nature of the Father. This doesn't mean that we can act any way we choose until God makes us act correctly because He will not. Only by yielding to His Spirit within us can we do what Jesus did and act like Jesus acted.
We can only produce the real character of Christ by yielding to and listening to the Holy Spirit. We've made some progress in not acting like we did before being saved through our own efforts. We inherently knew we should stop cussing and brawling and drinking. All these things should rightly be shut down in our lives, but did we stop them in order to become righteous before God or did we stop them because we have become righteous before God?
The first reason to stop these things is of the flesh and the other is of the Spirit. One is by Law and the other is by grace. One is to gain a place in Christ and the other is to receive your place in Christ. According to 2Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified), we have already been "declared righteous in Christ Jesus." And, now that we've been made righteous in Him, we simply allow His Holy Spirit to bring forth fruit of His righteousness.
Our old nature, the training and educating of our flesh and mind, must be renewed and brought into subjection by the Word and His Spirit. 2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin; for correction of error and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Most of us have never looked at the Word as a power to change, but a rule to live by. Without the Holy Spirit to bring about the power of change through the Word, it once again becomes Law to the hearer and a source of condemnation and shortcomings. Somehow, we fail to see what we are in Christ and struggle to become what He has already made us to be. As a result, we failed to produce the character of Christ in our lives.
Once we receive by faith what grace has already made us to be in Him, it becomes so much easier to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit. So long as we continue seeing ourselves as we were instead of who He made us to be, we cannot portray the character of Jesus. One of satan's most powerful tools against the child of God, is convincing us that we are still unworthy and unrighteous.
The character of Christ must come from within us and not from rules. As long as satan can convince you that you're unworthy and a sinner, how can you ever hope to conduct yourself in the joy and peace of Christ?
John 14:27 (Amplified) says, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled)."
Jesus reveals to us in this scripture how we can walk in the Fruit (or character) of the Spirit. His peace is "the peace that passes all understanding" and is available to us by faith in Jesus' sacrifice. The only way of receiving this peace is by faith in His grace. It has nothing to do with who you were, but only who you are now. Only those who have been made righteous can walk in His character.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Lesson 16 The Character of Christ
Galatians 5:22-23 (Amplified) tells us, "But the Fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (self restraint, continence) against such things there is no law (that can bring a change)."
The Fruit of the Spirit, "the work which His presence within accomplishes," is producing the very character of Jesus the Christ within us. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we can never produce this character. We've tried to produce His character throughout the years through the actions of the flesh and the old, carnal man. Mostly, we've been only able to produce the same self-righteous spirit that was present in the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day and became critical, judgmental and condemning.
This isn't what we wished to produce, but it was all the flesh could do. The character of Christ can only be revealed to the world through us by our yielding to the Holy Spirit. This very thing keeps today's Church divided even now.
Paul spoke about this in 1Corinthians 1:11-13 (Amplified) saying, "For it has been made clear to me, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions and wranglings and factions among you." Verses 12-13 go on, "What I mean is this, that each one of you (either) says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas (Peter), or I belong to Christ. Is Christ (the Messiah) divided into parts? Was Paul crucified on behalf of you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?"
We have local churches we attend and each has a pastor in them. We should have a local body in which to worship and learn, but not to party factions like Galatians 5:20 (Amplified) says, "Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies)."
The Body of Christ will only unify if she yields to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to live through us. Many of us differ in some of the things we believe from the Word, but different isn't always wrong...it's just different. If I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues, then does that mean I'm not of the faith?
Or, if I don't believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking of other tongues, then does that mean I'm not of the faith? When we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that He and He alone has cleansed us of our sin and iniquities, then doesn't this make us one body?
1Corinthians 3:10-15 (Amplified) says that, "According to the grace (the special endowment for my tasks) of God bestowed upon me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid (the) foundation, and now another (man) is building upon it. But let each (man) be careful how he builds upon it." Verses 12-13 go on, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is (already) laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). But if anyone builds upon the foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. The work of each (one) will become (plainly, openly) known (shown for what it is) For the day (of Christ) will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done." Verses 14-15 say, "If the work that any person has built on this foundation (any product of his efforts whatever) survives (this test) he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up (under the test) he will suffer the loss (of it all, losing his reward) though he himself will be saved, but only as (one who has passed) through fire."
We argue in the Church over such things as healing, tongues, prosperity, the gifts of the Spirit, the rapture of the Church and other items. Whatever we have built on the foundation (Jesus and Him Crucified) will be tested for truth. Even though some of our doctrines might be burned by trials, the foundation of Jesus Christ will stand firm.
In these last days, we will discover that some of what we teach and believe was wrong according to the real truth of God. The One thing that all Christians have in common is that we all believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Much of what we argue over will be dissolved as we yield to the Fruit and character of Christ, by the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit leads us, many of the things that have divided and separated us, don't matter anymore. We can all still rejoice in forgiveness and thanksgiving to Him Who died and rose again for us.
The Fruit of the Spirit, "the work which His presence within accomplishes," is producing the very character of Jesus the Christ within us. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we can never produce this character. We've tried to produce His character throughout the years through the actions of the flesh and the old, carnal man. Mostly, we've been only able to produce the same self-righteous spirit that was present in the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day and became critical, judgmental and condemning.
This isn't what we wished to produce, but it was all the flesh could do. The character of Christ can only be revealed to the world through us by our yielding to the Holy Spirit. This very thing keeps today's Church divided even now.
Paul spoke about this in 1Corinthians 1:11-13 (Amplified) saying, "For it has been made clear to me, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions and wranglings and factions among you." Verses 12-13 go on, "What I mean is this, that each one of you (either) says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas (Peter), or I belong to Christ. Is Christ (the Messiah) divided into parts? Was Paul crucified on behalf of you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?"
We have local churches we attend and each has a pastor in them. We should have a local body in which to worship and learn, but not to party factions like Galatians 5:20 (Amplified) says, "Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies)."
The Body of Christ will only unify if she yields to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to live through us. Many of us differ in some of the things we believe from the Word, but different isn't always wrong...it's just different. If I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues, then does that mean I'm not of the faith?
Or, if I don't believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking of other tongues, then does that mean I'm not of the faith? When we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that He and He alone has cleansed us of our sin and iniquities, then doesn't this make us one body?
1Corinthians 3:10-15 (Amplified) says that, "According to the grace (the special endowment for my tasks) of God bestowed upon me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid (the) foundation, and now another (man) is building upon it. But let each (man) be careful how he builds upon it." Verses 12-13 go on, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is (already) laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). But if anyone builds upon the foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. The work of each (one) will become (plainly, openly) known (shown for what it is) For the day (of Christ) will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done." Verses 14-15 say, "If the work that any person has built on this foundation (any product of his efforts whatever) survives (this test) he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up (under the test) he will suffer the loss (of it all, losing his reward) though he himself will be saved, but only as (one who has passed) through fire."
We argue in the Church over such things as healing, tongues, prosperity, the gifts of the Spirit, the rapture of the Church and other items. Whatever we have built on the foundation (Jesus and Him Crucified) will be tested for truth. Even though some of our doctrines might be burned by trials, the foundation of Jesus Christ will stand firm.
In these last days, we will discover that some of what we teach and believe was wrong according to the real truth of God. The One thing that all Christians have in common is that we all believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Much of what we argue over will be dissolved as we yield to the Fruit and character of Christ, by the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit leads us, many of the things that have divided and separated us, don't matter anymore. We can all still rejoice in forgiveness and thanksgiving to Him Who died and rose again for us.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Lesson 15 The Character of Christ
Hebrews 4:9 (Amplified) tells us, "So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath rest reserved for the (true) people of God."
Previously, we learned how resting in the finished work of Jesus is what will bring forth the character of Christ in the Church. We won't succeed as long as we continue trying to make the Fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ produce by the works of the flesh. They are called the "Fruit of the Spirit" and not "the fruit of the flesh," for a reason.
Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
There are only two ways of dealing with things here on earth. Either you go by the way of the world or the way of the Word. These are the only options. If we go by the world's way, then we're still in the flesh or carnal thinking and if you go the Word's way, then we put away carnal thinking and are truly led by the Spirit.
Here's an example: we're called to "Love our enemies," but there's no way the carnal man can do this. This leads to our choosing to be led by the Spirit or led by the world or the carnal way of thinking. The carnal mind says that someone is your enemy and this proves you do not like that person and it's very easy to treat him like an enemy. The way of the Spirit is to react by the Word. You might ask, "If I treat him in love and I feel angry towards him, then doesn't that make me a hypocrite? The answer is, "No!" When you know how the Word says to treat your enemies and then still treat him poorly, then you are a hypocrite.
We are not called to be led or ruled by our emotions, but by the Holy Spirit. Carnal men are ruled by their emotions and sons of God are led by the Word. Many in today's Church are still ruled more by the carnal (soulish)man and mind than by the Spirit. This doesn't mean they aren't saved or they don't belong to God, but means they're not led by the Spirit.
We learn from Galatians 5:22-23 that we can only produce the Fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ by yielding to the Spirit. The character of Christ must come through the Holy Spirit working in your own spirit.
Man was obligated to walk this way under the Law, but because they didn't have the new birth and the Holy Spirit in their spirit (which was alive unto God), they couldn't produce the character of Christ in their lives.
When we're faced with a decision to act or react, we must make a choice whether to act according to the emotions of the soulish man or act according to the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus was faced with the very same decision, every day of His life. There were many times when Jesus could simply have reacted by His flesh and rained fire down on the people around Him. He said in John 5:30 (Amplified), "I am able to do nothing from Myself (independently, of My Own accord-but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders) even as I, I judge (decide as I am bidden to decide, As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision) And My judgment is right (just, righteous) because I do not seek or consult My Own will. (I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My Own aim, My Own purpose) but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me."
The Fruit of the Spirit is exactly that; it's the fruit that the Spirit bears in the life of the believer. We can only ever hope to walk in His character by completely surrendering to the Holy Spirit (God) and having Him dwell in us. Sometimes, we forget that Jesus was a Man. We've erroneously placed Him in a position where He had nothing to say about what He could do and not do. This is not true!
Just before going to the cross, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane saying, "If there is any other way." Then, Jesus made the decision to do His Father's will and not His Own. We're faced with the decision of doing our will and doing His will continuously. We might not wish to react to someone in love, then we decide to do His will and not our own. This is the character of Christ and the only way of producing this in our lives is by resting in His Spirit within us and allowing His character (not our own) to come forth by the Spirit.
Jesus is our example and we should walk in the meekness and humility of the Spirit flowing through Him during His trial and sentencing. Jesus is God and could easily have called down legions of angels to deliver him, but He didn't.
Previously, we learned how resting in the finished work of Jesus is what will bring forth the character of Christ in the Church. We won't succeed as long as we continue trying to make the Fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ produce by the works of the flesh. They are called the "Fruit of the Spirit" and not "the fruit of the flesh," for a reason.
Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
There are only two ways of dealing with things here on earth. Either you go by the way of the world or the way of the Word. These are the only options. If we go by the world's way, then we're still in the flesh or carnal thinking and if you go the Word's way, then we put away carnal thinking and are truly led by the Spirit.
Here's an example: we're called to "Love our enemies," but there's no way the carnal man can do this. This leads to our choosing to be led by the Spirit or led by the world or the carnal way of thinking. The carnal mind says that someone is your enemy and this proves you do not like that person and it's very easy to treat him like an enemy. The way of the Spirit is to react by the Word. You might ask, "If I treat him in love and I feel angry towards him, then doesn't that make me a hypocrite? The answer is, "No!" When you know how the Word says to treat your enemies and then still treat him poorly, then you are a hypocrite.
We are not called to be led or ruled by our emotions, but by the Holy Spirit. Carnal men are ruled by their emotions and sons of God are led by the Word. Many in today's Church are still ruled more by the carnal (soulish)man and mind than by the Spirit. This doesn't mean they aren't saved or they don't belong to God, but means they're not led by the Spirit.
We learn from Galatians 5:22-23 that we can only produce the Fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ by yielding to the Spirit. The character of Christ must come through the Holy Spirit working in your own spirit.
Man was obligated to walk this way under the Law, but because they didn't have the new birth and the Holy Spirit in their spirit (which was alive unto God), they couldn't produce the character of Christ in their lives.
When we're faced with a decision to act or react, we must make a choice whether to act according to the emotions of the soulish man or act according to the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus was faced with the very same decision, every day of His life. There were many times when Jesus could simply have reacted by His flesh and rained fire down on the people around Him. He said in John 5:30 (Amplified), "I am able to do nothing from Myself (independently, of My Own accord-but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders) even as I, I judge (decide as I am bidden to decide, As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision) And My judgment is right (just, righteous) because I do not seek or consult My Own will. (I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My Own aim, My Own purpose) but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me."
The Fruit of the Spirit is exactly that; it's the fruit that the Spirit bears in the life of the believer. We can only ever hope to walk in His character by completely surrendering to the Holy Spirit (God) and having Him dwell in us. Sometimes, we forget that Jesus was a Man. We've erroneously placed Him in a position where He had nothing to say about what He could do and not do. This is not true!
Just before going to the cross, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane saying, "If there is any other way." Then, Jesus made the decision to do His Father's will and not His Own. We're faced with the decision of doing our will and doing His will continuously. We might not wish to react to someone in love, then we decide to do His will and not our own. This is the character of Christ and the only way of producing this in our lives is by resting in His Spirit within us and allowing His character (not our own) to come forth by the Spirit.
Jesus is our example and we should walk in the meekness and humility of the Spirit flowing through Him during His trial and sentencing. Jesus is God and could easily have called down legions of angels to deliver him, but He didn't.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Lesson 14 The Character of Christ
Hebrews 4:9-11 (Amplified) says, "So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete sabbath-rest reserved for the (true) people of God; For he who has once entered (God's) rest also has ceased from (the weariness and pain) of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His Own. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest (of God, to know and experience it for ourselves) that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience (into which those in the wilderness fell)."
This might seem like a strange scripture to use concerning the character of Christ. Truthfully, it's difficult to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit (the character of Christ) by your own works. The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 is actually the very character of Christ and is impossible to produce by the works of the flesh. We continue trying to produce this fruit of character by our own efforts. It's true that we must exert discipline over our flesh by the Word, but we must learn to rest in God's rest for it to be manifest.
This "rest" that God speaks about is the grace we now have instead of the Law of the old covenant. Under the Law, the people had to try and manifest all the character traits by their own efforts and they failed. However, we now have the Holy Spirit living in us to produce from within and not from without.
As we learn to rest in the new covenant of grace, we find that the less we try manifesting it by works, the more is manifest by grace. God never intended for us to do things on our own. He, indeed, knew we could not do them on our own. The same qualities were demanded of the old covenant people, but without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the grace, they couldn't produce the character of Christ. We, however, are of a new covenant and a new Spirit.
Under Law, the people had the old sin nature and character of the dead flesh. Under the new covenant, we're to live our lives through Him and allow that character to produce from His very Own Spirit Who lives through us. We can never produce the love that the Word speaks of through the works of the flesh.
Part of this Fruit character is peace. How can we live in this peace that "passes all understanding" by the works of the flesh? The only possible way of producing this part of the Fruit or character of Christ, is to live in Him. John 14:27 (Amplified) says, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you."
The only means of producing this peace or Fruit or character, is to receive it by faith in His covenant of grace and then rest in it. The harder we try to live in peace in this world, the more it evades us. The only way to have His peace is to live in Him and in His peace. This is a part of the character or Fruit of the Spirit that now lives in and through us.
If we don't enter into His rest or His grace, then we cannot bring forth this peace. Everything in this world is now screaming out fear, anger, resentment and trial. Only grace and entering into this grace or rest can produce this character in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit living in him, humanity can never produce this Fruit or character anymore than an apple tree can bring forth peaches. The root of the tree determines the fruit of the tree.
This isn't something we can simply manufacture in our lives. We must yield to His life within us. We've wanted to produce this fruit in our lives and to reveal Jesus to the world, but it hasn't been working very well for us. We've tried modifying our behavior by willpower and restraint, but mostly that's resulted in failure.
The rest of grace God speaks about in Hebrews 4 is nothing more than the realization that God has already completed everything needed to be completed. We are simply to rest in Him in order for the Fruit or character to begin producing. We are "still in the world, but we are not of the world." We can never expect the world to produce that which only the Holy Spirit can produce.
We learn to rest in His grace and love and then we see the old fruit, the anger of the old man, has been pruned away already. We don't need anger management classes when we rest in Him. The anger dies out because it's no longer being nourished. His goodness now overshadows the nature of the old flesh and our whole character becomes His character.
Just like we no longer yield to sin in our bodies, we no longer yield to any of the other habits of the flesh. We combat them the same way; by the Word and the teachings of grace. John 15:3 (Amplified) says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."
When we learn to read the Word by the Holy Spirit instead of religious doctrines, we will produce what grace has sown in our spirit. It's simply living through Him and allowing Him to live through us. Many Christians are still have clouded thinking about this subject due to religious teaching instead of Holy Spirit teaching. The Root that produces Christ in us is the Holy Spirit Himself. He alone has been given the task or ministry of producing the character of Christ in the Body of Christ. Only by listening and yielding to Him can we truly produce the Fruit of the very character of Christ and let the world see Him through us.
This might seem like a strange scripture to use concerning the character of Christ. Truthfully, it's difficult to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit (the character of Christ) by your own works. The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 is actually the very character of Christ and is impossible to produce by the works of the flesh. We continue trying to produce this fruit of character by our own efforts. It's true that we must exert discipline over our flesh by the Word, but we must learn to rest in God's rest for it to be manifest.
This "rest" that God speaks about is the grace we now have instead of the Law of the old covenant. Under the Law, the people had to try and manifest all the character traits by their own efforts and they failed. However, we now have the Holy Spirit living in us to produce from within and not from without.
As we learn to rest in the new covenant of grace, we find that the less we try manifesting it by works, the more is manifest by grace. God never intended for us to do things on our own. He, indeed, knew we could not do them on our own. The same qualities were demanded of the old covenant people, but without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the grace, they couldn't produce the character of Christ. We, however, are of a new covenant and a new Spirit.
Under Law, the people had the old sin nature and character of the dead flesh. Under the new covenant, we're to live our lives through Him and allow that character to produce from His very Own Spirit Who lives through us. We can never produce the love that the Word speaks of through the works of the flesh.
Part of this Fruit character is peace. How can we live in this peace that "passes all understanding" by the works of the flesh? The only possible way of producing this part of the Fruit or character of Christ, is to live in Him. John 14:27 (Amplified) says, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you."
The only means of producing this peace or Fruit or character, is to receive it by faith in His covenant of grace and then rest in it. The harder we try to live in peace in this world, the more it evades us. The only way to have His peace is to live in Him and in His peace. This is a part of the character or Fruit of the Spirit that now lives in and through us.
If we don't enter into His rest or His grace, then we cannot bring forth this peace. Everything in this world is now screaming out fear, anger, resentment and trial. Only grace and entering into this grace or rest can produce this character in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit living in him, humanity can never produce this Fruit or character anymore than an apple tree can bring forth peaches. The root of the tree determines the fruit of the tree.
This isn't something we can simply manufacture in our lives. We must yield to His life within us. We've wanted to produce this fruit in our lives and to reveal Jesus to the world, but it hasn't been working very well for us. We've tried modifying our behavior by willpower and restraint, but mostly that's resulted in failure.
The rest of grace God speaks about in Hebrews 4 is nothing more than the realization that God has already completed everything needed to be completed. We are simply to rest in Him in order for the Fruit or character to begin producing. We are "still in the world, but we are not of the world." We can never expect the world to produce that which only the Holy Spirit can produce.
We learn to rest in His grace and love and then we see the old fruit, the anger of the old man, has been pruned away already. We don't need anger management classes when we rest in Him. The anger dies out because it's no longer being nourished. His goodness now overshadows the nature of the old flesh and our whole character becomes His character.
Just like we no longer yield to sin in our bodies, we no longer yield to any of the other habits of the flesh. We combat them the same way; by the Word and the teachings of grace. John 15:3 (Amplified) says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."
When we learn to read the Word by the Holy Spirit instead of religious doctrines, we will produce what grace has sown in our spirit. It's simply living through Him and allowing Him to live through us. Many Christians are still have clouded thinking about this subject due to religious teaching instead of Holy Spirit teaching. The Root that produces Christ in us is the Holy Spirit Himself. He alone has been given the task or ministry of producing the character of Christ in the Body of Christ. Only by listening and yielding to Him can we truly produce the Fruit of the very character of Christ and let the world see Him through us.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Lesson `13 The Character of Christ
John 18:7-8 (Amplified) says, "Then again He asked them, Whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus answered, I told you that I am He, so if you want Me (if it is only I for Whom you are looking), let these men go their way."
Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' character was still under the character of the Holy Spirit Who guided Him throughout His entire ministry. The Fruit of the Spirit, the very character of Jesus, was still more concerned for His disciples rather than Himself.
As Jesus spent more time in prayer before His betrayal, His entire character was for others and not Himself. Jesus could have been bitter about His betrayal or been concerned about Himself, but He wasn't. Jesus' joy was for the thing that was to come upon those of us who would follow Him. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit wasn't for Himself even in His hour of trial.
Nobody had any idea of what it was Jesus had to face; only He knew. The fruit (or character) of faithfulness that held Him to His course was strong even in the face of the cross. Self control kept Him in the full course of His task at hand. They all watched Jesus being beaten, spit upon and mocked. They all watched Jesus carry the cross that would make Him a cursed for us. No one understood the fullness of what was to happen, but His character held true until the very end.
As He hung on the cross and felt the pain and agony of His torture, Jesus' self control was towards those who place Him there and He said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." As He gave up the Spirit, they could only know what they could see with their natural eyes. No one in the crowd knew or could know at the time, that all the sin, sickness, disease, curse and spiritual death was consuming Him. Yet, His Own character held fast and never faltered.
We've never endured or encountered anything like He was going through. Many in today's Church still have no idea what happened that day. They don't know that all the judgment of a righteous God came down on Him, for us. Jesus was separated from the Father, into the place of the lost, so we could become reunited to the Father again.
The entire curse of the Law from Deuteronomy 28:15-16 was coursing through His body and spirit until He Himself became a curse for us. Galatians 3:13 says that, "He became a curse for us so that we might be blessed." 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness)."
No one could know that Jesus was to descend into the lower parts of the earth for us so we could ascend into the throne room with Him. Ephesians 4:9 (Amplified) says, "(But He ascended?) Now what can this, He ascended mean but that He had previously descended from (the heights of) heaven into (the depths), the lower parts of the earth." They couldn't possibly know that what He said concerning Jonah was being fulfilled before their very eyes at the cross. Matthew 12:41 (Amplified) says, "For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
If you read the 2nd chapter of Jonah, then you'll find a man who was not in paradise, but in serious trouble. Thus, Jonah 2:1-10 (Amplified) reads, "Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly and said, I cried out of my distress to the Lord, And He heard me; out of the belly of sheol cried I, and You heard my voice." Verses 3-10 go on, "For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me, all Your waves and billows passed over me, Then I said, I have been cast out of Your presence and Your holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the (extinction of) life; The abyss surrounded me, the seaweed was wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms and the very roots of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet You have brought up my life from the pit and corruption, Oh Lord My God. When my soul fainted upon me (crushing me), I earnestly and seriously remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. Those who pay regard to false, useless, and worthless idols forsake their own (source of) mercy and loving kindness, But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed, Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord, And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."
Those people surrounding the cross, only saw the Man Jesus as He died. None knew what was transpiring in the spirit realm. None could see Him become sin with our sin. None could see Him become a curse for our blessing. None could see Him be separated from the Father so we could be reunited with Him. None could witness the great exchange that took place at Jesus' death. All they could see was what happened in this natural realm.
Throughout Jesus' entire ordeal, the Fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ, never once became tainted or twisted from the love that consumed Him. All the sin, sickness, disease and punishment that came upon Him for our sake, but Jesus' only concern was for us and not Himself. This is the fruit, the character of our Lord the Holy Spirit is working to produce in our lives.
Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' character was still under the character of the Holy Spirit Who guided Him throughout His entire ministry. The Fruit of the Spirit, the very character of Jesus, was still more concerned for His disciples rather than Himself.
As Jesus spent more time in prayer before His betrayal, His entire character was for others and not Himself. Jesus could have been bitter about His betrayal or been concerned about Himself, but He wasn't. Jesus' joy was for the thing that was to come upon those of us who would follow Him. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit wasn't for Himself even in His hour of trial.
Nobody had any idea of what it was Jesus had to face; only He knew. The fruit (or character) of faithfulness that held Him to His course was strong even in the face of the cross. Self control kept Him in the full course of His task at hand. They all watched Jesus being beaten, spit upon and mocked. They all watched Jesus carry the cross that would make Him a cursed for us. No one understood the fullness of what was to happen, but His character held true until the very end.
As He hung on the cross and felt the pain and agony of His torture, Jesus' self control was towards those who place Him there and He said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." As He gave up the Spirit, they could only know what they could see with their natural eyes. No one in the crowd knew or could know at the time, that all the sin, sickness, disease, curse and spiritual death was consuming Him. Yet, His Own character held fast and never faltered.
We've never endured or encountered anything like He was going through. Many in today's Church still have no idea what happened that day. They don't know that all the judgment of a righteous God came down on Him, for us. Jesus was separated from the Father, into the place of the lost, so we could become reunited to the Father again.
The entire curse of the Law from Deuteronomy 28:15-16 was coursing through His body and spirit until He Himself became a curse for us. Galatians 3:13 says that, "He became a curse for us so that we might be blessed." 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness)."
No one could know that Jesus was to descend into the lower parts of the earth for us so we could ascend into the throne room with Him. Ephesians 4:9 (Amplified) says, "(But He ascended?) Now what can this, He ascended mean but that He had previously descended from (the heights of) heaven into (the depths), the lower parts of the earth." They couldn't possibly know that what He said concerning Jonah was being fulfilled before their very eyes at the cross. Matthew 12:41 (Amplified) says, "For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
If you read the 2nd chapter of Jonah, then you'll find a man who was not in paradise, but in serious trouble. Thus, Jonah 2:1-10 (Amplified) reads, "Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly and said, I cried out of my distress to the Lord, And He heard me; out of the belly of sheol cried I, and You heard my voice." Verses 3-10 go on, "For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me, all Your waves and billows passed over me, Then I said, I have been cast out of Your presence and Your holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the (extinction of) life; The abyss surrounded me, the seaweed was wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms and the very roots of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet You have brought up my life from the pit and corruption, Oh Lord My God. When my soul fainted upon me (crushing me), I earnestly and seriously remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. Those who pay regard to false, useless, and worthless idols forsake their own (source of) mercy and loving kindness, But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed, Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord, And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."
Those people surrounding the cross, only saw the Man Jesus as He died. None knew what was transpiring in the spirit realm. None could see Him become sin with our sin. None could see Him become a curse for our blessing. None could see Him be separated from the Father so we could be reunited with Him. None could witness the great exchange that took place at Jesus' death. All they could see was what happened in this natural realm.
Throughout Jesus' entire ordeal, the Fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ, never once became tainted or twisted from the love that consumed Him. All the sin, sickness, disease and punishment that came upon Him for our sake, but Jesus' only concern was for us and not Himself. This is the fruit, the character of our Lord the Holy Spirit is working to produce in our lives.
Lesson 12 The Character of Christ
We come to the scripture that speaks about God disciplining His children as son in Hebrews 12. We've mostly heard that God disciplines with sickness, hard times and trials. We aren't children of the Law or the flesh, but are the children of the Spirit. God is Spirit and disciplines His children (who are of the Spirit), by the Spirit. His Word is Spirit and it is life.
We are instructed and disciplined in and by His Spirit when dealing with the fruit or character of Christ. We must yield to the Holy Spirit when facing the various trials, oppositions and hostilities of the world. Hebrews 12:9 tells of the difference between "the fathers of the flesh" and our heavenly Father. Our earthly father disciplines the flesh (mostly the part that you sit on) and God disciplines the Spirit by His Spirit and His Word.
When we react to the trials of the world by the same discipline of the world, then the Spirit will correct us and bring us into subjection of the Spirit if we listen and allow His correction. Christians need to really pay attention to 1Corinthians 14:32-33. This scripture is speaking about prophesying and speaking in tongues, but there's a very bold statement we should understand and see in Verse 32 which says, "For the Spirit of the prophets (the speaker in tongues) are under the speaker's control (and subject to being silenced as may be necessary)." The King James version says it like this, "The Spirit of the prophet, is subject to the prophet."
In other words, God is not going to make you speak in tongues, your spirit is still under your control. This principle is still true when applied to producing the fruit or character of Christ in your life. Your spirit is under your control. You can either react in the meekness of the Spirit by surrendering your spirit to the Holy Spirit or in the harshness of the flesh. It's not something to be forced out of you, but it's something that flows out of you.
The character of Christ is in you by the very same Spirit that was in Christ Jesus. Jesus only said what the Father told Him to say and only went where the Father told Him to go. This is yielding your spirit to the will of God's Spirit within you. If the "Spirit of the person is still subject to the person," then don't we have a choice in how we react?
We sort of choose what part of the fruit we wish to produce in our lives. I hear people say that, "I have the fruit of long suffering" or "I have the fruit of joy." If this is true, then you've only yielded to a small portion of the Holy Spirit. Remember when Jesus said, "Not My will, but Your will be done?" This is what produces the fruit or character of Christ in our daily walk with Him.
The only way of successfully dealing with the world and the trials that it will bring against you, is to yield to His Spirit. It's not because God withheld part of His nature and character from us when we were born again. It's because we haven't imitated God in His character. Religion gives us many ways of justifying the flesh when we don't walk in His character. We've mostly heard them all, but have taken the fruits that best suit us best. We've been told that, "Not all of us have these fruits," "Yes, but that was Jesus" and "God will work it out of me in His Own time." These might sound good to the hearer, but truthfully, this character will never be seen in our lives until we yield to the discipline and direction of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit knows how we're to react to the world and as His children, we know how we are to react too. It's not a matter of knowing, but of yielding. We know for instance, how to react in what and how we say things, but we're selective in how and to whom we say them. We don't mind raising our voice and being angry at home or with certain persons, but when stopped by a policeman, we react in a very different manner.
Are we living for Christ or living through Christ? If we're living for Him, then it is always a struggle. If we are living through Christ, then it's simply His character coming out.
We are instructed and disciplined in and by His Spirit when dealing with the fruit or character of Christ. We must yield to the Holy Spirit when facing the various trials, oppositions and hostilities of the world. Hebrews 12:9 tells of the difference between "the fathers of the flesh" and our heavenly Father. Our earthly father disciplines the flesh (mostly the part that you sit on) and God disciplines the Spirit by His Spirit and His Word.
When we react to the trials of the world by the same discipline of the world, then the Spirit will correct us and bring us into subjection of the Spirit if we listen and allow His correction. Christians need to really pay attention to 1Corinthians 14:32-33. This scripture is speaking about prophesying and speaking in tongues, but there's a very bold statement we should understand and see in Verse 32 which says, "For the Spirit of the prophets (the speaker in tongues) are under the speaker's control (and subject to being silenced as may be necessary)." The King James version says it like this, "The Spirit of the prophet, is subject to the prophet."
In other words, God is not going to make you speak in tongues, your spirit is still under your control. This principle is still true when applied to producing the fruit or character of Christ in your life. Your spirit is under your control. You can either react in the meekness of the Spirit by surrendering your spirit to the Holy Spirit or in the harshness of the flesh. It's not something to be forced out of you, but it's something that flows out of you.
The character of Christ is in you by the very same Spirit that was in Christ Jesus. Jesus only said what the Father told Him to say and only went where the Father told Him to go. This is yielding your spirit to the will of God's Spirit within you. If the "Spirit of the person is still subject to the person," then don't we have a choice in how we react?
We sort of choose what part of the fruit we wish to produce in our lives. I hear people say that, "I have the fruit of long suffering" or "I have the fruit of joy." If this is true, then you've only yielded to a small portion of the Holy Spirit. Remember when Jesus said, "Not My will, but Your will be done?" This is what produces the fruit or character of Christ in our daily walk with Him.
The only way of successfully dealing with the world and the trials that it will bring against you, is to yield to His Spirit. It's not because God withheld part of His nature and character from us when we were born again. It's because we haven't imitated God in His character. Religion gives us many ways of justifying the flesh when we don't walk in His character. We've mostly heard them all, but have taken the fruits that best suit us best. We've been told that, "Not all of us have these fruits," "Yes, but that was Jesus" and "God will work it out of me in His Own time." These might sound good to the hearer, but truthfully, this character will never be seen in our lives until we yield to the discipline and direction of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit knows how we're to react to the world and as His children, we know how we are to react too. It's not a matter of knowing, but of yielding. We know for instance, how to react in what and how we say things, but we're selective in how and to whom we say them. We don't mind raising our voice and being angry at home or with certain persons, but when stopped by a policeman, we react in a very different manner.
Are we living for Christ or living through Christ? If we're living for Him, then it is always a struggle. If we are living through Christ, then it's simply His character coming out.
Lesson 11 The Character of Christ
The Character of Christ is the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. This is what we, as Christians, are to be developing in our lives by the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This comes by yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It's much simpler to walk in the Fruit (character) of the Spirit than you might think.
We mostly walk in the character of the flesh that we walked in for so long. In order to walk differently, we must learn to think before reacting to the various trials and temptations that life brings our way. There are only two ways of dealing with these things in our lives. We will either react
by the Word or by the world. These are our only options.
It's always easier to do like we did before being saved because we were trained by the world. Before I was born again, I was moody and distant in many ways. I stayed away from people as much as possible. Even when people came to my house, I wondered what they wanted. It never occurred to me that someone would come simply to visit me and that they had no ulterior motive behind their visit. I chose to have only a few friends and I was quite content to leave it that way.
My wife and close family were really all I cared much about. I always lived way out in the country with my family, my horses and my collie dog. The people I worked with were just that; people I worked with. I never went to their house to hang out and they didn't come to my house. I worked hard and provided for my own and took care of things like I should. If anyone asked me, I would have told them, "I loved my family," but it was only after being saved that I realized I really didn't love them.
We can only really learn to love after we're born again. God is Love. Without Him in my life, I did what was expected out of obligation and affection more than anything else. The true meaning of Love was something only the Spirit of God can put in our hearts.
The Fruit of the Spirit is simply the Spirit of God living through us. We can stand in opposition to it and stubbornly walk in the things of the flesh like before being saved or we can yield to Him and live in His character. The character of Christ is a life lived through Christ instead of a life that's lived for Christ. Some might believe that these are one and the same.
When we allow Jesus to live through us, there is no phony or make believe nature anymore. We become transparent to the point of being "real." You're not one thing in church and something different at home. You are as He is, "The same yesterday, today and tomorrow and forever." You don't respond in anger or frustration at things that used to make you lose it anymore.
There are many things in Jesus' life that we take for granted and believe happened only because, "He was Jesus." Jesus said though, that, "It's the Father that does the works." Jesus wasn't only speaking about the miracles, but why and how He did them. He was moved by compassion and healed the multitude.
This compassion is and was the very character of the Father Who lived through Him and not He Himself. Jesus had the opportunity to become frustrated, angry and fed up with the people because it was in His flesh part of His make up. The difference between Him and us is the He never yielded to it.
Hebrews 12:23 (Amplified) says, "Looking away (from all that will distract) to Jesus, Who is the leader and the source of our faith (giving the first incentive for our belief), And is also its finisher (bringing it to maturity and perfection) He, for the joy (of obtaining the prize) that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Verse 3 goes on, "Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself (reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials), so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your hearts."
As we allow the Holy Spirit to live through us and not just in us, we can obtain this same "fruit" or character that was in Jesus.
We mostly walk in the character of the flesh that we walked in for so long. In order to walk differently, we must learn to think before reacting to the various trials and temptations that life brings our way. There are only two ways of dealing with these things in our lives. We will either react
by the Word or by the world. These are our only options.
It's always easier to do like we did before being saved because we were trained by the world. Before I was born again, I was moody and distant in many ways. I stayed away from people as much as possible. Even when people came to my house, I wondered what they wanted. It never occurred to me that someone would come simply to visit me and that they had no ulterior motive behind their visit. I chose to have only a few friends and I was quite content to leave it that way.
My wife and close family were really all I cared much about. I always lived way out in the country with my family, my horses and my collie dog. The people I worked with were just that; people I worked with. I never went to their house to hang out and they didn't come to my house. I worked hard and provided for my own and took care of things like I should. If anyone asked me, I would have told them, "I loved my family," but it was only after being saved that I realized I really didn't love them.
We can only really learn to love after we're born again. God is Love. Without Him in my life, I did what was expected out of obligation and affection more than anything else. The true meaning of Love was something only the Spirit of God can put in our hearts.
The Fruit of the Spirit is simply the Spirit of God living through us. We can stand in opposition to it and stubbornly walk in the things of the flesh like before being saved or we can yield to Him and live in His character. The character of Christ is a life lived through Christ instead of a life that's lived for Christ. Some might believe that these are one and the same.
When we allow Jesus to live through us, there is no phony or make believe nature anymore. We become transparent to the point of being "real." You're not one thing in church and something different at home. You are as He is, "The same yesterday, today and tomorrow and forever." You don't respond in anger or frustration at things that used to make you lose it anymore.
There are many things in Jesus' life that we take for granted and believe happened only because, "He was Jesus." Jesus said though, that, "It's the Father that does the works." Jesus wasn't only speaking about the miracles, but why and how He did them. He was moved by compassion and healed the multitude.
This compassion is and was the very character of the Father Who lived through Him and not He Himself. Jesus had the opportunity to become frustrated, angry and fed up with the people because it was in His flesh part of His make up. The difference between Him and us is the He never yielded to it.
Hebrews 12:23 (Amplified) says, "Looking away (from all that will distract) to Jesus, Who is the leader and the source of our faith (giving the first incentive for our belief), And is also its finisher (bringing it to maturity and perfection) He, for the joy (of obtaining the prize) that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Verse 3 goes on, "Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself (reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials), so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your hearts."
As we allow the Holy Spirit to live through us and not just in us, we can obtain this same "fruit" or character that was in Jesus.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Lesson 10 The Character of Christ
John 15:1-8 (Amplified) says, "I Am the true Vine, and My Father is the Vine dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses any repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 3 goes on, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you." Verses 4-8 go on,
"Dwell in Me, and I will dwell with 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. 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. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a (broken-off) branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you live in Me (abide vitally united to Me) and My Words remain in you, and continue to live in your hearts; ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine."
There is so much to share in these few scriptures and so much to be learned from them. We have misinterpreted much of what Jesus had to say in these verses. He said that, "He is the Vine" and the life of the branches is fed through the vine. God is the Vine dresser and owner of the vineyard. He is the One Who takes care of the vineyard and is in charge of the vine. 1Timothy 2:6 (Amplified) says that, "(It is) the hard working farmer (who labors to produce) who must be the first partaker of the fruits. It is the Father (the Farmer, or the Vine dresser) that is reaping the harvest of sons into glory."
Jesus said in Verse 2 that "every branch that stops bearings, He prunes and cleanses so it will bear fruit again; and every branch that is bearing fruit (leading the people to salvation) He prunes and cleanses it to bear better fruit."
If you will read to Verse 3, you'll find how He is pruning and cleansing the branches. Thus, it says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word and teachings that He had given them." Our pruning and cleansing doesn't mean trials and tribulation or sickness and hardship. It is the Word that will prune away things that hinder our witness.
Ephesians 5:26-27 (Amplified) says, "So that He might sanctify her (the Church, the believer) having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present the Church to himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things (that she might be holy and faultless)."
The vine can only produce sons and daughters in the same image as the seed. This fruit isn't the "Fruit of the Spirit" found in Galatians 5, but it's the fruit of the new birth. God said in Genesis 1:11-12 (Amplified) that "Not only will each thing produce after kind, but will carry its seed within itself."
We learned in 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) that after we're born again, "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. Jesus is the Word according to John 1:14 (Amplified) which says, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate)."
Jesus was sown as a seed in the earth. John 12:24 (Amplified) says, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one grain, it never becomes more but lives) by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
These scriptures make it plain that the fruit we are to produce from John 15:1-8 is the same fruit (the born again sons of God) that the seed produces. And, because the seed is the Word of God (Jesus), as we go into all the world preaching the Word, we are sowing seed to bring the new birth or children to God.
Jesus continued His discourse in John 15:4-8 (Amplified) saying, "Without abiding in Him, we cannot reproduce the fruit." He didn't say that we're not the fruit, but that the seed (Word) that reproduces isn't dwelling in us. In Verse 5 Jesus says that whoever believes in Him and He (the Word) lives in them, they will bear more fruit. These are seed bearers and those who witness and plant the Word in others. Jesus says something that is often misunderstood in Verse 6 saying, "If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a (broken off) branch, and withers, such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned."
Those who don't dwell in Him (Who is the Vine), are those who are not born again. Only those who are saved are the branches of the vine. These "branches" aren't Christian people, but the unsaved persons. Only the branches of a watermelon vine can produce the fruit of the watermelon. So, those who are not "dwelling or joined to the vine" aren't born again yet. If we preach the Word and sow the seed in their hearts, then they can still become fruit of the Vine.
Verse 7 is one that we need to pay close attention to, saying, "If you live in Me (abide, vitally united to Me) and My Words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you."
There are many times when we fail to study and search the Word. We're not backslidden or back in the world, but we're not "vitally united to Him" like we should be or once were. We begin living more by what we know than by "Who we know." We start living by sermons and religion instead of by united fellowship of revelation. We become "Churchy."
Did you ever buy a package of seed in the spring that produced a very low level of fruit? I've planted seed in the spring that was leftover from prior years, but because it was too long removed from the vine, it lost some of its vitality to reproduce.
The discourse Jesus gave on the vine and the fruit is about the new birth and the fruit of the seed (Jesus). When we become born again, we are in His Image and in His likeness. The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 comes into play in our lives as seed bears. Ephesians 5:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, Be imitators of God (copy Him and follow His example) as well-beloved children (imitate their Father) and walk in love (esteeming and delighting in one another) as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God (for you, so that it became a sweet fragrance)."
We see that as imitators of God, we walk in the Fruit of the Spirit and have the character of Christ living through us on an individual basis. In order to produce the character in our lives, we must find the instructions on how to perfect it. Thus, John 15:2-3 (Amplified) says, "And He cleanses us and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 3 says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) will be honed to sharpness and effectiveness by the Word and the Vine dresser and their teachings. The more time you spend in God's Word by the Spirit, the more His character will abide in you and you will become "imitators of God" through the revelation of His character.
"Dwell in Me, and I will dwell with 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. 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. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a (broken-off) branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you live in Me (abide vitally united to Me) and My Words remain in you, and continue to live in your hearts; ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine."
There is so much to share in these few scriptures and so much to be learned from them. We have misinterpreted much of what Jesus had to say in these verses. He said that, "He is the Vine" and the life of the branches is fed through the vine. God is the Vine dresser and owner of the vineyard. He is the One Who takes care of the vineyard and is in charge of the vine. 1Timothy 2:6 (Amplified) says that, "(It is) the hard working farmer (who labors to produce) who must be the first partaker of the fruits. It is the Father (the Farmer, or the Vine dresser) that is reaping the harvest of sons into glory."
Jesus said in Verse 2 that "every branch that stops bearings, He prunes and cleanses so it will bear fruit again; and every branch that is bearing fruit (leading the people to salvation) He prunes and cleanses it to bear better fruit."
If you will read to Verse 3, you'll find how He is pruning and cleansing the branches. Thus, it says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word and teachings that He had given them." Our pruning and cleansing doesn't mean trials and tribulation or sickness and hardship. It is the Word that will prune away things that hinder our witness.
Ephesians 5:26-27 (Amplified) says, "So that He might sanctify her (the Church, the believer) having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present the Church to himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things (that she might be holy and faultless)."
The vine can only produce sons and daughters in the same image as the seed. This fruit isn't the "Fruit of the Spirit" found in Galatians 5, but it's the fruit of the new birth. God said in Genesis 1:11-12 (Amplified) that "Not only will each thing produce after kind, but will carry its seed within itself."
We learned in 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) that after we're born again, "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. Jesus is the Word according to John 1:14 (Amplified) which says, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate)."
Jesus was sown as a seed in the earth. John 12:24 (Amplified) says, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one grain, it never becomes more but lives) by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
These scriptures make it plain that the fruit we are to produce from John 15:1-8 is the same fruit (the born again sons of God) that the seed produces. And, because the seed is the Word of God (Jesus), as we go into all the world preaching the Word, we are sowing seed to bring the new birth or children to God.
Jesus continued His discourse in John 15:4-8 (Amplified) saying, "Without abiding in Him, we cannot reproduce the fruit." He didn't say that we're not the fruit, but that the seed (Word) that reproduces isn't dwelling in us. In Verse 5 Jesus says that whoever believes in Him and He (the Word) lives in them, they will bear more fruit. These are seed bearers and those who witness and plant the Word in others. Jesus says something that is often misunderstood in Verse 6 saying, "If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a (broken off) branch, and withers, such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned."
Those who don't dwell in Him (Who is the Vine), are those who are not born again. Only those who are saved are the branches of the vine. These "branches" aren't Christian people, but the unsaved persons. Only the branches of a watermelon vine can produce the fruit of the watermelon. So, those who are not "dwelling or joined to the vine" aren't born again yet. If we preach the Word and sow the seed in their hearts, then they can still become fruit of the Vine.
Verse 7 is one that we need to pay close attention to, saying, "If you live in Me (abide, vitally united to Me) and My Words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you."
There are many times when we fail to study and search the Word. We're not backslidden or back in the world, but we're not "vitally united to Him" like we should be or once were. We begin living more by what we know than by "Who we know." We start living by sermons and religion instead of by united fellowship of revelation. We become "Churchy."
Did you ever buy a package of seed in the spring that produced a very low level of fruit? I've planted seed in the spring that was leftover from prior years, but because it was too long removed from the vine, it lost some of its vitality to reproduce.
The discourse Jesus gave on the vine and the fruit is about the new birth and the fruit of the seed (Jesus). When we become born again, we are in His Image and in His likeness. The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 comes into play in our lives as seed bears. Ephesians 5:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, Be imitators of God (copy Him and follow His example) as well-beloved children (imitate their Father) and walk in love (esteeming and delighting in one another) as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God (for you, so that it became a sweet fragrance)."
We see that as imitators of God, we walk in the Fruit of the Spirit and have the character of Christ living through us on an individual basis. In order to produce the character in our lives, we must find the instructions on how to perfect it. Thus, John 15:2-3 (Amplified) says, "And He cleanses us and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 3 says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) will be honed to sharpness and effectiveness by the Word and the Vine dresser and their teachings. The more time you spend in God's Word by the Spirit, the more His character will abide in you and you will become "imitators of God" through the revelation of His character.
Lesson 9 The Character of Christ
As Christians, we've never allowed the Holy Spirit to develop the character of Christ in us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit that comes by our yielding ourselves over to Him. This is the most difficult part of "working out our own salvation" that we encounter.
The receiving of Jesus as our Lord and Savior has insured our eternal salvation. This isn't about whether we are saved or not, but how we yield and allow Jesus to actually live through us. The manner we lived in the flesh and the walk we took in our unsaved condition are difficult to rise above. It's not that we don't wish to walk in the Spirit, it's more that we don't know how to.
We've depended on ourselves and the world for everything for most of our lives. And, now we're learning to surrender ourselves over to something completely foreign to us. We deal with the more obvious things in our lives fairly quickly, but are slower to deal with the hidden nature. We change our drinking, drugging, cussing or whatever we were involved in quickly after being saved.
It's the personality or the habits of our old self that we have trouble dealing with. We mostly find ways to cover up these things in church or public and don't change them.
This is the fruit of the Spirit Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23. You have already become the fruit bearing branch from John 15. The law of Genesis 1:11-12 says that everything produces after its kind. As the first fruits, Jesus reproduced exactly what He is, a new creature, in us. We were born again into the same creation that Jesus was as Spirit filled, God life and sons of God. The very life of God was reproduced in us by His Word and His Spirit.
In one sense, it's no different from children born in the natural sense. The moment they're born, they are humans. They don't need to be taught how to be human because they are humans. We begin teaching and training them the very character of humanity. They must be taught how to walk, talk, eat, read, count and get along with other humans. None of these things are natural to them and must be taught to them. Children learn from their parents to become what they see and hear. Everything they are subject to makes a difference in their development. The very same principle is true in the Body of Christ. Most of us have learned more from religion and the world than from the Word and the Holy Spirit.
We were born with all the attributes of humanity and we were also born with all the attributes of our Heavenly Father. Somehow, we've reached the conclusion that "If God wants it done, then He will do it." Nothing can be further from the truth though. We know God wants it done, so why are we still walking as mere men and not getting it done? The fruit of the Spirit comes by yielding all the things the world has trained us to do, over to Him. This includes not only sinful things, but natural things.
We have a natural personality that includes our disposition and temperament. Each of us has a different attitude towards others depending on how we were trained and raised in our fellowship with others. For instance, those raised in the deep South and those raised in New England both speak English, but the way we speak sounds very different. This has to do with our culture and environment.
I had an explosive temper before being saved and found that I still had it after being saved. As I began yielding to the Holy Spirit, I learned how to yield to gentleness and meekness of the Spirit. This is part of the old nature and training of the natural man that abides in the carnal man. I was trained and brought up that way.
I yielded my smoking habit over to the Lord shortly after being saved. The Spirit didn't deliver me from breathing, only from breathing cigarette smoke. As I yielded that part of myself to Him, the Holy Spirit manifested His "fruit" in place of what Galatians called the "works of the flesh." I still live in this flesh and blood body, but the life of the Spirit is presently in more control than the old habits of the world's training.
I am bearing more and more of the character of Christ in my body by yielding my old nature over to the Holy Spirit. We've all known Christians who still speak and act unbecomingly who we've decided must not "be really saved." We've concluded that they're not really Christians because of the way they behave and talk.
This isn't necessarily true, but results from their not yielding the nature of their personality over to receive not only the Life of the Spirit, but the very nature and character of the Spirit. They aren't bearing fruit to make the seed (the Word they preach) attractive to the hearer. Therefore, "The seed (Word) falls on hard, stoney soil and bears no fruit," according to Mark 4.
Sometimes we wonder why our witness has no effect on others. It's mostly because we don't make our "Fruit of the Spirit" attractive to the hearer. When we appear stiff, stern, without joy, bound by religious traditions and without having attractive fruit, then who would want to be reproduced in that image? The meat or fruit of the apple is attractive. The bright red skin and sweet, enticing white crisp of the apple entices people to partake of the "fruit." The entire purpose of the meat of the apple if to nourish and protect the seed. Once the fruit or meat of the apple is eaten, the seed is revealed to renew and replenish the same kind of apple and complete the cycle.
You are the reproduction of what Jesus (the original seed) has brought to life. Jesus, the Word Himself, has reproduced Himself in us. Now, we must go into all the world, like He did, and preach the Gospel according to Mark 16:15. Why? Because the Word of God is the seed that brings forth the new creation! Listen carefully to what 1Peter 1:23-25 (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." This is the seed that produces the new creation or the new creature and is the fruit of the Vine found in John 15. 1Peter 1:24-25 go on, "For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, the grass withers and the flower drops off. But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever, And this Word is the Good News which is preached to you."
The Word and Gospel that was preached to you has produced the same Spirit and life in you like it did in Jesus. You're not Jesus, but you came from the same seed. When you pick and apple and remove the seed from it and plant it, it will produce another apple tree. The same kind of apple seed will reproduce the same apple tree every time. It will never produce anything but another apple tree. That apple tree will bear the same kind of apple. It's not the same apple, but another that is just like it.
Most orchard owners take care of their fruit trees because if they're not cared for properly, then they will not bear "good fruit." The same seed is inside the apple, but the "fruit" of the apple is undesirable to eaters. This is exactly what happens in our Christian lives when the same seed (the Word) has born the exact same thing, but the fruit (the life of the believer) is unattractive and not desirable to be partaken of by those hearing. The seed within them doesn't reproduce and these people seldomnly lead others to the new birth.
The receiving of Jesus as our Lord and Savior has insured our eternal salvation. This isn't about whether we are saved or not, but how we yield and allow Jesus to actually live through us. The manner we lived in the flesh and the walk we took in our unsaved condition are difficult to rise above. It's not that we don't wish to walk in the Spirit, it's more that we don't know how to.
We've depended on ourselves and the world for everything for most of our lives. And, now we're learning to surrender ourselves over to something completely foreign to us. We deal with the more obvious things in our lives fairly quickly, but are slower to deal with the hidden nature. We change our drinking, drugging, cussing or whatever we were involved in quickly after being saved.
It's the personality or the habits of our old self that we have trouble dealing with. We mostly find ways to cover up these things in church or public and don't change them.
This is the fruit of the Spirit Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23. You have already become the fruit bearing branch from John 15. The law of Genesis 1:11-12 says that everything produces after its kind. As the first fruits, Jesus reproduced exactly what He is, a new creature, in us. We were born again into the same creation that Jesus was as Spirit filled, God life and sons of God. The very life of God was reproduced in us by His Word and His Spirit.
In one sense, it's no different from children born in the natural sense. The moment they're born, they are humans. They don't need to be taught how to be human because they are humans. We begin teaching and training them the very character of humanity. They must be taught how to walk, talk, eat, read, count and get along with other humans. None of these things are natural to them and must be taught to them. Children learn from their parents to become what they see and hear. Everything they are subject to makes a difference in their development. The very same principle is true in the Body of Christ. Most of us have learned more from religion and the world than from the Word and the Holy Spirit.
We were born with all the attributes of humanity and we were also born with all the attributes of our Heavenly Father. Somehow, we've reached the conclusion that "If God wants it done, then He will do it." Nothing can be further from the truth though. We know God wants it done, so why are we still walking as mere men and not getting it done? The fruit of the Spirit comes by yielding all the things the world has trained us to do, over to Him. This includes not only sinful things, but natural things.
We have a natural personality that includes our disposition and temperament. Each of us has a different attitude towards others depending on how we were trained and raised in our fellowship with others. For instance, those raised in the deep South and those raised in New England both speak English, but the way we speak sounds very different. This has to do with our culture and environment.
I had an explosive temper before being saved and found that I still had it after being saved. As I began yielding to the Holy Spirit, I learned how to yield to gentleness and meekness of the Spirit. This is part of the old nature and training of the natural man that abides in the carnal man. I was trained and brought up that way.
I yielded my smoking habit over to the Lord shortly after being saved. The Spirit didn't deliver me from breathing, only from breathing cigarette smoke. As I yielded that part of myself to Him, the Holy Spirit manifested His "fruit" in place of what Galatians called the "works of the flesh." I still live in this flesh and blood body, but the life of the Spirit is presently in more control than the old habits of the world's training.
I am bearing more and more of the character of Christ in my body by yielding my old nature over to the Holy Spirit. We've all known Christians who still speak and act unbecomingly who we've decided must not "be really saved." We've concluded that they're not really Christians because of the way they behave and talk.
This isn't necessarily true, but results from their not yielding the nature of their personality over to receive not only the Life of the Spirit, but the very nature and character of the Spirit. They aren't bearing fruit to make the seed (the Word they preach) attractive to the hearer. Therefore, "The seed (Word) falls on hard, stoney soil and bears no fruit," according to Mark 4.
Sometimes we wonder why our witness has no effect on others. It's mostly because we don't make our "Fruit of the Spirit" attractive to the hearer. When we appear stiff, stern, without joy, bound by religious traditions and without having attractive fruit, then who would want to be reproduced in that image? The meat or fruit of the apple is attractive. The bright red skin and sweet, enticing white crisp of the apple entices people to partake of the "fruit." The entire purpose of the meat of the apple if to nourish and protect the seed. Once the fruit or meat of the apple is eaten, the seed is revealed to renew and replenish the same kind of apple and complete the cycle.
You are the reproduction of what Jesus (the original seed) has brought to life. Jesus, the Word Himself, has reproduced Himself in us. Now, we must go into all the world, like He did, and preach the Gospel according to Mark 16:15. Why? Because the Word of God is the seed that brings forth the new creation! Listen carefully to what 1Peter 1:23-25 (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." This is the seed that produces the new creation or the new creature and is the fruit of the Vine found in John 15. 1Peter 1:24-25 go on, "For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, the grass withers and the flower drops off. But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever, And this Word is the Good News which is preached to you."
The Word and Gospel that was preached to you has produced the same Spirit and life in you like it did in Jesus. You're not Jesus, but you came from the same seed. When you pick and apple and remove the seed from it and plant it, it will produce another apple tree. The same kind of apple seed will reproduce the same apple tree every time. It will never produce anything but another apple tree. That apple tree will bear the same kind of apple. It's not the same apple, but another that is just like it.
Most orchard owners take care of their fruit trees because if they're not cared for properly, then they will not bear "good fruit." The same seed is inside the apple, but the "fruit" of the apple is undesirable to eaters. This is exactly what happens in our Christian lives when the same seed (the Word) has born the exact same thing, but the fruit (the life of the believer) is unattractive and not desirable to be partaken of by those hearing. The seed within them doesn't reproduce and these people seldomnly lead others to the new birth.
Monday, October 20, 2014
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.
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.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
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.
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.
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.
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