“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”

Duane Stewart

God’s Created Man

When coming into an intimate relationship with Christ, it takes us beyond the initial act of being forgiven of our sins. While the opening step to salvation begins at the point of inviting Christ into our lives, through asking for forgiveness, Christ desires for a people to, line upon line, precept upon precept, mature unto the fullness of that for which they have been called. The ingredient which must be exercised, through each step taken, is the act of faith, faith in God, knowing that He shall fulfill every word and promise which He has spoken. Hebrews 11:6 reveals this truth by declaring, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. Nothing pleases God as much as a steadfast faith in all that He is and all that He promises to do.

As faith is exercised, it will increase into that place wherein the believer grows into a knowing that nothing is impossible to him that believes and trust in God. Thus, the invitation to follow Him, when obeyed, brings forth a relationship of knowing God and who He is. As a people began to understand Him, it increases a desire within the person to live His teachings, bringing that one into a life-style of learning and experiencing the truth. Jesus, Himself, says unto His offspring in John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, if you abide in My Word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. This word “abide” speaks to a maturing people in line with the word “continuing”. This is an action word that declares the position of activity instead of a place of complacency. We then, cannot rest upon our back-sides while waiting upon something, but must be actively pursuing the word of God and any revelation as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. The word “know” is the Greek word “ginosko” which means “to perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, and come to know”. Ginosko is knowledge that has an inception, a progress, and an attainment. It is the recognition of God’s truth by personal experience. In this each person can know the truth that changes them from a life of death to life in Christ. Belief in God’s truth then becomes a way of life. Each believing person is to become a manifestation of the word as we live our lives accordingly. As a person fulfills the Words of God, he will also become that word extended. He will then manifest a nature according to that word which he has believed and received.

Remember and know that the kingdom of God is within. Therefore, it is within the vessel that God’s Word, the Christ and the Holy Spirit of God dwells. Are you looking for Him? Do you desire to find Him and to know Him? If so, then each person must be looking and paying attention to that which the Holy Spirit is doing within. It becomes necessary for vessels to search their souls that each might begin to know Him and therein gain that promise of eternal life. John 17:3 declares, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”. Remember, the word “know” from the above verse means “to know by experience”. As each person continues to increase in the word, by experience, they can gain the knowledge of who the Christ really is. In knowing Him, each one begins to take on a life-style change that causes the old carnal man to decrease, to ultimately cease to be. Thus, the new creation man then shines forth to glorify God, to be made complete in the knowing of eternal life.

As each one learns to find God within the heart (soul), they begin to love Him. It is in this state of love for God that one finds joy and the true meaning of man’s existence. Each person begins to know their callings and purpose in Him. For this cause and reason, God commands that we shall love Him. And herein each one begins to know that this love finds itself coming forth as a manifestation of the nature of God. Mark 12:30, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment”. The word “mind” from this scripture literally means “a thinking through”. The word suggests “understanding, insight, meditation, reflection, perception, the gift of apprehension, the faculty of thought”. With the renewing of the mind, which is the faculty of thought, there is a transition, by the Holy Spirit, wherein the whole mind-set changes. It changes from the fearful negativism of the carnal mind, to the vibrant, positive thinking of the quickened spiritual mind. God’s desire is for man to know Him. For this cause, the eternal invitation stands for man to find Him that he might know Him. Luke 11:9-10, “So I (Jesus) say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened”. This promise stands fast unto its true meaning, which is, look to Him and not to other things. This scripture, in the Greek, is present tense, denoting a continuous asking, seeking, and knocking, speaking of a continual receiving of the things of God.

By yielding unto the Spirit of Christ that dwells within, we can begin to shut out the many voices of the world. These many worldly voices come from the many different avenues which have been established by man to fulfill the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These speak loudly in areas of our social zones, our educational levels, our family structure, our economical environment and the many religious circles. These voices pull at man trying to fulfill their desires and make them prisoners of the carnal nature. But, by coming to the Christ that dwells within, our thoughts and mind will began to blend in until completely in agreement with the mind, will, emotions and desires of God. This fellowshipping with Christ is a continuous invitation to all that are willing to come. Matt. 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light”. This word “rest”, as used here, is a Greek word meaning “to make to cease”. This word describes a cessation from toil to refreshment and intermission. The word “easy” means “to use”. The word denotes that which is useful, pleasant, good, comfortable, suitable, and serviceable. With the carnal world and legalistic religious systems being a great burden upon man, serving Jesus is well fitting and is built upon a personal relationship with God, and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Herein, that is by the indwelling Christ, there dwells eternal life. As the seed and the Christ-light within is more fully developed, the mortal self decreases and each vessel begins to receive the fullness of God’s purpose. Eph. 3:14-19 speaks loudly, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”. This “fullness of God”, as spoken of here, is not something which is poured into a man from without. This “fullness” is that which, from within, is developed and brought forth to be manifested. The end result is to fill the entire being, which lives and learns to believe as the Holy Spirit reveals, quickens and manifests to affect the entire world we live in.

These saints are maturing, they are learning that God is always with us and as the believer grows, he knows the ways of God more perfectly and walks with Him daily. In this man learns and grows to bring about an intensification of the presence and power of Jesus Christ. This people also know that Christ will be at home in their hearts. He will move from being just an acquaintance to being the center of their lives. Man will also grasp God’s love beyond intellectual or theological knowledge and become filled with God’s fullness as the Holy Spirit reveals the things of Christ more fully, achieving God’s fuller work in each receiving person, this man remains unhindered, unquenched and is not grieved. Nay, but the joy of the Lord fills the person to affect all his surroundings.