January 27, 2012
In the process of our perfection in God, it is ever important for us to divide our own thoughts and actions (the practice of our thoughts) between what is of the Spirit and what is of the flesh by the standard of the life of the Son of God. This is not because we are by nature faulty-to be found in a place of constantly falling short, but because in Him is the source of true life. Our life in Him is a life of the FAITH in HIM, who is “the Face of God”-the perfect image of our invisible Heavenly Father. In this is the essence of the freedom of those who are led by the Spirit of God. That is, the mind of one’s spirit is now subject (held captive) fully to the mind of Christ, communing with Him spirit to spirit, with a spiritual “language” about “spiritual thoughts”. There in Christ, the Anointing or the work of Holy Spirit will led us to a realm of communication with God the Father that depends on the “living word of God”, and not on any other “word” (language, tongue, or means to express and impart, receive and understand each others’ thoughts), even the “tongues” of angels. For angels, as Peter rightfully put it, long to hear these things. This is what Paul meant when he speaks that the “manifold wisdom” of God in Christ Jesus is meant to be revealed thru the “Church”, the “Elected Ones”-those who are “entrusted with the wisdom of God”. This then inevitably flows out an order of the life in God as “discipleship” in and thru the Holy Spirit as the content and purpose of a fellowship from above in the midst of God’s family on earth. John speaks of this kind of fellowship as the place of God’s light, “for our fellowship is not of ourselves, but with the Father and the Son.” As we abide in this kind of fellowship, “the anointing” will then “teach (disciple) us all things”. (1 John) The fruit of this life of growth will be our increased divine knowledge of a spiritual reality (realm) – the Kingdom of God and the life in it. Paul defines it as the life of a “righteousness that comes down from above.”
From this knowledge (the oneness in Him by a consciousness that is real and substantial), we are more than able to walk away from sin-consciousness, which is often manifesting itself as a self-centered mind-set, we can actually walk with a clear conviction that we are walking in Faith, Righteousness and Hope in Christ, or in the obedience into the will and counsel of our Heavenly Father. Such confidence is our daily portion as a son of God and a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are God’s freeman, free from sin and death through our Faith in His Son.
This is what Jesus shared as the teachings of the Holy Spirit, the Counselor. The Spirit will convict us of “sin, righteousness, and judgment”.
John 16:5–15 (NASB95)
5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
This is also what He meant at the Passover when He told the disciples that His word had washed them clean. It is the work of sanctification that had been accomplished through His teachings or discipleship unto them. Acting in the capacity as the priest of His Father on their behalf, now He readied them as sacrifices unto the Living God, even into the baptism of the Fire of the Glory of the Son of God, His divine substance, His power and His nature. Now the word would become flesh in them, they were transformed into being the dwelling place of God even as they were not fully yet glorified in the full spectrum as a spiritual man.
John 16:23–27 (NASB95)
23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. 25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
John 17:5–7 (NASB95)
5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
John 17:17–21 (NASB95)
17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
When we walk in this kind of counsel or teachings, our spirit, under the governance of the Holy Spirit, then gives us a vintage point to “reign” our un-sanctified soul and mortal body (flesh, or the earthly being) by the power of the Spirit, even through our renewed mind. As we continue to mature in Him, the “fruits” of the Spirit, the visible manifestations of the divine nature of God in us, then would flourish more and more and overtake our old life more and more.
Yet, just like every tree, even not yet in the season of fruitfulness, can be discerned by our naked eyes as healthy or not, so is the present condition of our heart in light of the life of Christ. It is also discernible to the spiritual mind, if we are willing to subject it to such an examination, from within and without.
David, who was fully aware of his own sins and struggles, would often speak to his own soul to make it subjective to the Spirit of God. And, as shown in many of his psalms, he would often offer himself open to scrutiny in the light of God. “See if there is any hurtful (harmful) way in me”. “Do not take away the Holy Sprit from me.” “Awake, my soul, for yet again, I will praise Him.” “Even night is as day unto You.”
The dark hours of our soul is no strange time for a saint. It is through such a time that the dependence on God and the trust in His Goodness become the foundation for our genuine and honest life in Him. The measure of faith that we possess almost always requires the equivalent measure of trails and testings that often dint our “smooth and prefect” life with doubts, strifes, sins, transgressions (rebellions) and iniquities.
Yet, the God of our Lord is slow to anger, and quick to forgive; our Father in Heaven is keen to see to it as a reality and a life for us that we love Him as who He is in this way. We are sons, not slaves; we are children of His Family, not orphans of in a lost world; we are the Bride of His Son, co-heirs with Christ, adopted by His Love through this Faith, even the Hope of Glory, Christ in us. Yet, without the process of washing (sanctification) and refining (glorification), still marred by the lowly nature or our own flesh, no one is able to SEE God. We have to subject ourselves to the “spiritual law” of the life of, in and by His Son. There shall be no other way.
But we do SEE Him in His ways of revelation unto us of Himself-His sovereign power and His divine nature. We are called to walk in the illumination of His Love. We are children of the Day, citizen of the Kingdom of Light. We can walk freely in His counsel, not that we will do everything perfectly, but that we can believe, understand and walk “freely” as the objects of His perfect love, which ever covers our sins and leads us into the Knowledge of His Son, the perfect image of Himself. This is what it means to receive wisdom from above, that we walk (conduct our life in thoughts and actions) even as a son of God.
Thus, just like the Israelites of the past, it is paramount for us to proceed into the Promises of God in Christ Jesus, by allowing Him to roll away “the reproach of slavery” from the stinky tomb of our old life. In this light, death unto self is never to be counted as a loss, but the greatest gain. And if this is not ensured in our heart, every good hope and good effort in life would amount to nothing. Sadly some will be, like those perished in the wilderness, ever learning, but never attain unto such a real Knowledge of the life in the Son of God, even the Truth Himself.
Christ is for life, not for death; the Father is for our freedom and our rich inheritance, not for slavery and wrath. This is the true covenant, even life in Christ Jesus, as our passover, our discipline, our promise, and our reality-the life and glory of God. And if death is not pass over us, then we would not even be allowed to journey on in Christ. It is as if the reproach of slavery (sin and death) have not been rolled away, we are then in no position to be readied or set apart to conquer the enemies in the Promised Land.
In Him is light, there is no darkness at all, not even a hint of shadows. And if we look ever intently at His Face, even Christ Jesus our Lord, we will receive the crown of glory in the end. From Egypt to Sinai is a journey, so is it from Sinai to Zion.
Awake, oh my soul, for His Light is ever before me. If we believe in His Love and learn of His discipline, we are then sons of a New Day, even the day of His Rest, the Day of His Kingdom. Even my body now is entombed in the grave of this fallen creation, my soul shall long for thee. And certainly, God will not allow His holy ones to see decay. He will cloth us with His Glory, even the glory of the Son and the Father Himself.
Hallelujah! In this, we give Him thanks and praise!