“You’re Destiny – God’s Will and Purpose”

Chapter Fifteen

“As a Man thinks, so is He”

Man, God’s creation is made up of body, soul and spirit. God has chosen this created man for fellowship, to come into a relationship with Him that includes union with the completed vessel. In this relationship God chooses to affect mans make-up, by changing every aspect of his being, to enable man to stand in God’s presence. In God’s presence man is to know Him, to see Him, to hear Him, to feel Him and to obey Him. Man is to become the visible expression, the visible manifestation of God Himself. In this relationship, we know that God is Spirit; therefore we must begin by relating to Him in spirit. For this spiritual union to become a reality, God must first renew a right spirit within man which will enable that man to relate to God through communication and fellowship. What of mans soul and body? Is there a place for them in this Godly fellowship? Here, a continuing work must be accomplished to change mans polarity of influence. Instead of receiving all of his priorities from influences outside the body, through the five sense realm, man is being brought to a right standing, a standing up, wherein he is influenced from the internal dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Herein the soul responds to the spirit, while the body responds to the direction given by the Holy Spirit through the spirit and the soul. Does God have a different and better plan for man than this natural lifestyle of the fallen Adam? If so, how does God plan to reveal this better plan, this new covenant lifestyle to His creation?

In the beginning God declares His plan as He speaks in Gen. 1:26-27, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over …. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. Hence, God’s purpose to make man in the likeness of His image was for the purpose of man having dominion over God’s creation. Here God speaks and it became so as a man came forth as an invisible light Being, a spiritual man, who stands forth from the Spirit of our invisible spiritual God. Then in Gen. 2:7 something else takes place, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”. God takes from the dust of the ground and forms for man a visible shape in which the invisible spirit man begins to dwell. Thus, with a formed visible body and a spiritual invisible life form, God breathed. He kindled life into the visible form, out from Himself, to make a soul, a meeting place for the visible and the invisible to co-habitat, to dwell together in oneness of purpose.

During this glorious time, the spiritual light being, outshining from the formed dust of the earth body, manifesting a triune Being in which God could fellowship. God’s breath (life) made the dust man a living soul, an intelligent man with mind (thought), emotion, will and desire. In this, we are presented with a triune man of body, soul and spirit. One who radiates of the spirit of life as he fellowships with God in the spirit of the day, in God’s Garden of Eden. What a Being, what a man this was, one who manifested the Spirit of God, one who became the visible expression of an invisible God. This glory of God remained with man until sin, through disobedience, was found in him. God’s purpose in all things, in spite of mans disobedience, was that God would eventually bring forth a people who would willfully be led only by the Spirit of God. Rom. 8:14 declares, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”.

In returning to Gen. 2:7-9 we see that God placed the formed man in a realm of life called the Garden of Eden. In the garden, God begins a work in His created man that would reach down through the ages, until He would have for Himself an offspring (seed) who could take dominion, a seed who would become heirs and co-heirs with Christ in all God’s holy kingdom. Therein, to begin the process, God places within the garden two specific trees (life-styles), one, the tree of life, which was for the supporting and continuation of the life of God which had been imparted to the man, the other, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The word “Knowledge” is a word meaning “sense or perception”. (Read Gen.3:1-6). With Gen. 3:2 & 6 showing us that these trees were for food, can it not be seen that man, Adam and Eve, had within themselves characteristics that could only be awakened as they ate of the certain trees thereof? In this truth, Adam and Eve, in their first estate were completely innocent to all these characteristics and there relating to outside events, until an awakening took place. They, Adam and Eve, could look upon all things around about them, but remain completely innocent to them, until such time as they chose to awaken or experience them by the eating thereof.

Could it be that this created man was not punished so much for the eating of the forbidden fruit, the gaining of the experience, but because of their disobedience? Is not this the continual down fall of man today, disobedience to that which God has said? Until mans sin of disobedience, Adam and Eve were influenced only by the Spirit of God who fellowshipped with them in the spirit (cool) of the day. What was the spirit of the day? Was it not a day of innocence? But in the day of their innocence, they could not as yet have dominion. They would first have to awaken and conquer each event, each realm of knowledge, until they, becoming God-like through obedience, could rule over all God’s creation. Adam and Even were much like that which men are today. They dwell in fellowship with God’s available wisdom, but a tempter entices them to become wise within themselves. Hence, we as Adam, partake of the forbidden tree. We awaken to a sense or perception of what is good and evil. We move out of the realm of a spirit led life wherein God’s wisdom and knowledge dwell, where His nature rules, into a realm of establishing our own laws. A choosing between what we classify as good from that which we classify as evil. This means following a life-style that establishes for itself a need to obey certain laws to prove or live what is “good”, while in disobedience to that law, we reveal what is “evil”.

Gen. 3:7-8 declares, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and make themselves aprons, And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden”. In the eating of the forbidden tree, these scriptures reveal the results of becoming wise in ourselves. “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked”. This word “knew” has the meaning of “to ascertain by seeing”. This speaks to us that while they were aware they were naked before eating the forbidden fruit, being completely innocent, their awaken knowledge of good and evil enabled their seeing to behold a new meaning. This new meaning caused them to need a covering. It caused them to “sew fig leaves together, and make for themselves aprons”. What had been their covering before this new found knowledge? Was it not the covering of the spiritual Light Being of God within their spirit which outshines from their Beings? By moving out of God’s wisdom and knowledge into mans own wisdom and knowledge, man entered into death, the withdrawing of the outshining of the Spirit of God.

Adam and Eve, in their awakened knowledge, could now see themselves as they (man) really are, vessels in need of a covering from God. In Gen. 2:25 while they were in their first estate states, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed”. This word “naked” has the meaning of “wise”. This speaks to us that while Adam and Eve remained in God’s wisdom they had no cause to be ashamed. But the serpent, being used as a tempter, wiser that any other creature, caused Eve to desire to be a god unto herself, desiring our own wisdom, she ate in disobedience, then gave to her husband and they both were awakened. They awoke to their own wisdom, wisdom of knowing the nature of good and evil. In this nature, they now knew the evil of themselves when outside of God’s holiness. The lack of God’s holiness revealed a need for them to cover themselves, a need to make for them a covering, to cover the knowing of self worth, the knowledge of good and evil outside of God’s wisdom.

Had God not promised that death would be the result of disobedience? This death begins with the removal of God’s glorious covering of life. With the final results being, the aging of this dust of the earth body, until it returns back into the dust from whence it came. With man falling into a realm of death, it now means a life of self survival, self existence, and a lifestyle of providing for self under a law of good and evil. Living in a realm of fear as man seeks to hide himself from the all Seeing Eye and the all knowing mind of God. (Read Gen. 3:8-11). These verses reveal the reaction in Adam and Eve as God approached them in the cool of the day. “Cool” is a Hebrew word meaning “invisible force, spirit”. Until this death, Adam and Eve delighted in fellowshipping with God in the spirit of the day, knowing Him in the invisibleness of His existence. But now, in their own wisdom, they find it necessary to hide from God. Is it not true that mankind of today, for the most part, especially those without God in their lives, seek all within their power to eradicate God from their lives as well as all the earth? For, in their way of thinking, if God could be removed from their world, they would have no need to hide from Him in their own wisdom of evil. But, in all this, we should ever keep in mind that God is working according to His eternal plan and purpose. What is this plan? To have for Himself a people, who in the likeness of His image, shall be able to rule as Priest and Kings in God’s Kingdom.

If you read Gen. 3:22-24 these verses show the beginning of mans journey from innocence to reconciliation, a journey which will lead them into a place of becoming heirs and co-heirs with Christ. Innocence is not profitable for rulership. In eating the forbidden fruit Adam became as God in knowing good and evil. But Adam didn’t have the ability to rule as yet because of his innate innocence. Man is to not only have knowledge of, but wisdom over good and evil. Wisdom that is gained through the testing given and the choices made, as the indwelling Holy Spirit leads and teach man by imparting wisdom through those experiences. For this cause, God does not close out the way to the tree of life, but simply places a flaming sword in the path to keep the way open unto him who searches to find it. This path to life is open, that each one may return to partake of the God life, as they, going to and through the flaming sword, are made perfect. This flaming sword is the Word of God, a flame that purifies all who submit themselves to its work of separating and a bringing them into wholeness. Our God is a consuming fire and His Word is a two edged sword which provides for man a source of restoration back unto God. This word “keep” in verse 24 means to “preserve, keep safe” this way of life. God’s life and His word as it comes forth from God has never been nor can it ever be polluted (it is man that pollutes).

I John 5:11-12 says, “And this is the record (witness), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life”. The question, which has the Son of God? Is it a people who only state verbally that they have received Him or is there more to it? Could it not be that eternal life, as it dwells in the Son is, “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we behold His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth”. (John 1:14). Christ is the Word of God. He was made flesh, according to God’s will and purpose, that every man might likewise receive Him and the power to become the sons of God, the word made flesh again. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as receive Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”. This is not just a one time event to be forgotten, but a continual happening, a God yielding, obedient lifestyle.

The big question, where does wisdom dwell? God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul. At the fall of Adam, what became of man’s soul? Could it be that the living soul (mind, emotion, will and desires) fell into a realm of death, a separation from God. Therein, it was no longer alive unto God, but followed after the mind (thought life), emotions, will and desires of man’s own fallen nature passions. Again, where does wisdom dwell? Is not its abiding place in the area of the mind? In the fallen state, wisdom seeks for self survival, looking out for what is food for self. But to the sons, those who have received power, they are led by God’s wisdom. What proceeds out from the mind? Thoughts! In Proverbs 23:7 we read, “For as he (man) thinketh in his heart (mind), so is he: ….” What promotes our thought processes? Is it not those things we give our minds, our emotions, our wills and our desires to? We must recognize that we can remain under the law of good and evil without knowing eternal life. We can do well all the days of our lives and still dwell in the realm of death. Disobedience, while knowing good and evil, causes us to remain in that fallen state.

A person can do well all the days of his life, but is he being led of the wisdom, the Spirit, of God? If not, that person is in a state of rebellion, separated from God, to know the wisdom of death. For this cause, God leads us from test to test, trial to trial, temptation to temptation, line upon line, precept upon precept, until we become that people who desire one thing only. That is, to be led by the Spirit of God in all things. Is it not so, that unto the one who chooses to think from the realm of a beast nature, that one becomes as a beast? But, unto that one who thinks upon the love of God, with a desire to love God above all else, that one becomes love itself. In this we can return back through the flaming sword unto the tree of life, herein to know eternal life. We shall walk with God in the cool (spirit) of the day, unto that day of perfection.

Friends, God has made Himself available, He is revealing Himself to a people in this day of restoration and showing Himself with an unveiled face. As the revealed Word of God is quickened to this people, by the quickening of His Spirit; they shall behold Him to see Him as He is. This is of a certainty, according to the measure we are willing to see Him, we shall become. But, are we still trying to hide ourselves from His presence? Are we still reaching out to man made coverings to hide behind? Remember, as a man thinketh, so is he. Therefore, let’s stand before Him with all our heart and mind, with boldness, and become even as He is.

If it be a truth that according “as a man thinketh in his heart (mind), so is He”, each human is liberated or bound by his own thinking habits. We can remain slaves to our own self-constructed prison cells or we can become freedom itself. Unto that individual who sees the liberty of God’s Spirit setting them free from the law of sin and death, that person shall be made free. Yes, the Word of God is a sword, a sword with two edges. One in which to cut away the intents of an evil, rebellious heart (mind), while the other edge heals and makes whole, it makes one complete in God. The fire of God that consumes is a fire that liberates the vessel from that place of bondage. Everything that will burn (wood, hay and stubble) shall be burnt. This leads us into a place of liberty, a dwelling place of rest in the presence of eternal life. Has God, by His Spirit, been talking to you? What has He been asking, telling or revealing to you? What is it that occupies your thoughts? What is it that you think upon? Does your thoughts remain heavenly long enough to lead you into the heavens? Are we gaining our place in God wherein we become free? Free from what? Free from everything that hinders, from every adversary, that we might see Him as He is, to become like Him.

I John 3:1-2 speaks loudly, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doeth not yet appear what we shall be: But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is”. Beloved, the Christ is appearing today. Now is the day of our salvation. Think upon these things. Take control of your mind and command its obedience to God. We should purpose to have a mind with a willingness to obey Him in all things, regardless as to where He would lead us.

Our destiny is laid out before us as we remain in Christ, by the seeing of ourselves in the Word, which is Christ. Therefore, the invitation has been extended unto all who will come. Every man in his own order according to God’s callings and choosing, each fulfilling God’s will and purpose as they gain the heights of God’s purpose for their lives. God has created and birthed all things after the manner of His preordained plan for every realm and order, each person coming into perfection, by obedience, to abound in the power and glory of God. To this we say Amen.