Picking it back up where I left off.
Now I took liberty to search for the meaning of Comforter and I might say that the Strong's was weak and beggarly to say the least so I turned to the Thayer's and found this: first this: one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate; then this: in the widest sense, a helper, succorer, aider, assistant; of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ within the apostles (after His ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.
Then I went back into the Old testament to find these:
Ecc.4:1
“So I returned, and considered all the oppressions (to strive against, to hold back) that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of oppressed, and they had no comforter (to regret, to repent); and on the side of their oppressors power; but they had no comforter (metaphoric to heal, to bring to restoration).”
Lam.1:9, 16 “Her filthiness in her skirts; she remembers not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy has magnified himself ( the word himself is inserted by the translators).............For these I weep; mine eye, mine eye runs down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.”
A thought just came to mind so we'll also look at the word guile for a moment, first the detention:
First in the Old Testament:
Exo 21:14
"But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile (H6195); thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die."
Psa 32:2
"Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (H7423)."
Psa 34:13
"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (H4820)."
Strong's Dictionary on Hebrew words:
H6195: Feminine of H6193; trickery; or (in a good sense) discretion: - guile, prudence, subtilty, wilily, wisdom.
H7423: From H7411; remissness, treachery: - deceit (-ful, -fully), false, guile, idle, slack, slothful.
H4820: From H7411 in the sense of deceiving; fraud: - craft, deceit (-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly, treachery.
In the New Testament these are found, the reference number used is the same and here we'll use the Thayer's Greek Dictionary:
G1388: craft, deceit, guile; from an obsolete primary verb, dello (probably meant to decoy; compare G1185)
G1185: to bait, catch by a bait; metaphorically to beguile by blanishments, allure, entice, deceive. from the base of G1388.
The Dictionary meaning for guile and taken from the Webster's 1828: n. gile. Craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense. We may, with more successful hope, resolve to wage by force or guile eternal war. To disguise craftily.
Here are a few of the scriptures where used:
John 1:47
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”
2Co 12:16
“But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.”
1Th 2:3-8
“For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.” (Now for those passages not quoted: 1 Peter 2:1, 22, 3:10; Revelation 14:5)
Now back to where we were before the side trip. Resuming our study, here is what the Lord Jesus has to say about Him, the Comforter:
John 14:16-17, 26
“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you...........But the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”
John 15:26-27
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of me: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
John 16:7
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
And with that we're finished with this study. However we've added a few quotes for further thought.
"We never read of Christ running. He probably started out in His youth trying to run in the ways of His Father. But He too had to learn obedience by what He suffered. (Heb. 5:8) Everyone learns to walk slowly with God through the suffering that increases patience and faith. And so, when He finally begins His ministry at the age of thirty, we find Him always walking in an unhurried pace. But He was always on time, He never lacked anything, and nothing was ever over-due. ... It is into this same Divine life that we are to enter and learn to move by walking in His Spirit. There needs to be a real death to the old self-originated form of life that comes from the flesh. We are to walk in Christ, and with Christ, and for Christ. This steady, quiet, slow, mature walk with Christ in the Spirit is the condition that leads to the deepest and most heavenly knowledge of Divine things."
If we pay close attention we'll find that most of the Lord's ministry was in the cities in the outskirts of Jerusalem and away from the madness of it all. He chose to be separated from the religionists of His day as much as was possible.
"God never intended for us to have life in ourselves. He chose for us to live through the Son so that we would always be like Him in holy love. While the first Adam chose to live by self-will and lost the life of God from his soul, the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, came into the world to reverse this loss. He destroyed this work that the devil had fostered on the world by choosing to live through the Father. By walking in the Spirit in complete harmony with His Father’s will, the Father was able to continue to “dwell in” Him and “walk in” Him. He lived as a temple of the living God and thereby restored the way of life that Adam lost. ... After paying the penalty for man’s sin through His death, the Son became the Federal Head of a new linage of people who would begin to walk as He did. By choosing to walk by the Spirit of God, God could dwell in them and walk in them. This would enable each of God’s children to become a vessel of His heavenly life. That divine life of spotless, lowly, gentle, holy love, as it was expressed through Jesus, is seeking vessels in which to shape and spread itself abroad in the world today. This is His promise: “He who follows Me [in the way of the cross] shall…have the light of life."
"It is a long way from the fallen Adam to Jesus, from self to God, from the earthly to the heavenly. But the length of the journey does not depend on years as counted by men. It depends on the receptivity of the soul and how quickly we respond in a yielded faith to the ways of God. Waiting seems to be a slow thing, and yet it is by waiting on the Lord, in a true yieldedness to His Spirit, that the soul meets the condition that enables it to change its strength. Those who are responsive to God find their spirit being lifted by His power into ever-higher levels of divine spiritual life. Their spirit rises up into the heavenly realms where it becomes “one spirit” with the Son." -Quoted from Steve Bray by Disciple Life, 2-24-2013.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Names of the Spirit, continuing on with
Picking back up with the course of thought.
I said earlier that John reveals part of the mystery of Christ and that I'd share it elsewhere, here it is:
1Jn 4:1-6
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets (religious men which are types of anti-Christ's) are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. We are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
2Jn 7-8
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”
2Jn 9-10
“Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If there come any to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.”
Here's what Paul says as taken from 2 Corinthians:
2Co 11:10-15
“As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knows. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
2Co 4:2-7
“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
Now we'll look at the term of the Comforter because of what was said by someone on one on my post sites as a comment to something I had said or shared. This person said that they followed a lot of our postings but they thought I portrayed the attitude of a “know it all” and that much of what we've said was hard to understand or comprehend. To which I apologized. Because this is not what we're about at all. Then this morning while it was still in darkness of night, the Lord told me to write to this person the following: He said to give this illustration;
“Draw a picture of them standing before you, on the sea shore and draw a line in the sand with your foot.” Then He said, “No, make it a sand dune in a desert, (explaining that the sand is a metaphor, allegory or in parabolic language for humanity for those trapped in religion or crimes against God). Then He said that they were to picture it being at night in total darkness outside the influence of any city lights and to then look up into the heavens as this was a metaphoric language for those who come to trusting faith in Him.
Then the Lord said, “Have them cross this line in the sand but, with each step forward the line also moved forward, in other words they will be unable to cross the line drawn.” He then said that the line represented Him and that what could not be scene with physical eyes was a mirror or “looking glass” like that found in the story of Alice in Wonderland. The looking glass was invisible to the physical eye but when one was able to pass through it they disappeared from view. He then said that all who profess to love Him and attempt to give glory to Him on their own are of the world without understanding. And are the people outside of the kingdom and are unable to pass through the looking glass or even to see it. For His kingdom is all around and will become within us but is invisible to mere humans.
Then He said that when a person cries out for mercy for redemption they are heard and redemption is bestowed upon them. Then they are given the right or power to become a son of God (John 1:12)but have not yet become one. Then while the Comforter is doing His assigned job of revealing Christ to that person, as Jesus did after His first ascension, when He open the followers understanding of Him within the Old Testament scriptures and their hearts burned within them. That person would find a crisis of life experience and how they handled that crisis would determine if they could pass through the mirror or looking glass. He then said that “IF” they would partake of His Last Supper with the understanding that to eat of the lamb (Old Testament), bread and drink of the wine (New Covenant) and then go to the garden and take of the cup in the same fashion as He had done by saying, “For this reason I came into the world, never the less not my will but Your Will Oh God be done”. That the person then would be seen in Him on the cross, burial, and resurrection of His ontological essence of Spirit restored in them. Through which we're raised in Christ's essence to the presence before both the Father of spirits and the LORD of spirits and become ambassadors of the kingdom to bear witness of Christ restored in our flesh. They then could lift their foot to enter His kingdom of the New Covenant wherein God does all through Faith and Grace in Truth restored to them. We then have entered His Salvation wherein God requires us to sit under Him while He reveals all the mysteries of Christ as He is wisdom and knowledge. He is also Grace, Truth, Life eternal, the Way into the kingdom and a whole lot more.
Then He said that the world has many schools of higher learning of mans creation and design but that they don't have His approval. That He's not part of or to be found in them but His university is from above while we sit under Him. We'll learn patience, longsuffering, and will inherit the promises of God in the New Covenant. Because we now live within the New Covenant as the old has passed away from view. It's at this point that we are now sons of God through the willingness to suffer the loss of worldly things by turning our backs towards them and our faces toward God. God then circumcises the heart and cuts away the old deadness of flesh (sin, crime and religion) and gives us a new heart of receptivity (Grace working in us) restored by faith's operation of receiving from Him. That while we remain within this area we'll remain His but “IF” we turn away from Him there remains no more repentance for us which were the warnings of Paul to the Galatian-Christians and to the Hebrew-Christians and this is also the warnings of Revelation.
Now here's what else was learned. That while Jesus was on the cross suspended between heaven and earth that He suffered the excruciating pain of separation from the Father. But to this He then said that it was not as we might suppose but that it was the pain which Adam suffered when woman was separated from him after she ate of the fruit because he stood right in front of her and she disappeared from his view of sight. Then He said it was this pain of separation that caused him to also eat of the fruit because he did not want to be separated from her. In other words his love of woman was greater than the love of his creator. This is also born out in that woman is the most used to entice man into crimes against God. Religion is figured as a harlot, whore, idolatry, and other such descriptions of seduction, which hinder God's activity. That is why in Isaiah the Lord gave them over to a “familiar spirit” because this spirit was before the times of Enoch and Enoch speaks of them, as does Jasher and Jasher is spoken of by Joshua and in 2 Samuel.
Here's what we can draw from this.....the Comforter, as the Spirit of Truth will led us into a greater understanding of all that Christ is and has done. He starts this at the moment of our coming into redemption when we are given the Holy Spirit. In what we've called our first estate of blessing through which we're to learn from Him. Then we must understand that Israel as the chosen people through whom God would manifest Himself in visible form as the son of man ie....Jesus, Immanuel. Came to bring the promised salvation and restoration of all things but as foretold through Moses, Psalms and the prophets they rejected both their Messiah and God in their Messiah. Why? because as stated elsewhere they had become idolatrous and wicked above all other people groups as the Maccabees letters show. The prophets warned of their pending destruction and Deuteronomy tells them of it and what would become of them through it all. But as a nation they were in denial because of the familiar spirit ie....religious spirit that hinders God. God in Christ judged Israel as a nation as He did all humanity of its sin nature. In so doing the law required mans death of his flesh because it housed the essences of the evil one. In the death of the righteous one, God reversed to process through Jesus a righteous man. A man not guilty of sin's nature as there was no gall in His heart, He had only righteousness and integrity within Him. That is why He could say that Satan had nothing on Him or no place within Him. He, Jesus as Christ was made guilty for us in our place and God when we accept our place in Christ because of the crisis of life. Which comes after the Comforter has had His way of bringing us to the Light and Truth of our nakedness, unsoundness and bankruptcy and in desperate need of His Salvation. For only then are we become the willing in the willingness which God requires to accept our own guilt and deaths penalty. Then through it God circumcises the heart in the cutting away of that sin nature of flesh and by His power gives us a new heart of unity to Him, sins stain is removed as is the guilt or bitterness and resentment of gall and we become a new creation in Christ.
It's through all this that we become a Christ-one, a son of God's rule or dwelling, we're no longer of this world system of darkness, dysfunction and chaos. Because when we speak it is as if Christ is speaking through us which causes the world not to receive or understand us, just as they did not Him. But Christ wants all to hear us clearly because the mysteries of God have been opened for understanding in these days (Rev. 10). And that they (His mysteries and scriptures) are not subject to one persons revelation but for all to receive and believe. Because the Comforter is given for all. We're all of One Spirit and thusly one understanding by that same Spirit.
There is enough for one more days posting so this is where I'll take a break until the next post.
I said earlier that John reveals part of the mystery of Christ and that I'd share it elsewhere, here it is:
1Jn 4:1-6
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets (religious men which are types of anti-Christ's) are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. We are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
2Jn 7-8
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”
2Jn 9-10
“Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If there come any to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.”
Here's what Paul says as taken from 2 Corinthians:
2Co 11:10-15
“As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knows. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
2Co 4:2-7
“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
Now we'll look at the term of the Comforter because of what was said by someone on one on my post sites as a comment to something I had said or shared. This person said that they followed a lot of our postings but they thought I portrayed the attitude of a “know it all” and that much of what we've said was hard to understand or comprehend. To which I apologized. Because this is not what we're about at all. Then this morning while it was still in darkness of night, the Lord told me to write to this person the following: He said to give this illustration;
“Draw a picture of them standing before you, on the sea shore and draw a line in the sand with your foot.” Then He said, “No, make it a sand dune in a desert, (explaining that the sand is a metaphor, allegory or in parabolic language for humanity for those trapped in religion or crimes against God). Then He said that they were to picture it being at night in total darkness outside the influence of any city lights and to then look up into the heavens as this was a metaphoric language for those who come to trusting faith in Him.
Then the Lord said, “Have them cross this line in the sand but, with each step forward the line also moved forward, in other words they will be unable to cross the line drawn.” He then said that the line represented Him and that what could not be scene with physical eyes was a mirror or “looking glass” like that found in the story of Alice in Wonderland. The looking glass was invisible to the physical eye but when one was able to pass through it they disappeared from view. He then said that all who profess to love Him and attempt to give glory to Him on their own are of the world without understanding. And are the people outside of the kingdom and are unable to pass through the looking glass or even to see it. For His kingdom is all around and will become within us but is invisible to mere humans.
Then He said that when a person cries out for mercy for redemption they are heard and redemption is bestowed upon them. Then they are given the right or power to become a son of God (John 1:12)but have not yet become one. Then while the Comforter is doing His assigned job of revealing Christ to that person, as Jesus did after His first ascension, when He open the followers understanding of Him within the Old Testament scriptures and their hearts burned within them. That person would find a crisis of life experience and how they handled that crisis would determine if they could pass through the mirror or looking glass. He then said that “IF” they would partake of His Last Supper with the understanding that to eat of the lamb (Old Testament), bread and drink of the wine (New Covenant) and then go to the garden and take of the cup in the same fashion as He had done by saying, “For this reason I came into the world, never the less not my will but Your Will Oh God be done”. That the person then would be seen in Him on the cross, burial, and resurrection of His ontological essence of Spirit restored in them. Through which we're raised in Christ's essence to the presence before both the Father of spirits and the LORD of spirits and become ambassadors of the kingdom to bear witness of Christ restored in our flesh. They then could lift their foot to enter His kingdom of the New Covenant wherein God does all through Faith and Grace in Truth restored to them. We then have entered His Salvation wherein God requires us to sit under Him while He reveals all the mysteries of Christ as He is wisdom and knowledge. He is also Grace, Truth, Life eternal, the Way into the kingdom and a whole lot more.
Then He said that the world has many schools of higher learning of mans creation and design but that they don't have His approval. That He's not part of or to be found in them but His university is from above while we sit under Him. We'll learn patience, longsuffering, and will inherit the promises of God in the New Covenant. Because we now live within the New Covenant as the old has passed away from view. It's at this point that we are now sons of God through the willingness to suffer the loss of worldly things by turning our backs towards them and our faces toward God. God then circumcises the heart and cuts away the old deadness of flesh (sin, crime and religion) and gives us a new heart of receptivity (Grace working in us) restored by faith's operation of receiving from Him. That while we remain within this area we'll remain His but “IF” we turn away from Him there remains no more repentance for us which were the warnings of Paul to the Galatian-Christians and to the Hebrew-Christians and this is also the warnings of Revelation.
Now here's what else was learned. That while Jesus was on the cross suspended between heaven and earth that He suffered the excruciating pain of separation from the Father. But to this He then said that it was not as we might suppose but that it was the pain which Adam suffered when woman was separated from him after she ate of the fruit because he stood right in front of her and she disappeared from his view of sight. Then He said it was this pain of separation that caused him to also eat of the fruit because he did not want to be separated from her. In other words his love of woman was greater than the love of his creator. This is also born out in that woman is the most used to entice man into crimes against God. Religion is figured as a harlot, whore, idolatry, and other such descriptions of seduction, which hinder God's activity. That is why in Isaiah the Lord gave them over to a “familiar spirit” because this spirit was before the times of Enoch and Enoch speaks of them, as does Jasher and Jasher is spoken of by Joshua and in 2 Samuel.
Here's what we can draw from this.....the Comforter, as the Spirit of Truth will led us into a greater understanding of all that Christ is and has done. He starts this at the moment of our coming into redemption when we are given the Holy Spirit. In what we've called our first estate of blessing through which we're to learn from Him. Then we must understand that Israel as the chosen people through whom God would manifest Himself in visible form as the son of man ie....Jesus, Immanuel. Came to bring the promised salvation and restoration of all things but as foretold through Moses, Psalms and the prophets they rejected both their Messiah and God in their Messiah. Why? because as stated elsewhere they had become idolatrous and wicked above all other people groups as the Maccabees letters show. The prophets warned of their pending destruction and Deuteronomy tells them of it and what would become of them through it all. But as a nation they were in denial because of the familiar spirit ie....religious spirit that hinders God. God in Christ judged Israel as a nation as He did all humanity of its sin nature. In so doing the law required mans death of his flesh because it housed the essences of the evil one. In the death of the righteous one, God reversed to process through Jesus a righteous man. A man not guilty of sin's nature as there was no gall in His heart, He had only righteousness and integrity within Him. That is why He could say that Satan had nothing on Him or no place within Him. He, Jesus as Christ was made guilty for us in our place and God when we accept our place in Christ because of the crisis of life. Which comes after the Comforter has had His way of bringing us to the Light and Truth of our nakedness, unsoundness and bankruptcy and in desperate need of His Salvation. For only then are we become the willing in the willingness which God requires to accept our own guilt and deaths penalty. Then through it God circumcises the heart in the cutting away of that sin nature of flesh and by His power gives us a new heart of unity to Him, sins stain is removed as is the guilt or bitterness and resentment of gall and we become a new creation in Christ.
It's through all this that we become a Christ-one, a son of God's rule or dwelling, we're no longer of this world system of darkness, dysfunction and chaos. Because when we speak it is as if Christ is speaking through us which causes the world not to receive or understand us, just as they did not Him. But Christ wants all to hear us clearly because the mysteries of God have been opened for understanding in these days (Rev. 10). And that they (His mysteries and scriptures) are not subject to one persons revelation but for all to receive and believe. Because the Comforter is given for all. We're all of One Spirit and thusly one understanding by that same Spirit.
There is enough for one more days posting so this is where I'll take a break until the next post.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Names of the Spirit, continuing on with
We need to hear what Isaiah said as quoted from the Lord's own mouth in chapter 29 and we'll pick up the flow with verse 1:
1-12 “Woe to Ariel, to Ariel (the ancient symbolic name in Hebrew for Jerusalem as the capital of all Religious and governmental, political activity, a seller of merchandise and stories as a talebearer as slanderer), the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
It shall even be as when an hungry man dreams, and, behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreams, and, behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion (the spiritual mountain of God, as a pillar).
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers has he covered. And the vision of all is become to you as the words of a book that is sealed, which deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he says, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he says, I am not learned.”
The sealed book is the Bible and more exactly the Old Testament and much of the New because of the familiar spirit given to the world through Israels Judaism which has become religion, idolatry.
Isa 29:13-24
“Wherefore the Lord said, For as much as this people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase in joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he sees his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.”
Isa 66:1-4
“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those hath mine hand made, and all those have been, saith the LORD: but to this will I look, to the poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, swine's blood; he that burneth incense, he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.”
From here we can turn to Hosea chapter four, to again hear the warning of God against the people of Israel and the judgment that is to come after the Messiah being God's visitation (as the end of days or as the ever lasting, the forever or for ever, one).
Hos 4:1-11, 12-19
“Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.”
Now I must say that I had no idea of taking this course in this study on spiritual names or titles of spirits. But for our benefit we must come to grips with the “spirit of religion” the familiar spirit, the spirit of the world, the spirit of this present darkness, the prince of the power of the air, which is religion. The exposure of this deceptive spirit dates back to before the days of Noah and the writings of Enoch and Jasher to name but a few such books, though Moses in his account of Genesis on does reveals evil spirits but in limited form.
We know from all that has been uncovered of human history and the accounts of scripture do reveal a form of religion, ie...paganism, of all imaginable colors and forms. Is it any wonder that these same religious artifacts have or holds such sway over fallen mankind. It is deviously, dark, and very subtle in its deception of man. The Lord calls it whoredom, fornication, harlotry, and many other such descriptive words as record by John in his account of the visions shown him and recorded in Revelation. The nation of Israel had fallen prey to it back before its first captivity, while in Egypt and was unable to shake from its hold. Its power within the religionists of Judaism and its related government were but puppets because of their strong reliance on being God's chosen people. They counted themselves above the norm of humanity as a set apart people, as heirs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and therefore all others were but inferior dogs, swine and lowlifes to them. It was into this mindset that God came as promised but not in the way that Israel was led to believe He would come. They were looking for a national King and Government that would rule them and set them free from all others. They were to be a “superpower” in their own eyes and thinking, failing to see or hear what God's intentions were.
It was into this atmosphere that both John the Baptist and Jesus his cousin game. John as the prophet before the day of the Lord, who was to make way for the King and His kingdom. And Jesus in His lowly invisible entry as a son of man, though He was heralded by angelic beings. Later He was to go to John to fulfill all righteousness. As the righteous one and John was assigned the roll of witness (Isa. 40:3-4, John 1:15, 5:33) to His being a Prophet of the Highest order (Deu. 18:15, 18; Acts 3:22, 7:37). When he saw the dove lite upon Jesus and remain upon Him after His washing into His own baptism of priesthood through John's own transferring of title to Him in righteousness by this act. For John was born into the line of Aaron's priest's under Levi's heirs Elizabeth and Zechariah as a Nazarite (Lu. 1:15) and therefore a priest even above all others as the end of the line. Jesus as the end of the line of David (Mat. 1:1-17) through both His mother (Is. 7:14, Luke 3:23-38) and Joseph (Luke 1:26-27). Both John and Jesus had their encounters with the religionists of their day and both revealed just how far down into paganism they had fallen. As they called them snakes in the grass with the poison of asps under their tongues and whited sepulchers full of dead mans bones referring to the serpent in the garden and thereby identifying all such religionists as of the devil and dead to God.
Even Paul after his conversion and subsequent baptism by both water and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of all Truth, the Comforter, ie...the ontological essence of the risen Christ revealed the depth of sin found in religion and God's judgment of it. In Romans the first two chapters (1:18-2:20). We find and can label them as 1:18-1:32 Immoral and Amoral man, 2:1-16 moral man, 2:17-3:20 Religious man, and we pick up on God's activities through Christ with the mystery of Grace in Christ, 3:21-8:39 (with 9-11 being Paul's revealing of Israel's past, present and future, as a parenthetical but be careful as there are things within which apply and overlap to us as well) 12-16, as our Gospel. Form His second ascension on mankind has been in the enigma of the interim, between His first and second coming, as God revealed His ontological dynamics in the person of Christ. Paul does not spend much time dealing with what can be called evil spirits, he does not label those who opposed him as religionists but does call them Judaizers and Hellenists which were those who oppose God's activity through the spirit of religion, the familiar spirit of Isaiah.
1-12 “Woe to Ariel, to Ariel (the ancient symbolic name in Hebrew for Jerusalem as the capital of all Religious and governmental, political activity, a seller of merchandise and stories as a talebearer as slanderer), the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
It shall even be as when an hungry man dreams, and, behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreams, and, behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion (the spiritual mountain of God, as a pillar).
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers has he covered. And the vision of all is become to you as the words of a book that is sealed, which deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he says, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he says, I am not learned.”
The sealed book is the Bible and more exactly the Old Testament and much of the New because of the familiar spirit given to the world through Israels Judaism which has become religion, idolatry.
Isa 29:13-24
“Wherefore the Lord said, For as much as this people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase in joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he sees his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.”
Isa 66:1-4
“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those hath mine hand made, and all those have been, saith the LORD: but to this will I look, to the poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, swine's blood; he that burneth incense, he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.”
From here we can turn to Hosea chapter four, to again hear the warning of God against the people of Israel and the judgment that is to come after the Messiah being God's visitation (as the end of days or as the ever lasting, the forever or for ever, one).
Hos 4:1-11, 12-19
“Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.”
Now I must say that I had no idea of taking this course in this study on spiritual names or titles of spirits. But for our benefit we must come to grips with the “spirit of religion” the familiar spirit, the spirit of the world, the spirit of this present darkness, the prince of the power of the air, which is religion. The exposure of this deceptive spirit dates back to before the days of Noah and the writings of Enoch and Jasher to name but a few such books, though Moses in his account of Genesis on does reveals evil spirits but in limited form.
We know from all that has been uncovered of human history and the accounts of scripture do reveal a form of religion, ie...paganism, of all imaginable colors and forms. Is it any wonder that these same religious artifacts have or holds such sway over fallen mankind. It is deviously, dark, and very subtle in its deception of man. The Lord calls it whoredom, fornication, harlotry, and many other such descriptive words as record by John in his account of the visions shown him and recorded in Revelation. The nation of Israel had fallen prey to it back before its first captivity, while in Egypt and was unable to shake from its hold. Its power within the religionists of Judaism and its related government were but puppets because of their strong reliance on being God's chosen people. They counted themselves above the norm of humanity as a set apart people, as heirs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and therefore all others were but inferior dogs, swine and lowlifes to them. It was into this mindset that God came as promised but not in the way that Israel was led to believe He would come. They were looking for a national King and Government that would rule them and set them free from all others. They were to be a “superpower” in their own eyes and thinking, failing to see or hear what God's intentions were.
It was into this atmosphere that both John the Baptist and Jesus his cousin game. John as the prophet before the day of the Lord, who was to make way for the King and His kingdom. And Jesus in His lowly invisible entry as a son of man, though He was heralded by angelic beings. Later He was to go to John to fulfill all righteousness. As the righteous one and John was assigned the roll of witness (Isa. 40:3-4, John 1:15, 5:33) to His being a Prophet of the Highest order (Deu. 18:15, 18; Acts 3:22, 7:37). When he saw the dove lite upon Jesus and remain upon Him after His washing into His own baptism of priesthood through John's own transferring of title to Him in righteousness by this act. For John was born into the line of Aaron's priest's under Levi's heirs Elizabeth and Zechariah as a Nazarite (Lu. 1:15) and therefore a priest even above all others as the end of the line. Jesus as the end of the line of David (Mat. 1:1-17) through both His mother (Is. 7:14, Luke 3:23-38) and Joseph (Luke 1:26-27). Both John and Jesus had their encounters with the religionists of their day and both revealed just how far down into paganism they had fallen. As they called them snakes in the grass with the poison of asps under their tongues and whited sepulchers full of dead mans bones referring to the serpent in the garden and thereby identifying all such religionists as of the devil and dead to God.
Even Paul after his conversion and subsequent baptism by both water and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of all Truth, the Comforter, ie...the ontological essence of the risen Christ revealed the depth of sin found in religion and God's judgment of it. In Romans the first two chapters (1:18-2:20). We find and can label them as 1:18-1:32 Immoral and Amoral man, 2:1-16 moral man, 2:17-3:20 Religious man, and we pick up on God's activities through Christ with the mystery of Grace in Christ, 3:21-8:39 (with 9-11 being Paul's revealing of Israel's past, present and future, as a parenthetical but be careful as there are things within which apply and overlap to us as well) 12-16, as our Gospel. Form His second ascension on mankind has been in the enigma of the interim, between His first and second coming, as God revealed His ontological dynamics in the person of Christ. Paul does not spend much time dealing with what can be called evil spirits, he does not label those who opposed him as religionists but does call them Judaizers and Hellenists which were those who oppose God's activity through the spirit of religion, the familiar spirit of Isaiah.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Names of the Spirit, continuing with
Before we pick up where we left off in our last post allow me to back up just a bit.
Rev 10:7
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
Deu 29:29
“The secret (mysteries, things concealed by God, ie....Christ) things belong unto the LORD our God: but those revealed to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law (here is to teach, as in shooting of an arrow, to rain upon, point toward the truth, the path one is required to walk in life).”
Act 3:18-23, look at 21
“But those things, which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled. Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you: (21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (Luke 24:44-47; Acts 3:21) of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever He shall say to you.' And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
We'll mostly allow the scriptures to speak for themselves with little editing on our part. Now we'll turn to the spirit of error:
spirit of error
1 verse found, 7 matches
1 John
1 verse found, 7 matches
1Jn 4:6
“We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error (delusion, deceit, fraud, a wandering, a straying about, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion, which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting).” (Isaiah 29:10, 66; Ho 4:12)
Isa 29:9-11, 10
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. (10) For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed.”
Hos 4:7 -13, 12
“As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. (12) My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.”
Mic 2:8-12, 11
“Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: yourselves pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. The women of my people have you cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have you taken away my glory for ever. Arise, and depart; for this is not rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. (11) If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah (sheepfold, separated that shall be cut off as a husbandman cuts the vines of its clusters of grapes), as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.”
Rom 11:6-11, 8
“If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election (those among the Hebrews who chose Christ and became Christ-ones) have obtained it, and the rest were blinded (8) (According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David said, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence (evil, as a crime, their not able to partake of the Lord's table) to them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”
2Th 2:5-14, 9 “Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholds that He might be revealed in His time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only He who now lets will let, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: (9) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders (to-days false religion or churches of religion, crimes), And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Cor. 2:14
"But the natural man (the mere man who depends on his own wisdom and strength) does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Matt. 11:25
"I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent (those seeking the philosophy and theology of men and signs, wonders and miracles) and have revealed them to babes."
Matt. 18:3
"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted (in your thinking and heart too) and become as (dependent and trusting as) little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
2Th 2:11-12
“For this cause God shall send them strong delusion (objectively fraudulence, to deceive, an impostor or misleader: seducing), that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure (specifically to approbate; by implication to seem (truthfully or uncertainly) in unrighteousness.” (Isa. 66:4)
Now we need to hear what Isaiah said as quoted from the Lord's own mouth in chapter 29.
Rev 10:7
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
Deu 29:29
“The secret (mysteries, things concealed by God, ie....Christ) things belong unto the LORD our God: but those revealed to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law (here is to teach, as in shooting of an arrow, to rain upon, point toward the truth, the path one is required to walk in life).”
Act 3:18-23, look at 21
“But those things, which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled. Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you: (21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (Luke 24:44-47; Acts 3:21) of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever He shall say to you.' And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
We'll mostly allow the scriptures to speak for themselves with little editing on our part. Now we'll turn to the spirit of error:
spirit of error
1 verse found, 7 matches
1 John
1 verse found, 7 matches
1Jn 4:6
“We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error (delusion, deceit, fraud, a wandering, a straying about, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion, which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting).” (Isaiah 29:10, 66; Ho 4:12)
Isa 29:9-11, 10
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. (10) For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed.”
Hos 4:7 -13, 12
“As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. (12) My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.”
Mic 2:8-12, 11
“Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: yourselves pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. The women of my people have you cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have you taken away my glory for ever. Arise, and depart; for this is not rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. (11) If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah (sheepfold, separated that shall be cut off as a husbandman cuts the vines of its clusters of grapes), as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.”
Rom 11:6-11, 8
“If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election (those among the Hebrews who chose Christ and became Christ-ones) have obtained it, and the rest were blinded (8) (According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David said, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence (evil, as a crime, their not able to partake of the Lord's table) to them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”
2Th 2:5-14, 9 “Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholds that He might be revealed in His time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only He who now lets will let, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: (9) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders (to-days false religion or churches of religion, crimes), And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Cor. 2:14
"But the natural man (the mere man who depends on his own wisdom and strength) does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Matt. 11:25
"I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent (those seeking the philosophy and theology of men and signs, wonders and miracles) and have revealed them to babes."
Matt. 18:3
"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted (in your thinking and heart too) and become as (dependent and trusting as) little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
2Th 2:11-12
“For this cause God shall send them strong delusion (objectively fraudulence, to deceive, an impostor or misleader: seducing), that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure (specifically to approbate; by implication to seem (truthfully or uncertainly) in unrighteousness.” (Isa. 66:4)
Now we need to hear what Isaiah said as quoted from the Lord's own mouth in chapter 29.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Names of the Spirit, continuing with
We left off with Deuteronomy 30:6 as our last comment. So before we progress into Revelation we'll look at Deuteronomy for a moment or so.
Deu 30:5-11, 14-20
"The LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. 'The LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.' And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. If thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. The LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off."
"The word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, 'I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;' In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that 'I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:' therefore choose life', that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest 'love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days:' that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
Now I went a little farther then I had intended and have taken liberty to highlight in bold the areas of special interest. Now it must be said that though this was spoken primarily to Israel as a nation of set apart people to bear the blessings and promises spoken to Abraham, Isaac, and even Jacob who began the first lost sheep as spoken or revealed to Enoch because his heirs are the lost sheep called and known as Israel. They are lost because of unbelief through religion as religion opposes God and His activities. Just as revealed throughout Deuteronomy. Notice starting in verse 5 the name or title "LORD" this is Yehovah or "Hayah" which means: be, to exist or to become come, to pass [as a beacon], the last and because of this we know Him as Christ/Holy Spirit because He is the last through whom mankind is required to come. That is why our Gospel is Christocentric for He is the Gospel messenger and we are (as a bond servant of God) through whom we're to bear witness of and too His Gospel, ie...good news, which is Christ restored within us, too us.
Now taking from Rev. 1 verse 6: “has made us kings and priests to God and His Father” we can draw the following:
Rom 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that we may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Rev 20:6
"Blessed and holy is he that have part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
1Pe 2:5-10
“We also, as lively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by (through) Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes (here we can add receive because this is faith's activity and do no harm to this passage) Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe precious: but to them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereto also they were appointed. But we (who have chosen) a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shew forth the praises of Him who has called out of darkness (out of the worlds religion, sin, and or crimes) into His marvelous light: Which in time past not a people (those from all nations, such as the Hebrews or Israel, and gentiles/nations or other pagans), but now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
Joh 5:23-24
Jesus here speaking: “That all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent Him. Verily, verily (of a Truth), I say to you, He that hears My word, and believes Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death (spiritual separation from) unto life.”
And "Life" here means restored union with God through Christ or "IN" Christ, as when a man and a woman become one flesh in marriage. This is why what the worlds churches are now about doing is such an abomination and an apostasy (the turning of ones backside toward) before God. Because they are accepting and allowing those who are to be set apart as unclean and defiled because of their life style, as practicing homosexuals (matters not sex) for they are not "gay" but abominable and damned of all men.
Heb 13:20-21
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom glory forever and ever.” Amen.
Now we can find many references to the "everlasting covenant" beginning with 2 Sam. 23:5; 1 Chron. 16:17; Isa. 55:3, 61:8; Jer. 32:40; Eze. 37:24 to name but a few and all related passages. What most don't know because of the spirit of religion (which hinders or blinds is this) that in both Testaments the actual person of the covenant is Christ because He is known as the everlasting one or covenant man.
1Pe 4:10-11
“As every man hath received the gift, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, as the oracles of God; if any man minister, as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.” Amen.
How does God the Father of spirits get glory? Through His Son! An only Through His Son so if we have not the Son we are none of His. Therefore He does NOT know or see us, Because of religion/sin, in any way. Except when we cry out for mercy and redemption, which will bring us through to His Salvation, in which we become a son.
2Pe 3:17-18
“Therefore, beloved, seeing we know before, beware lest we also, being led away with the error of the wicked (those trapped in and by religion/sin), fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him glory both now and forever.” (Say The Truth) Amen.
James 3:15-16 "The corruption and disorder that rises out of the heart of fallen man is a result of being bound to a nature that is naturally independent, self-sufficient, self-seeking and self-exalting. Satan is the one who fostered this form of life on the world. Because it is in direct conflict with the Son’s way of life, those who live by this carnal wisdom will not be able to see the light of truth. This wisdom [that leads to a self-centered form of life] does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic [of the devil/religion]. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”
When we pick this back up we'll look at the evil spirit of religion, the prince of the power of the air, this present evil darkness and other terms for him.
Deu 30:5-11, 14-20
"The LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. 'The LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.' And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. If thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. The LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off."
"The word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, 'I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;' In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that 'I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:' therefore choose life', that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest 'love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days:' that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
Now I went a little farther then I had intended and have taken liberty to highlight in bold the areas of special interest. Now it must be said that though this was spoken primarily to Israel as a nation of set apart people to bear the blessings and promises spoken to Abraham, Isaac, and even Jacob who began the first lost sheep as spoken or revealed to Enoch because his heirs are the lost sheep called and known as Israel. They are lost because of unbelief through religion as religion opposes God and His activities. Just as revealed throughout Deuteronomy. Notice starting in verse 5 the name or title "LORD" this is Yehovah or "Hayah" which means: be, to exist or to become come, to pass [as a beacon], the last and because of this we know Him as Christ/Holy Spirit because He is the last through whom mankind is required to come. That is why our Gospel is Christocentric for He is the Gospel messenger and we are (as a bond servant of God) through whom we're to bear witness of and too His Gospel, ie...good news, which is Christ restored within us, too us.
Now taking from Rev. 1 verse 6: “has made us kings and priests to God and His Father” we can draw the following:
Rom 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that we may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Rev 20:6
"Blessed and holy is he that have part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
1Pe 2:5-10
“We also, as lively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by (through) Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes (here we can add receive because this is faith's activity and do no harm to this passage) Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe precious: but to them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereto also they were appointed. But we (who have chosen) a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shew forth the praises of Him who has called out of darkness (out of the worlds religion, sin, and or crimes) into His marvelous light: Which in time past not a people (those from all nations, such as the Hebrews or Israel, and gentiles/nations or other pagans), but now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
Joh 5:23-24
Jesus here speaking: “That all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent Him. Verily, verily (of a Truth), I say to you, He that hears My word, and believes Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death (spiritual separation from) unto life.”
And "Life" here means restored union with God through Christ or "IN" Christ, as when a man and a woman become one flesh in marriage. This is why what the worlds churches are now about doing is such an abomination and an apostasy (the turning of ones backside toward) before God. Because they are accepting and allowing those who are to be set apart as unclean and defiled because of their life style, as practicing homosexuals (matters not sex) for they are not "gay" but abominable and damned of all men.
Heb 13:20-21
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom glory forever and ever.” Amen.
Now we can find many references to the "everlasting covenant" beginning with 2 Sam. 23:5; 1 Chron. 16:17; Isa. 55:3, 61:8; Jer. 32:40; Eze. 37:24 to name but a few and all related passages. What most don't know because of the spirit of religion (which hinders or blinds is this) that in both Testaments the actual person of the covenant is Christ because He is known as the everlasting one or covenant man.
1Pe 4:10-11
“As every man hath received the gift, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, as the oracles of God; if any man minister, as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.” Amen.
How does God the Father of spirits get glory? Through His Son! An only Through His Son so if we have not the Son we are none of His. Therefore He does NOT know or see us, Because of religion/sin, in any way. Except when we cry out for mercy and redemption, which will bring us through to His Salvation, in which we become a son.
2Pe 3:17-18
“Therefore, beloved, seeing we know before, beware lest we also, being led away with the error of the wicked (those trapped in and by religion/sin), fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him glory both now and forever.” (Say The Truth) Amen.
James 3:15-16 "The corruption and disorder that rises out of the heart of fallen man is a result of being bound to a nature that is naturally independent, self-sufficient, self-seeking and self-exalting. Satan is the one who fostered this form of life on the world. Because it is in direct conflict with the Son’s way of life, those who live by this carnal wisdom will not be able to see the light of truth. This wisdom [that leads to a self-centered form of life] does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic [of the devil/religion]. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”
When we pick this back up we'll look at the evil spirit of religion, the prince of the power of the air, this present evil darkness and other terms for him.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Names of the Spirit, continuing with
Rev 3:1
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things says He that has the seven Spirits (which have the mind ) of God, and the seven stars (the spiritual house of God or the true Israel of God, the house in which He rules as promised to Abraham as his heirs: Gen 15:5, 22:17, 26:4; seven being God's number of completeness, the meaning of the “ha” added to his name of Abram); I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead.”
Rev 4:5
“Out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
Rev 5:6
“I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
1Co 12:1-3
“Now concerning spiritual (gifts, here is added to enhance the word spiritual), brethren, I would not have you ignorant. We know that you were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
There to this day are many who will not call Jesus “LORD” or even Lord of their lives nor allow God to be God within them by faiths activity of receptivity because they refuse to honor God and His Christ by the acknowledging of Him as their personal, LORD. Why is this so? The answer may surprise you, but here it is, they are bond by what can be called “the spirit of religion,” a name or title we've not searched out nor sought to find as of yet. But this one thing is sure it is a spirit of this present evil darkness or the spirit of the world.
Because religion for the most part remains as it was in Jesus' day, an external, physical and practical ideology of religion theory and antithesis (against God in Christ) of Christ. To make it short, it opposes both God and His Christ and their work and functionality within the receptive ones “Christians”. Through the activity of the anti-Christ's of religion, and within the first estate of redemption. It operates by causing doubt of being saved, by causing those saved to mistrust God, to misunderstand His word, to not hear clearly His words, to lack a prayer life, to cause them to not miss a day the doors of the religious house doors are open, to give of their wealth though NOT required of them by Him, to cause them to search the scriptures for what ever subject moves them or who knows what as a rabbit trail or smoke screen to keep them busy doing....doing something not required or needful, by delusion, and seeking for the paranormal (ie signs, wonders and miracles), to cause conviction for failing to attend religious services even though there is NO presences of God or the Holy Spirit among those present. This spirit will cause them to argue over all religious things (words, genealogies, church rites, theology) such as holidays, rituals, customs of men, Sabbath days for religious observances of none required holy-days and foolish religious opinions (based on titles and/or names of God, for example and others) of men. These all indeed have a form of piety or godliness but there is NO power within them to overcome the evil one. We'll reveal more along this line of thought later when we quote from James' letter.
1Co 12:4-14
“There are diversities of gifts (we're to bear or carry the gifts as fruit which the ontological essence of Christ's presences within us produces in His power of presences, as He is so are we in the world), but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit (to bear or carry; to contribute for the mutual benefit of all) withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom (1); to another the word of knowledge (2) by the same Spirit; To another faith (required of all) by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing (3) by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles (4); to another prophecy (5); to another discerning of spirits(6); to another kinds of tongues (languages); to another the interpretation of tongues (7): But all these work that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Gentile, whether bond or free; and have been all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
This then goes alone with the Lord's prayer as found in John chapter 17. Wherein He prays that all men every where would become one in Him as He was One with God the Father of spirits. You see in His kingdom there are NO nationalities, ethnicity, sexes, slave or freeman but as One Body all having of the same "Spirit". This is also found where God tells the Hebrews that He'll circumcise the heart in Deuteronomy 30:6 and related passages.
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things says He that has the seven Spirits (which have the mind ) of God, and the seven stars (the spiritual house of God or the true Israel of God, the house in which He rules as promised to Abraham as his heirs: Gen 15:5, 22:17, 26:4; seven being God's number of completeness, the meaning of the “ha” added to his name of Abram); I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead.”
Rev 4:5
“Out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
Rev 5:6
“I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
1Co 12:1-3
“Now concerning spiritual (gifts, here is added to enhance the word spiritual), brethren, I would not have you ignorant. We know that you were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
There to this day are many who will not call Jesus “LORD” or even Lord of their lives nor allow God to be God within them by faiths activity of receptivity because they refuse to honor God and His Christ by the acknowledging of Him as their personal, LORD. Why is this so? The answer may surprise you, but here it is, they are bond by what can be called “the spirit of religion,” a name or title we've not searched out nor sought to find as of yet. But this one thing is sure it is a spirit of this present evil darkness or the spirit of the world.
Because religion for the most part remains as it was in Jesus' day, an external, physical and practical ideology of religion theory and antithesis (against God in Christ) of Christ. To make it short, it opposes both God and His Christ and their work and functionality within the receptive ones “Christians”. Through the activity of the anti-Christ's of religion, and within the first estate of redemption. It operates by causing doubt of being saved, by causing those saved to mistrust God, to misunderstand His word, to not hear clearly His words, to lack a prayer life, to cause them to not miss a day the doors of the religious house doors are open, to give of their wealth though NOT required of them by Him, to cause them to search the scriptures for what ever subject moves them or who knows what as a rabbit trail or smoke screen to keep them busy doing....doing something not required or needful, by delusion, and seeking for the paranormal (ie signs, wonders and miracles), to cause conviction for failing to attend religious services even though there is NO presences of God or the Holy Spirit among those present. This spirit will cause them to argue over all religious things (words, genealogies, church rites, theology) such as holidays, rituals, customs of men, Sabbath days for religious observances of none required holy-days and foolish religious opinions (based on titles and/or names of God, for example and others) of men. These all indeed have a form of piety or godliness but there is NO power within them to overcome the evil one. We'll reveal more along this line of thought later when we quote from James' letter.
1Co 12:4-14
“There are diversities of gifts (we're to bear or carry the gifts as fruit which the ontological essence of Christ's presences within us produces in His power of presences, as He is so are we in the world), but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit (to bear or carry; to contribute for the mutual benefit of all) withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom (1); to another the word of knowledge (2) by the same Spirit; To another faith (required of all) by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing (3) by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles (4); to another prophecy (5); to another discerning of spirits(6); to another kinds of tongues (languages); to another the interpretation of tongues (7): But all these work that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Gentile, whether bond or free; and have been all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
This then goes alone with the Lord's prayer as found in John chapter 17. Wherein He prays that all men every where would become one in Him as He was One with God the Father of spirits. You see in His kingdom there are NO nationalities, ethnicity, sexes, slave or freeman but as One Body all having of the same "Spirit". This is also found where God tells the Hebrews that He'll circumcise the heart in Deuteronomy 30:6 and related passages.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Names of the Spirit
We'll under take a new direction of study just because we can if for no other reason. To see what lays out there for discovery and our understanding of all thing spiritual.
Spirit of God
51 verses found, 243 matches
Matthew
2 verses found, 9 matches
Luke
1 verse found, 3 matches
John
2 verses found, 10 matches
Acts
2 verses found, 6 matches
Romans
10 verses found, 44 matches
1 Corinthians
8 verses found, 40 matches
2 Corinthians
3 verses found, 13 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 3 matches
Ephesians
4 verses found, 18 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 5 matches
2 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 Timothy
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found 6 matches
Hebrews
3 verses found, 17 matches
1 Peter
3 verses found, 18 matches
1 John
4 verses found, 23 matches
Revelation
4 verses found, 18 matches
Spirit of Christ
26 verses found, 117 matches
Acts
1 verse found, 4 matches
Romans
6 verses found, 28 matches
1 Corinthians
1 verse found, 5 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Galatians
2 verses found, 7 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Philippians
3 verses found, 13 matches
Colossians
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 3 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found, 4 matches
Philemon
1 verse found, 3 matches
Hebrews
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 Peter
3 verses found, 18 matches
1 John
2 verses found, 10 matches
Holy Spirit
12 verses found, 24 matches
Luke
2 verses found, 4 matches
John
2 verses found, 4 matches
Acts
1 verse found, 2 matches
1 Corinthians
2 verses found, 4 matches
Ephesians
3 verses found, 6 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 2 matches
Revelation
1 verse found, 2 matches
Spirit of Wisdom
5 verses found, 24 matches
Luke
2 verses found, 8 matches
1 Corinthians
2 verses found, 10 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Spirit of Grace
6 verses found, 25 matches
Luke
1 verse found, 3 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 3 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found, 4 matches
Philemon
1 verse found, 3 matches
Hebrews
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 Peter
1 verse found, 6 matches
Spirit of Life
7 verses found, 32 matches
Romans
2 verses found, 9 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 5 matches
Revelation
3 verses found, 12 matches
Spirit of the Lord
22 verses found, 175 matches
Luke
3 verses found, 28 matches
Acts
3 verses found, 28 matches
Romans
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 Corinthians
5 verses found, 39 matches
2 Corinthians
2 verses found, 18 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 5 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 10 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 6 matches
2 Thessalonians
2 verses found, 16 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found, 10 matches
Philemon
1 verse found, 4 matches
Revelation
1 verse found, 5 matches
Spirit of Truth
8 verses found, 35 matches
John
3 verses found, 12 matches
Ephesians
2 verses found, 8 matches
2 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 5 matches
1 Peter
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 John
1 verse found, 7 matches
Spirit of Holiness
2 verses found, 8 matches
Romans
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 4 matches
Spirit of Faith
11 verses found, 40 matches
1 Corinthians
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 3 matches
Galatians
5 verses found, 19 matches
Philippians
1 verse found, 5 matches
Colossians
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 Timothy
2 verses found, 6 matches
Spirit of Him
29 verses found, 122 matches
Matthew
1 verse found, 5 matches
Mark
7 verses found, 27 matches
Luke
5 verses found, 19 matches
John
3 verses found, 11 matches
Acts
2 verses found, 7 matches
Romans
1 verse found, 4 matches
1 Corinthians
2 verses found, 11 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 3 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 John
1 verse found, 3 matches
Revelation
5 verses found, 26 matches
Spirit of His Son
1 verse found, 1 match
Galatians
1 verse found, 1 match
Spirit of prophecy
1 verse found, 1 match
Revelation
1 verse found, 1 match
Seven spirits
4 verses found, 4 matches
Revelation
4 verses found, 4 matches
Before we go any farther we must understand that all that is written within the Revelation is not literal in nature but figurative, or spiritual and in a picture language form. Because this was the way of the earlier writers and the way that Jesus Himself used to speak. For example if He was with farmers, cattlemen or shepherds He used agricultural language to express a spiritual reality. If He was before the leaders of the Jewish Religion, He spoke in metaphoric or parabolic language to reveal their true state of deadness, or separation from spiritual things and their lack of understanding. In many cases He was speaking to this condition as blindness, hardness and ignorance of heart, in not seeing or not hearing. Well John used the same metaphoric language to express what he saw in the visions, as each are not one vision but rather seem to be many (that is to say as there were seven churches written about there of necessity may have been seven visions seen) from different angels. That create a surround about vision or what we know as a theater in the round where we can see from different views or angels of observation a more complete picture of what lays before us. When we approach the Revelation of this book , the Bible, in this manor we'll see that even the benefit of the seven spirits spoken of are for our benefit of hearing and seeing during the enigma of the interim in which we live between the first and the second coming of Christ. Many have sought the Lord for a “spirit of Truth” in the study of the Bible. Not realizing that He is all Truth, Grace, Life and the Way to God. Which also makes Him the Living Covenant of promise or the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31. We're to become Christocentric ones or “Christians” the Christ ones who have become filled with the ontological essence of Christ's Spirit and sons of God in that God rules His house or family from within them in accord with John chapter 17 and the Lord's prayer there found.
If this is not the case with us then we are but strangers or outsiders even though we may have entered redemption wherein we're given the right to become a son we're still an outsider until we become a son. The whole of scripture will remain confused to us until such time that the Holy Spirit is allowed to be all that He is to be as our teacher, trainer, tutor, helper and guide. This happens without our conscience knowing and may require sometime for us to acquirer (trusting) but with others may happen instantaneously (faith). But no matter how long, it will happen, because it is God's Will that all come to faith and thereby become a son of God through Christ Jesus. All requires our becoming Christ-ones or “Christians” but with this one major difference we're actually counted as having been in Christ through the Lord's Supper, Garden prayers, judgment by wicked religionist and governmental men, death, burial, resurrection and ascension when He took His captives and blood into the Holiest of Holiest and presented us and them to God through His blood. The mystery of Christ herein revealed. Then returned to teach His disciples from the Old Testament about Himself as it spoke of Him throughout, which each of the gospel records a test to. Then after which time He was taken back into the heavens as Acts records in chapter one. This we'll reveal elsewhere as John and Paul witnesses to.
Rev 1:4-6
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits (the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul, especially of those who have passed through and into salvation) which are before His throne; And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness (those who after His example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death), the first begotten of the dead (the point from which all mere mankind starts, separated from God), and the prince of the kings of the earth. To Him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood (this term means that we're to passed through in like manner His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, 1 Cor. 15:3-4), And has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him glory and dominion for ever and ever.” Amen
Spirit of God
51 verses found, 243 matches
Matthew
2 verses found, 9 matches
Luke
1 verse found, 3 matches
John
2 verses found, 10 matches
Acts
2 verses found, 6 matches
Romans
10 verses found, 44 matches
1 Corinthians
8 verses found, 40 matches
2 Corinthians
3 verses found, 13 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 3 matches
Ephesians
4 verses found, 18 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 5 matches
2 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 Timothy
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found 6 matches
Hebrews
3 verses found, 17 matches
1 Peter
3 verses found, 18 matches
1 John
4 verses found, 23 matches
Revelation
4 verses found, 18 matches
Spirit of Christ
26 verses found, 117 matches
Acts
1 verse found, 4 matches
Romans
6 verses found, 28 matches
1 Corinthians
1 verse found, 5 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Galatians
2 verses found, 7 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Philippians
3 verses found, 13 matches
Colossians
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 3 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found, 4 matches
Philemon
1 verse found, 3 matches
Hebrews
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 Peter
3 verses found, 18 matches
1 John
2 verses found, 10 matches
Holy Spirit
12 verses found, 24 matches
Luke
2 verses found, 4 matches
John
2 verses found, 4 matches
Acts
1 verse found, 2 matches
1 Corinthians
2 verses found, 4 matches
Ephesians
3 verses found, 6 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 2 matches
Revelation
1 verse found, 2 matches
Spirit of Wisdom
5 verses found, 24 matches
Luke
2 verses found, 8 matches
1 Corinthians
2 verses found, 10 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Spirit of Grace
6 verses found, 25 matches
Luke
1 verse found, 3 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 3 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found, 4 matches
Philemon
1 verse found, 3 matches
Hebrews
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 Peter
1 verse found, 6 matches
Spirit of Life
7 verses found, 32 matches
Romans
2 verses found, 9 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 6 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 5 matches
Revelation
3 verses found, 12 matches
Spirit of the Lord
22 verses found, 175 matches
Luke
3 verses found, 28 matches
Acts
3 verses found, 28 matches
Romans
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 Corinthians
5 verses found, 39 matches
2 Corinthians
2 verses found, 18 matches
Galatians
1 verse found, 5 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 10 matches
1 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 6 matches
2 Thessalonians
2 verses found, 16 matches
2 Timothy
1 verse found, 10 matches
Philemon
1 verse found, 4 matches
Revelation
1 verse found, 5 matches
Spirit of Truth
8 verses found, 35 matches
John
3 verses found, 12 matches
Ephesians
2 verses found, 8 matches
2 Thessalonians
1 verse found, 5 matches
1 Peter
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 John
1 verse found, 7 matches
Spirit of Holiness
2 verses found, 8 matches
Romans
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 4 matches
Spirit of Faith
11 verses found, 40 matches
1 Corinthians
1 verse found, 4 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 3 matches
Galatians
5 verses found, 19 matches
Philippians
1 verse found, 5 matches
Colossians
1 verse found, 3 matches
1 Timothy
2 verses found, 6 matches
Spirit of Him
29 verses found, 122 matches
Matthew
1 verse found, 5 matches
Mark
7 verses found, 27 matches
Luke
5 verses found, 19 matches
John
3 verses found, 11 matches
Acts
2 verses found, 7 matches
Romans
1 verse found, 4 matches
1 Corinthians
2 verses found, 11 matches
2 Corinthians
1 verse found, 3 matches
Ephesians
1 verse found, 6 matches
1 John
1 verse found, 3 matches
Revelation
5 verses found, 26 matches
Spirit of His Son
1 verse found, 1 match
Galatians
1 verse found, 1 match
Spirit of prophecy
1 verse found, 1 match
Revelation
1 verse found, 1 match
Seven spirits
4 verses found, 4 matches
Revelation
4 verses found, 4 matches
Before we go any farther we must understand that all that is written within the Revelation is not literal in nature but figurative, or spiritual and in a picture language form. Because this was the way of the earlier writers and the way that Jesus Himself used to speak. For example if He was with farmers, cattlemen or shepherds He used agricultural language to express a spiritual reality. If He was before the leaders of the Jewish Religion, He spoke in metaphoric or parabolic language to reveal their true state of deadness, or separation from spiritual things and their lack of understanding. In many cases He was speaking to this condition as blindness, hardness and ignorance of heart, in not seeing or not hearing. Well John used the same metaphoric language to express what he saw in the visions, as each are not one vision but rather seem to be many (that is to say as there were seven churches written about there of necessity may have been seven visions seen) from different angels. That create a surround about vision or what we know as a theater in the round where we can see from different views or angels of observation a more complete picture of what lays before us. When we approach the Revelation of this book , the Bible, in this manor we'll see that even the benefit of the seven spirits spoken of are for our benefit of hearing and seeing during the enigma of the interim in which we live between the first and the second coming of Christ. Many have sought the Lord for a “spirit of Truth” in the study of the Bible. Not realizing that He is all Truth, Grace, Life and the Way to God. Which also makes Him the Living Covenant of promise or the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31. We're to become Christocentric ones or “Christians” the Christ ones who have become filled with the ontological essence of Christ's Spirit and sons of God in that God rules His house or family from within them in accord with John chapter 17 and the Lord's prayer there found.
If this is not the case with us then we are but strangers or outsiders even though we may have entered redemption wherein we're given the right to become a son we're still an outsider until we become a son. The whole of scripture will remain confused to us until such time that the Holy Spirit is allowed to be all that He is to be as our teacher, trainer, tutor, helper and guide. This happens without our conscience knowing and may require sometime for us to acquirer (trusting) but with others may happen instantaneously (faith). But no matter how long, it will happen, because it is God's Will that all come to faith and thereby become a son of God through Christ Jesus. All requires our becoming Christ-ones or “Christians” but with this one major difference we're actually counted as having been in Christ through the Lord's Supper, Garden prayers, judgment by wicked religionist and governmental men, death, burial, resurrection and ascension when He took His captives and blood into the Holiest of Holiest and presented us and them to God through His blood. The mystery of Christ herein revealed. Then returned to teach His disciples from the Old Testament about Himself as it spoke of Him throughout, which each of the gospel records a test to. Then after which time He was taken back into the heavens as Acts records in chapter one. This we'll reveal elsewhere as John and Paul witnesses to.
Rev 1:4-6
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits (the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul, especially of those who have passed through and into salvation) which are before His throne; And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness (those who after His example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death), the first begotten of the dead (the point from which all mere mankind starts, separated from God), and the prince of the kings of the earth. To Him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood (this term means that we're to passed through in like manner His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, 1 Cor. 15:3-4), And has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him glory and dominion for ever and ever.” Amen
Sunday, February 10, 2013
How or rather why is it that so many believe the lie? An on going thought.
Continuing with: This was caused by this: “Definition of stupid: Knowing the Truth, Seeing the Truth, but still believing the lie.”
When I see things such as I'm about to copy into this page I want to scream at people for their ignorance of God and His Christ and the spirit of the world which pervades in them and their churches.
“friends:...Getting in spiritual shape is allot like getting in physical shape...with physical fitness our body moans and groans and complains in the beginning..it doesn't want to do anything...but once we get into it and MAKE our bodies do it we feel great...if we stick with it ...then our bodies will be transformed...that's how it is getting fit spiritually...at first our flesh moans and groans and complains in making a change...it doesn't want to change...but being fit spiritually is a guard against the enemy...our enemy is a dirt-bag...he's like a criminal that tries to come into our house and steal...he has NO authority...but he will try and get away with anything...it's our job to resist him and kick him out...when we catch our enemy Satan trying to pull one over on us with our health...finances...children...marriages ...trying to steal our peace and joy..it's our job to stand on the Word and resist him and not give in to anything that's not victory...sometimes it's a fight...BUT IT"S A GOOD FIGHT!!!”
This does indeed have the sound of good doctrine but is it? NO way, why? Because “IF” we've passed through the operation of the cross in its death to the devil and his nature of religion, that is to say sin within our soul/spirit, wherein laid Satan's character (past tense). Where at we having received the circumcision of the heart as revealed in Deuteronomy 30:6 and Ezekiel 36:26-27, and through its operation entered into the New and Living Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Therein we'll have sufferings and trials and persecutions because of our change of character as our having entered God's plane of Salvation. As He corrects, trains, teaches and tutors us as sons, for if He does not correct us we're no more than a bastard child. Or remain within the corral of redemption as out first estate after having first believed on the name of Jesus. And may even remain in unbelief, this unbelief is what religion brings about as seen in the quote. The very same thing that cost Israel her place before God and made of her an enmity to Him.
Remember this that religion is sin and lawlessness and therefore wickedness before God. As it mocks and takes lightly both God and His Christ who's character is restored within us by faith's working. For when we've passed through redemption and have entered into God's Salvation we're protected from the influence of Satan, we're covered in Christ as we've put on the Lord Christ Jesus as a clothing and armor of God. Then no weapon formed against us can have any influence nor can any evil befall us for we're in God's hand. We're in the promised New Covenant, Jesus revealed the fact that He is the Life giving Living Christ that He had the very Godhead within Himself as the humanity as God had designed us all to be. For He said that He did nothing by His own initiative or in His own power, He was NOT sufficient within Himself to do or say what was said or done. He was totally receptive through faith of the Father of spirits working in Him by the Holy Spirit.
Earlier we skipped over 1 Timothy 4 verses 1-3 but here is what it says: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times (in the enigma of the interim, or as time passes between the two promised comings) some shall depart from the faith (turn their backs towards Christ and Christianity as God knows it to be, just as Israel through Judaism has done), giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats (the works of religion such as seen in Judaism or religious-Christianity as these are an oxymoron), which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Now here's what a good Dictionary reveals about the word religion: Origin of RELIGION; Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back.
I guess that I need to say this because so many confuse the things spoken of by Jesus through His words to Israel as the Yehovah of God, He spoke of Himself as both the son of man and Spirit of Holiness. For throughout the Old Testament He had revealed Himself by or through many titles or names depending on the required measure of the need. There must be well over one hundred of these titles such as El Elyon or El Saddai....etc. Even Yehovah (Covenant-God) is but a title of who He is like "I AM that I AM" of Exodus 3:14. Many people get tied up by the Jewish teachings dealing with His many names or titles and beleive that there is but One name or titles not realizing the many. What I mean here is that to my parents I'm their son, to my brothers and sister I'm a brother, to my wife I'm her lover, best friend and covering/husband, but to those who are outsiders I'm either William or Bill. But in each case I'm just me or I am. For in Christ I'm hid in God and seated within them both as One. Just as Jesus prayed and John records in chapter 17 of his gospel message of the good news which is Christ Jesus in whom alone is found the kingdom of God among us.
When I see things such as I'm about to copy into this page I want to scream at people for their ignorance of God and His Christ and the spirit of the world which pervades in them and their churches.
“friends:...Getting in spiritual shape is allot like getting in physical shape...with physical fitness our body moans and groans and complains in the beginning..it doesn't want to do anything...but once we get into it and MAKE our bodies do it we feel great...if we stick with it ...then our bodies will be transformed...that's how it is getting fit spiritually...at first our flesh moans and groans and complains in making a change...it doesn't want to change...but being fit spiritually is a guard against the enemy...our enemy is a dirt-bag...he's like a criminal that tries to come into our house and steal...he has NO authority...but he will try and get away with anything...it's our job to resist him and kick him out...when we catch our enemy Satan trying to pull one over on us with our health...finances...children...marriages ...trying to steal our peace and joy..it's our job to stand on the Word and resist him and not give in to anything that's not victory...sometimes it's a fight...BUT IT"S A GOOD FIGHT!!!”
This does indeed have the sound of good doctrine but is it? NO way, why? Because “IF” we've passed through the operation of the cross in its death to the devil and his nature of religion, that is to say sin within our soul/spirit, wherein laid Satan's character (past tense). Where at we having received the circumcision of the heart as revealed in Deuteronomy 30:6 and Ezekiel 36:26-27, and through its operation entered into the New and Living Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Therein we'll have sufferings and trials and persecutions because of our change of character as our having entered God's plane of Salvation. As He corrects, trains, teaches and tutors us as sons, for if He does not correct us we're no more than a bastard child. Or remain within the corral of redemption as out first estate after having first believed on the name of Jesus. And may even remain in unbelief, this unbelief is what religion brings about as seen in the quote. The very same thing that cost Israel her place before God and made of her an enmity to Him.
Remember this that religion is sin and lawlessness and therefore wickedness before God. As it mocks and takes lightly both God and His Christ who's character is restored within us by faith's working. For when we've passed through redemption and have entered into God's Salvation we're protected from the influence of Satan, we're covered in Christ as we've put on the Lord Christ Jesus as a clothing and armor of God. Then no weapon formed against us can have any influence nor can any evil befall us for we're in God's hand. We're in the promised New Covenant, Jesus revealed the fact that He is the Life giving Living Christ that He had the very Godhead within Himself as the humanity as God had designed us all to be. For He said that He did nothing by His own initiative or in His own power, He was NOT sufficient within Himself to do or say what was said or done. He was totally receptive through faith of the Father of spirits working in Him by the Holy Spirit.
Earlier we skipped over 1 Timothy 4 verses 1-3 but here is what it says: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times (in the enigma of the interim, or as time passes between the two promised comings) some shall depart from the faith (turn their backs towards Christ and Christianity as God knows it to be, just as Israel through Judaism has done), giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats (the works of religion such as seen in Judaism or religious-Christianity as these are an oxymoron), which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Now here's what a good Dictionary reveals about the word religion: Origin of RELIGION; Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back.
I guess that I need to say this because so many confuse the things spoken of by Jesus through His words to Israel as the Yehovah of God, He spoke of Himself as both the son of man and Spirit of Holiness. For throughout the Old Testament He had revealed Himself by or through many titles or names depending on the required measure of the need. There must be well over one hundred of these titles such as El Elyon or El Saddai....etc. Even Yehovah (Covenant-God) is but a title of who He is like "I AM that I AM" of Exodus 3:14. Many people get tied up by the Jewish teachings dealing with His many names or titles and beleive that there is but One name or titles not realizing the many. What I mean here is that to my parents I'm their son, to my brothers and sister I'm a brother, to my wife I'm her lover, best friend and covering/husband, but to those who are outsiders I'm either William or Bill. But in each case I'm just me or I am. For in Christ I'm hid in God and seated within them both as One. Just as Jesus prayed and John records in chapter 17 of his gospel message of the good news which is Christ Jesus in whom alone is found the kingdom of God among us.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
How or rather why is it that so many believe the lie? An on going thought.
How or rather why is it that so many believe the lie?
This was caused by this: “Definition of stupid: Knowing the Truth, Seeing the Truth, but still believing the lie.”
This has bothered me for more years than I care to think about. Because you see I care a great deal about those who profess to be something they by their own admittance are not. The trouble is that they don't know that they have admitted to be lairs by their own words and actions. For as Jesus said I judge no man (according to the flesh) before the time for each man knowing it or not judges himself (John 8:15 paraphrased).
The other thing that has caused me great pain is the fact that when I would see a person come to redemption that there were NOT any to render aid and comfort to them. Oh! They would go out and become a member of one group or another and many times would change from one group to another. But they would never come to a knowledge of Him with whom they have claimed association or taken His name. I've sought to help and aid those in positions of leadership but they to have failed to make the mark. They choose to build their own kingdoms, and fleece the flock that sits before them, and shutout all those who wont become apart of it. By this action they mark those who are part of the deception as being anti-christ, without the knowledge of God, ie...those of their own making.
I saw within God's word that those to whom much has been given much is required and that those in such a position will carry the blood of those under them on their own hands, should they fail to enter God's kingdom. This for years kept me from doing any thing more than to offer aid, but sadly none would accept it, or Him who lives His life through me. So many there are who believe a lie or as the Apostle to the gentiles said, another gospel which is no gospel at all. For you see Christ is the good news which is what the term "gospel" means. As there are many forms of a gospel but only One True Gospel, which Is Christ. Yes! He is the Gospel. As His Gospel in Living and full of His Life, just as He is the personification of the New Covenant, who lives forever.
Many who are in snared in and by Religion fall into this class because they've never come out from among them. They are in the habit of practicing all sorts of iniquity which has become wickedness since the cross and resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. The term "from among them" relates to Egypt and the paganism of the worlds church or religious systems which is typified by the old testament Egypt under the Pharaohs. However religion had its roots in the garden and the eating of the forbidden fruit when Adam was separated from God by death which brought about sin, the character of Satan in mans soul/spirit or heart of flesh. Up until then God was seated in mans soul/spirit or heart as his wisdom and life force as found in the light which caused life to become in the beginning. Before the first day became. And John the Apostle in chapter one reveals that this Light of Life is Christ as He is also called the Light of man. And the Light was called into the earth to bring life out of deadness, chaos, and darkness as the lack of life sustaining ability in the earth that was void and lifeless. From the moment of mans death man began to love the darkness, sin ie...religion more than the light which brings Life to fallen mankind. Yes, by this we can see that sin is equated to religion as in chapter three of Genesis we find that God provides for mans covering by the use of the skin of an animal who gave its blood (death for life). We also find the promise of a redeemer to come in mans flesh to give his life for the many as the seed of woman in verse fifteen as the one who would bruise the serpents (venomous snake, ie...religion as a snake on a pole, to break cover, to lie) head and the serpent would sting or bruise his heel (to step on liars, ie...to step on religion). Think back to when the religionists of the Jewish synagogues of John the Baptists day approached him and he called the a brood of vipers with the poison of asps under their tongues, as stated in both Matthew and Luke 3:7, and Jesus Himself calls them such in (Matt. 12:34; 23:33), and inherent in that designation is the Jewish understanding of the serpent identified with Satan (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9; 20:2), with whom Jesus identifies the activities of such religious leaders (John 8:44). They know just what he was saying about them for he looked them direct in their faces when he said it, he did not say to their backsides but rather face to face. He was about the Fathers business as the forerunner of Jesus preparing they way for His feet. As one crying in the wilderness make strait the path of the righteous one.
Skipping back to Moses, now we can begin to see why God had Moses to raise the cross with the brass serpent wrapped around its top as seen in: Numbers 21:8-9 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." Now we have to remember also that Israel was in rebellion during this period of time as well. For they had lost their love of God just as Enoch and Jasher said they would and Deuteronomy also bears witness to these.
Remember that Jesus said, that He came for the lost sheep of Israel and that does NOT include the nations or what is referred to as gentiles or even the church. The lost sheep are and were just that, lost. Because they had broken the covenants, the Law and commandments, oracles, ordinances and regulations imposed on them by God-Yehovah or as we in this enigma of the interim know His as Christ Jesus. To teach them His ways and obedience to Him. They did not reform even with Moses, they remained stiff-necked and hardhearted because they like so many of our day did not know that they were full of the devil. They had his nature or character because they were sinners not because they sinned but because that was their nature from birth. For from the moment that Adam chose to eat of the fruit mankind was in sin, the every nature of Satan, they have his character. By his eating of the fruit he and all mankind became a son of Satan. That is why we're to receive the circumcision of the heart. The removal of that evil character and its related love of religion, self-sufficiency, which is darkness and death. Death because when understood it simply means to be separated from God. That is why those who die in that death state go instantly to the lake of fire and torment until the day of Judgment and then the second death. Which is eternal, eternally separated from God and His Love.
Here's what another book no longer in the Bible reveals about this: here's what Enoch says about the lost sheep of Jacobs lineage in chapter eighty-eight here Enoch sees this: there was scene a white cow, born to Noah's lineage, who was Abraham in type, who has a white cow and a wild ass born to him. Now we know that the wild ass is Ishmael and the white cow would then be Isaac. Now to Isaac is born a black wild sow, Esau and a white sheep, Jacob. Then it tells us that sheep brought forth twelve sheep and those are his sons. The twelve tribes of Jacob/Israel though they don't remain Israel but are become lost, no longer the house which God rules. And that one of his sons would be delivered to the Ishmaelites, the wild asses, and these asses would deliver this sheep to the wolves ie..Egyptians, Joseph (Genesis 37:25-30).
Now what we need to understand is this not all the lost sheep were in the lower kingdom but they were in the upper kingdom as well. And that from the first captivity many were also scattered among the many nations surrounding Israel ie...the lower kingdom. Who's capital city was Jerusalem. As the harlot it suffered God's judgment because she rejected the offer of the New Covenant in Christ and was thusly destroyed in 70 AD, after the uprising of the zealots ie...nationalist's in 66-70 AD, as foretold by Daniel (chapter 9 and 12) and the other prophets.
God also tells us in Deuteronomy many things less known or understood like chapter 30 verse 6: "the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." Now we can return to chapter 29 and verse 29: "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law (now here the word law means teaching in the way one is to go in life)." We could look at all the things that were to come upon Israel if she remained in unbelief and hardheartedness but that would take allot of time and space. But suffice it that Paul says in Romans chapter eleven and verse 25 that God has given them over to a deceptive spirit to believe the lie (Rom 11:25 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.") now back to verses 7-8: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;[Duet. 29:4, Isaiah 6:9, Jeremiah 5:21 and then Ezekiel 12:2] unto this day." Notice He had to only give them a partial blindness. Why? Because they already had a stiffneckness of heart. For Paul goes on to say in verses 9-10: "David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway." Their table here relates to the religion of Judaism which was seen as a snare or trap and a stumbling block for them. Long before Jesus came on the scene and brings this to its head during His administration of Daniel's three and a half year period of chapter nine as seen in verses 24-27 but had there beginning up earlier therein.
This was caused by this: “Definition of stupid: Knowing the Truth, Seeing the Truth, but still believing the lie.”
This has bothered me for more years than I care to think about. Because you see I care a great deal about those who profess to be something they by their own admittance are not. The trouble is that they don't know that they have admitted to be lairs by their own words and actions. For as Jesus said I judge no man (according to the flesh) before the time for each man knowing it or not judges himself (John 8:15 paraphrased).
The other thing that has caused me great pain is the fact that when I would see a person come to redemption that there were NOT any to render aid and comfort to them. Oh! They would go out and become a member of one group or another and many times would change from one group to another. But they would never come to a knowledge of Him with whom they have claimed association or taken His name. I've sought to help and aid those in positions of leadership but they to have failed to make the mark. They choose to build their own kingdoms, and fleece the flock that sits before them, and shutout all those who wont become apart of it. By this action they mark those who are part of the deception as being anti-christ, without the knowledge of God, ie...those of their own making.
I saw within God's word that those to whom much has been given much is required and that those in such a position will carry the blood of those under them on their own hands, should they fail to enter God's kingdom. This for years kept me from doing any thing more than to offer aid, but sadly none would accept it, or Him who lives His life through me. So many there are who believe a lie or as the Apostle to the gentiles said, another gospel which is no gospel at all. For you see Christ is the good news which is what the term "gospel" means. As there are many forms of a gospel but only One True Gospel, which Is Christ. Yes! He is the Gospel. As His Gospel in Living and full of His Life, just as He is the personification of the New Covenant, who lives forever.
Many who are in snared in and by Religion fall into this class because they've never come out from among them. They are in the habit of practicing all sorts of iniquity which has become wickedness since the cross and resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. The term "from among them" relates to Egypt and the paganism of the worlds church or religious systems which is typified by the old testament Egypt under the Pharaohs. However religion had its roots in the garden and the eating of the forbidden fruit when Adam was separated from God by death which brought about sin, the character of Satan in mans soul/spirit or heart of flesh. Up until then God was seated in mans soul/spirit or heart as his wisdom and life force as found in the light which caused life to become in the beginning. Before the first day became. And John the Apostle in chapter one reveals that this Light of Life is Christ as He is also called the Light of man. And the Light was called into the earth to bring life out of deadness, chaos, and darkness as the lack of life sustaining ability in the earth that was void and lifeless. From the moment of mans death man began to love the darkness, sin ie...religion more than the light which brings Life to fallen mankind. Yes, by this we can see that sin is equated to religion as in chapter three of Genesis we find that God provides for mans covering by the use of the skin of an animal who gave its blood (death for life). We also find the promise of a redeemer to come in mans flesh to give his life for the many as the seed of woman in verse fifteen as the one who would bruise the serpents (venomous snake, ie...religion as a snake on a pole, to break cover, to lie) head and the serpent would sting or bruise his heel (to step on liars, ie...to step on religion). Think back to when the religionists of the Jewish synagogues of John the Baptists day approached him and he called the a brood of vipers with the poison of asps under their tongues, as stated in both Matthew and Luke 3:7, and Jesus Himself calls them such in (Matt. 12:34; 23:33), and inherent in that designation is the Jewish understanding of the serpent identified with Satan (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9; 20:2), with whom Jesus identifies the activities of such religious leaders (John 8:44). They know just what he was saying about them for he looked them direct in their faces when he said it, he did not say to their backsides but rather face to face. He was about the Fathers business as the forerunner of Jesus preparing they way for His feet. As one crying in the wilderness make strait the path of the righteous one.
Skipping back to Moses, now we can begin to see why God had Moses to raise the cross with the brass serpent wrapped around its top as seen in: Numbers 21:8-9 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." Now we have to remember also that Israel was in rebellion during this period of time as well. For they had lost their love of God just as Enoch and Jasher said they would and Deuteronomy also bears witness to these.
Remember that Jesus said, that He came for the lost sheep of Israel and that does NOT include the nations or what is referred to as gentiles or even the church. The lost sheep are and were just that, lost. Because they had broken the covenants, the Law and commandments, oracles, ordinances and regulations imposed on them by God-Yehovah or as we in this enigma of the interim know His as Christ Jesus. To teach them His ways and obedience to Him. They did not reform even with Moses, they remained stiff-necked and hardhearted because they like so many of our day did not know that they were full of the devil. They had his nature or character because they were sinners not because they sinned but because that was their nature from birth. For from the moment that Adam chose to eat of the fruit mankind was in sin, the every nature of Satan, they have his character. By his eating of the fruit he and all mankind became a son of Satan. That is why we're to receive the circumcision of the heart. The removal of that evil character and its related love of religion, self-sufficiency, which is darkness and death. Death because when understood it simply means to be separated from God. That is why those who die in that death state go instantly to the lake of fire and torment until the day of Judgment and then the second death. Which is eternal, eternally separated from God and His Love.
Here's what another book no longer in the Bible reveals about this: here's what Enoch says about the lost sheep of Jacobs lineage in chapter eighty-eight here Enoch sees this: there was scene a white cow, born to Noah's lineage, who was Abraham in type, who has a white cow and a wild ass born to him. Now we know that the wild ass is Ishmael and the white cow would then be Isaac. Now to Isaac is born a black wild sow, Esau and a white sheep, Jacob. Then it tells us that sheep brought forth twelve sheep and those are his sons. The twelve tribes of Jacob/Israel though they don't remain Israel but are become lost, no longer the house which God rules. And that one of his sons would be delivered to the Ishmaelites, the wild asses, and these asses would deliver this sheep to the wolves ie..Egyptians, Joseph (Genesis 37:25-30).
Now what we need to understand is this not all the lost sheep were in the lower kingdom but they were in the upper kingdom as well. And that from the first captivity many were also scattered among the many nations surrounding Israel ie...the lower kingdom. Who's capital city was Jerusalem. As the harlot it suffered God's judgment because she rejected the offer of the New Covenant in Christ and was thusly destroyed in 70 AD, after the uprising of the zealots ie...nationalist's in 66-70 AD, as foretold by Daniel (chapter 9 and 12) and the other prophets.
God also tells us in Deuteronomy many things less known or understood like chapter 30 verse 6: "the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." Now we can return to chapter 29 and verse 29: "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law (now here the word law means teaching in the way one is to go in life)." We could look at all the things that were to come upon Israel if she remained in unbelief and hardheartedness but that would take allot of time and space. But suffice it that Paul says in Romans chapter eleven and verse 25 that God has given them over to a deceptive spirit to believe the lie (Rom 11:25 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.") now back to verses 7-8: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;[Duet. 29:4, Isaiah 6:9, Jeremiah 5:21 and then Ezekiel 12:2] unto this day." Notice He had to only give them a partial blindness. Why? Because they already had a stiffneckness of heart. For Paul goes on to say in verses 9-10: "David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway." Their table here relates to the religion of Judaism which was seen as a snare or trap and a stumbling block for them. Long before Jesus came on the scene and brings this to its head during His administration of Daniel's three and a half year period of chapter nine as seen in verses 24-27 but had there beginning up earlier therein.
Friday, February 8, 2013
How or rather why is it that so many believe the lie?
More Truth to Deliver Us from the Law and religion.
Now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. [Galatians 4:9-10, hear what Paul tells the Hebrew-Christians in chapter 10:38-39 in Hebrews] “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (Strong's G684: the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” From here we could look at what Paul tells Timothy in first Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 through 3: “The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth (John in chapter one of his gospel record as a witness of Christ reveals that Christ is the Truth, the Way and the Life he also reveals that Christ is Grace and to all this I might add that Christ is Salvation or our salvation. As witnessed by Luke in chapter one of his gospel record.).”
I just don't seem to be able to shake the thought of any one needing to know or have an understanding of times, epochs, seasons or years. Just because all of the Hebrew feasts were tied to the sequences of the new moons (there months were 38-39 days long depending on the new moons appearance) alone with the year of jubilees, which were to be observed every 48-49 years. It might be note worthy to say that each year the feast-days were held at different days because of the moons appearance for example the Passover may be on the 14th day in one year and the fifteenth day of the next because of the moon. While I'm on this subject it may suffice to say that most pagans worshiped the sun and therefore their calendars were based on it. Just as our Julian calendar is. But here's where my difficulty lays the Lord told the disciples in Acts 1: 7 this and then through Paul says this: “He (Christ after His resurrection) said unto them, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.'” He did not stay on the subject of times or seasons but jumps to them being His martyrs or witnesses in His power as the Holy Spirit, this is the same power in which we're to carry on the works of God while we remain on the earth. Now here's what Paul says as recorded in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and we'll begin at verse 1 through 4: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Now this day of sudden destruction did indeed come upon them in 70 AD just as Daniel saw in his vision as he records in chapter 9 and other bites and pieces throughout his writing. And the Lord Himself said it would during His earthly ministry to Israel. Now the only season any one may have for spending allot of time in this area is because of the spirit of religion who hinders us from the Truth of Christ or the Truth that is Christ. As a diversion from seeking the true Spirit of all Truth who is as we've said the Spirit of Christ for in Him is all wisdom and knowledge to be found.
In our meditation, we saw that the Lord's promise of liberating truth includes truth to deliver us from the law and religion. If we are going to be justified (declared not guilty and pronounced righteous in Christ), we must be delivered from the law and religion (which condemns us, pronounces us guilty of sin). This rescue from the law and religion is secured by placing our simple trust in the Lord Jesus, enjoying His justifying grace. But the question for us is from what law or religion? We as gentiles have never been under the Mosaic Laws. But we are under the ten commandments as this is a moral code of conduct or law for all of humanity. To find the answer to this question we must go back to Genesis 2 and verses 16-17. Here we find the commandment given to Adam before woman is separated from him. God tells Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (ie...religion). With the penalty that when he does he'll die. In this, the first economy of God, revealed all that Yehovah required was that man obey Him, do not eat the fruit of that tree. The penalty, when you do you'll surely die, death. Become spiritually separated from Him who IS our All in all, or His Life force in us, Spirit.
We know that woman desired this fruit when tempted by Satan. The word desired means to covet, this was also the sin that caused Satan to rebel against God and caused him to want to take a seat above God's throne or place of authority. The woman ate of the fruit and gave it to her husband and he ate of it also, this is lawlessness or rebellion against God, sin. It took both of these actions to change man from a divine being into an earthy being, he became simply flesh, separated from God, his creator, and death became active in man. Because God's glory which covered them both was now gone from them. This same action placed all humanity from then forward under the control and authority of the deceiver and evil task master and his religion filled the void in mans now empty heart [soul/spirit].
The works of this law is what? Sin which activated Death. No, getting around it all things must die because of this law. Now here comes a way out. Dying to that sin and death. Man must die to this earthly realm and become alive again in Christ. Because man was in Christ (figuratively speaking), he was a spiritual divine being at his creation. Man, by disobedience, put Christ ,in him, to death, separating him from communion with Yehovah God. Now here's another thought, why did God call out to man in the Garden? God, could not look upon sin or see sin, therefore He could not see Adam or woman. Neither could they see God any longer and were become afraid of Him because they had known Him who is all justice. This we get a glimpse of with Saul of Tarsus when he meet the ascended Christ in the Light brighter than the noonday Sun and when the disciples were with Him on the mount where they saw His raiment changed.
Remember that woman was the first to eat of the fruit, this is why woman is the primary means to all evil because she was the first to eat or disobey. God gave to man,through woman, a means of salvation, the seed of regeneration a mystery hid in mans flesh now of sin. As a seed covered by a thick hard shell ie...sin. And sin equates to religion as revealed elsewhere.
This means of regeneration requires man to die, but how? That was also a mystery hidden in God. The answer is that God had to become or put on mans flesh and then to die and be risen again. Why? Because of sin, religion and lawlessness. Jesus became man or put on mans flesh through the chosen people Israel and the vehicle God chose was woman, a virgin undefiled. Remember she carries the seed as does all man that comes from or through woman.
When we believe God and His Word, Jesus who is both man and Christ. Who put both sin and it accompanying death (the seed of John 12:24) to death on the cross, and put both law (religion of sin and death) and the Mosaic Laws to death in His flesh, that is, He ended them. When we believe this, then God writes His spiritual law (the ten commandments if you will) on the heart [Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34, 32:39; Ezekiel 36:26-27] and mind of regenerated or regenesized man, then without thinking we begin to live them. You see, by this means we just live them by Grace in faith or His power alive within us again. This then puts us into the place of being known by God as we've passed through the gate of death in Christ Jesus. Into the promised New Covenant which is Christ just as Christ is Christianity and Christianity is Christ, Christ is the personage of the New Covenant.
"We have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law [here we can add religion because religion is works based doctrine].” (Galatians 2:16)
Through this exercise of faith, we come to know the Lord. At this point, many return to a religious striving under law performance, assuming they can grow in sanctification by their own dedicated efforts. This is deceptive works of a religious spirit such as the need to give tithes and offerings, the need to support missionaries or other ministries, or any other needed action that puts you under bondage such as the many programs.* "Now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements." These words from Galatians repeat a major theme of that revolutionary book: the power and richness of grace contrasted with the weakness and poverty ("the weak and beggarly elements") of the law and religion. The grace of God, that was powerful enough to bring us justification, is the only option powerful enough to bring us progress in sanctification (growth in Godly living). The grace of God, that was abundantly rich unto the saving of our souls, is the only resource rich enough to effect the transforming of our heart and character. God's law (the Mosaic Law, this was only to protect Israel until Christ would come) was never intended to be the means of providing the heavenly power or riches needed for justification or sanctification. These only come through death, the death of religion and character therein held by the ontological essence of Satan held by him in the soul/spirit of the unredeemed. The unregenesized soul/spirit ie...heart of man. Neither was the law intended to do such for sanctification. It was only the means to bring us to the sanctifier and death to sin, religion and lawlessness.
* Should you want to support such, you certainly can, but to feel that there is a place reserved for you in heaven because you give, is bondage and a lie. We can not buy God's favor or a right standing.
The futility of the law in producing godliness can be seen in the Galatians' vain hope that observing the religious holy days of the law could empower them spiritually. "You observe days and months and seasons and years." Far from liberating lives, this was a return to religious enslavement. "You desire again to be in bondage." God's people are certainly free to celebrate days that may have spiritual significance to them. "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind" [Romans 14:5]. We are not to require or prohibit the observance of days. Nevertheless, if our hope is in religious observances, we are in religious bondage, not into spiritual liberty. We can see these same warnings given in the Hebrew (2:1-4) letter sent to those Hebrew-Christians still in Jerusalem and else where throughout the areas in which they were scattered. And this warning is carried over into Galatians 4:8-11 and 6:11-15 which also ties to 2 Corinthians 6:11-18.
Dear Lord, I rejoice in the power and richness of Your grace that has brought me justification and sanctification from sin! I humbly cry out to You for a daily supply of Your powerful and rich sanctifying grace. Convict me when I am leaning upon the weak and beggarly elements of law or religious performance, Amen.
Taken in part from a daily devotional done by Pastor Bob Hoekstra with editing on our part.
Now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. [Galatians 4:9-10, hear what Paul tells the Hebrew-Christians in chapter 10:38-39 in Hebrews] “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (Strong's G684: the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” From here we could look at what Paul tells Timothy in first Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 through 3: “The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth (John in chapter one of his gospel record as a witness of Christ reveals that Christ is the Truth, the Way and the Life he also reveals that Christ is Grace and to all this I might add that Christ is Salvation or our salvation. As witnessed by Luke in chapter one of his gospel record.).”
I just don't seem to be able to shake the thought of any one needing to know or have an understanding of times, epochs, seasons or years. Just because all of the Hebrew feasts were tied to the sequences of the new moons (there months were 38-39 days long depending on the new moons appearance) alone with the year of jubilees, which were to be observed every 48-49 years. It might be note worthy to say that each year the feast-days were held at different days because of the moons appearance for example the Passover may be on the 14th day in one year and the fifteenth day of the next because of the moon. While I'm on this subject it may suffice to say that most pagans worshiped the sun and therefore their calendars were based on it. Just as our Julian calendar is. But here's where my difficulty lays the Lord told the disciples in Acts 1: 7 this and then through Paul says this: “He (Christ after His resurrection) said unto them, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.'” He did not stay on the subject of times or seasons but jumps to them being His martyrs or witnesses in His power as the Holy Spirit, this is the same power in which we're to carry on the works of God while we remain on the earth. Now here's what Paul says as recorded in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and we'll begin at verse 1 through 4: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Now this day of sudden destruction did indeed come upon them in 70 AD just as Daniel saw in his vision as he records in chapter 9 and other bites and pieces throughout his writing. And the Lord Himself said it would during His earthly ministry to Israel. Now the only season any one may have for spending allot of time in this area is because of the spirit of religion who hinders us from the Truth of Christ or the Truth that is Christ. As a diversion from seeking the true Spirit of all Truth who is as we've said the Spirit of Christ for in Him is all wisdom and knowledge to be found.
In our meditation, we saw that the Lord's promise of liberating truth includes truth to deliver us from the law and religion. If we are going to be justified (declared not guilty and pronounced righteous in Christ), we must be delivered from the law and religion (which condemns us, pronounces us guilty of sin). This rescue from the law and religion is secured by placing our simple trust in the Lord Jesus, enjoying His justifying grace. But the question for us is from what law or religion? We as gentiles have never been under the Mosaic Laws. But we are under the ten commandments as this is a moral code of conduct or law for all of humanity. To find the answer to this question we must go back to Genesis 2 and verses 16-17. Here we find the commandment given to Adam before woman is separated from him. God tells Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (ie...religion). With the penalty that when he does he'll die. In this, the first economy of God, revealed all that Yehovah required was that man obey Him, do not eat the fruit of that tree. The penalty, when you do you'll surely die, death. Become spiritually separated from Him who IS our All in all, or His Life force in us, Spirit.
We know that woman desired this fruit when tempted by Satan. The word desired means to covet, this was also the sin that caused Satan to rebel against God and caused him to want to take a seat above God's throne or place of authority. The woman ate of the fruit and gave it to her husband and he ate of it also, this is lawlessness or rebellion against God, sin. It took both of these actions to change man from a divine being into an earthy being, he became simply flesh, separated from God, his creator, and death became active in man. Because God's glory which covered them both was now gone from them. This same action placed all humanity from then forward under the control and authority of the deceiver and evil task master and his religion filled the void in mans now empty heart [soul/spirit].
The works of this law is what? Sin which activated Death. No, getting around it all things must die because of this law. Now here comes a way out. Dying to that sin and death. Man must die to this earthly realm and become alive again in Christ. Because man was in Christ (figuratively speaking), he was a spiritual divine being at his creation. Man, by disobedience, put Christ ,in him, to death, separating him from communion with Yehovah God. Now here's another thought, why did God call out to man in the Garden? God, could not look upon sin or see sin, therefore He could not see Adam or woman. Neither could they see God any longer and were become afraid of Him because they had known Him who is all justice. This we get a glimpse of with Saul of Tarsus when he meet the ascended Christ in the Light brighter than the noonday Sun and when the disciples were with Him on the mount where they saw His raiment changed.
Remember that woman was the first to eat of the fruit, this is why woman is the primary means to all evil because she was the first to eat or disobey. God gave to man,through woman, a means of salvation, the seed of regeneration a mystery hid in mans flesh now of sin. As a seed covered by a thick hard shell ie...sin. And sin equates to religion as revealed elsewhere.
This means of regeneration requires man to die, but how? That was also a mystery hidden in God. The answer is that God had to become or put on mans flesh and then to die and be risen again. Why? Because of sin, religion and lawlessness. Jesus became man or put on mans flesh through the chosen people Israel and the vehicle God chose was woman, a virgin undefiled. Remember she carries the seed as does all man that comes from or through woman.
When we believe God and His Word, Jesus who is both man and Christ. Who put both sin and it accompanying death (the seed of John 12:24) to death on the cross, and put both law (religion of sin and death) and the Mosaic Laws to death in His flesh, that is, He ended them. When we believe this, then God writes His spiritual law (the ten commandments if you will) on the heart [Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34, 32:39; Ezekiel 36:26-27] and mind of regenerated or regenesized man, then without thinking we begin to live them. You see, by this means we just live them by Grace in faith or His power alive within us again. This then puts us into the place of being known by God as we've passed through the gate of death in Christ Jesus. Into the promised New Covenant which is Christ just as Christ is Christianity and Christianity is Christ, Christ is the personage of the New Covenant.
"We have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law [here we can add religion because religion is works based doctrine].” (Galatians 2:16)
Through this exercise of faith, we come to know the Lord. At this point, many return to a religious striving under law performance, assuming they can grow in sanctification by their own dedicated efforts. This is deceptive works of a religious spirit such as the need to give tithes and offerings, the need to support missionaries or other ministries, or any other needed action that puts you under bondage such as the many programs.* "Now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements." These words from Galatians repeat a major theme of that revolutionary book: the power and richness of grace contrasted with the weakness and poverty ("the weak and beggarly elements") of the law and religion. The grace of God, that was powerful enough to bring us justification, is the only option powerful enough to bring us progress in sanctification (growth in Godly living). The grace of God, that was abundantly rich unto the saving of our souls, is the only resource rich enough to effect the transforming of our heart and character. God's law (the Mosaic Law, this was only to protect Israel until Christ would come) was never intended to be the means of providing the heavenly power or riches needed for justification or sanctification. These only come through death, the death of religion and character therein held by the ontological essence of Satan held by him in the soul/spirit of the unredeemed. The unregenesized soul/spirit ie...heart of man. Neither was the law intended to do such for sanctification. It was only the means to bring us to the sanctifier and death to sin, religion and lawlessness.
* Should you want to support such, you certainly can, but to feel that there is a place reserved for you in heaven because you give, is bondage and a lie. We can not buy God's favor or a right standing.
The futility of the law in producing godliness can be seen in the Galatians' vain hope that observing the religious holy days of the law could empower them spiritually. "You observe days and months and seasons and years." Far from liberating lives, this was a return to religious enslavement. "You desire again to be in bondage." God's people are certainly free to celebrate days that may have spiritual significance to them. "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind" [Romans 14:5]. We are not to require or prohibit the observance of days. Nevertheless, if our hope is in religious observances, we are in religious bondage, not into spiritual liberty. We can see these same warnings given in the Hebrew (2:1-4) letter sent to those Hebrew-Christians still in Jerusalem and else where throughout the areas in which they were scattered. And this warning is carried over into Galatians 4:8-11 and 6:11-15 which also ties to 2 Corinthians 6:11-18.
Dear Lord, I rejoice in the power and richness of Your grace that has brought me justification and sanctification from sin! I humbly cry out to You for a daily supply of Your powerful and rich sanctifying grace. Convict me when I am leaning upon the weak and beggarly elements of law or religious performance, Amen.
Taken in part from a daily devotional done by Pastor Bob Hoekstra with editing on our part.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
How or rather why is it that so many believe the lie?
Before returning to our main thought, though what I'm about to reveal will follow along the vain of our main thought. I must reveal what took place yesterday with a visit by me with a dear friend of ours, who has been on the same quest for Truth with my wife and I for about twenty-seven years or so. At one time we were likened to a three stranded cord in our quest for God's Truth. But over the last fifteen years or so he has become separated from my wife and I and has fallen prey to deception through a spirit of Religion though to hear him speak you'd think it otherwise of him.
The first thing that makes this standout is his belief that all prophesy remains to come about. And especially those that apply in his thinking and eyes with the nation of Israel as he put it they are the apple of God's eye! He also thinks of himself as a priest after the order of Zadok (Ezekiel 48:11 "for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray." and Nehemiah records Zadok's work in repairing the walls of the city, which all the priests did after their return from captivity) and some kind of high priest in that order, even his prayers reflect this thinking. If ever there was a name it and claim it thing possible for believers he exhibits this kind of prayer life. He also believes that all those who come to faith in Yeshua/Jesus will be or should be doing the very things that Jesus as the Son of man did. For years he has requested the "power" to do these and greater things, thinking that mans was to be indued with this power. Then he has spent years researching the times or new moons, feast-days and such and these things are indeed interesting but we're not to be about pursuing them if I understand scripture rightly. The other thing that I find so interesting about his way of seeing things is that he asks for the spirit of Truth to reveal all truth to him. But he will not subject himself to that same Spirit as LORD.
I say all this not to put him or any one else down. If they are of this opinion or religious belief. Because they're not, Yes NOT, in subjection to the LORD of spirit's, that is to say, the Lord Christ Jesus, who is not only the Spirit of Truth but also the LORD of both covenants. For all things revealed of the "I AM" was spoken by Yehovah of Himself as Revelation reveals Him to be the Spirit of Revelation or Prophecy. John in his first letter reveals this about Jesus, as do the other writers of the four gospels, in the first chapter of his letter/book. We've said that Christ is "Christianity and Christianity is Christ" this is nothing of our own revelation or enlightenment but is rather that which many of the Lord's teachers have said in different manors or ways within the text of their literature. This literature includes but is not limited to the Bible, as Christ's activities are not all contained or recorded in its scriptures. If we don't see Christ throughout the text of scripture but only focus on the nation of Israel and what we suppose to be the rule of scripture by this kind of activity, we'll miss the Truth as revealed in Christ Jesus.
Now we'll pick back up with our discourse and thought.
For the word religion can be inserted into the text where ever the words law, Law, idolatry, fornication, harlot, letter....etc. are. And still keep the intent of the word or text of the Bible. We wont diminish or take anything away from its purpose or meaning.
The law has dominion over a man as long as he lives . . . But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter......But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter [religion or Law]; whose praise is not of men, but of God.....For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh [mans fallen nature as a Satan child held by religion] by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. [Romans 7:1, 6 and Romans 2:29 which is Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6; Colossians 2:11-12]
In the word of God, the Lord has promised truth which brings spiritual life and liberation. "The truth shall make you free" [John 8:32]. We have considered such truths that set people free from bondage to sin, from bondage to the fear of death, and from bondage of religious slavery to the influence of the evil one through the letter. Now, we will look at another category of liberating truth: truth to deliver us from the law (again religion). Within each of the first four books of the new testament we must realize that Jesus was straightforward in exhibiting and explaining the life of God that He came to bring/reveal in Himself. This can be heard within the text when He confronted the religionist of His day namely the Pharisee’s, Sadducee's, scribes and the lawyers. But it did not stop here with them alone but was carried over to the zealots or nationalists (government, ie....politics) of his day as well. The primary contextual setting in which the gospel-narratives must be read is that of constant awareness of the confrontation which Jesus’ life had with all religion, government ie...Judaism, and the political activist. For as Paul points out in Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 that Jesus was: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” But this was not as far as it went because when still a boy He confronted the religionist leaders of His day and caused them much trouble as recorded in Luke chapter 2. He knew that He was to be about His Fathers business from His youth.
This is the law that holds all humanity in a state of sin and death or the knowledge of good and evil. It is not the Mosaic Law or the ten Commandments as some assume and think. Jesus in His flesh nailed two laws to the tree they are the law as found in Genesis 2:16-17, the law of spiritual death for disobedience, ie...sin and religion. The other law, which only applied to Israel and all Hebrews, was what is commonly called the Mosaic Laws found in Exodus and Leviticus and the additional ones added by the priest's. These are the Jewish laws for holiness onto God (Yehovah), they gave NO room for salvation or forgiveness, their penalty for disobedience was death. NO trial or plea bargaining under these laws.
This issue pertains to everyone initially, because we all begin under bondage to the law. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" [Romans 3:19]. Everyone who has ever lived, is living now, or will live in the days to come (as "all the world") are initially held in a state of condemnation (as "guilty before God"), because of their sin (being a human born separated from God's commonwealth). This guilty condition would persist for a lifetime, if God did not supply a remedy. "The law (religion) has dominion over a man as long as he lives." However, this condition need not persist, because the Lord's word proclaims liberating truth for this drastic need. "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by." The person we were at physical birth died (the spiritual separation from) on the cross with Christ, when we believe Him.(Spiritually, see ourselves in Him nailed to that tree, dead, buried, and resurrected in Him, then ascended and seated with Him now in the spirit.) [John 6:50-51; Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-3, 4] The new creature in Christ now stands justified by faith in Christ (not by law performance or religious practice). "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified (declared not guilty, pronounced righteous in Christ) by faith apart from the deeds of the law" [Romans 3:28] this is to say deeds of religious performance. Now Romans was written sometime after Paul wrote Hebrews and this is in reference to the Jewish laws, as this part of Romans is addressed to all religious thinking people.
All of God's true children (the mystical or true Israel of God, as the apple of His eye) have experienced these liberating Truths, as they apply to justification (our eternal righteous standing before God in heaven as we've become the house of God's rule). However, many of God's people are unaware of the need to be delivered out from under the bondage of the law, or religion concerning sanctification (our daily growth in personal, practical godliness on earth, God”s character restored). The daily need to crucify the thoughts, imaginations, opinions, emotions and desires of the unredeemed flesh, the strong holds of sin and death in man. Yet, the word of God addresses this matter repeatedly. Here, in one of our primary verses for meditation, we see these truths given a sanctification implication. "Now we have been delivered from the law [religion], having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit (mans regenerated and receptive spirit) and not in the oldness of the letter." Yes, understanding the truth of being delivered from the law, or religion determines whether we will struggle daily in bondage to law, or religious standards of performance, or live freely by the ongoing, ontological fresh work of the Spirit of God as He reveals all truth in us and to our minds.
Dear Lord of deliverance, I worship You for delivering me from the condemnation of the law and religion, by grace through faith. Teach me how to live daily by grace through Your faith, that I might be practically delivered from law and religions performance as I serve You, Thank You.
The above was taken in part from a daily devotional done by Pastor Bob Hoekstra with some editing on our part.
The first thing that makes this standout is his belief that all prophesy remains to come about. And especially those that apply in his thinking and eyes with the nation of Israel as he put it they are the apple of God's eye! He also thinks of himself as a priest after the order of Zadok (Ezekiel 48:11 "for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray." and Nehemiah records Zadok's work in repairing the walls of the city, which all the priests did after their return from captivity) and some kind of high priest in that order, even his prayers reflect this thinking. If ever there was a name it and claim it thing possible for believers he exhibits this kind of prayer life. He also believes that all those who come to faith in Yeshua/Jesus will be or should be doing the very things that Jesus as the Son of man did. For years he has requested the "power" to do these and greater things, thinking that mans was to be indued with this power. Then he has spent years researching the times or new moons, feast-days and such and these things are indeed interesting but we're not to be about pursuing them if I understand scripture rightly. The other thing that I find so interesting about his way of seeing things is that he asks for the spirit of Truth to reveal all truth to him. But he will not subject himself to that same Spirit as LORD.
I say all this not to put him or any one else down. If they are of this opinion or religious belief. Because they're not, Yes NOT, in subjection to the LORD of spirit's, that is to say, the Lord Christ Jesus, who is not only the Spirit of Truth but also the LORD of both covenants. For all things revealed of the "I AM" was spoken by Yehovah of Himself as Revelation reveals Him to be the Spirit of Revelation or Prophecy. John in his first letter reveals this about Jesus, as do the other writers of the four gospels, in the first chapter of his letter/book. We've said that Christ is "Christianity and Christianity is Christ" this is nothing of our own revelation or enlightenment but is rather that which many of the Lord's teachers have said in different manors or ways within the text of their literature. This literature includes but is not limited to the Bible, as Christ's activities are not all contained or recorded in its scriptures. If we don't see Christ throughout the text of scripture but only focus on the nation of Israel and what we suppose to be the rule of scripture by this kind of activity, we'll miss the Truth as revealed in Christ Jesus.
Now we'll pick back up with our discourse and thought.
For the word religion can be inserted into the text where ever the words law, Law, idolatry, fornication, harlot, letter....etc. are. And still keep the intent of the word or text of the Bible. We wont diminish or take anything away from its purpose or meaning.
The law has dominion over a man as long as he lives . . . But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter......But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter [religion or Law]; whose praise is not of men, but of God.....For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh [mans fallen nature as a Satan child held by religion] by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. [Romans 7:1, 6 and Romans 2:29 which is Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6; Colossians 2:11-12]
In the word of God, the Lord has promised truth which brings spiritual life and liberation. "The truth shall make you free" [John 8:32]. We have considered such truths that set people free from bondage to sin, from bondage to the fear of death, and from bondage of religious slavery to the influence of the evil one through the letter. Now, we will look at another category of liberating truth: truth to deliver us from the law (again religion). Within each of the first four books of the new testament we must realize that Jesus was straightforward in exhibiting and explaining the life of God that He came to bring/reveal in Himself. This can be heard within the text when He confronted the religionist of His day namely the Pharisee’s, Sadducee's, scribes and the lawyers. But it did not stop here with them alone but was carried over to the zealots or nationalists (government, ie....politics) of his day as well. The primary contextual setting in which the gospel-narratives must be read is that of constant awareness of the confrontation which Jesus’ life had with all religion, government ie...Judaism, and the political activist. For as Paul points out in Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 that Jesus was: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” But this was not as far as it went because when still a boy He confronted the religionist leaders of His day and caused them much trouble as recorded in Luke chapter 2. He knew that He was to be about His Fathers business from His youth.
This is the law that holds all humanity in a state of sin and death or the knowledge of good and evil. It is not the Mosaic Law or the ten Commandments as some assume and think. Jesus in His flesh nailed two laws to the tree they are the law as found in Genesis 2:16-17, the law of spiritual death for disobedience, ie...sin and religion. The other law, which only applied to Israel and all Hebrews, was what is commonly called the Mosaic Laws found in Exodus and Leviticus and the additional ones added by the priest's. These are the Jewish laws for holiness onto God (Yehovah), they gave NO room for salvation or forgiveness, their penalty for disobedience was death. NO trial or plea bargaining under these laws.
This issue pertains to everyone initially, because we all begin under bondage to the law. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" [Romans 3:19]. Everyone who has ever lived, is living now, or will live in the days to come (as "all the world") are initially held in a state of condemnation (as "guilty before God"), because of their sin (being a human born separated from God's commonwealth). This guilty condition would persist for a lifetime, if God did not supply a remedy. "The law (religion) has dominion over a man as long as he lives." However, this condition need not persist, because the Lord's word proclaims liberating truth for this drastic need. "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by." The person we were at physical birth died (the spiritual separation from) on the cross with Christ, when we believe Him.(Spiritually, see ourselves in Him nailed to that tree, dead, buried, and resurrected in Him, then ascended and seated with Him now in the spirit.) [John 6:50-51; Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-3, 4] The new creature in Christ now stands justified by faith in Christ (not by law performance or religious practice). "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified (declared not guilty, pronounced righteous in Christ) by faith apart from the deeds of the law" [Romans 3:28] this is to say deeds of religious performance. Now Romans was written sometime after Paul wrote Hebrews and this is in reference to the Jewish laws, as this part of Romans is addressed to all religious thinking people.
All of God's true children (the mystical or true Israel of God, as the apple of His eye) have experienced these liberating Truths, as they apply to justification (our eternal righteous standing before God in heaven as we've become the house of God's rule). However, many of God's people are unaware of the need to be delivered out from under the bondage of the law, or religion concerning sanctification (our daily growth in personal, practical godliness on earth, God”s character restored). The daily need to crucify the thoughts, imaginations, opinions, emotions and desires of the unredeemed flesh, the strong holds of sin and death in man. Yet, the word of God addresses this matter repeatedly. Here, in one of our primary verses for meditation, we see these truths given a sanctification implication. "Now we have been delivered from the law [religion], having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit (mans regenerated and receptive spirit) and not in the oldness of the letter." Yes, understanding the truth of being delivered from the law, or religion determines whether we will struggle daily in bondage to law, or religious standards of performance, or live freely by the ongoing, ontological fresh work of the Spirit of God as He reveals all truth in us and to our minds.
Dear Lord of deliverance, I worship You for delivering me from the condemnation of the law and religion, by grace through faith. Teach me how to live daily by grace through Your faith, that I might be practically delivered from law and religions performance as I serve You, Thank You.
The above was taken in part from a daily devotional done by Pastor Bob Hoekstra with some editing on our part.
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