Because of what we found out in our last blog many may argue against it not realizing what is written in the old testament of witness against their arguments. Before I look at a verse of great interest allow me to say this, those who come to the faith of Abram become the House of GODS dwelling or a type of Israel, for like shown earlier in this recap Israel is a unique word or name for GOD'S people composed of the nations from which few are gathered to make up His divine family. To see and hear properly requires the Holy Spirit life within us or as shown the life that is Christ the mystery of GOD also referenced in Revelation 10:7 of 1-7 (Amos 3:7). To see this lets turn to Ezekiel 36 where we find this statement made as a statement of renewal which may sound strange to many outsiders, one more thing how many "I wills" are referenced beginning at verse 22:
Ezekiel 36:26-27 of 22-32 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the LORD God: 'It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the LORD God, when through you I vindicate My holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own (land) kingdom. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean from all your uncleanness's, and from all your idols (former ways of life in sin) I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes (the narrow of life as a new law though it has always been the right course for life) and be careful to obey My rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people, and I will be your GOD. And I will deliver you from all your uncleanness's. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the LORD God;' let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel."
Revelation 10:7 of 1-7 with Amos 3:7 of 1-8 "Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by Him Who lives forever and ever, Who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as HE announced to His servants the prophets."
Amos 3:7 of 1-8 "Hear this Word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? For the LORD God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The LORD God has spoken; who can but prophesy?'"
Continuing on with the thought here revealed;
The Work of the Holy Spirit for our Obedience
"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them," of Ezekiel36:27.
When we placed our faith in the LORD Christ, we were born again. We are made new as Christ ones. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We receive a new spiritual heart, as promised of old. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" of Ezekiel 36:26.
Now, how does a new creature possessing Christ grow in a life of obedience? Our natural thinking might assume that as a Christian one could grow in obedience by simply doing his best to walk in the will of GOD. The next verse in Ezekiel's prophecy reveals that GOD has a better plan in mind. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes." The new born follower of Jesus are not designed to operate on his own best efforts. The Holy Spirit is to be the heavenly dynamic developing a life of obedience.
A disobedient life would include attitudes and actions that our fallen physical bodies naturally crave. These are to be taken to the cross, to be rendered as crucified with Christ. "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which are religious idolatry's. Because of these things the wrath of GOD is coming upon (already dwells within) the sons of disobedience" (Colossians 3:5-6). The Holy Spirit wants to enable us to respond properly concerning such carnal desires. "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8:13). These fallen, natural cravings are described as the "lusts of the flesh" in Galatians. They are overcome as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. "Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
Again, the work of the Holy Spirit is not automatic or "robotic." Rather, it is a relational matter. It is realized in our lives through humble dependence. (Romans 12:1-2) It is possible to resist the work of the Holy Spirit in us. "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51 is where Stephen is by the Holy Spirit speaking to the elders of Israel). It is when we depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead us in the path of life in dependency and obedience that we will truly live as obedient children of GOD. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of GOD, these are sons of GOD" (Romans 8:14).
And while in Romans 8 lets look again at what is revealed herein. Because Paul begins by contrasting the law of life with that of the Mosaic Law of condemnation and spiritual death and I want verse 9 to resonate within us. And as is my custom I will separate this into its paragraphs as follows 1-8, 9-11, 12-17, 18-25, 26-27, 28-30, 31-39;
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the Mosaic Law of sin and death. (the promise of Ezekiel 36 above witnessed to) For GOD has done what this Law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, HE condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of that Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to His Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Because to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life (the correct way of life) and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile (remains in delusion) to GOD, for it does not submit to GOD's law (this not the Mosaic Law of condemnation and death); indeed, it cannot. For those who are in the flesh cannot please GOD.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of GOD dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. For if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Holy Spirit in your spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, HE Who is Christ in Jesus, raised Him from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (find the law of life at work within you as Abram did by his faith when he and
Sarah conceived being over ninety years old). For all who are led by the Spirit of GOD are sons of GOD (as Abram was). For you did not receive the spirit of (religious) slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of GOD, (His restore passions) and if children, then heirs—heirs of GOD and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer (with) like Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of GOD. For the creation was made subject to futility, not willingly, but because of Him Who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of GOD. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And HE Who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will (plan and purpose) of GOD.
And we know that for those who love GOD all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom HE foreknew HE also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that HE might be the firstborn (born again within) among many brothers. And those whom HE predestined HE also called, and those whom HE calls HE also justifies, and those whom HE justifies HE also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If GOD is for us, who can be against us? HE Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will HE not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against GOD's elect? For it is GOD who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, Who was raised—Who is at the right hand of GOD, Who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written (in Psalm 44:22), "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of GOD shown to us and birthed in us by Christ Jesus our LORD."
Over the past few blog posting we have shown the revelation that is ours as Christ ones.
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