|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Letters of Truth - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff LIVES THAT ARE CENTERED IN THE SPIRIT
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their old nature with all that it loved and lusted for. If our lives are centered in the Spirit, let us be guided by the Spirit." (Galatians 5:24-25, Phillips Translation).
One fact is becoming increasingly clear, God measures everything from the start to the finish by the perfections of HIS SON, Jesus Christ, as it is written: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13).
Phillips reads: "we arrive at real maturity-- that measure of development which is meant by 'the fulness of Christ."'
Arthur S. Way: "nothing less than the standard of Messiah's own perfection"
Such a standard is set before us, not to discourage us, but to challenge us to FOLLOW ON-- daily yielding ourselves to Him, that He might finish all of His inworkings. The end is secure-- we shall BE FOUND IN HIM, for it is His purpose "that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him." (Ephesians 1:10). The quality will never be diminished-- He retains His perfections, regardless of how far the outreach of His redemption, until He has reconciled all things unto Himself. The quantity is "EVERYTHING in heaven, EVERYTHING in earth." But all is brought up to the same standard-- His righteousness, His holiness, HIS WHOLENESS-the completeness of His own stature. This is so beautifully prefigured in reference to the holy city, Revelation 21:16, "The length and the breadth and the height of it ARE EQUAL." Quality is not sacrificed in any way, for it is "the fulness of Him that fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:23).
"Therefore, brethren we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if we live after the flesh, we shall die: but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live." (Romans 8:12-13).
It is beautiful how the holy Spirit can take a scripture and give it a very practical application for the nitty-gritty of every day living. We see the value of proper eating habits, etc. and the Lord has dealt with many along this line-- how you eat does not make you spiritual, but it certainly does make for a more healthful state of being. Yet of many it has been written, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them." (Rom. 11:9). So they eat all those foods which fill their body with poisons, etc. and wonder why they get sick. We do well to seek for the guidance of the Spirit along these lines-- that we might truly "glorify God in our body, and in our spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 6:20) But, He also will help us to maintain a proper balance in all these things, so that we do not get carried away with just natural things. Thus it was with a surge of divine quickening that the Spirit one day brought to our attention these words-- "We are debtors, NOT TO THE FLESH..." We are not so indebted to our bodies that we have to spend every waking moment giving attention to our food, our exercise, etc. HE is LORD OVER OUR HOUSE (body) and if our heart is truly centered in the Spirit, to live and walk in the spirit, He can daily be our Guide, and we do not come into bondage to our bodies, but we live out our obedience to Him in all things. We don't eat our way into the kingdom! "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17). But we do walk out in our physical bodies much of our obedience, etc. that we might LEARN those lessons which then reach into spiritual dimensions.
WE ARE DEBTORS-- if not to the flesh, then TO THE SPIRIT. If we derive our life from the Spirit, then we need to WALK by the Spirit. For "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
(Romans 8:5-6).MINDING THE FLESH bespeaks of self-centered living, and often this reaches into the realm of feeding upon man-centered ministries which appeal to the flesh-- with emphasis on blessing, prosperity, etc. This realm does not produce spirituality, nor does it conform us to the image of Christ.
"Come to Jesus, He will meet your need, etc." TRUE! And praise God for such love and mercy to us-ward. All He did is FOR US, in our behalf, but not to satisfy the lusts of the flesh. The Bible is not like a "catalog," where we choose a verse, claim a promise, and God is obligated to send it, irrespective of His will and purpose. Indeed, a God who can be swayed thus by man to do that which He has not already purposed to do, does not merit our trust and obedience. Rather, "He works all things after the counsel of His own will," with our best interests at heart, for He purposes to bring us into UNION with Himself, into the fulness of His life. But the methods of His working, and the processings of His people are not subject to the whims and lustful desires of man. His will alone reigns supreme!
"Because of the savor of Your good ointments your name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love You." (Song of Solomon 1:3). How many love Him because of the blessings of the anointing. He makes us FEEL so good, etc. And truly we praise God for HIS ANOINTING, and how it enriches our life. But DO WE LOVE HIM when we are not consciously aware of these anointed moments? When we feel so empty, barren, stripped and alone? Ah, more and more, as we derive our life from the Spirit, we LOVE HIM FOR WHO HE IS, not just for what He does to, and for us. "Because of the savor of Your good ointments ..." we rally around, rejoice, praise Him, and get all excited.... "therefore do the virgins love You." But when He begins to strip away many of the gifts and graces, and we walk out the dark night of the soul-- then if from deep within our heart reaches out after Him-- it is FOR HIMSELF ALONE, and not for His blessings. It is centered IN HIM!
It has been well stated that before we pray for mountain-moving faith, we do well to pray for understanding of His will-- does He want it moved? And when? And where does He want to put it? There is so much more to this walk with God than just claiming miracles and demonstrations of His power. Oh, to know the mind and purpose of God, that we might be one in His will. "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do." (John 5:19). A true SON OF GOD does not minister because he is "need-conscious" but "WILL-OF-THE-FATHER -CONSCIOUS." Needs are everywhere, and the Father knows all about them-- not even a sparrow can "fall on the ground without your Father. - Fear not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29, 31). So the issue is not the "needs" around us, but to LIVE OUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER, doing with our might what He leads us to do, and all unto Him, for His glory and praise.
More and more our heart cries out, "Draw me, we will run after You... we will be glad and rejoice in You, we will remember Your love more than wine: the upright love You." (Song of Solomon 1:4). RUNNING AFTER HIM, not just because of His ointments, but because of who He is. How beautifully this is also expressed in a chorus the Lord gave to a friend:
"I will give thanks to you Lord for Your goodness and Your mercy,
I'll praise You for the wondrous things You do,
But when I bow down before You, to worship and adore You,
It's simply, Lord, because YOU ARE YOU."While all of His abundant mercies have been to us-ward, in turn all of our worship and praise and service needs to be directed GOD-WARD. Truly "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. 4:11). "FOR YOUR PLEASURE ---" yet God is not self-centered, for so holy and righteous is He, that He receives His pleasure-- delight-- satisfaction-- in what He does in us. His love cannot be satisfied until we are so filled with Him that our love flows back to Him in return. Love is not a one way street. It is not just God ever-giving unto us. For true love must give-- and when we have received and been filled with Him, we must needs return to Him that which He has given to us. It is in this reciprocal fellowship that God is pleased, because then there is evidence that all that He has done in and for us has been effectual. The wonder of it all is that He can love us when we are so unlovely, and He continues to love us until this DIVINE LOVE HAS TRANSFORMED US, and brought us into one with its nature, and then joyfully we return that love to Him. "Created for His pleasure" is actually a promise that embraces us-- because it means that He will not rest until He has brought us into the fulness of this reciprocal freeflowing love, where all He has is ours, and all we are is HIS!
Praise God!A brief look at the tabernacle gives us a window, an illustration of truth. The tabernacle measurement was twenty cubits by ten cubits by ten cubits. Twenty times ten times ten equals two thousand. With a thousand years as a day, from Christ coming to be THE WAY we have about lived through two thousand years, and have come to the back of the sanctuary. There has been the blessing of the table of showbread, and the light of the candlestick, and now you come to THE ALTAR OF INCENSE, the place of worship. More and more the holy Spirit is giving emphasis to our WORSHIP, our PRAISE and DEVOTION TO HIM, preparing for entrance into the holiest of all.
Coming through the first doorway (hanging, veil), into the courtyard speaks of receiving Him as JESUS, our Saviour. Progressing on to the Laver for its cleansing, sanctification processes, and then to the brazen altar where the burnt offering was made-- and we partake of the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death, all self to be slain, that it might be "not I, but Christ lives in me."
At the entrance into the sanctuary there was another veil, and the priest was specially anointed there before he could go in. This bespeaks of the enchristed realm, where we are anointed by the Spirit and prepared for the deeper participation of that which is in the holy place. Here we have the golden candlestick prefiguring the seven spirits of God, the table of showbread with its sustenance for the inner man. And we come to the ALTAR OF INCENSE, to enter into realms of worship hitherto unknown. It also brings us to the third veil, hanging-- bespeaking of that third dimension of His total LORDSHIP. Jesus, Christ, our Lord-- every experience into Him brings us into a new realm of relationship and intimacy. Salvation, then the infilling of the holy Spirit, bringing us into greater WORSHIP WHICH BRINGS US INTO NEW DEPTHS OF HIS LORDSHIP IN OUR LIFE, preparing us for entrance into the holiest of all, where everything is centered in the Spirit.
Significant that the measurement of the "holiest of all" was ten cubits by ten cubits by ten cubits, which multiplies into the figure, one thousand. To enter into the next millennium before us, as His overcomers, to partake of the glory of the "Ark of the covenant" which was contained therein-then we definitely need this altar of incense--WORSHIP to prepare us for all the glory which lies ahead. Bowing to His sovereignty, His total Lordship, that HIS WILL ALONE might be fulfilled in us. Overcoming-- to eat of the hidden manna, to become one in His Word, made joyful at the mercyseat, becoming one in Him, and thus able to impart of His mercy and compassion to all men. So much awaits us! But first there are depths of worship to be experienced, till our eyes are single to Him-- and we bow low that He might be our all in all. Centered in the Spirit, then to walk-- to live a spirit-filled life.
On the Cross, Jesus said, "I THIRST." (John 19:28). We have come to see that this was more than just thirsting for a drink of water. HE THIRSTED FOR A PEOPLE! But at that time there was none that could satisfy Him, thus we read, Psalm 69:21, "In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." There was no PURE DRINK OFFERING ready to be given to Him, only a sour wine, that which had been fermented with the spirit of the world.
At this point in time it was still a one way street, God giving to man, but man unable to return the giving to Him. Jesus had asked the woman at the well for a drink, but she had nothing to offer Him. He must first impart unto her, even as He said, "Whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst:.." (John 4:14), for He promised to BE IN THEM A WELL OF LIVING WATER which would fully satisfy. Prophetic as all of this was-- for we still thirst after Him, "As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2), yet we know that ultimately we shall be fully satisfied in Him. But there was none at that time who could make promise to Him that all of His thirst would be quenched-- they could only offer Him a mixed drink. No wonder He cried out, "I thirst."
But, after the day of Pentecost, and the outpouring of the Spirit to come and dwell in man, and transform him from glory to glory-- there came a day when Paul was able to say, "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand." (2 Timothy 4:6). This could be paraphrased to read: "I have been poured out, a drink-offering unto God, and the time of my release (loosing up and away) is come." Paul had poured out his life as a drink offering unto the Lord-- a reciprocal sharing, God into Paul, Paul back into God. Such is the flow of love that He desires from us!
How beautifully this is portrayed in type and shadow, 1 Chronicles 11:18. David had longed for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem. So three of his mighty men broke through the hosts of the Philistines, and "drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord." He realized the cost, the danger the men had put themselves in, as in essence they had secured the water with their own life, and he would not use the water to satisfy natural desires. Ah, in reality Jesus Christ did pour out His life for us-- and we dare not use it for our own lust and self desires. Gladly we receive His life, but in turn we POUR OUT OUR LIFE for Him, surrendering all, "created for His pleasure." Thus, the prayer Jesus prayed must become ours as well. "Father, the hour is come; glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You." (John 17:1). We receive of His life, that we in turn might fully give our life to Him. Praise His name!
Your vision is prophetic of your destiny. No wonder the scripture declares, "Where there is no vision, the people perish (literally, are made naked.)" (Prov. 29:18). For your vision is your covering until you are brought into its reality. Furthermore, the verse reads on, "But he that keeps the law, happy is he." For every vision has a law for its fulfillment. There are those who envy another of their vision, but they don't want to pay the price to have such fulfilled in them. When God imparts a vision of that high and holy realm to which we are called, beloved, there is A WAY-- A LAW to get there, and he that WALKS IN THE SPIRIT shall come into its reality.
The principle remains, YOU BECOME WHAT YOU SEE. If you have no vision, there is nought to become. An unfolding vision bespeaks of a progressive walk in Christ, until we are one in His fulness.
Psalm 103:7 brings us further insight. "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." Israel saw THE ACTS of the Lord, and as a people they were always wanting God TO DO THINGS for them. They had a vision of GOD DOING-- and were always clamoring for more of the same.
Moses saw His ways, he learned God's methods and the secret of His purpose. "Show me Your way," "Show me Your glory," he prayed, and God imparted vision to him. For many years I have been challenged by the difference between what Israel saw, and what Moses saw-- and the desire burned within to KNOW HIS WAYS. But in these more recent years we are stirred to go even farther, beyond just seeing His acts, and even knowing of HIS WAYS, to where we come TO KNOW HIS PERSON-- to see Him "as He is."
Yes, we thank God for His miracles! Yes, we praise God for revelation of His Word, His ways, His inworkings. But how we yearn for HIM-- TO KNOW HIM in the power of His resurrection, and become ONE-- in union with our Lord! "We don't know what we shall become in the future. We only know that, IF REALITY WERE TO BREAK THROUGH, we should reflect His likeness, for we should see Him as He really is!" (1 John 3:2, Phillips) Then, and not till then, will 1 John 4:17 be truly fulfilled, "Because as He is, so are we in this world." Some would like to claim it now, but their state of being does not verify their claim. When we are CHANGED, totally conformed to His image, one in His nature, we will not have to claim it-- we'll BE, and our state of being will be the irrefutable witness of what we have become.
It is a progressive inworking-- past, present, and future. As Paul wrote, "Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us." (2 Cor. 1:10). Has, does, and will yet. And just because He once delivered us does not mean that we have arrived. Nor does the fact that you are currently being blessed mean that you have it all. But praise God every new deliverance propels us onward towards the goal-- and we are assured that HE who has begun in us this good work, will also bring it to a successful conclusion, for we are His workmanship, and our security is in His hand. Bless His holy name!
In Psalm 22 we see Him as SAVIOUR. All the prophetic record of His crucifixion, and then of man's cry for His help. "When he cried unto Him, He heard." In Psalm 23 we see Him as the CHRIST, "You anointed my head with oil." And then in Psalm 24 we see Him as LORD, "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." And then that triumphant Word, "Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." With joy we welcome Him in-- LORD OF ALL WITHIN US.
As Saviour it was His ministry to us-ward. As the Christ it furthers His work in us. But when He comes in AS LORD, it is HIS TURN TO RECEIVE FROM US. He begins to receive a return from His investment in mankind. But of His COMING IN, be assured, it will an awesome experience. Such was the vision of Isaiah, "I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. - And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried..." (Isaiah 6:1,4).
We long for Him, we yearn to be FILLED WITH HIM, though methinks that our earthen vessels will also quake before Him. The earthquakes without in the world about us, are nothing compared to the INTERNAL QUAKE as the last part of our flesh bows low before Him, and His glory fills our temple. But with all our being we shall cry out, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." Oh, hallelujah, may He who imparts this vision also fulfill it in glorious reality.
Much of Christendom says, in effect, "God is for your pleasure." It is all centered in you-- your needs to be met, your body to be healed, finances to be prospered, the showers of blessing are to fall on you. And we thank the Lord for all that He does on every level. But such teaching has it all backwards. WE ARE FOR HIS PLEASURE. He draws whom He wills. We might be instrumental in drawing people into man's kingdom, but HE DRAWS INTO HIS OWN, and if we are privileged to be a part of that working-- it is because Of His grace and love that He uses us as "laborers together with God." can only share with others of what He has first given to us, thus it is all GOD'S DOING, and not out of ourselves.
All of our outward expression comes from inward possession-- "Christ in you the hope of glory." If He dwells not within, we have nought to offer. So the command, "Be filled with the Spirit," (Ephesians 5:18), is not just the experience of a moment of crisis, but to be A CONTINUED STATE, ever filled with Him. It is not just an external or surface experience, as if the oil of anointing was poured on the outside, to drip off the hem of our garment. But it is INWARDLY-- an anointing that ABIDES. Our life is to be CENTERED IN THE SPIRIT, and then out of this spirit realm we walk-- daily live.
It is not a question of gifts and graces, manifestations, precious as these might be, but it is the PERSONAL, INDWELLING PRESENCE of the holy Spirit, working in us to present us perfect unto Him. God is apprehending a people for this NOW. "As God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (2 Cor. 6:16).
The difference between "firstfruits" and the "full harvest" is not one of quality but of TIME, some reaching maturity before others. "In Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order." (1 Cor. 15:22-23). If you are made alive in Christ, you are brought to the standard of His divine perfection-- such is the quality. But the TIMING of our participation in His ingathering is according to His own will and purpose. When He does draw us, however, may we be swift to run after Him in joyful obedience.
It is also written, "For He will finish the work (Greek, logos, word) and cut it short in righteousness." (Rom. 9:28). God has spoken-- and it shall come to pass-- every word He utters is guaranteed of fulfillment. "The Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness." (Isaiah 45:23). Now there is a truth hidden in this, which thrills our being through and through. For we perceive that HIS WORD becomes PERSONIFIED IN A PEOPLE. He is producing A WORD COMPANY, a creative word, a living word, the message and the messenger become one-- A CREATIVE WORD PEOPLE. In turn they shall declare His Word, and it shall come to pass-- "He sent His Word and healed them." "speak the word only and my child shall be healed." Oh, the power of the LIVING WORD as it flows through those vessels whose lives are CENTERED IN THE SPIRIT!